Knocking down the myths in MMA

When talking about Martial Arts, it comes as no surprise to us that there are a few misconceptions about the art and those who practice it. Due to a lot of hype by mainstream media, those who have never practiced a Martial Art easily make assumptions. To set the record straight, here is a look at some of the major misconceptions about MMA.

No Holds Barred & No Rules? Is MMA the most brutal sport on the planet?

Many casual fans of MMA might perpetuate the idea that they like watching the sport because there are“no rules” or “no holds barred.” No Holds Barred, or NHB fighting is a completely different animal from MMA. MMA has several rules. Primarily there’s no biting, eye-gouging, head-butting or hair pulling in MMA under traditional rule requirements. Most leagues also forbid kicks or knees to the head of a downed opponent.

Mixed Martial Arts has often been compared to boxing and called more dangerous. However, the fact is Boxing has a much longer history and exponentially higher incidences of formal prizefights on record than MMA has in its still young life span. It’s been said that there is not a single recorded death that has occurred due to injuries sustained in a formal sanctioned Mixed Martial Arts Fight. According to the popular “Manswers” TV show, boxing is responsible for an average of nine deaths each year.

Mixed martial arts is a fighting sport, and there is some level of aggression involved and obviously a great deal of adrenaline, but that does not mean the sport is inherently brutal. Fighters do not battle to the death or face men twice their size, and the level of sophistication has evolved 10-fold since the heady early days of the sport when fighters fought in tournament-style showdowns facing multiple opponents per night. Now opponents are of similar weight, a typical pro fighter rarely ever fights more than twice a month at most, and the rules and customs of the sport are designed to protect the fighters from serious and life-changing and/or threatening injury.

Women can´t do Martial Arts.

There are certain individuals who believe that Martial Arts, clubs and academy´s are a boys only club. As a result, these people feel that women are unable to train and develop enough strength to defend against an average sized man or to discourage an assailant.

We know this isn’t true, as we have seen so much recent news coverage, where girls as young as the age of 23 have taken on and successfully defended themselves against attack. These real life stories seem to be happening more today than ever before. Women, who train in Karate and Aikido for example, will always have the element of surprise on their side. These women are trained to defend themselves with a focused counterattack and develop the skill to strike pressure points, bones and even organs of the assailant without hesitation.

All Fighters are Brain Dead Bruiser Types Who Come From Bad Backgrounds and Broken Homes.

Most fighters can take each other apart with unmitigated fury in the confines of a cage or ring and just as easily put all that aggression and intensity behind them as soon as the fight ends. Also, though some guys who fight take on the look of a common street thug in a bad action movie, looking menacing can be a psychological edge. Many Fighters are smarter than you think, and though some might come from troubled childhoods, have criminal records, or went to reform school, you usually find it is organized fighting that kept them out of trouble rather than what got them into it.

Many people are astonished to find out some of the toughest fighters in the sport are the nicest and most intelligent people you could meet when they step outside the field of combat.

Everyone in MMA is on performance-enhancing drugs.

Thanks to organizations developing relationships with professional drug-testing facilities such as the World Anti-Doping Agency, and promotions like ONE Championship placing new weight-cutting procedures into play, the sport of MMA is getting healthier by the day.

Fighters can no longer take performance-enhancing drugs and get away with it. There are also stiff penalties, such as extensive suspensions, in place for those who get caught. For a professional fighter, not being able to fight is a huge blow to their career and livelihoods.

What’s more, athletes like Shinya Aoki, Ben Askren and countless others have showcased skills that allow them to overcome physically larger fighters based on ability alone.

Grappling and ground fighting is boring.

Unfortunately for MMA fans, this is a comment that will likely be heard until the end of time by those who are passionate about boxing or kickboxing. You could almost compare it to American football versus regular football in terms of followers not understanding why you use your hands in one and not the other.

Regardless, MMA is maybe even more about what happens on the canvas thanks to its connections with Brazilian jiu jitsu and wrestling, as it is about standing and out-striking your opponent. Once you see a high-level grappling exchange leading to a spectacular submission, you’ll realize ground fighting can be just as exciting as seeing two fighters trading blows in the center of the cage.

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Arts & Techniques in MMA

Mixed martial arts, or MMA is a full contact sport that combines striking and grappling arts, and has fighting techniques from various styles of fighting. Undoubtedly one of the best aspects of MMA is the sheer variety of techniques that fighters can use during a match and this is what makes it so exciting and different from every other combat sport.

There are dozens of submissions and strikes that can end a fight and some of them have repeatedly been proven effective time and again.

Choke

A finishing hold that cuts off the blood and/or the oxygen to a mixed martial artist’s brain. A player who does not tap to a well-executed choke will pass out. There are different kinds of chokes, some that use the forearms or biceps to put pressure on the arteries in the neck and/or the windpipe, and others that use the legs around the head and arm.

Clinch

A position where competitors try to control each other’s bodies by wrapping their arms around one another, fighting for good arm and hip position, frequently as a precursor to a takedown attempt. Although a clinch looks a bit like hugging, rest assured it is not at all affectionate.

Elbow Strike or Elbow

A blow to the opponent’s body or head using the point of the elbow. Elbow strikes are painful, and they can also open cuts. The use of elbows is generally heavily regulated. For instance, a competitor may not raise his elbow straight in the air and bring it straight down upon his opponent. Elbows must come in at an angle.

Ground and Pound

A strategy where a competitor takes his opponent to the ground and unleashes a flurry of punches and elbows to try to finish a fight.

Kicks

They are strikes that involve the legs, knees, feet or toes. Depending on the intention of the practitioner, his power and/or speed, simple kicks, like the front, side, back or roundhouse kick, can generally be performed one of two ways. First, the practitioner can deliver the kick with a quick snap of the knee and hips. Second, he can deliver it with a powerful hip thrust in which he locks his knees to deliver a focused straight-leg kick. Advanced kicks require better balance, speed and flair on the part of the practitioner for successful delivery.

