New Science or Snake Oil?

There was a time if someone told you that they could put an electronic device over your finger and have it tell you the oxygen saturation of your body, nobody would have believed you.  They would ha e called it ridiculous, junk science or even snake oil.  Now whenever I go to the Doctor for just about anything, they take my blood pressure, my pulse, and then they put a device on  my finger to measure my oxygen saturation.  It has become that common  now.

The other day, I  got a call  from the Blood Doc, John Fitgerald (http://www.drjohnfitzgerald.com).  The Blood Doc is a guy I met while attending  a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) training camp at Xtreme Couture. The Blood Doc specializes in analyzing the blood of professional fighters, and other elite athletes.  After analyzing the blood work, he identifies what supplements you should take to be at peak performance.  He also works with Xtreme Couture Athletic Pharmaceuticals (XCAP) in developing the most serious supplements in the world.

When I met John at Fight Camp, I didn't know who he was, or anything about XCAP.  He was at camp to talk to the attendees about how important nutrition is to athletic performance.  He also passed out some samples of an XCAP product called O2 Plus+.

O2 Plus+ is a vegetable based product that is used to increase endurance.  I was impressed with the product, so I talked to John.  I explained that I have had Gastric Bypass Surgery and wanted to make sure that it was safe to use.  He assured me that all the XCAP products, unlike most supplements,  are produced in a licensed  FDA lab, and the products would be safe for to use.  He also was interested in my surgery and offered to review my blood work.

When I got home from camp, I did some research.  I learned that the Blood Doc was pretty famous for his work with many professional fighters.  I decided to take him up on his offer and I sent him my blood work.  He reviewed my blood work and then spent about 90 minutes with me on the phone going over the results and made some recommendations.  My own doctor never spent that much time with me on my blood work, and never explained what the numbers really meant.  Anyways, to make a long story short, I purchased the XCAP products John suggested.  I loved them.  I never felt better.  I even went on to become an XCAP distributor and opened my own nutrition website, GetSeriousNutrition.com.

The stuff is that good, and John knows his stuff like nobody else, so when he calls, I listen and learn.  John called to tell me about some of the new things he was working on.  One of them, kind of blew my mind.  He has been working with some people to develop a new way of analyzing what vitamins and minerals your body is lacking.  The system is a hand scanner.  The patient places his hand on the scanner and the scanner sends data back to the Blood Doc for analysis.  Another version is fully self contained, printing out a list of recommended supplements right there.  Both of these devices are currently being tested and should be out before the end of the year.

My first thought was ahhhh snake oil.  Then I remembered the oxygen saturation sensor.  Hmmmm.  Kind of makes you think.  Knowing John, I think that this new device is going to be good stuff.  If you are a Nutritionist, own a gym, or a health food store, this might be a good tool for your business.  Give me a call if you are interested in this new product.  As an XCAP distributor, I'm hoping to have these available by the end of the year.

Before & After Pictures

Hi Everyone - I know it's been awhile. I apologize. I get caught up in other stuff and forget about my blog, but today I'm back, and I'm going to do something I've never done before. I'm going to post pictures from before and after my weight loss surgery.

The first picture was taken June 18th, 2005, walking my daughter down the aisle. At this point I was 45 years old, had a 56" waist and weighed over 400 pounds.

The second picture was taken about 4 months ago, at Aaron's wedding. I am now 50 (ouch!) with a 34" waist, and I now weigh 245 pounds. I've lost and kept off about 160 pounds.

I really don't like to look at "before" pictures. It represents a tough time in life, but every now and then I guess it is a good thing to take a look. It kind of forces me to say "Never Again!"

Digging Up A Dead Guy - Part 2 of 2

Here goes part 2....

We got out of our trucks, and my client introduced me to the Coroner. In Monterey County, the Sheriff and the Coroner are the same person. It is a high level elected position so I doubt the guy we met was the official Coroner. He was dressed more like a Deputy, and was carrying a gun. We also met a guy driving an unmarked station wagon. The wagon was set up on the inside like a hearse, but with dark tinted windows. The guy driving that was just a driver. He stayed back and didn't want any part of this mess. He was probably the smartest one at this event.

Next, the family members get out of their trucks and walk up to meet us. I was taken back upon seeing these guys. The family members were two brothers. Each of the two brothers was covered in tattoos. I don't have a problem with tattoos, but this was a shock. These guys were wearing those white tank tops. You know, the ones that used to be call "Wife Beaters" back in a less politically correct time. These shirts showed off their collection of white supremacy tats. One of the brothers even had a swastika tattooed right on his forehead. That must have made him really employable. Not to mention the smell. These guys stunk. They had the sickly sweet smell pouring out of them. The smell of meth heads, mixed with extreme body odor.

These two guys really thought they were something. They came out with an attitude. I'm a big guy. I'm 6'5" and at the time I was pretty heavy. I wasn't yet 400 pounds, but I was on the way and probably around 300 pounds. I was a little bit intimidating myself, and I may have even had a little bit of an attitude. I really don't like white supremacists. Now the brothers kind of came up on me and got up in my face. I think they thought they could intimidate me and expected me to quiver. I didn't back up. Like I said, I may have had a little bit of an attitude as well. Here is how it went down.

Brother # 1 - You doing the digging?
Me - Yep.
Borhter # 2 - Couldn't you find a ********
Me - This is my job for today.
Brother # 1 - You going to dig fast? We got a long ways to drive.
Me - Yep, I'm planning on getting done quick and taking my kids surfing.
Brother # 2 - Just make sure you show my Mother respect.
Me - Shouldn't be a problem.

The guy with the gun was smirking. My clients didn't know what to think. There was testosterone overload in the air. The brothers just stood there and tried to stare me down. Finally, my clients said "Let's do this."

I grabbed my pick and shovel, and we all started looking for the right grave site. The numbers to the grave sites were on little rock markers, and in some cases, these little rocks had been moved. When we found the right number, it was pretty obvious that the marker had been moved. It looked like I was going to have to estimate where to dig.

