"Mat Time"

How do we get better at basic skills? Wrestlers call it "mat time", essentially, we're talking about the time we spend learning the specific techniques. The idea is to do more training than your opponents do, technical proficiency and all that!
Raw physical met-cons and plyo-beatdowns, sweat drenched puke fests and sparing til we seize up like a twitchy pretzel is all part of the fun but has its limits.
What is "over-training"? I hear this term a lot without any concrete definition. How much blood can we ring from the proverbial stone? How far can we push the dog team before they lay down in the snow and refuse to mush?
There is a point when we have pushed our bodies past their limits and yet we don't want to back off and let the competition out work us in the gym. This is the perfect time to implement the "play" aspect of our training. -
If we don't slow down at some point, we can deplete our mental, emotional and physical resources and disrupt our hormone balance quite severely! I'll get back to this in a moment and give some suggestions for dealing with the bonk.

As for the "mat time", let's talk about how we can maximize the limited time we have.
Here are six things we can work on:

1. Slow it down - just like practicing your scales on the piano, practice slow to be good fast!
2. Go max. 40% intensity - worrying about your training partner taking your head off is distracting! Take it down a few notches so you can focus on the specific technique.
3. Ask for feed back from fellow students and instructors - get them to critique you and make necessary corrections.
4. Find the areas that need the most work and beat those into submission - don't leave the gym until you have mastered it
5. Stick to the basics - even the top fighter in the world can benefit from this point.
6. Get someone to film you and review the video later to see - this also helps you later to visualize.

As I mentioned earlier, I wanted to address the issue of over-training and adrenal fatigue caused by working yourself into the dirt like most fighters are prone to do.
Some of the symptoms you might encounter when over-training include difficulty falling asleep, over-active histamines (allergic reactions ie; hives), excessive sweating, stomach upset which can possibly lead to ulcers. You may also find it hard to stay asleep during the night, experience blurred vision, shakiness or feel light headed between meals, which is also a sign of blood sugar dis-regulation (exhaustion and insulin dysfunction go hand in hand!). Many people get dizzy when they stand up quickly which can also be due to a lack of water or electrolytes.

Here are some tips to deal with it:

1. Hot bath, I have mentioned a few times but it works! Put about 3 cups of epsom salts into the water and keep the water pretty hot. You can also add a cold shower after the bath but be sure to monitor your heart rate and any feelings of dizziness as it will raise your blood pressure.
2. Magnesium - I take about 1000mg after a workout to relax the muscles and replace what I have sweat out of my system.
3. Greg Everett from Catalyst Athletics suggests using about 2g of Phosphatidylserene per day as directed on the bottle and after your workout to bring you down, this helps especially after a late-night training session.
4. I find eating carbs makes me tired so I usually eat them at night with my dinner, if I eat them for breakfast they will make me http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifsleepy and I will crave more all day!
This will also recharge your glycogen stores, another thing that can cause stress.
5. Do some relaxing meditation! - http://raptorfightclub.blogspot.com/2011/12/how-to-control-fear-and-axiety-leading_17.html

If you are interested in learning more about it, everything you could possibly need to know about adrenal fatigue can be found on the podcast and the show notes from Balanced Bites podcast found here -

Here is a great article on the differences between chronic cardio and sprint-like intervals and how you could benefit from keeping the workouts shorter.

How to control fear and axiety leading up to a fight part 3

I am posting these in a specific order so if you have not read the first in the series please check it out - http://raptorfightclub.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-control-fear-and-axiety-leading.html

I will also be doing a video series for all of these posts soon!

Tool #3: The breath part 2

The second technique I use to control the breath/heart rate in order to control the flow of adrenalin is this resting breath technique. Practice it over and over for the maximum effect.

While you are lying on your back, relaxed, palms facing up, listen closely to the beat of your heart. -The very fact that you are paying attention to it will affect the rhythm. Simply because you are focused on it will increase the adrenalin flow therefore the heart rate will increase-. Try not to think about your fight! (haha, that was a little NLP joke! You see, the subconscious brain does not hear negatives so if I tell you to not think about white elephants you will think of them immediately). No, feel free to think of whatever you want, it is good practice to teach your adrenaline system that you are in control of the flow.
Next, try to breath in sync with the beat of your heart. Make small huffing pauses in your breath at the sound of each beat. Then try to delay/drag the breath behind a little each beat, this will slow the beats down. The second that you realize this will send a surge of adrenaline and it will start beating faster again.
This takes a great deal of practice but it pays off with giving you a great deal of control of your adrenaline and heart rate.

