Motivation

We've all done it right? Said were going to get fit by the Summer or whenever, It always starts of well but eventually you slowly stop, this is simply because many people lack the movtivation that getting fit requires.

Getting fit isn't easy but once you've achieved your goal it's worth all the hard work, trust me.

Most people who embark on a new fitness or weight loss programme will at some point lose their motivation to continue and eventually give up.
Motivation is what keeps us going and working towards the goals we set ourselves, but we need to keep the interest up in what we are doing to achieve our aims, whether it is to lose a few pounds or to get fitter and stronger.

Fitness and exercise is seen by most people as a chore and something that they feel like they should be doing but would rather not.
However, there are a few ways we can keep ourselves motivated and interested in our fitness training and reach the targets we have set.

Goal setting

Goal setting is a great way to motivate you as reaching a goal gives a great feeling of accomplishment which in turn spurs you on to continue.
There is an important point to goal setting which most people overlook and then subsequently give up. We all goal set at some point. Whether it is, "I want to lose 2 stone in 6 months" or, "I want to be able to increase my running distance from 2 miles to 10 this time next year".

These are worthy goals but are doomed to fail as they are unrealistic, which is the most important part of goal setting. People lose their motivation because the goals they set themselves are unrealistic and are set too far away.
The key to goal setting is to set realistic targets that can be achieved in a short period of time. We have already said that achieving a goal is a great motivation tool and will spur you on; everyone likes to accomplish things and is a great feeling which leads people to continue as they are getting results.

So, using the above example of losing 2 stone in 6 months, we have already set our time to achieve our target 6 months away! That means no great feeling of accomplishment for 6 months! Instead, think about what can be achieved in a week. 2 stone in 6 months equates to about a pound a week in weight loss. So if we reset our goal to "I want to lose a pound in body weight this time next week", we have now brought our target much, much closer. Losing one pound in 7 days is much more realistic and achievable but will still mean 2 stone in 6 months will be lost.

The big difference now is that we will have achieved 26 small goals (each one week giving us that little bit of a spur on with the feeling of accomplishment) instead of one long slog with a target to far away.
To use the other example, instead of trying to jump from 2 miles to 10 miles in 12 months, try aiming to run just an extra 250 metres a week. Again this works in the same way as we have discussed above and still means an extra 8 miles on our running distance over 12 months.

This way of taking small, achievable steps instead of one huge leap to reach our goals really does work and is a great motivational tool.

Exercise little but often

A great way to put someone off exercise is to tell them that they need to go to the gym 3 or 4 times a week and train for over an hour or so. An hour of exercise is great but if your motivation to train for that length of time is lacking, then reduce your exercise time but exercise more often.

It is far more appealing for someone to be told that they can exercise for just 15 minutes a day without slogging it out for over an hour.
Fifteen minutes of exercise a day is more than enough time to get fit and with the right exercises, can be more beneficial than lengthy training sessions.

Use photos of yourself

This method can be done in a variety of ways but basically involves you using pictures of yourself to use as motivation. You may be someone who has put a lot of weight on, in which case, carry a photo of how you used to look when you were happy with your weight. When you think you cannot be bothered to train or exercise, look at the photo and remind yourself of why you are exercising or trying to lose weight.

You may have once been overweight and am now slowly putting weight back on; In this case use a photo of when you were most unhappy with your weight and look at it to motivate yourself not to go back to feeling like that.

Make things interesting

Another simple way to keep interested in exercise is to vary what you do. If you just run every time you train, chances are you will become bored and stop. Instead try adding new things to your regime and vary what you do and when you do it.
By choosing a different time of day to exercise you add even more variety to your routine.

It is quite common to lose motivation to go to the gym or go for a run as the day passes, so try going in the morning, you then have the whole day to enjoy.
Try a new exercise or sport. You could swap a run for a swim or try circuit training which is more interesting than just a simple run.

Another tip is to get yourself a training partner. You can then motivate each other to exercise when one is not so keen, you will both progress together and a slight element of competition will only add to your motivation as you try to beat your partner.

Above all, enjoy!

How fit are you?

These are just afew simple tests which you can do at home to find out where your level of fitness lies.