Strikes

Characterized as a physical hit with any part of the body or an inanimate object, strikes are meant to cause pain, injury or death to an opponent. For martial artists, striking usually involves hitting with the legs or arms. For the legs, the practitioner strikes with his foot or knees. He also can stomp. For the arms, the practitioner uses his elbows, wrists, fists or fingers in a variety of ways. Finger strikes can be executed by individual fingers or in combination for soft-tissue and vital strikes. Sometimes the practitioner will hold his hand in a claw like grasp to rip at flesh or grab at soft tissues and vital points.

Closed-hand techniques include punches and hammer fist strikes. Various open-hand strikes like the spearhead aim at the soft-tissue areas. Open-hand strikes like the knife hand, chop, cupped hand and palm strike instead attempt to bludgeon larger areas with powerful hits.

Submission Hold

A submission hold is applied with the purpose of forcing an opponent to submit out of either extreme pain or fear of injury. Submission holds are used primarily in ground fighting and can be separated into constrictions (chokeholds, compression locks, suffocation locks) and manipulations (joint locks, leverages, pain compliance holds). When used, these techniques may cause dislocation, torn ligaments, bone fractures, unconsciousness or even death.

Takedowns

In this technique, a practitioner off-balances his opponent to take him to the ground. The practitioner aims to gain control of his opponent through a take-down manoeuvre by landing in a position of power when both combatants end up on the ground. Commonly used techniques include leg trips (or leg sweeps) and a wide variety of single- and double-leg takedowns.

Throws

Throws refer to a method when a practitioner off-balances his opponent to throw him to the ground. The practitioner typically remains on his feet during throws. Commonly practiced throws in martial arts include leg throws like reaps and trips, sacrifice throws and shoulder throws.

Wrestling

Wrestlers bring more to the table than just their physical skill. Typically they have been competing for far longer than other fighters. Therefore wrestlers often have a competitive mental edge as well as a familiarity with what it takes to prepare for competition.

There are two main styles of wrestling you will see in MMA – Freestyle and Greco-Roman. Freestyle is similar to the collegiate style most people are familiar with, whereas Greco-Roman is a style of wrestling which focuses on the upper body. You cannot use the legs at all to score points, so the emphasis is on upper body engagement. Because of this, a fighter with a Greco-Roman background brings something unique to the game of MMA.

Wrestling has two main uses in MMA – controlling the opponent and taking the opponent to the ground. Wrestling is not a submission art, but can put a fighter in position to go after submissions, and wrestling defense is essential for strikers wishing to keep the fight standing. Therefore, wrestling and wrestling defense can be the linchpin for a fighter trying to keep the fight in their domain.

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All You want to know about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Jiu Jitsu, or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu as it is commonly named outside Brazil, is a martial art, combat sport, and a self-defence system that focuses on grappling and especially ground fighting. It is unlike many other ground fighting styles, particularly in the way that it teaches practitioners to fight from their backs.

History of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Over 400 years ago, Buddhist monks developed a method of grappling as a way to defend themselves as they roamed Northern India to spread Buddhism. It was this new practice of self- defence, which would eventually be known as Jiu-Jitsu, that allowed these monks to subdue attackers without killing them. It was the Japanese who improved this practice and meant to keep it a secret. However, in 1914, Esai Maeda, who was a Kodoku Judo master, came to Brazil and stayed with a man named Gastao Gracie, who helped Maeda with a business endeavor. As a token of appreciation, Maeda taught Gracie’s oldest son, Carlos, all he knew about the art of Judo and Jiu-Jitsu. Carlos then taught the art to three of his four brothers, Oswaldo, Gastao, and George, and in 1925, the first Gracie Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Academy was opened in Rio de Janeiro.

The fourth brother, Helio, was very small in comparison to his larger brothers, and was not included in the original instruction because of this. However, he diligently watched and learned from the side of the mat, developing his own modified techniques based on using leverage rather than strength. The brothers finally saw how imperative Helio’s new techniques were to the art of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

The concept of techniques based on leverage, not strength, became the essential principle of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or BJJ. To prove the effectiveness of their art, the Gracies provided an open challenge to anyone who doubted the applicability of BJJ in a real fight. These challenges were known as “Vale Tudo” (Portuguese for “anything goes”) matches, and was similar to the type of combat we now know as today’s MMA.

Characteristics of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is divided into three broad categories, each mutually supportive of the others; self-defence (including striking techniques and unarmed techniques against armed opponents), free fighting competition (commonly referred to as “vale tudo” or “anything goes” events, now popularly called MMA), and sport grappling with and without the gi (matches that include a wide range of submission holds, but no striking).

BJJ promotes the concept that a smaller, weaker person can successfully defend against a bigger, stronger assailant by using proper technique, leverage, and most notably, taking the fight to the ground, and then applying joint-locks and chokeholds to defeat the other person. BJJ training can be used for sport grappling tournaments (gi and no-gi) and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition or self-defence. Sparring (commonly referred to as “rolling”) and live drilling play a major role in training, and a premium is placed on performance, especially in competition, in relation to progress and ascension through its ranking system.

Since its inception in 1882, its parent art of Judo was separated from older systems of Japanese ju-jitsu by an important difference that was passed on to Brazilian jiu-jitsu: it is not solely a martial art, it is also a sport; a method for promoting physical fitness and building character in young people; and, ultimately, a way of life.

Style of Fighting

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is an art based in ground fighting but it also teaches takedowns, takedown defence, ground control, and especially submissions. Submissions refer to holds that either cut off an opponent’s air supply (chokes) or look to take advantage of a joint (such as armbars). Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters tend to feel very comfortable fighting from a position called the guard, if need be. The guard position– in essence, wrapping one’s legs around an opponent to limit their movement— is what allows them to fight from their backs so effectively, and is also something that separates their art from most other grappling styles.

Basic Goals of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters look to take their opponents to the ground. When on top they generally hope to escape their opponents’ guard and move to either side control (positioned across an opponent’s’ chest) or the mount position (sitting over their ribs or chest). From there, depending on the situation, they may choose to continually strike their opponent or set up a submission hold. When on their backs, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu fighters are very dangerous. From the guard various submission holds can be employed. They may also seek to turn their opponent over in an attempt to reverse their fortunes.

