DarK_RaideR's BattlE_LoG

[DarK_RaideR]

5 hours ago, Xena said:

Wow, muay thai is intense! It sounds like you have to kind of beat up your body to get into condition for it. Be careful!

It's pretty intense, yeah, but then again you expect that from a combat sport (not just martial art). You're supposed to be ready for full rounds in the ring, no break for rest or water etc. Add Thai's philosophy of praising "hard defenses" where you take a hit and don't budge, you get the idea. At least we get to practice on heavy bags to harden our points of impact, not logs or other nasty stuff like the poorer classes in Thailand do.

 

3 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

You know it  

 

It is going to take a bit of watching to figure out who I want to support, but I am enjoying everything so far.

Glad you are. Took a while to figure out how I want to portray matches, because copy-pasting long match logs felt just too much for readers. Speaking of which, here are SIGMA's updated rankings for May with the top 10 in each division:

Numbers under the portraits are each fighter's career win-loss record. Numbers in (parenthesis) denotes their win-loss record with SIGMA

Names in red are fighters scheduled for an upcoming event

Names in blue are fighters unavailable for booking due to recuperating from a match, injury, suspension etc

Spoiler

 

[EricMN]

23 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Also, shout-out to the usual suspects @Tanktimus the Encourager, @EricMN and @WhiteGhost. Don't think I failed to notice you gang liking the MMA narrative post

Always following, DR.

 

11 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

You know it  

 

It is going to take a bit of watching to figure out who I want to support, but I am enjoying everything so far.

QTF. I'm not a huge MMA guy, but I enjoy your narratives, and this is just a different flavor that I'm sure I'm going to enjoy.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

I enjoy your narratives as well. It's gonna take me a bit to get up to speed, there are a LOT of characters, and without wrestling gimmicks it's harder to tell them apart.

[RES]

I enjoy kitten pics and keeping up with what's going on with you...not gonna claim to understand the narratives but good to see you back (wherever that may be!)  

[DarK_RaideR]

17 hours ago, EricMN said:

Always following, DR.

I can feel these words come from your heart, it's moving. Thank you.

 

17 hours ago, EricMN said:

QTF. I'm not a huge MMA guy, but I enjoy your narratives, and this is just a different flavor that I'm sure I'm going to enjoy.

14 hours ago, Tanktimus the Encourager said:

I enjoy your narratives as well. It's gonna take me a bit to get up to speed, there are a LOT of characters, and without wrestling gimmicks it's harder to tell them apart.

6 hours ago, RES said:

not gonna claim to understand the narratives

I'm not a huge MMA fan either, but it's a refreshing change of pace and feels more appropriate with my latest Muay Thai endeavors. It sure takes some time to wrap your head around all the characters, but between constant talent raids and infrequent appearances (each fighter has what, 3-4 per year?) it's going to be a revolving door thing, so don't stick with anyone for too long. Makes all the pre-show card breakdowns more necessary. "Understanding" or even following the narrative isn't easy or required, since I'm mainly doing it for my own entertainment, but if it ends up enjoyable for others as well, even better!

 

6 hours ago, RES said:

I enjoy kitten pics and keeping up with what's going on with you...

It just wouldn't be the same without my favorite stalker around <3

 

 

Honorary Dhalsim gif

 

So I survived another training last night and it involved a ton of yoga leg/hamstring stretches before and after kicking, hence the gif above, but for @Xena's sake I'll break it down into details. Warmup was 15' of non-stop heavy jump rope, barefoot as always, then 15' of non-stop various aerobic exercises (jumping jacks, stationary running, high knees, pushups, burpees, kicks etc). After the leg stretches, we paired up for three 5' rounds holding pads for each other, first for punches, then kicks and finally knees. I saw improvement in my distancing and being paired with a more experienced athlete helped me learn how to hold pads proper. The rest of the class was taking turns for gradually longer rounds of non-stop, well paced knee strikes on the heavy bags and finally, standing up to take a hit from the big guy himself. Yup, like the ankle strike to my quad first time I went there two years ago, the one that had me limping for the next 3 days. I chose a hit to the upper body this time instead (and warned him to sidestep in case of any accidental puking) and he mercifully punched me in the gut, but the soft side (he's given me a liver shot in the past and OW! that hurts). Also asked if, when work drags on sometimes, I'd be able to attend the 20:00-22:00 advanced class at my own pace or whether it'd be best to skip the day for my own well being and not disrupting the class. His response was positive, though I was warned if we get into sparring and that kind of stuff, he'll set me aside, so this option should help me deal with time management a little better.

 

A little part I'd like to bring up is an incident that almost had me causing a scene, but fortunately everyone was spared. So I bought a new pair of boxing gloves on Tuesday and after setting them aside yesterday, I went to pick them up and some dude insisting those were his. I didn't insist, looked instead for "my" pair and picked up one I later discovered was already starting to rip. Memories from the shoe theft at the old Crossfit box didn't help and I tried to chalk it down as an honest mistake instead of a con. Once we were instructed to take off our gloves and wraps later, I put everything near me on purpose, using the wraps as a way to tell "my" gloves. Surprise surprise, once class was over and the athletes were instructed to put all the gear back into place, someone had picked up my gloves and I only found the wraps in place. Fortunately, my "true" gloves were there on the stack, and I grabbed them, but it's a lesson learned, gotta keep my eyes on them at all times in there. I shared the story with the SRLF who's more acquainted with the local anarchist scene and she told me such incidents are common. Worst part is I know any item snatchers there are more than willing to answer any charges by pleading ignorance, saying you're to blame instead as you should be looking out for your stuff or (my favorite) that you shouldn't be acting like that over "material possessions". 

