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 The Problem of Problem Solving

10/25/2013

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PictureProblem solving in the world final.
“You don’t always have to be the best team to win the game.” Was a quote I heard recently that got me thinking; How many times do athletes with more skill or ability lose to opponents that they should not?


Unfortunately there are times when an athlete loses to an opponent that they should not lose to. Coaches often say “he falls apart mentally,” or “It’s all in his head”. It is often in fact, not all in his head. The reason that it is not all in the athlete’s head is because the coach hasn’t put it all in there. There are often pieces of the puzzle missing and coaches need to understand this and correct it.


Athletes often have more techniques than they know what to do with, in consequence they don’t do. They are often unsure of the logical next step of the match. This has been the downfall of many a potentially great athlete. Techniques are great but one size doesn’t always fit.


Conditioning is required however on its own it gets wasted and misused. If it
is undirected it can be a double edged sword. Athletes make mistakes of being
over aggressive and forcing offense.  Coaches and athletes alike are
willing to work hard and push it physically. They often miss one of the most
important pieces of the competition puzzle, Problem Solving.

The number one skill that must be developed to be a successful wrestler is
problem solving. Too often coaches and athletes forget that the sport of
wrestling is one of physical problem solving. I have never had a coach that sat
me down and explained that to me. They never explained here is how the match
starts, here is what happens next, here is what happens after that, here is how
it can end, here are options for a, b, c. 

Never. Not one. Most likely because no one explained it to them. In fact I
can almost guarantee it. I did have coaches that showed me their favorite
techniques, the techniques they knew, the best techniques of the day etc.
Obviously it served me pretty well over the years but it leaves that same
problem, how to solve new and dynamic problems that come at you at extreme
speeds. 

As I’ve coached my wrestling club athletes and others I’ve made efforts to
pick up where others left off or missed completely. I figure if we talk about
wrestling and the grappling arts in general as being 90% mental why don’t we
actually train that way? Why do we spend so much time improving our physical
attributes while our mind and problem solving muscles get the day off?

When athletes join my club they get exposed to next level thinking. I ask
questions and make them come up with solutions. We walk through slow motion
matches and scenarios. I show them how a match should play out under xyz
circumstances. 

I help my athletes understand there is more to wrestling than just a
hodge-podge of techniques. For many of them it has brought great breakthroughs
in their development that they were unable to find elsewhere. We often talk
through situations and scenarios involving the score and how points were created
and then what is the best choice of position and the reasoning behind it. I’ve
had the good fortune to have trained under Olympic champions and they never
taught in the way that I’m describing. 

What I ultimately want an athlete to achieve is a higher level of problem
solving. I want them to be able to look at the game differently from a 10,000
feet view. This helps them gain a greater appreciation of the skills they do
have while learning more about how they can personally have success. This is
ultimately how true confidence, or self trust, is developed. Athletes cannot
truly be confident without a greater perspective and understanding of what it is
they are to accomplish and how to do so. 

Take a look at your current training and outlook towards competition and
determine how you can become a better problem solver. As you develop solutions
you will ultimately have more success as an athlete or coach. Start small by
taking the first 5-10 minutes of your technical training and devote it to coming
up with “What if…” questions and solutions. Some simple questions worth
considering are:

If you’re taken down in the first period and ridden for the rest of it
without giving up near fall points what is the best option if given your choice
of position in the second period and why?

How would you comeback from a 3 point deficit starting the third period?

What would you do to counter a single leg?

What if you were up by 1 with 30 seconds left? How do you proceed?

These are simple questions and you may already have worked on a few or some
similar to them. As you get more comfortable you can start asking more detailed
and tougher questions like these:

What if you’re opponent has just taken you down and gained near fall and
you’re now down by 4 points. You have not scored from the feet but you were able
to control him on top from a reversal you scored in the second period. Where
would you most likely be able to score points next? How can you bring back the
points to even and either; win or put it into overtime?

What if you’ve just scored a takedown with 30 seconds left to tie the score.
Letting your opponent up would mean that he gains 1 point but if you take
him down you can win now. If you can ride for 30 seconds you can put it
into overtime and have a chance to win in overtime. What do you do? How will you do it? What are the potential risks and potential rewards? Which option gives you the
best chance of winning according to your own skill set?

