Having the right tools

When we think of any job that needs to be done, among the first steps is to get the tools together that will be needed. Think of any household project you've done in the past and you get the sense of the routine, you form a basic, or exact (depending on your nature), checklist of must-haves to complete the task. When we think of it, many times it plays out this way: you have the tools you needed to finish, you improvised with what tools you had in order to finish (ever used a wrench as a hammer?), or you were completely stumped when you didn't have the right set of tools (I'll do it tomorrow when I can borrow my buddy's power drill, etc).


In MMA it's much the same way. Each day you come to training you should be thinking of it as shopping at the hardware store. You think of what tools you want, what tools you've seen people use, what tools you were lacking before, and what tools you use constantly and simply want to upgrade. In any given position or situation you should be able to reach into that toolbox and pull out what you need (or can improvise with if it comes to it). Think it through, in many cases fighters will use the SAME technique over and over again all the way through to the highest levels of competition (find video of George St. Pierre's guard pass and you'll note how he's been using the same "simple" techniques successfully for years). Not to give away too much information, but I'm actually in the same mold as I've been using the same 3/4 guard passes for YEARS now--tailor made to opponents in my weightclass which therefore have mixed results with much larger opponents (for them I keep a few other tricks).

Another thing to factor in is that cluttering your garage is a viable extension of that metaphor. Literally, you can have too much junk. This makes it difficult to find what you need, leaves much technique around getting 'rusty', and let's not forget wasted efforts as you consider all of the tools you picked up that you never used--no matter how cool you thought they were. Keep it simple, keep it orderly, and in that way keep it efficient.

Try to work on that part of preparation and you too will have the ability to reach into your box and pull out a handful of trusty tools.

The fungus among us

Sorry about that...

RING worm. It happens. It's a fact of a fighter's life. However, it's not unavoidable.

The first thing to do is educate yourself. I probably can't do it better then this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ring_worm

What I can do is give you the breakdown on some tips to help you prevent/treat the fungal infection:

Clean everything, your gear, your SELF. Don't come home after training and lay on your bed, sit on your couch or grapple around with your girlfriend/boyfriend/roommate/dog, etc. If you spread it to someone else, you just gave yourself another source of infection.

Wear clean clothes! Should be part of the first hint but it's one of the most overlooked forms of prevention. Some people will see their training gear as 'stuff that's meant to get dirty' and therefore not seeing anything wrong with it being dirty already. I'm not one to point fingers but in my experience at different camps, with different trainees I have seen everything from blood, to dirt, grease, and yes, food & alcohol-- this on clothing that people put on BEFORE training.

Clean the mats. At our gym the mats/bags/gear/etc is cleaned daily. However, take the initiative to keep things clean. Help out around the gym, you will benefit from it and it's not brown nosing.

TELL people. It's not something you should keep as a dirty little secret. Spreading ringworm is a no-no in training circles. If you have it, your instructors will help you keep training while avoiding transmission. Be considerate, if you have ringworm, don't rip off your shirt and go grapple everyone in sight. True, you might be the shunned member for a limited amount of time, but don't let yourself become THAT guy (even if you're a girl).

Watch your feet! Take your shoes off before entering matted areas. PUT YOUR SHOES ON when leaving the mats. If you're walking around barefoot to your car, think through and realize what you're doing. Keep your shoes and socks clean as well. If you're sticking your barefeet into dirty sneakers, you're not helping anyone. Basically any place that is shoes on, should be shoes on; any place that is shoe off, should be shoes off.

Lotrimin and other ointments are a first line of defense, but read the directions. Some medications require you to use the product twice a day for a month straight... not to doubt anyone's diligence, but their are products that are intended for just 7 days.

Dandroff shampoo is a good option as well. Use it as a kind of secondary shower gel. Use it as an ointment. Just make sure your skin can handle it. A tingle is OK. Burning is not.

A bleach SOLUTION can sometimes be used. It's a bit more of an old school method, but remember that even as hard as those old schoolers are, you should significantly dilute the bleach with water. Don't put bleach directly onto your skin... the chemical burn will be much worse than the ringworm (and can leave scarring).

There's plenty more to it, but this should get you started. it's not a death sentence to your training. If anything else, ask a more experience fighter and I assure you, they'll have ring worm stories for you. Mat Herpes on the other hand...
(that one's nasty, you find it on your own)

Sparring as part of the science

I know, I know... I'm guilty of slacking. I was on vacation and, well, I've been stuck on NHL playoff hockey (everyone has their vices).