We can bring back this relaxed state using a technique called "anchoring". In a sense, we have created a set of neurological pathways in our brain that set up this low level trance; not quite K.O.d but good n' peaceful.
Once you have brought yourself to this state of relaxation, you can easily anchor this relaxed feeling to something like a word, repeated again and again, an object like a piece of jewelry etc., a song or a ritual like rubbing the head of your favorite midget.
I am sure you are familiar with athletes using a good luck charm or wearing the same piece of clothing or not shaving every playoff season, I submit to you that maybe, these people know subconsciously that these rituals bring back the feeling of peace that they have while in their gym, home or local pub.
Every time you do this little meditation, try playing your walk out song. The more you do this, the more the song will be anchored to the relaxed feeling. Then before the fight do some of the mental focus exercises, some of the breathing and when you hear the song come on, calling you in to the ring, it will bring a new level of peace to the whole experience.

Periodized AthleticTraining Schedule For Fighters And Atheletes

I often wonder what it would be like to be immortal, how many books I could read and how good of musician and martial artist I would be if I had unlimited time to study my techniques and hone my skills if there was unlimited time and resources. The reality is that we only have time for a certain amount of training so we have to make the best use of it.
A very big part of fight training today is the athleticism, the Mixed Martial Arts fighters of this decade are proving to be some of the most diverse, well rounded athletes in any sport. To have the strength of a power-lifter, the flexibility and agility of a gymnast and the stamina of a tri-athelete is required to compete in this age. I have said before that the fighters in the first 3 U.F.C. were training in isolation; one guy with a 7th degree black belt, training only with other Karate students from his own dojo, relying on the one magic technique that would destroy his opponent. The days of the old man on the mountain, the grandmaster from whom all ninja wisdom doth rain down upon the lowly pilgrims is long gone and the fighter who adapts will be the most successful. Remember Maurice Smith vs. Mark Coleman U.F.C. 14, what looked like a miss-match in Coleman's favor turned out to be the beginning of a new phase in MMA as Maurice had been training in wrestling and submission grappling with Ken Shamrock at the Lion's Den and from this formed the first real MMA partnership called "The Alliance".
I want to take a look at the physical aspects of the fighter's training. Lets start with the idea that the old "roadwork" our coaches used to put us through for an upcoming boxing match is an outdated form of conditioning. Remember, you are not going for a light 20 mile jog while in the ring so jogging as a mode of training is pretty much a useless waste of time. It seams obvious that you would want to prepare the body for the ordeals it will be facing.
Picture the fight; multiple punches and kicks, grappling either standing or on the ground and lots of pushing and pulling.

1) A fighter needs to be strong in ever aspect of fitness starting with cardio. I am not talking about chronic, mindless treadmill humping with the magazine and the bottled water, I'm talking something like plyometric intervals interspersed with body weight exercises at the highest intensity possible for the duration of the rounds you will be fighting. Try this; alternate 10 burpees and 10 chin-ups non-stop for a 2 minute round, take a 30 second break and do it all at least 3 rounds. This approximates the feeling of brawling it out in a ring fight. Not a jog in the park right?
The action in a fight is unpredictable but never without physical demand, sometimes lots of clinching, sometimes flurries of combinations and then the adrenaline, if not controlled, will take your cardio capacity down about 10 notches! You train 12 hard rounds and feel like you are ready for your 3 round amateur bout then you get into the ring and after the first round you can't seem to get enough air into your lungs as hard as you try!

2) Another area we sometimes neglect is power training. It is not a bad idea to set yourself up with a personal trainer, get some instruction on Olympic lifting, power lifting (and while you got him there, some VO2 max testing). This type of exercise takes some instruction and supervision do learn it safely.

Here is my basic formula for getting a fighter physically ready for a match. This is only a guideline but it could help you to develop a better over-all regimen.