 

Anyway, back to my goals. Two Muay Thai trainings down for the week and of course I stayed the course with nutrition. Whether it's being super wary of what/how much/at what time I eat for lunch, the bonus workout calories or having a tight stomach after training, workout days are always great in terms of eating. Been keeping up with the Bullet Journal as well, even though I'm not striking out as many things as I'd like every day and the Mental Training part is helping. What's got me troubled most is the Quid pro Quo housekeeping thing, I'm still in line with this but I probably need to market it better as I got complaints from the SRLF last night regarding my contribution to the housework. Sure, I had to study the case after coming home late from training on Tuesday, Wednesday I couldn't do the dishes or anything in the morning as I rushed to court and stayed at the office till late since I was out half the day and leaving early Tue/Thu and Thursday was training again, but I did come home late on Wednesday after a long day and got to ironing the clothes while the SRLF was watching Netflix. The answer to that was along the lines of "big deal, most of it was your work shirts anyway". Am I wrong for feeling wronged? Not that I'm looking for praise, but a little recognition that I'm trying my best given the circumstances would be nice. Nope, I'm supposedly the guy off doing his own thing (work, Muay Thai, tabletop RPGs, visiting my family this weekend) while she's the one doing the housework, at least in her version of things. Again, I brought up the fact that hey, she's home by 18:00 while I'm there later even on days I come home straight from work, so yeah, unless she's willing to leave stuff for me to do, if she can't live for a few hours with dishes in the sink, she'll be doing those. "We've had this discussion before". Then later on, after showing me fresh photos of the two black kittens "Oh yeah, I forgot, kittens don't make you happy". It almost sounded like irony or blame and it's not helping. I understand she's having issues at work, with her own family, plus the financial aspect and any issues with me or my family, but come on.

 

Here's another Dhalsim/Sagat image to end this update on a somewhat brighter note

[WhiteGhost]

On 10/11/2018 at 2:40 PM, DarK_RaideR said:

Speaking of which, here are SIGMA's updated rankings for May with the top 10 in each division:

Thanks, this is really helpful in trying to get these people straight.  Given the turnover, I will probably just pick 2 or 3 at random and mark over them until they get raided and then I will pick some more

 

My guys for the time being will be the Beard Fialkowska, Templeton Crumb, and Snorri Gunnarsson

[Jarric]

On 10/10/2018 at 3:45 PM, DarK_RaideR said:

P.S. That quote of Don't say "I don't have enough time", say instead "that's not a priority right now" and see how that makes you feel on your signature is pretty much the same as my mental re-framing one, now that I see it

 

I didn't clock that before, but you're right! It's a good way to look at things.

 

On 10/10/2018 at 3:45 PM, DarK_RaideR said:

The reason for all that is a surprise job offer I got that kept me busy: on Monday, a friend of mine called in, the one that recently quit his job

 

I read this far and just assumed you'd got a job as a professional DM  

[DarK_RaideR]

2 minutes ago, Jarric said:

I read this far and just assumed you'd got a job as a professional DM  

Nope, but he's the one I've been trying to convince to give professional DMing a try

 

20 minutes ago, WhiteGhost said:

Thanks, this is really helpful in trying to get these people straight.  Given the turnover, I will probably just pick 2 or 3 at random and mark over them until they get raided and then I will pick some more

 

My guys for the time being will be the Beard Fialkowska, Templeton Crumb, and Snorri Gunnarsson

A solid strategy and solid picks. I kinda think of Fialkowska as the game's Zangief, but then there's also Tarmo Lurich. Lots of glorious beards in the Super Heavyweight division

[DarK_RaideR]

Falk: Ladies and gentlemen, MMA fans across Europe and beyond, welcome back to SIGMA, where you get to see tomorrow's stars, today! My name is Paul Falk and I am joined as always by Robbie Hesenthal, tonight we will be talking about the scheduled match card for SIGMA's upcoming show on the final Saturday of March, scheduled to take place in the Netherlands.

 

Hesenthal: Good evening from me as well and Paul, you make a good point about seeing tomorrow's stars today in SIGMA. From current GAMMA Lightweight champion Fiyero Lermonotov and ALPHA-1 star Lefter Oktay to our most recent departures in "The Gladiator" Niko Soldo and "The Hand Grenade" Valentin Taneyev, this is the place to see the fighters of the future.

 

Falk: A great comment, Robbie, sadly the departure of last month's main eventing duo is a great loss for the promotion and we wish them both well, but it also means the SIGMA Light Heavyweight title had to be vacated. This rekindles the flame in all the competitors of the Light Heavyweight division and we should expect two of the top ranked contenders to be fighting each other within the coming months in order to crown a new SIGMA Light Heavyweight champion.

 

Hesenthal: We should also remember to update our viewers on the health of Nod Palli, who recovered from a ruptured spleen that cause him to forfeit his scheduled match against Thorvald Axelsson.

 

Falk: Indeed, his spot was taken by German boxer Eberhad Dahm and he made it count, winning that match via unanimous decision. However, it's time to focus on the upcoming show and with all the fighters having made weight, we have a grand total of ten fights to analyze tonight. Still under construction, SIGMA's three female weight divisions as well as the male Super Heavyweight division have been kept to the preliminary part of the show this time, but the matchups are very interesting and we'll start with the ladies in the Flyweight division.

Spoiler

Hesenthal: 30 year old Munich-based boxer Helena Broderick walks into that fight as the big favorite and could she not, when she's #19 on the global Pound-for-pound female rankings and the #5 Flyweight in the world. She's been criticized as one-dimensional, but that dimension is powerful enough to get the job done. Her heavy knock out punches have earned her a career record of 7-1 and that's probably the only thing she's close to her opponent.

 

Falk: Indeed, "The Danish Danger" Lora Hayes boasts a 7-2 professional record and while she isn't on any global rankings, she too packs a punch. This will definitely be a stand-up striking battle, Hayes needs to get lucky and end things fast because I don't know if she has the chin and stamina to survive a full-on war against her opponent.

Spoiler

Hesenthal: Moving on to perhaps the most competitive of three female divisions, it's Maja "The Warrior" Ukraden versus "Lady O' War" Lucia Pessoa in the Bantamweight division.

