ADCC 2009 Experience
This year’s ADCC was vey special, first off was a great training camp, I came from a knee injury, and did a lot f strength with Steve Maxwell to build the base and when the training started, the time off mat made me feel like a turtle, but with time I got it all back and by the time Lovato Jr , Kron, Rader got to camp we were all in good form, along was Rani, Saulo and Penny and all the boys. 3 weeks prior to the competition a lot of Ginastica Natural with Prof. Alvaro Romano, put me flexible and agile, and in the end, great conditioning, flexibility and injury free.
The trip was easy, 14 hour flight, a lot of talking with my brother and a few Lost series later , here we are in Barcelona. Like always everybody is in shape and ready to go and the energy in the hotel is awesome, this year the camaraderie was in the air, opponents were chilling together talking about life. After the weight in things change and the focus take place and it’s normal everybody put a shield around and not so many laughs, normal, war is coming and everybody wants to win.
In my case I was confident, I knew I was there to do 8 fights, the year before I won my division and lost first round in the Absolute, so for me better than that was winning both, all know Im an Absolute hunter and I was up to the challenge.
So the strategy was. Be conservative in the division and try to win it without wasting much energy, strategy that now I think was great, but watching my fights I really bit my tongue, I held back and fought to win what made it a little ugly and I apologise for that, but in the end is ADCC and is war and we need to use all our weapons, and in the end ADCC Champion…again that felt great, but that was just the first battle and the war wasn’t over.. But after the division looked like I took 100lbs out of my back, I felt great and the responsability was off, what made a lot of diference, I fought the open so relaxed and I get to fight much better, no strategy, just Jiu-Jitsu. And after all I was in the finals against Braulio that was in a great day too, but I’ve fought him before and I knew what was coming.
20 min, 10 no points 10 w points, so my strategy was feel the fight for couple minutes and go for the kill and spend all the energy I had saved, I was ready to go intense 20 minutes. Fight start feel stronger than him, he let me take him down, but he surprised me and locked the inverted triangle, was strong but no even close to make me tap, so I stand up and let him give up on the position , so we go to the ground and I think, “Ok is time to kill, he can’t keep u with me” and 30 sec later , I didn’t keep up with myself, I was trying to hold him, he pushed me, I held and …… was over. Felt the muscle of my chest/biceps stretching and that was it.
Sometimes we ask ourselves why this things happen, and I always try to see for the best way. I won my division, 2nd in the absolute, good enough, maybe for me not enough, but I have to thank God everyday for the gift he gave me, I can’t judge him or blame something for what happen, I still think Im the best that I can be, but that day was Braulio’s day, somewhere in the course e deserved more than me i that day, and It’s y job to keep my head high and work even harder and come back stronger than never. Next ADCC will be war…Roger, Galvao and cia, but you know what…I’m happy that i this point of my life I still can find motivation to move forward, and you know guys, Ive been hurt/injury so much…but I won’t quit, my mission on earth is to be the best that I can possibly be, and to achieve that I need to do it again…… so be it.
Thank all you guy for the support. You are my motivation to wake up everyday and do my best, and I hope I can inspire you guys to be the best that you can be too.
Now for me, heal and be ready for the biggest challenge of my life. Be a Father. My baby Victoria is coming soon and that will be my challenge, and she will be on earth to see her daddy to be the best that he can be.
Hope you all have a great day.
Xande
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MAX_SAN ANTONIO says:
Nice blog Xande and congrats ! looking forward to read your blog.
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dualmass says:
baby Victoria will be YOUR best achievemnet ever!
You are very luckY! -
Jeff_BJJ says:
Thanks for writing this blog so that we can keep up to date with what is going on with Xande! Congrats on baby Victoria…OSSSS!!
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bluelaker81 says:
How long did it take to recover from the injury? I have some nagging injuries that bother me from time to time. When I’m on the mats I don’t feel the pain, it’s a great feeling.
Congrats, Xande! And congrats in advance for baby Victoria!