Check Out Tacfit Commando

Scott Sonnon’s training system or as he called it; Circular Strength Training System is focused on developing strength in your body’s 6 Degrees of Freedom.  The following are the 6 Degrees of Freedom according Scott Sonnon:

• Heaving – movement in the vertical plane (up and down)
• Surging – movement in the sagittal plane (front and back)
• Swaying – movement in the frontal plane (lateral or side-to-side)
• Yawing – movement in the transverse plane (twisting around a central axis)
• Pitching – tilting in the sagittal plane (rolling forward or backward)
• Rolling – tilting laterally (bending to the side)

If you’re currently doing mma or any martial art for that matter, you know how critical these movements are. Back when I started training muay thai, I always wondered what exercises to do to get better at dodging attacks and being able to move  around better , CST (Circular Strength Training) is pretty much it.

At a glance the workouts seem very awkward but once you start doing it you will feel the difference. Let me tell you this first hand, the workouts are much harder than they look.  If this is your first time performing any of the CST exercises you will have a hard time because the exercises are very awkward. It is hard the first time because the exercises will work in the directions that typical exercises don’t usually hit. But If you follow the workouts religiously, your body will seem lighter and you could move more efficiently. What I love about CST style workouts is how it develops body movement and how to use your strength even in the most obscure positions.

If you’re really serious about having a body that can adapt to any situation then this workout is for you. Tacfit Commando focuses on making your body ready for battle. This is not your average “Get Ripped in X Days” system. At the end of this fitness system you can be confident that you can go to hostile territory because this is what the Israeli Special Forces use this for.

Check Out Tacfit Commando and get the free Israeli Forces TACFIT Challenge

]]> http://battleshape.com/tacfit-commando-review-are-you-tough-enough-for-the-military/feed 0 http://battleshape.com/training-with-bubba-dummy http://battleshape.com/training-with-bubba-dummy#comments Mon, 07 Dec 2009 10:36:45 +0000 Jon M. http://battleshape.com/?p=399 Burt Richardson walks you through the different drills and exercises that you could perform with the Bubba Grappling Dummy. You could also read the review of this grappling dummy . The Bubba Dummy is handcrafted and engineered to be as realistic as possible. Bubba II is prepared for full-power strikes, jointlocks, and chokes, and he will even stand, with a little support, for throws and takedowns.

Click here to get the Bubba II Grapping Dummy

1. UFC Throwing Dummy

UFC Camo 100 lbs Grappling Dummy

Basically it’s like a heavy bag that can stand on its own. You can even substitute this for the typical heavy bag all you need is a training partner to hold it for you while you practice your strikes at it. But as far as training jiujitsu moves is concerned this dummy won’t be very useful. This dummy is best used for practicing ground and pound and even some strength training exercises. It comes in different weight from 50 to 130 pounds. The dummy feels very solid and the leather used is very nice and also easy to clean. This is not so different from a typical heavy bag, in fact you can use an ordinary heavy bag to do what this dummy does.

2. Combat Sports Legged Grappling Dummy

Combat Sports Legged Grappling Dummy 120lbs.

This dummy is very similar to the first one. The only difference is the presence of arms and legs. It stands 5′10 tall and weighs 90 to 140 pounds. This thing is very solid and although you could perform some submissions, this dummy is very stiff. There are very limited jiu jitsu moves that you can practice on this thing. Just like the UFC throwing dummy this is better used for practicing throws,  ground and pound, and thai clinch. The only difference is that this dummy resembles a human opponent rather than a solid bag. I’d give this grappling dummy an edge for being able to use it like a heavy bag and give you a mediocre jiu jitsu training thanks to its arms. There is also a model that comes with a chain so you can hang it easily somewhere.

3.  Bubba II Grappling Dummy

Bubba II Grapping Dummy

This dummy is the most unique one out of all three. This is not as solid as the other two but then again what’s the point of having a very stiff grappling dummy when you want to simulate arm locks and bending its body like you would against your opponent. There are a multitude of jiu jitsu moves that you can practice with this dummy thanks to its easy maneuverability. Its ankles, wrists and fingers are flexible. You can also make it sit and stand on its own. It is much harder than it looks because the foam is tightly packed from within so doing some ground and pound work on this dummy isn’t too bad either. But judging from the material and stitching of the dummy I don’t think it’s gonna hold up as long as the other two grappling dummies as far as ground and pound is concerned. It stands 5′10 tall and weighs about 50 pounds.