6 weeks
Periodization for fight preparation:

2 weeks; strength conditioning 620 protocol (6 seconds eccentric, 2 seconds hold and 0 seconds concentric)1 to 2 minute rest between sets.
Day 1 and 4

-squats. Three sets 3 rep max
-bench. Three sets of 3 rep max
-deadlift. Three sets of 3 rep max
-weighted chins. Three sets of 3 rep max
-dumbel incline bench. Three sets 10 rep max
-bent or seated row. Three sets of 3 rep max
-standing calf raises.
-dumbel incline bench. Three sets 10 rep max
-upright rows. Three sets 10 rep max
-dumbell bent row. Three sets 10 rep max

Day 6
0lympic-lifting




2 weeks of pylo-weight intervals:
Day 1 3 and 5

-20 raise the deads
-10 burpees
-10 10 10 curls
-20 alternating presses
-10 burpees
-50 pushups
-20 seated twists
-10 burpees
-side lateral raises
-20 squat press
-10 burpees
-reverse flys
-20 sprawl to rows!!!
-10 burpees
-20 alternating upright rows

Day 2 4 and 6
Padwork min. 5 rounds
Sparing min. 5 rounds


2 weeks of endurance conditioning

Day 1 3 and 5
Bag work:
All of these non-stop full speed working your endurance

Rnd 1-1212 (left jab, right cross)
Rnd 2-2323 (right cross, left hook)
Rnd 3-low - 3434 (left hook, right hook to the body)
Rnd 4-5656 (right uppercut, left uppercut)
Rnd 5- 20 left/ 20 right kicks (turning kicks 0r Te)
Rnd 6, 7 and 8 Skipping (double skips)
Wind sprints at a local track - Full sprint on the straight-aways and jog the curves - run 6 to 10 laps like this.

Day 2 4 and 6
Padwork min. 5 rounds
Sparing min. 5 rounds

Try this for your next fight and see what results you get.

Emily Smith essay on the benefits of MMA training.

One of my awesome students chose this subject to write about for her writing class at school so I was grateful for her generously allowing me to use it in my blog.
Thanx Emily!