Before you begin any form of exercise, it is important that you run a couple of tests on yourself so you will know where to start.
Exercise is strenuous and we suggest that before you carry out any exercise, or are starting a regime of exercise, you contact your GP to see if the exercise we are about to discuss is right for you.





Resting Heart Rate

The first thing is to establish your resting heart rate. This is the speed at which your heart is pumping when your body is not doing anything else. The best time to do this is first thing in the morning, just after you have woken up.

Remove your watch (if your wearing one!) and put it where your can see the second hand or counter. Take your left wrist in your right hand and lightly press the tips of your right index and middle fingers into the space just below your thumb. Move your fingers around until you can feel a pulsing sensation - and there you are!

Once you can feel the pulse strongly, look at your watch and measure off 15 seconds while, at the same time, counting the number of beats you get from your pulse. Multiply the result by 4 and that is your resting heart rate per minute. Now compare the result with the table below.

Beats per minute

100 - Unfit
90
75 - Average
60
50 - Very Fit

Women's hearts tend to beat slightly faster than a man's does. Women can give themselves 5 beats per minute leeway on these figures.
The beats will go down as you get fitter because your heart pumps more blood with each beat and so needs to beat less often to do the same job. Remember that the heart is a muscle, so the fitter you become, the fitter your heart will!


Sprint Test


This test will rate your anaerobic fitness, or the level at which your muscles are able to operate without using oxygen to power them. This test is useful for checking that your weight-training programme is producing balanced results. If your test results improve over time, it means that you are making strength gains throughout your body.


The Test

Mark out 35 metres on a running surface. Complete a thorough 15 minute warm up with emphasis on running movements.
Stand in a ready position with your back leg slightly behind you and stopwatch ready to go. You can time yourself but it is preferable to get a training partner to do it.
Sprint flat out for 35 metres. Record your time and compare to the chart below.


Time Rating

- Less than 4.8 seconds Excellent
- 4.8 to 5.5 seconds Good
- 5.6 to 6.0 seconds Average
- More than 6 seconds Poor


The 12 Minute Run Test


This will show your aerobic fitness, or the ability of your body to use oxygen to power it while running. The score from this test can also be used to give you your approximate VO2 max score.

The Test

Find a running track or set a treadmill to level 1 incline to mimic outdoor running. Complete a thorough 15 minute warm up.
Run as far as you can in 12 minutes. A flat out sprint will not be possible so pace yourself but push as hard as you can go. If you overdo it and have to slow down, do not stop - walking is allowed. Compare your results to the chart below.


Age: under 40

Over 2,700m - Excellent
2,300m to 2,700m - Good
1,900m to 2,299m - Average
1,500m to 1,899m - Below Average
Less than 1,500m - Poor


Age: over 40

Over 2,500m - Excellent
2,100m to 2,500m - Good
1,700m to 2,099m - Average
1,500m to 1,699m - Below Average
Less than 1,400m - Poor

How to throw a punch

This Is a topic area that I have been asked so many questions on over the years. I do feel that the ability to be able to throw a punch quickly is a necessity In any combat situation. Many people get the terms "Punching Speed" and "Hand Speed" confused, Hand speed is the ability to move your Hands quickly, but the term Punching Speed is the ability to throw a punch quickly.

Punching is an art, and for some people being able to throw a proper punch Is very difficult. A punch doesn't just consist of your arm and hand, A punch consists of almost every part of the body from the feet to your shoulers. To throw a good punch you need to move your body in synchronization with your punch.

There are many variations on throwing a Punch, but all of them Include the basic synchronized movements of the Feet, Legs, Hips, Shoulders, Wrists, Elbow, Punching hand, Other hand. Ill go through the basic movements now

Movements of a Punch

Feet - This is a fundamental part of a punch. The feet act as a "anchor" and stop you from being forced back on Impact. Your feet need to be shoulder width apart and your Left foot should be slighty further foward than your right. (Swap around If left handed) This allows for more rotation In the Hips. And also narrows the angle your attacker has making you harder to strike.

Legs - The legs are also extreamly Important they help add Power to the punch. As you legs should already be shoulder width apart you should slighty bend your front knee, this to allows even more rotation In the Hips.

Knees - This is really a matter of preference. Some people prefer to slightly drop their knee when punching, only by afew inches. This can add a little more power and rotation, but If your not comfortable with it, you can leave it out.

