Monta 2012 Top 10 Moments (5-1)

5. Colton Smith Article- Writing Send Off ( taking a break from writing) : Although helping people with articles has been a great feeling for me, there are some things that comes with being a writer that can prove quiet stressful. 2 years deep of writing on a weekly basis I yearned for a break from writing to refresh my mind and build myself as an individual. Around August through September of this year a few a birds chirped me in the form of MMA instructor Jarrod Clontz, Army Personnel, and even his wife talking about this guy name Colton Smith. Reading his story I knew this was the way I should go out this year as a writer and boyyyy did I ever. Not only did the article get a lot of attention it really helped get another amazing story out to let everyone know WHO Colton smith really is ( there are Internet blogger who attack his character for what he did on the show). In the end Colton took a bunch of weight off my back and he went on to become the winner of The Ultimate Fighter Show that season.
Thx Colton and best wishes…don’t be a stranger K.I.T brother !!!

4. Academy Special Guest ( people I did articles on coming down to train at my academy) : There is one thing I ask for from the majority of the people I write about and that is simply to one day train with them. This year my academy had a lot of top stars stop by. Amongst this stars were also great guest I did articles on. Although they are not big yet having Ricky Johnson, Kyle Stewart, Jarrod CLontz, Tom Barlow, and Brock Gorang was super exciting for me on many levels. Every personality offered something different and training with each of them was off the hook!! I put this in the top 5 mainly cause it really gave me the opportunity to interact with the individuals I spent sleepiness nights writing articles on while also them getting to know the mystery man behind it all..

Thanks for coming down guys…...wonder who will be # 6?!

3. Getting Promoted by Xande from Blue to 4 stripe Blue Belt  : When I became a blue belt 5 years ago it was a great moment for me. But during that 5 year journey ( due to me living in different parts of the city and unfortunately having to switch school except for the last one) I never got anything. For years I stopped caring about getting anything and just focused on my growth in skill which helped me in the long run. Then along came the night on November 13th when Xande gave me 4 stripes in one night on my blue. As crazy as it may sound I was shocked a person at his level thought that much of me (to be honest I thought I wasn’t gonna get anything at all). Overall I felt vindicated for all those years I didn’t get any plus it gave me a since of that feeling “my instructor appreciates me as his student”.

2. Northwest Adventure (trip to Portland and Seattle) : One trip symbolized a dream come true. The other one can be considered a Revelation. A couple of years ago I saw this post card of a Space Needle and told myself “one day I will visit that place and be on top of that tower. Flash-forward to 2012 I found myself traveling to Seattle, Washington were my lifelong dream came true. While there I got a chance to do some great sightseeing which consist of Saceo Filed, the waterfront, and stand on top of the space needle. In addition I also got some training down there that took my game to the next level courtesy of the Foster BJJ team, everyone at Ivan Salaverry’s, and the best unknown grappler around Andrew Perkins.
Now on the other side of the coin you have Portland, Oregon. I never really made any intention or interest in going there, however with so many friends I did articles making the countless statement “Let’s Train” I figured it be a cool idea to go down there to see what’s up. To be perfectly honest I didn’t know what to expect when I went up there to visit Portland. While Seattle I was excited Portland I was more nervous if anything. I quickly found out that that nervousness I had was more curiosity which was revealed in the following 3 days I was there. Meeting those people like 10th planet Oregon Peeps, Brent Primus, and Tommy Leisman pretty much changed my life forever, it was almost like meeting long lost brothers (from an interaction standpoint). It really put into perspective and made me realize the impact my articles have on people. At times as a writer it can be hard but through meeting them it really motivated me to continue what I do and helping others.

1. My Return to Competition : Carrying over 5 years of baggage and demons to due past competition experience. With a little bit of motivation I finally decided to step out and give competition one more try. If you read my 2 part blog on this you know the details of my story on this matter......

http://monta-wiley.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-return-to-competition-war-from.html

http://monta-wiley.blogspot.com/2012/10/my-return-to-competition-war-from_9.html

Writing the 2 part blog was the toughest thing I ever had to do because for the 1st time I was letting everyone know who Monta was. To say the least I was scared because I didn’t know how people were going to react. Thankfully it was not only well received but other related to it. Through this it allowed me to launch as series of blogs and even Facebook wall post helping to motivate people concerning this matter and even life in general. I feel this is the # 1 moment of the year because in one moment it built me to become a stronger individual capable to tackles anything the world throws at me with no fear…while also inspiring other to do the same.

Monta 2012 Top 10 Moments (6-10)

10.      Attending a UFC event Ground Floor no Bleachers: Overall it was a new experience for me in many ways. Being on the floor side offers a spectator with a whole range of advantages. Not only did I see great action close up but also got a chance to see some fight personalities like Ronda Rousey and Royce Gracie…IMO the biggest celebrity I got to meet was my boss from fighthub.tv Marcos Villegas. Overall great experience that I will never 4got.

