Rich67

The "blood choke", or more aptly called the carotid restraint hold, or rear naked choke, is a dangerous move if done improperly, and if you are not trained in the proper application/recovery for your victim. Basically, if you are asking how it is applied, there are several schools of thought. The way I apply it is: 1) Approach subject from rear while subject is kneeling. 2) Place left arm around his neck, making sure your bicep and forearm are the main contact points on his neck (meaning these two points are what place pressure on the sides of his neck, where the carotids run). 3) Place the left hand on your right shoulder. 4) Bring your right arm behind his back and either brace his head with your right hand (on the back of the head) or grab your left shoulder with the right hand. 5) Apply the choke by squeezing your left arm and pushing forward with right hand ( or just by pulling your arms together if you are holding the other shoulder). Also push your head into the opponents head to offer protection for your face. Absolutely DO NOT practice this for kicks with your pals on a Friday night. It should only be preformed in a dojo or with someone who knows what it can do. If applied incorrectly, you can cause serious damage to the person's neck, trachea (windpipe), and at worst, kill or cause brain damage. Essentially, once the flow of blood is interrupted to the brain, the person passes out. Unconsciousness can occur in as little as 5 seconds once it is applied and supply is cut off. Then, if you don't know CPR or other first aid, you will have a hard time if this guy you choked out starts convulsing or doesn't regain consciousness. Please, just learn this from someone who knows what they're doing. Also, if you want to train to use it, do so in a class/dojo environment. Then ony use it in the street when it's a matter of life and death. Not in a schoolyard fight.

The sad thing is, I bet people are actually paying for this nonsense...then walking away thinking they are born-again killers.

It appears that there is a small percentage of people who post here that are not actually involved in MA's, but were at one point in another, etc. Just curious:

Up your potassium intake as well. Having a banana before the workout can prevent cramping. Drink fluids and stretch thoroughly. That will keep cramping to a minimum.

I agree. "Conditioning" yourself to get hit is accomplished just by getting hit. The only thing I can see you do is a lot of neck strengthening exercises to make sure you don't get rocked as bad when it comes. Do a lot of stretching in your neck prior, and then attach weights to your head using the special attachment you can find at some hardcore gyms or buy on the net. Here's a good article about it: http://www.mmaringreport.com/columns/lee_4_neck.htm As for the body...well, just take some solind hits with punches or a medicine ball and welcome to the club!

I looked at the site a little more in depth once I got home. The cost for this is INSANE!!!! And I agree with you 100%- this looks like a scam. I was curious if anyone had any background on this guy and whether or not any of his bio holds any water. Just curious... but I agree this looks shady at best!

Anyone ever heard of this "system"? http://www.tftgroup.com/ I heard that he teaches a form of combat based very loosely on Kung Fu San Soo idealisms dealing with striking for causing maximum damage, etc. I came across his corny but interesting ad in Grappling magazine. Although the ad itself seemed kind of corny, he poses a good question right off the bat: "Picture this...two people, locked in mortal combat. One choking the other...what would you do?" He then points out that most people would say, "kick him in the shin...step on his foot...knock his hands away". He then shows that many people don't ever envision themselves as the one DOING the choking, which is what the mentality should be. I found it to be true when I studied San Soo, in fact, we were taught to be very aggressive (on the offense) before we were told to be defensive. If anyone has ever heard of this guy, of heard of or studied TFT, I'd like to hear yor feedback or opinions. Thanks!

It's usually 1 gram of protein for each pound of bodyweight. (190 pounds, between 160-190 grams a day). I accomplish this by having lots of fat free milk, a couple protein shakes, tuna, lean red meat, fish and chicken, and some protein bars.

Work them like everything else. 10 reps in three sets is good to start. Set a new goal for yourself as often as you can stand it. Do 12 and 3, then do 15 and 3, then do 15 and 4, 20 and 4, etc, etc. Just go at your own pace and don't overdo it.

In order to gain mass, you must do the following: 1) Consume more calories in the form of protein 2) Lift heavy and use compound movements Simply put, if you want to gain lean body mass while keeping low bodyfat, you need to have a perfect balance in your daily caloric intake. This means you need to take in high quality carbs and protein while making sure the total calories aren't too much...I can't get into all the details here. It'd take forever. Main thing is, eat a little more but not too much, and make sure most of that is in the form of high protein meals. As for lifting, stick to compound exercises. Bench (incline and flat), squats, rows, dips, chins or pullups, straight bar curls and overhead presses. Keep the reps from 5-12.

What you're experiencing could be a couple of things. Number one, you may be stagnant because you are gaining muscle size and therefore have more weight to effectively push up. Or, you could be mildly overtraining. If you are working the chest and tris too hard, you may not be giving them enough recovery time. Take some extra days off in between, or even about a week or two off from any lifting. More is not always necessarily better when it comes to lifting.

Although I didn't word my original post probably as clear as I should have, this article will help explain what I was trying to get across....seems I was almost right on... As I mentioned originally, it's good to mix low and high reps. http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=11

Underoath, Pantera, classic Iron Maiden.