The BJJ Rules

Few important rules that are followed in BJJ are:

• “Queda” – Throw or Takedown: If both challengers are standing, and one initiates and succeeds at taking the other to the mat, he is awarded 2 points.
• “Raspada/Raspagem” – Sweep: If your opponent is within your guard (any kind of guard) and you invert the position (you landing on top and your opponent on the bottom) you are awarded two points.
• “Passagem de Guarda” – Guard Pass: If you are inside your opponent’s guard and manage to escape that position, still maintaining top position, you have improved your position and therefore are awarded 3 points.
• “Pegada de Costas” – Back Mount: Regardless of where you are, if you manage to take your opponent’s back and place both feet around the inside of your opponent thighs (hooks), controlling him that way, you are awarded 4 points (you will need to place the hooks, body triangle will not score points).
• “Montada” – Mount: On top position with both legs around the opponent’s torso with knees on the ground, 4 points.

Physical Benefits

The fact that Brazilian jiu jitsu will change your body cannot be denied. You can physically see your body changing with every day or week. BJJ teaches you how to use your body as one unit. Most of spent our day sitting, driving, or working at a computer, the body develops some strange and unnatural movement patterns. The body awareness that BJJ teaches you is priceless. With an increase in body awareness, strength and mobility will soon follow.

Mental Benefits

Beyond any physical improvements that come as a result of Brazilian jiu jitsu are the mental improvements that are often overlooked. The process of learning a technique requires as much mental activity as it does physical. One of the hidden benefits of BJJ is what the struggle of learning, drilling, and rolling does for you. Walking into a class after spending months learning a technique, attempting it, and being crushed by everyone is not a good feeling. What is a good feeling is walking in the next day and trying it again.

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Lifestyle Decisions Ruining your Health

Ever realized we do so many things in our daily lives without realizing their repercussions? Right from our ways of living, personal choices, work culture; everything has a direct impact on our well-being. Unfortunately, most of our lifestyle decisions are adversely affecting our physical, emotional and mental health. We have let our modern day lifestyle come in the way of a healthy life.

A lifestyle choice is a personal and conscious decision to perform a behavior that may increase or decrease the risk of injury or disease. If we exercise every morning then we have made a positive lifestyle choice to increase our physical wellness. If we choose not to drink alcohol then we choose to avoid serious potential consequences, such as a car crash while driving drunk or damage to our internal organs, such as our liver. These are all active lifestyle choices that benefit our health.

Bad Lifestyle Factors

Of course, many choices also harm us. Just take the alcohol consumption example. If we choose to drink, especially in excess or at the wrong time, then we increase our risk of death from something like a car crash. If we smoke, then we increase our chances of developing various diseases including cancer.

Let’s examine some lifestyle decisions that are ruining our body and health on a daily basis.

Skipping Meals

Most of us do not follow a proper diet regime. We only eat when we have time and not when we should be eating. Sometimes we even skip an entire meal altogether. Such practice can interfere with our body’s metabolism, leading to health concerns such as low appetite, blood pressure, acidity to name a few.

Erratic Sleep Patterns

Blame it on technology or late work hours, most of us find it difficult to sleep on time. We may hit the bed on time but don’t fall asleep easily because we are either on our phones or laptop. Getting a sound sleep is more essential than we may realise. Lack of proper sleep creates a mental imbalance and affects our productivity and the body’s ability to function actively the next morning.

Eating junk and outside food

‘You are what you eat!’ This phrase has been around for who knows how long and quite frankly, it’s not too far off the mark. If we eat well, we are much more likely to have a healthy body and mind. If we choose junk food over fresh vegetables, then this is less likely to be the case. Fast food often contains higher calories and highly saturated fats that the body does not need.

Lack of Physical activity

Chairs – we sit in them, work in them, shop in them and eat in them. The fact that most of us have sitting jobs; we do not get to move around much. Once we are home, we just lie around, watch T.V., or use our laptops. With a routine like this, we tend to become lethargic and gain body weight. Even a little bit of physical activity easily exhausts and tires us out. Sitting for long periods is bad because the human body was not designed to be idle. Lack of movement slows metabolism, reducing the amount of food that is converted to energy and thus promoting fat accumulation, obesity, and the litany of ills—heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, and more—that come with being overweight.

Smoking and excess Alcohol consumption

Quit smoking and you’ll be healthier and your skin will look better. Stop excess drinking and you will feel better, stay healthier and stay in shape. Next time you light up, feel your pulse. It will start rising within a minute. That’s extra work for your heart. Instead of oxygen the blood cells carry carbon monoxide. Apart from increasing the risk of heart disease, smoking causes many serious medical disorders including lung cancer and emphysema. Moderate drinking is not a problem but if you drink more than the recommended daily limits, the risks of harming your health are increased. The harm caused by alcohol usually only emerge after a number of years and by then, serious health problems may have developed.

Stress can be deadly

You may feel there’s nothing you can do about stress. The bills won’t stop coming, there will never be more hours in the day, and your work and family responsibilities will always be demanding. But you have more control over stress than you might think. Stress causes deterioration in everything from your gums to your heart and can make you more susceptible to illnesses ranging from the common cold to cancer. It’s vital that we learn to relax and take it easy every once in a while. Identify the triggers that are causing you to stress out and figure out healthy ways to deal with them.

Over exposure to Gadgets

Your thumb and wrist are throbbing, your eyes are bloodshot and you’re pretty sure you have “text neck.” Sitting hunched over and tapping away at your smart phone comes with its share of consequences. The human eye is not adapted for staring at a single point in space for hours on end. If you log significant time in front of a computer monitor, you’ve probably experienced computer vision syndrome: eyestrain, tired eyes, irritation, redness, blurred vision, and double vision. Over exposure to gadgets can retards brain health, cause frequent headaches, disturb the sleep cycle and can lead to many more debilitating changes to the body.

Many of the risk factors described above won’t kill us suddenly or irreversibly hurt us right away. This means that we can still help our-self, our health, mind and body by altering some of our poor lifestyle decisions and incorporating some new healthy ones.

