Sohan

Do you take creatine? That can cause dramatic muscle cramping. With respect, Sohan

Try isometric and eccentric work on the pullup bar. For example, do some static holds where you simply start with your chin at bar level as if you had completed a chinup--hold for 5 seconds and then lower yourself slowly to arms length. Repeat this 3-5 times twice per week. Also, try to see how long you can simply hold your chin over the bar. Shoot for as long as possible and repeat 2-3 times. These should help. Also, use heavier weight when you do biceps curls (less reps--6-8 max) and try chinups with no shoes and light shorts. If you can cut 5 lbs of bodyweight, that would help, also. Chinups are about a positive ratio of biceps/lat/rear delt strength to bodyweight, simple as that. With respect, Sohan

Don't forget to stay hydrated. Consume sufficient water and sports drink for the 24 hours before competition, and monitor your urine color to avoid dehydration. Though everyone's stress tolerance and stomach hardiness is different, I typically enjoy a light pasta and chicken meal with vegetables and juice the night before, and then 3-4 pancakes with light syrup (no butter) and some protein drink the morning of most competitions (weight lifting, running, etc). You probably shouldn't eat much within 3 hours of your event, but you can train yourself to tolerate small amounts of food before and during competition---every marathon I have run I have eaten solid food during the race and tolerated it well. With respect, Sohan

Agreed with the above. 4-5 months of training can be a big help at Academy and can make it easier for you to learn other skills during training. If you've got time, it will certainly be an aid. With respect, Sohan

I run into this frequently when I spar with lesser able partners. I'll score with a technique that would have dropped them in a real fight, but they continue on without acknowledging it, and then act gleeful later if they "score"---when realistically at that point they should be cleaning up their lost teeth from the tatami. It's somewhat disrespectful, though it rarely happens with higher ranking BB's--they usually are quite generous in acknowledging good blows. I'm with Parkerlineage. If I don't get my due credit (which I myself always give freely), the next time they get my technique with a little more juice on it. Eventually this remedies the issue. With respect, Sohan

That is good I had never thought of that. What a fascinationg scenario! With respect, Sohan

Here you go: http://www.msisshinryu.com/weapons/eku.shtml With respect, Sohan

I teach kids, too. They certainly have their moments... Welcome. With respect, Sohan

They're OK, but you'll tire of it fairly quickly as you improve. If you can afford it, better to get a regular Strat--you'll never regret it. Remember, cheap axe, cheap sound--and a pain to play. With respect, Sohan

If sleep were the answer to increased HGH levels and increased muscle mass, where can I file the patent? The article seemed to suggest that this particular interval routine prodiced more than average amounts of HGH. Also, a body builder I used to work with mentioned that doing squats preceding all other exercises stimulated the release of HGH and faster gains. I'm wondering since the quads and hammies figure so much in sprints and squats, if this is the locus of the HGH connection. Actually, when I was a late teenager I slept a minimum of 9 hours per night, 10-11 many nights. Seemed to work for me with a 400+ bench without drugs, creatine, or any bench press apparel. Don't dismiss the absolute importance of a regular good night's sleep for boosting HGH--its when you release the most in your bloodstream. IMO sleep is a major key to drug free strength and mass gains. And doing squats before other exercises leads to faster gains because you lift more weight and can do more sets, leading to higher training volume---not solely because of increased HGH release from the exercise itself. There are two studies I found fairly quickly; one which showed that HGH release is higher in the second half of a night's sleep after working out, indicating that a longer night's rest results in greater HGH release: http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/full/91/1/163 and another which shows that it is not as important the intensity of an individual exercise (like the squat) but rather total work volume in a training session. Unfortunately, it is only available by subscription to NSCA members (which I am one), but if anyone would like to see the abstract, send me a PM, and I'll send it to you. With respect, Sohan