As you begin to add more detail and insert personal strengths and limitations
you begin to see the problem more clearly and a more realistic and attainable
solution begins to present itself. This is how real and lasting confidence is
developed and this is how champions are made. If you do this I can guarantee
that you’ll start having much more success than you are now.





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Get Better at Grappling Through Competition

10/19/2013

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Over the years I’ve followed many a Facebook thread and forum
topic that talk about who is tougher in grappling, Jiu Jitsu and wrestling. Many
times these are interesting threads but most of them very one sided and written
by folks that think they know more than they do about the grappling arts.
Sometimes I laugh, sometimes I get frustrated, but mostly they make me
think.

I often wonder why it is that so many guys out there blatantly
pass over opportunities to get better. I wonder why in the world a grappler or
BJJ fighter wouldn’t want a fully developed takedown game. I wonder why a
wrestler crossing over to grappling and MMA wouldn’t want a fully developed
ground game. Sometimes it just boggles my mind. 

On top of that there are countless people who will only compete
in X organization or Y organization. As for me I want to compete in all of them
and win in all of them. At many events I’ve heard athletes complain about their
loss and how they would never fight in that org again. I can only assume had
they won they would decry the amazing benefits and awesome potential of that
same org. 
 
I must confess at one point I used to hate a certain grappling
organization. I felt they were completely unorganized and their capacity to run
an event was questionable. For years I didn’t compete there. I chose to find
other events that were better organized. 
 
Not participating because of losing was not part of that equation
even though I had both won and lost in that organization. In fact my general
mantra has been to compete under as many grappling flags as possible. I wanted
to find the groups that would best test my abilities and allow me the chance to
fight tough fighters and develop myself as an athlete. 
 
I loved the now defunct FILA grappling organization because there
were so many countries represented. I also loved the fact that I could fight
against international level wrestlers, judoka, MMA and BJJ fighters all in one
tournament. I also loved that as a heavyweight I finally had more guys to
compete with. Being a heavyweight sometimes means there are fewer opponents
available to compete against, this is generally true in wrestling as well. 
 
Usually at Grappler’s Quest and NAGA there aren’t a lot of
heavyweight guys so the brackets are smaller. Although I have to approach those
events with more of a ‘dual meet’ mentality I am grateful for the opportunity to
compete in them although they are often not as fulfilling as having a full
bracket of opponents. In the event that there are fewer opponents at my weight I
compete in the Absolute division which also gives another dimension. 
 
For me the whole point of competing is gaining more exposure to
the sport of grappling and allowing oneself the opportunity to see, do and
experience more grappling. The opportunity to test oneself is the real benefit.
 
I struggle with the way that many schools and athletes approach
competition. They hide themselves from risk and they fear losing more than they
desire true development. Many instructors won’t allow their students to compete
unless they know their student(s) will win. This is often solely fueled by the
instructor’s fear of losing business more than the concern about whether his
athlete(s) are prepared to compete. In every single grappling and BJJ tournament
I can think of there are multiple age, weight and skill divisions that allow
each competitor the opportunity to compete against someone of their own skill
level. If an instructor is holding you back from that what is he really teaching
you and more importantly what is he not teaching that he’s so afraid of you
competing?
 
Contrast that with wrestling tournaments where an athlete can go
up against a state or national champion in the first round whether they are
ready or not. When I began competing at the Open or Senior division at the US
Nationals at the age of 18 I didn’t have the luxury of competing against people
of my own age, weight and skill. I drew Mike VanArsdale, NCAA champion, US
National Team in Freestyle and former MMA fighter, the first round! That would
be the BJJ equivalent of being a high level blue belt and drawing Jeff Glover
for your first match!
 
I had absolutely no chance of winning but that wasn’t the point.
The point was that I was laying the foundation for future wins by losing then. I
was making that first step of confronting one of the best guys in the country
and learning that there was a higher level that I needed to
reach.
 
One of the things that I love most about grappling is that
athletes can have a chance to develop and grow on a much more conservative pace
if they need or want to. I hope more athletes will take advantage of the great
opportunities to compete. There are so many now that you can start at just
about any level for which you are ready.

Competition after all is merely a source of feedback about your
training and preparations. It shows you how you handle real time pressures and
stresses. It shows you where your technical strengths and weaknesses are
residing. It shows you your strategic strengths and weaknesses. 
 