 

Falk: It's been heated too, Robbie, Ukraden has made some dismissive remarks about her opponent on social media, provoking an angry response from Pessoa. At age 36, the brawler from Belgrade stands at a 7-4 career record and packs a solid punch, although she is known for her preference to target her opponents' body more than their head, an approach that somewhat limits her chance of a knockout blow. Portugal's first ever female MMA fighter, on the other hand, comes from a karate background and while her ground game isn't that strong, this shouldn't be an issue against the boxer Ukraden.

 

Hesenthal: With a record of 6-1, Pessoa has the experience to face Ukraden, the real question here is whether she can bring the skill and power to win what looks to be a standing exchange of strikes.

Spoiler

Falk: Last one for the ladies, it's Sweden's "Iron Chef" Annika Sjolin taking on Newcastle native Janey McDwire!

 

Hesenthal: A strange nickname, but Sjolin is indeed a chef in her civilian life, given her determination and heart it didn't take long for the pieces to fall in place.

 

Falk: Just 19 years old and already at a 2-0 record, Sjolin comes from a wrestling background but she's pretty aggressive in her approach, whether it's talking trash or recklessly closing in for the grapple, even if it means she'll expose herself to a few hits. It will be interesting to see how that works against McDwire, whose background is judo.

 

Hesenthal: It's certainly going to be a ground battle in this one, McDwire doesn't have the striking skills to keep her opponent at bay and if Sjolin is able to swarm her, 19 year old McDwire will find herself at a disadvantage on the mat.

 

Falk: It's a plausible scenario, McDwire only has a single fight and victory to her track record, meaning she lacks experience. That might translate into poor fight IQ, allowing Sjolin to impose her approach to the fight.

 

Hesenthal: All six women looking to start their SIGMA careers with a win tonight and so are the two debuting Super Heavyweights in the last of the preliminary bouts.

Spoiler

Falk: It's local hero Jarno Zijlstra versus the big Scotsman, Tommy Cowan to headline the preliminaries and though the show's not held in Zijlstra's hometown of Vroomshoop, many of his fans will make the short travel to support the 22 year old Taekwondo technician. His 3-0 record isn't much, but it's better than his opponent's absolute zero; Falkirk's Tommy Cowan is fighting his first one tonight but that doesn't mean he can be taken lightly. Well known from several grappling and strongman contests in his home country, Cowan has the strength, heart and athleticism to go head to head with Zijlstra on equal terms.

 

Hesenthal: I'm curious to see if fighting in front of his compatriots will boost Zijlstra or whether it will add some crushing pressure on him.

Spoiler

Falk: Moving on to the main card, we'll open up with an extremely heated battle thanks to the feisty character of "The Celtic Warrior" Colm Dee. The Dublin based boxer fired the first shot when he predicted a dominant victory over his scheduled opponent and even though Hovhannes Javakhyan responded in annoyance, Dee wasn't phased. Days later, he released an online video in which he taunts and attacks Javakhyan repeatedly, then continued to target Javakhyan with threatening posts on social media.

 

Hesenthal: It's not like 28 year old Armenian wrestler Javakhyan hasn't provided him with something to make fun of, he came into SIGMA with a perfect 7-0 record only to lose both his two fights with the company and he got finished in both of them too.

 

Falk: That's what Dee promises to do as well, his big reach advantage and excellent sprawl game should help him defend well against his opponent's takedown attempts. Fans love his guts and glory approach to MMA and finishing Javakhyan will only add to his aura while possibly costing the Armenian his place in the SIGMA roster.

Spoiler

Hesenthal: As far as heat prior to the fight goes, the next one's a similar case as "The Slovenian Rocket" Milenko Rudonja takes on Maurice Braudel.

 

Falk: Karate practicioner Rudonja is known primarily for the devastating head kicks which have knocked out many opponents over the years and he promised to destroy Braudel with another, but Braudel took to social media to remind him that it's been a long time and too many losses since the Slovenian was even in the title picture.

 

Hesenthal: For the record, that means Rudonja's at 19-8 total and 2-5 with SIGMA, so you see Braudel's point there.

 

Falk: Braudel hasn't been doing any better and that's what Rudonja kept on bashing him about, first with a series of threatening posts and then an online video taunting him about still being "new"

 

Hesenthal: Braudel's got a 8-4 total record, of which 3-3 in SIGMA, so compared to Rudonja he is indeed newer, but I dare say he's fared somewhat better for himself so far.

 

Falk: Win or lose, Braudel is rarely in a boring fight and we're in for another striking battle here as the French kickboxer from Lens meets in the cage with "The Slovenian Rocket"

Spoiler

Hesenthal: Moving up the card and weight to the Middleweight division, it's the return of Uwe "Max" Maier since getting knocked out by reigning champion Fernando Amaro. His opponent and big facorite to win is "The Super Eagle" Casim Yenkini.

 

Falk: The underdog kicboxer from Berlin really needs to defy the odds and get the win here, his 11-4 record total and 3-4 with SIGMA isn't looking good as far as his his future with the company goes. Nigerian wrestler Casim Yenkini will enjoy a big 7 inch reach advantage against Maier, but he shouldn't take anything for granted as he's been plagued by wild inconsistency.

 

Hesenthal: It's what makes this fight so unpredictable, Paul.

Spoiler

Falk: Next one could be unpredictable too and that's because Moscow's Dmytro Dargomyzhsky recently celebrated his 38th birthday. A veteran of the European scene, Dmytro Dargomyzhsky is a solid folkstyle wrestler who loves to pin opponents up against the ropes and punish them with dirty boxing and vicious knee strikes, but age might be starting to take its toll on this tough, rugged customer. Even if he beats Alekos Karabatsos, don't be surprised if he announces his retirement right after.

 

Hesenthal: Dargomyzhsky so far stands at 22-10 total and 5-3 with SIGMA, an impressive record to say the least. "Killer" Karabatsos is less impressive at 14-7 and 2-4 with SIGMA, but if he can ground and pound the Russian into victory, he'll add a big win to that resume.