A few key ways to achieve better health and subsequently a better lifestyle are through physical activity, exercise and a healthy diet. Exercise aids cardiovascular and respiratory functions, slows the loss of muscular strength, increases bone mass, aids digestion and bowel functions, promotes sound sleep and prevents depression.

So instead of “treating” yourself to something like an ice cream or beer that will do more harm than good, treat yourself to good health.

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Breaking & Bad

Because most of us have been there right? Smoking weed, dropping acid, popping a pill, snorted blow…

It can seem like oh-so-much fun and so very exhilarating when you escape the confines of everyone who always told you drugs were bad. So many people are doing it. Can’t be all that bad. Right?

Remember your first time? The first hit is generally uncomfortable, the taste is odd. You take another drag…Everything begins to vibrate for some reason…things around you begin to turn into a kaleidoscope of colors.

Now who would not want to experience this outrageously euphoric feeling over and over again. To be able to surprisingly feel both numb and alive in the same moment, forget about all the worries of the world, just break free and have a good time. Why would anyone in their right mind deny himself of such an incredible adventure?

People who don’t do drugs usually come with major unattractive qualities, like always being sober and going home early, which makes us wary of their alternative motives. What could be more fun at home than dancing on tables and cutting your foot on glass at a club?!

So what if these drugs fry your brain and kill your brain cells. Not like they hand out OSCARS to people for having healthy brains.

Non drug users tend to err on the side of extreme caution. Their version of spontaneity is getting their popcorn buttered at the movie theater. When you are young, you should be living life to the fullest, making the most of your youth, going with the flow, expanding your consciousness, becoming one with nature. What will get you there??? No it’s not travelling, trekking, exploring, following your passion, socializing and all of that typical stuff…Drugs will get you there and take you places even though you will just be hallucinating; still the experience would be unparalleled. People who don’t take drugs miss out on the chance to open up and expose themselves on a different level.

Life can get really mundane and taxing at times. Sometimes you feel like you have had enough and you just want to run away from everything. You try to find a solution but the obvious ones that are available like getting help, talking to someone, changing your lifestyle could all require a lot of effort. On the other hand, drugs can prove to be the answer to all the problems in your life. Once you are high, not only will all your emotional pain and trauma disappear in thin air but you will also undergo a life changing experience, i.e., for as long as you live because drugs might kill you soon enough.Ever been fascinated by the prison life? Movies and T.V. shows sure make it seem so thrilling. Wondering how to get there? Follow a simple step. Let the Cops catch you with Drugs and in no time, you will find yourself inside a cell. You will be famous, the media will be all over you and if really lucky then someone might even write a book or a make a movie based on you. Drugs can be your instant shoot to fame.

“I have been fat all my life and I want to lose weight. I eat healthy and exercise and I am still fat.”

Most of us are struggling to lose a few pounds. We can follow the usual route like exercise, hit the gym, take up yoga, go on a diet. We might lose weight and become healthy eventually but that would require us to put in a lot of hard work and commitment. Why should we go through the pain of such a disciplined life when we can easily become slim and skinny by just doing drugs. Cocaine, for example, will make you lose weight really really fast. In fact, coke will suppress your appetite and your body won’t be able to store any fat, allowing you to achieve that perfect body image. You may suffer from some kidney problems, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, liver damage but hey let’s not deviate from the bigger picture here, i.e., to get those toned abs and cheekbones.

To top it all, in the future when your kids are hitting their teenage years and they  question you about drugs, imagine the amount of knowledge and data that you can share with them. You can tell them about all your experiences and maybe you can even give them their first joint rather than letting some random dealer do the job for you.

Obviously you will need lots of money to be able to get your hands on drugs because all things GOOD in life generally come at a price. Even if you have already lost all your money on drugs,  there is always Grandma’s chequebook? Dad’s big fat account? When those are gone there’s always little brothers piggy bank or SOMEONE TO ROB. In the end, getting the drugs and being high is what should be of foremost importance to you, regardless of what or how much you lose and who gets hurt in the process.

Not doing drugs won’t make you any special. You may get to keep those brain cells, your health and your life but you will never attain ‘Nirvana’ unless you have tried drugs. So give yourself to the higher power of drugs and bask in its glory until the day you overdose and CHOKE TO YOUR DEATH.

The next time you are tempted to do some drugs… pause. Just for a moment. Take a breath or two. And ask yourself…Do I really want to do this? Am I ready to deal with the consequences that arise from this? Is this the best choice I can make for myself?

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Health Issues Related to Drugs

Drugs have been a part of our culture since the middle of the last century. Popularized in the 1960s by music and mass media, they invade all aspects of our society. A number of factors such as peer pressure, curiosity, stress, fun etc, could lead one to use drugs. Most people have tried some or the other form of drugs but why is it that only a few get addicted? Most drugs directly or indirectly target the brain’s reward system by flooding the circuit with dopamine; a neurotransmitter present in regions of the brain that regulate movement, emotion, cognition, motivation, and feelings of pleasure. When drugs enter the brain, they can change how the brain performs its functions. These changes are what lead to compulsive drug use, the hallmark of addiction.

Although drug use is a choice, it is important to understand the effects of drug use – both immediate and long-term – to our brain, body and life.

Health Problems

The impact of drug abuse and dependence can be far-reaching, affecting almost every organ in the human body. A person on drugs may not realize they have a problem until pronounced effects of drug abuse are seen, often physically. While drug abuse effects on the body vary depending on the drug used, all drug abuse negatively impacts one’s health. Some common effects are:

• Weaken the immune system, increasing susceptibility to infections.
• Sharing needles from injecting certain types of drugs can put one at major risk for getting diseases like Hepatitis C, Hepatitis B, as well as HIV.
• Lead to cardiovascular conditions ranging from abnormal heart rate to heart attacks. Injected drugs can also lead to collapsed veins and infections of the blood vessels and heart valves.
• Cause nausea, vomiting, unusual sleeping patterns and abdominal pain.
• Liver damage or failure.
• Seizures, stroke and widespread brain damage that can impact all aspects of daily life by causing problems with memory, attention and decision-making, including sustained mental confusion and permanent brain damage.
• Produce global body changes such as breast development and impotence in men, dramatic fluctuations in appetite and increases in body temperature, which may impact a variety of health conditions.
• Drug related injuries occurring from accidents, violent behaviour, falling, etc,.

