Patrick Jernigan on MMA Prep, Noble Iron Fitness and His Upcoming Fight

On Saturday February 11th Patrick Jernigan, Manager of OTM SF and owner of Noble Iron Fitness will be fighting in the Dragon House Cage Fight Series at Kezar Pavilion. I asked him a few questions about his own MMA prep and the work he does to help athletes prepare to fight.

Who are you fighting?

I'm fighting Noe Tellez from K-One Fitness Academy.

What performance objectives have you set for yourself going into this event?

My main performance objective is to get the fight to the ground and stay on top. I like the guard but this fight has two minute rounds and judges don't always understand the guard.

What are the primary components of MMA competition prep for yourself and for the athletes you coach?

Cardio is the number one concern for most MMA fighters. Even at the top level you see guys gassing. In my kettlebell classes I work a lot on mobility, which goes beyond flexibility, in that some people have no idea how to use some of the muscles in their bodies.

How do you structure your training program?

I started training for this fight about six weeks out which is about average. I train six days a week outside of camp so fight training means more no-gi training and MMA specific stuff outside of the BJJ, and Muay Thai stuff that I do. I actually do less kettlebell training leading up to a fight, focusing on cardio and saving strength work for outside of camp.

What type of mental strategy do you focus on when preparing to fight?

Mentally, I try to relax when I'm not training and push the pace when I am training.

How do you dial in your nutrition and what do you do if you need to cut weight?

I cut out beer and ice cream leading up to a fight. I never really eat junk food anyway.

What do you do for your own strength and conditioning, and for the athletes you coach?

The main thing I do besides BJJ, and Muay Thai is kettlebells. Outside of camp I do presses and squats. During camp it's swings and turkish get ups. Nothing fancy. There's a lot of mobility work that I incorporate into my classes that I do before and after BJJ.

Check out this short video on Kettlebell lifting for MMA from Noble Iron Fitness:




written by Carey Rockland for OTM SF

Venus Tactical Training & The Women's Self Preservation Program

This weekend Sharon Sanghera, owner of Vincit Magazine and Carey Rockland of OTM SF taught women how to kick ass and take care of themselves in the event of a violent encounter.

Venus Tactical Training For Women is a component of a new larger project called The Women's Self Preservation Program (WSPP). WSPP provides information on health and fitness, nutrition, mindfulness, leadership and self-defense.

The Venus Tactical Training Program is a basic course focusing on incident prevention, de-escalization, situational awareness, mental / emotional prep and a series of strikes, blocks, escapes and basic weapon common sense. Advanced and / or specialized training is also available and coming soon.

For information on upcoming seminars and events contact carey@careyrockland.com
Photography by Vincit Magazine / Bob Gill

Bogdan Reznik is Student of the Week: 1/23/12

(Reznik pictured on the right)

Gene Royale, Reznik's coach at Mits Kimura Judo notes that at 10 years old, he is already a California State Champ and a two time National Champion. He will be competing in the US Judo Junior Nationals in July. He is currently a green belt and he sets the competitive standard for his teammates.

Congratulations Bogdan!

Each week we feature one student from one area academy who stands out based on effort, competitive success or improvement.

Ao Anderson: Student of the Week 1/1/12

Congratulations to Ao Anderson of Ralph Gracie San Francisco! He is Student of the Week for January 1-7, 2012.

Anderson's coach, Kurt Osiander, says that Anderson has thoroughly applied himself to learning proper technique and to taking his conditioning to the next level. Anderson won all the matches in his division by submission at the December Ralph Gracie In-House Tournament.

Every week we ask one coach to select one Student of the Week from their academy to be recognized for outstanding work. One Student of the Week will become Student of the Month and receive a gift certificate in recognition of their commitment to their training.

Fight Hard.
Train Hard.
Party Hard.