Sheila Bird's Blog

girlie weekend!! So much fun

2011-08-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

What a fun filled Girls only weekend in the Kootenay's. Everything a girl could want.

Day 1: I drove the 5 of us 45 minute up a logging road to the top of the mountain to a beautiful hot springs. There was only one other person there who didn't stay long and then we had the place to ourselves but before the guy left he filled us in on some info. 1. You can make the water gush out of the pipe fast if you plug it up for a minute (of course we tried it once he left), 2. The water temperature was 34 degrees (so warm and perfect for the summer) 3. At night people come and light candles around the rocks 4. Watch out for poison ivy in the bushes around. 5. He asked if we would be ok with him skinny dipping and Lindsy was quick to say "I'm not ok with that" so he left!

Day 2: We went to Wasa Lake which is the warmest lake in the Kootenay's. We loaded the back of the truck up with tubes, air mattresses, snacks and sun umbrellas and off we went. Apparently I am not that good at loading trucks because 2 tubes were missing when we arrived at the beach and we never found them. We got stuck in the water for 45 minutes while an RCMP officer was checking the people on the beaches coolers for alcoholic beverages. Not that we had any ourselves, wink wink, but we didn't go back to shore till he left. After sunning ourselves for many hours, swimming, playing frizbee in the water and reading our books we had a great night out at the Burrito Grill with good eats and yummy margueritas. It is always great to get away for the weekend with just the girls, leave the men, children and training behind and chill! Ahhhhhh

Twitter

2011-07-14T19:07:00.000-07:00

Finally I am starting to get in the loop. You can now follow me on twitter. @birdsheila

Won my MMA fight against Kim Couture

2011-07-10T19:15:00.000-07:00

I am so excited and yet super relieved my fight is finally over with Kim Couture on AX: Combat "Execution" in Calgary on Friday night. Most important thing, I went in confident in the striking that I have been working on and getting better at every day. There were so many things that I am proud of in my match. It was so much fun coming out to the song "Surfin' Bird" and then for some stupid reason we always have faulty water bottles and I always end up getting it spilled or splashed on me by accident which I just find funny at the time. I wish I could have taken a picture of the crowd cheering me on after I won, it was the best feeling ever to look out and have so many people applauding my victory. I was not lying in my speech after my fight when they asked me what was next for me; I went to the Stampede and got me a corn dog. Yummers!

The best part of the night was meeting Kim and hanging out with her after the fights at the after party and then we went to a Chinese Food restaurant and because it was Stampede the place was going crazy, people dancing on tables playing drums with their chop sticks. It was a great time and it was nice Kim could experience some Stampede action as well she got to see the Calgary parade and the Royal couple.

My coaches were amazing (Brian, Doug and Brad). I love the focus and calm confidence they have for me in the back getting ready to fight even though I am sure they are nervous for me and putting on an act. No problem, I believed every second of it.

The referee stoppage was controversial and I felt he stopped the fight too late but luckily in the end Kim was just fine. During the fight when I had the submission on I didn't know she was unconscious until her legs went flat. I was almost going to give up the choke thinking it wasn't on quite right.

I will be back at BDB on Monday training again. We have such a great group of fighters and it is my turn now to be a partner for them after they helped me so much.

Tickets for Sale for my upcoming fight with Kim Couture at AX Combat July 8th

2011-05-23T18:37:00.000-07:00

I now have the tickets for my fight against Kim Couture for July 8th on "AX-Combat: Execution" at the Telus Convention Centre during The Calgary Stampede. Read below for a list of what I have. Contact me at 403-220-1426 or email me at bdbmartialarts@gmail.com

VIP table tickets: $150.00 per seat - Cage side (10 seats per table) Includes drink service
Reserved seats: $65.00 right behind the VIP tables. I have a section for sale that will just be BDB members and friends if you want to sit with my fan group :-)
General Admission: $45.00 with rush seating

If you plan on going please buy your tickets through me because I make a commission off my ticket sales. Also, if you want a VIP table seating let me know asap as there are not that many for sale and will sell out fast.

There are some great local fighters on this card so I expect the tickets are going to go quickly. Don't miss out and get them from me right away.

I also have sponsorship packages available that include VIP tickets, drinks and advertising on my shorts, shirt, and banner. If you or anyone you know are interested in sponsoring me for this fight email me at bdbmartialarts@gmail.com and I will get you the information for what is included for supporting me.

Hope to see everyone out. This is my first fight in Calgary with my hometown crowd. It's going to be a blast.

Sheila

Brian's 2nd degree black belt promotion

2011-05-16T14:24:00.000-07:00

Brian Bird was promoted to 2nd Degree Black Belt on May 13, 2011 by his instructor out of San Diego, CA Mr. Roy Harris.

Although I know I am somewhat bias because I am Brian's wife, I want to share some of Brian's martial arts background and let everyone know how he has gotten to where he is today.

I don't know the exact year Brian started being interested in the grappling arts but it was right around the time I met him in high school at age 17. Since then, he has studied BJJ, Judo and Wrestling with BJJ being his primary focus. He started competing in tournaments for BJJ and Judo doing very well and winning almost all of them. Besides his early skill on the mat in competition Brian has two talents which stand high above all else, which is his ability to teach and coach. Brian has a high level of understanding techniques and relaying that information to his students. His structure for classes and how he teaches is all very thought out and there is a purpose to all the things he does. He cares that his students understand what they are being taught and always finds the best way to help them learn.