Effects on the Brain

Drug abuse can have prolonged effects on one’s brain, interfering with an individual’s ability to make decisions, leading to compulsive craving, seeking and use. Before people can realise, they are suffering from ‘Drug Dependency’. All drugs of abuse – nicotine, cocaine, marijuana, and others – affect the brain’s “reward” circuit, which is part of the limbic system. Drugs hijack this “reward” system, causing unusually large amounts of dopamine to flood the system. This flood of dopamine is what causes the “high” or euphoria associated with drug abuse.

Psychological Effects

One of the primary effects of drug abuse can be found within the definition of drug abuse itself: an increasing, intense desire to use the drug above all else. Drug craving can shift a person’s entire mental focus to obtaining the drug. Side effects of drug abuse then include preoccupation with where to get the drug, how to get money for the drug, and where and when the drug can be used. Psychological drug abuse effects commonly include changes in mood. A person may be anxious, thinking about when they can next use the drug, or depressed due to drug side effects.

Few Psychological effects of drug abuse are:

• Paranoia
• Anxiety Disorder
• Depression and Schizophrenia
• Aggressiveness
• Hallucinations
• Addiction
• Impaired Judgment
• Impulsiveness
• Loss of Self-Control

Birth Defects

For pregnant Women who use illicit drugs such as marijuana, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamines, and heroin pose various risks for their babies. Some of these drugs can cause a premature delivery, babies could suffer from withdrawal symptoms, birth defects or learning and behavioral problems. Additionally, illicit drugs may be prepared unhygienically that may be harmful to a pregnancy. Women who use illicit drugs may engage in other unhealthy behaviors that place their pregnancy at risk, such as having extremely poor nutrition or developing sexually transmitted infections.

Lifestyle and Relationships

Drug abusers choose drugs over everybody else; that includes family and friends. One of the side effects of drug abuse is the loss of friendship and family due to these choices. Conflict and breakdowns in communication can become more common. Drug use can also affect our ability to concentrate at work. The side effects of using drugs-like a hangover, or a “coming down” feeling-can reduce the ability to focus at work, loss of productivity, etc., leading  to disciplinary action, expulsion or dismissal. Regular drug use is an expensive affair. In extreme situations, people who are addicted to drugs might try anything-including unlawful activities such as stealing, to secure money to get their next fix.

 

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Addiction is Disease

There is a misconception that if we label drug addiction as a disease, we are taking the responsibility away from the drug addict. Now consider this. If we say a person has heart disease, are we eliminating their responsibility? No. We are providing them with treatment, having them exercise, eat healthy, quit smoking. The majority of the Biomedical community now considers addiction, in all its essence, to be a disease.

The very concept of addiction suffers gravely from imprecision and misinterpretation. The confusion comes in part whether specific drugs are “physically” or “psychologically” addictive. However, years of scientific research has shown that focusing on this physical versus psychological distinction is misguided and a distraction from the real issues. What really matters most is whether or not a drug causes what we now know to be the essence of addiction, namely,

“The uncontrollable, compulsive drug craving, seeking, and use, even in the face of negative health and social consequences.”

This is the crux of how the Institute of Medicine, the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Medical Association define addiction and how we should all use the term. It is only this compulsive quality of addiction that matters in the long run to the addict, to his or her family and the society.

Addiction has three main characteristics that categories it as a disease. Firstly, it runs a lifelong course characterized by frequent relapses, cross addiction and a common set of behavioral changes. Secondly, like many chronic medical disorders, genetics play an important role in determining who is at a more probable risk of becoming addicted. Finally, there are effective medications that treat drug addiction by blocking the rewarding effects of drugs and reducing cravings.

However, it must be noted that recognizing addiction as a disease does not mean that the addict is simply a hapless victim. Addiction begins with the voluntary behavior of using drugs, and addicts must participate in and take some significant responsibility for their recovery. Thus, having this disease does not absolve the addict of responsibility for his or her behavior. But it does explain why an addict cannot just stop using drugs by sheer force of will alone.

An addict’s behavior goes through devastating changes such that even the most severe threat of punishment is insufficient to keep them from taking drugs. They are willing to give up everything for drugs. However, it is not enough to say that addiction is a disease. What we mean by that is something very specific and profound: that drugs have sort of hijacked the brain’s natural motivational control circuits, resulting in drug use becoming the sole, or at least the top, motivational priority for the individual.

It is important to understand that nobody chooses to be an addict. Nobody writes in their high school yearbook, “Striving to become an addict and live a life of misery.” Although addiction began with a choice to use a drug, nobody wanted to fall into the grips of the disease and suffer the way so many people do. Addiction is a disease and the disease makes the choices, not the person. How else can you explain the propensity of people to take huge health risks and throw away their entire life? Even if taking a drug for the first time is a “free” choice, the progression of brain changes that occur weaken a person’s self-control to resist the temptations of drug use. The person who is addicted does not choose to be addicted; it’s no longer a choice to take the drug. “I just cannot control it. I have to take the drug because the distress of not taking the drug is too difficult to bear.” Once addiction takes hold, there is greatly diminished capacity, on one’s own, to stop using.

If we embrace the concept of addiction as a disease in which drugs have disrupted the most fundamental brain circuits that enable us to do something, we will be able to reduce the shame and stigma associated with drug addiction in families, workplaces and the healthcare system. Addicts won’t have to go through humiliation, or feel inferior, because people understand that they are suffering from a disease that should be treated like any other and they can receive the help they need without any judgement.

The personal and family tragedies related to addiction are agonising and desperate. The struggles undertaken to break addiction and restore lives are uniquely challenging. Accepting addiction as a disease will allow to help understand, prevent, and successfully treat it so that those suffering can rebuild their lives.

