Michael O'Rourke, OK

I really like Advocare's products! I have been taking the Rehydrate and Post Workout supplements and I've been recovering so much better than before! I've also lost about 10 pounds over the last few weeks! Check them out!

Pulling + Grip Strength Challenge Workout

This was a pretty cool video I came acrossed and thought that it really was a good one to include for grappling training. The trainer's name is Chad Howse and he his website is www.chadhowsefitness.com

Iron Horse Wrestling at JL Sorenson Rec Center

Interview with Rigan Machado

Grappling Rehydration

Over the past few weeks I have been taking a supplement called Rehydrate by Advocare. I have noticed a couple of very striking differences to what I've experienced with other 'sports drinks'.


I notice that as I drink the rehydrate that I actually feel like my thirst is satiated. In the past that has been hard to accomplish. I've tried Gatorade, Powerade, just about every kind of 'ade' out there as a post workout rehydration. I notice that even though I drink them I don't really 'feel' much of an effect in terms of quenching my actual thirst and for lack of a better word...that dehydrated feeling. I am happy to say that Advocare's Rehydrate drink does just that!

I am noticing a huge difference in my body's ability to feel rehydrated and actually not feel drained. This is a unique sensation especially since having wrestled and grappled for the past 18+ years I know a thing or two about what it feels like to be dehydrated. The best I can equate it to is when you give a dry plant some water it seems to perk back up right before your eyes. That is how Rehydrate makes me feel.

I have noticed that I feel more energy after drinking my Rehydrate. Typically I notice an overall energy drain and tiredness after my grappling workouts from losing so much fluid (especially when I train the gi). After drinking Rehydrate I feel like my alertness is still there and I don't feel groggy. So far I've felt really good and I am sleeping better because I'm rehydrating better. I really love this product!

Click here to find out more!

Nutrition & Supplementation

My wonderful wife Brynne has been amazing in changing our family's eating habits. She has been very studious and diligent in changing our average diet into an amazing one! We have both lost fat and been getting leaner and stronger. Our three kids are also happier and their behavior is more consistent.


What did we change? Just about everything....


We have changed to a 'clean diet'. It is such a seemingly simple concept but who really knows or gets what 'clean' actually means?!? My wife came across some great books that have really enlightened us and I have found some great supplements. We are eating more fruits, vegetables and whole foods. We are avoiding fatty foods, sweets and other processed foods. I honestly can't explain it all as she is the cook, I just love the food! Our new way of eating has definitely helped my recovery and my ability to perform in my workouts!


I also have been supplementing my new great eating style with some amazing supplements. I take a post workout recovery shake after lifting and drinking a rehydration drink right after my grappling workouts. I feel like I'm getting better recovery and know that my body is getting more of what it needs when it needs it most.


These adjustments are helping me as I matched a personal best in my deadlift and have been adding consistent poundage to my bench press! If you would like to know more about how to eat clean check out my wife's blog. http://www.eatcleanloseweight.weebly.com/ To find out more and purchase the amazing supplements that I'm taking and promoting click here!

Level Change & 1 - 2 Combo Drill

Iron Horse Wrestling Program

If you have always wanted to learn wrestling skills but never had the chance now is your opportunity! I will be teaching wrestling classes on Saturdays at the new J.L. Sorenson Recreation Center in Herriman Utah! Two classes will be taught. The first is for youth ages 8-12. The second is for teens 12-18 years old. I also am offering personal private lessons. Private lessons can be individual or small groups. Private lessons are also open to all ages including adults.

Schedule:
Saturday
10:00 AM - 11:00 AM Youth 8-12 Years Old
11:00 AM - 12:00 Noon Teens 12-18 Years Old
Private Lessons (All Ages) By Appointment

Classes start April 9th and have a monthly reoccuring enrollment. Sign up at the J.L. Sorenson Rec Center. You can sign up for the class by itself and are not required to be a member at J.L. Sorenson Rec.

I will be covering the most important techniques in wrestling like:

Stance
Positions for Attack & Defense
Takedowns
Escapes
Reversals
Pins & Hold Downs
Strategy
Strength & Conditioning
Nutrition for Wrestling & Grappling

Here is the recreation center link for additional information!
Iron Horse Wrestling

If you have further questions or would like to schedule a private or small group lesson you can email or call me directly.

info@RuizCombatGrappling.com

801-414-9708

Home Grappling Workout: Guard work with a Heavy Bag

What a week!

This past week was amazing to say the least! It started off like any other then deteriorated quickly as both my wife and I got sick and I missed two days of work. It quickly turned around when two of my high school wrestlers made it to the finals match of the 4A 189 lb. and 5A 215 lb. divisions. Aaron Kuttler (189) of East High School won his title match 9 to 3 against Joseph Carley of Mountain Crest becoming the first East High state champion in years! Lars Oveson (215) of Alta High School fought a tough battle against returning champion Dustin Dennison of Pleasant Grove losing in overtime. Both of our athletes put on a great performance and made me proud!

Then Saturday night, Koffi "The Lion King" Adzitso, went up against Brandon "The Murderer" Melendez for the PSUAC Welterweight Utah State Championship. Many believed that Melendez would win easily over Koffi...we knew that would not be the case. We had a game plan that included attacking our opponent's weaknesses and playing to our strengths. Koffi executed beautifully and won by TKO in the first round!

Koffi has made huge improvements the past year since training with us. His recent wins over Kevin Burns (UFC Veteran) and now Brandon Melendez (TUF Finalist) solidify what I already knew...Koffi is one tough competitor!

This was a great week for me as a coach to be able to see the success of my athletes and also to re-solidify that the technique I teach and the stategies we employ work across the board and at the highest levels.

