Age?

44-year old Jörg Lothmann proves age ain't nuthin but a number at his MMA debut.

Get the kids involved

I know this is a touchy subject for some but for me this is easy. Find a good martial arts school or MMA gym and put your kids in it. I can totally attribute my demeanor and lessons in discipline to taking Taekwondo when I was a kid. Cities across this country are cutting funding for after school programs leaving kids to find something to do with their idle hands. There has been a rise in crimes committed by kids and teens as well as a rise in gang memberships. Bullying has become an epidemic so serious that teenagers are committing suicide to cope with the problem. Childhood obesity is out of control in this country. The uneducated might believe that putting kids in martial arts promotes violence but in fact it does just the opposite. Martial arts promotes principles of discipline, respect, hard work, and health. In fact, what i've come to learn is that the more you learn how to fight the less you actually want to fight. Not only that but after a while you begin to exude confidence that can be seen in your posture, heard in your voice and noticed even in your walk. Usually, bullies will stay away from the confident type and if that doesn't work at least they will know how to protect themselves.
Martial arts can be a single parent's best friend. You can almost guarantee that your child will be safe at the local MMA gym. At the very least kids will be safer than they are out in the streets hanging with their buddies after school. In our world of fast food, video games and extreme excess martial arts are a great way to keep kids active and keep the fat off. The lessons learned will carry throughout the lives of these kids all the way to adulthood. So don't hesitate to shop around for a good martial arts or MMA gym and let the good times roll. You might actually get some peace and quiet at home as well.

Fight Prep: Pads with Jex Fontaine

I'm working hard to make corrections and have been blessed enough to work with another world class fighter(shout out to Sarah Z.). Hope you enjoy!

Why I bow and why you don't have to.

Ok so I don't expect you to bow to me if you are not a martial artist but I will always give a slight bow even if I am just meeting you. Its something that i've been doing since Taekwondo in my childhood years. In my mind its a sign of respect and humility. I am a gentle hearted warrior and I choose to offer myself first as a human being with compassion and respect. There have been few times i've not offered a bow upon greeting and usually those aren't good times. I also have the belief that anyone that trains like a warrior should receive due respect before and after competition. Many of the new breed of fighters especially those coming into MMA have a background in boxing or maybe wrestling, they traditionally don't bow so I don't expect them to.
In Zen Buddhism the practitioners bow 1080 times throughout a day. Though it is commonly used in Asia bowing isn't restricted to Asian countries. Bowing has traditionally been a part of European culture as a symbol of respect or gratitude. In the Christian, Jewish, Hindu, and Islamic religions bowing is a commonly used show of acknowledgment of faith. I don't expect everyone to bow but if you think it's ridiculous that others do it or have the nerve to say ignorant things like "we're not in China", look around you as there may be more people showing you respect than you're showing them. Peace and Blessings all(yes i'm bowing right now).

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What do you do with the monster?

So after the eight weeks of training hard grueling hours and the hard fought victory what do you do with the monster you created? Lets get some real understanding about fighting, if you didn't create a monster while training then you probably didn't train hard enough. You have to touch something primal to even want to compete in fighting another person. There is definitely something different about a person after they finish training camp and I do believe whatever is built up inside a fighter is hard to let go of even after the fight is done. During that eight week training camp fighters deprive themselves of their normal social activity, commonly eaten foods, often training away from home, and even sex. The combination of these things adds to the aggressive nature of the fighter, over time building to a boil to be unleashed on fight night.
What happens when the fight is over? There are often reports of over the years of fighters getting in to fights on the street, in their own social circles as well as with their spouse. This isn't relegated to fighting, this problem crosses sports boundaries into professional football, basketball, hockey, and I imagine a few rugby players have had some bad run ins as well. Once you gear up for the competition how do you bring yourself back down to a normal level? Some athletes do other sports, i.e. Nick Diaz competes in triathlons. I think the best way to deal with the beast you created is to refocus the energy into something else. Find another sport, a hobby, burn some of that energy doing some physically draining activities like crossfit, climbing , or even rowing. After the combat is done and you still feel that energy simmering inside, do something with it even if that means taking a long vacation in which you do nothing. Don't allow it to get the best of you.

Where's your head at?

