13: Positive Vibrations: All great news!

It has been a while since I've blogged, and this is because I've been tired as hell! It's also because I've been watching episodes of "Dexter" every night when I get home from the gym. Who ever thought a serial killer could be so charming?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you owe it to yourself to check out one of the greatest shows of all time (inspired by the novel, Darkly Dreaming Dexter, by Jeff Lindsay).

More importantly however, is a recent development at our gym which has all of us really excited. Last week, the addition of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor and former Renzo (pronounced "hen-zo") Gracie student, Todd Wheeler, was a big step up for us as an MMA gym.

Coach Wheeler recently moved here from Los Angeles, where he trained with the best of the best at Hollywood Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.

Renzo Gracie is one of the most well-known Jiu Jitsu fighters in the world, and to have a brown belt out of his academy as one of our instructors, is a huge deal. To boot, Coach Wheeler is probably the nicest person I've ever met in a gym, and he is wholly committed to the positive development of our skills and of our school. His friendliness, positive attitude, experience, and eagerness to teach makes for the perfect combination in an instructor.

He even agreed to support my Army unit during our combatives training this May. The Modern Army Combatives Program (MACP) consists primarily of BJJ and originated at the Gracie Academy in California.

The first day he joined our team, he rolled with every single person in the class without so much as 40 seconds rest in between opponents. Of course, he submitted each one of us, some taking longer than others. When I pulled a technique called "Rubber Guard" on him he told me, "Eddie used to pull that on me all the time."

Of course I knew exactly who he was talking about. Eddie Bravo, creator of his own breed of BJJ called "10th Planet Jiu Jitsu," also created the technique I'd just employed. It just so happens that he is also one of my idols, and Coach Wheeler trained with him for about two years in L.A.

Incredible. Renzo Gracie, Eddie Bravo ... who knows what other great Jiu Jitsu artists this guy has crossed paths with and trained with? I will be sure to find out.

This new instructor has a wealth of experience, knowledge and skill, and I would have to be stupid not to take advantage of this opportunity.

As a result, I was eager to get to BJJ class this evening, where I not only learned some great new moves from Coach Wheeler, but I got to roll with him again as well.

He wasn't as easy on me this time as he was the first day, and literally within seconds, he tapped me out. We continued to roll, and he landed me in everything from wrist locks and arm bars to various chokes. He did the same with everyone else in the class. I didn't last quite as long as some of the others, but as I said before - win or lose - every second on the mat brings me closer to where I need to be.

Some other great news in my world, is that a buddy of mine from Erie emailed me yesterday that he had an extra ticket to the World Extreme Cagefighting (W.E.C.) fights in Columbus, Ohio next month. W.E.C. is the lighter-weight classes of the Ultimate Fighting Championships (UFC), and as a result, the fights are generally packed with much faster-paced action in comparison.

I was trying to figure out how I could drive from North Carolina to Ohio without spending a bunch of dough, because I really, really wanted to go to my first major-organization pro MMA event. This event features some big names, such as former UFC fighter Jens Pulver, Miguel Torres, Brian Bowles, and Dominic Cruz. Cruz trains with one of my all time favorite fighters, Brandon Vera. Might catch a glimpse of him there - maybe even get a photo with him.

That same night, I was flagged down by one of our fighters just before Muay Thai class. He wanted me to to sign up to go with our team to the Arnold Sports Festival in Columbus the same day of the W.E.C. fights. Apparently there is Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu tournaments as well. The trip is free - hotel included!

I don't think I believed in destiny before yesterday. But if it exists, this has got to be it. Great times lie ahead, for sure!

As if all that isn't great enough, after seeing my designs, the head of MMA at our gym, Johnny "Kru," agreed to carry and sell some of my Instinct Fightwear merchandise at our gym. Pardon me, but holy shit!

Now, I've got another idea - it would be an investment, but I could print some t-shirts prior to the Ohio trip and give them away for free to pro fighters at the W.E.C. event and sell them at the Arnold event. Nice.

Let's hope my luck continues in this direction!

As Bob Marley said, "Positive vibrations, yeah ..."

No Sequel Fightwear coming soon!