Click here to see our wrestlers in action.

Click here to see Koffi pre and post fight.

Clearing the Air

For years martial artists have argued "which style or discipline is best?". For years there has been little resolved until the UFC's first few tournaments. What I find ironic is even though we've learned so much from those first few tournaments in 'reality based' competition that the argument has still found a way to resurface and remain strong.

I've noticed in magazines and online that 'traditional' martial artists still love to claim the lock on usable 'real' skills and abilities. Somehow they're 'deadly' techniques are the best and there is no way a 'sport' guy could even hope to hang with them...I completely disagree.

The history of martial arts in particular, Judo, was instrumental in creating a way for martial artists to train full power in moves that were less debilitating (generally speaking) and allowed for a martial artist to more fully develop their skills. The 'deadly' or 'lethal' techniques never went away from the art. The 'sport' was still based in MARTIAL skills.

That being said in my own experience "The Rules Make the Game". Whether you're fighting for points, trophies or your life, the rules make the game. Combat at its essence is still combat. There may be more or less dangers and some trained responses from one art or 'sport' may not transfer as well to another. However here are the advantages of a 'sport' guy vs. a 'traditional' martial artist:

1. Real time experience with full power techniques and full resistance. This is critical in real encounters. How many times have you heard 'it has to be instinctual'? How does a technique or principle become instinctual if you never get to actually use full power or experience full power against you? Without a real time resisting opponent how will you deal with one on the street? My experience with athletes is that those who experience dealing with pressure and resistance eventually come to find ways to execute their game plans and techniques. Under high stress circumstances this is of utmost importance. Execution becomes paramount.

2. Superior Conditioning. 'Sport' guys quickly learn that conditioning can be one of your greatest allies or one of your worst enemies. Without it you won't last long and your execution will be sloppy at best. With it you stand a great chance of executing your technique and game plan and coming out on top. Let's be honest few people want to face the ugly monster of conditioning. The 'sport' guy at least understands the value of it and is conditioning in order to compete. Conditioning not only allows you to execute your technique it allows you the energy to defend and recover more quickly from your opponent's attacks.  

3. Game Plan and Strategy. Traditional martial arts constantly talk about strategy and philosophy. Sport guys actually do it. There is no greater way to develop your strengths than to actually have them tested against those of your opponent. When your opponent is out to defeat you while you're simultaneously trying to do the same you will experience many setbacks and reality checks. Sometimes you will be exposed to your true weaknesses and lack of skill or strategy. This is one of the greatest advantages that the 'sport' guy has...he learns, evaluates and improves on regular basis.

All that being said each and every martial art or 'combat sport' will have something to offer. In real situations the advantage goes to the one who establishes dominance first. The ones who are prepared mentally to deal with pressure situations and still execute will prevail. This is the bottome line.

Home Workout: Guard Work with a Heavy Bag

If you're like a lot of BJJ practitioners you're probably wishing you had more of one very important thing....time to train. Here is a great workout you can do in 15 minutes at home with a heavy bag to develop your guard. I show guard drills, arm lock drills, and even some striking. These drills help a lot because they are simple yet super effective movements that the majority of practitioners either gloss over or skip altogether. Training your body to efficiently perform these movements on a daily or every other day basis will improve your guard game in less than a month!

See the video here!

BJJ Black Belt Brandon Ruiz on Goal Setting for Jiu-Jitsu

BJJ Black Belt Brandon Ruiz on Goal Setting for Jiu-Jitsu
January 19, 2011


by Daniel Mower

Goals have only been marginally successful for me in the past. I always saw them as a list of wishes…nice things to aim for that could possibly happen if I was lucky and didn’t get distracted.


The notion that goals can help you improve your Brazilian jiu-jitsu sounds cool. But goals, like Brazilian jiu-jitsu, work based on principles and techniques. Until you understand the techniques, setting goals is just that…wishful thinking that will end in failure.

Brandon Ruiz is what I would call a “black belt goal setter.” I was introduced to Brandon through my coach, Dave Johnson. Both are BJJ black belts under the Machado flag in Utah. Despite family and work requiring much of his time, Brandon has been a very successful competitor, particularly in no-gi, winning numerous tournaments (most recently at Pancrase and NAGA in 2010). He attributes that success in competition to setting and reaching goals.


The goal-setting techniques Brandon has taught me in the last few months have changed the way I train for the better. I don’t know a single BJJ practitioner (especially a beginner) who doesn’t want to improve at Brazilian jiu-jitsu. And if learning to set goals can speed that process up, who wouldn’t want to at least hear about it?

Click here to read more!

A Boxing Legend: Gene Fullmer

This week my family and I went to The Gale Center of History and Culture in South Jordan, Utah. There were lots of great exhibits for the kids about local Utah and South Jordan/West Jordan history. It was all very nice and interesting but the most exciting thing for me was the exhibit featuring the Fullmer brothers (Gene, Don, and Jay) and their boxing exploits. There was a nice video that talked about their fights and even included some fight footage. Gene was a great Middleweight Champion from the 1950's and 60's era of boxing. He beat the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson to win his first world title. He then lost the title back to Robinson. Later he beat Carmen Basilio for his second world title and successfully defending it 13 times!

The brothers were all very accomplished fighters and won numerous awards and titles. Don beat Emile Griffith to win the American Middleweight title and had 78 professional fights. Jay was a promising welterweight and had 27 professional fights before suffering a career ending injury.

It was exciting to see a group of brothers from a working class family accomplish so much in their craft. It also hits home that you don't need to have all the fancy trimmings in order to work your way to the top. Truly inspiring!