The aspiring warrior-scholar / fitness guru

"The more you sweat in peace, the less you will bleed in war." -Sun Tzu

I love the martial arts and combat sports! Even though they are great for relieving stress and getting into shape, my primary focus is on developing practical self-protection skills. As far as martial arts go there is no one great system that can be all things to all people, so figure out what your training goals are, and look for a class that suits your needs. Don't put on blinders though and ignore what other disciplines have to offer.

Hey, like Bruce Lee said, "Absorb what is useful, leave behind what is not useful, then add what is specifically your own."

Here are a few key ideas that I've picked up from my instructors and classmates over the years:

Strive to be in the best physical condition possible. Physical conditioning is the foundation for martial excellence (confidence, mental toughness, ability to execute techniques, etc.)
When we become 70 or 80 years old we will not have the same reflexes, strength, or power we had at 30-years-old, but we have the ability to control and defeat anyone -- if we train for it.
Focus on mastering principles rather than learning a multitude of techniques. When you understand principles, techniques will come about ad infinitum
You must have a free-fighting component and it should include medium contact (with protective equipment of course). A little pain will keep you alert and honest. Also, you must practice takedowns, submissions, throws, and pins against a resisting opponent.
Cross-training is a must. Learn all that you can about what martial arts great, Renzo Gracie, calls "the three phases of a fight" in his book entitled MASTERING JUJUTSU. The three phases are the free movement phase; the clinch phase; and the ground fighting phase.
Even though one cannot truly mimic a street confrontation, make sure to incorporate scenarios that you would encounter in the street (e.g. thug that tries to sucker punch you, attacker that screams and curses before attacking you, etc.). By adding this to your training regimen, hopefully you will not freeze up when the stinky stuff actually hits the fan.
Focus your training on less-than-lethal techniques because in most instances, a court of law will not be kind to you as a martial artist - if you seriously injure or kill someone. Commando-style neck breaks and the use of hunting knives or some other exotic weapon in a fight will get you jail time in most jurisdictions. Besides, most popular exotic martial arts weapons are illegal in most states anyway.
If you're looking to train in the martial arts for whatever reason (e.g. competition, self-protection, etc.), don't necessarily rely on what your prospective teacher says about him/herself, but rather on what others have to say. If they are any good, their reputation will proceed them. Run searches on the Internet and ask around to see what people are saying. Not that what people have to say is gospel or anything, but it is best to do your due diligence before you fork over any dough. Make sure to visit several gyms, dojos, etc. before you make your final decision. Do not overlook college clubs and YMCAs / YWCAs as they are very inexpensive and may offer quality instruction.
Earning a black belt just means that your a good beginner. Don't think for a second that you're hot stuff.
Click on this link to see my recommended martial arts resources

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"If you don't make time for exercise today, you're making time for injury and illness tomorrow" -Unknown

I decided to focus on other projects, but in the past I was a certified fitness consultant (by the International Sports Sciences Association) that specialized in designing at-home fitness training programs for busy people. My ideas client was busy working people between the ages of 30 and 40 years of age who have children.

As a certified fitness consultant, I felt obligated to help clear up the misconceptions about dieting and exercise. Let's address a few of them:

MYTH: The Atkins Diet and the South Beach Diet are the best ways to lose weight.

FACT: Sorry to be the bearer of boring news, but sensible portions of the right foods combined with a regular exercise routine is the best way to lose weight (e.g. you can’t eat an entire Junior’s cheesecake everyday). It is just that simple.

MYTH: You can target certain problem spots on your body (like abs, love handles, thighs, and butt).

FACT: You cannot spot treat your body. You can only spot treat laundry. You have to work your whole body and modify your diet. Doing thousands of cruches alone will not work. There are layers of fat that tends to congregate on our problem areas so a concerted plan is needed to remove them. Sorry for being honest, but it will take some work.

MYTH: Women who lift weights risk bulking up and growing muscles like a man.

FACT: Women do not have the same hormones as men that stimulate hypertrophy (muscle growth) so women can't bulk-up the same way. Instead of getting bigger, women who weight train get leaner and sexier.

MYTH: You won't see any results without feeling pain.

FACT: Listen to your body! If you're feeling pain when you're exercising, stop what you're doing because something is wrong. I'm not talking about discomfort, but a straight-up "Ouch!" The whole no pain no gain thing is wrong. My programs help your body to adapt to more activity, not hurt you.

MYTH: You can get fit in just eight minutes a day.

FACT: For those of you that speak spanish, that is caca de vaca (bovine doo-doo). This is just a flat-out lie folks. You need a program that includes strength training, cardio conditioning, and stretching.

MYTH: You burn more calories if you exercise for a longer period of time at a low intensity (e.g. jogging on a tread mill for an hour).

FACT: If your main goal is weight loss or to tone up, the more intense your exercise the more calories you burn, and the more weight you lose and the more tone you become. It is literally that simple. However, you have to start off at a low intensity and increase the intensity gradually as you become more fit.

Being that most of my clients are busy people, I generally design programs around circuit training. Circuit training is one of the most versatile methods of exercising. If you are committed to burning fat, shaping up, and improving your overall health and quality of life, circuit training is the way to go. Circuit training provides a one-stop total body exercise session, combining cardio and strength training into a highly efficient workout - perfect for busy people.

In circuit training you move from one exercise to the next in a quick-paced progression, performing one set of each exercise. The quick pace keeps your heart rate up and helps you burn more calories. By rotating exercises, you give muscle groups a rest period before they are worked again, resulting in better fatigue management. Combined with a healthy diet, fat will shed off of your problem areas surprisingly fast.

For the average person, circuit training is the way to go. Athletes can start out with this type of training, but will have to progress to more specialized training programs to develop certain attributes necessary for peak performance in their sport (e.g. explosiveness, agility, brute strength, etc.).

Read two short circuit routines that I designed. I call them quickie workouts. Click here to read my two quickie workout articles.

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Take time to look over the pages on this site. Perhaps you'll find something that interests you.

If you want to stay in touch via social networking, here is my Facebook address:

http://profile.to/tyroneturner/