Just For Fun — Arcanum

Monkeys in a barrel, my 7 levels of nerdiness, and some new tunes…

June 15, 2011 By SkinnyD 6 Comments

Monkeys in a Barrel

The last few weeks have been a learning process of a different kind. Instead of getting my butt kicked by my teammates, I’ve been teaching kids classes at one of the MMA gyms I train at. My coach asked me and a fellow blue belt to step in and help him handle the teaching load, so I’m teaching every Wednesday. And guess what I’m using?

That’s right…Gracie Bullyproof.

So far, so good. Bullyproof is an awesome way to involve the kids, teach and have fun…but one thing it doesn’t cover is how to keep a barrel of monkeys in line. That’s the challenge: make a class fun while maintaining structure and discipline. So far all of the kids in the class are under 10 and there are way more girls than boys. I’ve learned a lot about how to maintain order, but I’m not gonna lie; it’s a little challenging. Which is why I’m enjoying it.

I’m working on a new gi review format that I think will really turn some heads. I can’t wait to post my next gi review…should be sometime around the end of June.

On another note, I feel like yammering a little about my life outside of jiu-jitsu.
Finish Reading…

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Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Just For Fun

The cast of 300 didn’t train BJJ, but…

January 23, 2011 By SkinnyD Leave a Comment

…they could teach most of us a thing or two about focus and discipline.

If you have never read this post by Mark Twight of Gym Jones about training the cast of 300, you ought to do so. Here’s the link, right HERE. Mark responds very forcefully to the long list of doubters who believed the amazing physique of the Spartans came from years of training and steroid overdose. (It didn’t, by the way…it came from a few months of killer cross-training and a responsible diet.)

The question is, have you ever been a “doubter” at BJJ training? Have you ever been frustrated at that lower belt who gets you with the same submission over and over, and made the excuse that they were “just using muscle?” Or maybe you’re not progressing as fast as the next guy / girl on the mat. Or maybe you’re the one who offers excuses every time you get tapped.

If you’re that person (I find myself there every now and then, I’m ashamed to say), read and re-read Mark’s post. And then get off your butt and go to work.

Finish Reading…

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Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, CrossFit, Just For Fun Tagged With: 300, BJJ, discipline, doubter, Gym Jones, jiu-jitsu, steroids

Touché

December 6, 2010 By SkinnyD 4 Comments

The Team Machado Utah BJJ Christmas party was indeed a success, and yes, I won the “best gi” category and a sushi gift card. Nice.

The moment of triumph dissipated pretty quickly, though, after Brandon commented, “We need to get more color on your belt and less on your gi.”

Touché.

Just some of the gang at Kingdom Klub

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Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Just For Fun Tagged With: BJJ, TMU

Lame-butt “I’m here” post…and Halloween pictures

November 1, 2010 By admin 2 Comments

I just had to jump in and post something to let you all know I’m alive…I feel incomplete somehow if I haven’t posted in more than four days. Hope you’ll forgive an off-topic post.

The last two weeks have been me vs. nasty sore throat/cold. I thought today that I was almost over it, but now my throat is hurting again and it feels like it’s about to start all over. Don’t know why I just can’t shake this thing. It’s like I turned 30 and my antibodies decided to go on vacation. I haven’t rolled since the Sylvio Behring seminar two weeks ago. It’s not my style to train and infect my training partners. Coming here soon I have a great interview with Master Sylvio…when I get time to transcribe it. Sigh.

Well, for your entertainment, here are the four costumes I had for this Halloween season. Yeah, you heard me. Four costumes. We geek out when it comes to Halloween costume parties.

Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas

For an annual costume ball in South Jordan:

My wife literally painted my head white. Fun times.

Some Random Renaissance Guy

This was for a friend’s masquerade ball.

I'd point out that we're not from matching time periods, but that would be too nerdy...

The “Ninjas Killed My Family” homeless man…

For work on Friday. Got some interesting insight with this costume – people definitely treated me differently until they realized it was a Halloween costume.

Captain Hook

For Halloween…I was Cap’n Hook, wife was Wendy, little girl was Tinkerbell and my little boy was Peter Pan.

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Filed Under: Just For Fun

Crazy-ass Gi Design Challenge: The TMU Scorpion

August 25, 2010 By admin Leave a Comment

Check out my latest submission for the Crazy-ass Gi Design Challenge! I was up till odd hours of the night working on this, but the results paid off.

(Check out my other designs here

The scorpion is a great logo for a jiu-jitsu team. It’s unique and it really pins down the essence of jiu-jitsu…control your target, then sting. Dave Johnson is the purveyor of the original logo, which you can see on the Team Machado Utah blog or on my home page. We’ve talked for a while about doing some creative designs based on the scorpion theme, so this is my first effort in that direction.

I figured this could be a gi with two pairs of pants. That’s how nice it is.

Here’s the gi top paired with yellow pants:

And finally, paired with black pants:

I must have this gi.

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Filed Under: Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Just For Fun, Reviews

Bad Karma? Or Just Stupidity?

