A picture popped up on facebook yesterday from Leticia Ribeiro showing the Gracie Humaita’s women's competition team (recently featured on The Fightworks Podcast) in San Diego preparing for Mundials - and the the Purple Belt to our right is Toronto BJJ's own Melissa Biscardi. How cool is that?

I've been listening to different opinions recently about when to use Hot or Cold Packs. After reading a few different websites, listening to opinions and recalling what my Dr. told me I found this article that I am using as my 'best practice' for icing or using heat to help recovery.

(skip to the linked article)
It's a tad more challenging to find interesting things to blog about when you are not training...at the minute I am doing more posting links and academy information on twitter and on facebook.

I do have an article about swimming for jiu jitsu I am working on and I can tell you my dog is enjoying my not dashing out to train after work these nights.

I am also looking at all the positives that being injured *can* bring. Like learning about healing and your body and developing knowledge that you can give to other people whether it be about exercises or things you are doing to stay living jiu jitsu everyday even when you cannot be training.

And perhaps when you are benched you think (mentalization as we say on the mat) about jiu jitsu and it's role in your life. Or how addicted you are to it.

There was a moment during training last night where I said 'Ok Enough...time out'. And I did not mean just from the roll...I meant - I need a complete rest. Physically and probably mentally too.

It starts with warm up's. I cannot do hindu pushups, hip escapes, front rolls. Every fight is the same..playing guard - protecting my shoulder...not able to explode. It really sucks - So that's it.

Am I the only person who senses an alternative objective for MMA Day?

Lets look at the facts

- a demonstration to raise awareness about the benefits of MMA in Ontario on the lawn of Parliament...
...on the Saturday of a long weekend - when there is noone in the city and noone in Parliament

- The Organisers are the same as the MMA Expo
...which happens to be in about 3 weeks

- There are 12 booths announced
...booths at a demonstration? Sure sounds like a Mini Expo...

A few weeks before Mundials 2010, I catch up with Toronto BJJ's Gold Medalist from 2009 Tommy Beach who will be heading to California to compete.

It's a quick chat with a rising star in Canadian Jiu Jitsu about his recent tournament successes including his Gold at the New York Open, his trip to Abu Dhabi, teaching at Toronto BJJ ...and to find out what is in store ...for him for the rest of 2010.

Over the next few weeks the Toronto BJJ competition team will be representing at 3 different tournaments - 2 local and 1 international.

The BJJ Kombat Classic and The Abu Dhabi Trials (did we not just do those?) are coming up in the Greater Toronto Area (the GTA) and we also have the World Jiu-Jitsu Championships (Mundials) upcoming in California.

I will be competing on the Abu Dhabi Trials which are taking place at The MMA Expo. It's about 4 weeks away and is Gi and NO GI.

Calling all MMA fans in the GTA. Queen's Park will be awash with Tattoo's and Tap Out Tee's for MMA DAY! On Saturday 22nd May from 1p-4p.

"The First Annual Ontario MMA Day, organized by Toronto-based Mixed Martial Arts Expo, will bring together the Ontario citizens, families and businesses that see great benefit in having Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) recognized as another combative sport in Ontario, as boxing has been for over eighty years."