I picked a spot and started to dig. Wow. The ground was a lot dryer and harder than I expected. I started calculating in my head..... 6 feet down, 3 feet wide, 6 feet long. Hmmm. This was not going to be a one hour job. This was a lot bigger job than I had expected. I began to sweat almost immediately. My tattooed buddies were starting to get impatient, and it was starting to get hot outside. Just as I was about to have to take a break, I hit something.

Back in the day, High Schools used to teach things like Wood Shop. At the time of this lady's death, kids in Wood Shop at Salinas High School build coffins. They built all the coffins used in the burial of people in the Paupers Cemetery. They did not always have the best workmanship and they never used the best materials. The coffins were actually built out of very cheap plywood. The thought being "who would complain?"

Once I hit something, I could tell it was the coffin. Now I had to find the edge of the box. That kept me going for awhile. At this point, my shirt was completely soaked, I was starting to smell as bad as the family members, and I was really, really tired. It was to the point where I was going to have get down in the hole to finish the job, but first I need to rest. One of my clients jumped down in the hole to keep things moving while I caught my breath.

As soon as I caught my breath, I got down in the hole. I brushed away some dirt, then heard a little sound. It sounded like a crack. The next thing I knew, the top of the coffin collapsed and I had fallen into the coffin! Just as I fell in, the smell got me. I freaked. I jumped out of the hole and became violently ill. I was heaving my guts like never before. The Coroner actually started laughing out loud. My Clients were chuckling to themselves, but the family members didn't find the humor in it. They started yelling at me to get back in there and to "show their Mother some respect!"

After a few more moments of getting sick, I climbed down into the hole. Just as I got in the hole, I hear a clunk. I look to the left and see a green bag, all folded up. The Coroner had thrown it in the hole with me. It was a body bag. The Coroner told me to "transfer the body to the bag and let's get the hell out of here."

I moved as far back in the hole as I could, and began to pry the top of the coffin off, throwing the pieces out of the hole. The body itself was tiny. The woman was probably no more than 5 foot tall. She had been burried in a cotton/polyester blend dress, with nylon stalkings. How did I know what she was buried in? Well even after 40 years, the nylon and polyester didn't break down or disintegrate. The leg bones were perfect inside the nylon stalkings, with absolutely no flesh.

I started the transfer by grabbing the nylon stalkings and moving the lower half as a single unit. As I started to transfer the body to the bag, I had to climb out of the hole one more time. A combination of the noises of the bones and the smells and the whole thing just got me. This time nobody thought it was funny.

I got back in the hole and finished transferring the body. The entire time I'm loading the bag, the family is yelling at me to show some respect. I load the bag and hand it up to the Coroner. I then climb out of the hole. I'm dripping wet and completely exhausted. I thought I was done. Then they ask me to help carry the bag to the station wagon. Almost done!

Just about then, the guy with the swastika tattooed on his forehead looks around and says "Lots of ********** in this neighborhood and I hate to waste a perfectly good hole." At this point even the Coroner has had enough of these guys. He tells them not to push their luck. He had them sign some papers and I shut the back of the station wagon.

After all that I was done, both physically and emotionally. I went home and took a long shower and a long nap. I never did make it to take the kids surfing that day, but man I had one heck of a story to tell.

Digging Up A Dead Guy - Part 1 of 2

Ever since I hinted that I might tell this story in my last blog entry, I've received a lot of requests from my readers to hear about the time I dug up a dead guy. Even I have to admit, it is a true classic....

I've done many jobs over the years. I've started and owned many business ventures over the years. At one time, I owned a hot rod shop called Phase 3 Automotive Technologies, located in beautiful Salinas, California. Well it started out as a hot rod shop, but I soon found out that tuning Subaru's paid the bills. I also found that when you pay your employees, sometimes they go on a drunk and don't come back to work for a couple of days, or worse, are found face down in a different County. Whoops, I guess I better save the Phase 3 story for another day. Back to digging up a dead guy.

After I closed up my shop to take a job as a sales rep with one of my customers, I found myself unemployed. Now there is an old saying among computer guys. "A good computer guy is never unemployed, just running his own consulting firm." I kind of followed along that line, and ran a small computer and small business consulting firm.

I was pretty lucky. I knew a ton of business people in the community. Many of my customers at Phase 3 were fleet accounts. It was an easy transition to move these folks into my client base. Business wasn't always as busy as I would have liked, but we always got by.

One of my clients was a "Memorial" business. They made tombstones, and provided services to the city for some cemetery maintenance. I had never thought much about how tombstones were made. I had assumed that some old guy with a chisel would hammer on a slab of granite. I was wrong. Tombstones are now high-tech.

A tombstone starts out as a chunk of granite. My clients would shape it to the desired shape. A rubber mat is cut so that the letters are exposed. The engraving on the granite is then done with a very high powered sand blaster. As the sand hits the stone, it etches into the granite where the rubber mat has been cut. It is kind of a cool process.

My clients had purchase a Sumagraphics digitizer tablet. This allowed them to lay out how the tombstone would look. They would then send the finished product to the printer. The printer in this case was a little different. It actually cut the rubber mat for them. While it doesn't sound all that cool now, 20 years ago this was state of the art stuff.

I was installing the device and kind of bs'ing with my clients. They were complaining that they were going to have to rent a back ho to exhume a body. I forgot the amount they were talking. It didn't seem that much to me, but they were under some kind of city contract where they were going to have to eat the costs themselves.

I asked them why they were going to exhume a body. They said that back in the 1950's a woman was passing through town and unexpectedly died. They city was unable to identify her or her next of kin. The city took care of her remains, and burried her in the city "Paupers Field." Forty years later, her children had tracked her down and wanted to move their Mother to a nicer final resting place.