Brian's skill in coaching has always put our opponents at a large disadvantage. On many occasions I have seen Brian coach a competitor through a move at a tournament they have never learned before but just by doing what Brian says, they are able to pull techniques off. Brian has been there for all my big tournaments and MMA fights. I have confidence and absolute trust that I will perform to the best of my ability when he has my back and is in my corner. Sometimes we joke that I am a video game character and he is making my moves with his remote controller, that is how well he can coach.

Brian is also a very loyal person to his friends and students. He has very high moral standards for how he runs his business and how he treats people around him and in return expects more from those around him. He stands by his friends and will have their back. Brian also surrounds himself around people that are positive and forward thinkers because he is always looking to grow himself and make things better for those around him.

Some of Brian's largest successes are his students and the hard work they have put in and the faith they have for Brian to assist them to get where they are today. Here is a list below of a few of Brian's successes.
Nick Ring - Calgary's only UFC fighter & Ultimate Fighter season 11 competitor
Brad Cardinal - 3 Time MMA title belt holder
Sheila BIrd (me) - 3 Time FILA world champion and World Combat Games Champion
He has 2 Black belts, 5 Brown belts, 9 Purple belts and over 30 Blue belts
At BDB we have about 30 fighters for MMA & Muay Thai

He has 4 BDB affiliate clubs. (Canmore, Cochrane, Cranbrook & Calgary)

I want to congratulate Brian on his success for being rewarded his 2nd Degree on his Black Belt. His continuation and drive to learn makes him stronger and the team stronger.

Sheila Bird

Fight Night

2010-11-16T20:56:00.000-08:00

November 12th was "Maximum Fighting Championship 27" and I was in Edmonton with Brian and Nick Ring to help corner Brad "The Bonesaw" Cardinal for his MMA fight. It is very inspiring to watch the guys compete in MMA. It was in 2006 that I had my first and only MMA match and lately I have been getting excited to get back in the cage get it on. This was only the second time I have been in the corner for a fighter and I must say, I much prefer fighting than coaching although I always like being where the action is, no matter what. Brad won his fight by triangle choke in the 2nd round so his record is now 12 - 5.

Touring Korea

2010-09-14T08:33:00.000-07:00

Pictures: Brian and I pretending to hitch hike to North Korea at a train station on our way to the DMZ. Another picture of us singing away at the Karaoke club. Another picture of us having dinner at the Korean BBQ. Then, guys drinking beer (typical)

After the exciting adventure and stress of The World Combat Games Brian and I headed off to Seoul, Korea to hang out with our friends that we hadn't seen in about 6 years. Kaden (Big Lee) and Kron (Little Lee) came to Calgary to study English 6 years ago. We got to know them because of BJJ. One of the coolest things about BJJ, is that no matter where you travel in the world you will always have BJJ in common with people and make friends, and if you are lucky, it will be friends like Kaden and Kron. We didn't get the chance to train BJJ in Korea, I was too busy eating and putting some meat back on my skinny bones. I think I over did that a little. After a few days Kaden said my belly was fat. I am hoping that comment was lost in translation.

Kaden, Kron and Kron's wife Min Jeong were incredible hosts and showed us all the cool sites and delicious places to eat. We went to traditional markets, the world's largest movie theatre, temples, museums and the DMZ (demilitarized zone which is the border between south and north Korea). In addition to sites we got to taste some very excellent traditional Korean food. The Korean BBQ was my favourite. I was so impressed with myself trying out so many foods I would normally turn down in a second. They served pig skin at the Korean BBQ and I enjoyed it. It didn't have the most appetizing look but I still came it a try.

Since I have been back in Calgary I am trying to get back into the swing of things but jet lag is hitting me hard. No big deal, I train BJJ for a living, I think I can handle my interior clock being confused. Timmies coffee will get me through.

I have started teaching children's class after having the summer off. I think this new group of kids we have come in are going to do excellent. I had such a great time teaching them last night. My student Melissa gave me a big hug and congratulations when she came in, how sweet is that?

Touring China, relaxing, and can't wait to compete

2010-08-30T02:09:00.000-07:00

So far Brian and I arrived in Beijing with no problems. The event is organized really well. It seems they have thought of almost everything. Deep down I was kind of hoping the food would look horrible and I would have a hard time finding things to eat simply because I am cutting weight and am not allowed any temptations. Unfortunate for me, it is the complete opposite, but at least after weigh in I have great food to look forward to. Brian is being a sweet heart and not gorging himself in front of me.

Today Brian and I toured the Forbidden City. I must say that if Brian were to buy me a castle, this one would be just perfect. haha

They have supplied some unbelievable facilities for the events. I think the one I am competing in can seat 6,000 people. The training facility is also huge with a crazy amount for mats for athletes to practice before their big days. I have trained two times with Brian and the Japanese grappling/pankration team. Also, I have been running each day as well.

I went to see the Muay Thai event last night. There were a ton of people there to watch. It was the semi quarter finals and we watched the two Canadian athletes compete out of Mike Mile's in Calgary. Both Misty Sutherland and Jesse Miles won their matches and will go on to fight in the quarter finals tomorrow night.

There are so many jacked martial art's chicks around. Wowzers! Don't piss them off.

Tomorrow I am going to see the Great Wall of China. Excited for sure.

Off to China

2010-08-27T09:38:00.000-07:00

I am sitting in the airport in Vancouver getting ready for my flight to Beijing, China and the World Combat Games. So many months of training for this moment. It is very exciting.