You often hear the phrase in most sports that "this game is 90% mental". Doesn't really matter what sport you throw in there most will agree that without great mental focus and concentration it's almost impossible to compete at a high level in any sport. Very few people are so extraordinary that they just have this built in, most of us have to learn different techniques and really work on keeping our concentration sharp. I myself have on occasion used mantras, not sure why I did but I would look in the mirror and repeat the same thing over and over again. I stared at myself said over and over again that I was going to knock out my opponent before I did it. I believed it after I said it so many times I never thought about losing. Now mantras aren't for everybody, again still not sure why I use them but they work for me so i'm not stopping.
Maybe for you it's meditation. Sitting legs crossed concentrating only on your breathing and allowing the thoughts to come and go. I feel like this is a great way to center yourself and I know of a lot of successful fighters that meditate daily. It's also a good way to learn to control emotions which can get away from even the best fighter during combat.Prior to fights you can always see fighters sitting quietly listening to music. Some are pumping themselves up and others are calming themselves down but all are trying to find the best place in their head for the upcoming battle.
Some seek out a sports psychologist to help weave through the muck when training for a fight or even after a loss to help recover mentally and emotionally. Sometimes a set of unbiased ears to listen to thoughts about an upcoming event or past one can shed new light on those thoughts and keep you a little more centered.
Getting centered is very important. You'll often hear me tell people i'm training to, "find it...find it" especially in between rounds where its necessary to slow down your breathing and heart rate in order to refocus your brain and make adjustments for the next round. You must find what keeps you grounded because when you lose control you lose technique, power, balance, you start to leave yourself open to take unnecessary punishment and an almost positively a loss on your record.
Its the same in life as it is in combat, keep a cool head because "cool heads prevail"!

"The Spider"

Research your opponent

Ok people, here's the deal, if you have the ability to learn about your opponent don't hesitate. Don't feel so good about your skills that you neglect a very important part of the fight game and that's studying believe it or not. I'm not saying there is always a video out there but in this day and age just about everyone has a video camera on their phone and a Youtube or Facebook account. You should get in the habit of checking your opponent out to help form a gameplan. Watching videos helps you see the mistakes he/she might make in previous fights that you can capitalize on. Knowing ahead of time helps focus your training towards your opponents weaknesses rather than waste time and energy on an offense that may be ineffective come fight night. You can always make adjustments in the corner and you will but having a visual may also help you to know what to expect. Whether or not your opponent likes close range or long distance, does he/she drop their hands when throwing strikes, which direction does this person like to go and can I cut them off and counter that movement are just a few ways watching a video can help.
Some fighters just like to wing it and I totally understand the idea. Being prepared for anything is always at the forefront of the mind. However, every little bit of work you do in preparation is another piece to the puzzle of becoming one of the great fighters. Most of the time you can get your coach to do the research with you and in some cases your coach has already scouted out the opponent and prepared a gameplan for you to follow in the fight.
If there is no video, a lot of times you can ask the promoter or someone that may have seen him/her fight or even someone that fought your opponent in the past can give you insight into what you're facing. Leave no stone unturned, remember your fight and possibly your health may be in jeopardy.

You are not alone

This may come as a bit of a shock to some of you, but fighting is a team sport. Every time you step into the ring or the cage you bring the whole team with you. The pressure to win the fight or put on a good show is much higher than one would think looking on from the outside. We as fans concentrate so much on the fighter but hardly ever on the team. Those of us that actually fight or train can name other trainers, camps and locations in and out of the country(shout out to Mike's gym in Amsterdam and Duke Roufus in Wisconsin). On most occasions the team that helps get a fighter ready for battle sacrifices almost as much as the fighter. That old phrase blood, sweat, and tears is an understatement. Boxing coach, muay thai kru, jiu jitsu coach, conditioning coach, massage therapist, sparring partners, sponsors, nutritionist, agent...etc. All these people give their time and efforts to support the fighter sometimes for minimal pay. These people, though you may not see them, are all in the fight. A dedicated team is necessary for most fighters to keep improving and even get fights. I remember the first time I actually saw a team that supported each other unlike anything i had experienced to that point. I remember seeing 4 or 5 guys with a couple of friends getting them ready for the fight and that's about the average. On this particular day I was getting ready to watch one of the fights on the muay thai card I was fighting on and out of nowhere i start to hear this chant growing louder and louder that chant built into a battle cry for the fighter about to do battle. All of a sudden this group of 15 or 20 people all dressed in red began to lead their fighter to the ring. I was in awe of this show of support and it had to be intimidating for the opponent as well. That team was Elite Muay Thai headed by Kru Domnique Simmons. When you have this many people backing you up, its hard to think about anything but winning. Every time you step into the ring you have your whole team with you. When you win they win and they take the loses to heart almost as much as the fighter. If you're looking to go into the combat sports find a team you feel comfortable with, that supports you and most importantly feels like family. Your success in fighting will depend upon the people around you as it does in life.

