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.