New blogs on FC website

Hello Everyone,

The new FightClub website has two blogs build into it ....all future post will be located there.

check it out

www.fight-club.ca

A good Interview from Sweden

Hello Everyone,

Check out the link ......

Here's an online interview for the blog of Steve Wildash, a Systema practitioner from UK.

Spyro Katsigiannis is a good friend and fellow martial artist....well said Spyro!

http://www.facebook.com/l/;stevewildash.blogspot.com/2009/08/interview-with-spyro-katsigiannis.html

All the Best,
emmanuel

You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet

Hello Everyone,

I know a lot of you are putting in some hard work at FightClub. I want to make sure you are getting all the support to meet your goals for optimum health.

Have a read below....remember to keep training hard and focus on your goals!

emmanuel

-------------------------

You can’t exercise your way out of a bad diet. Lots of people have tried (including me). But that doesn’t mean you have to be obsessive about food.I’ve had several people talk to me this week about messing up on their diet or indulging in a treat. Invariably, they all felt guilty about it. And I’ll ‘fess up too. I’m writing this at a Coffee shop and I had a biscotti with my double espresso. Yep, I’m feeling a bit guilty about it.

Our societal attitudes about food is uncanny. And the dysfunctional all-or-nothing associations we have with food.

Food is tied to life and our social interactions, and we have to be able to interact with food in this way without succumbing to guilt and dejection about not following a “perfect” diet. In other words, if you’re going to indulge in delicious but calorie-dense food, enjoy it fully and move on. Don’t make a habit of it, but don’t dwell on it either.

How High School Math Can Help

1. 80% — 20% Balance

I often frame this as the 90% rule. Pick a nutritional strategy that works for you and that makes sense. Then stick to it like glue 80% of the time. The other 20% you can indulge reasonably and you’ll do just fine.To get the hang of it, you can chart it out at first. Figure out your ideal week and make up a sheet with every meal mapped out. Put the chart on the fridge!

2. 80% Full

That does NOT mean you can pig out during those meals. It just means you can loosen your restrictions on what you eat. So if you go out with friends for lunch, pick whatever you want off the menu, then eat until you are ALMOST full, but not quite. Until you are 80% full. This is a custom which comes from Japanese culture (Hara hachi bu).

3. Don’t Try To Be Perfect

The most effective way to ensure you will fail is to set yourself up as perfect. When you fall, dust yourself off and keep trudging along. Every single day you get to start over again in the quest for a better you.


Emmanuel

Your Health & Fitness Goals?

Will You Achieve Your Health & Fitness Goals?

“As a society we’re obsessed with wellness but we keep getting sicker. The information we need is out there. But our ability to embrace it seems to lack zeal”

How likely are you to succeed?
Before you read this post, you need to complete a little task. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated (but it may be hard). Pick one goal that’s been ruminating in your mind for a while. It should be something that you really want to achieve. Now, rate your level of motivation to execute on that goal. Your rating should be a number on a scale of 1-10 where a 10 is utter commitment.

Don’t read on until the task is done…
OK, have you picked your goal and rated your motivation? If it was a 10, congratulations. Your chances of success are extremely good! In fact, you’re wasting your time if you continue to read this post. If it was less than a 10, what would it take to bring you up to a 10?
We all have dreams. Whether we allow them to manifest themselves as conscious thought - not to mention verbalize them - or leave them buried in our subconscious, each of us has goals and aspirations. What makes the difference between those that seem to consistently reach those aspirations and those who simply dream?
Why do some people lose the weight and keep it off? How do some people manage to transform their lifestyles and pursue more healthy habits when others languish in energy draining habits that sap their health and vitality? Why do some people soar to great professional heights while equally or more talented or intelligent people stay stuck in the mail room? What’s the difference?
Well, some people wish they could achieve their goals or hope that they’ll be able to make the grade. Other people simple decide that they're going to reach new heights. And that's the number one difference between those that achieve great things and those that don’t. There is no magic secret.
“Success is the constant drip of small actions
towards something magical”
The only way to stay the course and maintain that constant drip is to believe 100% that you will achieve your goal - that you will become the person you have decided to become. That simple principle holds true for any goal. If your motivation is high enough, you’ll start to believe that your goal will come to fruition. And it’s that belief and drive that will allow you to do the daily personal practice that brings the goal to life. The secret isn’t something mystical. In fact it’s very practical. It’s the accumulation of daily effort.


They’re the only ones who will have the perseverance to make the tough little decisions on a daily basis. Because when it comes to short term comfort or long term happiness, consistently opting for the latter is only possible when you have a vision for the future.
So if you didn’t give your goal a 10 out of 10 on the motivation scale. Your homework is to figure out how to fill in the gap. Where are you going to go get those other 2 or 3 points to bring you up to a 10? Once you figure that out, your chances of success are through the roof.

With commitment and responsibility,
Emmanuel

Breathing gone wrong!

Breathing gone wrong!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOeulCcz1L0

e

Seminar Review from Delaware

The below is a review from my seminar in Delaware by Patrick Keller.

Have a read.....e


"Thanks to Emmanuel Manolakakis for great two day RMA seminar! Emmanuel started Saturday's seminar covering some interesting and often overlooked aspects of ground combat and then moved on to teaching how to work from the transitional phase of moving from the ground to standing and back to the ground again. Emmanuel then moved on from ground and transitional work to leg work. Once again we started from the ground up working with our legs for position, direction, and impact. We moved on as Emmanuel demonstrated the subtle leg work that is the hallmark of the masterful movement of Vladimir and Mikhail. Saturday's session ended as we practiced the synergy of working with all of the aspects of ground, transitional, leg, and subtle movement together.

Sunday arrived and of course... we added in hitting, and then hitting, and after that some hitting. Emmanuel started Sunday's seminar teaching some of the key principles of hitting with a live fist: structural alignment, adding weight to the fist, striking with a purpose, relaxing the shoulders and maximizing impact power by connecting it all together to name a few. As the session progressed Emmanuel added in the concept of breaking structure and began to layer in some of the work we had done the day before. Sunday's seminar ended with free flowing dynamic training using all of the concepts, principles and tactics demonstrated throughout the weekend. I would be remiss if I didn't mention the overarching principles of efficiency and effort that Emmanuel stressed in everything we did.

On a personal note: I found Emmanuel's instruction purposeful, challenging and thought provoking. His character, humanity and compassion were evident in his words and actions. His support, wisdom and fellowship were also greatly appreciated. It was an honor to have him and a testament to his teachers".

Patrick Keller

Adapt and Improvise

One of the first lessons I learned in SYSTEMA was the importance of
being able to 'adapt and improvise' -To change course on the fly and
still come out victorious.

This concept is critically important, not only to the combat athlete,
but to anyone who wants to be at the top of any profession.

Some martial artist like to have a plan for every possible scenario,
they find comfort in the plan. In the knowing....but when the plan doesn't work,
you fall to pieces. It's okay to have a plan - but when the plan
doesn't fit - you've got to be able to change gears and do whatever
you need to do to survive.

Some combat sports practice various moves over and over and over again.
And we train in such a way so that "what we know" becomes second nature.
Being "programmed" to react in a certain way to specific situations.

There is some value in this but only to a limited level.

Incorporate adaptive and improvisation training into your workouts will give you
a much deeper understanding into real world applications. This type of stuff is
already part of the training at FightClub. All students learn to be prepared
and able to change gears, to adapt and improvise - and be able to do so right
during the heat of battle.

This is something that may not come easily - but it is possible,
regardless of your endeavor. It's all a matter of training, confidence
and the willingness to flow into something else - on the fly.

Some months ago I witnessed a perfect example of how this
philosophy of "having a plan but being flexible" is NOT simply
a martial arts or combat strategy. It applies to everything.

It even applies to a business and life as well!

I believe the ultimate level of skill is being able to
flow with whatever is happening, whether you prepared for it
or not.

If you study the top people in any profession. Note how relaxed and
calm they are when performing or competing. This is critically
important.

Then think back to the times in your life in which you are able to
adapt with ease. I'm betting you've had the experience and the
first thing you'll recall about it was that you were totally relaxed
and having a good time. You weren't stressed out or worried about
how you were going to do. You simply went with the flow.

Having a plan can help you relax. I know it helps me.

But knowing I can adapt and improvise if the plan isn't working -
that's a level of skill worth fighting for.'

I hope this helps,
emmanuel

Are you paying attention?

Paying Attention


Paying attention to yourself, to others and to the situations.

This topic is rather large but I will do my best to break it down in the hopes that it helps everyone takes from it something that can help them in training.

Lets start with the definition of paying attention or alertness:
“Is the state of paying close and continuous attention being watchful and prompt to meet danger or emergency, or being quick to perceive and act. It is related to psychology as well as to physiology. The word is formed from "alert", which comes from the Italian "all'erta" (on the watch, literally, on the height)”


Paying attention to yourself

The benefits to paying attention to yourself are as follows.