Check Out this video of some of the drills you can do with Bubba II Grapping Dummy

In conclusion, if you want to practice your jiu jitsu to the fullest then a Bubba II Grappling Dummy is the best grappling dummy out there. The dummy was made very realistically and you can perform most if not all jiu jitsu techniques to the dummy. The only disadvantage of the bubba dummy is its price which is about $600 compared with the other two dummies whose price ranges from $180 to $350.  If you want something that can hold up for a lot of heavy ground and pound then I recommend either the combat sports grappling dummy or the UFC throwing dummy. These two dummies can also be used for some weightlifting exercises. Your choice of the grappling dummy comes down to what you want to use it for.

This product review is brought to you by Battleshape.com. Please read our disclosure policy concerning product reviews right here .

Still even in defeat Tito showed work ethics worthy of a legendary mma fighter. Some guys gave him bad raps after he made excuses after the fight and  the post fight conference about his injuries. Forrest Griffin was a good sport for telling everybody that during mma training injuries sometimes do happen. And that’s very true, mma training is very strenuous and fighters workout parts of their body that normal workouts normally don’t. Check out these crazy  mma conditioning workouts and you’ll understand.

For Now, here’s Tito Ortiz working on his return to UFC 106.

A recent study done by the cool guys over at Damage Control MMA showed that there is a smarter and more efficient way of throwing a leg kick. Common knowledge tells you to kick the thighs with all your might, break it down with a couple more kicks until it got so sore that your opponent can’t even stand properly anymore. Now, rendering the leg inoperable by damaging the muscle tissue could take more than just one kick before it happens. But if you dig deeper on the leg’s overall structure you will see the hidden weaknesses of the human leg.

So what’s the big secret? Attack the nerves!  Our whole body is controlled by the nervous system, messing with it is usually a bad idea but for the sake of having an unfair advantage you can abuse it. Take out the nerve , take out the leg. The primary nerve structures of the leg are exposed enough to be hit with a power shot, and according to their study:

…nerve attacks immediately cause the temporary loss of control for the limb. Whereas muscle tissue attacks cause swelling, cramping/knotting, and gradual deterioration of muscle function.

Watch The video below for full detail:

Be sure to head on over at damage control mma and read Dr. Sick’s muay techniques to exploit this knowledge.

A Great Conditioning Workout worthy of a UFC Champion. This is Brandon “The Truth” Vera’s conditioning circuit for UFC 105. According to the description from the Alliance Gym Channel  this workout is 1 hour and 1 minute long. It is a series of workouts consisting of a variety of ladder agility drills, rope pulling, tire flipping , medicine ball burpees, and weighted walking.

If this was to go on for an hour, I think this whole circuit is performed for at least five rounds. It also depends on the interval in between each workout. In this video Brandon seem to have little or no rest period in between each workout. Having no rest periods in between will really push your conditioning but you can add 10 to 30 seconds rest in between each circuit to gauge your level of conditioning. Remember our little quote? Don’t Train to Fail Train To Do One More Rep of each exercise. The key to these conditioning exercise is succesful completion of the circuit.

Wanderlei Silva gives anaerobic training a whole new spin by actually eliminating air passage from his nose and if that wasn’t hard enough he further limited the intake of air with a snorkel. This workout will make your body crave for oxygen and will definitely tire you a lot faster. Don’t try this without supervision because you could totally pass out while doing this.  This shows you how crazy Wanderlei’s conditioning is. But do you need to block your nose with a tape and breathe through a snorkel to enjoy this workout?? no. You could totally copy the workout he does but tone it down a bit to a more doable routine.

Wanderlei Does this entire circuit for 25 minutes  four times a week, with a 45 pound vest. If you think you can breeze through this course with a tape on your nose and breathing through a snorkel do it, but if you can’t, then don’t force it, doing so will most likely lead to failure of this circuit. Quote of the Day; Don’t Train to fail, train to do one more rep of each exercise. The goal here is to finish the entire circuit within allotted time which is 25 minutes, now this could be modified to your level as well, you can make it longer or shorter. The vest and the snorkel were just added to make it harder. The weights need not to be exactly the same as his either. So it’s totally fine to do this workout without it, besides with the interval of each circuit it’s pretty hard already.

