Last Saturday I held my free women’s self-defense seminar and it was great! I had a total of nineteen women attend. They all worked hard and did an awesome job. I think we picked the perfect moves for them to learn. Everyone picked up on the techniques quickly and they had a lot of fun doing them.
Helping me out with the seminar were my fellow Scranton MMA instructors, Dominic, Tom, Frank, and Steve. We also had some help from a couple of our male students. The ladies had a lot of fun beating up on the guys! Because the seminar went so well, I plan on holding another one in about a month.
The rest of my week was pretty awesome. I got a lot of great training in. During classes this week we went over side control techniques. Frank showed us a new way to control the person when you have side control. It’s definitely a good way to set up tons of different submissions. I felt really focused while I was drilling the techniques this week. I think I drilled them enough to get into my muscle memory, which is always the goal.
I got more rolls in this week, just like I had planned. It was hot, but we all worked through it. I would actually rather it be hot than a little chilly while I’m training. In my opinion, the extra heat makes training more worthwhile. First, it causes you to work up a good sweat, which always makes you feel better at the end of the day. Also, in my opinion, training in a harsh environment builds up your mental toughness. If I can roll round after round in hot room, sweating, breathing heavily, and pushing my limits, I can do anything.
Running and lifting have been going well too. The beginner running program I’m doing is helping me a lot. It’s been getting much easier to run for longer periods of time. I’m starting to wonder if it will actually help me prepare for the New York Open, because I don’t breathe as heavy as I do when I roll a lot. I enjoy it, though, and that’s all that matters.
I’ve also been enjoying weight training. I usually go at 8:00am twice a week, and the facility is about a half hour from my house. I always dread waking up early for it, but not once have I regretted a session. I always walk out feeling like a boss.
Finally, my diet has been pretty good. I’m not extremely strict with it because I’m not trying to cut weight. I’m only doing this so I can fuel my body with the right stuff, and feel good while I train. And it’s been working! Adding more fruits and veggies into my diet has really helped me feel more energized and happy. It’s amazing what good food can do for your body and your mind.
I’ll admit I slip once in a while, but I don’t beat myself up about it. I just look past it and try to make a better decision at my next meal. I’ll probably keep this up even after the New York Open because it’s making me feel so awesome. Plus, eating fruit on a hot summer day is the most refreshing thing in the world.
And that’s all she wrote, ladies and gentlemen. Have a nice week!
Jess Papi is a blue belt at Scranton MMA and also pursuing her degree in exercise science. Read her entries every week for insights on competing, training, and juggling BJJ and life.