• Increased body awareness
• Decreases in injuries
• Increased learning

Enough said….lets look at closer!

There are 4 gauges to keep and eye on closely if you don’t already.

• Your effort levels (10 being max – 1 being min level)
• Your efficiency levels (10 being max – 1 being min level)
• Your structure levels (10 being max – 1 being min level)
• Your attention levels (10 being max – 1 being min level)

In an ideal world you want:
• 1 for effort meaning you exert very little.
• 10 for efficiency meaning a positive result quickly.
• 10 for structure meaning you keep yours (posture/positioning)
• 10 for attention meaning you kept your focus at hand.

In the worse case you would have :
• 10 for effort meaning you exert lots of energy.
• 1 for efficiency meaning a positive result took long or not at all.
• 1 for structure meaning you lost yours (posture/positioning)
• 1 for attention meaning you lost your focus.


Over the years I’ve seen countless students frustrated to various degrees. When I look closely at them ‘working’ it comes apparent there lack of attention. When you have a positive outcome in training or life ask yourself these for questions.

How much effort did I exert?
How efficient was it?
Did I position myself in the right place or places?
Was I focused?

Now put a number to it from 10 to 1. 10 being the most positive and 1 the most negative result.

I’m sure you will notice a pattern developing. Follow the positive results you get and you will be well on your way to making life, martial arts and even fitness training a more fruitful experience.

“Your greatest talent should lie in knowing how to precisely gauge yourself so that you stop before you begin to groove poorly”

emmanuel manolakakis
Hope this helps,
EM


PS - Stay tuned for the next segment (soon)…..

”Pay attention to others’

BareFoot running is in!!

The merits of going barefoot

BILL CRAMER FOR THE TORONTO STAR

Barefoot convert Christopher McDougall, whose foot is shown, found the world’s best marathoners, Mexico’s Tarahumara tribe, wear little or no footwear and suffer no aches or pains.

A new book argues that filthy, smelly, unadorned feet is the cutting edge in sports technology. Our own jogger tests its fashionable claims

http://www.thestar.com/News/Insight/article/660738

Can you get Fit in 6 minutes?

Read between the lines and you will find some interesting things.

emmanuel

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Can you get fit in 6 minutes?
By GRETCHEN REYNOLDS

A few years ago, researchers at the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Japan put rats through a series of swim tests with surprising results. They had one group of rodents paddle in a small pool for six hours, this long workout broken into two sessions of three hours each. A second group of rats were made to stroke furiously through short, intense bouts of swimming, while carrying ballast to increase their workload. After 20 seconds, the weighted rats were scooped out of the water and allowed to rest for 10 seconds, before being placed back in the pool for another 20 seconds of exertion. The scientists had the rats repeat these brief, strenuous swims 14 times, for a total of about four-and-a-half minutes of swimming. Afterward, the researchers tested each rat’s muscle fibers and found that, as expected, the rats that had gone for the six-hour swim showed preliminary molecular changes that would increase endurance. But the second rodent group, which exercised for less than five minutes also showed the same molecular changes.

The potency of interval training is nothing new. Many athletes have been straining through interval sessions once or twice a week along with their regular workout for years. But what researchers have been looking at recently is whether humans, like that second group of rats, can increase endurance with only a few minutes of strenuous exercise, instead of hours? Could it be that most of us are spending more time than we need to trying to get fit?

The answer, a growing number of these sports scientists believe, may be yes.

“There was a time when the scientific literature suggested that the only way to achieve endurance was through endurance-type activities,” such as long runs or bike rides or, perhaps, six-hour swims, says Martin Gibala, PhD, chairman of the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada. But ongoing research from Gibala’s lab is turning that idea on its head. In one of the group’s recent studies, Gibala and his colleagues had a group of college students, who were healthy but not athletes, ride a stationary bike at a sustainable pace for between 90 and 120 minutes. Another set of students grunted through a series of short, strenuous intervals: 20 to 30 seconds of cycling at the highest intensity the riders could stand. After resting for four minutes, the students pedaled hard again for another 20 to 30 seconds, repeating the cycle four to six times (depending on how much each person could stand), “for a total of two to three minutes of very intense exercise per training session,” Gibala says.

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Each of the two groups exercised three times a week. After two weeks, both groups showed almost identical increases in their endurance (as measured in a stationary bicycle time trial), even though the one group had exercised for six to nine minutes per week, and the other about five hours. Additionally, molecular changes that signal increased fitness were evident equally in both groups. “The number and size of the mitochondria within the muscles” of the students had increased significantly, Gibala says, a change that, before this work, had been associated almost exclusively with prolonged endurance training. Since mitochondria enable muscle cells to use oxygen to create energy, “changes in the volume of the mitochondria can have a big impact on endurance performance.” In other words, six minutes or so a week of hard exercise (plus the time spent warming up, cooling down, and resting between the bouts of intense work) had proven to be as good as multiple hours of working out for achieving fitness. The short, intense workouts aided in weight loss, too, although Gibala hadn’t been studying that effect. “The rate of energy expenditure remains higher longer into recovery” after brief, high-intensity exercise than after longer, easier workouts, Gibala says. Other researchers have found that similar, intense, brief sessions of exercise improve cardiac health, even among people with heart disease.

There’s a catch, though. Those six minutes, if they’re to be effective, must hurt. “We describe it as an ‘all-out’ effort,” Gibala says. You’ll be straying “well out of your comfort zone.” That level of discomfort makes some activities better-suited to intense training than others. “We haven’t studied runners,” Gibala says. The pounding involved in repeated sprinting could lead to injuries, depending on a runner’s experience and stride mechanics. But cycling and swimming work well. “I’m a terrible swimmer,” Gibala says, “so every session for me is intense, just because my technique is so awful.”
Meanwhile, his lab is studying whether people could telescope their workouts into even less time. Could a single, two- to three-minute bout of intense exercise confer the same endurance and health benefits as those six minutes of multiple intervals? Gibala is hopeful. “I’m 41, with two young children,” he says. “I don’t have time to go out and exercise for hours.” The results should be available this fall.


http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/24/can-you-get-fit-in-six-minutes-a-week/?scp=1&sq=6%20minute%20fitness&st=cse

Think about it...
emmanuel

Universal Principles of fighting

Universal Principles of fighting

Fighting is fighting and it has always been the same from David's Warriors to today's "Shock and Awe". Whether using a rock, a spear, a machete or a Glock, the principles for fighting are exactly the same. Here are a few of them.

1). Real fights are not "matches" or situations of mutually agreed upon combat where two fighters square off against each other for a prize. All fights are ambushes. Be the ambush-er and not the ambush-ee. The "fair fight" crowd may call them "sucker punches"...or "back shooting" with some disdain as their mythical heroes John Wayne and Matt Dillon would never resort to those measures. They are stupid. Being first is an advantage. Waiting for the other man to move first is not smart. Be the ambusher.

2). If you cannot be first, you need to forestall the attack by drastically causing a change in the adversary. You can do this by; Intercepting his attack, or arriving on target first. An example is that you see him go for his gun, but you are dramatically faster and you are able to shoot him before he gets into action. Or you see him pull his fist back to punch, but you are able to punch him first. If you cannot guarantee being that fast (who can?), an alternative method is to Evade the attack, or Move off the X. A wise fighter would counter attack AS he evades the initial attack.

3). Generally a face on face fight is unwise and destructive whether between men or between armies. There is a reason why most advanced militaries prize the ability to maneuver. So learn to move....agility is more important than precise marksmanship. Seek his flank or seek his back, and then deliver as much force as possible there.

4). Once the fight begins, destroy the other man. Mercy has no place in the middle of the battle. Capacity for extreme violence is a desirable character trait, so develop it and cultivate it. The tentative army will never win a single battle. This has to do with several traits such as moral certainty, feral anger, and cool control of both.

5). The objective is to win, pure and simple. The objective is not to determine the strongest fighter, or the cleverest tactician, or the most gifted athlete. The most gifted athlete will still die with a knife in his throat, the cleverest tactician will still die with a bullet in his face, and the strongest fighter will still die when run over by a Jeep. Understand your objective and devise ways to attain it.

6). Along those lines - Fair is For Fools. If your enemy is weaker than you are, over run him and squash him like a bug making use of your strength. If your enemy is as strong, deceive him, ambush him and take him when he is not ready. If your enemy is stronger, avoid him and pick him off at a distance where his strength will not help him. Some will say this is cowardly....with their last breath.

The purpose of fighting is to win and to force the other side to do as you wish. Whether for them to give you something, or to simpFighting is fighting and it has always been the same from David's Warriors to today's "Shock and Awe". Whether using a rock, a spear, a machete or a Glock, the principles for fighting are exactly the same. Here are a few of them.