Now my business was ok, but I was always looking for more money. I spoke up and said that I would dig her up by hand, and I undercut the estimated costs of the backhoe by at least a hundred bucks. "You would do that?" the guys asked. "Sure, how hard could it be?" I figured I would make a good day or two wages for about an hours work, and I could still take my kids surfing in the afternoon. It sounded like easy money!

Client: "Do you know where the Paupers Field Cemetery is?"
Me: "Ahhh no"
Client: "Well it's right next to the Chinese Cemetery."
Me: "Hey guys, I don't spend much time at cemeteries." "Why don't you just tell me an address and I'll find it."

This was starting to get a little weird. I didn't even know they had segregated cemeteries. Well they then told me it wasn't in a very good part of town, and we agreed to meet at their business early the next morning. They said I could follow them out to the cemetery, where we would meet the Coroner, and the family. This was going to be easy money. I could follow them out, dig up the body, and get out quick. They could deal with the Coroner and the family while I took the kids surfing.

The next morning I threw a shovel and a pick in the back of my 4x4 and headed over to meet my clients. I then followed them to the Paupers Field. When we got there, the Coroner and the family were waiting outside. This didn't look like any cemetery I had ever seen. It looked like a big dirt field. It actually looked like my back pasture in Prunedale, minus the nice oak trees.

My clients unlocked the gate to the cemetery and pulled out a little map. Since many people who were buried there were unknown, there was a small numbered plaque indicating the grave site. The family knew the number of the grave, so we headed off.

We got to the correct area of the cemetery and got out of our trucks.

This is where the fun starts. Stay tuned for part 2!

Pondering Retirement?

When you are a little kid you always dream of what your will be when you grow up. A cowboy, a race car driver, an actor, a cop, a fireman or a tow truck driver. These were all things I would dream of. Nobody ever dreams of becoming an Accountant or a mid-level IT Manager. As we get older, our dreams become more realistic. We take on responsibilities and settle into our jobs.

When we reach a certain age, we again dream about our careers. Maybe dreaming of a second career, like opening a restaurant, an ice cream parlor, or an auto repair shop. Sometimes we do these things, sometimes we just trudge along on our current path. As we get a little bit older the dreams move to retirement.

Ahhh. The joy of sleeping in, not having to commute, and not having to put up with all those crazy people at work. I admit it. I would love to retire. I'm 50 and everyone I know around my age feels the same way. What's funny is for the most part my day job is ok. I don't have to get dirty, I don't have to dig up dead bodies (that is a true story that I may have to tell in a future blog), and I make pretty good money. I have great health care benefits and an official retirement plan. My job allows me to enjoy a pretty nice life. Realistically, I don't see retiring in the near future, at least not from my job. Although I am going to retire from something.

I am officially retiring from sparring. I will no longer be sparring at the gym. I am continuing to have problems with my rotator cuff and I just don't recover as fast as I used to. It has been getting harder and harder to keep up with the 25 year olds. Don't get me wrong. I love fighting and competing against the guys half my age, it just takes me more time to recover and my body is starting to pay the price.

I'm going to keep working out with them. I'll continue to do drills, hit the bag, hit mitts and do all of the conditioning. I'm just not going to get punched in the head anymore and I'm not going to spar in jujitsu. While I am sure I'm going to miss it, at least I can concentrate on staying in shape and letting my body heal.

In the future, I'm going to try and be a little more consistent in my blogging. I've got some good things coming. I will be posting a new bag workout, a new cardio workout, and some good stories like digging up a dead guy.

Also a quick note on affiliate marketing. When you click on one of the advertisements on this page, you are directed to their web site. If you purchase something, part of the sales come back to support the FixingRick blog. Their sponsorship and your patronage is greatly appreciated! THANK YOU!!!!

Anniversary Extravaganza - Part 4 (Finale)

After tucking in the elephants, we finally made our way back to our tent cabin. We cranked on the heater and settled in for a romantic evening. Our tent cabin was called the Big Cat House because it is closest to the lion and tiger enclosures. That means we could hear the roars of our new cat friends all night. The roars were so loud, it would wake us from a dead sleep. Then it started to really rain. It just poured! Between the roars and the rain, it made for a neat night.

In the morning, we woke up and went on the front porch to watch the animals. From our front porch we watched the elephants get their morning bath. The trainers spent about an hour and a half, bathing the big guys in the rain. Once they were clean, they moved the elephants out to the playground.

The playground is several acres big. It contains a large pond, and plenty of room to run and play. The elephants share this playground with an ostrich, a zebra, and two water-buffalo. It was a kick to watch them all play together. The Zebra loves to run and play with the elephants. The Ostrich likes to run and run for no rhyme or reason. The Water-Buffalo just kind of tolerate everyone else. So we sat and watched all of this unfold.

After a little bit, we realize that Butch, the large male, isn't out in the playground. Pretty soon we see him and his trainers walking the trail, going from one tent cabin to the next. Butch was delivering breakfast. Pretty soon he was at our place and brought us a great breakfast. He also brought us treats for us to feed to him. Once again we got to feed Butch.

After breakfast we hung around some more than headed for home. We had a blast on this trip and would highly recommend this adventure for everyone!

Anniversary Extravaganza - Part 3

OK - In parts 1 and 2 I told you about our tour and washing the elephants. I even had some pictures of me hard at work, so I guess it is time for the next installment.

After washing the elephants, we headed up to our tent cabin. We were staying in the Big Cat House. The accommodations were really nice. We had a TV, DVD, refrigerator and even indoor plumbing. The exterior walls were canvas and the tent cabin was fashioned after the authentic African style. We got back to the cabin about 3:30 and we were pretty tired.

At about 4, the trainers take the critters for a walk. Just as we were getting unpacked, we heard them outside. They had a raccoon on a leash, and they were walking him around to all 4 tent cabins for the guests to see. He was very cute. After he went on around the trail, the trainers brought by another guy for us to meet up close and personal. This time they brought by a cappybara.

