Hey all! Just wanted to touch base here, its been a while and I apologize.
I got so busy with private lessons and teaching at a couple of different schools that trying to keep up with every thing like social media and blogs has been difficult. Besides having a passion for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I also have a passion for real estate and marketing and have started a couple new ventures since my last blog entry. One of those being a Loan Officer under my own brand, SoCal Loan Man. The other is Hits the Spot Media which focuses on REALTOR marketing and lead generation. I also had reunion shows with my old band, Simplex, and was playing quite a few shows around the SoCal area. That said, I am starting to get caught back up and am able to make a little more time for teaching brazilian jiu jitsu private lessons and blogging.
In 2013, I am happy to say I finally received my Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt. I had a little drama at a school I was at and the instructor was hanging the black belt over my head as well as others who were due promised promotions. I had to make the decision to suck it up and leave the school and instructor who I will not even dignify with naming. Some people are black belts in jiu jitsu, but not black belts in fairness, loyalty and being decent human beings. Best decision I ever made. So, I had to wait an additional year to get my black belt from Master Joe Moreira who welcomed me back with open arms. For those of you who know, Joe was my first real instructor back in the 90’s. I started with Rickson Gracie and trained under him for a few months, but the drive to Los Angeles was too far. After only a couple months with Rickson, Master Pete Loncarevich suggested I try Master Joe Moreira and I have been with him or have trained under one of his black belts ever since.
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt Rich Zaydel and Master Joe Moriera!
Its been an amazing journey to this point. The funny thing is the more I learn jiu jitsu, the more I realize I still have a lifetime of learning to go. I am excited for the journey to continue and look forward to training and sharing what I have learned along the way with you all!
On August 24th, RocknRoll BJJ Open Mat Saturday will be held at Master Joe Moreira‘s school in Irvine, California! It will be the usual schedule. 11am-12pm will be the informal group class with lots of questions and answers and sharing of techniques. From 12pm – 2pm will be technical rolls and some great music!
Alfredo, Master Joe Moreira, Rob Lewis and Rich Zaydel
Master Moreira’s school is inside a great gym called Custom Bodies at 4880 Irvine Blvd #102 Irvine, CA 92620
This is going to be a lot of fun. This will be a great chance to meet a Coral Belt and legend of the sport if you haven’t met Joe before. Come share techniques and have some technical rolls and listen to great music. Bring some of your own MP3’s or CDs if you want.
In case you haven’t been to an RNR BJJ Open Mat Saturday, it is very laid back. We are not out to roll like we are doing the Worlds though if you want to roll hard there are always one or two guys who are up for it. The focus is to be as technical and fluid as possible and to have fun!
Good Carbohydrates, A Basic Guideline – by Rich Zaydel
There has always been a lot of confusion surrounding carbohydrates. It really isn’t all that complicated. There are good carbohydrates and there are bad ones. The good ones will give you energy for physical activity. They are also full of nutrients needed for optimum health and proper brain function. Scientific studies show that bad carbohydrates are attributed to gaining weight, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s just to name a few.
The biggest difference between unhealthy carbohydrates and healthy ones is how fast the carbohydrate sugars are absorbed into the blood stream and how much high-fiber the food contains. Unhealthy carbohydrates are the cause of fast sugar absorption which then causes high and low blood sugar swings. Bad carbohydrates also have been highly processed and refined. This removes most of the fiber and nutritional value. And, most unhealthy carbohydrates are full of high-calorie fats, additives and preservatives. A good rule of thumb is to avoid the following list of bad carbohydrates:
All pastries
Bread and pasta with refined flour
Cakes, cookies and any sweet bakery products
Candies
Fruit juices and drinks
Jams and jellies
Most custards, puddings and other sweets
Refined grains like white rice
Making the right carbohydrate choice is essential to optimum overall health. A healthy diet should consist of 45-65% good carbohydrates. The best healthy carbohydrate sources are:
Raw and lightly steamed vegetables
Legumes, beans, nuts and seeds
High fiber 100% whole grains
Raw whole fresh fruits
Low fat dairy
Below is a complete list of recommended good carbohydrates from which to choose:
Carbohydrates in Whole Grains
Carbohydrates in Vegetables
Carbohydrates in Fruits
Carbohydrates in Nuts and Seeds
Carbohydrates in Beans and Peas
Carbohydrates in Dairy
Healthy carbohydrates and high-fiber foods will help in lowering cholesterol, losing weight and having much better sustained energy levels. It will also aid in decreasing the risk of heart disease and avoiding or even reversing diabetes. Making the right food choices will make a person feel great and have a better quality life.
