UFC 110 weekend and Randy Couture Seminar...

My first stop upon arrival in Australia was Sydney. I stayed for a few extra days there before heading back to my hometown, Darwin. The sole reason really was just to watch the... UFC!!!

Being their FIRST EVER event in Australia, and my travel timing right on, how could I NOT miss out on this opportunity? A friend had UFC Fight Club membership so could buy tickets earlier than general public so I got him to do that for me and ended up with great seats; floorside by the walkway where most officials and Nogueira and Wandy walked out from. It cost good money though but was worth it, if only for once in a lifetime, to see the fighters and UFC personalities *couAriannyugh* up close.



The Acer Arena


People were already lining up when I arrived just after 10am.


Only thing I was really bummed about was that I didn't bring my camera. On the ticket it says no Photography or recording devices. Which I interpreted as no cameras at all, so I was pretty pissed when I saw every other Tapout shirt wearing fool snapping away. Especially when I tried to get a pic with the ring girls. I'm still trying to figure out how to send photos to my blog from my mobile phone, because I used the camera on there, so when I do I'll make a post with those pictures.

Other than UFC I got to catch up with a few good old high school friends and eat some of the Asian foods I'd been missing out on for 6mths.

A pic of my friend "Queens" with the takeaway bag from Hurricanes at Bondi. It looks like we went shopping but it had some bbq chicken wings and half ribs which was sooooo good and different to the bbq stuff they have in Brasil.


Korean side dishes and a bowl of Spicy Beef soup.



Thai food.


Randy Couture seminar...
Yes I was even lucky enough to attend one of the two seminars held by Randy Couture in Sydney a couple days before the event. It was well worth it and he showed some of the wrestling aspect of MMA that has worked for him in fights. I was also very lucky to partner up with a guy about my own size and level and not a TUF fan that spazzes out and uses strength.

Randy touched on some pummeling drills (with no hands), single and double legs off the pummel, using the rebound off the cage to set up strikes/takedowns/transitions etc, some ground stuff with the "cradle" hold. After the training part of the seminar he was gracious enough to answer peoples questions and then sign autographs and take pictures. Each took about 20mins.

The seminar was held at Boxing Works within the CBD area of Sydney. They gym has a nice set up with boxing rings, floor to ceiling bags, weights and down in their basement a fenced off cage area.

Boxing Works
23 Pelican Street, Darlinghurst.
Phone: (02) 9283 6421
Website






With the legend himself.



Also if you're looking for MMA gear in Sydney check out the MMA Factory in Bondi. They got a good selection of apparel and some equipment. I've ordered things from their website before and it was nice to see the store this time. Also it's by Bondi beach so you could make a day of it.

MMA Factory
Shop 11/180-186 Campbell Parade, Bondi Beach (Next to the Swiss Grand Hotel).
Phone: (02) 802 13615
Website

Portuguese Brazilian Jiu Jitsu terminology...

Learning some Português will REALLY help enhance your experience here in AND out of the gym. But even if you don't know any when you arrive, you should still be able to understand what's going on in class through observation, although it REALLY helps to understand some of the details of a technique if you know some basic words.

The following are some terms I thought would be useful that I've found through other sources (blogs, forums) and picked up through my own observations in class. I'll be continually updating this as I learn more so make sure to keep updated. I even wanted to do a video with Dennis so you could hear the pronounciation, but will have to save that till next time as I'm not in Brasil anymore :( or confident enough to do it myself yet.

Also I've tried to write how you might phonetically say them and hopefully that helps some people. If anyone has corrections or things they could add to it then please comment or email me.

Positions (Posições):

Side Control - Cem Kilos (literally: 100 kilos)

(Close) Guard - (Fechar) Guarda ... where "fechar" is a verb

Half Guard - Meia guarda

Spider guard - Guarda aranha

Mount - Montada

Top / up - Acima (ah-see-ma)

Bottom / down - Baixo (bye-shoo)

Belts & Training gear:

Belts - Faixas (fai-shas)

White - Branca

Blue - Azul

Purple - Roxa (ho-sha)

Brown - Marrom (mah-hoom)

Black - Preta

Gloves - Luvas

Shirt - Camisa /camiseta

Shorts - Bermudas

Pants - Calças
Backpack - Mochila (mo-shilla)

Hat/cap - Boné

Speedos - Sunga ... buy a red one and train with it in sem kimono, I dare you!
Gi / Kimono - Kimono (duhhhh!)
No-Gi - Sem kimono (seng kimono) ... sem = without
Lapel - Lapela
Collar - Gola
Sleeves - Mangas

Useful terms:

Yes - Sim

No - Não ... (a real nasally: now)

Left - Esquerda (ee-scare-da)

Right - Direita (jee-reta)

Prepare/Get ready - Preparar
Go - Vai
Stop - Pare ... VERY useful if you can't physically tap!
Stopped - Parou ... Gordo would ask me this; if I'd "stopped"/finished with rolling or wanted one more
Been - Foi ... I noticed alot of guys say this to verbally tap, the literal translation is "been" but if anyone can explain better I'll update it

Here - Aqui (ah-kee)

There - Lá

This/that (depending how you use it) - Isso
Weight - Peso

Heavy - Pesado
Change - Trocar / Troco

Always - Sempre

Never - Nunca

Return/go back - Voltar

Is this correct? - É isso certo?