Hips -This is where your punch gets the "Drive" almost all the power will be generated from here, its drastically important that you get this part right otherwise your blow will be weak. Know what you need to do Is rotate your Hips, but you need to rotate them as you Punch, and they always rotate In the same direction as your punch. (If punching with right hand rotate your Hips left etc) You need to rotate your hips about 45%

Shoulders -Yes you do need to move your shoulders by doing so you add about 5 inches to your punch. The shoulder thats on the side of the punching arm needs to be moved foward a few inches as you extend you arm, as this is happening your opposite shoulder needs to be pulled back afew inches.

Elbow -Before the punch your Elbow needs to be bent and as you begin the punching motion you need to begin straighting your Elbow so when you reach the point of Impact your elbow needs to be almost straight you always have a small bend In your elbow upon contact to avoid ingury.

Arm -Your arm acts as a bridge that channels the power of your punch, this part is quite simple as it only requires you to thrust your Arm forward In a quick violent movement.
It's vary Important to pull back your strike as quickly as you can to prevent it being grasped.
Whilst this happening make sure you retract your alternate hand with your shoulder and protect your face.

Wrist - This is injuries are most common and can be quite painful, but its very easy to avoid ingury. Your wrist MUST be straight, never punch with a bent wrist, unless you like pain. Make sure you wrist is straight upon Impact.

Punching hand -The area of your hand you want make Impact upon is your two front knuckles first, followed by the rest of your fist, do not attempt to turn your hand on contact because you could possibly break your side knuckles.

Thats the basics of a Punch,


On Contact
An important to do when Punching is to breath out, breath from the start until contact this causes your muscles to tense and results In a harder blow.

When you punch you need to remember to follow through with your target, dont punch the person, punch THROUGH the person do complete motions. Retracting your arm straight on contact means you loose power. Yes retract your arm quickly but follow through first.

The best way to throw an effective punch is practice, start off looking in a Full length mirror (If you have one) and go through the complete motions, then start punching a bag, pillow etc. Practice is the road to perfection.

This is a typical boxing 'Ready stance' it allows for quick movement to either side and your hands up protecting the front and side of your face. Aswell as having your front hand a little further forward ready to strike.

Striking the weak points Part 2

Other obvious point for stirking if it's a male attacker is the groin, and for obvious reasons is extreamly painful and one the most common parts struck in a fight. This is because it's easily accesible and the effects are detremental. A knee, kick, or punch would be enough to bring the attacker to his knees. A strike to the testicles espically if from underneath is even more effective.

- Wrist/Elbow - These joints in a combat situation are used not to inflict but serious pain but to control your attacker and dictate how the fight goes. The wrist and Elbow are both joints that have a very limited path of movement and if they are forced in a direction they wouldn't usually move then serious damage to the bones and muscles can occur. ( A link to a E-book on wrist locks will be given on request.)

- Kidneys - The kidneys are located in the back just below the ribs. And when a blow is delivered to the kidneys the assailant will suffer a rather sickening pain and cause them to be disorientated for a short while. The assailant must have their back to you or at least sideways on for the strike to have any kind of impact. But this position isn't difficult to achieve after any punching action is made. Also if your attacker is on the ground 90% of the time they will curl up into a ball in order to protect their face and frontal body. leaving the kidneys wide open for strikes.

- Solar Plexis - The solar plexis is one of the most common place to stirike as it is an accessible place to strike. The solar plexis is a large nerve group located just below the point of the sternum or breastbone. A powerful blow and a knuckle stirke is delivered to the solar plexis can induce a painful shock and difficulties in breathing. However if the same blow is applied to a smaller person to yourself the chance of injury is greatly increased as the referral shock after impact will be sent to the spleen and other vital organs.

- Throat - The throat is another vunerable area as stikes to the throat can cause a reflex gagging action to the victim gasps for air. The extended knuckle stike and knife hand are by the most effective way of striking this area. Although it's an effective area to strike you will find that any experienced fighter will tuck their chin down, making this a very difficult area to stirke.

Important read!

Please be very careful when considering striking the throat. This is where a "carotid sinus" lives. By attacking this point you artificially trigger a carotid sinus reflex. This reflex is a trigger in response to high blood pressure and will result in the heart rate dropping below 60 beats per minute and a drop of blood pressure. I will not go into any more detail. But this is one of the most dangerous points on the entire human body to strike, and over situlation to that point is excruciatingly painful and can very easily lead to death.