But let's get back to it:

Sparring is perhaps one of the most incorrectly used parts of training in all combat sports. When beginners think of training they most often associate it with the chance to impress, maybe even beat more experienced fighters with tenacity, aggression, and toughness... that or proving that they can take punishment and somehow still come up ahead (Hint: Don't rely on the thought that "I can take 5-10 shots, but so long as I get in one good one..."). But let's be honest, you are always one bad round of sparring away from serious injury--some fighters can literally hurt sparring partners far worse then they would be in a match situation. It is truly one of those risk/reward scenarios I talk about in class. Is the risk of injury/KO/and frankly embarrassment worth the reward of the experience you will get?

Rather than whatever other ideas you have about sparring you should look at is as more of a football team scrimmage. What's important to remember is that before any type of scrimmage takes place, the offensive and defensive squads learn their respective playbook. A scrimmage doesn't happen until after a training camp. The scrimmage provides the opportunity to put game plans into action, at relatively close to 100%. The goal is not to injure teammates (NOTE: Your training is affected by who is able/is willing to train with you). The goal is not to compensate for mental errors or outright mental abscence with athleticism and toughness. The goal is to get things right and see how practical certain approaches can be.

In MMA we should take lessons from the above. You never want to go into sparring without an idea of what you want to do. An overall gameplan, or maybe even just a few techniques from your toolbox that you want to try (Another blog on this 'toolbox' concept later) will do you most benefit. You don't train wild, and so you shouldn't spar that way either. Putting unprepared fighters into sparring doesn't actually teach them anything. It's just a way of seeing what they have already. Putting prepared fighters into sparring allows them to learn much about themselves. It also allows coaches to dissect their work-in-progress. Sparring should be part of training and therefore you should always look to it as a way of improving. Train safe. Train under observation (a good experienced eye can help make the most out of sparring sessions as they relate what worked, what needs to be improved). Train smart.

Finishing Moves: Chokes, cranks, smothers, etc..

As some of the most effective submissions in the sport, we often look to chokeholds as a way to finish an opponent. When listening to more experienced fighters, you'll often hear how they look specifically for chokes as opposed to other submissions (hyperextensions, crushes, slices, other joint manipulations, restraints and pain tolerance moves). The most common reason for this is the idea that a tough or determined opponent will often not stop fighting due to a crippling type submission. If you think of it, a good portion of submissions don't actually finish an opponent--though they are based on the principle that the threat of severe damage, the unavoidability of crippling injury, or actual trauma will take the fight out of most people. Exception to this is that the massive/destructive effect of some submissions will put a person into shock. However, there are just those rare few that either through determination (choose not to tap), situation (cannot tap--particularly in a self-defense scenario), or inexperience (don't know when to tap) could possibly fight on. We will talk more on those types of Finishing Moves another day, but as hinted in an early blog, we'll comment a bit on different types of chokes.

In contrast, the benefit of solid choke submissions is that they lead directly to unconsciousness from one form or another.

Air (wind) Chokes- Can include rear-naked choke variations, short trachea choke, five finger choke, certain guillotine applications, and what some people will refer to in a very un-politically correct way, a "rape" choke (hands to the throat, thumbs to the trachea). These chokes work directly against the flow of oxygen and are extremely fast. The opponent will often go limp quite quickly. They can also be extremely dangerous as they do not need to be held as long, therefore leading quicker to longterm damage, and can crush parts of soft-tissue structure in the neck. In many cases these strangles are also hard to apply and, in some competition formats, illegal. Even in MMA formats you are not allowed to blatantly attack the windpipe or place thumbs into the neck to purposely strangle an opponent--note: you are allowed to hold and base off of the neck.