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Health vs Drugs

“One day, I just found myself sitting in my room. Alone. No job, no family, very few friends or companions. I was very much alone with my drug abuse. I had isolated myself, and had nothing left to lose. I couldn’t descend any further. Maybe I could, but at that point, I had hit rock bottom. I looked in the mirror and gave myself two choices: Do I want to live? Do I want to end my life?”

This is the story of almost everyone who is going or has gone through a phase of drug abuse.

A person who has been on drugs will tell you that it is one of the best feelings in their life. The altered state of consciousness achieved from being on drugs is so much more extreme than regular everyday joy. Once a person feels this extreme and overwhelming pleasure, it’s easy for them to be hooked on to the habit, simply chasing the initial high they once felt. What follows next is a viscous cycle that is extremely difficult to break. The high is as powerful as the low felt when trying to kick the habit. What was once the solution soon becomes the problem.

Drug abuse could destroy relationships, wreck finances, end careers, ruin education and  cause major health complications. Many addicts do not even realise and deny having problems. When you hit rock bottom, the only way left is up, but for every drug user, rock bottom may be the end before they could realize what they have done to themselves. The first thing to do, when you have reached that point, is to take a good look at how you got there, the choices you made and the people you relate to.

Consider the experience of Soldiers, who have been a part of many wars; being deployed, away from family and friends for extended periods of time, being involved in combat, suffering from severe or disabling injuries, and watching fellow soldiers die, can take a toll on them. When these Soldiers return home, they experience dramatically altered lives. The effects of war can result in not only physical injuries but may also include traumatic brain injuries and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). To feel better, some soldiers may turn to drugs and alcohol to self-medicate while undergoing a crisis. There are a handful who will decide to get the right help and transition back into the civilian life.

Obviously you will not get over your addiction overnight. You will be scared and upset. You will undergo withdrawal symptoms. But you don’t have to do it alone. Support groups, treatment programs, and sometimes medicines can help. You’ll meet people who understand what you’re going through, who can give you advice and lift you up. Counselors could help you find medicines that could make you feel less sick and to reduce the need to use drugs. They also teach you how to cope with problems but you will have to do your part to stay away from triggers that may urge you to go right back to where you first started.

A few have the misconception that one can’t have fun without drugs or living sober must be miserable and boring. The truth is that there are no shortage of ways to enjoy a drug-free life. Everybody has been offered drugs at some point in their lives, or at least know where they could buy them. One’s life could be very exciting and adventurous for a little while and the experience from using the drugs will be like attaining Nirvana, with all your senses and emotions heightened. Being drug – free may never get one to experience these feelings but one will still be able to have a beautiful life, family, friends, career and health. So think again because you may lose all of the above towards drugs.

An American freestyler who was once addicted to painkillers, struggled with his drug problem for years before seeking help. Once he got out of rehab, he needed an outlet and turned to running long distance.

 “It gave me a natural endorphin high. It’s easy to understand how people replace addiction with exercise.”

Exercise may help addicts stay clean and regulate sleep; a common problem for addicts early in recovery. It can even improve cognitive function, something that’s often impaired by chronic substance abuse. The human brain experiences a chemical reward when we exercise. There is evidence to show that this can be used as an alternative reward for those battling addiction, which can make staying clean easier. Quitting is only the beginning. It’s staying clean that’s the trick, and fitness can be that healthy obsession that helps you get through.

Martial Arts Therapy

The advantages of Martial Arts training are often related to the physical elements of the body. Drug abuse can leave the body in a position of weakness and a poor ability to heal. Applying Martial Arts to the recovery program can help improve physical health and promote healing. Early recovery can be a stressful time. It is often described as an emotional rollercoaster. Any form of Martial Arts gives people the opportunity to release some of their pent up tensions. It is about fast and hard movements, which is ideal for stress relief and clearing the mind of the challenges of fighting addiction.

“I have overdosed twice on heroin, and the second time I almost didn’t make it. Both times I had to be revived by NARCAN (a drug used to revive overdose victims). I didn’t want to do this anymore. I recently took up Mixed Martial Arts as therapy to cope with substance abuse.”

The physical activity and the emotional principles involved in Martial Arts will help fight the cravings associated with drugs. All Martial Arts focus on a combination of clearing the mind, physical movement, proper breathing, and discipline in every area of life.

Who says that a recovering drug addict can’t run a marathon? Or create a work of art? Or lead a normal life? The only thing that restricts a person in recovery are the restrictions that they put on themselves. If you have the right mind-set, then sky is the limit. It’s all about focusing, admitting you have a problem and overcoming the addiction. People in recovery come from all walks of life and success is not easy, but with hard work and the clarity that comes from living sober, anything within reason is very much achievable.

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MMA : Health Benefits for Kids

There would be few people who make it through their childhood without some bumps and bruises along the way, not to mention broken bones and stitches. Injuries are as much a part of childhood as Chocolate or Milkshakes, but Parents and Caretakers will always want to protect their children from unnecessary pain.

Certain sections of the society including certain organizations consisting of Pediatricians have opposed Martial Arts training for kids citing that boxing and Mixed Martial Arts condone violence. One of the main reasons cited by the protesters is that the participants can get injured during the training and competition. In Martial Arts, the rate of injury is as much as you get in football, wrestling or soccer, so isolating boxing or Martial Arts alone is not right. Martial Arts can be done safely, if the proper protective gear is worn including headgear, safe gloves and proper knee pads and boots. For instance, in amateur boxing the kids are allowed to practice on heavy bag and speed bag, and are taught foot movement, strength training and heavy conditioning in addition to sparring. The proper safety measures to follow are also taught. There are also rules that allow them to box only against kids of their age and weight. The fact is that these arts teach children a lot of skills and they need to put in hard work and much dedication to become skilled in either sport.

For children who are shy, introverted and lack self-confidence teaching combat sports is very beneficial as the training builds self-esteem and makes them survive the tough workouts and emerge proud in their accomplishment. For hyper energetic kids too, the combat sports form a good outlet for honing the vast energy they possess towards a positive output. They get to learn discipline and train excellently, which not only helps them in excelling in the sport, but also helps in their studies and future success. When compared to team sports like soccer and football, boxing and Martial Arts teach respect, humility and honor, while the team sports help us to cooperate with others.

