I hate introduction posts, I really do. The biggest problem is always how to open them and keep people interested while you tell them what you're about and your history, but at the same time not blab on and on about details that aren't really relavent. Really, intro posts are my bane...but that rant aside, here's my intro post.
I'm Nick, but you can call me Tigrinho (chee-green-yo). I'm 27 years old and training to compete in local mixed martial arts competition. Yep, I wanna fight. Sounds crazy, doesn't it? I suppose some of you might think I'm prone to violence or maybe got into a few fights as a kid. Truth be told, I had one fight, in seventh grade and got my ass kicked. It wasn't even really a fight because I didn't defend myself...got held down by two bigger guys while the third gut punched me a few times because I wouldn't help him cheat on his math test or something. Other than that, never been in anything that could be considered a fight.
I'm not even really a fan of violence. Yeah, I joke about breaking arms and how eye rakes in class give me warm fuzzies, because they do, but the actual idea of using them in a self-defense kinda grosses me out. Hell, I even attempted to register as a conscientious objector when I was 18, but having freshly converted to Buddhism at that point, I didn't qualify as having crystallized beliefs or some shit. In short, never have been violent and probably never will be.
Yet, I still wanna get into MMA. Seems like a contradiction, doesn't it? Well, in my opinion, MMA is a sport. It is almost the epitome of contact sport; no ball chasing, no goals, just you and the other guy and you're trying to prove your skill is better than his. It isn't about violence, it is about skill and competition. Those are two things I feel the need within myself to prove, both to others and to me.
I suppose some of you might want some sob story about how I grew up on the wrong side of the tracks, was in trouble in school a lot (okay, this one might be true for a year or so), didn't get a chance at college and had to claw my way to the top. Well, I hate to disappoint, but that isn't going to happen. I grew up in a lower-middle class home, mostly raised by my mom (fully when my parents split), excelled in school (except seventh grade, but everyone has that one year that they flop) and went to college. I now work in a fairly good office job and take martial arts in the evening...think geek by day, badass by night. There's nothing that would make you think I'd have something to prove...but there's something in me that yearns for it. Something inside of me that was until a few years ago unknown to me.
July 2009, a month I'd like to forget. It was then that my ex and I broke up. Three plus years of history and frankly, I'd lost myself in it. I put on weight, got lazy and well, yeah...not so proud of that. So when it ended, I had nothing to fall back on. I started working out and taking martial arts classes to cope and get back some of my confidence. My ex wasn't a fan because they'd make me more aggressive or something, but I kept taking them because I liked what I was learning and it was not only getting me in shape, but it was also giving me a new identity forged on the mats and in sparring...I was finally embracing my heritage (I'm half Spartan/Greek on my dad's side and my mom's side is German, Irish, Gaullish with some Native American for good measure...I'm born and bred to fight) and enjoying the hell out of it! That was my start point on this journey to the ring and it is hard to believe I actually asked my first instructor if I'd ever have to spar because I didn't want to.
Yeah, I was afraid of sparring. Deathly afraid of it. I only wanted to work forms and some practical stuff, or so I thought...but something inside me clicked with it and I started training more and diversifying my training. Over the years, I've made my way through a few different styles now (green sash in a form of Kung Fu/Kempo blend, a lot of capoeira regional and angola, Muay Thai and touches of TKD and Goju Ryu for good measure) and I love it all!
So back to the topic, I've been training for a few years and forged a new identity for myself. I went from being overweight, timid and quiet to who I am now, confident (but not arrogant), in shape and ready for competition. I've decided it is time to take the plunge and go for it. I have a fairly good striking game; I have some holes like anyone, but I am constantly training it to improve. All I lack is a ground game and putting it all to use on the mats at this time. To remedy that, I'm checking out a few BJJ groups out here as well as an MMA gym that caught my attention. I'm hoping to have myself well enough rounded that by this fall (2011), I can have an amateur match under my belt.
Until I have the resources to go to more formal training, I'm maintaining what I have and working with a personal trainer at my gym to get myself in better fighting shape. He's got me on high-intensity circuits that take a lot from crossfit, whole-body motions with weight and plyometrics along with a HIIT cardio regimen. Between that and messing with nutrition on my own to see what works best for this and some funner cardio classes (Bodycombat!!), I'm turning myself into a lean, mean little fighter.
Did I mention that I'm openly gay? Yeah, that'll make for a fun combo when I get my way in because I kinda keep it quieter until I get to know people in this realm. My capoeira crew all knows as do most of my regular training buddies, but newcomers to my circle get to wait until I feel like telling them. It'll definitely be a ride to say the least; expect at least a few posts relating to that.
And no, MMA does not turn me on, guys. Do you get horned up rolling with a chick? No, you're worried about her kicking your ass. Same for me, so yeah. That's all I got to say about that for now.
So, is there anything anyone wants to know? Anything at all? I plan to write about my training regimen, anything that works/doesn't work for me, how my styles blend (mostly commentary from sparring buddies), nutrition, posting articles of interest, hopes, fears, dreams, achievements, setbacks...the usual, I guess. Really, though, I'm an open book and I'll need blog post ideas.
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