The Benefits of Garlic

Awesome Article thrown together by  my brother Elmar!

Garlic (Allium sativum) is reputed to offer protection against (unless stated otherwise):

* Stroke

* Coronary thrombosis ( a form of thrombosis affecting coronary circulation; thrombosis is the formation of a blood clot (thrombus) inside a blood vessel, obstructing the flow of blood through the circulatory system)

* Atherosclerosis (a condition in which an artery wall thickens as the result of a build-up of fatty materials such as  cholesterol)  — By the ability to inhibit platelet aggregation

* Garlic is FOR Inhibition of Microbial Growth

* FOR Lowering Blood pressure

* FOR Lowering Cholesterol levels by:  inhibiting HMG-CoA (enzyme HMG-CoA produces cholesterol)

* FOR fighting cancer/tumor (S-allylcysteine and garlic’s organosulfur compounds posses anti-carcinogenic properties that are able to inhibit cancer cell growth).
- carcinogenic = any substance or agent that tends to produce a cancer.

2 VERY IMPORTANT ingredients:  Allicin and Ajoene

1) Allicin:
* Increases Blood levels of two antioxidant enzymes ( catalase & glutathione peroxidase)
* Retards the aging process in Liver (by inhibiting lipid peroxidation in the liver)
* Prevents oxidant injury in vascular endothelial cells.
* Fights Tumors by: Increasing the apoptosis (self-programmed death of a cell) rate of hepatocellular (pertaining          to or affecting liver cells) tumor cells.
- Study of rate of apoptosis in rats shows:
Group 1: Rats without being given anything had an apoptosis rate of only 2.5%.
Group 2: Rats given ADM(adriamycin- chemotherapy drug) shown an apoptosis rate of    23.6% (±3.1%)
Group 3: Rats given Allicin(high amount) shown an apoptosis rate of 29.5% (± 3.4%)
Group 4: Rats given Allicin(high amount) + ADM shown an apoptosis rate of
36.9% (±4.2 %)

2) Ajoene (Sulfur-Containing Compound Derived from Garlic):

* Exhibits broadspectrum antimicrobial activity
* Blocks HIV-mediated syncytia formation: possible approach to ‘anti-adhesion’ therapy of AIDS

- Source: http://gateway.nlm.nih.gov/MeetingAbstracts/ma?f=102201963.html
* Inhibits platelet deposition on severely damaged vessel wall in an in vivo porcine experimental model
- Source: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7992235
* Potent inhibitor of platelet aggregation (antithrombotic activity): by inhibiting the main receptor on platelets)

Shinji Horizakura takes his designs to the cotton!

Check out my Boy Shinji Horizakura art work on this new line of T-shirts he is starting to put out!
Buy the shirts here! http://www.shirtsanddestroy.com/Horizakura

Shinji Horizakura is a world famous tattoo artist that uses a method of tattooing called Tebori which is hand poke. He is not only a world famous tattoo artist that was featured Miami Ink he is also a super cool dude and sick at jiu jitsu!

These videos are him on Miami Ink!

And this is his work at NYadorned!

http://www.nyadorned.com/tattoo/artists/shinji/

Check him out guys!

Jared Wiener wins super fight at the Diamond State Games!

My friend Jared Wiener who is a Lloyd Irvin Black Belt and Owner/head instructor at BJJ United in Philadelphia had a super fight at this past weekends Delaware/diamond state championships!  He looked awesome Congrats Jared!

If you are ever in the Philadelphia area make sure to check out his school its awesome!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu United (new address)
428 Old York Road
Jenkintown, PA 19046
(215) 886-1079
BJJUnited@comcast.net

Strength and conditioning

This is one of my Strength and conditioning routines that I use a few weeks out from a competition. I do 4-8 sets depending on how close it is to the day of the competition.  And I finish off with some sledgehammer shots on the tire. Enjoy!

Jits  and tits baby!