For Parents who are not sure about the whole program and are worried about the safety of the Child, it is important for them to select a coach they trust; they must choose a coach they feel comfortable leaving completely in charge of their child for the duration of the lesson. If parents aren’t comfortable doing this, they may have their child in the wrong program. Another aspect to consider is that Parents should not hang around the kids when the classes are on as this will make some kids conscience and they may not allow themselves to express their skills readily.

Lets look at some of the ways kids can benefit from Martial Arts:

Self Defense

The most important advantage of Martial Arts is that it teaches children how to avoid a potentially dangerous situation without having to resort to violence (through body language and confidence). In a worst case scenario of bullying etc., Children will have the tools that could keep them safe from danger.

Builds their balance and coordination

Mixed Martial Arts, Jiu-Jitsu, Muay Thai are all great forms of exercises and many people wish that they could have started practicing them earlier. To get kids involved in Martial Arts at an early age is one of the greatest gifts you can give them. Developing balance and coordination at an early age will not only keep them fit and healthy, but it will also help them become an athletic and energetic individual throughout their lives. Although children do not understand the full benefits of what they are doing at such a young age, it is the responsibility of the parents to keep them motivated to go to classes in order to attain these physical skills.

Boosts confidence and self-esteem

Confidence is one of the most important traits for any person to have. Martial Arts have been famous for developing this in people at very early stages in life. As kids become more confident in terms of their techniques and performance in class, they start to show the same in academics and inter-personal relationships.

Learn To Take A Hit And Get Back Up                                                                                                 

They say that you have to be able to get knocked down and get back up if you are ever going to succeed in life. No one has the pleasure of never failing, but everyone has the opportunity to get back up after something happens to them. In Martial Arts, that is literally what  children will be going through, although the metaphorical sense will also be involved. When kids get a trophy for everything, win or lose, they don’t learn to accept this, but by enrolling them in Martial Arts, Parents make sure that they have every chance to.

Allows for socializing and bonding

In Martial Arts class, children will meet many new friends who will be sweating it out together.  Whether it is drilling techniques, playing a game or rolling – it is a great practice for kids to learn to communicate with other kids of all ages, as well as older authority figures like the instructors and assistant instructors. This will allow the kids to form friendships besides the usual realm of a classroom or neighbourhood. Bonds formed on the mat are tougher , stronger and share a code of honour.

Teaches focus and discipline

Children will also learn how to listen to an authority figure and follow instructions – an important skill for future development. Children learn various small lessons, like not speaking when being spoken to by an instructor, or even keeping their gi and belt neatly tied. They will even learn about the importance of hygiene because gis must be clean and nails must be cut. The work ethic they learn in the Academy can translate into their schoolwork and future ventures as they grow up. They will learn that hard work and diligence produces positive results and rewards.

Helps release that excess energy

Martial Arts is not just a healthy physical workout, it also serves as an outlet for children to channel their energy to perform specific tasks.  Martial Arts provide an outlet for kids to get rid of that excess energy in a positive manner while also practicing self-control.

“It gives them patience, it gives them listening skills, respect for others and a better understanding of the importance of hard work,” says a Parent.

Another Parent says…“They’ve also become more responsible, especially at home, cleaning up after themselves. It helped them to express themselves, even towards new people. They don’t hide behind me any more. They have big-time confidence.”

It is the responsibility of the Parents to motivate their children and fit the training in the child’s schedule. Even when Parents may feel that the child is losing interest, they need to find ways to rekindle it. Enrolling kids in a fitness program that also allows them to have fun while they pick up some useful physical skills, is the most amazing gift Parents can offer their kids.

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Bruce Lee – The Fighter

Born on November 27, 1940, in the ‘Year of the Dragon’, Lee Hoi-chuen aka Bruce Lee is one of the most legendary and exemplary figures in the Martial Arts arena. His influence as a Martial Artist and a Pop culture icon has gained momentum across decades.

Early Life

A natural in front of the camera, Lee appeared in roughly 20 films as a child actor. He also studied dance, winning Hong Kong’s cha-cha competition. As a teenager, Lee got himself mixed up with the wrong crowd and ended up joining a street gang. After Lee was involved in several street fights, his parents decided that he needed to be trained in the martial arts to be able to defend himself. Lee’s first introduction to martial arts was through his father, from whom he learned the fundamentals of Wu-style t’ai chi ch’uan. In 1953, he began to hone his passion into a discipline, studying kung fu (referred to as “gung fu” in Cantonese) under the tutelage of Master Yip Man. By the end of the decade, Lee moved to the U.S. to live with family friends outside Seattle, Washington, initially taking up work as a dance instructor. Lee finished high school in Edison, Washington, and subsequently enrolled at the University of Washington. It was at the University that he met his future wife Linda Emery, a fellow student, whom he married in 1964.

Jun Fan Gung Fu

In 1959, Lee began teaching martial arts in the United States and called it as Jun Fan Gung Fu (Bruce Lee’s Kung Fu), his approach to Wing Chun. Lee’s initial students were his friends, starting with Judo practitioner Jesse Glover, who continued to teach some of Lee’s early techniques. Taky Kimura became Lee’s first Assistant Instructor and continued to teach his art and philosophy after Lee’s death. Lee opened his first martial arts school in Seattle and named it as the Lee Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute.

Long Beach International Karate Championships

At the invitation of Ed Parker, an American Martial Artist, Lee appeared in the 1964 Long Beach International Karate Championships and performed repetitions of two-finger push-ups (using the thumb and the index finger of one hand) with feet at approximately a shoulder-width apart. In the same Long Beach event he also performed the “One inch punch.” Lee stood upright, his right foot forward with knees bent slightly, in front of a standing, stationary partner. Lee’s right arm was partly extended and his right fist approximately one inch (2.5 cm) away from the partner’s chest. Without retracting his right arm, Lee then forcibly delivered the punch to his partner while largely maintaining his posture, sending the partner backwards and falling into a chair said to be placed behind the partner to prevent injury, though his partner’s momentum soon caused him to fall to the floor. His volunteer was Bob Baker of Stockton, California. “I told Bruce not to do this type of demonstration again”, Baker recalled. “When he punched me that last time, I had to stay home from work because the pain in my chest was unbearable”.