The various "Instinct" logos that have been featured as the header on this site, will soon be available as a line of clothing from No Sequel Fightwear.

Most of fighters I know don't go out of their way to call attention to themselves in public, and therefore are not interested in the gaudy, over-done designs that are being produced by some of the big fightwear companies today. A lot of fans as well, just don't necessarily dig all the skulls and wings. How does that stuff relate to combat sports, anyway?

No Sequel Fightwear is a great way to pay tribute to your favorite sport without looking like an asshole.

Wear it. Love it. It's Instinct.

12: Dog Fight

Today I woke up to my wife and daughter screaming at the dogs, then screaming for me, and I knew immediately what was happening - dog fight in the back yard.

I was in my underwear and snuggled in my bed under the covers. There's three inches of snow out there this morning - a considerable amount for Raleigh, North Carolina.

We have four dogs, and of course I immediately wondered what combination of them had lost their tempers while frolicking in the winter wonderland that was our back yard. I really, really wasn't in the mood to be taking bloody dogs to the vet to be stitched up - especially since I was coming down with a sinus infection and was already pissed about missing the past three days of training.

I had a flashback to my childhood:
"He started it!"
"Nuh-uhhh!" YOU did!"
Punching my brother. Wrestling. Parents pulling us apart. Kicking each other once out of arms reach. Getting chucked into separate rooms.

Eventually, my parents got sick of breaking up fights and decided to just let us duke it out whenever we got into it. That's when it really got interesting.

"BRAAANDOOON!"

But I digress. Unfortunately, I can't allow the dogs to "duke it out," or one of them could end up in critical condition - or worse.

Boot-camp style, I threw on a pair of jeans and flip flops and ran for the back door. I asked my wife (nicely) to "Grab me a f***in' rake or somethin'!" as I passed through the kitchen.

Armed with the rake, I charged toward the hairy threesome with the handle end pointed ahead of me like a lance.

Our bulldog and beagle had a "tug o' war" going on, while our other dog, a furry mutt named Jake, was on the double-shit end of it. According to my daughter, our basset hound was in on it too, until he heard me come out the door. It was like a public stoning, and Jake was the damned.

They separated when I got close. I expected to see flesh hanging off of at least one of them, especially Jake, but they got out of it with a few puncture wounds and sore legs - no deep, bloody gashes. Thank goodness.

After this ordeal, I couldn't help but reflect on the idea that fighting really is natural. Even with our sweet little pups - the big babies that they otherwise are - there is something deep down inside that gives them the tendency to fight every once in a while.

It's instinct.

Sponsor!!

Very special thanks to my first sponsor, Piedmont Chiropractic and Dr. Sean Phillips, for taking care of all of my spinal health needs.

Every time someone cranks my neck or knocks my ribs out of whack, this guy fixes me up just right. Additionally, he offers great advice and services for maintaining spinal and central nervous system health.

I can't thank you enough!!!!!

11: Nuthin' But a Thang

It came to be that time again - I'm recovered from the ringworm and was cleared to get back into Muay Thai class and sparring (yessss!). In my world, there is an atmosphere of relief and excitement. I'm back sooner than I had expected.

I sparred for three, 3-minute rounds this past Thursday with a 1-round break between each session. I have no injuries to report - only a sore nose and forehead, which I can feel each time I put on a pair of sunglasses. That is great news, because it means I was keeping my chin tucked!

I didn't get rocked at all this time, and I held my own for most of the sparring (though I was totally gassed out by the third round).

Each round, I sparred with a different opponent. The thing I noticed most was difference between everyone's styles of fighting.

Guy Number One was taller, bigger, faster, stronger, more experienced, and I think just generally meaner, than me. He peppered my face with jabs and combinations. He was hard to hit, and he was slightly intimidating. It will take me some time to get used to sparring with guys of this caliber.

Any sports psychologist will tell you that the psychological aspect of fighting is just as important as actual fighting skills. I have more confidence on order, but it arrives in installments.

The second guy was someone that I also expected to dominate me, but that didn't turn out to be the case. Partly this was because I had just sparred with Guy Number One, and had survived without getting rocked. This boosted my confidence, which allowed me to become more offensive in my game.