Standing besides my parents this is my hero!

spin to win!

Most people reading this blog are lucky enough to know someone that inspires them or someone that they strive to emulate. Whether its in the lifestyle we live or the way we carry ourselves through day-to-day life, we mimic what we admire. Some people have hero’s that are Athletes, celebrities, parents, grandparents but mine is all of those in one. His name is Allen Spindel, he was born October 6, 1953 which by my calculations makes him around 56 yrs B.C.  but I would love to see any of you tell him that!

He is the happiest person I know and by far the most eager to learn anything that is being taught.

Allen Spindel is an inspiration for anyone that wants to get into shape or do anything with his or her life at any age! He is my jiu jitsu grandpa, a businessman and a damn fine Brazilian jiu jitsu practitioner/grappler.
Check him out competing at the young mans division!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUFzA-psujw

WOW!

Anyways guys show this to your parents and grandparents and tell them to check out Clockwork Jiu Jitsu, Where we raise champions no matter what age you are!

It’s all about Jits, chicks and fly kicks!

Importance of your environment

Have you ever felt uncomfortable in any situation?  Of course you have! If you didn’t then you don’t spend time around enough different people or even people at all.  A Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or MMA gym is filled with all types of different people. You can be rolling on the mat with a police office, doctor, lawyer, college, student, or even a hypnotist (http://accesssportsmind.com/) among others. The training environment can be filled with teenagers, middle-aged men/women, or even older folks. And every one of these people obviously lives a very different and diverse life outside of training.  Some guys come to train with hopes of competing in Grappling, sport Jiu Jitsu , and some MMA. The majority of the people that come in to train though do it for fun and to just release some tension/stress.

The active competitors in a gym usually have to be even more careful than usual rolling with the people that do it just for fun because these people need to work and make money to feed their family so injuries should be out of the question for the most part. Even though everyone should be working on making it a safe environment. The ones that train more often and have more experience should be the ones that dictate the pace of the rolling and bring about the growth of the students that are lower in rank than them.

The environment should be fun and playful, yet serious and intense. People should respect one another and realize that even if the person’s rank is lower than yours he is not a lower person than you. People need to show respect and make the environment a great environment to learn and train for everyone.

A few tips on how to make that environment a better one.

1. Always respect the instructor and don’t try to appose what he teaches   in front of the class. If you have a question ask him privately after class.
2. Focused training, don’t mess around… You can have fun but do it while keeping the intensity up.
3. Play safe!  Don’t crank any hold or use too much power on your training partners. If you hurt your partners you’re just hindering your own progress.
4. Respect peoples privacy. If they want to talk about a problem then you listen and give advice. Don’t pry into people private business
5. Don’t get into heated arguments about anything… The gym is a place to relax and learn. Especially if its sensitive topics.
6. Have a great time! Don’t view it as a chore or responsibility. If you start to view it as a chore then you need a new hobby.
7. Leave your problems off the mat!
8. Come early to class! Warm up, talk to some friends and just get in the mindset to train.
9. If you have a choice on whether to train with someone better than you or on your level don’t dodge him or her. It’s only going to make you grow even if you tap!
10. Don’t be scared to tap or go crazy when you do. Every tap should be a learning experience not to happen again especially not in competition!

Guidelines to a Healthier Life

Did you know that we eat approximately 70 tons of food in our lifetimes! That’s 140,000 lbs of food that our body processes throughout our lives!  Every day that I meet people they ask me how to stay in shape… And my reply is always train hard and eat well. Well that sounds easy but I guess I’m oversimplifying it, and while I cant build you a diet because all of those need proper blood tests, measurements and goals, I can tell you what to stay away from and a few guidelines to follow to take control of your weight and to generally just feel better about yourself… You know what they say you are what you eat! And eating right will not only help you stay in shape but it will rid your chances of cardiovascular disease which is the number 1 killer in this nation!