I was just invited yesterday to be one of the 96 athletes to march in the opening ceremonies for the games. There are over 1000 competitors in 13 styles of fighting. I am very honoured for this opportunity. My Gold medal at the Fila World Championships is how I qualified for this all expense paid trip to China to compete. I think that success was why I was chosen to represent Canada at the opening ceremonies.

I have been told that Facebook doesn't work in China so I will have to update my blog more to keep everyone posted on the event and my results. I weigh in on Sept 1st and fight Sept 2nd.

It can be up to 3 matches for the Gold medal. My opponents come from all over including France, Sweden, Poland, USA & Russia.

I will keep you posted on more info.

Sheila

Less than 2 weeks till China

2010-08-15T12:59:00.001-07:00

In less than two weeks my coach Brian Bird and I will be heading off to compete in the first SportAccord World Combat Games in Beijing, China August 28 – September 4, 2010. Winning at the 2010 FILA Grappling World Championships in Krakow, Poland is how I qualified for the chance to compete for my country at the World Combat Games along with 7 other women representing countries from all over the world. I am very proud to be the Canadian representative for Grappling.

For getting prepared for this event I have been able to train very specific for each of my possible opponents because I know who each of them are and their fighting styles. I always like to come in with a game plan.

I have been putting in many hours of training to get ready including BJJ, wrestling, running and hard physical circuits to get me in shape. No matter what the outcome, I have put in all the time and effort possible and will do my best. I am strong, fast, prepared. I have put in the time and the effort. I want to win, I can win, I will win. :-)

It will be nice to be able to take a week vacation after the games to give my mind a body a rest.

Needless to say I am excited to compete but I will be able to watch the other sports too. The hotel we are staying in is amazing. http://www.bjfriendshiphotel.com/english/Article/others/200812/11.html

Highlight of my Tournament

2010-03-31T16:20:00.000-07:00

If I was to say the one thing I am most excited about my tournament results it was my takedowns. It felt like the first tournament that things really started to click. I have been working a lot on not hesitating when I get into a good grip that I like to throw off of. Even as recent as my tournament in Florida I felt that I had a couple take down / wrestling opportunities that I didn't take advantage of when I got into certain clinch positions. Well, this time I made it happen out there and am really excited when I get back to Calgary tomorrow to tell my wrestling coach how it went. Ron (wrestling coach) has been so important to the progression of my takedowns this past year and helping me work on my technique, speed and style. Thanks so much to Ron, I feel so happy with what I have accomplished because of him.

One of my particular matches was against a girl who is very good at not getting taken down but she is good at getting into strong sweeps and submissions from stand up to avoid having someone score a takedown on her. I came in with a solid game plan for her and got the double leg take down and in another fight a single leg chest pressure.

Gearing up for Poland

2010-03-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

I am just enjoying my last couple days of training before heading to Poland. My weight cut is going well, good news considering that 60kg is a lower weight than I would usually fight at. I am feeling strong and more prepared than I have for any other competition. Tomorrow is my last hard day, sprints in the mornings and rolling at night, then I am going to just do some techniques and cardio until Poland next weekend. Most importantly, I got my game face on :-|

Teaching in Sherbrooke, Quebec

2010-03-10T22:46:00.000-08:00

After competing in the ADCC Gi trials in Montreal I stayed a couple days extra in Quebec. A good friend of mine, Rich Martens and fellow BJJ Black Belt, runs an academy in Sherbrooke, QC. called Nomad Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Rich is an extremely detailed and technical instructor and I was excited when Rich asked me if I wanted to teach one of his classes and roll with his students. In class there were 24 students and I taught some of my favourite positions and submissions. We did some drills and sparring. His guys are really good and I taught a fun class and also got a wicked training session as well.

ADCC Pro Gi Trials

2010-03-07T14:51:00.000-08:00

Highlights of my Montreal trip and competition!

Prior to my fights that day me and my coach were discussing how we practice and train so hard and it is exciting to compete and see the results of all our effort. This is when we get to test it out. I constantly feel like I am learning. From just the last week we reviewed techniques that I executed in my matches. After years of working on a certain submission to the point where you practically think you own that submission, I still learn more to make it better.

For some of you who saw Brian's facebook message and the steak he ate in front of me while I was weight cutting, well, we went back to that same restaurant after my weigh in and I got my own steak and a piece of cheesecake, so all is well. :-)

For the last couple months preparing for this tournament many of the guys at the club brought their Gi to train in with me when they normally don't. I really appreciate all the help and tough matches at the club, it really helped me prepare for this weekend. I couldn't be so successful if I didn't have so many awesome training partners.

Way to go Girls!

2010-02-23T23:22:00.000-08:00

The highlight of my weekend was at the Absolute Submission Challenge three of my relatively new students took the plunge and competed. I am sure they each had their own reason to try competing. They did fantastic placing silver and bronze. A few of the other women in my ladies class came to watch and cheer on the team and afterwards told me they would like to try competing next time. Competing isn't for everyone so I am very lucky they were willing to give it a try and represent BDB and me as their instructor. Congratulations to Carmelle, Josee and Christine for doing so awesome.

Halloween

2009-11-01T20:18:00.000-08:00

My favourite thing to do on Halloween is to hand out candy to the kids at my house. My friends Dan, Renee and godchild Emmeline came over to join Brian and I for the trick or treaters,

dinner and to play Wii.

Seeing as how I love cats, I thought I would design my pumpkin after my cat Boo when he's ready to kick butt or tackle his food dish.