Most athletes and coaches get so worked up over the winning and
losing part of competition that they miss the forest for the trees. Take a more
holistic look at your grappling experience and start giving tournaments and
yourself a chance.  


 
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How Will You Live Your Life Differently Now?

9/6/2013

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How Will You Live Your Life Differently Now?

My brother in law Chad Isaksen recently lost his battle with Leukemia. He
died Sunday September 1, 2013 at about 10:30 AM MST at his home in Saratoga
Springs, Utah. Chad was a military man having served two tours in Afghanistan as
an US Army helicopter pilot. He also served as a US Army helicopter flight
instructor in Tennessee. Chad is survived by his lovely wife Tara and his four
children; Caleb, Tanner, Kinley and Ainsley. Chad was only 31 years old when his
body gave up the fight that his spirit would never surrender. 

His courage in the face of death was outstanding and very becoming of a US
Soldier. Not that he would define himself that way. He was much more than that.
He was a loving husband and father, a great son and brother, a faithful Mormon
missionary and so much more. 

Chad’s death was preceded by that of his younger brother Seth on July 4th
2005. Seth passed very quickly and suddenly from an accident that caused him to
slip into a coma, he died within 24 hours. 

The Isaksen’s have now suffered the loss of their two youngest children. What
a change of events from most families in which the youngest typically bury the
oldest. 

At the 2013 FILA Grappling World Team Trials I dedicated my win to Chad. I
have never done that and I had never planned on doing that. It just seemed like
the right thing to say at that time. (Watch the interview here)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GLsCj8R-7s&list=FLdoGBjCZ2khlJLDqHm6Tihw&index=1 

As I prepared for the 2013 FILA Grappling World Championships in London,
Ontario, Canada I wanted to win for Chad. Just as my training was hitting a
higher gear I sustained an injury that sidelined my training and which could
have kept me from competing at all. This was in the beginning of May. The
tournament was in the middle of June. Some nights in training I couldn’t move
without being in pain. I had no strength. I couldn’t lift weights like I wanted
to. I couldn’t drill or do much of anything like I had planned. 

I fought the best I could throughout the world tournament winning matches
against tough and seasoned opponents. In the finals match my injury was a major
factor which kept me from being fully competitive against my finals opponent. I
was fortunate to even have gotten into the finals under the circumstances.
However good fortune gave way to a superior force and I lost a close 2-0
match.

After the finals match I sprawled out on the arena floor and wept for my
brother in law and his affliction. I think on some level I hoped that maybe if I
could win that world championship in Chad’s honor it would help his chances of
winning his battle with leukemia. Of course I knew there was no direct
correlation but it made me feel like on some small level I could give a piece of
me to Chad. I couldn’t help but feel guilty for not being able to pull off that
win for him. 

During Chad’s battle with leukemia I couldn’t help but think; “How happy
am I with the life I’m currently living? Is this really what I want to
experience out of life? If Chad dies from this how will it affect my wife and
how will I live my life differently because of it?” 

I think we all ask ourselves these questions at some point in our lives but
for me these are questions that are worth answering now. I’ve come to see very
vividly how fleeting life can be. Chad was a strong vibrant soldier capable of
taking on the world and within less than a few weeks he was reduced to a
struggling chemotherapy patient. All of his previous physical powers swiftly
left him. There was nothing he could do to stop that. It was hard for us to
watch him decline like that.

Luckily the US Army enabled Chad and his family to move back to Utah to
pursue treatments at the LDS hospital in Salt Lake City. This at least gave
those of us who loved him the opportunity to be with him and support him and his
family in their fight for Chad’s life. We had many great times with Chad while
he was here. We shared campouts, family dinners, and more time to visit with
Chad and his family. 

We hear a lot about ‘quality time’ these days but I’m not so sure that
quality makes up for quantity in some cases. Just being in the presence of those
you love can make such a difference even if there is little ‘quality’ about it.
Being together means so much more when that option is no longer a possibility. 

Tonight (September 7, 2013) was Chad’s viewing. He looked so unlike himself;
he laid there a spiritless shell surrounded by loved ones. Even though it was
another moment in saying goodbye it was one of peace and hope. Tomorrow morning
will be our final goodbye as we lay Chad in the earth. 