Blood Chokes- Notable examples include triangle chokes, arm triangles, anaconda chokes, circular choke, Darce chokes, and, again, certain applications of the guillotine. The key to the application of these is to realize that these submissions work most often against the major arties and/or veins in the neck (carotid and jugular). The opponent will physically slow and only later go limp. In that way, also keep in mind that the execution of these chokes requires a bit more time than wind chokes. A veteran will work these submissions into position and hold them patiently. In competition you will sometimes see beginners release a blood choke far too early or try to reset a choke incorrectly. After seeing many lower level fights, I for one can't count the number of times I have seen an arm triangle fail because the fighter applying it released the hold prematurely in order to "see" why it wasn't working. The other constant danger for beginners is to burn themselves out trying to finish via an improperly secured submission so be sure to be cutting off the blood flow on these chokes. As a tip, expect a tap from a wind choke in under 5 seconds and to secure a blood choke for at least 10 before feeling an effect in competition.

BONUS notes:

Cranks- I'll include neck cranks here despite the fact that they are not true "choke" holds. However, they are often a result of a variant on a choke-type submission. To give you an idea just think of the many times you have seen a rearnaked choke, Ezequiel, north-south choke, or a guillotine {Note the versatility of the guillotine} transitioned into a neck crank. The goal here is to attack the skeletal structure of the neck and jaw through a twisting, crushing, or elongating motion. In these cases, the imminent threat of permanent paralysis (or if you've ever felt a jaw crank, the threat of breaking teeth) will factor into how long an opponent will hold out. Be careful using cranks. There is no excuse for using an explosive application to any type of crank in training. To knowingly do so is grounds for expulsion in many gyms.

Smothers/Compressions- Other submissions that I'll put here only because of the similarity to choke holds as the concept behind these techniques is to attack or disturb breathing. Often this is not very technical as it could be as simple as placing your hand over an opponent's face--again, another 'technique' that is illegal in MMA. Stronger, longer, and larger fighters will use smothers and compressions such as a the pec choke, body triangles, and other moves that can be described as crushing an opponent. However, it's not just the big guys that do this. Even as a lighter class fighter, I will admit that my favorite is a smother that can be used as a particular rear-naked choke variation. Knee on belly and other positions that put great pressure on the ribcage and chest can also affect breathing. That said, realize that often the best way to use a smother is actually to just slow an opponent down, to cause discomfort, as a set-up for a transition, as a method of control, and to prevent him from recovering.

Feeling 'It'

It will unfortunately be a fitting topic for today's blog as we talk about the harsh reality of over-training. While most times it is the pro-fighters that run the greatest risk of doing this, it is good for the average student to keep in mind how this obstacle can ambush the best of us. I'm on the verge of over-training and so, I'm taking a couple of weeks off.

For one thing, the truth is that you do feel it coming on. Your body will simply want more in the way of rest, food, and mental downtime. This is part of the recovery process and therefore must carefully be weighed against the need to push forward in training in order to reach the next level--don't take today's topic as an excuse to quit everyday.

Most common effects from over-training are lingering injuries and stress. Therefore a good sign to look for is when small things are bothering you a lot more than they should. A stumped toe can take days to heal if your body is struggling to recoup. A simple armbar technique can utterly frustrate you if your mind cannot focus. In the case of the common student, a day away from the gym along with a bit of a cheat meal and some extra sleep can work wonders. For the active competitor, the idea of soldiering on should be weighed next to the possibility of moving up a light training session or reducing contact for just a day. Fighters should also find outlets for their outlets so to speak. While training can help you blow off steam, after you take it on competitively, you should look for other means of stress relief and distraction--guilty but lazy pleasure (mine being playing old school video games).

The most important thing to know is that over-training works as a progressive and multiplying factor. A small bruise on its own will heal in a couple of days. A small bruise after, say, a broken nose, a sprained ankle, and a minor concussion can leave you feeling crippled. Mental mistakes linger as well. Feeling slow for a drill is not so bad. Feeling slow after having a bad sparring session, botching a technique, and feeling weak can drive some otherwise capable athletes to thoughts of giving up. The goal is to then realize what is happening to you and do what you must in order to keep it in check.

I for one am a big proponent of taking time off between bouts as needed. Some fights will leave you unscathed and you feel great through multiple overlapping training camps, but you must factor in the time you have put into training. There is a reason that people don't train 16 weeks leading up to a fight, the body and mind cannot handle that. So to justify fighting 4 times with 4 weeks training all in a row makes one wonder if this is any different. Remember there's a difference between being able to drag dog through it, and being able to do it well.

That said, allow yourself to train smarter. Maybe work on just technique for a bit. Maybe go for light cardio. Reduce your lifting, etc... It helps keep you in the game longer. It's not a machismo competition if you're barely making it through training.

