Blast From The Past 2 – Team Colosseum @ Kickers Interclub

1^st September 2002 was the first time I met the likes of Widge and Aaron as they came to compete along with Richie Westwell at our interclub in Bradford. I had heard good things about the Colosseum guys that thankfully turned out to be true.

This particular day was (I think) the initial appearance of Matt Thorpe (who recently started teaching an MMA class at Factory BJJ a member of Combat Base UK, check out the Factory website) who you know went on to much, much bigger and better things.

The interesting thing though is that Jennie Taylor, Matt's then girlfriend but now wife (I think) also competed that day.

Wonder if that has happened in UK MMA before that husband/wife or bf/gf have competed at the same event on the same day!!

Blast 1 - How cool is John Machado!!

October 6th 1999

Training with John Machado, at one point he was holding down a strong looking guy, the guy was thrashing around frantically trying to escape. John calmly reached over, took out a bottle of water and had a drink all the while the guy underneath is trying to escape. John casually puts the top back on the bottle, replaces it and carries on rolling without the guy even knowing what he had just done.

Everyone was laughing like crazy and the poor guy didn't know why.

My series of blasts from the past

As I am getting older and the old memory is going I thought I would put into words some of my memories from training over the years. The next bunch of blog posts are some of those memories.

Hope you enjoy

Scandanavian BJJ Open 17th and 18th October

Big congrats to James Nardone who took gold in his weight group and to Carl Fisher who got bronze in absolute division.

Calendar Of Events

Updated the Calendar Of Events, from local to international competition, something for everyone.

If you are interested in competing, let me know and we can find something suitable for you.

ADCC Barcelona Part 2

My predictions didn't turn out to be that great after all. Helen beat me as usual by predicting Mendes, Braulio, Xande, Jacare and Staack. Barral was invited after all so got to see 2 mundial champions against each other, the old & the new as Barral took on Saulo.

Having eventually settled for Cobrinha on the day, he got 2nd. Marcelo got 2nd, Braulio took 1st, Xande took 1st and Cyborg took 2nd too.

Drysdale got 2nd and Penny Thomas got 2nd too.

I seem to be able to pick 2nd places though.

Main thing is it was an awesome tourney, got some photos to post up when I get them sorted.

Roll on ADCC2011.

ADCC Barcelona 26th & 27th September

ADCC Barcelona

ADCC this weekend and probably the most stacked tourney so far, only really Romalo Barral & Roger Gracie missing from the world's best.

Follow the link & make your picks, see if you agree.

Men’s -67.9 kg Having to make 2 choices as I just can’t split Cobrinha and Mendes
Men’s -76.9kg Marcelo
Men’s -87.9kg Braulio
Men’s -98.9kg Xande
Men’s +99kg 'Cyborg'
Men's absolute tbc

Superfight Drysdale

Women’s -60kg Megumi Fuji
Women’s +60kg Penny Thomas
Women's absolute Lana Stefanac

Mainly obvious choices but a couple of outsiders.

Going to be an awesome tournament.

Check out the fighters on the web site, some great coverage of them on there.

New belts @ Combat Base Sept 2009

Congrats to 4 very well deserved new belts at our gym.

Ian “Mongoose” Jones promoted to purple belt
Wayne Murrie promoted to blue belt
Gaz Vause promoted to blue belt
Paul Keegans promoted to blue belt.

Disorder in the American Courts

Things people actually said in USA courts, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters that had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?
WITNESS: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"
ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?
WITNESS: My name is Susan!
....................................................

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?
WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
...................................................

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?
WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?
....................................................

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?
WITNESS: He's twenty, much like your IQ.
....................................................

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?
WITNESS: Are you shitting me?
....................................................

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?
WITNESS: Getting laid.
....................................................

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?
WITNESS: Yes.
ATTORNEY: How many were boys?
WITNESS: None.
ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?
WITNESS: Your Honor, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
...................................................

ATTORNEY: How was your first marriage terminated?
WITNESS: By death.
ATTORNEY: And by whose death was it terminated?
WITNESS: Take a guess.
...................................................

ATTORNEY: Can you describe the individual?
WITNESS: He was about medium height and had a beard.
ATTORNEY: Was this a male or a female?
WITNESS: Unless the Circus was in town I'm going with male.
....................................................

ATTORNEY: Is your appearance here this morning pursuant to a deposition notice which I sent to your attorney?
WITNESS: No, this is how I dress when I go to work.
....................................................

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many of your autopsies have you performed on dead people?
WITNESS: All of them. The live ones put up too much of a fight.
...................................................

ATTORNEY: ALL your responses MUST be oral, OK? What school did you go to?
WITNESS: Oral.
...................................................

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?
WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.
ATTORNEY: And Mr. Denton was dead at the time?
WITNESS: If not, he was by the time I finished.
....................................................

ATTORNEY: Are you qualified to give a urine sample?
WITNESS: Are you qualified to ask that question?
....................................................

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?
WITNESS: No.
ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?
WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.
ATTORNEY: I see, but could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?
WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law.

MENSA Test

As you will never be as handsome as me, see if you are as smart as me. Finish the 5 questions below in 10 minutes or less.


1. Which 3-letter word can you add to the words below to make 4 new words?

• Doctor
• Alien
• Carbon
• Fabric

2. Find the number.

• RM = 5
• XK = 13
• JC = 7
• SP = ?

3. What do the following words have in common?

• Yarn
• Hurt
• Lone
• Army

4. What is the missing number?
3 7 13 27 53 ? 213



5. Ben has 4 dogs, 8 hamsters and 7 rabbits. How many horses do he have?