I already miss him. My wife misses him greatly. Our children miss him. We
will always remember him as wildly vibrant and full of life, always ready for
new adventure and challenges. We hold a strong faith and hope that one day we
will all return to live with Chad and God again in our heavenly home. 

This hope notwithstanding I can’t help but feel a screaming drive inside to
reach higher in my own life. There is no time to waste sitting on the fence in
life. There is no time to waste in not pursuing your greater purpose and your
higher goals in life. I keep asking myself “How will I live my life differently?
How can I better strive to attain my goals?” I keep thinking to myself “I want
more! I want to do more and be more in my life than what I’m doing and being
now!”

I will always remember the faces of Seth and Chad as they lay in their
coffins and I will always hear the screaming drive in my head and my heart to
live more now, if not for myself then for those whose time was cut short. I hope
to live the rest of my life in such a way that it pleases God and those who have
gone before and that I can become a man of great renown and become someone who
does great things and helps others do great things. I hope to live in such a way
that my family feels compelled to honor the Ruiz name. Be it long or short this
is the road I must follow.


 
 
 
 

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Mile Stones

7/31/2013

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PictureBrandon Ruiz (USA) vs Michael Knutson (SWE) at the 2011 FILA Grappling World Championships



















Mile Stones

The past couple of years mark some major mile stones in my life. Last year (2012)
marked 20 years since I started wrestling. As a young high school wrestler I always
wanted to be like the coaches and athletes that I saw at wrestling camp who could
say "I've been wrestling for 15 years", or "I've been wrestling for 20 years." 

For some reason that inspired me and made me want to have a long and
successful career as an athlete. Last year I hit that goal. This past winter
(2013) I was inducted into the Taylorsville High School Wrestling Hall of Fame.
This spring I was also inducted into the Taylorsville High School Hall of Fame
for my athletic achievements. It was a very satisfying feeling to have been
recognized for my wrestling and grappling career and what continues to be
lifelong achievement and contribution to the sports of wrestling and Brazilian
Jiu Jitsu. 

This year, 2013, also marks two more significant mile stones for me. The
first (chronologically speaking) is my 10 year mark in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I've
been very fortunate to have some great instructors, friends and training
partners who have helped me reach some very lofty goals. Jiu Jitsu allowed me to
achieve on a world stage and to pick up where wrestling left off and add
submissions to my overall grappling philosophy. Over the past 10 years I’ve
achieved black belt rank in Jiu Jitsu and won many titles and honors. My biggest
high light (so far) has been winning the 2011 FILA Grappling World Championships
in which over 25 nations were represented. It was truly a sweet experience. 

The final mile stone, and the most significant, is the completion of 10 years
of marriage to my wonderful wife Brynne. She has been a great help and support
to me. There have been so many ups and downs on my road as an athlete and she
has been there helping me at each step of the way. She was pretty much baptized
by fire as only two weeks after we were married we moved to Colorado so that I
could live and train at the Olympic Training Center. Brynne had no idea what she
was getting into and the type of dedication that it would take for me to be
competitive at that level. She went through some puzzling and confusing times
early on and gave up a lot to help me in my wrestling pursuits at the OTC. 

In addition to being 100% committed to our marriage and family Brynne has
committed 100% support to my athletic career. When I’ve been up she has
celebrated with me, when I’ve been down she has helped me keep going. She is a
great example of what it means to be a team. I’ve been very fortunate to have
her as my wife and best friend. Without her support I wouldn’t have been able to
achieve the goals that I have. I wouldn’t be the athlete and man I am today
without her positive influence.

My mile stones are satisfying to me and they mark major achievements not only
in my athletic endeavors but in my family and personal life. The take away from
my mile stones is Commitment. I’ve been able to reach these goals because I’ve
committed myself and my efforts to them. It hasn’t been easy being committed to
striving for a world class athletic career or a happy enduring marriage, but it
has been absolutely worth it. 

Without commitment there is no lasting achievement and no lasting legacy that
can be reached. If you would have more success and happiness in your life stop
and take a look at what you’re committed too. Are you all in? Or are you just
passing time? Find your passion and commit to it 100%. There will be both good
times and bad but in the end they all add up to compose the richness of your
life experience. In the end that is the only thing that we take with us.