Emily Smith
Professor Prabhjot Parmar
English 105
28 November 2011
Mixed Martial Arts: Benefiting All Those Participating
Over time mixed martial arts has grown into a very popular sport for men and women. Many viewers tune into the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) during fight week to watch their favorite fighters in combat. With the UFC's increased popularity there is a rise in participation at local community gyms. The results that participants see from mixed martial arts (MMA) is positive. It is shown in various ways that MMA fighters are very well-rounded people in all aspects of life. Many different parts of the sport directly and indirectly affect one’s life. A fighter from a local gym can see these results, in the same way that a professional fighter would, like Muhammad Ali or George St. Pierre. Mental stability, perseverance, good organization skills, and excellent social abilities are the main areas affected by a participant of MMA. Also, with good health and nutrition, there is an obvious positive body image result.
To be able to keep up with and beat the endurance and power of an opponent, a fighter must have a superb physique. Boot camp, weight lifting, or cardio classes are offered at many MMA gyms. In these group classes, coaches and trainers push the limits of everyone with their commanding workout routines. Depending on a person’s desire for the perfect physical body shape, a gym member could get personal one-on-one training with a coach. Personal training uses expertise to maximize the safety and proficiency of the workout. Both the group workouts and the personal training give the client the mental edge to take their fitness beyond what they can do on their own. Usually coaches have been involved with the sport for their entire life. They also possibly went to school for things such as kinesiology and sports medicine. With this experience and knowledge they are perfect teachers for the sport, and can help one get a lean physique, built body or toned muscular look. Muhammad Ali, the famous American boxer, developed “granite abdominal muscles with a grueling regimen of calisthenics, spending an hour every morning hardening his gut by doing sit-ups with his legs held up at a 45 degree angle” (“Muhammad”). This is taking working out to an extreme; although if one wants to see this level of results, extreme measure will be necessary. On the other hand, engaging in these classes and workouts are supplementary to regular MMA classes: Brazilian jiu jitsu, muay thai, boxing, judo, and wrestling. There are many moves in the various divisions of MMA that are directed to certain muscle groups. For example, a knee to an opponents gut is a kickboxing move which works the thigh and core abdominal muscles. Most muscles, including the hip-flexor, thigh, core, and arms are worked in a jiu jitsu move called the armbar. A straight punch with the right hand in boxing works the oblique muscles and the right arm. A member of a gym could strictly take these MMA classes and come out looking and feeling great; however, to achieve top desired results, alternative workout classes are recommended. Peers in class can also be a motivator for participants to train harder. All it takes is one good look at a friend with a nice six pack and toned thighs to get that inner drive. Whether it be alone, with a personal trainer, a group boot camp class, or in MMA classes an excellent physique can be achieved.
Without good nutrition, exercise is meaningless. Food serves as a fuel source for the body to work through the day, but also as a hormone release. This release and energy is needed to get through vigorous workouts. High protein and carbohydrate filled diets are promoted for fighters. The carbohydrates are not from breads, rather from a variety of vegetables. Vitamins and supplements aren’t necessary, but can definitely benefit a fighter in training. When dieting, certain foods are cut out that are essential nutrients. These vitamins and minerals can be received from supplements and ills. It is first important to understand the effects of the foods regularly consumed including the pros and cons of one’s unchanged diet. This knowledge is easily obtained from coaches. They are constantly on the search for the latest research in health and the newest diets. Rather than, going to do the research yourself, it is often presented to you in weekly classes. Local Maple Ridge MMA fighter, Oliver Vajda says, “With training for MMA I have learnt the priceless "art" of nutrition, how the body works (breaking down calories and proteins), what to eat for maximum results, and learning what the body can or cannot metabolize.” After retaining this knowledge it is up to a fighter or person training to follow through with the diets. For most athletes in this sport this is not too hard because behind every diet are many benefits. A healthy-eating lifestyle correlates directly with a toned and muscular body. It is also favorable for long-term health. If a fighter is readying themselves for an upcoming fight or tournament it is crucial to begin the dieting process. Quite often gaining or dropping weight is essential. A fighter has to get to a certain weight for whichever weight class they are registered in. The day previous to their fight they have to be approved by a doctor and meet the weight requirement. Dieting is another lifestyle benefit received from participants in MMA.
Along with the physical and nutritional benefits, a fighter has to acquire exceptional mental stability. Throughout the training process, their confidence will grow as they gain new skill and practice old moves. A fighter must be completely confident in their ability before going into the cage or ring for a fight. With confidence, comes a low fear level. Plus, with mental training comes the product of zero doubts or fears in one’s mind. Any amount of skepticism could completely alter the outcome of the fight, not for the better. Having this mental stability creates a calm and relaxed person in general day-to-day activities. For example during a stressful situation at work, a fighter will be tranquil and composed. People well trained in mental stability also understand about letting other’s negative opinions become insignificant. Under this category falls self awareness. Holding a great amount of integrity is possibly of highest importance. An article about George St. Pierre states that, “He likes the lesson about being true to your own nature and beliefs. And he embraces it’s message about not accepting other people's limits.” (Gatehouse). It is crucial for St. Pierre to keep a consistent mental stability because he is always in the public eye. For the average fighter it assists in keeping calm in all situations including fight matches. Mental stability can be one of the hardest concepts to pursue, but once achieved it is a fabulous benefit and a component to being a well-rounded person.
The physical success is directly enhanced by a strong mental toughness, including perseverance. Motivation and determination are key components in perseverance. “Through hard work and dedication lies success.” (Vajda). Unyielding determination is needed to win a fight. Once a fighter makes the decision to partake in a fight the road to success will not be easy, but the perseverance will push them to see the light at the end of the tunnel. A channeled determination is necessary to get past any set backs in the training process, such as injury. Often a person will make a goal such as achieving a raise at work. To meet and attain this goal, one needs dedication to stick with the plan. Eventually if they pursue this and leap over any obstacles their raise can be obtained. Motivation is desirable for getting to any goal in life. Attending every practice requires a considerable amount of dedication. Like any good fighter, Vajda has realized the determination and learned “how to push beyond mental barriers.” Qualities such as these can make a substantial impact on succeeding in everyday obstacles and obtaining life goals.
On a more narrow note, organizational skills hugely relates to MMA. The training regimen for MMA is quite strenuous due to the many different disciplines. A fighter must be conscious of a balanced lifestyle using their organization skills. These skills are acquired by learning how to make a plan. Before going against an opponent a rough outline of moves and tackles will be memorized so that a fighter has a game plan. Although, this outline has to be adaptable. Eventually the situation could change depending on the response from an opponent. Along with organization comes the capability to multitask. In the setting of a fight a million thoughts will run through one’s head, while listening to the roar of a crowd, and watch the bright lights shine down on the ring. Mainly the coach has to be heard, with an action produced by the fighter to benefit the round. For example a coach might yell out a combination such as, “left hook, number two punch, left uppercut, knee”. This information is understood and retained by the fighter. Then that specific action is produced, hopefully resulting in the fighter’s favor. Multitasking can only benefit a fighter and potentially produce a win over an opponent who can only focus on one task at a time. Overall MMA is the definition of multitasking because all of the disciplines of the sport are combined into one three minute round. “Most importantly, there is emphasis in MMA on integrating techniques of multiple styles together.” (Spencer 122). A kickboxing move, can slide directly into a boxing punch, followed by a muay thai take-down, and a wrestling move, with a finishing jiu jitsu submission. The organization is clearly relatable to everyday life situations. It keeps a manageable and enjoyable life, while multitasking makes for efficient work.
Furthermore social skills are learned from competing in MMA. Communication is the foundation of a successful relationship between MMA team mates. While MMA is a solitary sport fought one on one, fighters are only as good as the team that builds them. As previously mentioned, in the midst of a fight, a coach will strictly yell out combinations for a fighter to produce. The communication has to be clear between the coach and student. At practice conversation has to be constructive to learn from each other. This positive communication skills is transferable to life in general. For instance to continue a successful personal relationship, a couple has to communicate everything to each other including their issues. Also good social skills include appropriately dealing with the public. Professional UFC fighters consistently have to associate with the general population. To advance themselves in their career they require the attention from fans. With this attention a certain attitude and respect has to be shown to their fans. In addition, respect most definitely needs to be given to the opponent of a fighter. In an article George St. Pierre is described as, “Intelligent, polite, disciplined, respectful of his opponents, he is the acceptable face of ultimate fighting.” (Gatehouse). St. Pierre is an excellent example of an athlete in the public eye who understands the importance of dealing with fans. Social skills acquired from MMA can be easily used throughout day-to-day activities.
Mixed Martial Arts is an incredibly powerful sport which requires an amazing amount of physical strength. Supplementary, to see the physical results a good diet is required. To maintain that physical strength a fighter has to have perseverance, motivation, and determination. A very important quality acquired is mental stability, keeping fighters calm in all situations with limited fear. Two qualities not commonly thought of relating to MMA are organization and social skills, in which a fighter establishes to keep a plan and sustain respect with opponents. All of these personal qualities can be grasped through participating in MMA, and can be subsequently used in everyday life to create a well-rounded person.