1). Real fights are not "matches" or situations of mutually agreed upon combat where two fighters square off against each other for a prize. All fights are ambushes. Be the ambush-er and not the ambush-ee. The "fair fight" crowd may call them "sucker punches"...or "back shooting" with some disdain as their mythical heroes John Wayne and Matt Dillon would never resort to those measures. They are stupid. Being first is an advantage. Waiting for the other man to move first is not smart. Be the ambusher.

2). If you cannot be first, you need to forestall the attack by drastically causing a change in the adversary. You can do this by; Intercepting his attack, or arriving on target first. An example is that you see him go for his gun, but you are dramatically faster and you are able to shoot him before he gets into action. Or you see him pull his fist back to punch, but you are able to punch him first. If you cannot guarantee being that fast (who can?), an alternative method is to Evade the attack, or Move off the X. A wise fighter would counter attack AS he evades the initial attack.

3). Generally a face on face fight is unwise and destructive whether between men or between armies. There is a reason why most advanced militaries prize the ability to maneuver. So learn to move....agility is more important than precise marksmanship. Seek his flank or seek his back, and then deliver as much force as possible there.

4). Once the fight begins, destroy the other man. Mercy has no place in the middle of the battle. Capacity for extreme violence is a desirable character trait, so develop it and cultivate it. The tentative army will never win a single battle. This has to do with several traits such as moral certainty, feral anger, and cool control of both.

5). The objective is to win, pure and simple. The objective is not to determine the strongest fighter, or the cleverest tactician, or the most gifted athlete. The most gifted athlete will still die with a knife in his throat, the cleverest tactician will still die with a bullet in his face, and the strongest fighter will still die when run over by a Jeep. Understand your objective and devise ways to attain it.

6). Along those lines - Fair is For Fools. If your enemy is weaker than you are, over run him and squash him like a bug making use of your strength. If your enemy is as strong, deceive him, ambush him and take him when he is not ready. If your enemy is stronger, avoid him and pick him off at a distance where his strength will not help him. Some will say this is cowardly....with their last breath.

The purpose of fighting is to win and to force the other side to do as you wish. Whether for them to give you something, or to simply cause them to retreat in disorder.

Understand it and make it yours.
Emmanuel

Understand it and make it yours.
Emmanuel

Maximize Your Metabolism

5 Exercises That Maximize Your Metabolism
(by Making You Huff and Puff)

1. Squats - these work all the major muscles of the
legs, as well as the hips, arms and back. This exercise
builds lung power along with lower body strength-endurance.

2. Pushups - quickly get you out of breath; this exercise
hits your chest, back, shoulders, triceps, forearms, abdominals,
hips, thighs, calves - and so on. It also strengthens the internal
organs of the body and gives flexibility to the spine, shoulders
and hips.

3. Wrestler Bridging - whether doing a bridge on your head and hands,
your hands only or your head only - the bridge hits many
major muscle groups. Once you master it, your body's
metabolism is in overdrive.

4. Hill sprints - running uphill sprints quickly gets you out of breath.

5. Rope skipping - 10 minutes of rope skipping are equivalent to
30 minutes of running.

Start on these exercises today and note the difference,
immediately.

Keeping it simple!
emmanuel

Did you notice the arm-bar? or Leg Lock?

Some disturbing footage but important none the less to understand how quickly things happen and how organized the hooligan element can be....

3 points to watch for....

1. the initial question that stopped him (1st mistake - never stop to talk to strangers.. just keep walking and talking)

2. even after he was down they kept on attacking...regardless of his desperate pleas (don't beg they don't f**kin care)

3. the wall and ground caused as much damages as the kicks

My blood was boiling just watching this video. This is why I fell in love with systema.

Its survival based. Thats what you need in these situations.

Watch this and always remember how things can be....

http://www.targetfocustraining.com/blog

Think about it...but don't try and understand it!
emmanuel

What Surprising Exercise Cuts Your Cancer Risk by 40 Percent?

What Surprising Exercise Cuts Your Cancer Risk by 40 Percent?

Men with stronger muscles from regular weight training are up to 40 percent less likely to die from cancer, according to new research.

The findings suggest that muscular strength is as important as staying slim and eating healthy when it comes to protecting your body against deadly tumors.

A team of experts tracked the lifestyles of over 8,500 men for more than two decades. Each volunteer had regular medical check ups that included tests of their muscular strength. The men who regularly worked out with weights and had the highest muscle strength were between 30 percent and 40 percent less likely to lose their life to a deadly tumor.

Even among volunteers who were overweight, regular weight training seemed to have a protective effect, although the researchers stressed that keeping a healthy weight was still crucial for avoiding premature death.

But they added, "In the light of these results, it is equally important to maintain healthy muscular strength levels.”

Researchers said it’s possible to reduce cancer mortality rates in men by promoting resistance training involving the major muscle groups at least two days a week.

Sources:

The Telegraph May 26, 2009

Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers & Prevention 18, 1468, May 1, 2009


Dr. Mercola's Comments:

The results of this study -- that men who regularly work out with weights and have high muscle strength can reduce their risk of cancer by 30-40 percent -- should provide major motivation for any of you still on the fence about adding strength training to your exercise routine.

One of the primary reasons exercise works to lower your cancer risk is because it drives your insulin levels down. Controlling insulin levels is one of the most powerful ways to reduce your cancer risks.

It’s also been suggested that apoptosis (programmed cell death) is triggered by exercise, causing cancer cells to die.

It is becoming increasingly clear that a well-rounded exercise program is an important component of staying healthy. When I say “well rounded” I mean a program that includes the four primary types of exercise, as explained in my Principles of Exercise video:
1. Aerobic
2. Interval
3. Strength
4. Core
Unfortunately, many public health guidelines are still focusing only on the aerobic component, and merely focusing on aerobic activity will most definitely lead to imbalances that will cause other parts of your body to not be healthy. You really need a well balanced exercise regimen.

It’s important to vary your exercise routine as otherwise your muscles simply get used to the same activity. They require a level of muscle confusion if they are to continue to improve and grow stronger. Further, each type of exercise has very different and very specific impacts on your body, and you’ll want to take advantage of all of them.

This topic is truly very near and dear to my heart, as I went to medical school in large part because I wanted to use exercise as a therapeutic tool to help people get healthier. I strongly believe that without fitness, it is virtually impossible to achieve optimal health.
The Benefits of Strength Training
As you age your muscle mass diminishes, and strength training is one of the best ways to replace the lean muscle mass that you’ve lost. If you don’t challenge your muscles in this way, the percentage of fat in your body will keep increasing while your muscle mass will keep decreasing.

So strength training is of utmost importance as you get older, but should ideally be done regularly throughout your life to both preserve and enhance your muscle mass.

Strength training also offers these additional benefits:
• Increases your bone density while lowering your risk of osteoporosis
• Lose weight (the more muscle you have, the more efficiently your body burns calories)
• Protects your joints from injury
• Helps maintain flexibility and balance
• Improves your stamina and lessens fatigue
How to Use Strength Training for Optimal Benefits
Contrary to popular belief, a 1-set strength training routine is typically plenty to get the most out of your workout.

A study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise confirmed that for the average person exercising by strength training, the number of repetitions (the number of times a muscle or group of muscles is used to lift a weight) is not of major importance; a single set of repetitions was found to be almost as effective in maintaining fitness as three sets.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) -- the largest sports medicine and exercise science organization in the world -- and the U.S. Surgeon General have also been recommending a 1-set exercise program for some time.

So incorporating a simple 1-set, five- to 30-minute weight lifting routine into your regular program will definitely improve fitness, and is a practical, obtainable goal for most people. There are some key concepts to keep in mind, however, as not just any set of weight training will do.

You need to do enough repetitions to exhaust your muscles. The weight should be heavy enough that this can be done in fewer than 12 repetitions, yet light enough to do a minimum of four repetitions. It is also important NOT to exercise the same muscle groups every day. They need at least two days of rest to recover, repair and rebuild -- more is not better here.

Later this year I plan on introducing a comprehensive state of the art comprehensive personal training option that can easily guide you through this entire process.
How to Round Out Your Exercise Routine, and Why You Should
I highly recommend finding a personal trainer to help you reach your fitness goals, but if you cannot afford it or live in an area without access to one, you can still reap the benefits of exercise if you focus on varying your routine. So along with your strength training program, make sure you also incorporate the following into your exercise routine:
1. Aerobic: Jogging, using an elliptical machine, and walking fast are all examples of aerobic exercise. As you get your heart pumping, the amount of oxygen in your blood improves, and endorphins, which act as natural painkillers, increase.

Meanwhile, aerobic exercise activates your immune system, helps your heart pump blood more efficiently, and increases your stamina over time.

2. Interval (Anaerobic) Training: Research is showing that the BEST way to condition your heart and burn fat is NOT to jog or walk steadily for an hour. Instead, it’s to alternate short bursts of high-intensity exercise with gentle recovery periods.

This type of exercise, known as interval training or burst type training, can dramatically improve your cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities.