9.      BJJ Legends 1^st Magazine Publishing Article: This was big for me in many ways because one of my goals as a writer was always to have one of my pieces in a magazine. Not only was it great to have my work published in a book sold worldwide but to also have my instructor Xande on the cover was even cooler. This would have been at a higher # if it weren’t for some errors I saw made in the article by head editor…but overall I’m just very appreciative for getting the chance to accomplish a writing goal of mine.

8.      Kenny Florian Seminar: It not really much to say about this but in terms of MMA fighter that does bjj..Kenny Florian has been one of my favorite. The experience was very amazing training with him and his brother. Every time I had a question I called them over to soak all the knowledge I can get, plus so Bruno and Phan can get a lot of pictures of me with Kenny and Keith so I can have something to look back on.

7.      Starting at Xande JJ- Day 1 :  Taking a gamble I decided to give so cal jiu-jitsu one last shot and train with Mr. Xande Ribeiro..The Key word here is “DAY 1”. Coming in with some extra baggage from my previous academy although I was excited to train with Xande I was also very nervous. Every day I had this crazy thought that something bad was going to happen and that day will be my last. But as time passed along I began to loosen up and embrace my new team and instructor which has been a great time this past year.

6.      Training with Judo great Chuck Jefferson:  It has been over 3 years since I’ve done any Judo and for one time only I made my return to train with my all-time favorite judo player Chuck Jefferson. It terms of my visit to Chuck Jefferson's Judo it was an awesome. When I walked in and saw the layout of the facility I had to ask myself for a second...is this the right place? (Mainly because it didn’t look like your typical judo dojo).  The class went great that night but it was the following day that would remain a memory forever. The following day I was able to take judo private from him which was also amazing. At time we would sit on the mat and talk about the judo/jiu-jitsu problems and other things about my experience and his experience. Never in a million years had I thought I would be sitting down talking normal with my favorite judo player. Thank for the friendship Sensei Chuck hope to see you next year!!  also shoutout to ..Sensei Lee Heitzman!!

Competitor Analysis: The Strong vs. The Weak

Since returning to competition one of the biggest things I have been thoroughly investigating is the “Mental” element of fighting. When you think of this topic it truly correlates with the Battle Within. From the nerves to being in the fight itself every aspect of a person’s emotions can reveal not only their purpose but also the outcome of the match.

Just recently I got a chance to see this first hand through a series of events that happened in the last 7 days. In this piece I will cover the separation of strong and weak in competition. Widely overlooked it is something that really tells the story of a competitor. Last Sunday I got the opportunity to be a scorekeeper at the No-Gi NABJJ tournament . I thought it would be a dull experience but I was wrong. Sitting courtside allowed me to interact with the competitors before/ after their matches and also witness their transformation as they get ready to fight in battle.

Analyzing each competitor I can pretty much tell which one was going to win (and 90 % of the time I was correct). When they walked out each competitor was game but as anything in life when shit hits you in the face that is when one finds out how tough you are and how bad do you want it. One thing I looked at was the fighter’s eyes (I know weird). In the heat of battle some guys looked like they gave up when they first got taken down by their more purposely driven opponent as their eyes pretty was telling those in attendance  “What the Hell am I doing here wish I was at home watching the Sunday football game” !!!

This all goes back to my promotion of having a purpose when going out to compete. Whether it be to a better man, winning gold, or making the best of your experience it really helps you carry something with you into combat so you wont become weak in the fight. First lets take a look at the strong side of the competitor spectrum.
 

A great example of this theory is a video I saw on the web of an in-house gi tournament featuring Brett Weekly who also took 2^nd place at the NABJJ No-Gi tourney I was score keeping at. As you can see in the video it really showed who wanted it more and who was looking for the madness to end. Which explains the reason Brett beat this opponent.

Seeing him compete at the No-Gi tournament myself he went in with the same attitude and purpose of doing well and although he lost in the finals Brett Still seemed happy with his performance and what he accomplished that day.

Now the weak. Example of this can be seen from yesterday’s UFC event in the fight between BJ Penn and Rory McDonanld. Regarded as a fearless competitor whose killer instinct allowed him to devour the opposition  it seemed as though the tables were turned on the Prodigy that night. Looking at the fight it was very hard to watch as BJ clearly told thousands of viewers he didn’t want to be there. On many occasions in the second round from his facial experssion to him not defending himself properly it is as though he was begging McDonanld to finish him off. However being the arrogant fighter he is Rory did what BJ was known to do in the past and publicly humiliating him prolonging his suffering going on to earn a unanimous decision victory.

Looking at these observations I’m trying to show you the difference between someone who wants it and someone that doesn’t.

So the next question lies how do you maintain a predator mentality hunting for what you want instead of being the prey all the time ? Here are some tips.

1.       When signing up for any tournament start off by asking yourself why are you entering this event (purpose)- if it just  to have “FUN” or just to "Compete"you're as good as dead b4 you step on the mat. You gotta have a reason (purpose) for putting yourself in harms way which will allow you to make the best of this life changing expereince.

2.       Strengthen you Purpose- This formula you may have to go deeper and may be the toughest for anyone  going to compete. Start off with a purpose and start breaking it down to something I call the “Why Reaction”

Ex: I want to be a world champion Why? Because I am the best Why? Why? -If you can get pass the 5^th time you ask yourself Why you are practically game for success.

