Mark Tullius's Blog, page 20

The Power of a Peacemaker

I almost missed out on meeting Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith when I visited Northern California in December. Our schedules weren’t matching up and I was prepared to make the long drive back to LA, but then I got a text that she was going to be participating in a wrestling seminar at El Niño Training Center the following morning.

I headed down to San Francisco and caught the first half of the all-day seminar taught by Travis Lee. Although Leslie was the only female in the group, there was nothing strange about her being there. That’s one of the awesome things that’s changed in the MMA community: everyone’s welcome on the mat.

Not only was I able to watch some great techniques being taught, but I managed to squeeze in a quick interview with Gilbert Melendez and Gracie Fighter black belt, Alessandro Ferreira. As interesting as both of those guys are, talking with Leslie was definitely the highlight of the day. She has such a positive take on life and is fighting for all the right reasons. I was so inspired by her interview that I had my four-year-old daughter sit with me and watch it when I returned home. Part of that was so Livvie could see we aren’t the only ones who play the make-someone-smile-by-smiling-at-them-first game, but also because Leslie is the type of woman I want my daughter to grow up to be. I hope that my daughter doesn’t go into fighting, but I do want her to have the confidence that she can do anything she wants. I also want Livvie to stand up for her beliefs and not be afraid to voice them, something else Leslie seems to do quite well.

MMA fans shouldn’t be fooled by Leslie’s Peacemaker name. She’s an exciting fighter to watch and I can’t wait to check her out this Friday, Apr. 5, at Invicta FC 5 in Kansas City, Missouri. Leslie (5-2-1) is fighting Sarah Kaufman (15-2), a very tough and experienced fighter who Strikeforce fans are very familiar with. Invicta always puts on a good card and it’s only $9.95 for the pay-per-view.

Check out Leslie’s interview to see why I’m a big fan.

Why I Won’t Worry

Last month, my wife, who was 27 week pregnant, told me she had to go to the doctor because of some bleeding and back cramping during the night. We’d already had a couple trips to the ER for similar issues so I didn’t think much of it.

When Jen called that afternoon, it was obvious something was very wrong. She was at the hospital and had begun preterm labor, was already dilated, starting contractions, and the baby’s head was showing. I assured her everything would be fine and asked her to relax while I googled every term she’d thrown at me, trying to determine how common it was, what the baby’s odds would be if he were born so early.

I tried to sound positive on the phone, but my thoughts had turned to worst case scenarios, memories of the first pregnancy where our daughter was whisked away to the NICU because she wasn’t breathing. That experience scared the hell out of me and was one of the big reasons why I wasn’t so sure about having another child (That and how much I enjoy what little sleep I currently get.)

Here’s a piece of flash fiction it inspired.

Everyone worries to some degree and you’ll hear people say it’s a natural part of life. It’s easy to get caught up in it. Especially if you’re like me and have spent your entire life worrying about everything, something bound to happen with an Italian grandmother who worried like it was part of her job description.

After I got off the phone with Jen, I headed to the hospital and was able to refocus, everything I’ve learned and accepted in the past few years coming back strong. I wasn’t going to worry and I wasn’t going to let her either. Jen was understandably scared, but my positive attitude definitely helped her more than it irritated. She began to accept that no amount of worrying would change a thing except possibly bringing the baby earlier.

Some people may read this and think that I just don’t care, but I assure you that’s not the case. There’s also a big difference between being worried and being prepared. You can still figure out the best way to handle a situation without it causing needless stress or strain. Remember that no amount of worrying about a possible tragedy will prepare you if it does occur. You won’t mourn the loss of a loved one any less because you’ve spent everyday worrying they might die.

The father in Brightside might have been kind of a dick about the way he raised his son in this regard, but his head was in the right place:

I’m not going to make it if I keep thinking like this. I have to stay positive, get through the day. That’s what Dad also said. “Worry about tomorrow, tomorrow. And if it doesn’t come, then your worries are over.”

For those of you who find yourself worrying way more than you should, check out the list of what worrying can do to your body and understand there’s no need for it. One of the books that helped me quite a bit, was The Power of Now. If you live in the moment and realize that thinking about the past or future is pointless, then worry goes out the window.

Plus, if Jake is anything like my wife or daughter, he’s going to be a fighter. There’s no quit in either one of them and I know he’ll be just fine.

 

Where Do You Stand?