Guy Number Two was taller and skinnier than me, and after seeing him work the bags in Muay Thai class, I thought he'd be much faster as well.

While Guy Number One seemed to be more of a boxer/wrestler, the second fellow was strictly Muay Thai. He kicked me a lot more, but with the shin pads on, I really couldn't feel it. Shin pads totally work to the recipient's advantage when sparring.

A real fight would have felt quite different. Having his shin bone crashing against the sides of my arms and legs could have messed me up early. I did find some good openings for my punches and kicks, and I can say that he really didn't beat me too badly. He probably won on points, but in a real match, I think my power would have been my saving grace.

I was able to block a lot of his shots and get into a decent Muay Thai clinch, where I landed what would have been some devastating knees to the body, had it been a real match. Blasting someone with 16-oz padded boxing gloves is more forgivable during a sparring session than cracking somebody with knees or elbows with any real amount of force. That's simply too dangerous, and is reserved only for real fights and competitions.

Coincidentally, the Muay Thai clinch is where I'm most comfortable. I also noticed that the neck exercises I've been doing are really paying off. The clinch didn't wear me out like it used to, and at no point did anyone challenge my clinch with any real efficiency.

I went into round three already gassed out, but I forced myself to go in just for the sake of getting stronger.

Guy Number Three was clearly a boxer, but he knew how to kick. However, after realizing that kicking me while wearing shin pads didn't have much effect, he resorted to boxing and great foot movement, which made him seemingly impossible to punch.

Impossible to punch, but easy to kick. Whatever direction he started moving in, I simply kicked with that leg, and he ran right into it. In order to avoid my leg or body kicks, he would have had to not move more than one step in any direction. Without shin pads, I probably could have induced some leg damage, slowing him down. This is the kind of thing where style match-ups can make a difference.

It wasn't long however, before I was too tired to kick. About 30 seconds later, I was too tired to punch as well. I kept a good defensive boxing stance though, protecting my chin. Despite catching a few shots to the forehead and nose, I came out of it relatively unscathed. Tired as hell, but unscathed.

Hopefully my sparring sessions will continue to improve. I'm still not at the same level as any of the guys I've sparred with, but I added two more rounds and didn't get rocked this time.

I know it won't happen overnight, and tomorrow I plan on doing a lot of cardio and bag work to improve my striking.

10: A Diet I Actually Enjoy! Part I - Breakfast

O.k., so to give you an idea of what someone like me eats to try to keep a moderately healthy diet, I'll give you a few examples. You might even try these yourself if you're thinking of positively changing the way you eat while still keeping it interesting and tasty.

I have just a few main rules that I feel are essential to any real diet:
 1. No fast food! Avoid as long as humanly possible.
 2. Avoid salt whenever possible. Replace with other herbs like basil, garlic, pepper, etc.
 3. Keep alcohol consumption to a minimum. For me, just a few drinks a month will slow my muscle recovery and impede my endurance, speed, and overall drive.
 4. Avoid pork at all costs! Also try to avoid red meats. Eat poultry and fish as much as possible. Poultry is leaner, contains more protein and water, and has less nitrates.

One of the major upsides to the following "recipes" are that they are simple to prepare, thus saving time or energy for someone who is already tired from working out.

For someone like me, who LOVES to eat and is working out regularly, it is important to make sure that I'm taking in proper amounts of protein, carbohydrates (both simple and complex), and getting plenty of natural vitamins from fruit and veggies.

I've found that adding fruits to my diet really makes a difference with my endurance during my workouts.

BREAKFAST: For quick and easy preparation, I have a plastic container already containing a mixture of nuts and raisins or some type of dried fruit, maybe also some kind of seeds.

I don't even like nuts, but when I mix them with other foods, I mostly don't notice them. Anyway, I add about a handful of this mixture to one of the following:

1. Bran flakes cereal (I prefer Honey Bunches of Oats)
     - add one whole banana, sliced (for potassium, which is great for your muscles)

2. Oatmeal (instant)

3. Yogurt (Light & Fit)

All three of these are easy fixes, with a huge plus for saving time. I tend to go with the cereal most often, because it combines a greater amount of simple carbohydrates with my complex-carb mixture, which aids in providing quick energy for my first workout of the day. Plus, if I start to get bored with it, I can always change the cereal brand.