Spoiler

Falk: Right after that is the co-main event, first of the two title bouts for the night as "The Great Bear" Aleksander Ivanov makes his first defence of the SIGMA Heavyweight title against his #1 contender, "Polish Power" Grzegorz Boniek. The challenger is a former title holder himself and five positions higher than the champion on the global rankings, yet the only time they've fought each other it was Ivanov who won by unanimous decision two years ago.

 

Hesenthal: Ivanov has superb grappling skills thanks to his Sambo background and is also dangerous at stand-up thanks to his natural power, before you even take his significant weight advantage into account.

 

Falk: Indeed, and it's earned him an 11-1 career record, of which 7-1 has been with SIGMA. He is also a long time member of Euro Team Thunder, while Boniek trains with the legendary Mantas Andreyev Fighting team, so it's a clash of camps among other things.

 

Hesenthal: He's now a teammate with long time member Dominykas "Slamkovic" Jankovic and the SIGMA Featherweight champion Lars Bohlin who recently joined them.

 

Falk: Boniek's record is an impressive 36-6 but with only 5-2 in SIGMA, you can tell it was mainly built against lesser opponents on the local independent circuit. Another interesting point is the age difference between these two. Ivanov is 25 while Boniek is 36, so it's youthful energy and hunger versus the experience that comes with age.

 

Hesenthal: Also the wear and tear that comes with that.

 

Falk: Now here's an interesting question for you, Robbie; Boniek has signed to join ALPHA-1 after this fight, meaning if he wins the title, he'll have to immediately vacate it. Does that affect his motivation?

 

Hesenthal: Absolutely not, even if he doesn't get a chance to defend it, Boniek would love to add a victory over Ivanov on his list of achievements, as well as being a two time SIGMA champion. Then there's his overall career track record to think of and of course he wouldn't want to go into ALPHA-1 as a man who lost his most recent fight.

Spoiler

Falk: And finally, our main event for the evening, Alberto Basora makes his first defense of the SIGMA Welterweight title against "The Body" Templeton Crumb. Though this is both fighters' third time main eventing a SIGMA show, it is the first time they fight against each other and all the metrics predict an exciting, even battle.

 

Hesenthal: I'll be the data nerd here and bring up Basora at #7 in the world rankings with a 22-8 career record and a 7-1 SIGMA one, while Crumb stands at #17 in the global rankings with a record of 22-4 total, of which 6-2 with SIGMA. Basora last lost back in February 1998 and he'll look to maintain that streak as well as the title, but with Crumb having finished 3 of his 5 last opponents, he's in for a tough one.

 

Falk: Basora and his brother Luis are the two founding members of Euro Team Thunder, lest we forget and Robbie, I'm curious as to how this could play out given the difference in styles between the two.

 

Hesenthal: Good call, Paul, Crumb comes from a boxing background and although he does not really possess true knock out power, he has the fundamental boxing skills that most mixed martial artists lack, and so is able to gradually pick people apart over time. Add that on top of his documented consistency and toughness, he truly is a worthy obstacle for the champion to overcome. If Basora can get in range himself or lure Crumb in for a takedown , he has a good chance of winning the fight, whether via submission with one of his many joint locks or by controlling the South African for all five rounds.

 

Falk: There you have it folks, join us live on the final Saturday of March for the show!

[Sylvaa]

4 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

What's got me troubled most is the Quid pro Quo housekeeping thing, I'm still in line with this but I probably need to market it better as I got complaints from the SRLF last night regarding my contribution to the housework. Sure, I had to study the case after coming home late from training on Tuesday, Wednesday I couldn't do the dishes or anything in the morning as I rushed to court and stayed at the office till late since I was out half the day and leaving early Tue/Thu and Thursday was training again, but I did come home late on Wednesday after a long day and got to ironing the clothes while the SRLF was watching Netflix. The answer to that was along the lines of "big deal, most of it was your work shirts anyway". Am I wrong for feeling wronged? Not that I'm looking for praise, but a little recognition that I'm trying my best given the circumstances would be nice. Nope, I'm supposedly the guy off doing his own thing (work, Muay Thai, tabletop RPGs, visiting my family this weekend) while she's the one doing the housework, at least in her version of things. Again, I brought up the fact that hey, she's home by 18:00 while I'm there later even on days I come home straight from work, so yeah, unless she's willing to leave stuff for me to do, if she can't live for a few hours with dishes in the sink, she'll be doing those. "We've had this discussion before".

 

So my husband and I struggle with this too. Since I am away from home through the week, he gets stuck with a lot more housework than I do, while I'm out doing "fun things" (like going to the gym and eating). 

 

Something to consider, if it fits into your schedule better, is to split chores into weekday and weekend chores. So maybe SRLF does the dishes through the week, but you take care of them over the weekend. Or maybe the Quid pro Quo is dishes to vacuuming or something like that. This way, you are still balancing, even with not doing as much through the week.

 

Good luck though! I feel like figuring out housekeeping responsibilities is one of the hardest parts of co-habitating!

[RES]

15 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Am I wrong for feeling wronged?

I don't think you are...I don't want to hijack your thread but I have similar issues since we bought the house...unfortunately, I end up doing it all which tends to make me bitter and resentful. There is nothing fair about an equal division of chores if everything else isn't equal as well like working hours and other responsibilities...jmho

[DarK_RaideR]

On 10/12/2018 at 5:20 PM, Sylvaa said:

I feel like figuring out housekeeping responsibilities is one of the hardest parts of co-habitating!

On 10/13/2018 at 3:55 AM, RES said:

There is nothing fair about an equal division of chores if everything else isn't equal as well like working hours and other responsibilities...jmho

Quoting the parts I think are the essence of what both of you said so I don't quote the whole thing. Housework chores are indeed a hard part to figure out when living with someone and indeed, with working hours etc not being the same, it's hard to quantify everything and end up with an "even" split, let alone one that all parties involve stick with and consider "fair". Looking at things from a cooler perspective, one more distanced from the incident I brought up, a large part of our issues probably stems from the SRLF's sleepiness (or 'suspected narcolepsy' if you're into deffyspeak  ). She'll take a nap after work and go to bed earlier than I would, which cuts my "available" hours short and also limits stuff I can do, as I can't be clanging dishes in the kitchen sink while she's asleep. At least I stood up for myself, both back then when I brought up my side of the contributions and also yesterday after coming home from the airport; she told me something along the lines of having to chill and leave some housework for the next day, to which I said my hours for housework are either early in the morning before work or late at night, so if I'm going to do anything, it'll be done now.