I know, what is a cappybara? Well it turns out that that is the name of the giant rodent. My buddy Roy sent me an e-mail identifying him, and correcting me. It turns out that he is from South America, not Africa as I had remembered. He also pointed out that he thought that this guy we have known for years was really a giant rodent, but that is another story.

As the trainers went to leave, they told us in about half an hour it would be time to put the elephants to bed. They go to bed kind of early, so in about half an hour, we went down to do our part. We got to walk the elephants from their pasture and back to the barn.

Once they were in their stalls, we got to watch them eat their dinner, then feed them their bed time snacks. For dinner, they all got hay. For snacks, they got some leftover donuts, some loaves of bread, and lots of carrots and apples. As they were eating some hay, Paula would sneak her trunk over into her neighbors stalls and grab some of their hay. As she was discreetly turned and eating the stolen hay, her neighbors would reach over and steal some of her hay. They would actually steal hay back and forth from each other, even though they all had as much as they wanted. It was a kick to watch elephant drama unfold.

Next we went back to our tent cabin to call it a day. The last thing they told us turned out to be great advice. "Turn your heater on early." Wow. It gets cold there, and it gets cold fast!

In the next installment I'll tell you all about the morning breakfast delivery. Just a hint.... breakfast is delivered by elephant!

Kind of like my normal job......

Anniversary Extravaganza - Part 2

Our tour started out slow, but picked up quickly. We started off watching a raccoon, but quickly got into some neat critters. We got to see a huge African Porcupine. Kelly even was able to get one of his quills that had fallen out. One of my favorites was from Africa. I can't remember what he was called, but he was the largest rodent. He had fur like a rabbit, teeth like a gopher and kind of funny looking legs. We worked our way through the animals. We got to see Gators, Baboons, Monkeys, Lemurs, even a Ferret. Two of the coolest guys were the Kangaroo and the Hyena.

After a couple of hours we finally got to play, one on one with both a lynx and a little monkey. Kelly purposely did not wear any jewelry to distract the animals. She did wear kind of a black and white animal print shirt. Even though it was black and white, the Lynx took exception to her shirt and kind of gnawed at her. Even the trainer was surprised. The monkey went a little smoother. They put a diaper on the little guy and let him climb around on us. He was a little snuggle bug. He climbed up and just cuddled with me. Kind of like I would expect a grand kid to do, if I had one. Hint, Hint.

Next we had lunch with a couple of trainers then headed off to meet the elephants.

Wild Things has merged with the Elephants of Africa Rescue Society (EARS). They currently have 5 African elephants at the facility, one male named Butch, and four females named Paula, Kristi, Buffy and Manilika.

After we got to meet the elephants, the Trainer asked if we were ready to give Butch his afternoon bath. We jumped at the chance. We walked Butch over to one of the special elephant barns. An elephant barn is huge, but what is really big is the coral fencing they have to use with the elephants. Posts and rails are not wood. They are huge pieces of pipe set very deep in concrete.

Kelly and I got to scrub him up, and hose him down.

I'm going to post a couple of pictures and save the rest of the adventure for the next post. Stay Tuned!

Anniversary Extravaganza - Part 1

Hi Everyone - I know, I know. Where has Rick been? Why hasn't he updated that award winning blog? Well... I dislocated and broke a toe, and I've developed a rotator cuff issue. I've had a cortisone shot and am currently in Physical Therapy. I've had to take a little time off of my MMA training and a little time off from the gym.

Last week was my 30th Wedding Anniversary. My wife Kelly and I went on a special Anniversary Extravaganza to celebrate. We went to a place called Wild Things, Vision Quest Ranch, Safari Bed and Breakfast. I know that is a mouthful, but let me tell you a little bit about this place.

Back in the day, way back when we lived in Prunedale, we used to drive down highway 101 into Salinas. Often times, we would see a guy out walking a lion alongside the road in the strawberry fields. I kid you not. A full maned lion walking on a leash.

Well it turns out there was a place in Salinas called Oxton Kennels. They trained animals for movies, TV, Commercials, and print ads. Working the animals was just a way to finance their rescue efforts. Kelly had actually taken the kids there several times to visit the animals. One of the highlights was a giant snake. That was probably why I didn't visit back then!

A few years ago, there was an article in the Santa Cruz paper about the opening of a bed and breakfast with a Safari twist. The owner of Oxton Kennels had moved out to 51 acres on River Road. He had expanded his rescue efforts and opened a Bed and Breakfast amongst the animals. Kelly and I had talked about going, but had never quite made it. The truth is I was so out of shape, I don't think I could have physically done it. I had told one of my co-workers about the adventure, and her and her husband went and had a blast.

Now up to the present. Kelly and I were looking for a short adventure to celebrate our Anniversary. I remembered Wild Things, and now being in a little better shape, I booked the trip. On April 19th we headed down to Salinas.

Driving up the driveway, we passed a camel, some ostriches, and some zebras. When we got out of the car, we could hear lions roaring. We knew this was going to be fun. We had booked a special VIP tour. A 4 hour behind the scenes tour of the facility. It turns out that Kelly and I were the only ones on this tour, and our guide was the head trainer. It was amazing.

I'm going to tease you a bit here. I'm going to post a couple of pictures and tell you more about the trip in the next blog. I promise stories about giving the elephants a bath, and tucking them in for the night. Stay tuned!

Win for Team Kugtar

I first joined Kugtar back in January. Kugtar is a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) gym. It's what was called a fight gym back in the day, but is now called a Martial Arts Academy. The main facility is located in Salinas, but they have opened a second facility in Watsonville, located within a couple of miles from my home.

The people at Kugtar are great. The coaches are fantastic, and everyone is extremely patient with the old guy. :-) The workouts are unbelievable. I literally can wring my t-shirt out after every single workout. This is definitely stuff that I could never have done prior to my Weight Loss Surgery (WLS).

What is cool about MMA is that it combines boxing, wrestling, ju-jitsu, kickboxing, and muy-thai. Some of the guys working out here have aspirations to be professional cage fighters, while some of the guys just want a hard workout and like to punch stuff. Gee.... guess which group I fall into?

