I kind of woke up this morning feeling like dogshit. I knew it was coming as both my girlfriend and many guys at the academy had been sick, I tried to prevent it, and it hit me anyway. I hate it when that happens. It’s kind of slowed me down from the project at hand (video editing for both the site and DVD), but on the other hand, it afford me to catch up on my reading. I’ve got three books sitting on my nightstand and I’m not sure which to start reading first. The latest John Rain thriller by good friend Barry Eisler titled “Killing Rain” has actually been out for awhile, but I wasn’t aware of it until perusing Barry’s website after checking out a discussion on one of the forums. The first three books were fun, thriller type novels and Eisler went through great lengths to be sure the hand to hand combat scenes were realistic. The second is the Grappler’s Guide to Sports Nurtition by John Berardi and Michael Fry which has been sitting on my desk for over a month now. Thumbing through it it looks well put together and fills an important gap in many competitors knowledge. I’ll post a full review later on the main sit, but for right now you can check out www.grapplersgym.com for more information. The last book is one I found in the Bargain Bin of Barnes and Noble for under seven bucks (hardcover!) called the Sword and the Mind: The classic Japanese Treatise on Swordsmanship and Tactics. Thumbing through, many of the reflections on Swordfighting compliment thoughts on combat in general very well, and een more go into a philosophy of life. I’ll let you know more when I finish the book.

Speaking of books, I’d be remiss if I also didn’t include good friend Adisa Banjoko’s Lyrical Swords Part 2: Westside Rebellion should be hitting the streets in a few weeks. Adisa is very excited about the work, and it includes an interview with yours truly. Actually, both Scotty and i were asked the same questions, but neither of us have seen the other’s half to this point so I’m as curious as anyone to check it out. Visit Adisa’s blog, (which is updated quite a bit more frequently than my own) at www.netweed.com/lyricalswords

OTM Forum

Stop by and register if you have a chance. While I still fully intend to keep this blog up and running, the content on the forum is a bit more “interactive” and to the point. I’ll keep posting here, this past week I’ve been trying to populate the forum with some interesting content, as well as my regular duties at the main website, so yes, I have slacked a bit on this blog. Sorry for that.

I’ve also taken up a column in Tapout Magazine (formally Bodyguard Magazine). Tapout Magazine Two pages of the events I plan on attending in upcoming months, along with information on the after parties. I think the new direction of the magazine should be pretty exciting, and should have quite a bit of style. I’m actually billed on the front cover, which I’m more than flattered by.

Oh, and I’m almost done editing 101 Submissions Chapter 3. Scotty and I did our voiceovers this week (the previous 101 Subs had our commentary on the second audio track), I have a few graphics to add before building the DVDs, but I’m basically done. You should see 101 pt 3 sometime in March, although my original plan was to have it before Christmas.

I’m still a little hung over as well, as I was drinking pretty much non stop Saturday. I DID NOT go to the UFC however (and I haven’t even seen it yet), instead I was the best man at my Cameron Earle’s wedding at some Elvis type chapel. He met his bride Gina a little over a month ago. Wow!

After the wedding we went to Jon Lewis’ UFC after party at Pure (Cesar’s). A ton of fighters were there, naturally, got to chat with more than a few of them. Randy Couture was the most talked about person there, everyone wanted to be next to him it seems. Elvis Sinosic showed up to the after party as well, which was kind of shocking given both eyes were swelled shut and he probably lost his bottom teeth in the match. Maybe a good stiff drink was in order for him.

Afterwards we went to the Wynn hotel for another after party. I was so out of it at this point I have no idea how I got there. I do remember that Diego Sanchez took my hat (an el cheapo Hot Topic fedora that was brand new and already falling apart). That hat got me a lot of attention last night. I actually had turned down an offer of $40 for it, which was more than I paid for it. Some girl tried to swipe my tie as well, but it’s my favorite tie, so I was having none of that.

Our good friend Jeff Monson

I just have to make a quick note before going onto the second part of my Arnold’s Gracie weekend, in that it was significant for a number of reasons, not the least of which it was the first time I REALLY got to know Jeff Monson.

As we were at the airport waiting for our luggage, Scotty comes up to me and says “look who I found”, with Jeff Monson in toe. I had met him before at a Grappler’s Quest I think, but didn’t really know him at that point. At any rate, as one of the weekend’s superfights, the promoters of the event were supposed to make arrangements to pick him up, but never did, so he had been wandering aimlessly around for a few hours.

I don’t know if this is something I can even blame on the promoters, because over the years this has become a familiar scenario. Jeff literally competes every weekend, and at many of the same shows we attend, and quite often Jeff will give me literally the night before and ask if I have a place to stay. I’ll say yes, and there will be dead silence on the other side of the line, before I ask “Hey Jeff, do you need a place to stay?” It’s gotten to the point when I arrive at a tournament I book rooms with the assumption that Jeff will be crashing out with us.

In this particular time, we didn’t have much for a hotel room (actually motel was more like it, as Scotty had somehow found a place for $24 a night), but Jeff was welcome to stay with us. In that room we also wound up having Dean Lister, his friend Tim, Ryan Gregg and this is the fabled location of visiting crack whores, Dean trying (and failing) at magic tricks to impress some co-eds that abandoned us downtown, and the infamous “Poopy Pillow Plunger” incident. But I may share those at another time.

At any rate, Jeff was forced to make weight to 215 pounds, and the day of the event a rule modification was announced just for him: there would be no points awarded for passing the half guard. Aside from this being a ridiculous (an unique stipulation) to this match, now that forcing his way to half guard and then passing was literally Jeff’s entire game at that point. Jeff was matched up against Dustin “Clean” Denis of the American Top Team for good measure, a competitor who has an EXCELLENT guard. (This match was before Monson had joined the ATT).

The match was a pretty boring affair (sorry guys) that Jeff lost on advantages after passing the half guard a few times, but Denes got the nod with some close triangle attempts. Jeff was so upset, he actually went home early the next day as opposed to participating in the pro no-gi division. (The man who did the chief amount of consoling for Jeff was Wade Rome, BTW).

This makes an interesting backdrop when we fast forward to the event three years later.

to be continued…