Works Cited
“Muhammad on the Mountain Top.” Time. Time, 11 Nov. 1974. Web. 22 Oct. 2011
Gatehouse, Jonathon. “Lord of the Ring.” Macleans. Macleans, 4 Oct. 2010. Web. 22 Oct. 2011
Spencer, Dale C. “Habit(us), Body Techniques and Body Callusing: An Ethnography of Mixed Martial Arts.” Body and Society 15.4 (Dec. 2009): 119-43. SAGE Journals. Web. 22 Oct. 2011
Vajda, Oliver. Email interview. 28 Nov.2011.

A list of Paleo / low carb snacks. Stay lean for MMA

Almost every day someone asks me for snack ideas. I don't generally recommend snacking at all, if it can be helped but sometimes it is better than crashing the whole train into the wall! Also, I would say that most fruits and nuts should be consumed only in moderation. That being said I do have a great deal of sympathy for those of you who are trapped in this rut! The tendency for people to feel a need for snacking comes from both the ingrained habit as well as the hormonal response to the types of foods we eat. There are "trigger foods" that can cause a person to eat even when they are full. These foods generally consist of carb or sugar-laden foods because of the large swing in insulin and leptin from eating them. The more you eat these foods, the less sensitive your body is to the signals of leptin and insulin so your natural "full" response to eating will get dulled forming a cycle of apparent need - "jonesing" for sweets or carbs late into the night! I speak from experience, I'm the guy who looks in the pantry fifteen times per night even when I know there is nothing in there. I'll eat a whole box of gluten-free cookies if we have them in the house. You will probably notice that these cravings are also mostly at night and at times when the brain is not engaged and challenged ie; watching T.V. This is a further sign of hormone disregulation and brain chemical imbalances. If you follow a natural paleo-style diet you will stand the best chance of balancing these various systems and getting rid of the cravings to a large degree. Here are the guidelines I follow for eating, my "diet" if you will, it is based on Robb Wolf's Paleo Solution diet and writings by Loren Cordain, Mark Sisson and Nora Gedgaudes as well as many more nutrition experts.

