Here is a great page with lots of photographs of the odd lifts. With the “Rage of the Machines” age over, and more basic training becomes popular, these lifts are making a comeback.

http://weightlifting.moonfruit.com/

If you are interested in raw, clear, and powerful writing,….look no further. Harry Crews is your man. His novel, “Karate is a Thing of the Spirit”, was my first read. He is a Florida resident, as am I. He in fact interviewed one of my relatives for a magazine article.
Please enjoy his website and begin reading the work of this powerful storyteller.

www.harrycrews.com

I’ve long been a coffee lover and enjoy the taste immensely. I consider it the cheapest “smart drug” available. Like anything, excessive coffee can alter your sleep patterns, and therefore must be managed like any substance or activity.

The good news is that coffee is good for you. There are numerous studies showing the healthy contribution that java makes. Here is one that is very interesting. Coffee contains huge amounts of anti oxidants. Take a look.

http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2005/August/30080502.asp

Almost everyone in the fitness, conditioning, and nutrition field mentions a minimum of 8 glasses of water per day. Most recommend a GALLON a day. Physicians see this as a fad. It may be largely promoted by companies that sell bottled water and water filters. Consumer Labs have tested over and over again that bottled water is NOT better than tap water. I remember when water was free and no one walked around with a constant liter or gallon sized bottle with them.
I can’t imagine how 1950’s laborers and athletes survived without a gallon jug around them for twenty four hours a day.
Try doing a search at www.arthurdevany.com. Plug “water” into the search function to read about the evolutionary reasons for water drinking.

Here is some data from the Urban Myth site, Snopes.–
http://www.snopes.com/medical/myths/8glasses.asp

Maybe they should put free internet in the public bathrooms. Most of you have lots of wasted time there anyway.

I just saw the preview of a gritty documentary. It is called “Kali Means To Scrape”. It is produced by Nick Papadakis. He is also known as “Pappy Dog” of the Dog Brothers Martial Arts. For years I have bought my sticks from Nick who has incredible customer service and the best fighting rattan made.

This film was made in the streets and the barrios where the use of blades is an everyday occurance. These are men who for several generations have competed in the arena where the only trophy is survival.

Take a quick look at the film-
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QhB1_7ZG4PE&mode=related&search=

And if you are further interested in the film, blades or sticks, go here-
www.bloodsport.com

As a young boy growing up in the Pittsburgh area, I enjoyed both comic books and Conan novels.
My favorite artists at that time were Jack Kirby from Marvel, and Frank Frazetta. Kirby’s early work was nothing short of incredible and certainly stimulated my love of art. Stories of physical combat, including various weapons was typical in both the Marvel world and in the Conan series. My lifelong love of martial arts was in no small way formulated and cultivated by heroic artwork and other media such as The Green Hornet, In Like Flint, and Wild, Wild, West. The union between incredible art and martial art has been constant component of my life for over thirty years.
In the last several years I have become more and more aware of the art of Rafael Kayanan. I first become aware of Raf through martial arts channels. He is a Tuhon or master instructor in a discipline known as Sayoc Kali. He is also an INCREDIBLE artist. He in fact combined his interest of art and fighting when he was one of the two choreographers on the film, “The Hunted”. He also drew the storyboards for that film. Talk about talent.
Here is Raf’s web page and art portfolio. Enjoy
http://members.aol.com/tuazon/rafsite.html
Here is the trailer for “The Hunted”
http://imdb.com/title/tt0269347/trailers

My introduction to Muay Thai came at the hands of “Master” Chai Surisute in the Smoky Mountain Martial Arts Camp in July of 1987. Two hours a day in the hot sun, Chai tortured us with Thai pad drills and Plum Grappling. His power is legendary and he can nearly knock out the holder of the pads with his roundkick.
The cardiovascular demands and localized muscular endurance inroads of Thai impact resistance work exceed anything you can imagine. This is not your soccer mom’s Tai-Bo class. This method was taught by Chai as a life saving art. He firmly believes the man standing after the fight is the true master.
Punching pads or swinging weights with your arms brings large amounts of muscles into play. Driving your whole being into a kick designed to shatter a femur (thigh bone), calls upon the lungs and muscles in an severe way that tests you to your soul.
Here is a simple example of a workout by a Thai Boxer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3NXPuZsdoUk

Chuck Ahrens is a name that popped up frequently when reading about the old Muscle Beach gang. This was a time when the line between health, strength, and appearance was somewhat blurred and many lifters simply lifted in the gym in front of witnesses rather than in contests.
Chuck’s pressing and curling strength were legendary and perhaps at times exaggerated. This doesn’t diminish his abilities or willingness to push the envelope of physical prowess. Below is an article which contains exhaustive research on Chuck.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/cyberpump14.htm

The debate continues. Organs burn the most weight and are included in many calculations about
“Lean Body Mass”.
Here is an article that challenges Dr. Gregory Ellis’ theory.

http://slowburn.typepad.com/my_weblog/2006/05/metabolic_muscl.html

This is what Christmas would look like if I won the lotto.