It was a long day today driving to Edmonton and back in one day but the Roy Harris seminar is always worth the trip. I took lots of notes and got to pick Roy's brain for answers to techniques I have been drilling. Awesome information, can't wait to train tomorrow and play with it.

Less than 1 week to no-gi BJJ world championships in CA. Time to start winding down the intense training schedule.

Cornering At MMA Fight Card

2009-10-25T03:33:00.000-07:00

I got to help corner for the first time tonight for a MMA fight. Brian was also there to corner. He had the harder job of coaching and warming Nick up. My jobs were more like being the water girl, holding the BDB banner, taking pictures and other odd jobs running around getting stuff organized.

Nick Ring won by armbar in Round 1. It was fun helping out. I hung out with the fighters and coaches in the dressing / warm up room including a couple former UFC fighters. It was a little strange being one of the only females back there. Nick is probably one of the easiest competitors to be with because he has fought so many times and knows what he needs and when he needs it.

It is more stressful being with the fighter in back than in the crowd watching. The anticipation and build up is there all night until Nick fought.

Congrats to Nick for winning and yeah for me for getting to be in the corner.

Long Weekend.

2009-10-09T17:22:00.001-07:00

It is Thanksgiving long weekend and I am in Kimberley, BC about to head off to the BJJ Cranbrook club. They have a dedicated group of guys and it is always fun training with them.

I am planning on getting in a couple runs and sprints this weekend. I have a wicked running path right alongside the creek and Kimberley has 3 sets of nasty stairs that are great for running up.

I just arrived in Kimberley and already I am feeling relaxed and glad to take a break and get to the mountains.

Dean is the man

2009-09-22T22:42:00.000-07:00

Most of us who do BJJ have a handful of our favourite training partners. Many of mine I asked to be a part of my Black Belt exam back in May 2009. One of them was Dean Meyers. He is fun to train with and roll with so long as you don't mind his abundant amount of sweating.

Last summer Brian and I went to Ymer, BC and stayed at Dean's cabin and he took me on the ride of hell on a ATV 3 wheeler. As he was giving me the ride of terror and I am screaming, he yells "That's for the kimura you got on me last week!"

Today Dean sponsored me for one of my upcoming tournaments. I am going to compete in Longbeach, CA this coming November. I was totally taken by surprise at his generosity. He also gave me a card with some very nice remarks. Hopefully it won't embarrass him if I quote him "Sheila, Thanks for being a mostly patient coach, usually a fair coach and most of all, a super fun coach! Thanks for helping me reach my goals, I hope this will help you reach yours! It's an honour to train here with you guys and gals. Dean" Obviously, the first part is a joke for those of you who don't know Dean and his awesome sense of humour.

Thanks Dean, You are the best!

What I am doing

2009-09-22T09:21:00.000-07:00

I have a bunch of projects on the go for my website. I am going to add a few of these sections.

1. Will be about my training and have video and pictures and explanations on what I do to prepare for competition and keep in shape.

2. My individual coaches and about them and what they teach me for wrestling and BJJ as well as video footage

3. Techniques. I am going to start putting video up teaching techniques. I have been lucky to come from a club (BDB martial Arts) and a team (Harris International) that is well known for its ability to instruct and relay information very technically. I want to share some of that because I am very proud of my BJJ lineage.

4. Articles. I want to share my views on certain issues in BJJ I have experienced over the years.

Now that I have written this all out, I have given myself lots of homework to do. LOL

September at BDB

2009-09-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

September is going crazy at the club. Just last week I started up my kid's classes after having the summer off. I have a great group this semester, we starting working more on the Gi and so far the kids are really enjoying it.

Tonight is my first all ladies class. I have really been looking forward it. I have had so much interest. Classes are on Tuesday and Thursday. With the ladies, I am expecting mostly beginners so I am going to focus my attention on movements and basic techniques with some drills.

Yesterday was my first official day of cranking up the training to prepare myself for 3 upcoming tournaments I am going in. One in Montreal in October, one in California in November and the Fila Grappling World Championships in Florida in December. This is going to be an awesome finish to 2009 which will be the busiest competitive year in my hole BJJ career since 1998.

I am sore today and going for a run with Brian, that will make me feel better and hopefully less sore.

Day 3 of BJJ camp in Bend, Oregon

2009-09-07T21:16:00.000-07:00

Day 3 of BJJ camp in Bend, Oregon. Well, we didn't do any Jiu-Jitsu on day 3 but instead did many cool tourist things. We went white water rafting in the morning. I am such a wimp and get so scared. All pictures that got taken are of me looking petrified. After that we spent the day with Chris and Hope exploring lava caves and water falls.

Later I went out for dinner with Brian, Chris, Hope and Roy Dean to a Peruvian/Mexican restaurent. They gave us some pineapple soaked in tequila that was so strong it was brutal. Most of us managed to choke it down and for dessert we had bananas cooked in flame with brown sugar and alcohol. Yummy!

Day 2 of BJJ camp in Bend, Oregon

2009-09-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

Day 2 of the Bend, Oregon BJJ camp. I taught my morning session of the seminar; I focused on my best area of Jiu-Jitsu, cross mount #3 to North South Russian Crush and finishing from there with the "Sheila choke". Those of you who know me will know exactly what that means.

There were 29 participants at the seminar. I am very thankful to Roy Dean and Roy Harris for bringing me out to teach. It was so much fun and a great experience.