More or less - Mais or menos

Of course - É claro

Time - Tempo (heard at end of rounds)

Dominate - Dominar / Domina .... e.g. "domina o braço" (domin-ey oo bra-zhoo) = control the arm

Just / Only - Só ... (s-oh)

Actions:
Grip - Pegada / Pega .... e.g. "Pega aqui" = "Grip here"

Hook - Gancho (gan-shoo)

Push - Empurre (ing-poo-hey)

Pull - Puxe (pu-shay)

Pummel - Escrima
Hold - Segura ... e.g. "Segura o posição" = "Hold the position"

Posture - Postura

Backwards/go back - Pra trás / Vai para trás ... sounds like "partraish"

Lift / Raise - Leve / Levantar ... "Levantar ele" = "Lift him up"

Get / seize - Pegar ... so if you're setting up an armbar and someone says "Pegar" = "Get/take it"
Calm - Calma ... Self explanatory but if someone tells you "calma" they're telling you to calm down.
Relax - Relax (he-lash) ... same explanation as above
Turn - Vire ... "Vire seu quadril" = "Turn your hips"
Straighten - Shika (not sure on spelling) ... "Shika o braço" = "Straighten the arm"

Body (Corpo):

Hand - Mão

Foot - Pé

Arm - Braço (bra-zhoo)

Leg - Perna

Knee - Joelho (zhoo-el-oo ... sometimes sounds like they say "joo-el-ee")

Elbow - Cotovelo (koh-toh-velo)

Fingers - Dedos do mão

Toes - Dedos do pé

Hips - Quadril (kwa-dril)

Body - Corpo
Chest - Peito (Pay-too)... "Peito a Peito" = "Chest to chest"
Trunk - Tronco

Head - Cabeça (ka-beh-sa)

Neck - Pescoço
Throat - Garganta
Back - Costas

Shoulder - Ombro

Shoulder blade - Omoplata

Commands:

Go - Vai / Embora

Pass the guard - Passar de guarda

Attack - Attaque

Defend - Defendar

Escape - Saida /S air

Sweep - Raspa / Raspada (has-pa)

Spar/roll - Spare (sh-par-ey)

Close the guard - Fechar a guarda

Other things you might here in class:

Valeu - thanks ... used as a departing

Até amanhã - until tomorrow

Treinar - training

Vai com ele (vai kong el-ee) - go with him

Tiver duvida - Have doubts (questions

Boa treinar - Good training ... (before rolling with your partner)
Mais um - One more
Quem quero mais? (Keng kero maes?)- Who wants more?
Livre treinar - free training ... (usually after normal class and if people want to keep rolling they'd say this)

Striking:

Jab - Jabby

Cross/right straight - Direita (jee-reta)

Straights - Direito ... if they say "só direito" then just do straight punches
Hook - Cruzo/Cruza ... not sure on spelling for this one

Uppercut/Body hook - Gancho or cruza ... From memory they called an uppercut a hook (gancho) and same for a hook or "rip" to the body
Kick - Chute (shoo-ta)

Elbow - Cotovelo

Knee - Joelho

Sources:

Sherdog forums

http://williamkoplitz.com/

Fightworks podcast

Gordo Jiu Jitsu classes

Fight Zone classes

Até logo Brasil...

This will be my last blog in Brasil :(((( until I get back to Australia and maybe till my laptop is fixed. I'm sad to be leaving but it hasn't really hit me yet and also I know I'll be back. (Just a matter of when).

I'll be continuing this blog when I get back to Australia (in between finding a job and earning some $ to come back). There's still PLENTY of content I want to blog on about Brasil like language tips, places to eat and see, nightspots etc so keep tabs on it.

My last day was spent training in the morning and helping lay out the new Zebramats. Finally after being here for 5mths I get to roll on the "new" mats, which had been sitting in storage for ages waiting to be collected. The only problem is when you go to collect some guy will charge you R$(insert price) for (insert some B.S.) tax. So it became a waiting game till the dodgy storage people let the mats out, because who wants to pay for mats you already paid for? Ahhh Brasil.

As you can see the new mats look pimp and finally complete the renovations of the gym which started just a couple weeks after I arrived here back in September!! It's been nice seeing the place, that I've spent more than half my time in Brasil at, develop. I'm glad to of been here and see this process, so at least when I come back I can reminisce and be like "Oh I remember when the gym was alot smaller and we only had that area from there to there to roll" lol.





After training I went with the folks to pick up their tickets, from a hotel in Copacabana, to watch the Samba parade. They asked if I wanted to go but I don't think I have the attention span to watch 12 different samba schools parade, each parade going for 1 hour or so AND the whole thing finishing about 6:30/7am.

