Wednesday, December 31, 2014

Sun Tzu's Art of War: Jones vs Cormier

This weekend UFC fans will get a late Christmas present in the Light Heavyweight Title clash between Champion Jon "Bones" Jones and Daniel Cormier. Using Sun Tzu’s masterpiece, “The Art of War,” to break down the fight, I can predict with 100% certainty that one of these fighters will walk away with the belt or your money back.

1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the moral law? (Who is harder to finish?)
  • Neither guy has ever been finished in their professional MMA career. Jones showed he can withstand heavy fire in his fight with Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 165. Furthermore, at UFC 152, Jones also showed his submission defense when he escaped a nasty armbar at the hands of Vitor Belfort. Cormier has never really been in serious trouble, at least not the kind of trouble Jones weathered. What’s kept Cormier out of danger is his technical ability. However, Jones is also notoriously hard to hit, and he’s shown to be able to get through hardships in fights. Advantage: Jones
2) Which of the two generals has most ability? (Who has the better camp?)
  • The challenger comes out of the renowned American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, California. A strong history of championship level talent has been cultivated on these mats including: 1 UFC champion and 3 Strikeforce Champions. Meanwhile, the champ trains under the tutelage of Greg Jackson and Mike Winklejohn in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Jones and Jackson have a special relationship where both guys delve into the breakdown of a fight to come up with a gameplan suited to mentally and physically break opponents. Advantage: Jones
3) With whom lie the advantages derived from heaven and earth? (What advantages surround the fight?)
  • Jones has settled into his role as the king of 205. He is no stranger to the pressure of a big fight, and he has gone 5 hard rounds before. Furthermore, the UFC kinda promoted this fight with Jones as the villain, a persona Jones used to avoid. Perhaps this new role will rid Jones of his marketing burden, and free him up to feel more comfortable as the bad guy. It’s hard to gauge how much that will be a factor, but anything that makes Jon Jones more comfortable makes him more dangerous. Cormier on the other hand will be going into his first UFC title fight, and this will be his first 5 round fight at 205lbs. Advantage: Jones
4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? (Who's in better shape?)
  • We’ve only seen Cormier go 5 rounds once, and he did not disappoint. In his 3 rounders he’s dominated his opposition and looked ready for more every time. However, some would say his noted history of struggling with weight could play a factor in his conditioning. No one knows for sure how hard it is for Cormier to make 205, but from what we’ve seen from DC it’s doubtful he will wilt in the later rounds. As for Jones, 5 rounds is nothing new to him, the Gustafsson fight proved he can still throw heat in the later rounds. DRAW
5) Which army is stronger? (Who's stronger?)
  • Cheal Sonnen said he was surprised with how strong Jon Jones was in the clinch. This is the same guy who trained regularly with Randy Couture and Dan Henderson, so it’s hard to dismiss his observation. That being said, Daniel Cormier launches grown men in the air like he’s playing with a toddler. Advantage: Cormier
6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained? (Who's more well rounded?)
  • Cormier’s striking first came up when he out classed Jeff Monson without using his wrestling. Since then his striking only got better. He can find a home for his right hand, he has excellent timing, and can flurry opponents into cage to set up his world class takedowns. On the ground, I’ve never seen anyone, not even Fedor, control Dan Henderson the way Cormier did. On the other hand, Jones’ record speaks for himself. He can strike, he can wrestle, and he has solid submissions. However, for the first time in his career, Jones may not have the ability to dictate where the fight goes. He has never faced a wrestler the caliber of Daniel Cormier, who can strike and fight on the ground. Advantage: Cormier
7) In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment? (Who can finish the fight?)
  • Jones is a clear finisher. On the feet, Cormier has knock out power, but Jones’ striking can also stop opponents with strikes. On the ground, Cormier has fantastic control for his ground-and-pound and will take a choke if available, but Jones will actively look for submissions while simultaneously dropping the best G-n-P at 205. Advantage: Jones
HOW CORMIER WINS: The challenger will strike his way in on Jones and bully him into the cage. From there he has to be wary of the infighting ability of the champ, but he can mix up takedowns and flurries to keep the champ confused. After a long grueling clinch war, a mix of flurries and takedowns will guide DC to a Unanimous Decision.
HOW JONES WINS: The champ will fluster his opponent with his range and cause Cormier to come in head on and over aggressive. From there look for Jones to land a solid right uppercut while Cormier ducks his head to get inside. The wobbled challenger will stagger back and Jones will swarm. Finishing the fight by TKO.

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Friday, December 26, 2014

The Layoff: Returning from a Jiu Jitsu Hiatus

For the last 8 years, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu has been a big part of my self-identity.  For a little clarity as to how long that is, consider that “Laffi Taffi” was a number one song when I first started BJJ, and I still used mapquest to get to tournaments. Living rent-free and studying at the community college freed me up to spend what little cash I had on booze, pot, CD’s (yeah CD’s), and to take up a new hobby in BJJ.