When I met my wife six years ago, she asked me where I stood politically. I said I didn’t. I’d given up on politics. The lies, the corruption, the one-party system. I’d seen enough to know I didn’t want to be associated with any of it.

After I finished my little rant, Jen asked if I knew where I fell on the political spectrum. I had no idea and couldn’t care less, but we’d only been dating for a few weeks and I didn’t want to blow it by being a stubborn jackass. She suggested I take a quick quiz to find out. It was probably the best use of five minutes I’ve ever spent.

Not only did the Political Compass test make me question some of my beliefs, but it opened my eyes to a part of the political arena I wasn’t aware of. There were others like me and they were working toward change. Maybe things weren’t pointless. Maybe by turning away from the system, I was just part of the problem. (Here’s a great article on this)

Although I’ve spent the last six years becoming more politically aware than I thought I’d ever be, I decided to retake the test this morning. Beliefs often change along with our circumstances, and it’s important to question them. For those of you who’ve never taken a quiz like this, or haven’t done so in a long time, please take a few minutes out of your day to do so. If you’re anything like me, there might be a couple questions you’re not sure of. Take a moment to google them instead of guessing. And please take your time before answering each question and don’t allow any knee-jerk reactions. Don’t answer how you think you should answer or how you were brought up to. Pretend you’re the one setting the rules for the utopian society you want your children to grow up in.

With Facebook, it’s so easy to get lured into liking and sharing our party’s memes and spreading propaganda. I’m just as guilty as everyone else. But please take a moment to see where you stand and then compare it to where the party you identify yourself with stands. There may be quite a large discrepancy.

No matter where you stand, I’d love to hear where you guys landed and whether or not there were any surprises.

For those of you who are interested, here are my results:

Economic Left/Right: 1.38

Social Libertarian/Authoritarian: -6.82

 

 

How I Look at MMA: Guest Post by Leonard Smith

Today’s guest post is written by Leonard Smith, a professional MMA fighter who trains out of Fight Ugly in San Diego, CA.

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Last weekend I saw an amateur fight that made me think about the way I look at MMA and the way that other people who aren’t as involved in the sport view it. I saw two undefeated high-level opponents respectfully accept the fight, and show that they were hyped about in a classy manner. They had their fight and it was an awesome war. It went back and forth and was hard fought until the end. Of course only one person was able to win, but even in victory and defeat they still showed each other respect. They even praised each other on Facebook about the hard fought battle. While witnessing all of this, it got me thinking about what the “casual MMA fans” think about when they watch these fights and if they see this side of MMA.

When I have a fight coming up, I’m constantly wondering what’s going through my opponent’s mind, how confident are they going into the fight. Do they have the same mindset I have? How hard are they working? As we weigh in, the same things go through my mind. As I walk out to the cage and I climb in, I see my opponent and all the thoughts began to fade, and there’s nothing but intense focus. During the fight there’s never any point where there is any anger, fury, or hate towards my opponent, even in defeat.

If fans always saw this type of behavior would it turn them away from the sport? If there weren’t the trash talking Chael Sonnen’s or the crazy personalities like Jason Miller taking up the headlines. Would MMA be as popular as it is today if there was a constant show of discipline and respect? As a fan of the sport, I tend to gravitate towards the fighters who don’t put on a show or a façade. I can appreciate the level of discipline that it takes to prepare for a fight, get through any adversity that might arise during training camp, make weight, and get through the fight without letting the rollercoaster of emotions take you under before you get into the cage. And yet I always wonder; do MMA fans every think about any of that when they sit down to watch a fight?

I can say that as a fan, before I started actually doing the sport, I spent no time thinking about the all of the work and effort that a fighter puts into getting ready for a fight. The fact that there is a constant struggle between balancing your personal life, training, and working a full–time job for some people. The only thing that I was worried about was seeing someone’s head get knocked off, or some guy get choked to sleep. When I watch fights now, there are times when there is a jiu jitsu clinic going on and the crowd boos the fighters. It doesn’t make me mad but it just makes me think; man, if these people knew what I know, or have had some of the experiences that I have had, they would have a deeper love for the sport than they could ever imagine.