- Mouth - Similary the mouth is also a vunerable spot, blows to the mouth can cause the splitting and bleeding of the lips aswell of the tearing of skin in your mouth. However If your hand comes into with the teeth you can cause yourself serious injury.

- Temple - The temple has always been a favourite area for martial artists around the world, it's said this is because of the relative thickness of the temple area compared to anywhere else on the skull. But this is not true the temple has the same thickness as several other places around the skull. The reason the temple is a much more effective area to strike is because its much flatter than other parts of the skull, so the referral shock is much more intense after impact than anywhere else, the intensity of the shock affects the brain much more. If sufficient force is applied its quite easy to cause the hemorrhage of blood vessels in the brain without fracturing the skull.

- Nose - The nose is another sensitive sense organ a hit to the nose can be extreamly painful, causing bleeding and imparing breathing, more often then not it will cause the eyes to water, causing vision difficulties. If the nose is broken permanent disfigurement can happen and breathing will be permanently impared. The nose is susceptible to open handed blows and upward stirkes.

- Eye - The eye is the senseitive sense organ and is extreamly senseitive, strikes to the eye are very dangerous and the seriousness of attacking the eye should not be underestimated. Blows to the eye can cause tearing of the skin and potential blindness, aswell as being extreamly painful. Strikes to the eyes are vicious and should only be used in life and death situations.

Blows to the Jaw are the preferred method of striking. Before striking the eye you should consider if the situation you are in, Is the threat to you enough to justify a vicious stirke to the eye? However if your a women, child or elderly and being attacked by a adult male a strike to the eye may be needed.

- Head - The head is the Control centre for the entire body, controlling all major processes. Not only does the head contain the brain but also houses 4 of your vital sense organs including your eyes, nose, ears and mouth. All of which are very sensitive and can be easily damaged. Blows to the head can eeasily result in a person falling unconscious, and powerfull blows can cause serious damage resulting in brain damage and possibly death.

Knockout punches very rarely occur from just a single punch and normally occur after a severe beating and multiple blows to the head. Knockouts happen because after the first blow the Brain is shaken inside the skull and thrown against it, after several more blows a blackout occurs. The best locations for a knockout punch are on both sides of the jaw, as this causes the shaking of the head. Just watch boxers 80% of head punches are to the jaw.

Powerfull blows to the temple and windpipe can also easily cause death so be careful when striking these areas. Even a gental strike to the windpipe can cause difficulty in breathing.

Striking the weak points Part 1

As I stated In the Streetknowledge section you should only ever resort to the physical approach if it your last and only resort.

It Is well known that around 95% of all fights at some point will end up on the ground, and to be on the ground during a fight isn't really the best place to be.


95% of Fights end up on the ground because neither of the people involved have any kind of fighting skill what so ever, resulting In constant clinches/falling over. And that If any of fighters had any form of skill then the fight wont go to ground, although somtimes that fight can go to ground even If the fighters are both top trained martial Artists.


So in this section I'll try to teach you how to avoid going to ground and how to end a fight as quickly as possible.

In the above post i went through the various basic weak points on the human body, there are many others but I choose these ones because they are all easy to access but also effective. Lets start from the Bottom up ;)

- Ankle -Joints on the body, for example the Ankle are always vunerable points and are open to striking. The ankle as a weak point is rarely used in a actual fight situation, mainly because it's underestimated. The ankle is extreamly strong, it is able to support your entire bodyweight, but this does put alot of strain on the joint. So a swift kick and stomp on the ankle will be enough to bring your attacker of balance or if they are much larger possibly cause them to collapse.

- Knees - These are an extreamly vunerable part of the body as they cant be protected easily and with a good strike can cripple your attacker, and possiblely cause serious damage to their knee cap so be carefull with this one. It will only take 1 or maybe 2 shots to the knee before your attacker goes down.