1. No white carbs, ie: bread, pasta rice.
2. 5 hours between meals.
3. don't drink your calories, ie: beer, fruit juice smoothies but drink plenty of water.
4. Don't eat fruit, a handful of berries is OK.
5. Eat good quality protein and fat at every meal.
6. Eat as much "above ground" veggies as you want and make sure you eat a lot!
7. No processed oils or vegetable oils and trans-fats. Only animal fats and fish oil, coconut oil and olive oil.
8. If it could not be killed, picked or pulled out of the ground, it is not food!! Don't be fooled by "natural" or "fat free" or "healthy" labels.
9. No food for 3 hours before bed
The more I eat this way, the less I crave food in between meals and sometimes I only eat two meals per day even when I am slinging drywall in the day, followed by boot-camp and Kickboxing classes at night.
It takes a little more planning at times to eat right when you are out a lot for work or travel or even training. By planning I mean, cooking an extra portion the night before to bring to work the next day and stocking the fridge and cupboards with items that are not going to cause problems.

Now, here is a list of some snacks that you can try to incorporate into your daily plan. I hope this helps. I will also keep adding as I find new ideas and I will post them here and at Coach Toby Combat Systems facebook group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/coachtoby/?ref=ts

1- Cook up some beef, chicken or prawn skewers the night before and bring them to work, it's like jerky on a stick!
2- Cut up lots of veggies and fruit to keep in the fridge but store them in a bowl of water with lemon juice or spray some lemon juice on them and cover this will keep them from going brown.
3- Use lots of seasonal squash and pumpkins for your stews and dinner side dishes and wash the seeds, bake them on a pan with coconut oil and sea salt to keep in paper bags in the pantry for munching later.
4- Mmmm... trail mix! Mix nuts, seeds, dried berries and a little dark chocolate nibs, use your imagination.
5- Pepperoni chips - , your kids will love them! Cut into thin slices a whole bag of firm pepperoni sticks and cook them in the micowave until they are hard. Eat em like chips!
6- Pop sorgum seeds like popcor, oh yah!
7- 85% cocoa or above chocolate seems to take away most sweet carvings with the least amount of damage.
8- Roll up strips of cheese into slices of roast beef and eat them like roll-ups.
9- A teaspoon of coconut oil in your coffee or tea gives your body what it really needs for energy but dampens your hunger and helps to adapt your metabolism to run on fats.
10- Smoked salmon and beef jerky are good stand-bys.
11- Kale baked in the oven with oil and sea salt makes great chips.
12- If you like pickles you can but naturally fermented pickles and Kim Chi and sauerkraut at farmers markets like Langley F.M.. These you can also make yourself - look up the how-tos on youtube, there are tonnes! Naturally fermented foods are very healing to the gut and have been known to help with many auto-imune issues.
13- How bout a simple boiled egg?!?
14- Full fat yogurt, non-sweetened ( you could throw in some vanilla stevia for taste)
15- Smoothy - can of coconut milk, 2 to 4 eggs raw, yogurt or Kefir and sweeten with stevia.
16- Remember pork rinds? Turns out they are not all that bad for you!
17- Coconut flakes (big ones) You can add this to your trail mix or eat by themselves.
18- Cosco has a gluten-free quinoa crackers that are very thin and low in carbs, slap on some almond butter or some goat cheese and liver pate and you got some good eatin'!
19- For snack or sometimes desert I like seasonal berries in heavy cream or coconut milk.

Try this recipe for chocolate cake! I stole it from the blog - http://paleospirit.com/2011/chocolate-paleo-snack-cake/

Ingredients;
10 medjool dates, pitted (I buy mine in bulk at Costco)
1 cup of unsweetened applesauce (or one ripe banana)
3 eggs
1/2 cup coconut oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup coconut flour
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine celtic sea salt
1/2 cup strong brewed coffee

Instructions

Place the dates in a food processor and pulse until completely pureed.
Add applesauce (or banana) and continue to pulse until pureed and combined with the dates.
Add the fruit purée to the bowl of a stand mixer, add the eggs, vanilla, coconut oil and coffee and mix on low-medium speed until well combined.
Combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl.
Slowly add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix on low-speed, scraping down the sides, until you have a smooth batter.
Grease a 8×8 glass pan with coconut oil, pour in the batter and smooth it with the back of a spatula.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick stuck in the middle comes out clean.