Day 1 of BJJ camp in Bend, Oregon

2009-09-04T23:24:00.000-07:00

The first day of the BJJ camp is sadly over. It was a packed day starting with teaching 2 private lessons this morning with Amy and Becky. Two girls with a huge future in BJJ ahead of them. Both were extremely technical and it was a pleasure working with them.

Following that I got to witness and partake in Chris Wright-Martell's Brown belt exam with Roy Harris. I must say, I went out for dinner last night with Chris and his wife Hope and he seemed a little nervous. You wouldn't have thought so during his test. He did awesome and one of the hardest parts of the test was all his partners were guys he didn't know and had never rolled with before. That takes a lot of guts. He passed his exam and congratulations to Chris for earning his Brown belt.

Went back to hotel and had a nap.

Then back to training to take Roy Dean's seminar. After the seminar I had the honour of rolling with Roy Dean for a very long time. Well, it seemed long to me probably because I was fighting off triangles for over 20 minutes and getting squished. He is amazing and I am so happy I got the chance to roll with a Black belt. I don't get that opportunity very often.

Tomorrow I get to teach my portion of the seminar weekend. Looking forward to it.

Grapple Girls Open Tournament

2009-08-22T23:40:00.000-07:00

Caitlin and I competed in Toronto today at the Grapple Girls Open Tournament. Caitlin stepped up and fought in the intermediate division and won 3 Golds, 1 Silver and 1 Bronze. Her submission of the day was a key lock from cross mount.

I fought in the No-Gi divisions only for my weight class and absolute. I won Gold in both tapping all my opponents. Great job to all the girls I fought. The caliber of competition was very good, there were a couple brown belts and lots of purple belts in the advanced division. Very tough chicks. I look forward to training with them in the upcoming week at the women's grappling camp.

Niagara Falls

2009-08-20T19:50:00.000-07:00

Not only is this the first time to Toronto, I got to see Niagara Falls today with Caitlin. I had an awesome time. We went underground to the bottom of the falls and got soaked from all the spray off the falls. Good thing for the free rain suites. Caitlin is having her first experience cutting weight. Luckily is shouldn't be too difficult with it only being a few pounds. Even though she has only trained 6 months in BJJ, she is most likely going to step up and try the intermediate division just to get some extra fights and experience in. I have 7 women in my division that are a mix of belts: blue, purple, brown and black. It will be amazing to be at a tournament that only women compete at.

In Toronto

2009-08-17T22:03:00.000-07:00

I just got into Toronto tonight. I am excited of 2 weeks of training BJJ, wrestling, conditioning and maybe some play time, site seeing and lots of girl talk added into the mix. So, I look forward to putting more updates onto my blog in the next couple weeks.

Back from Ottawa, ON

2009-08-11T23:03:00.000-07:00

I just got back from Ottawa, ON. It is a beautiful city. Once the tournaments were over we toured around and went site seeing. I am excited to say I am now on the Canadian team for the Fila World Championships in December 2009 in Florida. The rules are a little different this year but I thought they were quite good and some of the issues they had with the rules at the Worlds in Switzerland last year got worked out for the better. I can't wait to see who will be at the Worlds this year in my division. The second day was the KCG Grappling International tournament. I had 3 matches and won all by submission. I am heading off to Toronto on Monday to train, hang out, compete and teach at the women's grappling camp. My team mate Caitlin is coming to the camp from Calgary to compete and go to the camp. We may just even go and party one night!

Gearing up for the months ahead

2009-08-03T00:25:00.000-07:00

I am really excited about the rest of 2009 competition schedule for me. Pretty much every month is something cool. I need motivation to keep training hard and keeping in shape. At the moment, competition keeps that drive in me. Hopefully next weekend at the FILA Canadian Team trials in Ottawa will have some good competitors come out. I know myself and my friend Alaina Hardie are for sure trying for the team. Other than that, I don't know what other women are signed up.

Shooting guns and speeding boats, what could possibly go wrong with that?

2009-07-11T16:00:00.001-07:00

I had a great time in BC last weekend. Brian Hamm from the Cranbrook bJJ club took us out on his boat to go tubing. Every time I go tubing it is terrifying yet I keep going back for more. I must be an adrenaline junky. Nothing like seeing your life flash before your eyes when your speeding along the water waiting for that wave you'll hit that's send you flying off the tube into the lake. So much fun.

The next day Frank Machl also from the Cranbrook BJJ club took us out in the bush to

shoot some rifles and shot guns. It took me a bit to get used to it, but by the end I was hitting my targets with the rifle. I found the shot gun much more fun and hitting the clay pigeons (skeet shooting) easier so I had the most fun with that. I can see why my friend Renee Buchwald loves it so much. She is a top notch skeet shooter from Nova Scotia. One day we'll have to go out together so she can kick my butt at shooting.

Mind Body Soul Tournament

2009-07-10T10:04:00.000-07:00

Mind Body Soul tournament in Edmonton is one of the main tournaments every year in Alberta that gets a good number of competitors out. There were 9 women competing altogether which is quite good.

I competed in the Gi and No-Gi division and won Gold in both.

Highlights of my experience would be my wrestling/take downs were %100 better than they have been in the past, I am feeling way more confident with my stand up. I got a peruvian necktie for the first time in a tournament, also a key lock with the legs from kesa gatame and I got a normal spinning armbar from guard but it has been a long time since I even really committed to one in a while so I was proud of that. I think I get worried that I will have my guard passed from it. Anyways, this time I just went for it. Hopefully this experience will give me more confidence to keep doing them, they used to be my bread and butter move.

