Jackson's MMA Feb 2012

[R. Devane]

Heading this Monday

[dkidd]

HAve a good trip man

[R. Devane]

I might even keep a training blog here while I'm away if anyone is interested??

[dkidd]

That would be cool man

[stephenlarge]

The best of luck with your training Rob and looking forward to your reports over the coming weeks.

[theslug]

Always interested in the updates, so keep us posted on progress. That way, we have some idea of what to expect when you get back. Enjoy.

[R. Devane]

only 3 people. Well that's not enough so I'll simply tell you guys in person

[gavsmith]

I'd also be interested in a blog rob. Enjoy it anyway.

[R. Devane]

ha ha ha okay Gav - just between you, me, Declan, Dec C and Stephen then. Nobody else has permission to read this

I'm on my third day of training now. I arrived late Monday evening, 24 hours after I left my house! Straight in Stand up Big Gloves sparring on Tuesday morning at 9.30pm. If the altitude wasn't bad enough, the fact that I've been dying with the flu for the past week didn't help. I died a death after a couple of rounds. It's a weird feeling - nothing to do with being out of breath - it's a total body drain as if your muscles have been completely depleted of oxygen. I read about about climbing Mount Everest without oxygen tanks and I really don't know how they could do it.

I got in a session of bikram yoga to finish out my first day. Before you ask, nope I'm not a big fan of it but it's a means to and end and can be useful between hard sessions.

Yesterday started with a session of wrestling. They called it 'The Grind' - 4 x 10 minute rounds with different opponents. Keep in mind that the standard of wrestling here is top notch and unlike anything back home. Yesterday ended with Muay Thai padwork from my coach Mike Valle.

Today was Striking sparring again and I'm already adjusting to the altitude but they do say it takes 2 weeks to fully get used to it. Later I've got ju-jitsu and then padwork again.

I know most of you want to know who's training here. Well, there's too many to mention. Jackson's has just opened a seperate gym (big and nice) for all the non-fighters so that means it's only fighters training at the old gym now.

Bye for now and I might update you again if the interest is there!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dkidd]

Sounds intense man so looking forward to getting stuck ina gain after this bloody flu.

[jamesm]

just had a sneaky read , "the Grind" sounds lovely, hope all goes well in training

[stephenlarge]

Hi Rob hope all is going well. How did you get on over the last few days?

[R. Devane]

yep cool - loads of stuff done since my last post

[farrelt5]

Hey rob just reading your post , hope all is going well? Its sounds like your doing some hard training, id say your body is push to the limt in the wrestling (4x10mins rounds my body is sore just thinking about it), hahaha.

[paulobyrne]

Hey Rob,
Great to hear everything's going well over there, I'm sure you're getting loads out of it. Do you find the place has changed much with the new two location setup? Gives the pros a lot more space and time so that has to be good for you. Hope that flu is a distant memory too, it's worked it's way through everyone back here!

[Deleted]

Hope all is well over there dude, training is sounding tough as always, best of luck with the rest of the trip man

[R. Devane]

how's my Monday & Wednesday mma classes going Paul? Thanks for covering and I hope the numbers aren't dropping off.

Since my last post I've done more ju-jitsu, small glove sparring, big glove sparring, wrestling, weight & resistance training, swimming, yoga and padwork. We're getting through a lot every week. Some days we can get up to 4 sessions done. Today we only do 2! Healthy eating is going a bit better than back home too. We even managed to see a couple of movies at the cinema over the weekend. Tonight the UFC is on. I think I forgot to tell youse that I'm staying at 'Buddy' Roberts house with Tom Watson. Buddy is fighting tonight - his first UFC fight. So is Jacksons MMA fighter, Diego Sanchez - I think he has a hard one.

I've got just over 2 weeks left to go so it's just train hard, rest, try to recover and repeat.

I hope everyone is training hard back home and that there are a few gearing up for the grade.

[paulobyrne]

Sounds like you're pretty flat out over there Rob, best way to be!

My pleasure to cover the mma Rob, just got back in from it- we did an hour of ground and pound sparring... there was a lot of sweat and the mats were drenched! (Anyone else reading this who wants to come down is more than welcome... if you didn't find the previous totally off putting!).

Hope all goes well for the Jackson's fighters at the UFC tonight, keep up the hard work Rob and hopefully hear from you soon.

[dkidd]

Wow intensive. Hope the flu is fully gone now I'm still a little below par from it...or is it my age lol anyway looking forward to more updates and putting the rest of us to shame lol. Paul has been doing a trojan job covering the mma classes.

[R. Devane]

training is going well and we went to the Tapout Ranch - owned by UFC fighter 'Cowboy' Cerrone yesterday. Jacksons is 5,200 feet above sea level and the ranch is approx. 7,200. It's like a farm so I felt very at home there they've loads of animals there and their own gym complete with cage etc. We did mma drills to start and coach Mike Valle took us through the training. I did some boxing rounds of sparring too. I actually didn't feel the extra altitude so I guess that's a good sign. We also went to the gym later that day for weights and swimming to finish out the day.

After training this morning we headed to the official opening of the new Jacksons gym. It's a nice place. It is a lot different than the pro gym. No cage or ring and everything is top spec. All the jacksons fighters were there to meet and greet. Among them signing autographs were Tom watson, Carlos Condit, Jon Jones and the recent TUF winners Diego Brandao and Jon Dodson.

Tomorrow is my day off but I think we're still going to head to bikram yoga to start the day!