 

Speaking of that, I spent the weekend visiting the family. Went there by ferry, so I could bring the bike with me and leave it there for its scheduled service. Had an after-breakfast coffee out of the house with my dad on Saturday morning so we could talk things through, as he's picked up on my depressive mood. He said he's willing to help with work, financial and personal issues, including therapy if needed, joint or individually for me. I also saved a comment about this "mild, under control" version of depression being a dangerous loop, same way a smoker believes he has the habit under control as it only gets worse. An intriguing thought, would be interesting to hear more about it from any of you that have a rub with the black dog of depression. Back on point, finally found a decent second pair of chino pants and he was kind enough to grab it for me as a present, then back home for lunch and some midday rest, before going out at night for a drink. I visited my barman friend, the one that hosted me and the SRLF back in summer, then met up with the family and their friends, some of which apparently can be utilized to improve my work situation. Had a second talk with my dad on Sunday after breakfast, then the rest of the day was mostly about preparing to return and navigating a small airport that gets disproportionately swarmed during the (extended) tourist season from March to early November. Keeping up with the SRLF while I was there and once I got back wasn't easy, but I managed.

 

Nothing new as far as workouts, housework or bullet journalling go, I stayed the course on Saturday until it was time to go out for a beer (or more) plus ate a bit more than I should on Sunday, partially due to an emotional high, meaning I got back home with an extra kg on my frame. Nothing that can't be fixed.

[Tanktimus the Encourager]

Don't have much to say other than to commend you for keeping up with so much, even advocating for yourself in a difficult situation, all while dealing with depression.

[WhiteGhost]

We used to struggle with how to split up the housework, but after a few years we figured out that some of the tasks I don't mind (dishes, laundry) are ones that she detests and ones that I hate (sweeping, organizing) are things she is happy to do.  It doesn't come out to a 50-50 split (even accounting for workloads) but not having to do the things we dislike the most makes it a lot easier to be forgiving about leaving the other stuff undone.

 

I suspect we are probably very lucky and unique with out almost perfect split, though.

 

It was good to see that your dad is being so supportive.  

[DarK_RaideR]

What is the world coming to? I forgot to include a Sagat gif in my previous update.

 

*insert joke about size and "compensating"*

 

So Monday wasn't stellar and neither was Tuesday morning in the aftermath of my return (or brainwash, if you ask the SRLF). I did manage all my goals, it just hasn't been great in terms of mood and communication. Hopefully punching it out in Muay Thai tonight will help, especially if my friend (finally) tags along for the experience.

[shaar]

Punching it out is often good for the soul.  Stay strong, Darkest of Raiders, leader of Rangers, most furious of firehoses.

[deftona]

4 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

So Monday wasn't stellar and neither was Tuesday morning in the aftermath of my return (or brainwash, if you ask the SRLF). I did manage all my goals, it just hasn't been great in terms of mood and communication. Hopefully punching it out in Muay Thai tonight will help, especially if my friend (finally) tags along for the experience.

 

Bleurgh. 

 

You Muay that Thai good, son. 

[DarK_RaideR]

Yesterday's training (dramatization)

 

For all the Sagat gifs I keep posting, I'm honestly closer to Dan: I lack the height, power, devotion and experience of Sagat, coming into the thing late as a noob over his head. My lawyer friend/training partner/RPG buddy, who I shall henceforth officially refer to under the alias of "Beleg" might be closer, thanks to years of top notch kickboxing training in his 20s. His problem is he keeps comparing his current state to Adon, his peak competition-level state back then, which makes him quite disappointed and grumpy.

 

Anyway, the post-family-visit drama with the SRLF went on a bit via mail in the morning, but was contained. The flipside is it messed up my already minimalist eating schedule and I ended up having just two plain bready bagels for lunch. Training with my friend was fun though and after a 3,5km run in the park as warmup, we got into freestyle pad training. He's got the technique still, he's finding the power past niggling injuries but he's clearly struggling with unfamiliar stuff like knees and elbows. When I was on the offensive though, he did remember a few of his old pad training routines and pushed me, which was interesting. The class ended with freestyle clinching and as the advanced 20:00-22:00 folks were pouring in, they were given the freedom to pick random people and push them. I was paired with two or three excellent guys who taught me a thing or two about keeping/breaking distance in the clinch and not blocking knee shots with my elbows/forearms (and thus exposing me to elbow shots to the face in return); Was pretty happy to see my clinch game is still strong and even more so to successfully defend against all trip attempts, whether it was by staying put or hopping to retain balance. Our date's renewed for Thursday and hopefully it'll be another fun training session.

 

Talked things through with the SRLF afterwards and while we're finally calming down, the process did keep us up until past 3 a.m. Part of it might be my hunger though, which I finally gave into late at night, but I was still under my daily calorie limit and hit 81,2kg this morning for my efforts. We've also agreed to look for someone to help us with the housekeeping, as our schedules make it impossible to keep the place clean, especially on par with her standards (apparently I'm more comfortable with a messy home?). Bullet Journalling has been going strong and so has the mental reframing too.

[DarK_RaideR]

Falk: Welcome, MMA fans, to another quality SIGMA show! Coming to you live from the Netherlands, I am Paul Falk and I will be calling the action alongside my partner Robbie Hesenthal who will be providing his comments and insight.

 

Hesenthal: Welcome everyone and what a night it's been already, the preliminary fights are over and I couldn't be more excited!