At first being a white belt felt goddamned awful. The more experienced white belts knew enough to use me as a glorified practice dummy, and the colored belts used me as a walking laboratory where they could try out crazy experiments. Eventually, I caught up to those white belts, and the colored belts even started to exert some real effort to beat my ass.

Improving as a white belt feels like being a toddler finger painting. Anything you do well is received with praise and reinforcement, and anything you do poorly is discarded as “Who gives a fuck? You’re a white belt! Just be happy you didn’t pee yourself.” Everyday practice was a win-win situation for me. It was exciting and fun. I remember learning things like: don’t leave your arms out too far, don’t reach back to open the guard, and never ever wear mesh shorts to practice. I started to gauge myself against the higher belts, and started feeling personal pride when I did well against them. Eventually, my progress took me far enough to earn a blue belt, and I even saw myself doing well at comps.

After over a year and a half of training 7-9 times a week my BJJ life took a big hit. I moved away to live in Long Beach, and though I had training available for me, I became engulfed in a sea of school work. Suddenly I didn’t have the time to train, and when I did train my regression was painfully obvious. I could no longer dominate white belts, and suddenly other blue belts were dominating me again. Being dominated is a shitty feeling. I didn’t want to go to practice because I knew failure waited for me on those mats. It was difficult to find the time to train, but really, I was happy to find excuses.

Eventually I realized how much of a bitch I was being and committed myself to sharpening my jiu jitsu. I moved away from the sun and fun of Long Beach to train with my old teacher in Rancho Cucamonga. My first night back I noticed that one of my old training partners had surpassed me. While I genuinely felt very happy for him, a part of me felt jealous. I didn’t like the fact that now I was that colored belt that newer guys/gals were gauging themselves on. I struggled to properly execute techniques against beginners, and losing against them hurt the ego I had built up before the break. I hated being the “beatable” colored belt, but I had to accept it because jiu jitsu is honest even if we’re not.

When jiu jitsu exposes a weakness, we have to acknowledge it. We can decide not to, but the weakness will always be there laughing at us, mocking us, and visible for all to see. Those who don’t want to admit their short falls, fall behind. They quit trying to patch up their holes, and their frustration eventually beats out their will to keep training. I think anyone coming back from a layoff has to make the decision to either admit vulnerabilities or give up trying to get better.

A layoff brings us back to the shitty days of being a brand new white belt. We suck again, we have peers who toy with us, we have trouble with newcomers, and we are face to face with our own impotence every day. But unlike the old days as a beginner, we can’t dismiss failure as, “meh, you’re a white belt” and at the same time, we don’t get praise for executing basic techniques. The only praise we get is from ourselves. We have to be the judge of our own progress.

When I first came back from the layoff, the toughest battle was admitting to myself I wasn’t what I used to be. After accepting that heavy truth, I realized that the person I should be trying to beat is not my training partner, but myself from yesterday.

Here is where the ego must be discarded. The ego causes us to compare ourselves to others, our training partners, our peers, our friends. The ego feeds our personal pride, and in the immortal words of Mr. Marcellous Wallace, “Fuck pride! Pride only hurts. It never helps.” Hubris is a sin for a reason; it is something that builds as we progress, but we fear to lose. When we fear to lose that pride, we make excuses. Excuses are lame… excuses are the language of the weak, they're what we tell ourselves when we don’t want to take responsibility. Furthermore, it really sucks to train with people who have such a big ego they can’t give you any credit. I remember, after coming back from another layoff as a purple belt, being swept by a white belt and telling myself, “well I just wanted to let him work.” Go fuck yourself, you douche.

I’ve been swept, submitted, and mounted by lower belts plenty of times, and I used to think of a reason why I didn’t perform, but the reality was that they simply did a good job. I hated to admit it but fuck, they got the better of me. And you know what? Good for them. After I reflected on it, I realized I should be happy for them, not upset at myself.

It all goes back to the honesty of BJJ. Over the last few years I’ve had to take more breaks from BJJ, each time I’ve tried to keep my ego in check. As a white belt my shortcomings were excusable, and my ego was allowed to grow. Later in my BJJ career those shortcomings weren’t as easily dismissed, and I was forced to accept them and mature. This is what makes BJJ such an amazing sport. In few places is pure honesty as evident as it is in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. When I tap my opponent to let him/her know I accept my defeat, there is no lying there… I am acknowledging I lost. It may hurt, both emotionally and physically, but by accepting my lickings I learn. And that’s the whole point… to learn and grow.

Though the layoffs sucks, they are an opportunity to reinvent yourself. A chance to build an even better you from scratch. It takes honesty, it takes commitment, and it blossoms maturity. As we mature we find that our goal should not be to beat up our training partners, but to be better when we leave the gym than when we entered.