A short time after joining Kugtar, we got a new Striking Coach, a guy named Pat Castillo. Pat is an awesome coach. He has fought professionally and done pretty well. He is very motivating, a great teacher, very patient, and an all around straight up guy.

One day, he tells the class that one of our students, Mike, is going to have his first official fight. The California State Athletic Commission was going to sanction their first ever amateur MMA fight, and it was going to be held in Salinas. This was exciting news. Pat then went and explained how as a team, we would help Mike prepare for his fight. He said that each of us have specific strengths that can help Mike train.

Pat said my strength was my right hand. He said that I didn't have any form, style or rhythm, but that I was super strong, and I put everything I have into every punch. Each punch has the kitchen sink behind it, and that I had true knockout power. He then said if he could teach me some things, I would be making people go to sleep. He also said that if he was ever in a bar room fight, he wanted me on his side.

At first I thought wow, that was kind of cool. Then I thought about it. Hmmm, does that mean I'm just a big, dumb brawler? Well.... I do throw every punch about as hard as I can, I do drop my hands when I get tired, my footwork is awkward, and my ju-jitsu is terrible. Hmmmm, ok maybe he was right.

Over the next few weeks we worked on drills to prepare Mike for his fight. One drill put mike in the middle of the ring. For 30 seconds, Mike would take us down. We would stand back up, and do it again for the full 30 seconds. Then we would switch. For 30 seconds we would keep taking him down. When the buzzer rang, a new guy would come in to face Mike and it would start all over again. We would do a similar drill with all out sparring. Mike would get in the middle and every 30 seconds or a minute, a new fresh guy would come in to spar. Not only was this really good for Mike, it also gave us the benefit of some very intense training.

I think the drills did the trick. Mike went out and won his first fight in about 94 seconds. The fight started off with his opponent taking him down hard and really beating him up. Mike kept his composure and put on an arm-bar forcing the guy to tap.

Check out the video on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lcIyf0wWpsg

Due to the limitations of Blogger, you will have to cut and paste the address into your browser to see the fight.

Congratulations Mike!

A New Form of Torture

Ready for a new form of torture? Since I started going to my new Fight Gym, Kugtar, in Watsonville, I've learned many new types of torture. I used to think I was in pretty good shape, that is until I started working out with all of these 20-30 year old fighters. Check out this form of torture they call an ab workout......

Abs Workout:

1) 100 Crunches - Lie flat on your back bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor. Interlock your fingers behind your head and touch your elbows to your knees.

2) 100 Bicycle Toe Touchers - Lie flat on your back, bend your knees and lift your feet off the floor. Move your legs like you are riding a bicycle, as a knee comes closest to your head, reach across and touch your opposite hand to the toe.

3) 100 Leg Lifts - Lie flat on your back. Place your hands under your rear end, touching thumb to thumb and index finger to index finger. Point your toes straight. Lift your legs together off the floor about 2 inches. Keep your toes pointed. Lift your legs up till they create a 45 degree angle from the floor. Lower them back to 2 inches from the floor. Don't let them hit the floor. Count 1 each time they are at the high point in the arc.

4) 50 Iron Cross - These are so hard to do you will hate them. You are kind of sore by the time you get to this one anyways, but these will finish you off. Lie flat on your back with your arms extended straight out on the floor. Lift your legs like you would for leg lifts. On the count, you take your right leg, rotate it over your left and try and touch it to the ground on your left side. Then back to neutral position. That was 1. Then you take the left leg and rotate it over the right and down to the ground on your right side. That was 2.

This is what they like to call a good ab workout. I call it torture, but one thing is for sure, it will definitely build your ab muscles quickly.

Have Fun!

The Word....

This blog edition is a little different than most. Usually, I post about my adventures losing weight, working out, or just trying to survive. This time, I'm actually turning over the page to a guest writer.

One of my co-workers has a nephew named Samuel. Samuel just turned 17 and has Down Syndrome. Samuel is an amazing kid, and has overcome many trials and tribulations. This post is actually from my co-workers brother, Samuel's Dad, and taken from his blog, Samuel's Heart, at http://samuelsheart.blogspot.com.

Please take a second to read this one, it just might make you think. :-)

Thanks,
Rick

It's just a word.

Posted: 28 Feb 2010 08:41 PM PST

The whole language debate about what's cool to say and not say is back. This time it's the "R" word, retarded or retard. I find myself in a most uncomfortable position, in agreement with Sarah Palin in believing that Rahm Emanuel should have been fired for his words about liberal activists. I'm a hard-core bleeding heart liberal, so bear with me while I deal with that reality.

I've said it before, and I will say it again, the word "retard" is valid when used to describe something that slows you down or gets in your way. It's not a term to use to abuse or belittle someone. Because when used that way, that's just what you are doing, just not to the person you might think or intend.

I can be in agreement with Sarah Palin because she has a child with Down Syndrome, like I do. There are certain things she and I have in common. We know and experience things through our children that no one else that does not parent a child with notable developmental and cognitive disabilities will ever truly know.

I agree with her that Rahm Emanuel should have been fired for saying that liberal activists were "f***ing retarded". If he had said some group of folks were "chinks", or "spics", or…, his head would have been on a plate before dinner time. I don't question that. Do you? Yet, somehow, it's okay that he called them retarded. Why?

I voted for President Obama and to say I'm disappointed at the lack of any further discussion on this is an understatement. To date, no further intelligent discussion on this issue appears to be happening in this country. There has certainly been plenty of unintelligent discussion on the issue. To the extent there has been intelligent discussion in the media, in particular Stephen Colbert points out the irony of Sarah Palin not calling out Rush Limbaugh on his use of the word "retarded." Colbert's bit, while offensive for it's unabashed use of the word, was an actual case of satire. That Sarah Palin not only belittled the issue of Limbaugh but brushed it off as satire, is sad and cognitively dissonant.