Until fans begin to respect the sport on a deeper level, the crazy, loudmouth, and outgoing fighters will be in the headlines, will be on the commercials and will be the household names. Through all of that I vow to always remain the same person I am today. If I happen to make it in this sport to the point where I am constantly in the public eye, I hope to change a lot of misconceptions about what people define as a fighter. I hope to show people that most of us are just normal guys, with normal/not so normal families, and that we’re living our lives doing what we love and trying to be successful enough at it to be able to financially support ourselves and our families. When people watch me fight I want them to see discipline, skill, talent, and a high level of respect and sportsmanship. I want people to see the person behind the fighter, not just the fight that they witnessed at that time. I want people to see what I see. I’ve been around a lot of people in my lifetime, a lot of different schools and a lot of different jobs in different areas, and I can say that although there are a few exceptions, collectively as a group, “fighters” are some of the most interesting, caring, and respectable people that I know.

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I couldn’t agree more with Leonard and I appreciate him stopping by to share his thoughts. Take a moment and check out my interview of him that we did after training together down at The Arena MMA.

 

Why I’ll be Watching Bellator 93

In my last post, I mentioned I hadn’t been watching many MMA fights prior to last May. Since then I’ve attended ten shows and watched countless fights on TV, following the guys I’ve interviewed, always rooting them on. Some of the best shows I’ve seen this year have been on Bellator. It was great watching Michael Chandler defend his belt, and Saad Awad surprising everyone as he’s moved through this season’s lightweight tournament with his first minute KO’s. The show has impressed me and the fact that it’s free on Spike is a huge bonus.

I will most definitely be watching Bellator 93 this Thursday. Although I’m bummed I’ll miss the undercard, I’m really looking forward to the televised bouts. The lightweight tournament finals should be exciting with Jansen vs. Held, the winner getting a shot at Michael Chandler. I’m also interested in seeing how Eric Prindle bounces back from his disappointing DQ. The two fights I’m really turning in for are Travis Wiuff vs Ryan Martinez and Marcus Davis vs Waachim Spiritwolf.

I haven’t interviewed Travis yet, but would really like to. Not only are guys that have over 80 pro fights hard to come by, but he and I fought to a decision back in 2003 in Monterrey, Mexico. Don’t ask me why I was stupid enough to take on a guy who was 23-4 without knowing a thing about him. I quickly discovered the guy was a beast. He was the first person to pick me up and slam me in a fight. And it wasn’t just once.

The fight I’m most interested in is Davis vs Spiritwolf. With an impressive boxing career and half of his 30 fights taking place in the UFC, I’ve always enjoyed watching Marcus fight. But it was the two days I spent at his gym in Bangor, ME that really impressed me. Not only is he a great instructor who didn’t laugh at me when my legs turned to jelly during his ‘easy’ workout, he is by far one of the

most interesting people I’ve met on my travels across the country. And I think that says a lot considering I’ve sat with over 250 fighters.

Marcus’ story is pretty amazing and I plan on buying his autobiography when it’s released. Hearing what he went through and where he’s now at in his life is pretty inspiring and I admire his character. I could have spent hours talking to him and feel pretty privileged to learn what I did. Be sure to check out his interview and tune into the fights this Thursday.

 

 

 

Why I Want to Attend Bellator 93

Over the last eight years, I hadn’t been watching a lot of MMA. I’d catch an occasional UFC at a friend’s house, but I never ordered any pay-per-views and wasn’t a fan of the Ultimate Fighter. Part of this was probably due to the regret of not being successful in my attempt to fight, the other was a lack of interest. If I didn’t know the person who was fighting, I found it hard to care.

With Unlocking the Cage (UTC), I began attending at least one fight on each of my trips. On the first trip, I spent Cinco de Mayo watching a 6 hour Cage Titans card in Plymouth MA. It was a great night of amateur and pros and I probably would have enjoyed it even more if I hadn’t torn the cartilage in my ribs earlier that day (Thanks to this guy.) It led to some great interviews and a new love for the sport I’d forgotten about.

The second UTC covered the rest of the Northeast with NH, ME, and VT, not exactly what would be considered MMA powerhouses. I had even considered skipping that section of the country and would have if Marcus Davis’ gym wasn’t in  Bangor, Stephen King’s hometown. I wasn’t too hopeful about finding a fight, but I lucked out with in New England Fights 3 in Lewiston, Maine, Tim Sylvia as the headliner.

I had just spent a few days with the guys at The Shop MMA in New Hampshire and was looking forward to watching a few of them fight on the card. I also managed to interview a few fighters an hour prior to the event, one of which was Ryan Sanders from Young’s MMA, a gym I hadn’t heard of. Ryan impressed me as a kind, intelligent young man with a great sense of humor and dedication to the sport. His fight was one of the most impressive of the night, about a hundred times better than Sylvia’s 12 second KO, yet not as flashy as Ryan’s teammate, Bruce Boyington‘s incredible 10 second KO.

