Results for the 9 Week Challenge are in.

Thanks to Edgar for this one….

Yes I know I’m a little late posting this but better late then never. ;]p

The results are fantastic! Everyone that participated improved dramatically.

Here are some of the highlighted results:

Donna Sukovski – shaved off 12 seconds in the Centenial Hill run

Edgar Obregon – dropped 17 lbs

Sandra Aquila – doubled her hand stand pushups from 7 to 14

Daniel Chancey – increased his hand stand pushups from 15 to 49

Mark Desa – improved his Centenial Hill run by 31 seconds

Jordin Carlin – held the wall squat for 42 more seconds

Jason Gordon – more than doubled his pull ups from 15 to 33

June Kow – flew up the Centenial Hill 19 seconds faster

Monica Estevens – held the plank 28 seconds longer

Edwin Kow – finished with 45 hand stand push-ups…26 more

All in all, everyone did very well and should be proud of their results!

Great job everyone!

9 Week Challenge Stats

For those that are doing the 9 Week Challenge, we have posted some of the stats to this link.  If you have not done the Hill Run of Death, and recorded your time, you must get this done and give your stats to Linda.  Remember, the winner is chosen based on how they improved themselves, not compared to one another.  The best winners are those that entered this challenge in an effort to improve themselves.  Good luck guys   Jd

What’s Your Excuse?

Seriously, are you experiencing Excusitis?  This is a term that I came across in The Magic of Thinking Big.  This video can explain it better than I can:

Everyone gets hit by excusitis.  The thing is you have to do something about, preferably right away.  You have to really identify that you are making excuses and attack the issue.  Here are some tips that can help you deal with excusitis.

HELP! How to do a Chin or Pull Up

Ok, we all should know how to do a chin  / pull up: just get up to the bar and try.  And keep trying.  And keep trying.  The reality is though some people just do not have the strength to hang on the bar, do negatives, or have a competant spotting partner.  So here is something that may help you.  Even though this exercise is not a substitute for getting up the bar, I have found that it helps my students on the path for increasing upper body strength.  This is a video featuring Linda de Los Reyes and my trainer/student/grappling partner Nuno de Salles. Oliver Yi is the BEST camerman.  Thxs guys.  Enjoy-Jd

My Insight on Nutrition

First and foremost I am NOT a nutritionist.  However I usually have to work long days, holding pads for Mongoloids, grappling with them, dealing with paperwork and administration stuff and getting my own training in.  So hopefully I can share some stuff on nutrition.  These are my random thoughts on nutrition:

• Drink a lot of water.  Even though I am a coffee advocate, coffee does not count.  If you can drink a small bottle of water 1^st thing in the morning.  You will be dehydrated when you wake up.  Thirst is a poor indicator of hydration.  It’s too late; drink all day (not alcohol).  During hot days I like ELOAD or any other electrolyte drink.
• Eat a lot of small meals a day.  I typically graze all day.  A small meal can mean half a sub, a sandwich, half a pizza…
• Eat and drink for your activities.  This is a tricky one.  It depends on how your digestive system works.  If you are going to come in and take a class (like a torturous Muay Thai or Linda’s insane Konditioning class) you have to eat something.  I cannot believe how many people come in, and their last meal was at 12 PM, which consisted of a muffin and a coffee. YOU WILL DIE in the class.  You will have to gauge how much time to allow yourself to digest your food.  I actually set an alarm to go off every 2 hrs, and I must find food within 1 hr of that alarm, or I will kill someone.
• Eat within 30 minutes of completing your workout.  Have a protein bar / shake for the ride home.  Than when you get home have a complete “real” meal.
• Supplements are just that: supplements.  Nothing replaces eating whole foods.  Make sure to rely on whole foods; it teaches your body how to properly break down organic materials for raw energy.
• Eat white meat: turkey, eggs (whole eggs), chicken and sea food.  Beef and red meat is also good, but in moderation.
• Give your plate color.  The more colourful your plate the healthier it is. This means eat your vegetables!!!
• Here is a trick I use when I eat out. Let’s suppose I have a chicken, with rice and a side of vegetables.  If I start to get full, I usually push the rice away and concentrate on the veggies (I know, strange for an Oriental to give up on the rice).
• Eating properly is a daily life long task.  Make small adjustments here and there.  For example I was always drinking double double coffees.  I cut that to regular, than straight black.  The weight started coming off.  Cut down / out on the alcohol. Slimmer waistline and thicker wallet.
• If I am not training that day, than I insure that I eat properly.  I make an effort to work on my “diet”.