Can u make the cut?

I find it really interesting that one of the most dangerous aspects of combat sports hardly ever gets any attention. I'm talking about weight cutting. For some this is one way to get an edge on their opponents. By cutting large amounts of weight before the weigh in(generally held the day before), the fighter can put the weight back on in the hours leading up to the fight sometimes in excess of twenty pounds. In a lot if cases it offers a large weight advantage over opponents that might be closer to their natural weight. I have mixed feelings on this issue as it can be very dangerous if done incorrectly and as of now no steps have been put in place to regulate it. There's also another aspect of this, there are fighters attempting to cut sometimes 30lbs and knowingly missing the weight cut, then by rule if the opponent still accepts the fight(and they will if they want to get paid) they lose a percentage of the purse but still get to fight and in most cases, win. They already know they can't make the cut but instead of moving up to a more suitable weight class, they'd rather lose 10% of their winnings to fight someone smaller. I've seen some real mismatches. A few months back i got a call to corner a fighter that was coming from out of town and needed a good corner. A natural 155 pounder it was his first venture up to 170lbs. just to get a fight and get his name out there. After i held some pads for him i was surprised and just knew he would do well. Fast forward fifteen minutes and i'm walking him out of the cage his head red and swollen with a few knots. His opponent was a giant at least 20lbs heavier. It was blatantly obvious that this was set up to pad his record. My guy didn't stand a chance with the weight difference. It was so bad that the announcers first words were "you look like you're in a different weight class, how much weight did you cut?" To which the giant replied "none at all, this is my natural weight"(devilish laughter included). What a joke.
Beyond getting an unfair advantage their is a huge safety issue. Some competitors don't cut weight the right way. Depriving oneself of proper nutrition leading up to a fight goes directly against the efforts being made in training. Dehydration is not proper weight cutting. It might be okay for 5 lbs or so, but trying to get off ten plus pounds in a day or two could have you hold up in the locker room with an IV in your arm. Instead of being sharp in the fight you run the risk of being slower and weak. Also, being more easily damaged from shots to the head is a possibility as well. When you're dehydrating yourself you're also drying up some of your brain fluid which makes it easier to get that brain rattling around when hit with even light punches. Making weight should be a combination of good diet and hard work in the gym leading up to the last week and the day of the weigh ins. A gradual cut is more beneficial to a fighter effectiveness in the fight. I understand the strategy for it but if you claim to be that awesome of a fighter then do as the old adage says "pick on somebody your own size". At least someone close to your size, I mean jumping around after beating somebody with a twenty pound weight disadvantage is not a good look in my humble opinion. I had heard in the past there was talk about making a same day weigh in so that fighters don't get away with being ridiculously larger than their opponent. Maybe we'll see less of these size mismatches and fighters gassing out early if this is implemented. Either way til that happens watch for the circus fights and make sure you're cutting properly.

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Product review: Tuf Wear 16oz Sparring gloves

This is my first product review for "Like Water", and first one for me as well. I do this all the time at the gym mainly because i've wasted plenty of money searching for the right equipment. From mouthguards to headgear to gym bags if they make it I have wasted money on it. So when somebody asks about equipment I can surely steer them in the right direction. Let's see if I can do the same for you, laymans terms of course.
The first product to be reviewed will be Tuf Wear sparring gloves. I recently had my gear bag stolen out of my car carrying easily $1000.00 worth of stuff inside(yep, still sucks) including my Top King gloves. So obviously I needed to replace these ASAP. I went on a mission ordering one pair that was made with synthetic leather(sold em'), another pair that tore up inside the first day I used them they were horrible. I was already broke and not sure how I was gonna get a quality pair of gloves for a cheap price. I had seen these Tuf Wear gloves a million times on the Title boxing website. I even own and use a pair of the original Tuf Wear lace up gloves when I want to work on power. So, for 59 dollars I had to try them out, to broke to shoot any higher. Holy crap they are exactly what I was looking for. The leather is nice, the design is a really cool black and white two tone and the double wrist strap adds extra protection that you just don't find in gloves at this price. The original Tuf Wear gloves have a canvas type of interior that just really added value to the gloves they were made well and felt great. I was curious about how that was going to translate to the new style. The gloves interior is soft and and made of some sort of cloth presumably cotton. It felt like putting a pillow on my hand. The gloves are firm and perfect for sparring and bagwork. After 2 mos of heavy usage they are still like new. At this price there is no reason to hesitate. I will get a pair of Top King gloves again but these are half the price and are an awesome buy. So go buy a pair and punch a friend in the face, you'll thank me for it.