1.The most important thing about losing weight, gaining weight and/or maintaining weight is Calories in to calories out. If your calories in are more than you expend than you WILL gain some weight, and vice versa.

2.The most important meals are all of them! Try not to miss any meals because that messes up your metabolism and leaves you feeling sluggish.

3. When you eat don’t eat to be full, eat to be satisfied, and don’t just devour it. I noticed that the people that are usually in the best shape are the people that eat slow and enjoy their food. The slower you eat the less it takes to make you full because as your eating your food is making its way down your digestive tract and signaling hormones that tell your body its full.

4. Try to eat vegetables with every meal. (Kale, spinach, peppers, broccoli, etc)

5. Do not eat less than 2 hours before bed. So if you go to bed at 11 make sure your last meal is at 9. If you do decide that you are still hungry eat a salad with lemon juice instead of dressing.

6. Carry energy bars and water with you when you are on the go. Ex. Clif Bars.

7. Drink plenty of water. Stay hydrated. If your urine is yellow you are dehydrated.

8. Utilize protein shakes, Especially in the mornings after our bodies have went through a 7-10 hour fast.

9. Stay away from processed foods, which are usually white… Sugar, white bread, white pasta etc. Instead use Stevia extract to sweeten, or brown sugar. Eat whole wheat, or 7 grain, 12 grain etc., eat whole-wheat pasta.

10. Cut down on the salt! If you do it reduces your risk of blood pressure.

11. Green powders are very good to get your vegetable servings for the day.

12. Eat lots of berries, they contain a lot of antioxidants and they are the Elixirs of life.

13.Stay away from fried foods!  Instead of fried rice, get brown rice. Instead of the fried calamari get some sashimi or sushi on brown rice.

14. After training try to drink a shake that is at least 2 carbohydrates to 1 protein. So if you have 40 grams of carbohydrates you need 20 grams of protein at least.

15. Do not eat fast food. Stay away from all the Franchise fast food chains. If you have to ask why… go watch Super size me!

16. Stay away from trans fat… Nutritionists say eating Trans fat is the closest thing to eating plastic.

17. Treat yourself to a snack once in a while to keep your sanity. But dont eat too much of it.

18. Stay away from Sodas and other sweet carbonated beverages.

19. When drinking alcohol, try not to overindulge because alcohol is 7 calories per gram which is almost as much as the 9 calories per gram that fat is.

20. Moderate everything you eat and instead of grabbing that sweet dessert that you see in front of you, grab an apple or any other fruit!

I hope these 20 tips help you achieve a healthier you!

Learning how to learn.

When I first started messing around in jiu jitsu, I was completely overwhelmed by the wealth of media I can find giving me instructions on how to do cool finishers. In between every training session in “The Kitchen” I would research cool new techniques to use on my unsuspecting training partners. Although they all did the same.  Even though I “learned” a lot of cool submission I never learned how to actually learn anything.

When I came to Clockwork Studios, the curriculum was outlined and in order to maximize the absorption rate of the students.   My learning curve skyrocketed to a level I never imagined in such a short time. And one day I decided with the help of my trainer that I needed to work on a certain game and to stick to it until I comprehend the tiniest of details about it and learn to use it in any circumstance. Basically until I’m completely comfortable with it.

After reading the book ‘Talent is Overrated’ and talking to my trainer. I realized that the way I have been learning my Biology and other subjects is the same way I should approach my Jiu jitsu learning as well. It is said that repetition is the father of all learning. The more you repeat a certain motion the better the chances that you body will automatically have that same response in your time of need. That action is called muscle memory. Have you ever worked out with weights for example, got to a certain new record and then had to take some time off. Did you see your strength diminishing (atrophy)? Well when you got back to the gym and started working out again did you notice that your gains where coming back to normal very fast…? Well that’s muscle memory!