4. Another breakfast option includes good ol' fashion eggs and toast. These provide amino acids (for protein) and carbohydrates, respectively, both of which are essential in building new muscle, and it only takes about 5 minutes to make everything. Once in a while, I'll reheat a chicken breast in the pan (leftover from dinner) for added protein and to help fill me up.

Instead of butter, I use Pam Butter Spray when cooking the eggs. Instead of salt, I just use a garlic/pepper blend, and sometimes crushed red pepper.

On the toast, I use I Can't Believe It's Not Butter, which has no calories or sodium. I have heard that eggs are high in cholesterol, but the amount of amino acids you get from them is so good for your muscles. Since I don't use butter, I have no guilt over eating eggs and toast twice a week.

Keeping the sodium (salt) in your diet to a minimum is key for good blood pressure, and it helps avoid retaining unneeded water weight. So, cutting out salted butter and salted seasonings really can make a difference.

Last, when my blender is in working order, sometimes I just make a protein shake. I use either 2%, skim, or soy milk, mix two scoops of whey protein, one banana, a scoop of peanut butter, a glass or more of ice, and blend it until there are no chunks of ice left. This is soooo good! The peanut butter really sets off the flavor, and you don't need to use very much of it.

Sometimes, I'll add a raw egg for additional amino acids, and vanilla yogurt or a squirt of sugar-free chocolate syrup for taste. I've added raw eggs to shakes for 10 years now, and I've never been sick from it, so I do not share whatever concerns other people may have over it. Eggs are pasteurized, like many other foods, so as long as the expiration date hasn't arrived, it shouldn't be a problem.

In the next chapter, I'll discuss healthy lunch and dinner options that are great for anyone, and can easily be made in bulk for families or to save for additional meals.

09: Confidence Booster

"I wish we had more fighters like you. That would really make our team awesome."

I looked over my shoulder, already knowing there was no one else there, but thinking I must be wrong.

(Gee whiz!) "You really think so, coach?" I said.

"Yeah man - a lot of guys come in and try out to fight, but most of them don't hack it. We need more guys like you."

Whoa. That is something I really needed to hear.

Of course, I have a LOT more work to put in, but I think he was mainly talking about my dedication. Either way, I was glad to hear that I'm making a good impression.

Another thing that made today different was that I brought in one of my Army buddies, Jorge, to check out the gym and have one of our coaches run him though a Muay Thai lesson.

He started off with kicking lessons on one of our heavy bags, and soon his shins were all lumped up and hurting.

Additionally, when one begins kicking the heavy bag for the first time, the ends of the feet and toes end up taking a beating too. You see, with a Muay Thai kick, your lower leg is supposed to be relaxed, and so your shin bone basically whips into your opponent. All of the torque comes from the torso/hips. When the shin connects with the side of the bag, sometimes the foot will smack into the back side of the bag at a 90-degree angle.

This is not so much a problem when kicking someone's leg or body, because the circumference of a body or leg is much smaller than the heavy bag. However, for the first few weeks of Muay Thai class, a student's feet will usually look like the one in the picture (mine). It is important to encourage the student to continue through the pain, because it eventually goes away as the nerves and skin get used to the constant impact.

Jorge's first lesson was just as brutal as mine, but he was really into it. He seems to have the heart for it and it didn't really take much encouragement to keep him going.

I flashed back to when I started Muay Thai a few months ago - when my shins were lumped up too - and it helped me to gauge the progress I've made in such a short time.

I shared with him the pillow case technique for shin conditioning (see chapter 02: The Pillowcase) in case he can't get to the gym regularly to kick the bags. I can almost guarantee that he will be employing this shin conditioning before his next trip back to the gym. That's just the kind of guy he is - great work ethic. He is a Soldier, after all.

Today I got a great workout in, the Carolina winter temperature rose to 62 degrees, and I had the tastiest chicken wrap of my life. More than all of these things though, my coach's compliment really made my day.

I can't wait for tomorrow.