Random Extreme Articles

A Quitter Never Wins & A Winner Never Quits

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Bottom line that’s the difference in the mindset between a champion and just another fighter. The difference between winning and losing. This is the attitude you must have to overcome all the obstacles in your training and matches. Focus, hard work and commitment are some of the key factors in the making of a champion. Knowing the right way to train/condition your mind and body will increase your odds in becoming a champion. So how do you go about it? First it starts with your most powerful asset or weapon you have, your thoughts. We are all in control of our destiny because we control our thoughts. “WHAT THE MIND CAN BELIEVE THE MIND CAN ACHIEVE”

A lot of people do not like to hear this because it makes them responsible for where they are at in life, it takes away excuses for failing, not trying or giving up. It’s all about attitude that sets you apart from every one else. DO OR DIE that is the attitude you need to defeat your opponents in the ring or outside of it in the real world. When you don’t feel like training because you are to sore, tired from a long day at work or your hand hurts or there are other things you need to get done these are excuses that you put in the way so you don’t achieve your goal. You have to train and condition your mind to focus on your goal so you have a burning desire to obtain it.

If two opponents of equal strength and fighting ability step into the ring the man with the stronger mind will be victorious. Here are some ways to train your mind to have the edge over your opponent. Take time to visualize your match or techniques in your mind with a clear, detailed and realistic picture for 10-30 minutes twice a day once in the morning when you awake and before going to sleep. This will feed positive messages to your subconscious mind.

 Find a quiet place in your home sit or lay down whatever makes yourself comfortable and begin to visualize.
 Always visualize what YOU are going to do not what your opponent is going to do because you can only control yourself.
 Visualize yourself always moving quickly, effortlessly and being victorious, standing over your opponent holding your arms high up in the air with the championship belt around your waist.
 Visualize as if you have already obtained your goal, SMELL the scents of the arena. TASTE the salt from your sweat on your lips. HEAR the crowd chanting your name. FEEL and TOUCH the championship belt around your waist and the crowd’s energy as you put up your hands in victory.
 Surround yourself with positive people who push you to be your very best, believe in you and your goal and will help you achieve it. Having supportive people around will help deflect negative thinking and will rub off on you, we become who we hang out with.
 Read biographies of your idols on the obstacles they overcame to get to where they are today.

The key to visualization is to have 100% belief and faith that you WILL ACHIEVE YOUR GOAL and this is YOUR PURPOSE AND DESTINY. Push away any doubt you have when it comes into your mind or the negative thoughts will cancel out the positive message. After a little while it well becomes easier to believe what you are telling yourself. The mind can not tell what is real or imagined when you keep telling it something. You will subconsciously begin believing those messages. attracting people in your life that will help you reach your goal and you will begin ACTING, TRAINING and FIGHTING like a champion.

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Norm Bettencourt is the creator of TACT Self Defense which specializes in combat management tactics for mind, body & spirit. Visit www.tactselfdefense.com/

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Failure Or Temporary Defeat-You Decide

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600

NOTHING IN THE WORLD CAN TAKE THE PLACE OF PERSISTENCE, TALENT WILL NOT, NOTHING IS MORE COMMON THAN UNSUCCESSFUL MEN WITH TALENT.

Charles Swindoll

Persistence is a state of mind and is a direct result of habit. Your are the master of your own fate. Persistence is the key to your success in the ring and in life in general. Nothing beats persistence. The most common cause of failure is the habit of quitting when you are overtaken by “temporary defeat”. Most people quit just steps away towards obtaining there goal, not realizing how close there where if they just hung in there. You are in control of your destiny because you control your thoughts. You choose all the thoughts that enter your mind. So when you think you can’t revisit a former victory that you had. Every obstacle is just a stepping stone towards your success in the ring and outside in the real world, if you choose to learn from your mistakes and persist. Ask yourself honestly how bad you want to achieve that goal i.e. title belt. Here are some tips on gaining persistence in your life.

 Knowing what you want is the first and most important step.
 Have a strong motive and remind yourself of it everyday.
 Have an intense desire to obtain your goal.
 Believe in yourself that you WILL achieve your goal.
 Gain knowledge from your team members such as coaches and conditioners who will help and push you to become the best fighter you can be.
“I AM THE MASTER OF MY FATE, I AM THE CAPTAIN OF MY SOUL.”