Babies don’t have muscle memory yet… So they have to do things like trying to walk , crawl, etc. and they have to do them a lot and through the process of trial and error they learn how to adapt their bodies to these motions and its something that you usually don’t forget. And later on they use those motions they learned and incorporate them into running, riding a bike, etc.
So when you learn something that you like… Repeat it a lot! and make sure you repeat it the right way or your making just going to do some ineffective move in your time of need. Also it will lead to problems down the road when you want to incorporate that motion into a different one.

So guys train hard, and repeat, repeat, repeat.

Rest and Recovery

Two months into training at Clockwork studios my summer started and the semester after the summer I took off.  So I started training 2 times per day and 6 days a week.  Plus I was doing strength and conditioning some of those days so I was really “progressing” up until the point I burned out….

Every week I had a new micro injury. It started with my shoulder getting hurt during omaplata drilling, then it was my elbow during an armbar , then I had knots all over my back, constantly getting sick and so on…
I couldn’t figure out what I was doing wrong… I was training hard and For every 2 steps I took forward I would take 1 back. It was very frustrating. Then I started reading about it and I realized I was a victim of over training! even though I felt like I just wasn’t training enough!

So I took a week off and re-evaluated my training and realized that first of all I wasn’t getting enough sleep. Most people need 6-8 hours of sleep, I needed around 8-10 to feel well rested because my body was getting more beat up than a regular guy and it needed more rest.  Also I wasn’t getting proper nutrition(adequate calories/high protein intake).  So I decided to go to sleep every night before 11 pm accept a few occasions  and Saturday nights.  I also decided to really turbo charge my nutrition.
According to a lot of sports nutrition specialists say athletes need between 1.2-1.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight. So for me that was 130/2.2= 59 Kg ( this told me how much I weigh in Kilograms) Then I multiplied that number by the avg amount of grams which is 1.5.  59 x 1.5 = 88.5 grams of protein was necessary for my daily intake.

Also I needed a lot of complex carbohydrates to keep my body running as well.  So I started eating about 10 grams of carbohydrates per Kg which was 590 grams per day of carbohydrates. So my protein intake was 88.5 grams and my Carbohydrate intake was 590 grams so I was eating about 679 grams x 4( calories per gram of protein and carbohydrates)=2716  calories ..plus I would eat a lot of greens and fruits( spinach, Kale, vegetables, fruits,etc). My Daily Calorie intake is about 3000 calories give or take a hundred.

After I made those 2 changes(sleep, nutrition) I started feeling a lot more refreshed and I was able to put in those long hours at the studio.

Train hard and get MONEY!

Some people want nothing out of life… Me on the other hand, I want it all!

So I was sitting there thinking about the improvements I need to make and decided I need to get myself together mind and body and put in a lot more hard work into my jits and my studies. The goals that I have in my jits are as follows; Win everything, and get to the point where I myself will even say wow. With school I’m just going to start studying more than 2 days before the exams and I have even devised a method to study which is very similar to my jiu jitsu. High repetition studying =].

I’m not necessarily going to start training more but I’m going to start training harder and smarter.  Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I’m going to train and then drill for the next 20-30 minutes.  I’m going to write down my actions during the day (sleep, eating, jiu jitsu, strength and conditioning).

Ive decided to make these changes not tomorrow or soon but now!  Because now is when we are living and if I don’t do it now then I will be losing precious time and valuable knowledge that I could be soaking in.

Also my dear cousin and good Friend(http://twitter.com/TheCrazyKat) sent me a great article about taking the leap and doing something that you want.  The article is called “You miss 100% of the shots you never take” http://www.persuasive.net/you-miss-100-of-the-shots-you-never-take/….

This article could refer to anything in your life whether you do Jiu jitsu, make jewelry, play football or even are a computer programmer because I feel that everything in life is the same thing in a weird way. Once you get to a certain amount of knowledge of one thing you can use it to learn or observe anything else.

That Drake – So far gone mix tape is dopE!

O yea Add me on twitter! http://twitter.com/RomeZa

A pic of me and some of the team at the last NAGA on April 4th