My son Samuel has needed his parents, his family, his church, teachers, friends, all to be with him in the process of reaching his full potential. My and my wife's' roles in this process, to the extent we are able, has been to be his advocate. That is my interest in writing this piece; not just for my son, but for all of those with developmental and cognitive disabilities. The truth of the matter is, our kids, our loved ones, our friends with these disabilities are not be able to march on Washington for their rights and for their dignity. Perhaps because of this, the nation, certainly our schools, and now our main stream media seem to feel this word is okay to just toss around (6:35 - 6:45 in the clip).

I'm really quite angry at the lack of sensitivity to a whole population who among our global population are least able to stand up for themselves. As a people sharing this same speeding ball through space, we have a responsibility to be more, to do more, to do what we can to reach our own full potential. Using this term, retard not only diminishes the developmentally and cognitively disabled, it diminishes us and makes it less likely that we as a people will reach our potential.

Being angry and writing about it isn't really good enough for me. I need to do more and I've finally decided that I want to do that directly with Jon Stewart. I'd like to ask him why this language is okay? Stewart has become perhaps the most important journalist of our time, albeit a "fake" journalist. Some of the work he does is quite in depth and he's asking political and social questions none others in the media ask. He speaks to the younger generation like no other media outlet does.

I'd like to find out why it is that attacking this group of people has become free game? I'd like for Jon Stewart to meet my son on his show and look at him and explain why using "retard" is funny. I think I win that debate. From there, I want more. I want Stewart, Colbert, Limbaugh, Emanuel, Ben Stiller, and President Barack Obama to connect with Special Olympics and pledge their support to end the use of the "R" word. I want them to make PSA's to help inform the nation that the time has come to respect and for us all to be that village that supports those in our societies that need it the most. This was the basis for the creation of the Special Olympics, and this should be the basis and opportunity for this country to continue to mature and provide simple human compassion to those with developmental and cognitive disabilities.

I need your help. Please pass the link to this blog post to your friends, family, co-workers. I need a contact at the Daily Show who can get me a spot on that show. I want to do my part to help Spread the word to end the word. Because sometimes, words hurt.

The Opposite of Punch Therapy

It sounds so simple. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. This is one of those sayings that we have all learned somewhere in our life. The saying is actually one of Newton's three laws of motion. That means the idea has been around a long, long, time, and I guess you would think I would have seen it coming.

Last installment I talked about the idea of Punch Therapy. The idea being that when you are stressed, in a bad mood, or having a tough time at work, you should engage in Punch Therapy. Punch Therapy is hitting the heavy bags, hitting mits with a training partner, or live action sparring. You know what I'm talking about. You just punch on stuff until the bad energy is worked out of your mind and body. The workout can do wonders for your mood, and definitely beats going to a therapist. Well, at least it is a lot more fun!

What I wasn't expecting was the opposite reaction. When you punch, you get punched back. The other day while sparring, I got hit back. I got hit back hard. I actually saw stars and my head jerked around and pulled a muscle in my neck. I didn't go down, but man I was knocked for a loop. Luckily it was the end of the round, and the end of the day. I went home sore.

The next day at practice we worked on double leg take downs. We took turns taking each other down. At the end of the day, my neck was really sore again. Hmmm, I think I'm seeing a pattern. It looks like by the end of the day, when I'm tired, I get hurt. Note to self: Don't get tired.

The next morning, I woke up and was in quite a bit of pain. For the first time since loosing 160 pounds, I actually thought I might be getting too old to do Mixed Martial Arts. I was starting to get really depressed.

I decided to break down and go see the doc. I drove down to the Urgent Care at the Santa Cruz Medical Foundation. The Doctor who saw me was pretty cool. I explained my injury and asked him if I was going to be ok? He sent me down for a CT Scan.

When the scan was complete, the doc called me back in. The whole process took about 25 minutes. He said "Good News and Bad News." "First your neck looks pretty good. By that, I mean that nothing is broken. The Bad News is that something is pinching a nerve in your neck. It is probably just a swollen disk, muscle, or tendon, but the worst possible case would be a ruptured disk. If you are not better in a week or two, we'll do an MRI and talk about Physical Therapy."

Wow.

I then asked him the question that I wasn't really sure I wanted to hear an answer to.

"At 50 am I too old to be competing at this level?"

He laughed. He said that he was 45 and also does Martial Arts. He does that funky stick fighting style, and he once got caught with a whack to the head with a stick. He said he had the exact same thing, but he got better and continues to compete. If you ask me, this guy was crazy. I would much rather deal with big gloves and head gear then getting hit with a stick. He gave me a muscle relaxer and told me to take it easy for a couple of weeks.

I started doubling up on my supplements. I increased my intake of Glutomine, Vitamin D, and Vitamin B. I also doubled my intake of XCAP Max EFA's and XCAP Joint Flex. These supplements are amazing, and really help recovery from sports injuries. (Check them out at GetSeriousNutrition.com)

Well the neck has gotten much better. I have pretty good range of motion, and most of the soreness is gone. I took a week off from the gym. Well I guess I just took a week off of suiting out. I still went in almost every day for instruction. I guess I can't help it. I just love this stuff.

This last week, I went back to everything but sparring. I'm back hitting the bags, punching the mits, working on form, and lots of stretching. I'm even starting to really like this Brazillian Ju Jitsu stuff. The more flexible I get, the more I like it.

This morning I went to the regular Doctor. He said I should be ready to go back to full contact in another week or two, and he also told me that I'm not too old to continue on. Then being a wise guy, he told me, "Remember, when you get tired, don't drop your right!"

Punch Therapy

I know it's been awhile since I've updated the blog. I've been busy with the stress of life. I've been stressed with getting my on-line business up and running. I've been stressed with work and all kinds of junk, but I've found a way of working through it. I'm calling my stress reduction method "Punch Therapy."