Here is a recipe for rolls that are gluten free ass well as carb free and they are good for dinner or desert! I stole this one from this blog - http://blog.yourlighterside.com/2009/05/gluten-free-low-carb-buns-aka-oopsie.html

3 large eggs
pinch of cream of tartar (1/8 tsp)
3 ounces cream cheese (Do not soften)

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Separate the eggs and add cream cheese to the yolks. Use a mixer to combine the ingredients together. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff (if you're using the same mixer, mix the whites first and then the yolk mixture). Using a spatula, gradually fold the egg yolk mixture into the white mixture, being careful not to break down the whites. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick spray and spoon the mixture onto the sheet, making 6 mounds. Flatten each mound slightly.

Bake about 30 minutes (You want them slightly softer, not crumbly). Let cool on the sheet for a few minutes, and then remove to a rack and allow them to cool. Store in a loosely open sack and allow to rest on the counter before use (otherwise they might be too moist). Can be frozen.

Notes: If you are making these to be savory (for burgers) you can add dry mustard and dill or other seasonings to the yolk mixture. If you want a more sweet roll, add a very small amount of stevia natural sweetener to the yolk mixture.

Nutritional information per roll: Calories:85 , Carbohydrates: .6 g, Fiber: 0g, Net Carbohydrates: .6g, Protein: 4g, Fat: 7.5


Finally, here are some ideas from Mark Sisson of "The Primal Blueprint" - http://www.marksdailyapple.com/snack-solutions-primal-alternatives-for-non-primal-snacks/

How to control fear and axiety leading up to a fight part 2

I am posting these in a specific order so if you have not read the first in the series please check it out - http://raptorfightclub.blogspot.com/2011/11/how-to-control-fear-and-axiety-leading.html

As we were talking about last week, it is important to have tools to deal with the sometimes debilitating fear and anxiety that we experience in the months, weeks, days and seconds leading up to a fight or, for that matter, any of life's stressful situations where we are called upon to perform. We are wired to run away from pain and physical damage and yet, fighting requires us to trust our technique and training, let go of the instinct to bolt and put ourselves in harm's way. As I tell my students often, throwing a punch requires a great leap of faith, putting your head right into it is necessary, this is what we call; "committing your technique". If we don't commit our technique, if we are thinking about what he is going to do to us when we step forward to kick, punch or double leg take-down we will come up short every time.
The first step is to calm the mind and control the flow of adrenalin, become the master of our fear. Here is tool #2, practicing this over time will give you much more control and make it easier to use the tools I will be writing about in the remaining parts of the series.

Tool #2. "The Breath part 1": This breathing technique I adapted (ripped off) from Yoga.
Try doing this after every interval or physical training session that leaves you out of breath, preferably gasping!
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, keeping your tongue on the roof of your mouth and pulling your belly button inwards as though towards your spine. As you breath in, bring your hands up in an arcing fashion until they meet above your head and gaze upwards then arc the hands back down as you breath out and slowly bending the knees until you are tucked down in a ball.
The trick is to force your heart to slow down by deliberately slowing the breath. The adrenal system is wired to force you to breath heavily and your heart to beat faster when the need for oxygen is greater. When you slow the breath you feel almost desperate to gulp some air but you will try to overcome this and be the boss of your adrenalin flow, don't worry, you are getting plenty of air with the deep breathing.
I use this after "Burst" training - doing an interval that leaves me completely out of breath -. After each interval I slow my breath and heart rate down.
I will post a video of this this week to help.

How to control fear and axiety leading up to a fight.

One of the most important pieces of the training puzzle and one that is most overlooked by fighters, is the so called "mental" aspect. You know: "one part physical, three parts mental" - bla-bla. What does any of that crap mean? Try to visualize your next fight, or for that matter, your last fight; picture all the hours of training technique, strength conditioning and sparring as well as dieting your butt off!