So instead took off to Praça General Osario in Ipanema to meet up with Junk, Fill and Ben to check out the Blocos in the area.

Praia de Ipanema.


Bloco party in Ipanema.


The drumming section.


More people in costumes line dancing and leading the bloco.


Posto 8 - Ipanema .... Ben and Jeff using these urinal things they had for guys on the streets, f*ck that I say! You'll get spray all over your feet.


Brasilian bunda... I shall miss you :(


Dude dressed in drag talking "japanese" to Junk... Junk loved every bit of it


Ate dinner at Garota de Ipanema. The bar where Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes used to hang out and wrote the song "Garota de Ipanema/Girl from Ipanema," inspired by a beautiful girl that would always walk by.


Some stereotypes are just hard to break


I think the chick behind me liked the pose


After dinner walked around and somehow ended up in a side street with alot of gay people... at least we saw non-butch chicks making out :)


Afterwards found a quiet place (with a mediocre band playing cover songs) to have a drink... banana beer! Doesn't tastes as smooth as it smells but still interesting.


Shout outs...
To everyone I've met and made friends with in and out of the gym. All the guys that I've rolled with and helped me along the way. Gordo, Rommel, Dennis, Neto, Leozinho, Carioca, Thiago, Zoro, Regis, Toquinho, Deigo... too many to name.


A bunch of afternoon training class pics. Got to know a lot of great guys while getting a good workout and really improving my game.




Last afternoon training session with Dennis and the gringos, taken last Friday.


More class pics. From the night classes to the Saturday morning classes to the Vale Tudo class.




With the boxing class on Friday morning. Cesario, the trainer is in the red shorts and baseball cap. He's the guy that called me "Manny Pacquiao" out of nowhere, which caught along and is what all the Brasilians in the gym have been calling me lol.


With Rommel, Dennis and Gordo the day after getting my blue belt.


With Dennis; mentor and good friend. A man I have A LOT to thank for during my stay here, so much that I could dedicate an entire post to it. Thank you Dennis and Connection Rio!

Final week in Brasil...

Just a quick update...
It's been a pretty busy last couple weeks for me. Just got back into Rio on Monday night, before that was in the north Pantanal near Cuiaba for a few days. To be honest I found it a bit boring there because it was mainly a birdwatching trip for my mum and her husband. But we did see a sh*tload of wildlife which was cool.

Flying back into Rio at night was also cool, as we landed at Santos Dumont (the domestic airport) so the plane flew over Niteroi and Zona Norte and got a really nice view of the city at night when it's all lit up. It looks beautiful from above... even the dodgy areas.

Flying over Rio on the way to Foz do Iguacu; in the pic Zona Sul (Ipanema on bottom and Copacabana on the right)


Barra da Tijuca





Getting back into training was a bitch and I felt light headed after 2 rolls and my timing was wayyy off in jiu jitsu and boxing. But now feeling a bit better after a few sessions and really trying to squeeze the most out of them and ask more questions. It's like I'm cramming for an exam or something.
It's been hard to catch as many training sessions as I'd like. Ideally I'd be doing 3 a day till I leave which is next Tues. But gotta spend time with the folks. It's good to have my mum here though because.... mum's cooking is always best lol!

There's a whole bunch of new guys in the Connection Rio house and it was a bit weird going over and seeing a whole "new" crew and only a few guys left from the "old" crew. I hope they enjoy their stay though and get as much out of it all as I have.

I leave this coming Tuesday night but not after a few more training sessions crammed in between Carnival block parties and playing tourist guide to my mum and her husband.

Boa Carnival everyone!!

Foz do Iguaçu/Iguazu...

If I didn't mention this before, it's definitely worth going to both sides of the falls IF you have the time and budget to do it. Both sides offer something a little different to each other but both are as spectacular as each other.

I'm too lazy to write a detailed review of both so I'm going to put up some photos to show what it's like and when I get the time I'll add up some of the video I took too.

Argentinian side:
Pretty much you get a closer look and more personal feel of the falls, especially Gargantua do Diablo or "Devil's Throat."

Catching the small train that takes you around some of the Argentinian side of the Iguazu National Park.


Walking to the "Devil's throat" falls


At the edge of the Gargantua do Diablo aka "Devil's throat" ... I tried not too take too many pics here because the spray from the waterfalls was getting all over my cameras and I didn't want to destroy them. You could literally see over the edge of them though and it was cool that you could get so close, unlike at Niagra Falls where you view it from a distance.





On the boat tour that takes you to the lower half circuit of the falls and gets you up close and personal with them (you will get wet)...



The lower circuit of the falls






Brasilian side:
Provides a more panoramic view of the falls but you can also get a close look at them too.




Also close by is Itaipu dam (wiki page), the largest hydroelectric dam in the world. It was pretty awesome to see something that large man and made, it reminded me of something out of a James Bond or sci-fi film.