3.       Develop a Sentence that will stick in your head throughout the event- It allows you to eliminate all worries. You might be nervous but the sentence you create centered on your purpose will carry you through the war.

Ex: my sentence at grappling x event was- “I don’t have to be Champion, Just a better man than I once was”

4.       Make sure it’s about you- I hear a lot of people say I’m doing this for my team. Instructor, to prove something to someone…make someone else proud of me….F that. That is one of the main reason why competitors get destroyed in tournaments because they are trying to live someone else dreams and not their own.

5.       Make sure to train (which is obvious) :-) and keep you purpose in your mind while training

If you follow these steps you will notice a totally different person in battle (trust me). In all this entry is meant to show competiors mindframe in combat but also meant to show you how to develop a stronger mentality for competing with a purpose to see you through.


-monta


 

Return to Writing- ( New Features & Changes)

Next month I will make my return to writing articles. The time off has been great so far  and if you been keeping up with what I been doing it has been an amazing journey. Time-off has allowed me to do many things such as practice my writing skills, read, meet people I did articles on, and also build myself as an individual. All of these things have helped in my return. Looking back on the past 2 years as a writer I have made a lot of great decisions and also made some bad choices. In an effort to correct those mistakes and make my good decisions greater I have set out a list of standards for myself  .

In this blog I will be going over the new features and changes I will be doing as a writer when it comes to doing interviews. The new changes will ensure everyone is given an equal chance, I can maintain a gradual pace without getting burnt out, and other aspects of the spectrum.

First the New Features

1.       Military Spotlight will now happen once a month- this has been my most favorite part being a writer. Although it cools giving props to our favorite bjj/mma fighter I think it’s important we give these people the respect they deserve for their ultimate commitment.

Note: all articles must go under the military spotlight title. So for example Colton Smith was titled fighters heart while Jason Norwood was military spotlight. In other words  two military personal are game for being feature in the same month.

2.       Phone Call Intros- Slack off on this in the past and sadly I know a lot of people have classified me as a mystery man helping people (until you meet me)  but not anymore. The call is just a standard greeting to help me get a vibe of who im doing the article on while also them knowing who I am... questions will still be sent via e-mail.

3.       Self-Request – people are now allowed to put in a request to do an article on themselves. However MAKE SURE YOU BRING IT!!! NO BS. I don’t care about your medals or how many people you KO’d I want to know what makes u..YOU

4.       Open Inbox- my page now has given me an inbox so u are now open to send me any request, name drops, questions or concerns. or feel free to email me at monta_193@yahoo.com

5.       Full Stories!! (No MORE Q & A interviews on people)- I have been given small complaints about this in the past about how I given full story to some people while some have gotten q & a …well this will happen no longer. Everyone will get the opportunity to tell their story. It’s time I step up and pledge 100 % to Note: depending on the matter Q &A articles may pop up at times in regards to product reviews or upcoming events.

6.       Interviewee’s Choice- Continuing where # 6 left off the person being interviewed now has the floor to request what the article will center on.. after all it is YOUR STORY.

Now the not so fun part…….. Restrictions/ Changes

1.       4-5 articles Per Month Limit- In the past I have done 6-8 articles per month. I have decided to chop it down to 4 the minimum and 5 the max. This new implication is more to help me maintain a flow without getting burnt out and generate more focus on one person at a time.

2.       8 Month Gap Clause- For those that I have done 2 or more articles on you will now have to wait 8 months until I do another article on you (unless you are making a major transition  in your life/career). I can’t do a new article every time you have a fight (there are other ways I can support you off course) because while I’m doing a 4^th and 5^th article on you There is another hungry unnoticed talent that may need my help. EQUAL OPPORUNITY!!

Ex: Brent Primus I have done an article on him once a year  (2 articles total) so he is still game for a future article….while if I have done an article on you in 3-5 month period in the same year. You have to wait a bit just to see where you are at in your career.

3.       14 days courtesy notification- Note all articles do NOT have a time limit however I had many problems where people have not keep me up to date or don’t say anything to me about the status of the answers. Some end up not giving them to me at all while some have even submitted them a month later while I’m already working on other people’s article and even on vaca. Depending on whom you are and interaction with you. If you don’t give me a status update after 14 days don’t bother turning in your answers. It unfair to me and addition to the people that I am writing on.

Note: This rule may sound confusing so if u has any questions please e-mail me or comment!!

4.       No  Disrespect- although I had minor incidents concerning this issue the one’s I had really made me feel upset and regret doing the article on them. SO any sign of disrespect toward me as a writer before, during, or after the article phase your article will be deleted. (and u might get called out 4 being a a-hole)

Note: if you want to hear some stories feel free to ask I have some crazy ones.

Well folks these are the new features and rules. Hopefully they aren’t to major. And once again if you have any questions or concerns feel free to hit me up.

Monta

p.s- Also just know with my return to competition it will not affect my article writing in any way. Already set 3-4 tournament plan for next year. So in other words my writing is being put FIRST because after all if it wasn’t 4 the people I write about I wouldn’t be able to compete.