See yourself warming up in the dressing room then walking down the isle towards the ring or cage suddenly feelings of self-doubt and fear as you look at the size of the crowd and the dude you have to fight and realize that they are all here to watch you either do your thing or get yer ass kicked! We didn't think about this very much when we were training did we? I have seen it all, from fighters with supreme confidence to outright paralyzing terror. Sometimes these feelings start much earlier in the training building to a crescendo on the night of the fight.

Depending on how green you are as a fighter but also affected by the amount of time since your last fight your level of fear is variable. It is almost not fair when you have had a one year hiatus between fights and you are thrown into the ring with a guy who has been fighting regularly, you feel like a rooky all over again. They call this "ring rust" but it feels more like "shit my pants".

I have been in these situations and spent a great deal of time trying to understand the mechanisms behind the sensations and trepidations and also, how to deal with them, possibly master them.

"Why do some people seem to have no fear while most of us have a hard time getting one foot in the water? What can I do to get past this issue? Does it ever get any better?"

We have to be honest with ourselves, first of all, and admit that we are not all Thor, god of thunder and rock-n-roll! The guy standing across from you probably had his own diaper to change on the way to the cage!
I spent some time working with a mental coach and I also studied NLP ( neuro-linguistic programming) as well as trance induction and hypnotherapy techniques. I have used many forms of meditation from different martial arts and Yoga etc. I am going to lay out my secrets and tips in the next series. I believe in coming up with tools, be they drills to build skills or simple techniques to create new constructive habits.

In The next few weeks I will be posting some of the techniques that I use myself or that I encourage my fighters to use for the purpose of gaining control of fear and anxiety as well as focusing the mind on the task at hand (breaking some dude's face).

Please send me your feed-back and let me know if this is useful to you. I understand that some of you may find all this too esoteric and fluffy but give it a shot, you might be thanking me next time you roll up to the battle front!


Tool #1. Mental relaxation:
This technique has to be practiced on a regular basis. The more you use these methods, the more you reinforce the structures in your brain and create strong pathways. I break the technique into 2 separate parts a) for relaxation and b) for focus.
The technique for achieving mental relaxation is basically the same as the technique for learning focus. We can never have too much focus, if anything, we are a very scattered species!
Think of something that you do very well, a hobby or something job-related that you are very good at. I will give you an example;
I have been a tradesman drywall, paint carpentry for many years and I am quite good at all of these things. I think that anyone could possibly be good at painting, especially the rolling part!

a)I like to picture an enormous black wall and a huge pan full of white paint. I proceed to mentally roll the entire wall over with paint and then roll again until the wall is stark white in my mind.

b) Then I take a huge paint brush and a can of red paint and start painting the numbers from 1 to 10 in massive violent strokes. Keep going from 1 to 10 for as long as you wish but the longer the better. If you feel a slip in your focus take it back to step a) and start over as often as you want.

Try these 2 techniques out for a week and see how your focus and concentration improve and how you feel more mentally relaxed. Keep following for the next few weeks for the next tools I will be posting regularly.

Learning how to kill shit!

What is sparing and why do we include that in pretty much every class?
Think of it as play; a kind of thoughtful play.
Picture two lion cubs rolling around in the grass of the Serengeti, working those muscles, claws and teeth! In a controlled environment, with mom close by reffing, they are developing certain skills they will need to take down prey or a rival predator. Why do they play this way? They are LEARNING TO KILL SHIT! Without these skills they would never survive.
In combat sports this same method is used to learn timing, distance control as well as to get over the fear of getting hit. The idea that we can simply punch a bag (or a wooden dummy, or punch the air in the case of Katas) and learn all we need before climbing into the ring or octagon is ridiculous! Some martial arts were developed around a dance-like kata ie; Capoera or Tai Chi but remember that these were mostly produced in times of war to teach martial techniques without alerting the occupying armies or police-state forces. We have the advantage of multiple training partners in a safe,controlled environment - ring any bells?
Take advantage of this, don't just go through the motions of attending classes, assuming that you are a fighter just because! Class is for learning techniques and concepts then, put them to practice in specific ways through sparing.
Eg: Start with jab - one guy leads and the other guy counters. Do that for 2 rounds then do 2 rounds with both people leading and countering, then add one specific technique in random fashion as the conscious brain has a much easier time focusing on less than 3 things at a time.

Here are some examples of light sparing.