I'd have to disagree with ya here....1-5 reps is generally used for mass building since you will be doing heavier weight. This will give you strength AND mass. Training this way also leads to overtraining quickly. To train for strength, use moderate weight and 8-12 reps. This also helps with your endurance when it comes to doing repetitive motions or grappling, etc. It's Ok to mix up the moderate training with 2 weeks or so of low rep heavy weight training. But don't do the low reps exclusively. You'll burn out and can actually lose strength doing it day in and day out. This is my routine for strength but not much mass: Day one: Full body workout with bench press, pullups, rows, curls, tricep pressdowns, shoulder press, bodyweight only squats and lunges. Day two: 40 minutes of cardio and abs. Day three: off/ train at dojo. Day four: Full body workout like day 1. Day five: off/ train at dojo. Day six: 40 minutes of cardio and abs. Day seven: off or very light lifting- body part specific: bench for chest, curls or dips, train at dojo if up to it.

There is no such thing as "legal" roids unless you have a doctor's script for them. All steroids are considered controlled substances and if you possess them without a script, it's a felony. Not worth playing around with. If by "legal" steroids you mean the * that the supplement companies spout off about, those are lies. There is no such thing in any over the counter supplement. Steroids shrink your boys because when you take testosterone, your boys don't need to make any anymore, so they shrinky shrinky. When you go off roids, it takes a LONG time for them to kick back in again. Natural supplements won't cause gonadal shrinkage. The only supplement you need to take would be a good protein supplement, and maybe creatine monohydrate. These are the only two that have a significant effect on muscle size and strength. And no, neither one will cause your berries to shrivel.

That's true. Closed guard, that is. Keep in mind, unless you are adept at working from the guard, don't be overconfident in this position. Many people get a false sense of security in this position since they watch too much UFC or Pride. Many of these guys practice from the guard a LOT, and know how to handle most of the situations thrown at them. The inexperienced grappler can be pounded mercilessly from the guard. Bottom line is, if you are not good at handling situation from the guard, GET OUT of it and try to attain a better position. Or, just lock in and hold tight while you collect your thoughts and work it out. Or, better yet, PRACTICE PRACTICE PRACTICE!

The problem is, people have seen "Fight Club" and think that it is a pretty cool movie. Many of them miss the point, and fail to understand it is about a guy with multiple personality disorder-not about a real fight club. I think too many people blur the line between fiction and non-fiction, and start to believe everything they see in the movies is real.

Striking someone in the throat is considered deadly force. It can crush the trachea and cause respiratory arrest and death. Don't do this unless you are fighting for your life. Please.

If you are really into this, might I make a suggestion: Check local bars/nightclubs in your area. Many of them may sponsor (I know Florida has some) "fight nights". You pay a small cover, fight guys until you lose, and you get the whole deal without the legalities. You can fight, your friends in the "club" can fight, you have opponents, and it is relatively controlled. While not really "vale tudo", they are as close as you can get without taking the crummy task on your own.

Pushups, squats, lunges, and dips. I would also buy a doorway chinup bar and do pull ups or chins. Ot find a sturdy tree with a branch parallel to the ground to do them. Do situps with your legs inclined, arms wide and close. Do crunches, but if you get the bar, then do hanging leg raises from the bar for abs.

First off, how big is the kid who can "allegedly" curl 150#'s? Is he 300 pounds?? Then 150 isn't a lot for him. Secondly, did you SEE him do it? Not too many people can curl (with good form) an olympic bar with two 45's , two fives, and 2 21/2's on it. You should watch him do it before you go and try to break your back.Believe it or not, a lot of people lie thru their teeth to impress people when it comes to weightlifting. Lastly, even if he can curl that much, he may have little functional strength. If he can squat or deadlift heavy weight, then I'd be impressed. If you want to curl heavy weight, then start squatting and benching. Those core lifts (along with deads) will raise your strength in smaller exercises like the curl. But to curl one's body weight is a tough task. I weigh 185. I wouldn't ever think of curling that much. I can curl at a one-rep max of 120. But why do more? Higher reps curling leads to good development, and one reppers can mess up your form or cause injury.

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sorry..double post

Check local laws. If it is purely used as a training type of situation, then it shouldn't be a problem, but you are opening a can of worms liability wise. Generally, if people fight and it is a "mutual combat"- meaning both are consenting parties- it isn't illegal. You cannot fight consensually in public in view of other non-consenting parties, since it is then called disorderly conduct or an affray; arrestable offenses. But if you do it in private amongst other consenting adults, no problem. BUT---and a big BUT--- where would you do it? Would people sign a waiver? If someone gets their teeth knocked out in the basement of your house and they want to sue you, they have a good case. You are being "grossly negligent" by allowing it to happen in your home, and you might be paying out some serious cash. Although I'm sure fight clubs are in many cities, don't think the movie "Fight Club" is truly what it's like. That was a movie about mental illness, not fighting. If I were you, I'd be real careful. If you plan on doing it "vale tudo"...no holds barred...someone is bound to get seriously injured or at worst, killed. It really isn't worth it in my mind.

I used it in a real fight. It works and is powerful, despite the "flashiness" of it. It works better with someone who has no MA knowledge, so you'll have to make that determination once the fight starts. But it's fast and powerful.