Black Belt Goal

My 2 year goal to attain 1 of the 101 HaganaH BlackBelts in the world

You have to check out this new video. John is going to turn the fighting world upside down with these new techniques!

Check it out:

I will do a review on these two items but my birthday came early! Picked up a pair of twins gloves and some king shin guards from http://www.fighters-inc.com! They are made in Thailand through Daytona Beach. Looks like all my gear is from over there. I know have Winning HeadGear – King Shins – Twins Gloves (+ RingSide Gloves).

Pretty pumped.

On goals, I got stuck in Bogota for 3 weeks, so I got a little behind on the goal of 5.5% but getting right back to it this week. I actually had a major stomach issue. I start back with measurements with BB3 on Monday. I went and picked up 2 tubs of afterglow! So I am ready. Tomorrow after Combat Fitness I am hitting the grocery store.

Really excited about a real good week of training! It is amazing how new gear can motivate!

BTW has anyone seen the new video of John Clarke and Combat Wrestling if you have not check it out!

Now that I am 99% Next week I am starting to get back into CW…

I am getting ready to head out to do some high altitude training here in Bogota Colombia. I arrived on Saturday night and had to take care of some business and I am know ready to get training. I have yet to find a MMA gym or boxing gym but I have found the worlds highest cross-fit facility. I am going to go on my search today for a boxing gym to hit some bags etc…

I have a week left and my goal is some hard core training. It is really hard to eat on my diet here. Everyone loves bread it is everywhere. I am going to focus on my training and do the best I can at my diet. When I get home in a week it is back to hard core HaganaH and Combat Fitness as well as working with Billy Beck III to get my body fat down. I am still in single digits but it is tough.

My cardio should improve it is really difficult at this altitude. I will follow up with some updates. Have a great week!

Going into the third week with Billy Beck III as you can see from the videos it has been intense. We have been working to get my shoulder where it needs to be and as Billy says bulletproof the body. I am heading over there now, because business got in the way this AM. Then I am off to Muay Thai to work on some striking.

This weekend I have the Combat Fitness Certification with Mike Lee Kanarek, James Cooper, and John Clarke. I know this is going to be an intense 2 days so I am getting ready physically and mentally. The diet that Billy Beck III has me on is giving me tremendous energy and I know I am going to need it all for this weekend.

The gameplan this week….

Mon – BB3 workout, Muay Thai
Tue – BB3 Active rest, Haganah, Combat finess
Wed – BB3 workout, Muay Thai Sparring
Thur – BB3 Active Rest, Haganah, Combat Fitness
Fri – BB3 Workout
Sat – Sun (Combat Fitness Certification)

Going to be a rough week, need to eat and sleep good! BUT it is going to be fun!

Mike Lee Kanarek introduced me to a gentleman named Billy Beck III. Mike had amazing things to say about him so I just had to meet him. Well, in our meeting I just found a wealth of information and professionalism and even more energy than me!

He has trained the likes of Manny Ramirez, Duane “The Rock” Johnson, Jason Taylor and many more professional athletes.

I have the opportunity to go to his gym and actually train with him tomorrow. Not only that, we will be doing some things in the future as Billy really walks the talk.

I have included a video below.

One last note John Clarke is getting his Combat Wrestling rolling and I would suggest everyone do the certification with him. Not only is John amazing but his techniques will help you get the edge! – You may see me there as I will be doing the certification this year I just want to rehab my shoulder a little more as I want to be 100%. To find out more about John and Combat Wrestling go to Haganaheast.com

Just a quick update have been working hard, eating like crazy. I have upped my protein intake and am starting Serious Mass today to add 1000 calories. Making the shake right now.

Combat fitness is tonight and I am toning like crazy. Shoulder is still having a tough time, Dr Joe gave me some Chinese Herbal Patches I wear 2 days on and 1 day off. These bad boys are around $60 a piece, but I am in my second day and I think they are working.

I am still not lifting above my head, and have stayed away from too much steel, LOL weight lifting, but if my shoulder keeps getting better I may be back next week.

Off to drink a 1000 calorie shake and eat some peanut butter. I will try to document my food intake better here. Just a note we trained at John Clarke’s gym at www.haganaheast.com had a great workout over there. He is doing 2 combat wrestling certifications this year and I would suggest everyone in martial arts check it out. Awesome stuff. I will post more here. I am going to do 1 in the middle of the year.

I have the Joe Lewis Seminar this Sat, Combat Fitness Cert Coach, April 2-4 and my HaganaH Instructor April 22-25 so I will probably do John’s middle Cert and that will give my shoulder some time to heal.

