UseoForce

That was in answer to bushidoman's post. As far as you're concerned, why would you need forearm pads?Like I said, that's more TKD/Point sparring stuff. They are seldom used in MMA-style training. If you still want some (if you want to train with forearm shots (?)) I think Combat Sports International has some better alternatives.

Thanks, I'll consider that.

OK, I was on vacation for a week. Ate OK and did pushups, sit ups, pull ups, squats, lunges etc. While certainly not a replacement for a gym, it was the best I could do. My regular program uses the push-pull system. Instead of doing arms one day, back the next, etc, I group my exercises by movement. So I do chest, tricep, and certain shoulder muscles on Push days and Lats, biceps, traps, lumbar, etc on my pull days. On some of my workouts I focus more on core area muscles more (like chest and lats) and others I focus more on extremities (tri's and bi's). Anyway, that's just for clarification. On Tuesday, I lifted at the gym for the first time since coming back from vacation. It was a "Pull" workout (Pull ups, rows, deadlifts, curls, etc.) My strength was pretty well maintained, and I even increased my max deadlift by 10 pounds. Cool. Today, I did a "Push" workout (Various types of bench press, shoulder press, push ups, etc.) I had lost TONS of strength since last time I had a good gym workout. This is not the first time this has happened. This is the core of my problem: I have trouble retaining my strength in many "pushing" exercises, especially the bench press. Why is this and how can I prevent it? It really frustrates me when I have to spend a week or two just getting back to where I was before vacation.

I would suggest going to the Sherdog forums (different web site), going to their "Diet and Supplement" section and reading the stickies. There is TONS of great info there, and links to even more.

Good choice on the book, Bushido. BJJBeginner: 1. BJJ is designed to help smalller people defeat larger and stronger foes, and it (unlike MANY other arts) actually has tons of evidence to back up that claim. 2. EVERYONE gets his butt kicked when he first starts BJJ. It's a learning experience. You wouldn't be learning very much if you dominated everybody from the beginning now would you? As for your physical conditioning, BJJ will do nothing but improve it. You could also start doing supplementary strength, cardio, and other kinds of physical training. I suspect you are young yet, so get some help from someone who knows what he is talking about. 3. BJJ WILL help you gain confidence and self-respect.

The "Martial Armor" might be good stuff, but I have no experience with it personally. That's more TKD/Point karate sparring gear, not my specialty

CSI (Combat Sports International) has I believe 3 superior, heavily padded glove designs, though I use lighter ones myself.

I love MA training videos, help me tons, and expose me to other outlooks on the martial arts.

It may be because you have weak abs. Weak abs force your lower back muscles to do more work, which can lead to all kinds of problems.

I've seen it, but I can't buy THAT for $15 bucks!

I want to add that merely training in a striking art and a grappling art DOES NOT make you a well rounded fighter. For example, if you do BJJ on Tues and Thursday, and train Muay Thai on Saturday, you still aren't a well rounded fighter. You also need to know how to put those two styles together into a cohesive system. You need to be able to use both styles fluidly. Mark Hatmaker addresses this in his book, Savage Strikes.

Empirical evidence definately points to the jab as the better striking weapon.

This discussions always amuse me. It just seems so simple to me (and like minded people): Weapons were invented to give people an advantage in combat. That's why soliders, cops, and regular guys carry them.

Invest in quality gear. Forget century cloth gloves, get some Combat Sports International, Ouano, or a similar type of glove. Trust me, you don't want crap gloves, because pretty soon you'll have to shell out more cash for a replacement pair. Been there. Century stuff, IMO (and experience), is of marginal to average quality.

The Pit Workout DVD http://www.sherdog.com/eshop/10Expand.asp?ProductCode=354 I've been waiting for something like this forever! It's finally here! I watched the preview video and ordered shortly thereafter (Found a deal for about 15 bucks including shipping). When I get it I'll post my thoughts. I'm really excited about this. It is so hard to find solid info on MMA conditioning and here's 3 hours of my favorite fighter's program on DVD!