Ever had a Layoff? Let me know by following me on twitter @LanguageFight and liking me on Facebook “Language Fight” and post in the comment section below to tell us your story.


Friday, December 5, 2014

Sun Tzu's Art of War: Pettis vs Melendez

Saturday night’s (Sunday morning in the land of didgeridoos) matchup between Champion Anthony “Showtime” Pettis and Challenger Gilbert “NiƱo” Melendez promises to be pure fucking excitement from start to finish. Using Sun Tzu’s masterpiece, “The Art of War,” to break down the fight, we can lay down our life savings on a sure winner.

1) Which of the two sovereigns is imbued with the moral law? (Who is harder to finish?)
  • Neither guy has ever been finished in their professional MMA career. Not for lack of opportunity though, as both fighters have had to fight out of gnarly situations before. Melendez survived a shoryuken uppercut when he fought Diego Sanchez, and Pettis escaped a fully sunk Rear-Naked-Choke in his first fight with Benson Henderson. DRAW
2) Which of the two generals has most ability? (Who has the better camp?)
·         For all the controversy surrounding Duke Roufus and the tragic death of his student Dennis Munson Jr, the fact remains that the guy knows how to build great fighters. His coaching practices may be up to debate, and time will tell how much Munson’s training regimen contributed, if at all, to his untimely passing. However, what is known is that under the tutelage of Roufus, Pettis became one of the most dynamic and exciting fighters to ever compete in Mixed Martial Arts. On the other hand, Gilbert fights out of the famous Gracie Fighter network that produced such beasts as Nate Diaz, Nick Diaz, Jake Shields, and David Terrell, all of whom competed for a UFC title at some point in their careers. Both guys come from proven camps with proven instruction, but the relationship between Roufus and Pettis is special. Advantage: PETTIS
3) With whom lie the advantages derived from heaven and earth? (What advantages surround the fight?)
  • This will be the 17th title fight in Gil’s career. He has a wealth of experience competing at the highest levels all around the world. He was a Shooto Champ, WEC Champ, Strikeforce Champ, and competed in Pride FC during the promotion’s prime. As a 12 year veteran of the sport, Melendez has seen everything the fight game has to offer. In addition Vegas is also closer to San Francisco (his adopted home) and Santa Ana (his hometown) than Milwaukee (Pettis’ hometown). Finally, Pettis’ long layoff since winning the title also works against him. Advantage: MELENDEZ
4) On which side is discipline most rigorously enforced? (Who's in better shape?)
  • At 155lbs if you gas out you don’t fight for titles. Both guys have had drawn out 5 round wars. DRAW
5) Which army is stronger? (Who's stronger?)
  • Neither guy is a real “horsepower” kind of fighter. Both utilize technique, timing, and speed to win their fights. It’s hard to say who’s physically stronger. DRAW
6) On which side are officers and men more highly trained? (Who's more well rounded?)
  • At 155lbs if you’re not well rounded you don’t fight for titles, but these two are well rounded in different ways. Arguably the best striker in MMA, the champ excels at knocking people unconscious, but has some slick submissions that need to be respected. His wrestling is also on point and was even able to take down Ben Henderson in their first fight. Gilbert Melendez on the other hand has fantastic boxing and top level wrestling. He out-struck Jorge Masvidal in their Strikeforce title fight, and dominated Shinya Aoki on the ground with his defensive grappling. That being said, Pettis is more offensive from every position and that counts for a lot. Advantage: PETTIS
7) In which army is there the greater constancy both in reward and punishment? (Who can finish the fight?)
  • Pettis has a finishing rate of 82% split evenly between submissions (7) and knockouts (7). In comparison, Meledez, an aggressive fighter himself, has a finishing rate of 55%. Though Melendez’s finishing rate may pale in comparison to Pettis, it should be noted that he’s been fighting top level guys for a lot longer. However, despite being a talented grappler, Meledez only recorded one submission as an MMA fighter. Although known for his cool samurai kicks, Pettis will actively hunt for a finish wherever the fight goes. His flashy strikes on the feet are fun to look at, but his proficient use of jiu jitsu should also be appreciated. Watch Ben Henderson’s first fight with “Cowboy” Cerrone, and watch him escape every submission attempt thrown at him. Then watch Pettis catch him in a simple armbar from the guard, a move white belts learn their first day but only black belts master. Advantage: PETTIS
HOW MELENDEZ WINS: After an exciting back-and-forward battle the fight goes to the judges’ decision. Consistent pressure, strong right hands in transition, and relentless takedowns will guide Melendez to a hard earned Unanimous Decision.
HOW PETTIS WINS: After a grueling 2 rounds Pettis begins to find his range and starts keeping Melendez at bay. He drops Melendez in a wild exchange, and catches the challenger with a guillotine late in the 3rd.

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