 

Falk: It's been a great warm up indeed, so let's break it down for our audience at home. Fight one saw Germany's Helena Broderick defeat "The Danish Danger" Lora Hayes in the women's Flyweight division. After a first round of reconnaissance between the two fighters trading blows, Broderick nailed Hayes with a big right hook on round two, busting her open with a left before hitting another right hook to send her wobbling back. Seeing her chance, Broderick stepped forward with a vicious right uppercut that dropped Hayes for repeated heavy shots to the head, forcing the TKO win in 2:11 of round 2.

 

Hesenthal: She came into that fight as the favorite, but you could clearly tell afterwards Broderick was extremely happy to start her SIGMA career with a win.

 

Falk: Moving up to the Bantamweight division, Serbia's Maja "The Warrior" Ukraden was led to victory by the people on her corner. On round one, they gave her instructions that helped her get past "Lady O' War" Lucia Pessoa's defenses for the rest of the round, but it was the second one that really made the difference. Looking a little tired, Ukraden missed a right hook to leave herself open for a quick kick, leading to new instructions from her corner. Next thing we knew, she dodged a big right hand from Pessoa, then responded with a left jab and a wicked right uppercut that dropped her opponent, allowing Ukraden to unload with massive right hands for the TKO in 1:19 of round 2.

 

Hesenthal: She's picked her crew right, this was a tactical win first and foremost, Paul.

 

Falk: Perhaps the most dramatic fight between females was the third and final, where Sweden's "Iron Chef" Annika Sjolin went to war with Janey McDwire in the Featherweight division. The usual trading of blows was replaced by exciting action in the first round as Sjolin charge for the takedown, gaining side control but not managing to lock in a kneebar. She then tried an arm triangle, a kimura, an armbar and two more arm triangles, but McDwire successfully defend against it all. A wake up call for McDwyre there, who scored a lucky jab to cut Sjolin at the start of round two, but was rewarded for her effort with a slam. The ensuing scramble for position ended with McDwyre on top, passing from half guard to mount and an armbar attempt but Sjolin smartly rolled with it as a way of getting on top in side control, answering with an americana that got blocked. Frustrated, Sjolin threw a few strikes, tried for a better position and attempted an armbar twice, but none of it was successful and she ran out of time. With everything left to fight for in the final round, McDwyre got in hot but swung wide, allowing Sjolin to shoot for another takedown. Her punches had McDwyre scrambling to stand back up, but Sjolin was faster and gained side control for a blocked arm triangle. McDwyre prevented a kimura from being applied too and the rest of the round had a frustrated Sjolin throw punches and jockey for position, taking the match to the judges where she won via unanimous decision.

 

Hesenthal: And the excitement didn't end there, Sjollin physically grabbed the mic from the interviewer post-fight and called out Vasya Caczmarek, saying she'll destroy her. Quite the confident statement, but I know this is a fight I'd like to see, perhaps with a title on the line even.

 

Falk: Last of the preliminary fights involved Dutch Super Heavyweight fighter Jarno Zijlstra in front of his home crowd taking on Scotland's Tommy Cowan. 

 

Hesenthal: What a fight that was, Paul. Huge upset.

 

Falk: Zijlstra got into the cage hyped by the chants of his home crowd, connecting with a kick to the side of Cowan's head and moving forward to pressure his opponent into exchanging strikes. Though Cowan couldn't take advantage of close range to grapple, he stood his ground under pressure, trading hits with Zijlstra who also scored a leg kick and a roundhouse to the ribs, ending the round with him confidently motioning for Cowan to come on and fight, much to the delight of fans in attendance. 

 

Hesenthal: His overconfidence might have been his downfall though. That and his painfully obvious lack of stamina.

 

Falk: Indeed, because Zijlstra didn't save much gas for the whole race, tiring out fast and allowing Cowan to finally pull him into a clinch with one minute left in round two. Cowan backed his opponent against the cage and pummeled him with uppercuts and short-range blows for the remainder of the round to begin his comeback. It took getting to round three for him to look tired, while Zijlstra was completely spent by that time, eventually eating a powerful straight right that knocked him down for Cowan to capitalize and get the TKO win in 3:20 of round 3.

 

Hesenthal: Zijlstra suffered a shameful loss in front of his home crowd and to make matters worse, that was Cowan's first ever fight as a pro. This wasn't just his SIGMA debut, it was his pro debut entirely and he beat Zijlstra for it!

 

Falk: I'm sure the main show fights will be just as exciting and we kick off with one of the most heated matchups as loud mouthed fan favorite Colm Dee, "The Celtic Warrior" takes on Hovannes Javakhyan!

Spoiler

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Featherweight division fight

"The Celtic Warrior" Colm Dee (Ireland) vs Hovannes Javakhyan (Armenia)

R1: Dee starts aggressively with a punch combo and despite ending with a stunning right hook, he looks like he damaged his own hand dishing it out. Still, Javakhyan drops to the mat and Dee pounces on top, delivering big blows with his off hand that end the match there and then.
Official Result: "The Celtic Warrior" Colm Dee defeats Hovannes Javakhyan (TKO (Strikes) in 0:50 of round 1).
Post-match interview: Colm Dee name-checks all of his sponsors, then thanks all of his fans to turned up to support him. He then physically grabs the mic from the interviewer and calls out Manish Khan, saying that he'll destroy him.

Falk: Just a big right hook and fifty seconds was all Dee needed to win this! What a way to kick off the show, what a big win for Dee and I bet Javakhyan will be extremely disappointed with his performance.

 

Hesenthal: Victory came at a cost though, Dee hurt his hand or wrist delivering that big blow but he's known for having a fighting spirit, what a way to keep going and deliver the rest of the strikes with his bad hand.

 

Falk: Let's hope the damage isn't that bad and Dee will be back to training soon, I'm excited to see him go up against boxing prodigy "Kid Britain" Manish Khan and I'm certainly going to enjoy his trash talk build up until that fight actually takes place. Speaking of that, next up is another pair that have been at each other's throats since their fight was announced, the verbal battle becomes physical as Rudonja and Braudel square off next in the Lightweight division!