Some of the local tournaments don't have girls with nearly as much experience as me but I still keep going because it inexpensive to compete locally. It costs a lot of money to travel and compete and I want to keep up on my competitive edge. I find if I don't compete in a while I get more nervous so that is why I go to most of the local tournaments even if there is no one at my belt level.

MMA training and BJJ seminar

2009-07-02T22:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a few weeks since I have blogged. I have been fighting a cold and couldn't train so I figured I didn't have much to tell. This week we have Black Belt John Kavanaugh from Dublin, Ireland teaching some seminars and MMA sessions at our club. I jumped in the MMA training to start and to be honest it has been some time since I have done striking, I jumped in without getting my feet wet. It was a blast. I was gun shy, but all in all, I was having a great time. I might just be inspired to have a go at MMA fighting again. I must admit, BJJ is my passion but with my wrestling skills getting sharper every day it will make me a much better cage fighter. All that talk but I am still just thinking about it. After the MMA session today was a 3 hours BJJ seminar working on guard skills. I am looking forward to doing some sparring and playing with the new information.

Visiting family & Heeling up

2009-06-13T22:15:00.000-07:00

The last few days have been very relaxing. I have been spending loads of time with my mom who is visiting from Bahrain (middle east). The timing of the visit couldn't have been more perfectly planned. I just finished a competition and it will be a couple months till the next big one, so I have time to do some serious bonding.

Physically I have had a strange couple of weeks that has made training difficult. First it was my ear and the whole cauliflower thing, finally that is okay now to train with just so long as I have on head gear. Then it was my hand, I climbed a long rope at the club to the ceiling but when I got to the top, I tried to reach up for the cement pillar (I don't know why, probably to show off) and slipped my grip and slid all the way to the ground while I was gripping the rope with my hands. They both got rope burn pretty bad but finally are heeling up. And lastly and by far the worst was I got some bladder issue. Prescription drugs are great. That's about all I want to say about that.

I went on a run this morning. Tight Iliotibial Tract on the left knee but after a few runs it will loosen up as usual and

my runs will last longer. It felt good to exercise after taking the time off for all the above issues.

Tomorrow morning I am going to do some hill sprints with my training partner Dan. I always feel so great when their done.

Training

2009-06-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

Lately I have been working on some new aspects to make my BJJ game stronger. Lots of technique. It is making sparring so much fun, trying new things. You really have to put the ego aside when you do that.

I had an awesome day hanging out with Brad Cardinal (my personal trainer), we went to sprint hills and run stairs. It was so sunny and nice outside, even though the wind was pushing up back instead of pushing us up the hill.

Tonight I met with my wrestling coach because my cauliflower ear needed to be drained again. I am calling him Dr. Ron Bushfield for fun. He has had enough problems with his own ears, he seemed to be the logical choice to drain my ear. I went to the hospital once and waited hours just for them to tell me they wouldn't do it. Ugh, how frustrating. The picture attached is of the liquid he took out. I know, not pretty.

Fantastic Weekend

2009-05-31T23:22:00.000-07:00

The weekend was so awesome.

1. Coach Brian and Nick Ring were in Louisiana for Nick's first MMA fight in a few years. He won with a guillotine in 39 seconds of round one. I think Nick is going to make it huge really soon!

2. I hung out all day Friday with my Grandma. We did shopping, lunch and then gardening and had a BBQ at my house with my dad also. It was such a nice time. My Grandma is 88 years old now, but you would never guess, she is fit as a fiddle and looks amazing.

3. Saturday was competition day for my kids that I teach. Five of them went to the tournament and all of them left with medals around their necks. I am so proud of them for taking the challenge to compete and fight their hearts out. The next generation of fighters at BDB will continue to compete and represent with great sportsmanship. Winning doesn't hurt either. :-)

4. I also decided last minute to compete on Saturday. I had 6 matches. 3 in Gi and 3 in No-Gi. I submitted all my opponents. There were 3 deciding factors that convinced me to compete. They were, some of my kids wanted to stay and watch me, there were quite a few women to show up and that is always good to get lots women out, mostly though, I need to start competing whether I have a coach on the side lines coaching me or not. It is always nice when Brian is there to help me, but there are some tournaments that don't allow that and also it will start me having to rely on my own judgement calls and quick decision making and not rely on Brian so much. I am very happy I did the competition and as usual I learned a ton of things from all my matches. Whether I win or lose, I want to learn from all my fights.

5. Saturday night I had planned on going to Renee's Birthday party, it turned out the party was a surprise party for me for achieving my Black Belt. All my friends were there, we had a great BBQ, Renee did up a photo slide show with music that I will soon have up on my website, there were crazy decorations done up with balloons and streamers. I had so much fun, at the end of the night just the girls met up at Stonegate Karaoke Pub to dance and sing. My feet are sore today from the dancing. HUGE thank you to all my friends, with out their support I would not be a Black Belt. I am so lucky.

Pretty much, that wraps up my weekend, at least the good bits.

Cauliflower Ear & Problem Solving

2009-05-28T23:52:00.000-07:00

I am crossing my fingers that my swelled up ear goes away. I will not be cool with having a cauliflower ear. For one thing, not sexy! Secondly, not feminine and I certainly don't want to live with a big ear for the rest of my life. Over the years I have had a sore ear now and then but have always been good at not letting it get bad. I don't think sparring last night for over an hour helped and I was planning on wearing ear guards but just forgot.

Other than that I have been looking at the calendar and trying to make a decision on my next tournament. I don't want any breaks, I want to keep moving full steam ahead.