William Henley

Take an honest look at where you stand with persistence in your fight career and what you need to do to be the best MMA fighter you can be. Talk to people who have gone through those same obstacles and overcame them and ask how they did it. Read biographies on your favorite fighter’s and their obstacles to put perspective on the fact that everyone goes through “temporary defeat”. Remember it’s only temporary it’s your choice if you want to give up and make it into a failure.

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Norm Bettencourt is the creator of TACT Self Defense which specializes in combat management tactics for mind, body & spirit. Visit www.tactselfdefense.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

No One Achieves Greatness Alone

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Take a look at all of your fighting idols each one of them has a team of trainers, role models and idols that they respect, look up to on there team pushing them to be there very best. We are a direct reflection of our idols, peer group or team. If your fight team is filled with unfocused, unsupportive people with negative attitudes that do not give you the discipline or support you need, you will unconsciously take on the same attitude and get no where in your fighting career. You will not believe in yourself, be motivated to train and will not become the best you can be inside and outside of the ring. Choosing your idols, role models and fight team members should be taken seriously. We take on the attitudes of those we look up to, respect and interact with. Choose your fight team wisely in regards to everyone on your team being positive and supportive so that you can achieve your goal. Each member should push you to your limits that you thought you could never rise to because they give you strength and encouragement when you feel like giving up and you feel that you can not go any further.

“IF YOU CAN TELL ME WHO YOUR HERO’S ARE I CAN TELL YOU HOW YOU’RE GOING TO TURN OUT IN LIFE” Warren Buffett

This quote hit the nail right on the head, we take on the attitudes and beliefs of our peers and hero’s. That is why it is important to have focused, positive and supportive people around us and to rid ourselves of anyone who brings us down. That is how to achieve and obtain a high level of success in our fight careers and in life in general. Champions are made up by a team/group who contribute their knowledge and effort for the attainment of a definite goal or purpose “ THE TITLE BELT” It’s important and essential that your team is this way for you to be a champion. Choose to associate with people who share common goals and have a strong desire to contribute to the overall effort. Trail and error is part of the process. Sort out what strengths and weakness’ you have when it comes to your fight game, look for individuals to help you eliminate your weakness’. Sort out each team member’s strength’s and weakness’ and in fine tuning your plans each team member should have a specific purpose or responsibility to make you a better fighter and bring out the best in you and your abilities in the ring and outside of it.

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Norm Bettencourt is the creator of TACT Self Defense which specializes in combat management tactics for mind, body & spirit. Visit www.tactselfdefense.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Is Martial Arts Street Effective?

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600

The topic of how effective traditional martial arts is in today’s world as a way of protecting oneself is still a very sensitive issue to a lot of martial artists. What is even more sensitive is the issue of how realistic and street effective is the newer styles that have come out since UFC/PRIDE have come into the picture. I am a Registered Black Belt & have nothing against the martial arts and have also studied styles such as Pankration. I know that the techniques I have learned in the dojo should stay in the dojo because they will only work there, that also goes with styles such as the “modern day or reality based systems” they are for sport only.

I work as a bouncer/bodyguard & also teach tactical self defense. Many of my students are black belts or have trained under reality based systems & have learned the hard way that what they learned in the ring or dojo is not street effective. Their common question is why didn’t their system work? Part of the reason is that if a rule or law is applied to a system it will subconsciously hinder you when your adrenaline takes over in combat. There are no rules in the streets your mind should not have to sensor or think can I do this to beat this person? We respond exactly the same way that we train.

There is no time to switch gears from sport to tactical. If you are training and your coach or sensei says can’t hit their or no contact to the eyes your mind will remember that and store it for future reference. Your self defense system should take into account your environment as well. Can you kick your attacker in the small space your in? Can you balance yourself while performing a technique on the icy sidewalk? If you grapple with him what if he has friends coming around, what do you do then? Street fighting or tactical self-defense should be in the simplest form of fighting. You don’t have time to play a chess game, like you would see in a UFC match. Time is not on your side in a street confrontation nor are rules or morals. What we can learn from the UFC or mixed martial arts events when it comes to reality fighting is if it has rules of what not to do, do those things in a street fight because its got to be effective.

