Learning From My Mistakes: Pan Ams 2014

Competition isn't for everybody. Competition is something you have to really want to do in order to enjoy it. Because if you don't enjoy competition and you lose, then you become discouraged with yourself and your jiu jitsu. However, if you enjoy competition and you lose, it ignites something inside you that makes you want to work harder, push harder, and become a better you. This is exactly what I experienced this weekend at the Pan Ams. 

For the past year, I've been trying so many different things for competition ever since I got promoted to blue belt-- moving to different weight classes and having new tactics to adjust my competition game. This year in California, even though I lost my fight in the last ten seconds, I learned more from my performance than I ever have on the mats. Win or lose, you have to just push forward and use the experience to help better your next performance, which is exactly what I plan to do.

Thank you to all of my teammates, coach Felipe Neto, DoorDie Hyperfly, WantVSNeed, and my boyfriend Kyle Huang for all of the support. I feel so blessed to have such an amazing support system with me. 

With Boca Raton Open (April 26th) and Worlds (May 28-June 1) just around the corner, there's no time for breaks or downtime. Now that I'm safely back home, it is time to get back to training hard and getting ready for the next competition. Ouss! 

Here are some photos from this past week Irvine, California:

Photo Cred: Al Lagura (WantVsNeed)

Check it out---> www.doordie.com

www.wantvsneed.com

MMAC Grappling Tournament

Last weekend, my teammates and I from Zicro BJJ had our first tournament of the year in Tampa, Florida. The MMAC Grappling tournament was an all-day event held in the Tampa Sundome on Saturday, January 18th. Even though this was a smaller tournament, It was a great way to kick off the competition season.

After weighs in on Friday night, we were able to sign up for the divisions that we wanted to compete in. Since this was a smaller, less stressful tournament, my teammates and I decided to sign up for six divisions to compete in on Saturday. The men signing us up looked at us like we were crazy, but we just thought, "why not?" 

Due to my work and school schedule, I didn't feel as prepared for this tournament like I would have liked to be. However, I was still happy with how I performed, and I was extremely proud of all of my teammates for their performances. All together, Jasmine, Rachel, and I brought home eleven medals for the women, and the guys of Zicro BJJ all medaled and dominated their divisions.

 It was a great experience competing again after what seemed like such a long break. Competing always seems to bring our team just a little bit closer. 

 Now that Pan Ams is just two months away, Its time to really step up the pace and work harder to be in the gym more. Now I just need to work on my mistakes and keep pushing myself to improve my game. I am really excited for the big IBJJF competitions this year, and I'm looking forward to making it to the podium in March. 

Perfect Start to a New Year

Happy 2014! I am officially back home in South Georgia from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania where I was visiting my boyfriend, Kyle Huang, and I can honestly say that I already miss it and want to go back. Stepping into the Philadelphia airport is always really hard for me, and I don't think I will ever get used to it, but it is just part of the whole relationship. Some people think that having a long distance relationship is pointless and a waste of time, but to me, it is worth it in every way possible. 

I spent about a week and a half up North, ending and starting the New Year in the perfect way. We always manage to stay really busy doing so many things while I am in Philly, which makes the week seem like it goes by so quickly. Even though this was a pretty laid back vacation for me, my boyfriend still continues to push me at training every day at Maxercise Ribeiro Jiu Jitsu and make sure that I am getting prepared for the upcoming tournaments. 

He really is the perfect training partner for me. He is obviously way better than me ;-) However, Kyle is a purple belt, so he has the knowledge to train me and teach me new things in order to advance my game. Rolling with him can be just silly and kind of playful at times, but when it comes down to it, he is not afraid to push me until I am completely dead on the mats. 

Even though I had the best time up North, like always, it is time to get back to the real world. I started school this week, so now it's time to buckle down. Unfortunately, school and work have seemed to clash this week and next week to where I can't make driving an hour to Tallahassee, FL to train at Zicro BJJ as much as I'd like to. Hopefully once this week and next week start to settle down, I will be able to make more time to train and get back on a regular schedule. I guess it is a good thing that I work at a 24/7 hour gym, where I can immediately start my workout once I clock out. I am still doing everything I can, mentally and physically, to be prepared for the MMAC Grappling tournament next weekend in Tampa, FL. Stepping back onto the competition mats is something i've missed since I left the NY Abu Dhabi trials in October. Until next weekend, I will just be staying prioritized with school, work, and training for the tournament. 

Hope everybody has a great start to the New Year! Ouss!