For that matter here is Wanderlei Silva’s Workout, feel free to copy it and print it so you could easily remember:

Wanderlei Silva’s Circuit Training:

Duration: 25 Minutes 4 x A week.

Each Circuit Ends with a 40 Second Break

Circuit I:

1.  Clean and Jerk

• 8 Repetitions , weight: 110 pounds

2.  1 Meter Jump

• Perform as many 1 meter jump as you can within 30 seconds

3.  Punching Machine

• 15 Repetitions , weight 55 pounds

4.  Jog 3 Flights of Stairs

Rest for 40 seconds

Circuit II:

1.  Pull Downs

• 12 Repetitions, weight 198 pounds

2.   Resistance Sprints

• 4 Shots

3.  Plyometrics 30 Seconds (Lateral Box Push Offs)

4.  3 Flight of Stairs

Circuit III:

1. Clean and Jerk

• 8 Repetitions , weight: 110 pounds

2.  Pulldowns

• 12 Repetitions, weight 198 pounds

3.  5 Sprawl Drills

4.  Jog 3 Flights of Stairs

Now Circuits 1 and 2 should be done twice while Circuit 3 is done three times, all of this in 25 minutes. Enjoy.

Feel free to modify it to make your own perfect workout. You can add more sets, decrease the resting time, add a resting time in between workouts etc. The key here is finishing the circuit within the alloted time while following the correct interval.

Photos Courtesy of Sherdog.com

Wanderlei Silva’s strength and conditioning coach Rafael Alejarra walks you through the importance of having training plan. Rafael Alejarra is very technical when it comes to training his athletes and you could see it in this video how he uses measurable data to gauge the level of conditioning of the mma fighters in his camp.

Mark Munoz Hammering Away On the Tire Building Rotational Strength.

How Many times can you say that you learned a killer fighting technique but you were able to help relieve human suffering at the same time?

Once? Twice? Perhaps Never. Because usually when you practice your martial arts you make yourself better at fighting and inflicting more pain to your next opponent. About a month ago a powerful force much more fiendish than Fedor’s punching power struck the Philippines leaving thousands upon thousands of people homeless, hungry, and without shelter.The  two typhoons (Ketsana and Parma) seemingly on roids tag teamed the country with no regard to rules. As a result people suffered from the worst beating ever and there was no after party to help relieve the pain.

In the spirit of bayanihan - a spirit of communal unity or effort to achieve a particular objective – the Filipino-American Mixed Martial Arts Community organized a series of Martial Arts seminars featuring prominent Fighters and Instructors of Philippine descent, from various martial arts disciplines in an effort to raise relief funds for the victims of Typhoon Ondoy and Typhoon Parma in the Philippines.

On October 25th Their Fight is Our Fight will feature UFC fighters such as Brandon Vera and Mark Munoz, Undefeated Strikeforce Light Heavyweight Shane Del Rosario and Muay Thai Trainer Romy Adanza in an all day Martial Arts Seminar at the Legends MMA Training Center in Hollywood, California.

Topics Will Include:

• Jiu Jitsu for MMA
• Muay Thai Clinch Game
• MMA Takedowns and Wrestling

If that wasn’t enough, you also get to meet the sexy UFC Ring Girl Arianny Celeste and  other special guests that are yet to be named. There is a rumor going around that Manny Pacquiao will also chime in on the event. Manny is set to leave the Philippines tomorrow to continue his training against Miguel Cotto. Manny is very passionate about helping out the typhoon victims and made time for relief efforts despite his hectic training schedule. The Wild Card Gym is only a couple of blocks away from Legends so his attendance may come to fruition. The organizers also alluded to the attendance of some of the fighters that will fight at UFC 104. A lot of prizes from their sponsors will also be given through a raffle draw during the event. Miss Rara a true fight chick – one of the founders of NAMMAE (North American Mixed Martial Arts Expo) – is the woman behind this event, that said expect a lot of other famous fighters to come to the event.

So how much will all this fun cost you? Well, for $5 you could be a fly on the wall and watch all the cool guys train or register before 12 Midnight Today and enjoy the whole training session for $100, that’s if you register within this day otherwise you’ll pay the regular price which is $120. So Register for the Seminar now through this link.

If you’re one of the 3,300 people who got free tickets to UFC 104 from Dana White this event will make your trip even more awesome.