In this episode of the Emerald Grappling Podcast, Aaron chats with David Zamora, a BJJ purple belt, MMA fighter, and striking coach at Lakeland Jiu Jitsu. David shares his journey from starting BJJ as a hobby to becoming fully immersed in the sport. As an accomplished competitor, holding titles like the Irish National MMA Senior Lightweight Green Division Champion and an ADCC Ireland gold medalist, Davy offers insights into the mindset and training that have shaped his success. He reflects on valuable lessons learned from his first competition, which propelled him toward refining his skills and approach to the sport.

David also dives into his unique training methods, including his dedication to the rowing machine to boost his wrestling explosiveness, with the ambitious goal of breaking the world record. He gives us a behind-the-scenes look at his intense training schedule, preparation for No-Gi Euros, and his thoughts on the future of BJJ. Additionally, David recounts his challenging ADCC Ireland final match against Josh Scully, highlighting how the experience pushed him to become a better competitor.

Chapters ➡00:00 - 7:30 Intro & Davy's Origin Story7:31 - 12:59 Training during lockdown13:00 - 15:50 Skill & Mindset Development15:51 - 19:36 First Competition Reflection19:37 - 25:34 Staying Active & learning from defeat25:35 - 34:52 Weekly Training Schedule34:53 - 40:32 No-Gi Euros Camp & The Rower40:43 - 43:13 Building Endurance & Breath work43:14 - 50:53 Back to the rower50:54 - 52:34 National MMA League & the next step52:35 - 52:49 Back to the rower52:50 - 01:01:02 Approach to Wrestling & Guard Passing Systems01:01:03 - 01:13:17 ADCC Ireland Final vs Josh Scully01:13:18 - 1:24:14 How will BJJ evolve?1:24:15 - 1:27:08 What's next for David Zamora?

Make sure to follow David on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/daviid__0909/

Make sure to keep an eye out for David at upcoming grappling and MMA events, he's one to keep an eye on!

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