For example, intermittent sprinting produces high levels of chemical compounds called catecholamines, which allow more fat to be burned from under your skin within the exercising muscles. The resulting increase in fat oxidation increases weight loss. So, short bursts of activity done at a very high intensity can help you reach your optimal weight and level of fitness, in a shorter amount of time.

3. Core Exercises: Your body has 29 core muscles located mostly in your back, abdomen and pelvis. This group of muscles provides the foundation for movement throughout your entire body, and strengthening them can help protect and support your back, make your spine and body less prone to injury and help you gain greater balance and stability.

Exercise programs like Pilates and yoga are great for strengthening your core muscles, as are specific exercises you can learn from a personal trainer.
Ready to Get Started?
More than half of U.S. adults don’t get the recommended amount of exercise, and one out of four don’t exercise at all.

Why?

A lack of time is the most common reason given for not exercising.

To help avoid falling into this trap, you need to arrange your schedule around exercise. Plan it into your day the same way you would an important meeting and consider it non-negotiable, like mealtimes and sleep.

When you begin to view exercise as a necessary component to your health, rather than a luxury, it becomes easier to find time for it during even the busiest days. For you, the best time to exercise may be first thing in the morning. Others may find early afternoon to work best.

The important key to remember is that it doesn’t matter when you exercise (with the exception of exercising too close to bedtime, which can keep you awake), just that you make time for it most days of the week.

For more information on how to get the most benefits from exercise, including proper intensity and duration, read through this comprehensive article Exercise to Improve Your Body and Brain.
http://www.mercola.com

Think about it...
emmanuel

Sugar lacks nutrients athletes need

THE CLAIM

Candy can hinder athletic performance.

THE FACTS

Lamar Odom, the star forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, is known for his outsized love of candy. He sometimes downs entire bags of chocolate and jelly beans on game day.

Last week, a doctor and Lakers fan wrote an essay linking Odom's sweet tooth to his "erratic" and sometimes lethargic play. Odom countered that, if anything, the excessive sugar helps his performance.

But what do studies have to say?

According to research, candy before exercise can enhance performance, but only to a point. Studies have shown, for example, that when athletes eat a 180-calorie candy bar and then ride a stationary bike for an hour – sprinting for the final 15 minutes – they perform better than on days when they drink only water beforehand. But on days when the subjects eat a solid meal a few hours earlier and then have sugar before riding, they do better than on just the sugar alone.

Candy can be as efficient as healthier options like fruit, and because people typically secrete little insulin during exercise, crashing is unlikely, says Nancy Clark, a sports nutritionist. But candy lacks nutrients that are critical bone strength and post-exercise recovery.

For best results, pre-exercise meals should combine protein and easily digestible carbohydrates.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Sugar can work as quick fuel for exercise, but nutrient-rich foods are better.

The New York Times


Hope this helps,
emmanuel

Cough may help during heart attack

Cough may help during heart attack

"Technique may allow patients to stay conscious, study finds"

VIENNA - Coughing vigorously until an ambulance arrives could save the lives of people having a type of heart attack brought on by rapid and erratic heart beat, a doctor said Tuesday.

Dr. Tadeusz Petelenz, a researcher in Poland, said the technique, called Cough CPR, forces blood to the brain while the heart is starting to fail and keeps patients conscious long enough to call for help. It may also rectify their heart rhythm, he told a meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

He recommended Cough CPR be taught to the public, but other experts said while the concept is provocative, it needs more study.

Every year about 300,000 people in the United States die from sudden cardiac death.

Most of the time, the culprit is a type of heart attack brought on by a sudden problem with the heart’s rhythm — ventricular fibrillation.

In three-quarters of cases, the attack happens at home, often when the victim is alone. Circulation stops, the victim faints and brain damage occurs within minutes. Death usually follows in about 15 minutes.

“Since the onset of the loss of consciousness is very rapid, they usually don’t have enough time to call for help,” said Petelenz, a professor at the Silesian Medical School in Katowice, Poland. “However, if victims could maintain consciousness until circulation is restored or help arrives their chances of survival would greatly increase.”

Electric shock to the heart, known as defibrillation, is the only real treatment. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation, or CPR, can keep the brain and heart viable for about 10 minutes, long enough for an ambulance to bring a defibrillator.

Only a fraction of heart attack victims get CPR from a bystander, and few of those will receive the shock treatment before suffering irreversible brain damage.

The rate of survival without serious brain damage is about 10 percent, said Dr. Leo Bossaert, executive director of the European Resuscitation Council.

Petelenz’s idea is not entirely new. Doctors sometimes ask heart disease patients undergoing angiograms to cough rhythmically and forcefully to get their circulation going.

Bossaert, a professor at the University Hospital in Antwerp, Belgium, said coughing probably would not be harmful, but it is far too early to recommend people try it at home. The symptoms preceding an attack can be hard for people to recognize in the 30 seconds before they lose consciousness, he said.

More research needed
Dr. Marten Rosenquist, professor of cardiology at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, and an expert in heart beat abnormalities, said the concept is interesting but that Petelenz showed no evidence his patients actually had arrhythmias.

Petelenz presented results from a study he conducted on 115 people who had previously fainted or come close to losing consciousness because of various heart problems. They were taught how to recognize the symptoms — sudden dizziness and weakness, shortness of breath, sudden sweating and blurred vision — and then taught the proper coughing technique.

The patients used the cough in 365 instances where they thought they were about to faint. The symptoms disappeared in 292 cases and medical attention was required in only 73 cases.

“All patients survived until the follow-up therapy, which included 45 pacemaker implantations, 55 heart surgeries and 15 (drug) interventions,” Petelenz said.

Berry good to yourself!

Berry good to yourself


THE YOU DOCS
Asliced sweet, succulent strawberry is more than a perfect cereal topper, meal-ender, afternoon snack or treat to smother in dark chocolate.

These little fruits have more powers than the cast of Twilight. A few berries can :

Fill you up without pudging you out at just 50 little calories in a cup.

Help your heart by shaving down levels of C-reactive protein, an indicator of heart-hampering inflammation. These berries could also smack down the effects of lousy LDL cholesterol. And they make oatmeal even healthier as their vitamin C boosts phenols in the oats, causing their heart-helping powers to grow.

Stop cancer in its tracks. Certain compounds in strawberries, especially ellagic acid, may be able to block cancer at its starting point and keep tumors from progressing.

Maintain your processing speed. Strawberries – like most other foods whose name ends in "berries" – are high in flavonoids that help reduce the risk of needless brain aging.

Help keep your digestive system running smoother than a Mercedes-Benz.

SPREAD 'EM: Supercharge your energy, your plumbing, your waist-narrowing work and your body's defences against heart disease and cancer do it all with a super-fast breakfast.

One slice of chewy, 100 per cent whole-grain toasted bread gets you one-sixth of the way to your daily whole-grain goals.

Nut butters, such as peanut butter from ground peanuts only, as well as walnut butter, cashew, almond and pecan butters are way better for your energy level than margarines or butter. And avocado butter – the flesh mashed with flavours like lemon juice, capers, pepper, salsa, is a good spread for your bread.

Now that's what we call a great toast to your health.

PROBIOTIC VS. TRAINER: You don't have to be a celebrity with a chef, a nanny and a big-name personal trainer to emerge from pregnancy svelte and glamorous. A little probiotic pill may help prevent baby-weight gain.

We recommend taking probiotics daily to keep your digestive system running smoothly, beef up your immune system and reduce damaging inflammation. You have 10 trillion bacteria in and on you, so you might as well choose to have the good kind.

A new study from Finland found that pregnant women who started taking probiotic supplements during their first trimester – and kept up the regimen throughout the term – had a lower percentage of body fat after delivery than women who ate the same diet but didn't take the supplements. Researchers saw no harm to the supplement takers' babies.) The probiotics that kept new moms svelte were the easy-to-find ones called Lactobacillus CG and bifidobacterium.

NUTS TO THAT! What's the better choice: rushing through your to-do list or leaving a few things undone?

Well, you've heard us talk about the hazards of NUTs – the Nagging, Unfinished Tasks that stress you every time you see them,mess with your health and makes your body older.

But going full-speed ahead so you can finish everything? Death rates from heart disease are higher in cultures where people tend to walk fast, work fast and live by the clock compared to those in more laid-back locales.

Prioritize. When too much stuff obscures your true purpose in life, and makes you feel like you're not doing anything well, you need to take a good look at what's important. Take 10 minutes now to write down what you need to, want to and can do comfortably.

Do what meets all three criteria and scrap the others from your to-do list. Either do them instead of watching TV this week, delegate them or just abandon any hope for ever doing them. It isn't worth it for your health. Rushing through too many tasks now doesn't save you time if it lands you in the intensive care unit.

Do what's important and love it. Your body will, too.

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/article/645829

emmanuel

Flexibility Training - Don't forget to stretch!