This Thursday, Bellator is putting on a show at the same venue, the Androscoggin Bank Colisee, and Ryan will be one of the main fights on the undercard. He’s taking on an undefeated opponent and it promises to be a great match. I think Ryan has quite a career ahead of him and you’ll be seeing a lot more of him in the future.

Another fight I’d like to see is John Raio vs. Vince Murdock. When I watched John fight back in June, I had been rooting against him as he was fighting Derek Shorey, a fighter I’d just interviewed and become friends with. John won that bout and I interviewed him a few months after. This time I’m definitely in John’s corner and hoping he gets the win.

Although I won’t be able to make it to Thursday’s show, I’ll be turning in to the free show on Spike. Here’s a look at the full card. Tomorrow I’ll discuss why I’m so interested in it.

 

 

 

Looking for a Little Help

Asking for favors has never been easy for me. I’ve always taken pride in doing things on my own and being the underdog, and asking for help wasn’t in my vocabulary. When my daughter was learning to speak, I used to laugh when she’d pull something away from me and say, “I do it myself.” The urge to be independent is great, but we also have tried to teach her that it’s okay to ask for help. Time for me to start practicing what I preach.

When I released Brightside, I did it prematurely, not giving time for reviews or blurbs. I was anxious to get it out to the world and had faith that a strong story would be recognized and slowly spread. I didn’t care that close to 1,000 new titles are released each day. Brightside would stand out.

I still believe in Brightside and I’m pursuing an app deal and hoping it gets optioned for a movie. Perhaps it will take time and not become well known until after I begin releasing my MMA work, but it’s my baby and I’ll continue to promote it any way I can.

Now that 25 Perfect Days is finished, I’m again tempted to throw it out there, but this time I’m restraining myself and trying to do it right. I’m realizing the importance of getting reviews, not only from readers, but also bloggers and magazines. I’ve also seen how powerful Goodreads and Library Thing can be and aim to be active on there.

There are a couple ways I can use your help, but one of the most powerful ways would be to connect with me on Goodreads. If you’ve left a Brightside review on Amazon, please cut and paste it onto Goodreads, and if you’re not the reviewing kind of person (which I admit I’ve never been) a quick star rating would be awesome. The same goes for reviews of 25 Perfect Days. For the next month, I’m running giveaways on Goodreads for Brightside and 25 Perfect Days and the number of ratings and reviews greatly increases demand and visibility.

I don’t think I’m all that interesting and get tired of rambling about myself, but if anyone wants to start discussions on either book or has questions for me, I’m always up to participate. When you get on the site, feel free to add me as a friend because that’s what I consider all of you that are helping me out on this journey. Everyone that has left a review, sent me messages, and been a part of the Facebook page is sincerely appreciated.

I’m also up for other ways to connect so send me a message if you have an idea. If you’re part of a book club, let them know you’re friends with a super cool author who’d be up for a skype session to discuss either book. I might even get dressed up for it and put on a shirt. I do have the 25 Perfect Days eBook available through NetGalley and could provide copies for a few small groups. I can also send eBooks to trusted friends or reviewers who would provide feedback.

The other way to help is to continue being awesome. I’ve been an introvert most of my life and really wasn’t sure how I felt about Facebook and exposing myself (not like that.) With the mixture of MMA and dark writing, I wasn’t sure what kind of people I would attract, but I’m thrilled with how positive everyone has been and the great group that’s formed. It seems like people are sometimes surprised when I respond back, but I’m just a regular guy that happens to write. I love meeting new people so if you ever want to chat, shoot me a message.

And be sure to always let me know if you leave a review. I’m putting together the list of people to thank in the back of 25 Perfect Days final copy and don’t want to forget anyone. Thanks!

Goodreads Book Giveaway


25 Perfect Days
by Mark Tullius

Giveaway ends April 11, 2013.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

Goodreads Book Giveaway


Brightside
by Mark Tullius

Giveaway ends April 10, 2013.

See the giveaway details

at Goodreads.

Enter to win

 

The Medicine Man

Without a doubt, American Kickboxing Academy has the best facility I’ve ever been to. Watch the video tour if you want a look at it. One of the great features that a lot of people might overlook is that they have a therapist on site, something I knew I’d need. My body doesn’t heal like it used to, especially jumping back into training after being inactive for so many years.