Rich Zaydel is head trainer and instructor at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California. Rich Zaydel is aNational Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and a certified Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor under Master Joe Moreira. www.rocknrollbjj.com
If you are a serious Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player competing in tournaments, or, an endurance athlete of any kind, then you understand the importance of good nutrition. And, studies show it’s not just what you consume, but how much and when to consume it. Timing has become critical. Here are some of the pre-tournament guidelines we recommend to our competitors at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California.
RocknRoll BJJ Tournament Nutrition Works!
Many have heard of carb-loading. Technically, its called ‘glycogen supercompensation’ and its a technique used to increase muscle glycogen before an endurance event. Studies have shown that carb-loading can nearly double muscle glycogen storage, increasing endurance and performance potential. However, it’s important not to overdo it. Start by adding one additional carbohydrate serving per meal starting three days prior to the tournament. Make them healthy carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables or carbohydrate-rich grains. These extra amounts of carbohydrates will help in storing glycogen in the muscles. It also assists muscles in holding more fluid. On the night of the event, an extra serving of carbohydrates is recommended, such as granola and yogurt, or a bowl of cereal. RocknRoll BJJ and Fitness Good Carbohydrate List
Repeated days of intense training for an upcoming tournament can dwindle a persons glycogen stores. A high-intake diet of healthy carbohydrates will help to replenish the glycogen stores, but, timing is very important in maximizing recovery. Consuming 1.5 g/kg of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of training is recommended to maximize glycogen replenishment. If intake is postponed by as little as two hours, the results may be a decrease of total muscle glycogen syntheses by 66%. Additional meals of 1.5 k/kg of carbohydrates every two hours are recommended to completely restore muscle glycogen.
Carbohydrates should be the focus leading up to the tournament, but an endurance athlete must not neglect daily protein requirements. Protein is crucial for forming red blood cells and increasing the number of oxygen carrying enzymes in the blood. and replacing the body’s protein stores. Protein also builds and repairs muscle tissue, boost the immune system and replaces hormones. Our bodies do not store excess protein as protein or amino acids, so its important that adequate protein is consumed each day.
Figuring your daily protein needs is easy. Endurance athletes such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors should consume between 0.7-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily. For example, a 200 pound man’s daily protein requirement would be 160 grams because 0.8 x 200=160.
RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Fitness Protein From Food Chart
The need for protein is actually a need for amino acids. All proteins are made up of amino acids which are needed to build and repair tissue. There are a total of 21 different amino acids and all protein is made up of a combination of them. Our bodies can make some amino acids, however there are eight essential amino acids that must come from foods we eat. All the essential amino acids are needed in order to build and repair muscle. A balanced diet consisting of real foods will provide the proper balance of all the amino acids.
Hydration is important. Men require a baseline of 125 fluid ounces daily and women require a slightly lower amount of 90 fluid ounces daily. Be sure to drink the required amount. Don’t worry about having to drink extra. The additional carbohydrate servings will help hold water. However, be sure to consider how much you sweat. If you are a heavy sweater, be sure to add a little sodium to your meals.
On the day of the tournament, eat a meal two to three hours prior to your matches. Your meal should consist of roughly 100 grams of carbohydrates and 15 to 20 grams of protein. Also, include 20 grams of fat and 20 ounces of water. If you sweat a lot, be sure to add a little sodium to your meal.
Timing this may be frustrating because often times Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments don’t always stay on schedule. Adapt these guidelines to the best of your ability to the timing of your fights.
Dana Riddle, Andy Goodman, Rich Zaydel and Pete Loncarevich
If your bracket or round of fights are under an hour, then you will be fine with just drinking water. However, consider using a sports drink in between matches instead. Sports drinks aid in hydration, replace electrolytes and slow glycogen depletion.
If you are lucky enough to compete in the finals and now you have an hour or more between your next fight, your focus should switch back to carbohydrates. The amount of carbohydrates will vary depending on the physical demands of your prior fights. An intake of 30 grams to 90 grams is recommended. Whether the carbohydrates come from a sports drink or a tasty Acai bowl with granola is up to each individual athlete. RocknRoll BJJ and Fitness Good Carbohydrate List
Hopefully, these guidelines will help you as it has our RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness family.
Happy training!
Rich Zaydel is head trainer and instructor at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California. Rich Zaydel is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and a certified Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor under Master Joe Moreira.