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Norm Bettencourt is the creator of TACT Self Defense which specializes in combat management tactics for mind, body & spirit. Visit www.tactselfdefense.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

The Three Horsemen

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600

Self doubt, indecision, & fear the three horsemen that destroy your chances for success. If you have one of these feelings the other two are nearby. If you have doubt in your abilities as a fighter or are incisive on how you are going to fight your opponent, fear will automatically kick in & take over. Your chances of being victorious before even entering the ring will be knocked out. These emotions will effect your performance due to the mind / body connection. You will hesitate on fully committing to your techniques & combinations while fighting. You will telegraph your movements due to indecision and your speed of your techniques will slow down due to being stiff & rigid.

Like animals, which sense fear, humans are no different. The vibrations of fear pass from one mind to another just as quickly & surely as a human voice. Your opponent across the ring will sense your fear & use it to his advantage. The three horsemen need to be mastered before claiming your title in or outside of the ring.

Here are some tips

1. Think from your opponents mind, what would he do?
2. Watch & analyze your opponents fights to get a sense of his game plan
3. Focus & remind yourself of your strengths as a fighter.
4. At night before going to sleep rehearse your fight plan in your mind & what you will do to counter attacks
5. Have a flexible fight plan ready in your mind & stick to it

“IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE VICTORY YOU MUST PLACE YOURSELF IN YOUR OPPONENT’S SKIN.IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND YOURSELF, YOU WILL LOSE 100% OF THE TIME.IF YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF YOU WILL WIN 50% OF THE TIME.
IF YOU UNDERSTAND YOURSELF & YOUR OPPONENT YOU WILL WIN 100% OF THE TIME.”

Tsutomu Oshima

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Norm Bettencourt is the creator of TACT Self Defense which specializes in combat management tactics for mind, body & spirit. Visit www.tactselfdefense.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Your Habits Will Determine Your Future

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0600

We all have dreams, desires, goals and it’s great to daydream about what it would be like holding that title belt high in the air feeling the energy of the crowd cheering you on. Back to reality now and here’s a question for you. How much time do you put into a day to make that dream come true? The time you spend training or doing something productive to get closer to your goal or dream, compared to sitting on your couch watching TV. Don’t get me wrong daydreaming can be productive if you know how to creatively visualize. Realize that your habits will determine your future. Successful people have successful habits, unsuccessful people don’t. To get your dream to materialize you need a plan to structure your time into productive slots. All successful people have a plan, follow it, and gauge their progress by it. Work towards making the majority of your time being productive towards your goal, i.e. training and conditioning, read and view material that is going to help you become a better fighter such as viewing video of your fights and your opponents to see what you need to work on.

IT’S ALL ABOUT WERE YOU PUT YOUR FOCUS

Ninety percent of your focus and energy should be directed at your fight plan and career if you want to succeed in the MMA world or in any goal in life. Instead of coming home from a long day at work kicking back with a beer and watching the game, put on an instructional dvd to help you learn new techniques or improve on your speed or power. Go to the gym left weights, do cardio, strength train or work on techniques with your sparring partner. During work or on your way home visualize yourself in a match performing a technique you have recently learned, so it becomes ingrained in your subconscious and is in your arsenal. Build on your strengths, not on your weakness. There are three kinds of people, people that make things happen, people that watch things happen and people who say what just happened. Which one are you? So if you keep asking yourself why your fight career isn’t happening take an honest inventory of yourself because it’s about were we put the focus in our life that determines were we are going. If you keep on doing what you always done you’ll keep getting what you always got. Making your dreams become reality is not about luck, or “if it’s meant to be it will happen”. It’s not hocus-pocus; it’s all about were you put your focus.

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Norm Bettencourt is the creator of TACT Self Defense which specializes in combat management tactics for Mind, body & spirit. Visit www.tactselfdefense.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Paintball Supplies and What You Need

Tue, 02 May 2006 00:00:00 -0500

Paintball is a rising game not only in the United States but also in the world.

The use of paintball gear to protect the group of actors has earned it a standing as a safe game - this is better than football or hockey which have a standing for causing injuries.

For people to play this game, it is necessary that a actor wear security cog at all era. This consists of a hat, upper body protection, fashion accessory, and lap and prod pads. The weapons second-hand are only allowable to have a utmost dismissal speed of 300 feet for each second.

Anybody who needs to try this game should first buy the necessary gear which can be purchased at the restricted sports education store or online. A hat may $20-$90. Since it fogs up owing to perspiration, grime, or paint it would be a good idea to buy a onslaught solution and anti-fog scatter as well.