AKA was the last gym on my two week trip up the coast and my body was pretty banged up before I stepped foot inside. Thanks to a couple nice kicks from Josh Koscheck in Fresno, my thigh was so bruised I still had a limp. My back was tight as always from all the hours in a car, my ribs still hadn’t completely healed from a cartilage tear in May, and I’d developed an incredibly sore forearm that made gripping painful and punching impossible. After I made it through the first AKA workout, I headed upstairs to see what kind of treatment I could get.

Although I was a little disappointed to see there was no longer a chiropractor in the office, a brief talk with the head sports recovery coach, Jose Garcia, assured me I’d be in good hands. I watched him work on a fighter who’d recently undergone surgery and I was amazed at how quickly the fighter had recovered. I talked with Jose about the importance of not only proper nutrition and training, but also prohab, a word I hadn’t heard before. Prohab is to prevent rehab and it makes a lot of sense. Get your body in the best shape possible, work out all those little injuries before they turn into something much larger.

As a certified personal trainer, massage therapist, and former bodybuilder, Jose is perfectly suited for this line of work. His unique brand of therapeutic body maintenance, “combat sports recovery,” allows athletes to perform at their maximum potential. I had to give it a try.

Jose’s initial assessment of me not only pointed out the problems I had, but he also explained why those areas were injured and what we could do to improve them. I got on the table, not sure what to expect but figuring it’d be nice to relax and get stretched out.

It didn’t take long for the session to get a little intense. His liberal use of the electrical stimulation made me think of the torture scene in Lethal Weapon when Mel Gibson meets Endo. As my muscles fully contracted and I became tempted to say I had enough, I reassured myself Jose knew what he was doing. He works on some of the top fighters in the world. I could tell he was an honest and good person. I could trust him. It was best to surrender and go with it.

I was proud of myself for making it through the session and was ready to part ways when Jose reminded me he still needed to work on my forearm, the one that hurt when I wiggled my fingers. Instead of giving me a leather strap to bite on, Jose told me to focus on my deep breathing as he broke down the layer of muscle so he could get to the tendon. It ranked in the top five most painful moments of my life, just below having the flesh stitched back to my toe after a motorcycle crash.

The experience was intense, but unbelievably effective, well worth what I went through. It also made me realize just how important regular maintenance and proper rehab is, which I skipped after my Achilles’ tendon surgery and nearly every injury I’ve ever had. Had I been taking care of my body on a regular basis, I could have gotten by with stretching and massage.

It’s great to see more gyms including sports recovery experts and it’s something all levels of fighters should utilize. I completely agree with Jose when he said it is one of the best investments they can make.

For more info on Jose, check out his website, like him on Facebook, or follow on twitter.

Also be sure to check out this Fightline article about Jose and Nick Diaz

Fun with Numbers

I’ve always had a thing for numbers and was even on the 8th grade math team until not being seen as a nerd became more important. Whether it’s calculating how many feet I’d fly if my motorcycle crashed at 135 mph or guesstimating how many times I’ll take out the trash before I kick the bucket, numbers (and death) have always interested me.

There have been a lot of numbers in my life lately. My wife’s 27 weeks pregnant, my unborn son about 2 pounds, 14 ounces. I have 13 more weeks to come up with a name and squeeze in as much writing as possible.

I also need a name for the YA interactive horror novel. 10 pieces of art are complete, about 20 more to go.

In 8 months, Unlocking the Cage hit 15 states, 68 gyms, and interviewed 254 fighters, coaches, and trainers. 56 interviews are already up on my youtube channel. At least 5 will be added each week.

25 Perfect Days advance copies are 3 days away. 36 copies will be mailed to US residents who will write an honest review and provide feedback. 10 of these copies are still open so email me if interested, priority to those that have reviewed Brightside. 2 stories from the mosaic novel are already up in PDF and video. “5 Minutes Alone,” and “14 Angry Marchers.” Next week, I’ll release “13th on the List.” Subscribe to the blog so you don’t miss out.

Brightside is hanging on to its 4 star rating with 45 reviews. It will be 99 cents for all of March along with Repackaged Presents.

I’m on Day 23 of my 108 Ultimate Yogi program, feeling a little better every day. I even splurged on a new 85 inch mat, figured I deserved a little treat for not skipping a workout, squeezing them in as late as 11 at night because I’m determined I won’t miss one.

One more month left on my 90 Day Challenge and 15 pounds to lose. The weight loss is no longer a concern though because my eating habits have changed remarkably and I’m exercising daily. I’ll reach my target goal, but not sure if it will be in the next 32 days.