These are some of the tips that I use.  Again I am not a nutritionist, but this stuff helps me.  If you need a nutritionist, please ask me or email me.  I can refer you to a couple of good ones.  If you also want some FREE nutrition newsletters, email me and I will get it out to you.  Thxs and enjoy the holiday. Jd

Want Some FREE Nutritional Info?

I recently subscribed to Jayson Hunter’s nutritional info and I want to share it with you guys. Jayson Hunter is on the cutting edge of nutrition. If you want to get some tips on nutrition, please send me an email titled “I want free stuff” to the Kombat Arts email and I will send you Jayson’s reports. Jd

9 Week Challenge Runs

Here are some vids of the guys and gals doing the hill run.  Tomorrow there is another testing at 11 am.  If you are in the challenge, you should also come out to go with the guys to practice the run with them-Jd

How to Increase You Pull Up / Chin Up Numbers

  Ok here are 2 strategies on how to increase your numbers with regards to pull ups and chin ups.  The 1st one is to buy a chin bar from Dale Tome (one of our members) and place in the doorway as pictured here.  This is an example of one in my house.  Now anytime I go in this particular room, I do 5 chin ups; when I leave I do another 5. I was laughing one day because at one time Linda had to do about 30 chins, because she forgot things and had to go in and out of the room numerous times.  It does not have to be 5, it can be any amount.

Here is another method that requires a partner.  This routine is for you guys that can already do pull ups (or chin ups if that’s your thing).  Later I’ll post some stuff for guys that are having a hard time doing 1-2 pull ups.  Here it is: Do 1 pull up, hop off the bar, and let your partner do one (or, if you train alone like I do, take a few seconds break and imagine someone else taking the time to complete their repetition.) Then hop back up and do 2, and drop down so your partner can do 2, then 3 rest 3, try 4 rest 4 and so on until you find a number that you cannot complete, “boink”.  Drop back down and start again with 1, ramping back up until you reach fatigue.  You can do as many sets to “failure” if you wish, but in our modified program we only went to 5 sets.  In those 5 sets Dave and I did 39 pull ups, in about 4 minutes!  The idea of this work out is to put in a lot of time “practicing” how to do a pull up, so that by week 9, it will be easier for your body to “remember” how to do all those pull ups.  This routine is also great because it does not lead to absolute failure, allowing your nervours system time to recuperate and it takes a short time to complete.  Enjoy!  Jd

Kombat Students Challenges the 9 Week Challenge!!

Ok the 1st batch of Kombat students came out on Sunday to test themselves for the 9 week challenge.  These guys are really inspirational.  I may have to actually join them .  I will post their results and the map on how to get to the “Hill”.  Here are a few piks from Edgar and Ivano.  The next testing dates are this Tue or Thur at 7 and Sat at 11.  Good luck-Jd

What is This?!

  Lol, don’t let your imagination get the better of you.  That my friend is a Fried Mars Bar!!!  Boy did it taste good.  However my stomach and other parts of my digestive system hated me for it.  Here is your 1st TIP to help you for the 9 Week Kombat Challenge.  STAY AWAY FROM STUFF LIKE THIS.  Testing for the the challenge is this Sunday.  Are you really interested in getting in shape?  Do yourself a favor, come to the challenge test this Sunday at 10 and better yourself.  Also go here to learn more about the challenge and to get EXTRA HELP-Jd