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Lightweight division fight

"The Slovenian Rocket" Milenko Rudonja (Slovenia) vs Maurice Braudel (France)

R1: After touching gloves, Braudel uses a left jab but misses with a low kick. Rudonja immediately retaliates with one of his signature stiff head kicks and Braudel drops to the ground, out cold.
Official Result: "The Slovenian Rocket" Milenko Rudonja defeats Maurice Braudel (Knock Out (Kick) in 0:25 of round 1)
Post-match interview: Milenko Rudonja thanks all of his sponsors for backing him and then also thanks his family, friends and supporters. The interviewer asks who he would be interested fighting next and he replies that Patrik Pedersen "better get prepared" because he is coming for him.

Falk: Oh my, it happened again! Just twenty five seconds! Rudonja' done it again, head kick, good night, Braudel's knoced out cold!

 

Hesenthal: I was not expecting that, not that soon at least. Apparently neither was Braudel.

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Middleweight division fight

Uwe "Max" Maier (Germany) vs "The Super Eagle" Casim Yenkini (Nigeria)

R1: The opening salvo leaves Maier with a cut above his eye. Things get worse for him when Yenkini shoots for a takedown and he ends up back first on the mat. The two trade blows from there to a stalemate and unable to pass guard, Yenkini is content to smother his opponent for the remainder of the round.
R2: Maier throws a few good punches, but Yenkini wrestles him to the cage and keeps him contained for the rest of the round as the two of them trade short blows.
R3: Maier holds Yenkini at bay, even lands a right kick to the head, but "The Super Eagle" won't be denied and after another takedown, the two trade blows and jockey for position while Yenkini basically smothers Maier to score points on the judges' cards.
Official Result: "The Super Eagle" Casim Yenkini defeats Uwe "Max" Maier (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 3)
Post-match interview: Casim Yenkini thanks his sponsors and all his fans.

Falk: I never thought I'd say this, but Yenkini's slow smothering style is actually welcome right now, it's given me a breather after so much blistering action.

 

Hesenthal: Not the most exciting style, but it works for him and won him the match. I was expecting Maier to be a little more aggressive, Yenkini forced him to wrestle his style and ground skills aren't Maier's strong point.

 

Falk: Things are bound to pick up as we move to SIGMA's most electric category though, it's the Light Heavyweight division in action up next!

Spoiler

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Light Heavyweight division fight
Dmytro Dargomyzhsky (Russia) vs Alekos "Killer" Karabatsos (Greece)

An offer to touch gloves is completely ignored by Karabatsos prior to the start of the match!
R1: Karabatsos lands a left, then a crunching right hook. This has Dargomyzhsky wary of closing in to grapple for fear of his opponent's striking, whereas Karabatsos closes in to pressure the Russian veteran, taking only a tentative weak jab. Two big right punches from Karabatsos send Dargomyzhsky back and almost stumbling over on wobbly legs. Another big right hand drops Dargomyzhsky and Karabatsos throws more on top of him, forcing the referee to end the fight!
Official Result: Alekos "Killer" Karabatsos defeats Dmytro Dargomyzhsky (TKO (Strikes) in 1:36 of round 1).
Post-match interview: Alekos Karabatsos thanks all of his sponsors for backing him and then also thanks his family, friends and supporters.

Falk: Looks like we're back to short fights with big finishes, Karabatsos defies the odds and gets a big win over the veteran Dargomyzhsky!

 

Hesenthal: Age might be catching up with him, Dmytro's known for his toughness but that's not the image he showed here tonight.

 

Falk: Let's see if the remaining two title fights will be ended in similar fashion, Robbie. Remember, it's five rounds to the judges' scorecards when a title is on the line and if the results so far are anything to go by, I'd say anything can happen.

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Heavyweight division fight
"The Great Bear" Aleksander Ivanov (Russia) vs "Polish Power" Grzegorz Boniek (Poland)
for the SIGMA Heavyweight title

R1: The first half of the round is an exchange of strikes, most of which get blocked, until Boniek grapples Ivanov to back him up against the cage. Ivanov counter-wrestles to prevent it and Boniek is the one to end up back to the cage. Calmly, he waits for the knee and counters to regain control of the grapple but can't keep Ivanov against the cage as the champion escapes and returns to the center. Looking for another clinch, Boniek comes close and Ivanov pummels him with punches; by the time he manages to back the Russian against the cage, he has less than ten seconds to make anything out of it and round 1 draws to an end.
R2: Again, Ivanov makes Boniek pay for coming in to grapple and outwrestles him once more. Boniek ends up back against the cage and eats a sharp knee, but he escapes the second one to reverse his position. Keeping Ivanov contained is the best he can do though and the rest of the round is a stalemate as the two trade short blows with Boniek smothering Ivanov against the cage.
R3: Both fighters slow down just a little as they seem to be getting into the tank gas a bit. Ivanov's corner urges him on and once Boniek grapples to drive him against the cage, the champion's reversal is aiming for a slam instead. Boniek blocks it, but showing heart despite his heavy breathing, Ivanov tries again and finally slams Boniek to the ground. The subsequent blows lack any venom and despite Boniek's attempts to sprawl or escape, he spends the rest of the round on the defensive.
R4: Ivanov comes in strong with a few big strikes and when Boniek misses a right hook, the Russian nails him with a good right hand that sends him stumbling back. Sensing a chance to end the fight, Ivanov hits another big right hand to drop Boniek but can't follow up to get the TKO as he's exhausted. Between strikes from both men, attempts to pass guard and a failed arm triangle from Ivanov, time runs out.
R5: Ivanov comes back with a couple of big strikes, but he's too exhausted to resist the takedown and has to pull guard. Between blows, Boniek ends up in side guard and skillfully freeing his leg, gets side control. Both exhausted, they trade more blows and Boniek slides into mount. Ivanov tries to roll him but only succeeds in giving up his back, though he defends against the subsequent rear naked choke. His sweep is unsuccessful and so is another rear naked choke attempt from Boniek, leading to the end of the fight and the judges to decide the winner.
Official Result: "The Great Bear" Aleksander Ivanov defeats "Polish Power" Grzegorz Boniek (Unanimous Decision in 5:00 of round 5).
Post-match interview: Giving thanks, Aleksander Ivanov praises his team at Euro Team Thunder, his various sponsors and the fans who came out to support him. He also praises Boniek for a tough fight.