Today is Day 1 of my 90 day Astral Projection experiment. Maybe I’m researching a character, maybe I’m just nuts. Looking forward to seeing what it’s all about and will try to blog on it every 30 days.

Add up every number in this post (numbers in photos excluded, but written and ordinal numerals included, ie 13th counts as a 13, two is 2.) The 1st person (US resident) to email the correct answer (and by correct I mean the one that matches mine) gets their choice of a signed Brightside or 25 Perfect Days arc. I have kindle copies of Brightside and Repackaged Presents for runners-up and non-US residents. Make sure to either send me a message on Facebook or email me at Mark@MarkTullius.com to enter. Get them in by March 4th.

The Birth of The Fighter’s Almanac: Guest Post by Jonny Wester

Today’s guest post is written by Jonny Wester, a professional MMA fighter who I interviewed for Unlocking the Cage at Inferno MMA in Bentonville, Arkansas. Jonny has a great project going on and I asked him to write on how it came about.

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I have always been a traveler; my parents started me young travelling the world and moving from state to state. The day I turned 18, I set my sights on touring the country in bands for close to 300 days a year. In early 2009, I gave up touring and started training Mixed Martial Arts in Bentonville, Arkansas with Inferno MMA.

I fell in love with the people at my gym. The connections I made seemed to be far beyond any that I had made in bands. After getting serious about becoming a professional fighter and having a few fights, my coach sent me to train with two major gyms. While at those two gyms I became very discouraged, not because of any lack of talent, but because of the attitudes of those I was surrounded by. The gyms were full of egos by high level fighters who seemed to compete more with their own insecurities and self esteem than anyone in the gym or cage. I was dumbfounded. These people seemed so genuine and humble in interviews and on TV. If this is the attitude I need to reach my potential then I don’t want it. After coming back and talking to my coach, he encouraged me to keep positive, reminding me the power that is in positive thinking.

After a few years and becoming a professional, I landed a sweet part time job working for an airline. One of the benefits was I can fly standby nearly anywhere in the world at anytime and as much as I want for free. I fully intended on making the airline regret giving me those benefits.

I took my first trip to Minneapolis to train at The Academy with Greg Nelson. Greg has a plethora of successful top talent world champion fighters. As soon as I walked in all predispositions were swept away. Greg Nelson introduced himself to me and UFC star Pat Barry walks up to me and asks if I wanted to be his partner for drills. ” Ummmm only Hell yes!” Pat reinstated in me that positive attitude and truly lives out a 100% positive lifestyle. Afterwards UFC Fighter Jacob Volkmann offered me a ride back to my hotel. My mind was blown. Never had I seen such hospitality out of top level fighters. I called my coach from the airport ecstatic about the incredible experience that I had.

One of my favorite people from my travels has to be Carlson Gracie Jr. The techniques he showed me were simple yet effective, and his gym in Chicago is very similar. Carlson’s attitude is what taught me the most. I felt like he was more excited about me visiting than I was. Carlson was skyping friends in Brazil during class and introducing me to them. He was laughing and smiling the entire class and genuinely having fun. Watching him teach the kids class was mesmerizing. There was no need for him to be serious or stern. The kids listened to him because he was like a real life cartoon character to them. Imagine if Spongebob Squarepants showed up at your house and told your kids to clean their rooms. I don’t think there would be much questioning or arguing going on between the kids and Mr. Squarepants. Carlson made training fun even when it wasn’t particularly exciting. I realized then that this was more important than learning the newest most technical moves.

It was on the plane ride home from training at Greg Nelson’s that I realized not everyone gets to experience the positive training experiences as I do. Not everyone is so lucky to find such an amazing hospitable gym to visit. This is where The Fighters Almanac was born. I decided then that I would create a guide for people who are travelling or looking for gyms. The Fighters Almanac would guide people to have positive and well planned visits to different cities, countries and gyms. Since then I have trained at several major gyms in Brazil, Chicago, New York, SLC, training with legends like Carlson Gracie Jr. Marcelo Garcia, Sean Sherk and countless more. I’ve had nothing but positive experiences since.

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Thanks to Jonny for stopping by and sharing. I think The Fighter’s Almanac is a great idea and wish it’d been around when I started Unlocking the Cage. I’m looking forward to watching it develop and hope others will do the same.

To learn a little more about Jonny, be sure to check out the interview I did with him just hours before he left for Brazil.