Determined To Succeed

My friends, I have been honored.

Yesterday, Unbeknownst to me and on the same day I wrote part one of my blog post about him, martial arts and self defense expert Doug Shaffer, my sensei, wrote his blog post about me (WHICH YOU CAN READ BY CLICKING HERE) . It was very cool to read how my workouts could inspire a teacher who has been doing this for as long as he has, especially when just being in his class inspires me (and by the way I DID TWO HONEST-TO-GOODNESS PUSH-UPS YESTERDAY).

In my blog yesterday I began my Q&A with Sensei Doug about how mixed martial arts can be awesome for physical fitness. Today, I continue my conversation with Doug so grab your morning cup of coffee and jump into (or kick or punch) reading more about the benefits of using MMAs (mixed martial arts) to enhance a weight loss journey…

Sensei, what do you want people to learn when they come to you inquiring about MMAs as a way to improve fitness? Are your goals the same as theirs?

I guess the biggest thing I want people to understand is that everyone can do this at any point in their lives. It’s never too late to get yourself in shape and start moving. Everyone has reservations about embarking upon a life change such as this, but when you have good coaching, it’s a gradual, beneficial change that is much longer lasting. My goals as a teacher are the same as my students’. Most teachers might have a different opinion, but not me. I’m in the business of improving the quality of people’s lives through staying healthy, training, and learning. I still compete, and I still train everyday, just as my students do. The students tell me that they, too, are there in order to improve their lives through what I have to offer. We all treat each other as an extended family and every time a new student walks in the door, they are welcomed as a part of that family. We all have learned over time that this is not easy, but we also lean on each other for support along the way. I want everyone to know that they can do this! EVERYONE can practice.

What kind of diets do you suggest people follow to go along with MMA training?

This is a complicated question, and the answer is subject to the needs of the person training. Again, please ask your doctor first. If you’re not used to any kind of training at all, you’ll need to do some research as to what to eat to provide the correct nutrients and long lasting natural energy. Asking your health care professional is the best place to start.

What are the benefits of doing MMAs? Toning? Strength training? Etc?

MMA is a great way to not only improve your cardiovascular health, but increase your range of motion, and flexibility while toning and developing. It really is a complete system that calls on your whole body to perform. During an average session you’ll not only be burning calories, but you’ll be focusing on the development of your body and getting closer to the way you want to see yourself in the mirror. It’s a very rewarding feeling watching your arms, chest, back, and stomach begin to chisel out after just your first few weeks – yes, I said weeks – of training. There is no such thing as being too strong. This is your time to improve yourself and work on your own personal goals.

What is a good recommended workout regimen in terms of days per week, hours per day and time spent?

If you are just getting started with a new routine, I recommend training at least three times per week. If you are training in a studio or a gym with a trainer, they will have a program in place for you that will have you working anywhere from 45 minutes to and hour. When you are not at the gym, it’s important to stay lose and open by stretching at home, and making sure you’re staying on track with the proper diet as recommended by your doctor. Diet and exercise must work together in order to have any good results. If you’ve already been training for some time you might want to try bumping up to 4-5 days per week. Most importantly, it’s key to listen to your body. If you feel that you’re over doing it you need to take time to rest and prepare for the next session. Your body will tell you when it’s tired. Please take time to enjoy what you do.

Want to know the kicker (ha, I made a martial arts joke)? Even though I leave Sensei Doug’s class drained and tired I always go back and try to do something I’ve learned harder and faster, to test what I’ve learned and to build on that now that my body has warmed up a bit and isn’t so stiff.

So if you’re thinking about fitness, just like Daniel-san found out in “The Karate Kid,” it all starts with a great teacher. Thanks, Doug, for everything. See you again soon.

O.K., I know I’ve been a bit of a movie geek with you guys lately (although I do not apologize for it at all – smiles), and I know I’ve mentioned it before, but you all remember the original “The Karate Kid,” right? In the film, Daniel-san (Ralph Macchio) finally gets fed up with Mr. Miyagi’s (the late, great Pat Morita) seemingly selfish and self-serving requests to “wax on, wax off,” “sand the floor” and “paint the fence.” Daniel-San asks “when am I gonna learn Karate?” Mr. Miyagi, in his infinite wisdom, grumbles a bit but acknowledges that it’s time for Daniel to learn what he has been really doing and shows him exactly how much karate he’s actually learned doing all those things. That’s when Daniel-san put it together, the meaning of it all. How doing one thing builds to other things and how, when all the pieces are put together, your mind has been opened to something new and something wonderful.

Or, as Hannibal says in “The A-Team,” “I love it when a plan comes together.”

Even though I am in no way, shape or form frustrated with my martial arts sensei, Doug Shaffer, yesterday’s instruction was that big “a-ha” moment for me. Noooooo, not the A-Ha who sang “Take On Me” in the 80s (although that is an awesome song and video). I mean it was the class that showed me the practical applications of all the moves I have been doing. For example, how rocking back and forth on my back, kind of like a turtle on its shell, keeping a target in sight actually is not only a great ab exercise but allows you to control how close an aggressor can get to you using your legs. Then, how these killer ab exercises we started yesterday actually help complete that control by allowing you to build muscle to use those legs to fight off said aggressor.

I’m not gonna be defending myself against “sweep the leg” or doing the crane move or anything from “The Karate Kid” but it shows that the things I’ve been learning all build, not just in increased health and strength but also in skill. In the five weeks I’ve been doing martial arts I am already seeing results both in health and in physicality. But now I get to add that “a-ha” moment to it all, that one more thing that can help me push through the sweat I am adding to the blood, sweat and tears story of that mat to get to my goal.