Defend yourself

This one is for the ladies(mostly). I'm not trying to freak you out or scare you in any way. I am however trying promote safety mainly yours. I can't begin to tell you how many female friends I have that have been assaulted physically and/or mentally at some point in their lives. I have heard many horror stories as i'm sure you have as well. From kidnappings to random beatings i have heard them all and even had to jump in and stop a few. Its time to educate yourselves in self defense. In many cities across this country self defense for women is offered by different organizations, Police departments to local gyms. They teach awareness as well as what to do if ever attacked. Its not right what people do to others sometimes but you have the power to combat that, so use it. It gives you confidence to know you're prepared and generally speaking when you walk with confidence you will often be left alone. Bad guys want to attack people that won't fight back and if you look aware and confident you don't look like an easy target. Until you can make it to a class try to follow some simple rules -

- Always be aware of your surroundings
- Don't walk alone at night if at all possible
- Let a friend know where you are
- Keep your mace in your hand when walking by yourself
- Know how your panic button works on your keychain
- Walk with confidence not with your head down
- Walk with your keys between your fingers in a tight balled up fist just in case you gotta let a
punch fly

If someone approaches you and all else fails do the one thing we all know how to do SCREAM!!

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Just Chill

"Find your beach" the beer commercial exclaims. That is a phrase that should be taken seriously especially for those of us that train constantly. I know you're king of the gym. You're the one that comes in early for your first session, push ups after lunch, and then right back in the gym for an evening session. Maybe you're the hardcore workout person doing crossfit three times a week mixed in with a spinning class, cardio boxing and yoga for flexibility. You sound like you got it all figured out, but I think you forgot something. R-E-S-T!!! We all need some time to relax and unwind. Your body needs time to grow, heal, and even learn. New movements always take a few days for my body to adapt and understand. The harder I try to force myself the further away I get from proper technique. If you're trying to muscle up you can't go everyday and push heavy weight at some point you need sleep or even a couple days off so your muscles can grow. Without rest in your routine you are not going to get the results you want or reach your goals.
When it comes to injuries I can't be more adamant about treating the problem. You should know the acronym R-I-C-E from high school health class(they're still teaching that right?). Anyway it stands for Rest Ice Compression Elevation. It really is self explanatory but you can easily take a common sense approach to this. If your foot hurts because of a sprain, stay off of it. If you have swelling somewhere ice it as soon as possible. You have nothing to prove to anyone, we already know you're tough by the activities you do.
We all need a break sometimes whether it be just rest from everyday life, overtraining in the gym, or for injury. Take some time for yourself and I guarantee you'll come back stronger and heal faster. You don't have to listen to me for advice, you can just simply listen to your body it definitely knows what it wants.

Oh damn Tyrone, don't hurt em'

Get your game up for the afterparty!

So now you've gone to the weigh-ins, pre-fight pressor, and watched every fight from the beginning through the main event. It's time to hit the town in style. While some rick expensive Big face watches and necklaces that resemble something "Rampage" Jackson would wear walking to the cage, I choose to go a little more low key. No need for too much bling just let your swag do the talking. I get laced with dope jewelry at a decent price through one of my favorite people. My homie Alaire Harris owns and operates GeorgeNightengale(link in the link section of the blog). Cool handmade jewelry, check her out.
So you can usually catch me in a not too busy well designed shirt. T-shirt or button down doesn't matter as long as you don't look like you just walked out of the Wizard of Oz. Jeans, not skinny jeans, no offense but i just don't think I look good in someone's little sisters jeans. That doesn't mean go the other way where you can't take a step without having to reach to hold them up.
If you're gonna step out in a budget you can evern throw a black bandana around your wrist or in your back pocket for a cool look. Whatever your style just look good and not like you just got attacked by Tinkerbell riding a fire breathing dragon in Japanese fairy tale land.