Sometimes when I train it is easier to ask my coach Brian about problems I am having in my game, rather that figure it out for myself. He is such a huge fountain of knowledge and usually gives me better answers than anyone I know of. I am quite proud of myself today, I made a small discovery on my own and made a technique work better for me. I must admit though, Brian is in Louisiana with Nick right now and wasn't around for me to ask but still, I was forced to come up with my own solution. Patting myself on the back right now.

Weight Cut

2009-05-25T22:35:00.001-07:00

Cutting weight for a fight or tournament was a huge learning experience for me. I really only had 1 1/2 weeks to do it because of some disorganization of the tournament people with when I was able to weigh in. Anyways, as I was saying I learned a ton. Along with training BJJ, wrestling and running I followed Jason Day's weight cutting program that he created. It was amazing how prepped my body was to cut the weight when I had to loose the water. Most importantly I still had energy and strength unlike some other methods I have tried in the past. As for hydrating after my weigh in, I was much more diligent about what I needed to do to be ready for fighting the next day. Brian and I thought it would be interesting to take some pictures of me during my weight cutting process. I thought I would share them with you.

1st picture is of me before I hit the sauna to sweat. I weighed 137 pounds.

2nd picture is of me after the sauna, this is scary skinny and not pretty. I weighed 132 pounds.

3rd picture is of me at the official weigh in. Same weight 131.5 pounds on their scale. I look a bit better with my normal clothes on.

4th picture is of me 48 hours later. I had eaten a huge meal. Brian wanted me to take the picture then even though I wasn't thrilled about it. I weighed 146 pounds, a normal weight for me.

Excited for the weekend

2009-05-15T00:19:00.000-07:00

I am heading off to Kimberley, BC tomorrow for the long weekend. The plan is to sleep, watch some movies, go to the hot springs, do BJJ in Cranbrook and do some hill sprints. I love getting out to the mountains. Kimberley is considered the highest City (altitude) in Canada so the excersize is always different with less air to breath.

I am looking forward to the movie "Angels & Demons", even though it got crappy ratings, I loved the book. It starts tomorrow.

Finally, I found a new car to buy. I have been looking for a couple months and was getting frustrated with all the running around test driving different vehicles and listening to all the lies and stories people tell when they want you to buy their car but don't want to say anything is wrong with it. The inspection I got went well, so I am happy with my little Hyundai.

No pain, no gain

2009-05-09T21:48:00.000-07:00

I have trained BJJ for 11 years.

I trained multiple times each day.

I had great conditioning.

I was mentally prepared.

I was technically prepared.

I felt strong and ready!

This picture was taken after my 3 1/2 hour long test.

Now ask yourself,

"Do you really want your black belt this badly?" :-)

Only a couple weeks left till the ADCC trials. My goal right now is to stay healthy, injury free and getting lots of sleep. I always find at this point in the training, so close to the event, there are not many leaps to make as far as conditioning or technique, mostly it's staying focussed and working out my game plan.

Getting stronger from the inside

2009-05-06T23:20:00.000-07:00

I am going to start getting back to my proper diet. First thing, I am going to get my vitamins together. I like those compartments you can buy to put them in my morning and evening amounts. I have my multivitamin, Omega 3-6-9, Calcium/magnesium and Vitamin C. Next, I need to take 2 protein shakes per day, preferably after a training session.

Competition class tonight was awesome. A good group came out and I really enjoy the mental aspect of training. Brian pushes everyone to stay strong and focussed, being positive about our thoughts while training, no matter how tired you feel, you keep going and push harder. Mental toughness is what makes or breaks you in competition, so start training that way, it doesn't just magically appear out of no where. I always feel great after one of Brian's competitor classes, so long as I listen to my coach. :-)

Hollaback Girl

2009-05-05T22:55:00.000-07:00

The last couple days back to regular training have been great. Training with my wrestling coach Ron Bushfield twice per week is awesome, things are really clicking, the huge amounts of time I have been putting into wrestling the last year are paying off. I feel strong for the next competition in a couple weeks. For my Black Belt test I focussed most of my training on my escapes and now that I have done that I can spend the time up until the competition working on my attacks and strong areas in Jiu-Jitsu. I have some specific strategies for my competition and I plan on getting lots of rolling in the next couple week.

When I fought MMA a few years back I came out to the song "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani.I had hot pink hair back then, I died it right before my fight. This was before colorful hair was popular. I am excited to say I just bought tickets to the No Doubt concert in Calgary in July. I hope she sings that song, it is one of my favorite tough girl songs.

Successful weekend

2009-05-03T22:38:00.000-07:00

So many things happened this weekend. I was so excited to achieve my Black Belt. At my test I had so many friends and family that came to support me. I couldn't have picked better partners. Rich came from Quebec and Alaina came from Ontario to be at my test. My other partners John, Dan, Dean and Blair were great. I am so lucky.

The week prior to my test people kept asking me if I was nervous and ready for the exam. I felt very confident and ready and I told them so. The day of the test is when the nervousness hit me hard. It was difficult to eat and rest was hard. Once I got to the club, stretched and warmed up, I started to feel better and got into the groove. This test was a long anticipated event and I wanted to get it going.

It still hasn't quite sunk into my brain but I can tell you my body sure feels it. The test was long and hard. My face got a beating with the Gi burn and my muscles are sore and tired (as was to be expected). I feel great and proud to be a Black Belt. What more can I say?