Weight loss is the same thing. You eat less calories. Groovy. Then, you exercise. Groovier. Put those two together and you lose weight. That may be simplistic but that’s why both have to work in tandem. That’s the plan, and not doing them together means you will be frustrated. Believe me, I know as I tried both for years separately and that’s part of why I failed before 2005. Before I finally got it. Before I said “a-ha.”

When we put work aside and jump into the weekend we have to put the things we learn to use over the two days of being away from our routine. In other words it is the time to put that plan and those disciplines we learn into action in the real world. I know it’s hard to avoid the Auntie Anne’s pretzels in the mall, or the burger with fries on the run between running from the store to the dry cleaners, but it must be done. It’s time to set aside time for yourself to get in at least ten minutes of exercise, too.

When I left the class yesterday I was invigorated. Not just because I get to kick the bag or punch out my week’s frustrations, but because I “got it.” I got the “why” you do the exercises you do and for my inquisitive brain, it helps, as do seeing the results every week. And when you start seeing that first pound or two come off (or see more pounds come off) you will have those moments, too, of understanding. This is all a process and sometimes it’s a slow one, I know. But it all does mean something. It all does show results and it all does come together for your own plan.

In time you will see that, my friends. You will.

In the meantime, keep on keeping on, especially over the weekend. And remember to “wax on, wax off,” “sand the floor” and “paint the fence,” metaphorically speaking that is. Each little thing you do is helping. Trust me. You are building to something great and awesome…you.

I’ve loved (LOVED) the movies ever since I was a kid. But this is old news to you guys. Regular readers to my blog KNOW how much I love, quote and sometimes breathe movies. And with it being summertime I am in my element – lots of shoot-em-up, blow-em-up and fight-em-up action in theaters to keep me (hopefully) entertained for the two-hour stretches I invest (as well as the $10-plus dollars I spend).

In 1984 the original “The Karate Kid” came out and every kid on my block was hooked, including yours truly. That, plus reruns of movies like “Enter The Dragon” and other then-current movies like “The Last Dragon,” “Bloodsport” and “Cyborg” had us all doing the “hey-ya” sound followed by some awkward-as-hell kick/punch move that was supposed to be lightning but instead looked like, well, a kid TRYING to do a very-uncoordinated martial arts move. The heroes of the day were Jean-Claude Van Damme (before he started taking lots of drugs), Steven Segal (before we knew how weird that guy turned out to be) and the immortal Bruce Lee. Oh yeah, and Ralph Macchio.  Yes, Ralph Macchio, who will forever be doing that goofy crane move to win the tournament, the adoration of his mentor, Mr. Miyagi (the awesome Pat Morita), the girl and the respect of his enemies at the end of “The Karate Kid.”

Why am I waxing nostalgic on “The Karate Kid?” Today, I am taking a step into a larger world and am beginning martial arts training as part of a newer overall fitness regimen. That’s right, me, Bill Ivory Larson, is heading out to Lansdale, PA to begin martial arts training under the teachings of martial arts and self-defense expert Doug Shaffer. I met Doug (excuse me, Sensei) at a Tweet-up (a social media gathering of people who frequently use Twitter) and told him about my 175-pound weight loss and my journey so far. He asked me what kind of gym training I had had and I said “none really,” and he invited me to join him at his studio to begin working out using martial arts.

Whenever you lose a ton of weight, unless you are working out like a fiend every single day, you are going to have flab and skin issues. I am no exception. I have what I call “chicken arms,” flabby thighs and my tummy longs for the day it can have abs as ripped as Ryan Reynolds or Jason Statham. So part of why I am taking martial arts training is to do what I’ve always learned – change up my workouts to trick my body into burning more fat. I am also doing it to tone up those saggy bits and hopefully improve my overall fitness and health. My training will be two times a week (Wednesdays and Fridays) and will supplement the things I already do (cardio and weight training in my gym).

You know I have to say I am truly looking forward to this. I’ve never been afraid of a challenge – hell, I took scuba diving training and I was afraid of drowning – and this will certainly be one. One of the things I promised myself I’d do when I lost all that weight is do things I wasn’t ever able to do before. Being physical is one of them, whether it’s sports or activities. It doesn’t matter that I have less than half-a-year until I turn 40. Because I lost weight I feel like a new person who, knock on wood, has a new lease on life and will (hopefully) live a much longer and healthier one. And don’t worry, I will keep you all posted on how things go during my martial arts training. It will be interesting, to say the least, to see a guy whose greatest activity used to be sitting in a darkened movie theater watching movies like “The Karate Kid” actually learn to do this stuff.

It’s funny how life sometimes comes back around. We can see it every day with styles the kids are wearing (I can’t believe the long-haired look is back for boys), by the fact that 80s music is back and being embraced (only this time it’s retro) and by seeing old TV shows or movies like “The A-Team” or “The Karate Kid” remade into this summer’s blockbuster movies.  Well, while Jaden Smith learns Kung-Fu from Jackie Chan in this year’s remake (yes, it’s Kung-Fu not Karate but you don’t mess with cool movie name and franchise recognition) I will finally be living out a childhood movie fantasy of mine, too, while getting healthier and hopefully leaner in the process.

I just hope I don’t look as silly doing the crane move thing or learning “wax on, wax off.”