Have an amazing day!
JB

You know I grew up watching ABC sports, I mean we only had 3 channels back then NBC, ABC, & CBS I guess I am dating myself!!! Every Sunday it was the “The Thrill of Victory or the Agony of Defeat” from ABC sports where a skier just gets nailed. If you do not remember or are to young to remember I put the video below.

The point is that one of the greatest guys I know last night experienced what some would call the “agony of defeat”. Why would I blog about defeat? Well, I think we can ALL take a life lesson from Mr. John Clarke. Last night John Clarke stepped into a cage at StrikeForce as the 5th fight of the night in front of thousands of people making his pro fighting debut. He came out and did what most people only dream of “DOING IT”.

He went into the cage and went to war for around 4 minutes when he took some hard shots and the referee had to jump in and stop it. For most people this would be the “agony of defeat”. As I watched this amazing person get stopped I crumpled myself  and felt a sudden state of sadness.  I wanted to brag and tell the world how much of a bad ass John is and then I realized how much of an egoic asshole I was being! John is a freaking bad ass!!!! AND A TRUE champion. How many people have gone after their dream? How many people have sacrificed family time, work time to go after the dream?

You see here is the key, most people talk few do.

Yes, it would have been awesome to see John win, but it is a sport there has to be a winner and  a loser. John may have lost a battle in that cage last night, BUT he won a victory in life, he did it! I am telling you he is going to go on to amazing things because of that fact!!! No challenge will slow him down! I know this because at 2 AM when most people would have caved, John with his wife’s urging went out to the dance floor and danced! DANCED – good for him! Life is way to short.

What can you take from all of this? Take your shots! Go after your dream (AJ this is you! ), you only live one time. It might not work out exactly how you want it to and that does not mean it is negative! “It is what it is”.

If you do not take the shots in your life who will? Stop talking and start doing and quit worrying about what other people think. John Clarke just earned another ranking in my mind as he is a true champion in life. A great father, a great husband, a great person and he goes after it – win lose or draw he is living his life and pursing his dream. What are you doing about yours? It is all a matter of perspective.

Did John win in that cage last night? No, but did he win in life? Hell yes! So many lessons from Mister John Clarke last night! How will you handle your life if things don’t go exactly as planned? What will you do if you have a negative judgment?

I know what John is going to do, he is going to be a better father, a better officer, a better business man. I just think about it and one thing rings in my mind thanks to his wife – “He danced.”

You have 1 life to live, GO AFTER IT! Live your dream. Win, Lose, or Draw – DANCE! Enjoy it, this life is the only one you got. Thank you Mr John Clarke for showing me that again. We all have our battles and we will win some and lose some and it is not in the winning that determines where we go, it is in that judgment of losing that really determines how we are going to make our lives.

I heard a quote that puts it all in perspective , “success is getting knocked down 10 times and getting up 11!” John will fight again and he will win, he is a warrior. But in my eyes last night he became a true champion. A champion of life. Do the same don’t just talk about it, go after your dream. Win, Lose or Draw you will be a much better person for doing it!

Many blessing to you – and one more thank you to John Clarke for showing me once again what is truly important in life.

JB

Here is the video I grew up with…

We are all heading to Strikeforce tonight at the Bank Atlantic Center here in South Florida. John is making is debut and we are all excited to support him!

John is a great guy with an amazing positive attitude and I am blogging about him because he truly deserves great things. He started HaganA East a few months ago and is really the founder of Combat Wrestling. He has mixed wrestling with combat in no other way that I have seen.  I really see his style of Combat Wrestling blossoming in the world of MMA. He has been training with the George St. Pierre camp and they loved what he brings.

As I said John is an amazing guy in all rights and he deserves the support of all of us. I am looking forward to tonight as I get ready to head out! Can’t wait to see John Rock-n-roll!

BTW my shoulder is back to 90% and I have some real cool things coming up. I am doing a Kickboxing seminar with the legend Joe Lewis in a few weeks and then I have certifications for Combat Fitness and HaganA instructor all coming up in the next few months. I will keep you posted on all of it.

I also have some equipment reviews coming this week. Life is amazing, live it and love it!!

JB

HagnaH East has a new website at HaganaH East. John Clarke who is building the program has set up a nice facility near Hollywood Florida. I am trying to make it over there as much as I can to work on the awesome Combat Wrestling program. It is really an amazing reality fighting concept and just the sprawling alone can save your life.

Look forward to many workouts over there!