I've been going to my new MMA gym for a couple of weeks now. It has a great schedule. Monday through Thursday we work on stand-up striking, which includes boxing, Muay-Thai, and Kick-Boxing. On Friday, we work on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I'm learning and increasing my skill set, but the most important thing is the workout. By the end of every workout, I am completely soaked in sweat, and completely exhausted. This is a good thing. Strenuous activities release endorphins in your brain. These endorphins produce a feeling of well being and actually make you in a better mood. They help alleviate stress.

The other day they finally let me do some sparring. I'm not the most technical striker at the gym. I'm not the quickest, or the most talented. What I am is a strong puncher. I'm also the oldest guy. All of the guys at the gym are really nice. They are patient about showing the new guys the way things are done, even if they do all look about 20-25 years old.

I put on my headgear and mouth-guard and get ready for my first round of sparring. Just as we get ready my partner said something smart alecy. I don't know if he said he would go easy on me, or if he asked me to go easy on him. Either way, it rubbed me the wrong way. My partner is really a nice guy, and I know he didn't mean anything by it, but still....

We began by circling. I threw a couple of jabs. My arms are a lot longer and I could tag him easily without him getting close to me. As soon as he realized that, he shot for the take down. I responded by sprawling and I hit him with an uppercut so hard I knocked his headgear off. He got his gear back on and we continued to spar.

The adrenalin was pumping, the endorphins were pumping and I felt good! I would like to say I knocked the guy out, but that was far from the truth. As I get tired, I tend to drop my hands. I got popped a couple of times, but definitely held my own. Not bad for an old guy against a much more experienced young guy.

That night after class, I felt fantastic. I was tired, I was sore, but I was at peace with the world. Everything was good. No stress about anything. That's when I decided that I was going to practice my new form of therapy as much as possible. I think I'm going to keep going to the MMA gym for a long, long time. I can workout, get rid of stress and keep on trying to "Fix Rick."

365 Days of Compassion

I kind of like my routines. Every Saturday and Sunday I get up early and take Rex, the dog also know as my Training Partner, to the Aptos Dog Park. We usually walk a couple of miles, look at the bunny rabbits then head to Starbucks. I then pick up a couple of non-fat hot chocolates, then head home. Once home, Rex and I climb back on the bed, wake Kelly up and read the newspapers, both the San Jose paper and the Santa Cruz paper. Last Sunday was no exception.

I climbed up on the bed, gave Kelly her hot chocolate, and tore into the newspapers. While reading the San Jose paper, I came across a full page advertisement. I usually don't give those kinds of ads a second look, but something about this one caught my eye.

The headline read "365 Days of Compassion - A Challenge." The ad started out talking about what a difficult year 2009 had been. It acknowledged that everyone hopes for a new beginning along with the new year, but recognizes that it doesn't come automatically. It goes on to say that for change to happen, we must all work at it. It then issues the "Challenge."

The "Challenge" is for everyone to do good, to show compassion for others, and to help each other out, everyday, for the next 365 days. It suggests donating some clothes, buying someone a cup of coffee, or even sending money to the Haiti relief effort. The "Challenge" isn't about changing the world overnight. It is about small steps, taken daily, that become part of our life. The "Challenge" is about making compassion a habit and individual responsibility.

This ad was cool for a lot of reasons. I really like the idea of individual responsibility, and I really like the idea of making compassion a habit. The coolest part was the ad wasn't by some religious group, a corporate entity, a political organization, or even a social services provider. The ad was placed by a group called Engine Company One.

I did a little research on this mysterious organization. In the ad, they called themselves "People who believe in attempting the improbable, pursuing the implausible, and maybe someday, with your help, resolving the unsolvable." I looked up Engine Company One and it turns out they are a design group based in an old firehouse in San Francisco. The group asks people to make a pledge to show compassion everyday for the next year, and to share their experiences on Twitter @365compassion. There is no paperwork, no cost, and no formal anything. Just people asking people to try and make the world a better place.

Well the ad kind of got me. I shared it with my wife, and we both agreed that we would join the program. We are trying to make the world a better place, and we would like to ask you to join us in this experiment. Just think what we can accomplish if we all take even small steps.

New Year, New Workout!

Well it's time. It's a new year and time for a new workout.

Ever since last summer, when I came home from fight camp, I've been looking for a new fight gym. I wanted to find a place where I could train in stand-up kickboxing or muay thai. I wasn't so concerned about working on my Brazilian Ju-Jitsu. What I really wanted, was to punch stuff really hard, burn lots of calories, and sweat. Oh yea, and it had to work with early evening classes, to work with my job and regular life.

One day while taking my training partner, Rex the dog, for a run, I noticed one of my neighbors, Louis, getting out of his car. The dude had a shaved head, and a really bad cauliflower ear. He was wearing a pair of Combat Sports brand shorts and carrying an Everlast gym bag. We said "Hi", did the guy head nod thing and kept running.

Over the next few days and weeks we would see each other in the neighborhood and say "Hi." One day we ran by and Louis was in his garage with the big door up. He was working a heavy bag. We stopped to talk, and I asked him if he went to a fight gym in the area. He told me no, but he does go to a Kick-Boxing facility run by his cousin. He told me where it was, and invited me to come out.

The next day, I hit the facility. I met Luis's cousin. I introduced myself, and his first comment was "I want you to know, that this is a gang neutral facility." "OK" I replied. I then thought to myself..... I'm a 50 year old white guy. What kind of gang affiliation does he think I'm sporting? Does he think because I'm Italian that I'm Mafioso? Well the other students started to roll in. There was about 25 Junior High kids, Louis, myself and one other adult. The other adult was a biker, a lot shorter than me and a whole lot heavier. I instantly sized him up as my probable training partner.

The biker introduced himself to me, noticed my Harley shirt and asked what I rode. I told him I rode a 1979 Shovel Head (Harley Davidson), when it ran. We talked about old bikes and then he gave me the laugh of the day. He said "You're going to really like it here. You know all those punk kids that walk real slow crossing the street and they make you wait for ever? Well here you get to beat them up."