Flexibility training has always been an important part of a total fitness program, but really came into the limelight in 1975 when Bob Anderson published the book Stretching. For the first time in 1998, “based on the growing evidence of its multiple benefits”, the ACSM included recommendations on flexibility exercise. Flexibility of the body’s joints is an important component of many everyday (from pulling on your pants and tying your shoes in the morning) and athletic movements (from a squash serve to the high jump). The premise for flexibility training is simple. By increasing a joint’s ability to move, you may decrease the risk of musculoskeletal injury. Flexibility is most simply defined as the capacity of a joint to move through a full range of motion (ROM) and is limited by joint structure, the ligaments, tendons, and muscle(s) about that joint. Flexibility is very joint-specific. For instance, it is possible to have flexible shoulder joints, but tight hip joints. A flexibility training program should be designed to progressively increase the ROM about a joint over a select period of time.

Stretches can be categorized into the following types

Ballistic Stretches

Ballistic stretches are ‘bouncing’ exercises that employ momentum of a moving body segment to produce a stretch. The end position is not held and the movement may trigger the stretch reflex which actually causes the muscles to contract.
This method is believed to inconsistently stretch the tissue, which may lead to injury. It is not a recommended method of stretching for the average client.

Dynamic Stretches

Dynamic stretches involve movement rather than being held. Unlike ballistic stretches, dynamic stretches are controlled movements.The stretch occurs as the movement gradually proceeds from one body position to another and then returns slowly and smoothly to the starting position.Dynamic stretching avoids bouncing and usually involves motions specific to a sport or required movement pattern.

Static Stretches

Non-moving stretches held at the end range of a joint for a given period of time.
During the holding time, the muscle being lengthened is relaxed
Actively contracting the opposing muscle group assists muscle relaxation
in the opposing muscle group (the muscles being lengthened).
If muscles are tense, they will be contracted or shortened, defeating the purpose of a static stretch.

PNF Stretches

Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF) is a technique that involves the inducement of muscle relaxation by first contracting the muscle group to be stretched and then statically stretching the same muscle group.
The muscle group is lengthened by moving the joint to the end of its ROM i.e., to the point of slight discomfort.
The muscle (or muscle group) is contracted against some kind of resistance causing isometric tension in the muscle or muscle group to be stretched.
The muscle group is subsequently lengthened through a slow and static stretch.
To further enhance muscle relaxation during the static stretch phase, it is suggested that the opposing muscle group be contracted.

(From “The Art and Science of Personal Training 2nd edition)

Stretch!
emmanuel

Women's Self Defence Workshop

The irresistible charm of dexterity

by Spyro Katsigiannis

Unlike today's fitness industry that places extreme emphasis on either physical attributes (strength, power, speed etc) or physical appearance, folk wisdom values dexterity (the ability of an "intelligent body" to spontaneously solve problems that arise out of the interaction with one's environment) very highly. The epics, fairy tales and proverbs of cultures from all around the world praise dexterity consistently - the famous Bible legend of yound David who beat the giant Goliath using his wits and skill is one of the first to pop in mind. Russian - Jewish neurophysiologist and pioneer of the science of biomechanics N.A. Bernstein included the following fable (presumably of Russian origin) in his classic text On Dexterity and Its Development. I find it very inspiring so I thought I should share it:

"The father sent his three sons to travel around the world and to learn wisdom. In three years, the sons were back and told the father that one of them had learned the skills of the barber, the second one had learned the profession of the blacksmith, and the third one had become a fencer.
The father asked them all to sit in front of the house and to wait for a chance to demonstrate their skills. The one who bested the brothers would inherit the house and all the valuables.
They sat for a short while and saw a large hare hopping across the field.
'This one is just for me', said the barber. He took his instruments, ran after the hare, put foam on its muzzle, and shaved it clean without cutting the skin.
'Yes', said the father, "You are certainly a great master. If your brothers do not do something amazing, the house will be yours'.
'Wait a minute, daddy', said the second son, the blacksmith.
And exactly at that time, a carriage appeared on the road pulled by a pair of trotters. The blacksmith grabbed his tools, ran after the carriage, tore off all eight horseshoes and replaced them with new oneswithout stopping the carriage.
'Wow', said the father, 'I can see that you also did not waste your time. I don't know who is more dexterous of you too. Your brother will have a hard time catching his elder brothers'.
He had just spoken these words, when it started to rain. The father and the two elder sons crawled under the bench while the third son, the fencer, remained outside. He drew out his sword and sterted to swing it over his head hitting away each drop of water. The rain grew harder and harder and eventually it started to pour. But the younger son just swung his sword quicker and quicker and managed to deflect every drop according to the perfect rules of fencing, so that he remained as dry as if he were sitting under an umbrella.
The father could not make a choice and divided his estate between all three sons. That was the only smart thing to do".

I really don't know what made things change so much since the times when people recounted fables as cool as this, but it seems to me that nowadays dexterity is underrated or rather, ignored, especially in the world of martial arts and combat training, in favour of crude physical attributes, such as strength, speed and endurance. If you just perform a search on the internet, you will mostly find people obsessed with numbers: it's always about how much weight one can move, how many reps of a given exercise one can perform in a given amount of time or for how long can one continously perform one exercise before exhausting himself. And then there are the people obsessed with appearance - the "six-pack, the "big guns" (biceps, that is), and the shoulders that look as if you can rest the world on top of them. Especially in North America this "notion" of cosmetic muscle building is so pervasive that some people believe Fedor Emelianenko can't really fight, since he looks like a fat guy!

http://systemasweden.blogspot.com/2009/05/irresistible-charm-of-dexterity.html

Well said Spyros!
Emmanuel

Five Key Components to Recover from Knee Surgery

Five Key Components to achieve complete recovery from
knee pain after knee surgery...

1.) Breathing
2.) Water
3.) Nutrition
4.) Exercise
5.) Stretching

For more information check out....www.thekneepainguru.com

Healing Concepts
1214 Barret Avenue
Louisville
Kentucky 40204
United States

PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT

Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car.

The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car's battery dies.

This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this:

It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation.

Test it.

It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain.

It works if you park in your driveway or garage If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break into your house, odds are the burglar rapist won't stick around... After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that. And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there ..... This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or a sexual abuse crime.

P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. Would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem.


Hope this helps,
emmanuel

Speed Reading

Hello All,

I finally gave in and tried one of these course....it's pretty cool but I can read faster now!

Benefits of Speed Reading

With the misconceptions cleared up, let's talk about how you can benefit from speed reading. Really, this is one skill that will help you in many areas of your life, and it's important to understand how. First you should know that the average American reads at 230 - 280 WPM (words-per-minute). A good speed reader can read at several times that speed, that is 1500 - 2500 WPM.

Imagine the next time you read that business report, community newsletter, college paper or research material, or even just an article on the Internet. With speed reading in your list of tools you will be able to finish your reading ten times faster. Suddenly that report that used to take you sixty minute to get through is only taking you six!

Of course speed is just the major benefit of reading faster; there are also some others that you should know about.
Increased Reading Comprehension: Speed reading works to increase your reading comprehension by making you focus on the task at hand. When you speed read you will understand what you've read better than you ever have before.
Better Memorization of what You've Read: Focusing on reading increases your comprehension, but it also increases retention. If you're someone who often forgets what they've just read, speed reading will aid in memorization.
You'll become a Better Teacher: Parents who learn speed reading are better enabled to teach their children to read. Speed reading increases reading ability in general and it will make you a better teacher.
You Increase your Efficiency at Many Task: Reading faster will make you more efficient at work, at home, when you're reading your morning paper. What will you do with all your extra time?
You'll be able to learn anything faster: Speed reading will make you a better learner. Whether you're a student or an adult who just wants to learn something new. As a speed reader you will get through the material faster, understand it better, and retain in better than you ever have before.

Lots of good website that offer this...check them out it's worth your time!

Hope this helps,
emmanuel

Flow, the Psychology of Optimal Experience

Highly Recommended!

Flow, the Psychology of Optimal Experience,
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.


“We have all experienced times when, instead of being buffeted by anonymous forces, we do feel in control of our actions, masters of our own fate. On the rare occasions that it happens, we feel a sense of exhilaration, a deep sense of enjoyment that is long cherished and that becomes a landmark in memory for what life should be like….. moments like these are not the passive, receptive, relaxing times…the best moments usually occur when a person’s body or mind is stretched to its limits in a voluntary effort to accomplish something difficult and worthwhile.”

An engaging book, packed with information and new ways of thinking about life. Csikszentmihalyi has spent his professional life researching happiness, and his conclusions have led him to believe (with considerable evidence) that most people are happiest at these times when they are stretching themselves to achieve something.