NOTES:

Watch what you take: It's very common to take pain relievers to help you through a particular injury. However, what's also very common is for this to have a masking effect as you won't feel new injuries as they appear. Try to reduce pain relievers as much as you can. Avoid pain killers. Professionals have to battle through injury but don't make it dangerous.

I can hack it: Yes. If you're human, you will have the mind over matter trick on your side. But it's not a testament to your toughness to train with serious and debilitating injury. The reality is that you're not special and while it can be commendable, it can also be remarkably stupid. Training with a bad injury can literally affect the rest of your life.

Sick?: Over-training, at its worst, feels like a nasty case of the flu. That's right, you can literally give yourself aching pain over your entire body, dizziness, fever, nausea, asthma, joint damage, and other long lasting side-effects. Frankly, your body will quit on you. There is nothing you can do at that point. Don't let it happen.

Quick TIps

Sorry for the delay as I have a fight coming up along with a few of my teammates in Moultrie GA on April 5th (it's an hour drive north of Tallahassee--let me know if you need tickets {$20} 941-539-3383).

ANYWAY quick tips:

Not to give blanket instruction but avoid energy products for the purpose of training. Proper diet(EAT before training, even if you're trying to lose weight) and rest should give you enough energy. While there are some supplements that do help with energy realize that most 'energizing' products are meant for a quick fix and most often meant to get you through a few hours of driving or sitting at a desk, not heavy training.

Get plenty of rest. This will help with the above. If you have ever trained on little sleep you will know how it effects your recovery from the previous day's work and your performance during even very light training. Aim for about 8 hours of RESTFUL sleep each night. If that's impossible, try a nap--20 minutes will do unbelievable things.

Water. About 1 gal a day for most people (slight + or - for your size). It helps with digestion, hunger control(start every meal with a tall glass of water if you find yourself overeating at meals), prevents cramping, helps carry nutrients to where it's needed, helps with recovery, etc, etc, etc. Try to drink plenty before, during, and after workouts. One helpful note on that would be to try drinking most of your water well before you go to bed. If not, you'll find trips to the bathroom cutting into that restful sleep you need.

MMA Greater than the sum of its parts

Upon its creation the sport had the interesting problem that all new things have, what to call it. When it come down to it a few names were rejected in favor for Mixed Martial Arts for a reason--previous examples were No Holds Bar fighting, extreme fighting, ultimate fighting (feeding off of the "ultimate" name being tossed around a lot during the early 90s but now copyrighted by the UFC) and cage fighting (in the end, not all matches occur in a cage). MMA became a de facto moniker where it became necessary to refer to it within a mainstream and politically correct context. The history and story surrounding the name MMA would likely take a few thousands words to describe. However, let's skip all of that to take a lesson out of the name 'Mixed Martial Arts' by allowing the title to give us a useful way of looking at the sport.

One way to appreciate and to train for the game is to break down MMA into a few basic parts: Striking, Wrestling, Grappling, and Conditioning.

Striking- for the most part lifted from boxing, kickboxing, and Muay Thai kickboxing. Basically, hitting for the purpose of stopping an opponent. (note the goal is full contact and LEGAL techniques as opposed to those found in some other martial arts)

Wrestling- most techniques taken from folk wrestling, freestyle wrestling, greco roman wrestling and judo. The act of taking an opponent down, keeping them down, keeping them underneath you. Add to that the ability to counter these actions.

Grappling- with greatest influence coming from Brazilian Juijitsu and submission wrestling. The main difference between wrestling and grappling is that grappling does not always focus on staying on top, but instead on applying techniques that finish an opponent. These include chokes, strangulations, joint manipulation, and bone breaking. The difference between chokes and strangles will be a future lesson.

Conditioning- the x-factor so to speak in MMA. Cardio, power, strenth, diet, personal care (such as recovery and injury treatment) Perhaps more recently this area of the sport has received the most attention as successful camps with long histories have only just recently been adding strength and conditioning coaches that might have only a theoretical understanding of actual combat.


Overall, MMA is an expansive sport. Part of its great appeal is that this is so. However, there are two things to keep in mind when appreciating and training within the sport. One is to break it down in its part. Two is to be able to put it together.

*I rarely purposely input my personal decisions in this blog but in my humble opinion the second is the most important.