Well most of class was spent with the Coach trying to get all those kids to pay attention. We never got to hit anything. We just did some drills and shadow boxed. The class was probably good for them, but not so good for me.If we were ever going to hit stuff, I really don't want to punch on some 120 pound kid. So I thanked everyone and continued my search.

I found lots of schools and classes, but could never find the right set-up at the right times. Then last week I hit the jackpot. I found a great new facility, less than 2 miles from my home. They have stand-up kick-boxing Monday through Thursday evenings, from 5 to 6:15 and the Brazilian Ju-Jitsu from 6:30-8. On Friday they have a conditioning class from 6-7:30. The class is small, and the instructors patient. I though this might be the perfect place for me.

I went for the first time, and had a blast. I had a great workout, and was completely exhausted when we were done. The next day I could barely get out of bed. This was so cool. The next Monday I decided to join. My wife Kelly told me "You really need to increase your flexibility. You should start doing Yoga with me." "Uhhhh yeah, ok" I replied, not really expecting to have to follow through.

After work, I headed to the gym. When I got there, it was just me and the instructor from the previous kids class. Now this guy might be 6' tall and about 170 pounds. He can't be over 25. I'm 6'5" and about 240. This guy is trying to get ready for some amateur fight. So he wants to work out hard with me. I'm game for anything. After having a wire stuck in your eyeball (that's another long story, ending at Stanford hospital but with a happy ending) you know that nothing can ever hurt that bad again. After doing our warm-up, push-ups, and stretches, we did 3, 5 minute rounds of full speed, all out pummeling. This guy had great technique, but I was able to do pretty well just with my size and strength. This is a real tiring workout. About the time we got done, some other students showed up and we did some drills and exercises. We got to hit the bags and we sweat a lot. Then I headed for home.

I walked in the door, and Kelly had two yoga mats out in front of the TV. Some new wave music and a cheesy yoga DVD was in the player. Oh crap, I wasn't expecting to have to do this. I was already tired and sore but I had told her that I would do it with her.

I took a protein recovery shake and took my position on a mat. I think of myself as being in pretty good shape. Actually, I think of myself in outstanding shape. I lift weights, I do cardio, I walk. I do lots of exercise everyday. I had a body composition analysis that showed I had 8.6% body fat. I should be able to do a little stretching with my wife. Was I in for a surprise!

The workout started with some positions for stretching. They all have weird names, and they even call them poses. What kind of guy does Yoga? My body just doesn't bend that way. I hung in there and tried throughout the entire disk. Some of the stretches I could do, but I felt every single one of them. They hurt. As we were working through all of these near impossible stretches I noticed that my wife was doing great. With all of my workouts, nothing prepared me for Yoga.

I don't know what it was, but as soon as I started doing the stretches, I became quite gaseous. I mean every stretch pushed air right out of me. It was bad. It was so nasty, I could not imagine doing it in a formal class. I would have to be one of those deniers. You know one of those people on the cardio machines at the gym who let loose, then look around and try and make it look like they didn't do it.

As the disc ended, I told my wife to check out my next pose. I called it the lazy facing doggie, and I climbed up on the couch, next to Rex. As I started to relax, I realized that the Yoga must have helped. I wasn't near as sore as I expected. When I got up in the morning, I could definitely feel muscles that had been stretched, but I felt pretty good. Maybe there is something to it. I think it will give me some very needed flexibility in my MMA training. The worst that could happen would be I exercised for half an hour with my wife.

I wouldn't say it was fun, but I think it was beneficial. I definitely have a new found respect for Yoga practitioners. I'm planning on continuing to do the yoga with my wife as part of my new workout for the new year. You might also want to try it, but if not, at least try out the new pose. You know, the lazy facing doggie.

Finally - It's Here!

Hi All - Welcome Back - In case you hadn't noticed, I've been missing for awhile. I have been so busy that this year we didn't even get out our famous Holiday Newsletter. The holidays came and went, and we didn't even put up a Christmas Tree. It's not that I'm turning into Ebenezer Scrooge, it's just that I've been totally involved in getting my new business up and running.

Once I had Gastric Bypass surgery I quickly realized that there was a severe lack of vitamins and supplements available to suit the real needs of WLS Patients. Once I got into better shape, I also realized that the vitamins and supplements that were marketed to serious athletes were also lacking. All those expensive vitamins and supplements contained impurities and lots and lots of sugar. The worst part was their is no FDA monitoring of vitamins.

In this blog, I mentioned my experiences with a guy they call the Blood Doc (See blog entries from August 17th through 31st, 2009). The Blood Doc taught me the importance of high quality supplements, using pharmaceutical grade products, and monitoring your body. After working with him, I decided to help share my knowledge with other Weight Loss Surgery Patients and with other Serious Athletes. To make this happen, I've started GetSeriousNutrition.com

GetSeriousNutrition.com is an on-line vitamin and supplement store. It is just me and my computer trying to spread the word and provide great products. That means personalized service. When you e-mail a question, you will be guaranteed a personal reply.

One of the lines we are selling is called XCAP (Xtreme Couture Athletic Pharmaceuticals). The XCAP line is all pharmaceutical grade with the healthiest forms of nutrients. We carry their complete line, and all at 10% off list price. The best recovery shake ever is made with their 4ever greens, mixed with their whey protein. Within 20 minutes, you feel better.

Other products we carry are geared more towards WLS paitents. To meet their needs, we are carrying a couple of different protein sources. My favorite are the Protein Shots. They provide 25 grams of protein in less than 3 ounces and with 0 grams of fat, 0 grams of carbs and only 100 calories.

Now that the business is up and running, I'm hoping to get back into a regular blogging pattern. The FixingRick blog is really fun for me, and is almost like therapy. I guess that is why it's called Fixing Rick. :-)

Well thanks for listening. I hope you check out GetSeriousNutrition.com and if you have any questions, just drop me an e-mail.