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Sell Yourself

7/12/2013

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As I was coming up the ranks of Greco Roman wrestling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu I really made an effort to sell-myself-on-myself. Let me explain. Early on I was not where I wanted to be physically and technically. I didn’t have the know-how or the insight that I needed to achieve my goals just then. Rather than just sit back and give in to my weakness I made the effort to convince myself that it could be done and that it could be done by me.

In essence my plan was, “Believe it ‘till you See IT.” 


I made a series of inspirational posters that I hung up around
our apartment. They stated my goals and gave affirmation that it could be done.
Some were simple phrases or sayings like: “There is more in you!” and“Champions
find a Way!” I wrote down goals with a set deadline and reviewed them daily. 

I found that as I read and reviewed these goals and continually
sold-myself-on-myself I started to have little breakthroughs, then larger
breakthroughs then I started having major successes on a consistent basis. Even
now I have made new goals and I am working to sell-myself-on-myself reaching
those goals.
 
If you don’t make the effort to believe in what you’re doing and
what you’re trying to accomplish then no one else will. 
 
Take time right now and write down one thing that you would like
to do but are having a hard time getting the confidence to do. Start an ad
campaign to yourself about how you can achieve your goal. Make mini posters.
Write a sales pitch. Talk yourself up to yourself. 

Keep on this course for the next 3 weeks and watch your self-belief increase.


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Team Ruiz Combat Grappling Dominates at Utah Freestyle and Greco Roman Wrestling State Championships!

4/27/2013

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Team Ruiz Combat Grappling rocked it at the 2013 Utah Freestyle
and Greco Roman Wrestling State Championships yesterday and today!

We had 7 national qualifiers!
The boys qualified for the US Nationals this summer in Fargo, North Dakota. 

We had 3 double champions in Roy Nash (220 Junior),
Aaron Thomson (182 Junior) and Dalton Mortensen (285 Cadet).
Brayden Nuffer placed 5th in Greco and 2nd in Freestyle (182 Junior).
Jonathan Cox was 3rd in Freestyle (220 Junior).
Quain (Steven) Holtey was 3rd in Greco and 4thin Freestyle (285 Cadet).
Richard Larsen was 2nd in Freestyle (285 Junior).
Bryce Gott (120 Cadet) did not place but fought some tough matches and
we hope he will make it next year.

I was very pleased with the effort from each one of them! We had some great
breakthroughs!
 
We are now preparing to send these athletes to the national championships!
I’m excited to be helping such a motivated group! 
 
Ruiz Combat Grappling = The BEST Big Guys in the State! 


 
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5 Things Wrestlers Can Do To Get Into College by Justin Ruiz

2/23/2013

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Here is a great article from my brother Justin's blog. Justin is an assitant wrestling coach at UVU in Orem, Utah. This is great advice for any wrestling that wants to wrestle in college.

5 Things Wrestlers Can Do To Get Into College
By Justin Ruiz

When I was a young wrestler, I really wanted to earn a wrestling scholarship at a big university. I remember when I started getting letters from schools that I was so excited. I
knew that I wanted to wrestle in college, but I really had no idea where I would
end up. However, there were a lot of things that I didn’t know. I didn’t know
that college coaches couldn’t start calling me until July 1st after my junior
year, I didn’t know that I could take 5 official visits to colleges, and I
didn’t know anything about recruiting rules or how I could help sell myself to
college wrestling programs. To put it bluntly, I didn’t know much of anything.
So now as a college coach, I know a lot more about what college coaches are
looking for and what an athlete should do to get noticed. Here are 5 things that
I think would have helped me during my recruiting process, and hopefully they
can be helpful to others too.
 
1. Get good grades. There is nothing more disheartening than finding an athlete with a great work ethic, great wrestling skills, and a good attitude only to find out that he has horrible
grades. The NCAA has set certain standards that must be met in order for a
student to participate in NCAA division 1 athletics. If the student hasn’t
fulfilled all of the academic requirements to participate at the D1 level, then
the coach’s hands will be tied when it comes to recruiting an athlete. I am not
saying that every wrestler needs to have a 4.0 gpa, but it also doesn’t hurt.
There are many universities that will give scholarships to students who get good
grades. You might as well do your best to qualify for one of them.

Read More
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What's Love Got To Do With It?

2/4/2013

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Picture
What’s Love Got To Do With It?

