I loved to see hype exposed, Hyped movies, Hyped Artists, Hyped Teams, hyped Athletes, and especially hyped Fighters....(boxing or MMA) but this Kimbo thing was sad, it was worse than hype. it was just a bold faced lie. How could a company bet everything on a 40 year old bully? Thats bad business, I don't blame Kimbo he was just tryin to get paid. I blame the dummies at Pro elite, they thought they could buy up all these smaller shows and turn into the UFC, but they just ended up the XFL of MMA; Money and a TV deal with no talent...They thought they could spoon feed Kimbo forever and as soon as a legit fighter stepped in with him....pop Bam, parties over...Its funny bcuz I tried to set up a fight with Kimbo when I was in college like 3 years ago but his people said our money wasn't long enough and he wouldn't fight me...I hope Flimbo saved his money bcuz I dont think he's a draw anymore....The best part was Jared Shaw screaming " back of the head" like Kimbo wasn't already on queer street...

     The number of training methods out there to improve cardio, strength, explosiveness and technique are legion, but the oft used--yet rarely talked about body part--is the hand, or more importantly, the grip.

     The grip is an integral part of every aspect of the fight game. Training the hands to increase strength endurance is a very easy addition to any regimen and will likely pay great dividends with minimal effort. It is true that grappling and weight training increase grip strength, but one wants more than a strong grip; what is needed is a strong grip that lasts.

     To that end there is a simple solution: a good set of handgrips. There is of course the Wal-mart variety that is cheap and efficient, but I would suggest investing in a good digital grip device that gives feedback as to one's progress. A good way to used the hand grip is to give 10 light, slow squeezes on each hand to warm up the tendons and ligaments. After that (providing it is digital) give ten squeezes, alternating hands each time, for a total of twenty reps. See how strong each squeeze is throughout by reading the LED.

 After the repetition phase is done, hold the grip for an equal amount of time in each hand for as long as is possible. Start out aiming for 30 seconds on each hand. Keep increasing the length of time as your hands permit until you can confidently hold the grip closed for several minutes.

      This ensures a strong grip for wrestling, grappling, and Jiu Jitsu that not only starts strong but stays strong throughout the fight.~Trika

There have been many pundits out there talking about the Brock Lesnar/Randy Couture fight, covering every aspect of the fight itself. I want to talk about gassing out--in particular large men gassing out (being a large man myself I have firsthand experience in this arena over the years).

It is well known that a large, muscled man is apt to spend his energy reserves very fast if he is not schooled in the art of energy conservation. This is because muscle cells use energy--LOTS of energy. First ATP is called upon (Adenosine Triphosphate) which is used up very quickly as it is used by the muscles for explosive movement, then glycogen (a form of readily usable energy contained within the cells) which also burns up rather quickly, and finally, the body will, as a last resort, convert to anaerobic respiration (chemical respiration within the mitochondria) combined with aerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration coupled with aerobic respiration is the mainstay of muscle endurance after round one.

Though the above words have set this article up to be a good piece on how to train for endurance--that is not the focus today--I am instead going to explain how to actually fight in the ring for optimal performance, most of which is mental (as the body follows the mind).

When Brock Lesnar was entering the ring you could tell (and he later admitted in post-conference) that he was nervous...and tense. Very tense. At the end of round one when he went back to his corner he was tense looking and breathing very heavily. Tension in the mind, which leads to tension in the muscles, is partly to blame. Though he had trained very hard, the mental/muscle tension he was experiencing even when simply standing was sapping his energy.

We have seen time and time again muscled men gas out. What gives? The answer is deceptively simple; they need to practice relaxing the muscles, calling upon them when they are needed. Fighting is about winning the fight, not winning most muscular fighter of the night.

When the bell rings, one should always be relaxed and alert as mentally as is possible (while remaining sharp) but also one should consciously focus on relaxing the body. This is hard for men who are used to walking around looking buff. But if winning is the goal, relaxing the muscles is an absolute necessity. If one is trying to throw whilst standing there stiff and tense, his punches are going to be slower, stiffer, and with less snap upon contact. In fact, punching while tense is often nothing more than glorified pushing. Anderson Silva is a textbook example of standing relaxed, punching relaxed, and recruiting muscle fibers of the body only when executing a move or engaging the clinch or executing the ground game.

In short, if one is not engaged in the Greco-Roman clinch or is involved (on top or bottom) in the ground fight for superiority, then he/she should otherwise have the muscles relaxed and ready to spring.

Relaxed readiness will not only conserve precious energy, but it will result in crisper, more accurate punches, and better clinch/ground manuevers.

Relaxed Readiness should be the mantra of all men who fight, especially men with large muscle groups, ensuring the energy will be there when the muscles really do need to contract.

When sparring, remain aware of the legs, back, shoulders and arms. Be ready, but keep these large muscle groups in a state of relaxed readiness. Judge for yourself if this does not help improve your accuracy, explosiveness, and energy reserves. And, as a bonus benefit, it helps the mind to relax. As the mind, so the body, and vice-versa~Trika

 

I am stuned that Lesnar won I thought randy would retain his title. Well he had more experince. I thought Lesnar would get nervous and do some thing to cost him the title. I guess Brock was just to strong.