This unfortunately is not the case anymore in the UFC. I doubt Royce will have time to rest and wait on the ground. As if they didnt already stand fighters up fast enough, the very defensive style of Royce will only encourage the ref to stand them up as the uneducated spectators boo the ground game. I didn't say he'll necessarily wait, though if Big John is refereeing I am certain that Royce will be given ample time to plan his attack and keep an eye out for opportunities. He'll still have more time to rest on the ground than on foot, so I believe a ground game favors Gracie. With respect, Sohan There is a big difference in trying to submit someone that doesnt realize what your doing (which is what Royce was really good at in the beginning) and trying to submit and rest while getting punched in the body and head Oh, I'm sure he's prepared to be smacked around a bit. But Royce is still quite capable of defending himself on the ground. One shouldn't forget he still has an 11 lb weight advantage as well as a height advantage on Hughes (if they are fighting at their regular weights), as well as the fact that he's successfully gone against strong heavy hitters in the past. Trust me, Royce can take a punch, and he's gained 10 years of BJJ experience since his heyday. It's not as if Royce has been parked on a couch eating HoHo's since 1995. Besides, I seem to remember stating I thought Hughes would win. Youth, power, and being at the peak of his fitness should gain him victory.... ...maybe... With respect, Sohan

Hehehe. Well I live in Bush Alaksa ( that's off the road system) so moose is our main souce of meat, that and salmon. You wouldn't belive the price of beef here. Moose is actually better for you. Completely organic and the meat has only 1% ! Bush, Alaska? My ex is from Bush, Louisiana. Wonder who's town is smaller? Hers wasn't even on the map, though it is just outside New Orleans, or was before Katrina. With respect, Sohan

Welcome! With respect, Sohan

We've been waiting for you to say hello! Anyway...welcome. Even if you gave me a hard time about copyright law. With respect, Sohan

Yes, I remember way back when I was a blue belt.... Wait. That was last week. With respect, Sohan

Congratulations! With respect, Sohan

Louisiana or Los Angeles?

I remember the ROM machine being hawked by Sharper Image a few years back--14 grand for IMO a cheap looking contraption. But an interesting article nonetheless. High intensity exercise certainly has its place in any results-producing routine. But it carries a higher risk of injury and burnout as it is very easy to overtrain. The phrase "Speed kills" is as applicable to running as it is to driving. That said, there are many that would benefit from a session or two of higher intensity interval training per week, be it running, cycling, weight training, etc. It's really nothing new, but rather a repackaged concept--I mean, that's all that weightlifting is anyway, high intensity interval training. As far as the HGH release, there is certainly some evidence that HGH release is enhanced with higher intensity work. But you can also increase your HGH release by getting a good night's sleep each night, because that is when your release of that muscle building hormone is at its peak. With respect, Sohan

Sure. Actually, in the US, there are five artificial sugar substitutes approved for public use: saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, neotame and acesulfame potassium. Some natural sugar substitutes are available — including sorbitol and xylitol, found in berries, vegetables, fruit, and mushrooms. Yet another important group of sweeteners are the polyols. These are generally less sweet than table sugar, but can give food better bulk than artificial sweeteners and can be used in a wide range of food products. You may be thinking about sucralose (trade name Splenda), since it is derived from sugar. However, it doesn't convert to sugar in the body, but rather passes through with minimal absorption by the GI tract. With respect, Sohan

Get a 100 lb bag. Don't get canvas if you ever want to go bareknuckle. You're going to need a strong beam to hang it on, or a metal railing works also. Be careful with the typical attachments, without a strong anchor you'll tear them out--I have. They also make bag stands, but they move all over the place and can be unstable, not to mention the weight anchors can really get in the way. With respect, Sohan

Thanks. That was really great to watch. With respect, Sohan

This unfortunately is not the case anymore in the UFC. I doubt Royce will have time to rest and wait on the ground. As if they didnt already stand fighters up fast enough, the very defensive style of Royce will only encourage the ref to stand them up as the uneducated spectators boo the ground game. I didn't say he'll necessarily wait, though if Big John is refereeing I am certain that Royce will be given ample time to plan his attack and keep an eye out for opportunities. He'll still have more time to rest on the ground than on foot, so I believe a ground game favors Gracie. With respect, Sohan

Kyoshi Herbert Wong. Wonderful instructor with a marvelous sense of humor. He studied directly under Shobayashi Shorin-Ryu Grandmaster Eizo Shimabukuru and is 8th dan. With respect, Sohan

The sad thing is that I've had that song stuck in my head for days... With respect, Sohan

We all train for different reasons. Some train for fitness, some for self-defense, some for sport. And some train to push themselves to limits they never thought they'd reach. But most of us, one time or another, think about how we'd like to test those skills of ours against the very best. If you had the proper time to train and prepare yourself, what name in the martial arts world would you like to test yourself against? Though I'd likely get my tail handed to me, I'd love to go against Rocky Marciano in a boxing ring. To be the best, you have to beat the best. With respect, Sohan