Fistic Medicine: Becoming Superhuman

A fighter standing in the ring at full sympathetic arousal is an awesome physiologic specimen. Adrenaline pre-tensions the muscles, as taut muscle contracts with greater force than slack, causing the body to tremble in anticipation. The blood vessels feeding those muscles dilate, increasing the flow of oxygen and nutrients. Conversely, capillary beds in the skin shut down, making the skin cool and pale. This serves to shunt more blood to the muscles and lessens bleeding from anticipated wounds. The gut, a large drain of resources during the baseline “feed and breed” state, is shut down. A fighter has “butterflies,” nausea and over a long duration, necrotic bowel mucosa.

Sherdog.com

Couple of simple programs

I spend 5-6 nights a week training Muay Thai & Brazilian Jiu-JItsu. These are not light sessions, 2 – 3 1/2 hours with plenty of nasty cardio as a warm up. During the week if I’m not doing this I rest – I’m old it happens. I don’t have the time I would like to devote to longer more comprehensive programs so I condense things as best I can for a more functional circuit.
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The Guardfather T-shirt

This is awesome! Get one here.

Hitting the big 4-0 – and not slowing down

Muay Thai with Master Ajahn Suchart.

I just turned 40, and unlike most people my age I am not slowing down, I am not taking it easy and I am not sitting on the couch watching TV.

I have been a little lazy in tracking my training recently but I have not slowed down any. Just prior to turning 40 I was competing at NAGA in Newark, this weekend I’ll be competing in the BJJ Ontario provincials.

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Training log – week ending Oct 25th

Monday:

Muay Thai:

• 3 rounds skipping
• Circuit
  • Low left kick
  • Mid right kick
  • Mid right kick
  • Skip knees – two rounds

BJJ:

• Warm up
• Side control series

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Training log – week ending Oct 18th

Monday:

• Strength work

Tuesday:

Muay Thai:

• Warmup – 15 min of jump squats (30′) sprint back (30′)
• Low leg kick – right
• Low leg kick – left
• Mid kick – left
• Mid kick – right
• Clinch knees

BJJ:

• Warm up
• Submission series
• Rolling

Advanced BJJ:

• Warm up
• Mount escapes
• Guard escapes
• Back escapes
• Overhook butterfly guard escape
• Rolling

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The Pension for Punishment

Tuesday, October 13, 2009
by Jake Rossen

The ultimate fighter at 25 has a body with a good temperament for training. He can take repeated abuse and repair himself. He can fight four times a year — or five, or seven — if he wishes. If he suffers a significant dent (broken bones, damaged eyes, muscles torn from their adhesive) he’ll be ambulatory before long.

And he gets attention. Lots of attention. From sponsors, from fans who admire his abilities and from women. He can close a nightclub the week of a fight and not suffer the consequences. He makes a decent wage, gets his training subsidized by sponsor money and splurges when bonuses crop up. He’s not a champion, so he can’t afford to buy the Escalade outright, but he can make the lease payments.

Sherdog

In this article it points out head trauma as a cause of depression leading to death, one way or the other. What isn’t pointed out is the research being done.

CBC – 2008 WWE & Chris Benoit

60 Min – 2009 NFL and concussions

New York Times – 2008 NFL players donating brains for study

Weekley training log – week ending Oct. 11th

Monday:

Muay Thai:

• 3 rounds skipping
• 20 burpees, pushups, jump squats, situps – 3 times
• Walking knees
• Walking teeps
• Slip jab, cross hook cross
• Slip cross, body hook head hook cross
• 2 rear knee switch stance to rear knee
• Jab cross, switch stance avoid low kick, rear kick

BJJ:

• Warm up
• Standing guard pass counters
  • Cross grab and ankle trap
  • Double ankle pull, hip push
  • Pull elbows, stomach throw
  • Omoplata sweep
• Standing guard pass

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The 40 year old trainee

I will be turning 40 before years end. I do not look 40, I do not train like I’m forty (look at my logs) but there are some days I do feel 40. I try many things to stay ahead of the age relayed pain & injury. I think that some things are valid and do help but in all honesty I fully believe it’s genetics

Why can Randy Couture still fight at such a high level in his late 40’s and some guys have to hang it up in the mid 30’s? More importantly what does he do to say in this shape. I think genetics helps but here are some things you can try.

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Training log – week ending Oct 4th

Monday:

Strength work

• Cleans, hang cleans, front squats, deads

Wednesday:

Strength work

• Pull ups, chin ups, rows, Russian twists …

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