August 9, 2010 By admin 3 Comments

I’m not sure what I did to deserve this right before my first day back at class, but I put a metal spike into my foot yesterday. For pictures, scroll to the end of the post (caution – those of you with aversion to injury pictures or feet in general may want to skip the photo).

Tempting as it is to blame this injury on bad karma, I have to chalk this one up to stupidity. Never try and kickstart an ATV while wearing wet flipflops. Those foot pegs are sharp. As you can see, my foot slipped and the triangular spike on the edge of the footpeg embedded itself about 3/8″ into my heel. Needless to say, it bled like crazy and I can’t walk on it. Hopefully I’ll be able to train BJJ off my back, but anything involving footwork will be out of the question.

It probably could have used a couple of stitches, but we weren’t close to any medical facilities and in all reality, it looks a lot worse than it actually is. I pulled it tight with a butterfly bandage and hopefully that will keep it closed well enough to heal.

Not that this injury ruined my weekend – not by a long shot. I spent the weekend at a relative’s cabin at Bear Lake, ID with my family (the injury happened just before we went home). My Dad brought along his new famous toy, a Polaris RZR 4. For those of you not into the ATV scene, the RZR 4 is basically a scaled-down sand rail (dune car) or a scaled up ATV that seats 4 people.

This thing is brand new on the market and has gotten rave reviews. I’ve driven it around in the mountains but this is the first time we’ve taken it on the sand or in the water, and we weren’t disappointed. Finish Reading…

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Filed Under: Battle Wounds, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, Just For Fun Tagged With: BJJ, injury, RZR 4

Fatal Attraction

July 26, 2010 By admin 2 Comments

I may be sleeping on the couch for a while.

Apparently, a preoccupation with jiu-jitsu when I do not have a training outlet is hazardous to other people’s health.

Let me explain.

Last night, my wife and I found ourselves seated in a stadium waiting for a political rally to start. As the show commenced, we became very uncomfortable with the manipulative and aggressive atmosphere we felt there. We were about to pick up and leave when we were approached by a large man who looked like a WWF version of Joe Pesci. Apparently he was offended that we did not like what we were hearing and seeing. This man became very aggressive as he tried to force me to participate in this rally for a cause I clearly did not support. Our discussion of 2nd amendment rights became rather heated, until he walked up to me with the clear intent of intimidating me into submission.

He didn’t get a chance.

As soon as he was within arms reach, I reached up like lightning and grabbed his collar and right sleeve, then yanked him downward into my control. I felt my backhand smack something as I pulled him down. Then he screamed like a girl.

I woke up with a start.

It took me only a split second to realize that it was not the violent political zealot who had been the victim of my clinch. My dream was so real I had literally reached out in my sleep, grabbed thin air and yanked down hard, only to connect with my wife’s right eye.

After blubbering out several apologies like an idiot and making sure she wasn’t going to get a black eye, I explained to her what happened and we had a good laugh.

It did make me wonder, though – does anyone else out there have dreams about BJJ? Finish Reading…

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Filed Under: Battle Wounds, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

Battle Wounds

March 26, 2010 By admin 4 Comments

Welcome to a new tradition for my blog: Battle Wounds.

In my own twisted way I thought it would be fun and..well…funny to track the visible evidence of the daily beatings I subject myself to. I’ll probably post a new one every few weeks. I know you all appreciate my use of a genderless outline. You’re welcome.

As I commented in a previous post, BJJ simultaneously breaks you down and builds you up. Calluses, bruises, abrasions and worse are all to be expected. It’s ironic, though, that the visible evidence of our struggle becomes a symbol of our success. For a reason those not suffering from BJJ addiction don’t seem to understand, these battle wounds have a way of becoming a source of pride for us practitioners. For men, at least. I can’t comment on whether female BJJ practitioners enjoy having battle wounds to show off (maybe some of you ladies out there can comment on this), but most men I know wear their scars and bruises with pride. It’s a sign of toughness. These carnal markings tell the world “I may bend, but I will never break!” (although some people have misunderstood the bruises around my neck in particular and asked me if I “had fun last night.” Whatever that means.)

As you can see, I have bent a lot, but thankfully nothing is broken yet (click on the image for full size):

The thing with these battle scars is that they never really seem to go away…they migrate. Guarantee you in three weeks my dual quad bruises will have made their way to my calves.

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Filed Under: Battle Wounds, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu Tagged With: battle wounds, BJJ

Monkeys in a barrel, my 7 levels of nerdiness, and some new tunes…

Monkeys in a Barrel

The cast of 300 didn’t train BJJ, but…

Touché

Lame-butt “I’m here” post…and Halloween pictures

Jack Skellington from The Nightmare Before Christmas

Some Random Renaissance Guy

The “Ninjas Killed My Family” homeless man…

Captain Hook

Crazy-ass Gi Design Challenge: The TMU Scorpion

Bad Karma? Or Just Stupidity?

Fatal Attraction

Battle Wounds

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