The conditions for the ideal flow activities are that they provide a sense of discovery, a creative feeling of transporting the person into a new reality. They push the person into higher levels of performance, and lead to previously undreamed-of states of consciousness. They transform the self by making it more complex. In turn that means that the activity needs to continue to grow and become more complex so that it continues to provide the growth and challenge to make it meaningful.
The book goes on to describe all the different ways in which people have achieved flow throughout the centuries, and how much of music, art, literature and religion can be viewed through a lens which suggests that they are all ways in which the human race tries to formalise ways in which flow can be achieved more easily.

Enjoy,
emmanuel

Massage & Stretching Workshop Review

by Mark Fan

This seminar showed me two interesting things.

First, from the massage perspective, perhaps the most important thing I noticed was the effect it had on everyone. I think everyone was more "quiet" on the inside. Being massaged and massaging someone else relaxes and calms you to a degree where you can really be patient and sensitive to another person, as well as yourself. This is definitely important when it comes to doing detailed and precise work, because it provides a good mindset to start from. Also, it shows you what it feels like to be relaxed! :)

Naturally, stretching after developing this kind of inner relaxation was different. Often, I want to rush when it comes to stretching. I just want to do the stretch and get it over with, but after getting a massage, I was much more patient with my own limitations and was willing to relax into the stretch longer, and feel it more.

Then we got to the dynamic stretching, and I found it was a good extension of the breath and movement seminars. For example, tension starts to appear at the limits of your stretch (because it can start to hurt!), but Manny showed us how we could consciously relax the various parts of our body that we unconsciously allowed tension to come to. The result was that I could stretch at least an extra inch, just by freeing things that were unnecessarily involving themselves in the process.

Because stretching can cause pain at its limits, it also has application to fighting. The last class I attended Manny showed finger work, and when someone sharply locks your fingers, the effect can be the same as a stretch, but faster because its dictated by someone else. A surge of tension would suddenly appear everywhere. This is a problem, because that tension allows the fingers to break.

The great thing is though, if we go back to the previous workshops, you can regain your freedom with the breathing. That simple movement inside your chest also starts to relax the rest of you, and if you don't let the movement stop (like from the second workshop), you have a chance to save your fingers. Good stuff!

Why Bodyweight Exercises work so well

* When you do squats Hindu pushups, body raises, leg raises or variations of them,
you are working major muscle groups. Most people who train with weights
do isolation exercises. The person who works major muscle groups beats the
isolation exercises.

* Because bodyweight exercises are 'natural' movements that require deeper
self-concentration, neurological connections are stronger than they are when
your focus is on something other than yourself, i.e. 'weights.'

* Bodyweight exercises allow you to train your body from virtually any angle
or position. The same cannot be said of weights, especially all those machines.

* Bodyweight exercises simultaneously increase strength, endurance and
flexibility.

* Bodyweight exercises attack the muscle at a deeper level than weights, thereby
giving you greater 'functional strength.' The person who does a set of pullups, for
example, works the muscles of the back and arms far more than the person doing
a lat pulldown on a machine.

There are more reasons 'why' - but I'll let you discover them yourself. This way it will
mean a lot more to you in the end.

Emmanuel

The Two thing I ask....

1. Live your life.

2. Dream.

As you live your life make sure you don't structure it in such a way that it kills your dreams.

I know there are some dream that cannot be dreamed, just there like there are some storms we cannot weather.
However if you quiet yourself, the noise in your head and live a good life you'll catch the dream and find shelter from the storm till it passes.

Someone sacrificed for you, never forget that...Earn your life.
emmanuel

Reviews from the Movement WorkShop

Two reviews that were posted about the Movement Workshop I held at FightClub.
Both Students captured exactly what I wanted to share.....

------------

Posted by Janik

The movement workshop showed me all the potential that we have that remains unexploited because of the fact that we don't move enough. That exercise you made us do of rolling all our joints (pardon the pun) really makes you realize what more there is to a particular movement or another.

Truly an eye-opener.


------------

Posted by Mark

There's two topics I liked, particularly because of their relationship to fighting.

First was the theme of never stopping combined with the concept of the "spring". When we reached the end of a particular movement and then allowed our body to spring back into motion, I found it was economical on many levels. Of course, there was a reduction of physical effort, but also mentally, the exercise became more about sensitivity rather than effort. You felt the boundaries of the movement and the capabilities of your body, and that dictated the outcome. You didn't have to "try" to do the exercise, it was allowed to happen.

Second was the work we did walking with flat feet. It was mentioned that this is precisely how we walk after we've slipped on ice and need to continue walking. We walk carefully, with our weight over our flat feet. There's a lot of humility in walking on ice. You can't go harder or faster, its usually too solid to break with a kick. Ice can neutralize you completely, and you are reduced to slowly shuffling across it.

Yet in both cases, the drills were great for fighting and actually seem to work together to form a balance. For example, the "spring" is a natural extension of continuous movement, but I like it because it adds a natural rhythm to your movement, a rhythm unique to you. This kind of sensitivity to the boundaries and redirection of your movement seems excellent for mass attack. At the same time, the spring can be a little wild if you take it too far. If we go back to the walking on ice analogy, the flat feet encourage proper structure and reduces the chances of overextending yourself (the basic concept behind slipping on ice).

Its not immediately apparent how to tie together these movements with the first seminar on breathing. At first glance they seem to be disparate... A lot of twisting movements for example are quite difficult to perform at the peak of the inhale and feel better to me on the exhale. There's clearly a relationship to the restriction of your chest. The natural restoration of posture however, leads to a natural restoration of your inhale. "Letting every breath" as it may be, is really one of the more effective ways to work with our body.

Mediterranean-type diets are healthiest!

Mediterranean-type diets are healthiest, says a major study of cardiac risks

A little red wine is in. Red meat is unquestionably out. And the Mediterranean diet is simply golden.

That is the conclusion of a study out of McMaster University that seeks to offer the most definitive word yet on the foods that are good for your heart.

The study, which examined almost 60 years' worth of existing research on diet and heart disease, attempts to separate the whole wheat from the chaff on foods in a way that doctors and consumers can swallow with confidence, says Dr. Sonia Anand, the study's senior author. It ran yesterday in the journal Archives of Internal Medicine.


http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=2252086668&topic=8814

A letter written a long time ago to Mrs. Bixby from Boston

Dear Madam,

I have been shown in the files of the War Department a statement of the
Adjutant General of Massachusetts that you are the mother of five sons who
have died gloriously on the field of battle.

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any words of mine that would
attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming.
But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be
found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save.

I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement,
and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved, lost, and the
solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice
upon the altar of freedom.

Yours, very sincerely and respectfully,
Abraham Lincoln

Body Movement Workshop

Life is movement. Are you free to move?

Come learn how your body’s muscular and skeletal systems are
integrated through movements. One of my favorite topics!

See everyone there tomorrow - April 11th
emmanuel

Very Well Said!

Thanks Mark...


"I think I came to learn more after reflecting on the seminar during the following days. I was impressed by the amount of inner freedom we have (the exercises for finding the flexibility of our ribs and chest were very useful for this). I also enjoyed the drills that showed that we could direct the breath pressure inside of ourselves, with implications for taking strikes and improving body awareness.

I think the best thing I learned from the seminar was seeing the space inside the chest cavity for breathing, and the flexibility of our ribs and diaphragm to accommodate it. It showed me, in a very experiential and direct way (as opposed to just conceptually imagining it), that our movements can start from within; from the breath. Just the inch of expansion and contraction of the chest gives us room to escape, generate a wave, or support us from the inside against a strike. The space makes the freedom to move possible. So the power to move and to respond literally comes from our breathing; it restarts us after tension and fear has locked us.

Also, to breathe properly, it seems we need a certain awareness. Just as movement can come from breathing (as you said Manny, "Breathing IS a movement"), breathing can come from a balanced psyche. As such, when we are breathing poorly, it serves as a reliable indicator of how we are feeling and thinking on the inside.

There seem to be so many levels to it. I don't think breathing is complicated, but at the same time, I don't think I understand its true power or potential. I'm looking forward to seeing more classes and/or seminars on it in the future!

Thanks again for the seminar!"

Mark Fan

Bottled Water Bad?

Remember when you were a kid and whenever
you needed a drink of water you turned on the
faucet.

Well, it may be time to revisit those days - or
something similar.

Why? Because most of the bottled water being
sold to us at steep prices is unsafe.

For years we've been told that water from the tap
is bad - and water that you pay for from the bottle
is good.

Well, surprise surprise.

A recent study at the University of Iowa, looked into
the contents of ten top brands of drinking water.

And guess what they found?

Here's a direct quote:

"Researchers found 38 impurities in the 10 brands of
bottled water they analysed. This included disinfection
byproducts, fertilizer residue, traces of pain medication,
solvents, chemicals used in the plastics industry, bacteria,
and radioactive strontium. Across the 10 brands, the
researchers found an average of 8 pollutants in each."

Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/125610.php

emmanuel

Nice article about Exercise

Some sound advice and facts

http://health.nytimes.com/ref/health/healthguide/esn-exercise-ess.html

emmanuel

The meek (soft and gentle) shall inherit the earth

Your body is limited in what it can accomplish
through brute physical power alone. And the longer you
push the edge of the envelope with "hard" training, the
greater the risk of doing more harm than good.

The solution is to develop a base of strength through
external exercises - and once this is in place - graduate
to the internal phase of development.

Interestingly enough, those who practice the INTERNAL
end up being far healthier, more vitally alive and much
more developed all the way around. Onlookers cannot
tell how you developed your strength and power - because
your exercises appear so meek and mild. But as the Biblical
saying goes, "The meek (soft and gentle) shall inherit the
earth."

Yes, just as water will erode stone - softness and gentleness
can defeat those with arms and legs of steel. When you are
soft, the movements you do come from within - and this gives
you incredible insight and leverage as to how to easily defeat
those who are externally oriented.

emmanuel

Healthy Eating: Strategies for a healthy diet

Here are some tips for how to choose foods that improve your health and avoid foods that raise your risk for illnesses while creating a diet plan that works for you.

Big picture strategies for healthy eating
Eat enough calories but not too many. Maintain a balance between your calorie intake and calorie expenditure—that is, don't eat more food than your body uses. The average recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but this depends on your age, sex, height, weight, and physical activity.

Eat a wide variety of foods. Healthy eating is an opportunity to expand your range of choices by trying foods—especially vegetables, whole grains, or fruits—that you don't normally eat.

Keep portions moderate, especially high-calorie foods. In recent years serving sizes have ballooned, particularly in restaurants. Choose a starter instead of an entrée, split a dish with a friend, and don’t order supersized anything.

Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes—foods high in complex carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins, and minerals, low in fat, and free of cholesterol. Try to get fresh, local produce

Drink more water. Our bodies are about 75% water. It is a vital part of a healthy diet. Water helps flush our systems, especially the kidneys and bladder, of waste products and toxins. A majority of Americans go through life dehydrated.

Limit sugary foods, salt, and refined-grain products. Sugar is added to a vast array of foods. In a year, just one daily 12-ounce can of soda (160 calories) can increase your weight by 16 pounds. See suggestions below for limiting salt and substituting whole grains for refined grains.

Don’t be the food police. You can enjoy your favorite sweets and fried foods in moderation, as long as they are an occasional part of your overall healthy diet. Food is a great source of pleasure, and pleasure is good for the heart – even if those French fries aren’t!

Get moving. A healthy diet improves your energy and feelings of well-being while reducing your risk of many diseases. Adding regular physical activity and exercise will make any healthy eating plan work even better.

One step at a time. Establishing new food habits is much easier if you focus on and take action on one food group or food fact at a time

Train to Safe Your Life

'Every man should be able to save his own
life. He should be able to swim far enough,
run fast and long enough to save his life in
case of emergency and necessity.'

The quote mentioned above comes from
Earle E. Liederman, a renowned fitness
pioneer back in the days of Charles Atlas.

Liederman did NOT advocate bodybuilding.
Or powerlifting.

Much of Liedermans' life-saving method evolved
around the development of 'strength-endurance'
with bodyweight calisthenics.

Recently, in Dr. Al Sears - Health Confidential
for Men - a newsletter I HIGHLY recommend,
he said:

'I've seen patients transform their
bodies through the power of calisthenics. You
too, can see improvements in your appearance
and in your stamina. And, by doing regular
calisthenics, you will be lowering your risk of injury
and building muscle that has been 'trained for function.'

Let's face it, big gigantic muscles may impress some
people, but there is nothing more impressive than
having the functional strength-endurance to do things
with ease - including saving someone's life. Yours
included.

Liederman's life-saving prescription is not
very far off from my own. He wrote that you should ...

* Be able to swim at least half a mile or more;
* Be able to run at top speed two hundred yards or more;
* Be able to jump over obstacles higher than your waist;
* Be in condition to pull your body upward by the
strength of your arms, until your chin touches your hands,
at least 15 to 20 times;
* Be able to dip between parallel bars or between
two chairs at least 25 times or more.

'If a man can accomplish these things,' Liederman said,
'he need have no fear concerning the safety of his life should
he be forced into an emergency from which he alone may
be able to save himself.'

These are the goals that the Body Fit program is geared
towards. http://www.fight-club.ca/toronto_body_fit_fitness_training.php

What are you waiting for?
Emmanuel

Secrets to Success ...

1. How You Think is Everything.

Always be positive. Think Success, not Failure. Beware of a negative environment.
This trait has to be one of the most important in the entire list. Positive things happen to positive people.

2. Decide upon Your True Dreams and Goals:
Write down your specific goals and develop a plan to reach them.Write down my dreams and goals?
Develop a plan to reach them? Goals are those concrete, measurable stepping stones of achievement
that track your progress towards your dreams. what are your goals?

3. Take Action. Goals are nothing without action.
Be like Nike and “Just do it”. I took action by reaching out and started writing.
Every day I try to take some action towards my goals. It may be small, but it’s
still an action. Have you taken action towards your goals?

4. Never Stop Learning: Go back to school or read books. Get training & acquire skills.
Becoming a life long learner. What have you learned today?

5. Be Persistent and Work Hard: Success is a marathon, not a sprint. Never give up.

6. Learn to Analyze Details: Get all the facts, all the input. Learn from your mistakes.
Spend time gathering details, but don’t catch ‘analysis paralysis’.

7. Focus Your Time And Money: Don’t let other people or things distract you.
Don’t be distracted by the naysayer’s or tasks that are not helping you achieve your goals.

8. Don’t Be Afraid To Innovate: Be different. Following the herd is a sure way to mediocrity.
Follow through on that break-out idea you have. Ask yourself “What would I do if I wasn’t afraid?”

9. Deal And Communicate With People Effectively: No person is an island.
Learn to understand and motivate others.How do you deal with people?

10. Be Honest And Dependable: Take responsibility, otherwise numbers 1 – 9 won’t matter.
Enough said.

Succeed to Survive

Success is Everything by Jim Rohn

Someone once said to me that success isn't everything and I think I know what they really meant. I believe they really meant that money wasn't everything and I certainly agree with that. But I do believe that success IS everything.

First you need to succeed to survive. We must take the seasons and learn how to use them with the seed, the soil and the rain of opportunity to learn how to sustain ourselves and our family. But then second is to then succeed to flourish in every part of your life.

Good question to ask mature people: "If you could do better, should you?" And I think almost everybody would answer the question in the positive. If you could improve your health, shouldn't you do that? If you can learn more, shouldn't you do that? If you could earn more and share more, shouldn't you do that? If you can improve your relationships and spirituality, shouldn't you do that? And I think that is what success is really all about. It is not just a destination that is set for everybody to try and go for. It is like Zig Ziglar said, "Improving in every area of your life to see if you can't with satisfaction at the end of the day, week, month and year say 'I have made excellent progress this year, for myself, for my family, for my business, my career and my health.'" I think that kind of success everybody recognizes is legitimate and something we should all strive for.

Interesting phrase in the bible that says strive for perfection - not that we can ever reach it. But it is in the striving, to be a little bit better today than yesterday, in our speech, our language, our health, everything we can possibility think of.

So yes, in my opinion Success is Everything!

To Your Success,
Jim Rohn

Hidden Messages in Water

The Hidden Messages in Water
by Masaru Emoto

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWn4QF6dCwM

A great book...highly recommended!

emmanuel

Let it be something good...

"This is the beginning of a new day. You have been given this day to use as you will. You can waste it or use it for good. What you do today is important because you are exchanging a day of your life for it. When tomorrow comes, this day will be gone forever; in its place is something that you have left behind...let it be something good."

Author Unknown

Emotion - Fostering a Positive Learning Environment

“Emotion”

Fostering a Positive Learning Environment


Hello All,

I often get asked how to foster a positive learning environment. I wanted to share some of my personal insights in hopes that it might help some of you grow your own schools, teach lessons or even understand something in a different light.

Emotion is a big part of fostering a positive learning environment. There are a lot of different types of emotion. Just like spices used in cooking, the right type and amount is equally as important. It is a chemical reaction.

When students come to class their emotions can be scattered. A good warm-up and physical training can help steady, rise, or lower emotions depending on were the group is at.

If a class starts with a good emotional edge but loses it, a good instructor can say a few words or give a demonstration that can correct the class and get them back on course. This way the lesson has it desired impact.

You can also encounter circumstances where the majority of students have positive emotion but a few do not, even after a good warm-up. In this case, the best approach is to have a conversation with the student(s). I have found that it is usually related to a bad day and just quickly acknowledging it will free the student from the emotional burden of carrying it around. And depending on the student, a quick back stepping massage or a shoulder stretch can release emotional tension.

The key to creating a positive environment is to really feel it. Sometimes I’ll turn my back to the class as I’m teaching or close my eyes for a second and listen. The sound has energy and that energy gives me emotion. If it feels right I just leave students alone to continue training and not interrupt.