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Roadwork; RUN...RUN...RUN

There's no substitute for running. The image on the right could be your best friend if you're doing it effectively or your worst enemy if you're neglecting it. I am always amazed at those people that train for fights that don't run yet complain when the fights over that they "gassed out". Usually going into the fight there is this amazing surge of adrenaline that courses through the blood stream offering you an incredible boost to your energy level. Funny thing about adrenaline and oxygen though, they are not friends. For new fighters going in, this adrenaline surge could really be a problem as it seems to push you to go harder which at the same time burns your oxygen faster. trying to find a balance between the two is paramount when someone is trying to take your head off. You'll get cardio everywhere when training but in my experience nothing beats good old fashioned running.
In my second fight I still didn't have a trainer and hadn't really figured out training yet but I had won my first fight on adrenaline and speed which I thought would get me through every time. I was wrong. I ran into my opponent prior to the fight, I knew him from a previous event and he asked if I had been training, I gave a shit eating grin and replied "a little", thinking this is gonna be a breeze. Before the fight started I noticed that my opponent who once looked a little chubby to me had gotten ripped and looked to be in impressive shape making me a little nervous but again I thought I have some natural ability that he can't match. Ding! The fight starts and I come out swinging immediately threw a punch directly to his stomach with everything I had. He shrugged it off. I moved around and landed a few more strikes that I thought would slow him down but not a chance. I spent the rest of the round taking random punches and kicks and locking him up in a clinch to stop my inevitable beating. When I go to the corner I realize something is wrong, I can't breathe. I say to my friend who I asked to corner me what I should do and he exclaimed "stick and move"... move, yeah right. As the second round started I felt like I was standing in drying concrete. He began to execute his gameplan at will. A variety of punches and kicks had me looking like a pinball. I got stuck in the corner towards the end of the round and took a pounding as the bell rang the ref called the fight. Now in retrospect I could probably have beaten my opponent if I would have known the importance of pounding the pavement for some miles before the fight. If you expect to win, you have to do your roadwork.
My suggestion is that at least 3 to 4 times a week you strap on those running shoes and hit the road. Don't run all long distance, you also need to do sprints to simulate how your lungs are gonna feel when you're fighting. Its great to head outside especially if you have some hills in your area but if you're stuck in the gym jump on the treadmill. This is one of those things that no one can really help you with, this one is all you. If you gas during your fight only one place to look and that's the mirror.

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Hygiene anyone

Let's get right to it, I can't stress enough the importance of being clean when heading in to train and when its all said and done for the day. Its no fun at all to spar or roll jiu jitsu with someone who smells like they've spent the last year in and out of mexican prisons eating bean and cheese burritos the whole time. However, its not the smell that gets to me as much as the thought of the bacteria living in the sweat that's so scary. I'm not interested in getting a staff infection, ringworm, strept or any other nasty bugger running around out there. If you don't want to clean yourself then don't come train its a combat sport yes but not a disgusting sport.
For the love of god don't smoke a pack of cigarettes before you train(shouldn't even have to say this). Nobody wants your hot smokey breath invading their nostrils while in the clinch or working for position on the ground. Come on man...
Last but not least, its not just your breath or your bacteria laced sweat. Your clothes are an accomplice to the crime. Once they mildew... toss em'. You cannot wash that smell out no matter how much you try. I said toss em' but you might as well burn em'.
You don't need to smell like you're going to paint the town red with a couple UFC ring girls but at least wear some clean clothes, eat a mint, and for goodness sakes wash yo' a_ _!

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It carries me

Hey guys, surely you've heard the footprints in the sand poem in which the traveler asks God "Where were your footprints in the sand when I needed you the most?" God replies "I was carrying you". I really believe that you are given strength when you really need it to do what needs to be done to survive. When my chips are down and I am being carried by the forces that be, I use that energy to train. Release my aggressions constructively. Don't get it twisted I have bad days like everyone else, but what you do with your time is what really matters. The one thing myself and my training partners love about what we do is the ability to leave our troubles at the door when we walk in the gym. When it hurts...TRAIN.
Remember that when there are dark clouds overhead, there is always a bright sun shining behind them. You are always shining even when you can't see it. Take your frustrations out at the gym working the bag or conditioning like a maniac. You'll feel better when you're done and maybe even have a clearer idea of how to fix what ails you. There's nothing like going ballistic on a heavy bag when you've reached the end of your rope. So train, train, train, and then train some more. Love ya'll.

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