It was also at this very event when Lee first met Taekwondo master, Jhoon Goo Rhee. The two developed a friendship and Rhee taught Lee the side kick in detail, and Lee taught Rhee the “non-telegraphic” punch.

Fight History

In 1964, Lee saw his most controversial and well known match, that of Lee vs Wong Jack Man, a student of Ma Kin Fung and a master of T’ai chi ch’uan, Xingyiquan, and Northern Shaolin. There was a lot at stake here. The Chinese community did not approve of Lee teaching the arts to those outside the Chinese heritage. The outcome of this fight was to be that if Lee lost, he would shut down his school but if he won, he would be free to teach anybody who was willing to learn. Lee’s wife, Linda Lee Caldwell stated,

“The fight ensued, іt wаѕ а no-holds-barred fight, іt tооk thrее minutes. Bruce gоt thіѕ guy dоwn tо thе ground аnd ѕаіd ‘do уоu give up?’ аnd thе man ѕаіd hе gave up.”

Lee had another such rough encounter when a Man broke into his home to challenge him. Lee’s friend, Herb Jackson stated,

“Onе time оnе fellow gоt оvеr thаt wall, gоt іntо hіѕ yard аnd challenged hіm аnd hе ѕауѕ ‘how good аrе you?’ And Bruce wаѕ poppin mad. Hе [Bruce] ѕауѕ ‘he gеtѕ thе idea, thіѕ guy, tо соmе аnd invade mу home, mу оwn private home, invade іt аnd challenge me.’ Hе ѕаіd hе gоt ѕо mad thаt hе gave thе hardest kick hе еvеr gave аnуоnе іn hіѕ life.”

Another episode involved an extra during the filming of ‘Enter the Dragon’. The extra was yelling that Bruce was not a martial artist but only a movie star. He also claimed that Bruce wasn’t a very good fighter. Bruce asked the man to come off the wall on which he sat. His challenger was a good martial artist; fast, big and strong. Bob Wall, USPK Karate Champion, states:

“Thіѕ kid wаѕ good. Hе wаѕ strong аnd fast, аnd hе wаѕ rеаllу trуіng tо punch Bruce’s brains in. But Bruceјuѕt methodically tооk hіm apart. Bruce kерt moving ѕо well, thіѕ kid couldn’t touch him…then аll оf а sudden, Bruce gоt hіm аnd rammed hіѕ ass wіth thе wall аnd swept hіm up, proceeding tо drop hіm аnd plant hіѕ knee іntо hіѕ opponent’s chest, locked hіѕ arm оut straight, аnd nailed hіm іn thе face repeatedly”.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            In 1967, Lee appeared in the Long Beach International Karate Championships and performed various demonstrations, including the famous “unstoppable punch” against USKA world Karate champion Vic Moore. Lee allegedly told Moore that he was going to throw a straight punch to the face, and all he had to do was to try to block it. Lee took several steps back and asked if Moore was ready. When Moore nodded in affirmation, Lee glided towards him until he was within striking range. He then threw a straight punch directly at Moore’s face, and stopped before impact. In eight attempts, Moore failed to block any of the punches.

Jeet Kune Do

After filming one season of ‘The Green Hornet’, Lee found himself out of work and the controversial match with Wong Jack Man changed Lee’s philosophy about Martial Arts. Lee concluded that the fight had lasted too long and that he had failed to live up to his potential using his Wing Chun techniques. He took the view that traditional martial arts techniques were too rigid and formalistic to be practical in scenarios of chaotic street fighting. Lee decided to develop a system with an emphasis on “practicality, flexibility, speed, and efficiency”. He started to use different methods of training such as weight training for strength, running for endurance, stretching for flexibility, and many others which he constantly adapted, including fencing and basic boxing techniques.

Lee emphasised what he called “the style of no style”. This consisted of getting rid of the formalised approach which Lee claimed was indicative of traditional styles. In other words, what worked stayed and what didn’t went. Lee felt the system he now called Jun Fan Gung Fu was also too restrictive, and eventually evolved into a philosophy and martial art he would come to call Jeet Kune Do or the Way of the Intercepting Fist. Lee’s JKD is a martial art with no rules that is practiced like a combative sport with real impact (full contact) and live training. This approach was very revolutionary during the time of its creation and is still quite rare in contrast to the many classical martial arts schools of today.

Lee’s Fitness Regimen

At 173 cm (5 ft 8 in) and 64 kg (141 lb), Lee was renowned for his physical fitness and vigor, achieved by using a dedicated fitness regimen to become as strong as possible. After his match with Wong Jack Man in 1965, Lee changed his approach toward martial arts training. Lee felt that many martial artists of his time did not spend enough time on physical conditioning. Lee included all elements of total fitness—muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiovascular endurance, and flexibility. He used traditional bodybuilding techniques to build some muscle mass, not overdone that could decrease speed or flexibility. At the same time in balance, Lee was careful to admonish that mental and spiritual preparation are fundamental to the success of physical training in martial arts skills. In Tao of Jeet Kune Do he wrote,

‘’Training is one of the most neglected phases of athletics. Too much time is given to the development of skill and too little to the development of the individual for participation. … JKD, ultimately is not a matter of petty techniques but of highly developed spirituality and physique.’’

Death and Legacy

Bruce Lee died a premature death on July 23, 1973 at the mere age of 32. Various theories and controversies surrounded the circumstances of his death, however the Doctors ruled it out as “death by misadventure“; a result of an allergic reaction to pain killers. The movie, Enter the Dragon, was released post his death and established Lee’s status as a film icon, breaking major box office records. Lee’s legacy helped pave the way for broader depictions of Asian Americans in western cinema and produced a whole new breed of action hero such as Chuck Norris, Jean-Claude Van Damme, Steven Seagal and Jackie Chan. Bruce Lee was named by Time Magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century. Lee’s charismatic personality, radical approach, toned physique, speed and power have brought a revolution in the realm of mixed martial arts and even in death, he continues to inspire many.

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