Always remember….

You can’t always control your environment, but trying to foster a positive learning environment is within your control. It’s a teacher’s responsibility to make sure that a positive environment exists. The alternative is dangerous and carelessness. I would encourage you to take a look at books on the topic. You will not regret it.

emmanuel manolakakis

Martial Arts Instruction

by Lawrence A. Kane

A good book about Applying Educational Theory and Communication Techniques in the Dojo.
If your a teacher of martial arts its a good book to read. Very well laid out and useful information
at your finger tips.

enjoy
emmanuel

YOU’RE EITHER TRAINED OR YOU’RE NOT

YOU’RE EITHER TRAINED OR YOU’RE NOT

By
LtCol Al

It’s been a while since I’ve written (mostly because of working on the second addition of “Attack
Proof”) so I have to be careful not to give away something that has been added to the book. So in
this newsletter I’ll just offer some philosophical thoughts in order to aid in your training and
hopefully clarify some things based on questions and concerns we have received from students
both in NY and from afar, thus… You’re Either Trained Or You’re Not

In the movie “Man on Fire” the main character “Creasy” played by Denzel Washington, is a
ruthless bodyguard (also former assassin) sworn to protect his young client “Pita” played by
Dakota Fanning. Without giving the movie away in case you haven’t seen it, in one of the more
memorable scenes in the movie Pita asks Creasy “Is anyone tougher than you?” and he replies “It
ain’t about being tough-- you’re either trained or your not…” While a work of fiction, this movie
really hits the nail on the head and touches on something that I think is lost on many people. The
point being no matter how tough you think you are or how physically fit, if you are not properly
trained, all of the toughness and fitness in the world may not amount to a hill of beans in a real
life and death confrontation.
It seems that over the past few years there have been a number of people who have slowly been
coming around to this understanding and the fact that in order to train for a real bloodbath you
must have a real training program rooted in “Principles” rather than just a collection of
techniques, forms or one steeped only in physical conditioning. I think people are beginning to
realize and accept that because a real fight is utter chaos containing a multitude of possibilities.
You can know a million techniques and striking combinations and be in the greatest shape in the
world, but if the bad guy decides not to cooperate with your plan, you’ve got a big problem on
your hands. In short he who is better trained is better prepared, and “luck” falls on the side of the
man who is better prepared, period.

Amen
Emmanuel

On the Radio Today

Hello All,

On the radio today from 2-3pm CIUT 89.5

Listen in if you can!

http://www.ciut.fm/

emmanuel

My Father

John Ioannis Manolakakis
Born January 5th, 1939 - March 4th, 2009

This has been a very difficult month for my family.
I could never express all the emotions to anyone.

My dads brother (my uncle) wrote me a poem to read
at his funeral. I think says it all.....

“Once there were 4 candles that were lit bright,
God came and blew one out,
He looked back in the days that followed,
Only to see them all out”

Mihalis Manolakakis

Rest In Peace Dad
Your son

Rolls and Falls

ROLLS AND FALLS

by Emmanuel Manolakakis

When you talk about rolls and falling one must first consider their many aspects and applications. A roll or fall can be done by choice, but usually results from a reaction to something. They can also be used as an offensive move but are more commonly a defensive one.
A typical urban street is a hard, uneven surface with lots of little stones or debris. It is not a place you would want to land. On a conscious level this would explain why most people hate going to the ground. On an unconscious level people love or hate the ground because of their training. A wrestler loves this area while a boxer may not, this comes from their training and the psychology around their particular sports.

In SYSTEMA rolling or falling is just another skill that you can call upon when you need. Just like a punch, kick or grab, it is a movement like any other. You don't need to love or hate the ground, just become friends with it. If you need to go there go, if not don't. Your situation will dictate more what is possible.

As I often mention to my students, your chances of falling, slipping or tripping on something during the course of the year are more likely then you getting into a fight. Hospitals are full of people having hurt themselves by falling. Injuries are common to the hands, arms, back and head. Practicing this aspect has an application beyond the martial art.

Training on hard surfaces is preferable to mats. An old Russian saying is "a hard floor is like a good friend, a soft one is like a bad one". Your focus should be on blanketing the ground, not slamming into it. Contact is made only on the soft tissue, not the bones. A good indicator would be the amount of noise from your roll or fall. No noise is excellent. Banging would indicate bones are contacting the ground and could possibly be damaged.

You begin a roll with your hands stretched out in front of you. This is an instinctual position for your hands. They come forward to brace or stop a fall - this is the body's way of trying to protect itself, so start from here. Rotate the arm from the hand so that your shoulder rolls forward. You will be rolling through the shoulder and the back, on the soft tissue and muscles, not on any bones. The legs will come around and land carefully, not slamming into the ground. Using the momentum of the roll and not fighting it is essential.

Now that we can get to the ground safely let's talk about ground fighting. There are two main perspectives - survival or competition based. You must make decisions when you train about which path you will follow. A lot depends on your personal goals, aspirations and wants from martial arts.

I have done both in my years and can safely say that survival based training is much more practical, efficient and safe. By focusing on survival you more easily build creativity and awareness skills. These two attributes are vital for any real life applications.

SYSTEMA starts by having students simply move on the ground - crawling, sliding, shuffling and rolling. No negative stimulus is initially applied. This gives a student room to discover and learn his or her movements. Following this you can start to progress and have someone walk towards you while you're on the ground. Your objective is to simply move out of the way safely. This simple drill can get very interesting when your training partner starts to run at you and you are forced to move quickly. Add to this the many other students surrounding you in class doing the same thing and the person running is just half the problem. The progress has no limits, you can have your partner start to step or kick you while you are on the ground or have them use a stick or knife to strike you with, the objective is still the same - just move out of the way. The offensive applications come from the movement chosen by each student. Anything is possible, the only limit is the students creativity.

Time is also spent in the more traditional forms of wrestling - where two people are locked or engaged physically. Students are shown how to use the ground to their advantage and how to work with their movements. They learn first hand what works and what does not work for them.

Hey Everyone

Check out the video clip...

http://www.youtube.com/user/FightClubmma

Comments?

Emmanuel

Training for Economy of Performance

The fact that someone can protect themselves by simply
moving is an incredibly simple one. Following years of
training, I came to understand that the problem with my
movements was that I loved them too much! There was a
lot of wasted effort, not very efficient at all. I started to
look closer at training for economy of performance.
I changed my training focus to reduce my movements
to accomplish more with less effort.


Hence, economy of performance improves as a result of:
• low psychological stress;
• good posture (being lighter on your feet);
• eliminating energy-wasting movements;
• efficiency of breathe.

Low psychological stress
In psychological terms, good performance is the result
of focus and optimal arousal. Focus is the ability to set
aside irrelevant factors, and be calm. The first step is
setting aside work and family concerns during training.
Thus you learn to be in the present, not thinking about
what might be. Optimal arousal means being psyched
without being anxious. Anxiety results in loss of focus,
increased muscle tension and less efficient movements.

Good Posture (being lighter on your feet)
Bending, leaning or reaching, breaks your form which
then weakens your structure, directly impacting the
economy of performance.
By paying attention to posture, one can make a
significant difference in triming away excessive body
movements. Your arms and legs will become more
relaxed and move efficient.

Eliminating useless, energy-wasting movements 

Tension makes you rigid and stiff, but more importantly,
it robs you of energy and fills you with wasted
movements. By making your movements smooth,
you will find more
subtle ways of applying power and breaking someone
elses form while keeping yours.
Have a closer look at all your abilities and make sure
everything is pointed in the right direction. For example,
when you punch or kick the vertor of force should be going
forward. If you pull back sharply you’re taking some power
backwards. If you tense up your feet, some power is
traveling dwonward. If your yelling upon contact, some
power is leaving through your lungs.

Efficiency of breathe
The benefits are to many to mention. Practice your
breathing relentlessly. Read book Let Every Breathe by
Vladmir and your will be on your way to more ecomical
and efficient training. 
If you find training gets too intense,
take a break and get your breath back before contining,
or have a plan to work through and recover. It is one of
the true cornerstones of any martial arts training.

Here a three drills I use to help me train for economy:

The three time drill
Have someone grab, punch, kick or stab at you at
random. Handle it spontaneously. Then have your partner
repeat the attack the exact same way another two times
and see if you could improve on your response. Polish it up.

Video tape yourself
You might find out that there are a lot of little useless
movements or nuances you have developed over the
years that you cannot explain. Have a trusted teacher or
friend watch with you and you’ll get an even better
prespective.


Don’t focus on the esthetics of it all
Sometimes we want things to be too pretty to show off
our skills. Doing the right thing feels right and is usually
simple and quick. Not just in martial arts but also life.

“The strong take from the weak and
the smart take from the strong”


 - Pete Carril, former Princeton basketball coach

I hope this helps you,
Emmanuel Manolakakis