I train over at Global Jiu Jitsu and my Master, Professor Marcelo Carvalho is cousins with Master Julio Cesar Pereira, leader of the GFTeam. The GFTeam are high level jiu jitsu players and different black belts visit us on a regular basis.
They always share the most cutting edge techniques and drills, but aren’t afraid to stick with traditional methods that work. Here are a few guard passing drills along with a few other goodies!
Guess What? Contrary to what the Gracie family would have you believe, they didn’t invent Brazilian Jiu Jitsu! And, if you take the time to research it, the Gracie’s were snobs and stingy with sharing jiu jitsu. History shows that they only taught to the rich or upper class. Some things never change.
Luis Franca was taught jiu jitsu by non other than Mitsuyo Maeda. Mitsuyo Maeda was an expert judoka with direct lineage to the founder of judo, Kanō Jigorō. Maeda, settled in Belem in 1917 and taught a small group of students, including Luis Franca and Carlos Gracie.
Oswaldo Fadda received his black belt under Luis Franca. Fadda taught jiu jitsu to the poor in Rio because, as usual, the Gracie tuition as too high. He taught in unorthodox locations free of charge to share the gentle art of jiu jitsu with the less privileged. The Gracies, in typical snobbish fashion, considered him an outcast.
Oswaldo Fadda Jiu Jitsu legend!
Fadda finally opened a school in 1950. He then challenged the Helio Gracie school with some of his students. The Gracies excepted the challenge and invited Fadda and his students to the Gracie Academy. Fadda’s students tapped out the Gracies and even put one of them to sleep. Much of Fadda’s students used foot locks to tap the Gracies who in sore loser spirit called the foot locks a ‘suburban technique.’ However, later Helio would say that it only takes on Fadda to prove that jiu jitsu is for everyone. Fadda is the only one known to have beaten Helio in a tournament.
Master Julio Cesar Pereira, leader of the Ground Fight Team has direct lineage to Oswaldo Fadda. Rodolfo Vieira is Master Pereira’s student. I always like to cheer for the underdog, don’t you?
Please take the time to read more about Oswaldo Fadda and learn more about how the Gracies didn’t invent brazilian jiu jitsu.
When the Pan Ams come to Southern California once a year, everyone at Global Jiu Jitsu Academy get s really excited. About a week before the tournament begins, GFTeam world champions start rolling in to train with us.
Like I said in the earlier post, the 2012 Pan Ams was awesome! I had a great time hanging out with old friends and supporting my Global Jiu Jitsu / GFTeam teammates.
It was especially exciting because my friends and morning roll partners did amazing. Andrew Goodman took bronze in his division and murdered his opponent 13-0 in his first fight. Andy is a seven foot tall advanced purple belt and has a very technical guard game.
Deja Vu set in as Dana Riddle did it again. He won gold in his white belt division last year. This year as blue belt was no different. Dana submitted three out of four of his opponents with only one of his fights going the distance.
Congratulations Dana RIddle and Global Jiu Jitsu / GFTeam
All the Global Jiu Jitsu competitors fought hard and are extremely tough!
Come on by and try out a class for free if you are in the Orange County, California area!
The Pan Ams 2012 was bigger than ever at the Bren Center in Irvine California. Over 3,500 competitors and 1,000’s of spectators over the course of four days. I love the Pan Ams because I get to see all my jiu jitsu friends Ive made through the years and rub elbows with legends and talented up and comers.e
Dana Riddle, Andrew Goodman, Rich Zaydel and Pistol Pete Loncarevich at Pan Ams 2012
Dana Riddle won gold in his division and Andrew Goodman won bronze. We all train at Global Jiu Jitsu Academy in Fountain Valley, California, under Professor Marcelo Carvalho, except or Pete who has his own school in Medford, Oregon. I am an assistant instructor under Professor Carvalho, but I also am head instructor at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Fitness and am also a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer in Orange County California.
I like to keep things as simple as possible. As I have said in many of my posts, I am nothing special, just an average guy who loves jiu jitsu. I love it so much that even though I am not as athletic as many of my training partners, I will put in the extra work to try to keep up. Through trial and error over the years, I have found moves that work well for me and I found better ways to break down the move so its understandable to the average Joe like myself. I hope they make your life easier and jiu jitsu more fun for you!
Here is a very jiu ijtsu 101 move, the kimura. I also added an option of a sweep when your opponent defends the position by grabbing his belt. If you would like to see something specific, please let me know through facebook at Rich Zaydel.
If you like it (or even don’t like it ) please subscribe to my blog and youtube channel.
RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Fitness - RNR BJJ 