Falk: Now that's exciting, these two world-class heavyweights gave everyone a full five rounds to a finish and Ivanov was right to praise Boniek's toughness, this felt like it could have gone either way so much I was even prepared to see a split decision.

 

Hesenthal: Fans certainly getting their money's worth tonight, Paul.

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Welterweight division fight
Alberto Basora (Spain) vs "The Body" Templeton Crumb (South Africa)
for the SIGMA Welterweight title

R1: Crumb starts the fight with two jabs and then hits a nice straight left that lands hard. Basora is on rubbery legs all of a sudden, really rattled by that last shot and Crumb proceeds to hit a big left hook that drops him to the mat. Sensing victory, Crumb begins to unload with punches on the fallen Basora, who eats powerful shot after powerful shot until the referee jumps in to stop the fight!
Official Result: "The Body" Templeton Crumb defeats Alberto Basora (TKO (Strikes) in 0:43 of round 1 and wins the SIGMA Welterweight title
Post-match interview: Templeton Crumb name-checks all of his sponsors, then thanks all of his fans to turned up to support him. Holding the SIGMA Welterweight title aloft, he celebrates being the new champion and warns that he is intending to have a very long reign.

Falk: What?!?

 

Hesenthal: It happened again! Just like that, Crumb is the new champion!

 

Falk: Basora never had a chance to land a single blow, this is a true shock! Even Crumb looks to be in a bit of disbelief, what a dominant way to win the belt!

 

Hesenthal: Things are never dull in SIGMA, I can tell you that!

 

Falk: From a sold-out venue in the Netherlands, from a great show with great fights and a great finish, we leave you to process just what happened tonight, I'm Paul Falk...

 

Hesenthal: And I'm Robbie Hesenthal, saying good night!

[Xena]

On 10/12/2018 at 5:24 AM, DarK_RaideR said:

 "Oh yeah, I forgot, kittens don't make you happy".

 

wait...what?

 

On 10/15/2018 at 3:54 AM, DarK_RaideR said:

Speaking of that, I spent the weekend visiting the family. Went there by ferry, so I could bring the bike with me and leave it there for its scheduled service. Had an after-breakfast coffee out of the house with my dad on Saturday morning so we could talk things through, as he's picked up on my depressive mood. He said he's willing to help with work, financial and personal issues, including therapy if needed, joint or individually for me.

 

I know your family relationships are complicated. But this sounded like a really good talk.

 

I have no specific advice. Just here for you. And concerned about you attitude about kittens. Or is it SLRF who isn't made happy by kittens? Wasn't quite clear.

[WhiteGhost]

18 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

Welterweight division fight
Alberto Basora (Spain) vs "The Body" Templeton Crumb (South Africa)
for the SIGMA Welterweight title

R1: Crumb starts the fight with two jabs and then hits a nice straight left that lands hard. Basora is on rubbery legs all of a sudden, really rattled by that last shot and Crumb proceeds to hit a big left hook that drops him to the mat. Sensing victory, Crumb begins to unload with punches on the fallen Basora, who eats powerful shot after powerful shot until the referee jumps in to stop the fight!
Official Result: "The Body" Templeton Crumb defeats Alberto Basora (TKO (Strikes) in 0:43 of round 1 and wins the SIGMA Welterweight title
Post-match interview: Templeton Crumb name-checks all of his sponsors, then thanks all of his fans to turned up to support him. Holding the SIGMA Welterweight title aloft, he celebrates being the new champion and warns that he is intending to have a very long reign.

I had a good feeling about this guy.  He is going to go far  

[DarK_RaideR]

4 hours ago, Xena said:

wait...what?

 

And concerned about you attitude about kittens. Or is it SLRF who isn't made happy by kittens? Wasn't quite clear.

I've opened up a bit to the SRLF about my depressive detachment and I said that even the two black kittens we rescued don't quite stir something in me. I love them, I care for them, but it's not like I go into ULTRA KAWAIIII MODE! and change the pitch of my voice upon seeing them. Which in turn makes me feel even sadder, because I realize how "off" I am that even baby kittens don't quite move me like they should. Her comment was more of an ironic jab towards me when tensions were high.

 

Speaking of those babies, they've been getting stronger but are also suffering from some kind of weird stomach infection that makes one of them bleed from his butt when going to the toilet.

 

Both "Buttbleed" and "Bloodcrap" are totally death metal

[DarK_RaideR]

5 hours ago, WhiteGhost said:

I had a good feeling about this guy.  He is going to go far  

He's certainly made it to the top of the rankings after winning the title. Speaking of which...

Spoiler

 

[Sylvaa]

5 hours ago, DarK_RaideR said:

I've opened up a bit to the SRLF about my depressive detachment and I said that even the two black kittens we rescued don't quite stir something in me. I love them, I care for them, but it's not like I go into ULTRA KAWAIIII MODE! and change the pitch of my voice upon seeing them. Which in turn makes me feel even sadder, because I realize how "off" I am that even baby kittens don't quite move me like they should. Her comment was more of an ironic jab towards me when tensions were high.

 

Please don't take this as me minimizing your feelings. Because that is absolutely not my intent.

 

But I thought you all knew you weren't keeping the kittens. Is it truly a bad thing to be able to disconnect from them and not be too attached? I mean, if it bothers you that you aren't more attached, it's important. But honestly, I would be the same way as you and I don't think that's a bad thing. 

[RES]

5 hours ago, Sylvaa said:

But honestly, I would be the same way as you and I don't think that's a bad thing. 

As much as I love cats/kittens/felines...I agree with this. If I know I'm not keeping something I don't allow myself to get attached (this also goes for people) which is one reason I won't foster when a friend of mine asks me to, because I would want to keep them all...