Alright so I know that's gotta be one of the cheesier blog titles I've used, but this month I think it fits perfectly. As far as striving to become a champion in sport and in life is concerned it means everything. There is no way, now how you will get very far in anything you do in life unless you truly love doing it. 

I thank heaven above that I was able to find wrestling early
on in my life. I love wrestling and grappling. Just for the record I call
everything that I do as an athlete ‘wrestling’, even if it’s actually grappling,
BJJ or Judo. I can't help it. If it’s got grappling in it I'm trying it! My wife
often calls wrestling the 'other woman' because I love it so much. I'm
constantly studying, training and thinking about wrestling. 

Early in my marriage when my wife asked "What are you thinking
about?" when I got a blank far off look on my face I would always say
“Wrestling”. That didn’t go over too well when I was a newly-wed. Now after
almost ten years of marriage she already knows but she still asks just out of
curiosity. I think she wants to know which cool new move I’m working on or which
new strategy I’m developing. It’s great to have her love and support for me in
my athletic goals. 

We’ve learned over the years that I don’t just love wrestling
but I NEED to wrestle/grapple on a regular basis if I hope to keep my sanity. I
love the combat, challenge and the struggle that the grappling arts present. I
also love the constant need for learning and development that goes along with
it. There is so much satisfaction in solving the puzzle of your own inner self
and your opponent through hard work, sacrifice, technique and strategy. There
are few things in life that are more intriguing to me. 

At this point in your own grappling pursuits maybe you are
still trying to figure out where you fit in or how your training fits into your
life. I encourage you to find your favorite things about your grappling and
write them down. When difficulties come in your training or when you’ve lost a
match that you really wanted to win you will have those things to go back to. 

Without a doubt the greatest champions in any sport are the ones that love it
the most. At some point they seem to find their identity as both people and
competitors and they no longer compete for medals or placings but against the
sport itself. 

It’s not always about winning and losing but the love of the
game. If you stay close to what it is that you love about grappling you will
always be able to get through the hard times and enjoy the struggle. 

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What Drives You?

2/2/2013

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What drives you?

Over the course of my athletic career I have been fortunate and blessed to
have associated with some of the world’s best coaches and athletes. I saw things
in each of them that influenced my own outlook, career and accomplishments as an
athlete. I have had the good fortune to be trained by Olympians and Olympic
champion wrestlers and by world champion grapplers and fighters.

Their drive and desire has always amazed me. I would like to tell you a
little about two coaches that influenced me the most in terms of creating a
vision of what is possible.

The first is Mark Schultz. Mark was the coach at BYU during my time there.
Mark was an inspiration to me because of what he had accomplished; NCAA
champion, World champion and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling. He had an
amazing presence when he came into a room and I’ll never forget the first time I
saw him. I was at a BYU summer wrestling camp the summer before my senior year.
I had never been around an Olympic champion before and he seemed to have an aura
of supreme confidence and power that I hadn’t seen before in any other athlete. 
 
As I got to know Mark and had the opportunity to hear stories about him and
his late brother Dave, who was also NCAA champion, World champion and Olympic
champion, I got a sense of what was possible if a person were to really believe
that they could become a champion. The stories Mark shared about Dave and how
Dave was teased and picked on as a kid and then how he later became a champion
resonated with me. As brothers they were the perpetual “Steel sharpening Steel”
and they were always learning, pushing and doing whatever they could to become
more as athletes.

They did things that were absolutely crazy in order to test themselves and
overcome fear. Mark was a master of technique although to watch his wrestling he
seemed so simple, brutal and direct in his approach. I learned from him that
great technique is simple, brutal and direct. I absorbed as much as I could from
him and how he learned technique.

I built on these ideas I learned from Mark.  At Mark’s suggestion I
started keeping a wrestling journal where I catalogued and took notes of every
technique that I learned. Today I have several volumes of techniques and
experiences as an athlete stored in my wrestling journals. Techniques I learned
from Mark are some of the most efficient and powerful in my arsenal. He will
always be the ideal of what following the path of the warrior means to me. 

Next is US National Team Coach Steve Fraser. Steve was also an Olympic
champion. He won the first ever Olympic gold medal in Greco Roman wrestling for
the United States. Steve was a scrappy, tenacious and extremely strong willed
character. Through his strong faith and belief in his goal and his purpose he
defeated athletes both more credentialed and more talented on the way to his
monumental victory.
There is no one I know that has a greater power to
envision the biggest most lofty goal possible and then tenaciously pursue it. 