There are quite a variety of different ways to stike the knee all are effective and easy to do. Ill go through the different ways to stike the knee now:



- Back of the Knee - This is a good spot if somehow end up behind your attacker and want to quickly put them to the ground, without causing them any serious issues. All it takes to bring your attacker down is for you to to hit the back of their Knee with a "Sidekick" (Look at http://martialarts.about.com/od/standingtechniques/ss/sidekick.htm to see how to do a Sidekick.) Or alternatively hit the back of the knee with your heel or the bottom of your foot, that is all it will take to floor your attacker.


- Side of the Knee - This is also another good place to stike the knee, as it can be struck from pretty much any position whether your Infront, behind or next to. This is a brilliant area of the Knee to strike as It will take down your attacker swiftly and stop him from being able to get up for quite awhile. The area of the Knee you want to aim isn't the knee cap itself but just slightly above it. If struck propally the knee will bend in on itself causing the leg to collapse sending the attacker down hard and quickly and feeling abit wobbly.
The method of striking is the same as the above as it delivers more power, although you also stirke it using your fists, just above the knee cap If hit properly (with your knuckles not fingers) you cause a pretty nasty dead leg making your attacker unsteady on their feet and unable to pursue you.

However if you deliver to much power and hit directly to the knee cap you can break the knee cap and possibely cause serious damage so do be carefull.

- Front of the Knee - This is the most effective of the three, and 90% of the time result in a broken knee. So if you wish to inflict alot of pain to your attacker if under serious threat then. The muscles in the back of your knee aren't strong enough to withstand the pressure of the bone so the knee will bend back against itself snaping the Knee bone and tearing the muscles.
I remember when I was just 5 years old my dad told me to hit him as hard as i could, so i took his advice and kicked him as hard as i could on the front of his knee. Bearing in mind that i was only five and he was about 40ish and a pretty big man he ended up on the floor with a almost broken knee cap.

The area of the knee you should aim for is just above the Knee cap again with preferably the same method again although a hard enough blow would be enough to send your attacker down.

So the knee is a effective and very good point to strike as it is always exposed and doesn't take alot of power to bring someone down with.

Basic Pressure and weak points on the Human Body

In this section I will try to outline the weak points on the human body, If you ever find yourself In a situation where you have no other option but to fight.

The human body has a variety of points where if enough pressure is applied causes the body to become all limp and floppy, or even cause your attacker to blackout, due to you shortcircuiting their blood supply ony just for afew seconds.

These are just some of the various basic weak points on the Human body, there are many others such as the Ankle, Upper Thigh, Top of Head etc But those are more complicated points on the body so we will be ignoring those for the moment.

These Points are exposed and should be usually exposed so striking these points should prove easy, providing you to apply as much pressure or force to these areas as is required either to subdue your attacker or cause them ingury If you at serious risk.

There are a variety of ways to strike these points and techniques which I will go through In the next section at a Later date. ;)

Streetknowledge and how to avoid a fight

Before we get to the Various forms of Self Defence and the techniques I'm going to try and teach you some simple and most of you will probally find this common knowledge which it is, but yet 70% of people tend to ignore this advice and end up getting in trouble, not all the time but its more likely.

Here is some good Streetwise Knowledge:

- You should ALWAYS try and avoid a fight and only ever fight If you have no other options available to you. Even a Proffesional Martial Artist knows only fight when absolutley necessary when there is No alternative, unless you want to find yourself on the end of a lawsuit.

Which brings me to my next point:

- Do not put yourself at risk. Stay fit and alert, refrain from excessive drinking or drugs and remain in control of your actions. If you are completely drunk you are extreamly vunrable and aren't in control of your own actions!

- Never provoke or escalate an incident. Traffic rage is the norm today and the angry driver who cuts you off is seldom rational. Better to let it go than escalate an incident that could end in violence.

- Always observe your surroundings in a situation that is unfamiliar to you. Be aware of your surroundings. Ask yourself, "Where are the exits? Where is safety if I need it?" Visualize an escape plan. This is always the best option.

- Be cautious. Watch anyone whose behavior is making you feel uncomfortable or anyone that looks suspicous. Is that person a potential threat to you? Anticipate what could happen.

- Tell an attacker loudly that you don't want to fight. Depending on the situation, it may be enough to end the conflict. If it doesn't, anyone watching has just witnessed that you tried to avoid the fight.

Finally and most Importantly:

- Be clear on your goals. Your first goal is always avoidance. If confronted, your goal becomes escape. If attacked, your goal shifts to self-defense.