Defensive cog for the upper body can be bought for less than $30. These come in dissimilar colors and will protect the person should a direct blast hit the body. Pads for the knee and elbows can also be purchased for less than $40 each.

The most significant thing wanted for fight is the player’s paintball gun. This can be handguns to physical attack rifles. The cost of these weapons run from $100 to more than a $1,000 depending on the skin of the gun. Most of these are semi-automatic and can hold several paintballs before life form reloaded.

A vital part of the game is bullets. This also comes in different colors and ranges in cost from $24- $60. A box contains 2000 rounds - more than enough for one game. The actor can also buy bullets to be second-hand against the adversary for roughly same cost. It is a good idea to buy a loader that will save time when it is time to refill.

Paintball as some would say is “better than the real obsession. This exciting game keeps the heart throbbing and the adrenaline leaving. Should the person be paying attention in this game, the first thing that wants to be done is receiving the right gear from the shop and knowledge the system.

After meeting, it is time to suit up, security device and weight, and get ready to be in the battle region. Buy the best paintball supplies to optimize your game.

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Join Charles Edwin for his paintball tips and paintball supplies at his information website about everything paintball

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Mixed Martial Arts 101

Thu, 22 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0500

What is mma? Mma stands for mixed martial arts. Mixed martial arts is the blending of two or more fighting systems. The most common styles combined are striking and ground techniques. In the early days of mma competitions in the U.S., The ground fighters had an advantage because most of the stand up fighters were not prepared if the fight went to the ground. An interesting transformation took place. Stand up fighters began to train in submission fighting, ground fighters began to train in stand up, and a new breed of fighter was born into the world of mma in the U.S. It takes special kind of person to compete in this high demanding sport. Most of these famous fighters that you here of did not get there over night. Most of them competed for a long time in smaller amateur circuits.

There are several components to mma. Striking. This is where the fighter attempts to punch, kick, elbow, or knee his opponent into a K.O., submission, or referee stoppage. Submission. This is when a fighter forces his opponent to “tap-out” (give up) due to a joint manipulation technique such as an arm bar, or a strangulation technique like a rear naked choke. Ground and pound. A fighter takes down his opponent, mounts him, and pummels him with strikes until a K.O. or referee stoppage. Take down. When a fighter takes his opponent to the mat with intention of submission or ground and pound. Sprawl. A tactic used when an opponent shoots in for a take down. The defending opponent will place his hands on the shoulders of the attacker and sprawl his legs out behind him to prevent the take down. Shoot. To dive in on an opponent’s legs for a take down. There are many more components to mma, but these are the basics. More will be covered in following articles.

Mma Physical training. Along with their mma training, most fighters incorporate a rigorous Physical training program. Many fighters use weight training styles that increase muscle endurance, cardio styles that include rope skipping, sprints, and other high intensity activities. The goal of this training is to prepare the fighter to withstand several rounds and still have enough energy to fight efficiently.

Mma safety. To this day not one report of serious injury or death has been reported during a sanctioned mma fight. The same cannot be said for boxing. In mma events if you are knocked senseless you do not get a standing count to recover and get pummeled some more. The referees are very careful not to let a fighter get severely injured.

The recent popularity of mma has come to be due to the popularity of a certain reality show. Mma is a difficult sport to be involved in and requires a lot of physical and mental training. It also requires a lot of time to reach the level of the guys that you see on TV. Mma stars are not made over night. Most of them have spent a lot of time competing in smaller amateur circuits.

Mma events are exciting to watch and lets man get in touch with his inner self seeing modern day gladiators go toe to toe with respect in a modern day coliseum!

This article is meant for informational purposes only and is not instruction.

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Shawn Sellen is the owner of the mixed martial arts website mmaarticles.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Mma-A Brief History

Sat, 01 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

It would be impossible to fully track every aspect of the beginnings of mma. The Greeks, Romans, Cavemen? I will try to bring to you a history of mma that impacted the United States as I believe it occurred, and what is now the growing popularity in this reality fighting. When I use the term reality fighting, it refers to actual full contact striking and joint wrenching submissions. It is not meant to disrespect the traditional martial arts.