While I was training at the Olympic training center, Steve constantly
influenced us to believe in his mantra of becoming world and Olympic champions,
both as individuals and as a team. He set goals for the team that no other US
national team coach had set before; 7 medals and a team championship were his
constant high standards. He preached hard work, determination, sacrifice and
having big dreams day in and day out. 

Some days it was hard to believe. They were so big and so lofty that often
they seemed like a mountain that the US team would never get over. I watched as
each year the team went back and forth through highs and lows. I wondered if
coach Fraser hadn’t taken on more than the US team was capable of accomplishing. 

Then in 2007 after years of constant pushing and prodding and belief through
some of the darkest hours coach Fraser’s vision broke through and the US team
was finally crowned the champions of the world in Greco Roman wrestling. It was
the first and to date the only world team championship that the US has achieved.
I believe whole heartedly and unequivocally that it was won through Steve’s
belief and vision for the team that eventually won out. The athletes of course
deserve the credit for this amazing feat as well, but I believe that much of the
credit still belongs to Steve for the vision that he instilled in them.

My brother, Justin Ruiz, was one of the members of that 2007 Word
Championship team. I was extremely happy for the success of both the team and my
brother. Although I had never made a Greco world team and I had left the OTC
before 2007 I was proud of many of those athletes who I had known. I had seen
their struggles and saw that their vision had finally pulled them through.

What’s your vision? What is your driving force? Do you have goals of becoming
a champion? What vision will wake you up early and keep you up late in the
pursuit of its completion? 

Because of the example of these two great athlete-coaches I have tried to
create big dreams and visions for myself. I have tried to follow their lead. I
encourage you to believe in big goals. Dream big dreams. Put in the work. 
Find a way. Become the person and the champion that you truly want to become
because of it. 

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Is it Time for a Change in Your Training?

2/1/2013

1 Comment

 
Are you tired of getting beaten by the same people day in and day out? Are
you completely stalled and not making the progress you want and deserve? Have
you been training at the same gym in the same way hoping that eventually things
will get better for you?

I understand exactly how that feels. Over my 20 plus years in the trenches as
an athlete I have certainly gone through this scenario on several
occasions.  At times they went from a simple slump in motivation to a full
on landslide of doubt and frustration. It was sometimes very difficult to turn
the ship around and get back on course. 

Over the years I learned that I needed to be aware of two main things when
times like these arose. 1. I needed to be aware that I needed to make a change
or adjustment to my approach and 2. I needed to be careful not to change too
much all at once. 

One of the most critical success principles for an athlete is being
consistent in regards to training and level of their performance. This can
become tricky when you’re going through a sticking point in your progress. You
have got to determine how you can make improvements with the least amount of
changing variables. This is no easy task. 

Asking questions and getting feedback from a coach or advanced level team
mate can help tremendously. A good coach or instructor can make a night and day
difference for your game. It is much easier to have someone point out the
immediate problems and then you can get to work on the solution. 

Without a coach it can be more difficult, but not impossible. If you don’t
have the luxury of a coach to guide you then you must learn to be your own
coach. You must be willing to analyze your game more than you have in the past
and find solutions to those problems yourself. 

The hard part with changing up your training is not in the change itself but
in knowing what not to change. In cases like this it is more difficult to
determine what is working correctly and understanding why it is working than it
is to overhaul a stale routine. 

The best way to make the best changes to any training program is to do the
following:

1. Keep detailed journals of your daily training sessions. Log
what you did and who you trained with. Log how you performed with and against
that particular opponent. Log which or your moves worked and which didn’t and
vice versa for you opponent.

2. Ask a coach or advanced team mate for
critiques and suggestions. Have them watch you spar with one of your team mates
and help point out both your strong and weak points. Their advice can go a long
way.

3. Never make too many changes at once. The more variables you introduce
into the equation the more difficult it will be to isolate which ones are
working and which ones are not. 

Change is not easy. It can be hard but is often necessary in order to make
progress as an athlete. Follow these simple guidelines and you will have a big
advantage over your competition and you will progress much faster.  


 
 

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