I know it is quite natural for people that do Jiu-Jitsu, once they compete or test to take some time off but I don't feel that way at all. I can't wait to get back to the club and working out to get ready for ADCC trial coming up soon.

One more sleep left

2009-04-30T23:07:00.000-07:00

Global TV came in today and spent a lot of time interviewing Brian and I and filming techniques, rolling with Alaina and Brian, also some circuit training. I can't wait to see the news tomorrow. Apparently they will be playing it morning, 6:00pm and late night news. Grant Pollock was an awesome guy and it was so much fun doing the shoot.

Okay, now it is starting to sink in that my test is tomorrow. Looking forward to my 6 training partners beating me up for 3 1/2 hours. Kind of payback for all the smack talk I give them on a daily basis. Partners are: Blair, Rich, Dan, Alaina, Dean and John.

I really need to get to bed.

Macho Men

2009-04-29T23:00:00.000-07:00

Thought I would do some realistic training tonight, you know, to prepare me for the heavy weight ADCC women's division. After sparring with these guys, I will be invincible.

Tomorrow I booked an hour massage. I found a new masseuse in Calgary. I love deep tissue massages; get those knots out. It's almost like if it doesn't hurt, why bother. By the way, I know most of my friends think that sounds crazy.

I was asked today about teaching women's only classes. Now that we have a few consistent girls training it would be nice to have at least one class per week we can get together. Now it is just a matter of finding a good day and time everyone can make it to.

Change of plan

2009-04-29T00:41:00.000-07:00

Today I found out that weigh ins for the ADCC North American Trials are day of the competition, right before you step on the mat to fight. This is the first time they have done this for the ADCC, normally it is the day before. So much for cutting weight, I am now going to go into the over 132lb division. Time to start hitting the weights and taking lots of protein.... Well, my friends should be happy about the change because I am not the happiest person on the planet when I am on a strict diet. My friend Jeremy was joking around with me, saying I lost my sense of humor for the next few weeks. What can I say, I love food.

The next couple days I am taking it easy. No sparring, no injuries, no getting sick, maybe a little technique and lots of my beauty sleep as my mom likes to call it.

Only 3 more sleeps till test! (My training partner John thinks I sound 10 years old saying that)

Good Night, man it's almost 2am.

Preparing for the weekend

2009-04-27T23:48:00.000-07:00

CTV news did a segment on me today at the club. They aired it already tonight and are showing it again tomorrow night at 6:00pm channel 3. With my Black belt test coming up and the fact I am the first female to achieve Black Belt in Canada, they were excited to cover my story and give me some publicity.

I am really excited for the Roy Harris seminar at BDB on Saturday. There are quite a lot of women going from a few different clubs. I am looking forward to meeting them and getting the chance to train with them.

For curriculum class tonight there were 6 guys preparing for their Blue Belt test on Saturday. I was very impressed with how they are doing and am confident they will ace their tests.

Up and ready for a busy day

2009-04-27T07:48:00.000-07:00

If at all possible I like to get a run in first thing when I get up. I am glad I got mine in yesterday morning, I am sure it helped with the soreness of my muscles from the work out I did the day before although 48 hours is always the worst and today my legs and butt are stiff.

I saw the movie "Hunger" at the Globe Theatre this weekend. I really enjoyed it but would only recommend to it people who like disturbing and violent films. It really made me think. It is about a political prisoner in jail who goes on a hunger strike. The film is based on a true story from Ireland.

Plan for today, Monday's schedule is all over the place but always time for coffee breaks which I really enjoy. Technique practice 11:30-1:00, Circuit 4:00-5:15, teach kids class 5:30-6:30, BJJ class 6:30-8:00, teach curriculum 8:00-9:30

Victory Day

2009-04-25T23:56:00.000-07:00

After my last post I was off to go sprinting hills and climbing stairs. At the time I thought it was a good idea to tell Brian before I started how many times I wanted to run up the hill and that I was planning on double step running the stairs, then hopping up on one foot 2 times once with each leg, then lastly double jumping up the stairs. I should mention there are 173 steps. I suppose if I hadn't told him my plan he may have let me off easy, I chose a hard goal, so I was stuck with it. My friends Dan and Renee were there to run along with me and keep me going. At the end of the work out, my legs wouldn't stop shaking for an hour. I decided to sit in the shower so my legs wouldn't give out on me. Sometimes I wonder "What the heck was I thinking?" but knowing me, I'll be at it again tomorrow remembering how good it feels to complete a work out, forgetting the torture of the actually doing it.

I was super excited today to hear Alaina Hardie, a good friend of mine from Toronto won her divisions in grappling she competed in today at a tournament. It is not an easy task to compete and she is always challenging herself to push herself further all the time. Way to go Alaina!

At the boxing fight card in Calgary tonight at the Deerfoot Casino my Muay Thai coach and good friend Nick Ring dominated and won his match when the guy's corner threw in the towel after 4 rounds of a scheduled 8 round match. Nick looks so intense and mean when he fights, it is very inspiring to see such an athlete in action. I hung out at the fights with members from BDB Martial Arts with my BJJ girl training partner Jenna King to sit next to me and as we like to say "Making memories"

Awesome night but I am glad to be home and going to get some needed rest. Only 6 more sleeps till my Black Belt test.

Sheila

I got my blog up finally

2009-04-25T13:18:00.000-07:00

I will soon be blogging.

First things first. Off to do some sprints in the cold weather at Memorial Drive stairs and hill across from Princess Island Park. My friend Renee is also coming along, she is preparing for a race in May.

Sheila