In Brazil there was a competition called vale tudo (Portuguese for anything goes) In the early nineties an elder son of a very respected Brazilian jiu-jitsu (bjj) master came to the United States. This elder son and his younger brother were giving Bjj lessons out of their garage. This elder son partnered with another man and began a very popular competition where fighters of different styles would fight each other abiding by only a few rules. The younger brother of the man you started this competition dominated the fighters that stood before him. Many of the fighters were of a standing style (karate,kung-fu,etc) when this young man would take them down and tie them in a pretzel they were at a loss on how to defend against it. At this time there were no time limits on rounds. This young man would hold on to his competitors like an anaconda; wearing them down and waiting for the right moment to apply a submission hold.

It did not take long for future fighters to start training in this young man’s style and start gaining there own submissions. One mistake was made though. Now they were getting knocked out. The new rules to this competition incorporated rounds, and if they were on the ground too long with no action the ref would stand them back up. Not exactly a grappler’s desire. With these new rules in place a new breed of fighter emerged.

Mma fighters had to find a new way to cope with the double threat of stand up and ground fighting. Many of these fighters started to cross train in both ground fighting and stand up. The world of mma in the United States would never be the same. It was no longer a matter of style versus style, but who had the better stand up OR ground game. It’s very complex if you think about it. Say fighter A is stronger at stand up than on the ground. His competitor, fighter B is equal at both, maybe a little better at standing and just as good a fighter as A on the ground. This scenario can be a combination of a lot of variables. There is strategy in these fights. They do not just go toe to toe with a fighter. They study their competitor and try to exploit their weakness.

Regardless where mma originated from, no one can deny the explosion this sport has seen, or the skill of these athletes. These are not brainless brawlers wanting to duke it out, they are skilled combatants with a strategy wanting to compete with other skilled fighters.

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Shawn Sellen is the owner of the mixed martial arts website mmaarticles.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com

Mixed Martial Arts-Learn The Terms

Wed, 19 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0500

With the rules and sanctioning of certain mma events there has been an explosion of new followers of mma (mixed martial arts) The purpose of this article is to help familiarize the new fans of this sport with some of the terms that are used. If you have a basic understanding with some of the terminology you will find viewing the sport more enjoyable. Keep in mind that this description is not inclusive of every aspect, but more of a guide for the beginner.

Submissions: submissions are techniques that cause the receiver to give up due to pain being applied to a joint or strangulation from a choke. Here are some of the basics.

Kimura: A shoulder lock that applies pressure to the shoulder joint.

Rear Naked Choke: A choke that apples strangulation to both sides of the neck (both arteries) it also impedes breathing.

Guillotine Choke: This is where the defender reaches underneath the attacer's neck and applies upward pressure, with the attackers head under the defender’s armpit. It is usually applied when an attacker attempts a takedown and the defender is able to capture the neck.

Triangle Choke: The attacker is between the defender’s legs on the ground. The defender gets an attackers arm between his own neck and the defender’s leg. The defender then places his ankle behind his knee of his other leg and secures the choke.

Arm Triangle: Similar to the Triangle Choke except arms are used instead of legs. Usually executed from a top or back position.

Arm Bar: When an opponent is able to secure an arm and straighten it out with pressure underneath the elbow.

Knee Bar: Same as an arm bar but causes pain to the joint of the knee.

Ankle Lock: A submission that causes pain to the joint of the ankle or Achilles tendon.

There are way too many techniques to list in this article but these are a lot of the main ones you will hear mentioned. There are also several “control” positions. Here are a few;

Full Mount: This is when an attacker is on top of his opponent with both of his legs on either side of the defender. A bad spot to be in because the attacker can rise up and deliver strikes.

Half Mount: The attacker has only one leg on the outside and the defender is holding the attacker’s other leg between his legs to stop the attacker from achieving a full mount.

Side Mount: The attacker is perpendicular to the defender across the defender’s chest. A transfer to full mount or submission can be accomplished.

North/South: An opponent is on top of the other facing opposite directions.

The sport of mma is an elite sport with various strategies and techniques. Here are a few more terms you might hear.

Ground And Pound: A fighter takes down an opponent, mounts him, and delivers strikes until knock out, referee stoppage, or the defending fighter gives up (taps)

Take Down: A fighter attempts to bring his opponent down to the mat for a submission or to deliver strikes from the mount.

Tap Out: When a fighter taps on the other fighter or the mat to concede the fight. Mostly done when a submission is applied. (kind of like saying uncle.)

This article is not a “catch all” for every term you might here during an mma fight. It will give you a better understanding of the sport and make it a lot more fun to watch.

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Shawn Sellen is the owner of the mixed martial arts website MmaArticles.com

Source: http://www.articletrader.com