What's Important?

What you're doing right now.

All of us.

Wherever you are in the world.

And most are not even conscious of it.

BREATHING

What better way to instantly feel good than to take one long, deep conscious breath?

If ONE breath feels that good, imagine 10 in a row or better yet 10 deep breaths daily?

Deep breathing alone can help you lose weight.

Deep breathing coupled with walking can do wonders to elevate your mood.

Deep breathing mixed in with martial arts techniques?

Ah...there you have a recipe for power.

Understanding how to breathe while stretching will see your flexibility soar to new heights.

Taking care of your flexibility first, gives you an edge in every aspect of martial arts.

You'll have more speed.

Explosive Power.

Less Injuries.

You'll slowly increase your threshold for pain while strengthening your mind.

You'll quickly understand how to use self-talk and visualization to reach your desired goals.

In the end you'll be able to relax yourself quickly while possessing a ritual you can perform on your own which helps you feel good in your skin.

Isn't that the point of martial arts?

To feel good and to be pain free?

Start increasing your Flexibility today. Let me show you how.

Master Yourself,

Sibok M

Gimme some Tips

That's the subject line in one of the e-mails I got recently.

My answer back was: "Are you ready to use them?"

That's the problem.

Everyone wants tips but who's ready to implement them?

Do you just read my stuff or do you put it in practice?

If you've been following me, you know you're supposed to be stretching after every workout to help the body process lactic acid and avoid post workout soreness.

You also know about Intense 1 minute workout circuits we're crazy about, where you have to maintain perfect form and give maximum output for the duration of the exercise.

I've also shared with you my own private Neigong Training I follow. Where it's core focus is on un-blocking meridians and strengthening your Chi reservoir.

I've mentioned on many occasions how I disconnect and reach a level of "No Self", relaxed and flowing freely with weapon work.

You already know about the 5-20-10 breathing pattern you should be doing every day for extra energy and lending a helping hand to eliminate toxins from your body.

Cut smoking, sugar, and processed food. Follow this tip alone and you'll add several quality years to your life.

In my earlier posts and tips you might of heard me talk about firewalking and how the experience changes you forever, revealing a power you have inside that's always been there, unlocking your full potential.

I also call upon every man, woman and child to start a martial art program. The constant improvement and invigorating workouts gives you a direction and energy boost like no crappy energy drink ever could.

You've heard me promote the words: "Master Yourself".

To fail to improve yourself and build upon your successes, to purposely stay stuck in your comfort zone is a great tragedy, it kills the mind, body and spirit.

I'm not just talking about this stuff I actually live and breathe it.

Become a master implementor, hell, if you're just okay at it that's fine too. As long as you take some sort of action every day, small steps in the right direction, I'll be proud of you.

Look at yourself honestly in the mirror and stop B-S-ing yourself.

Change what needs to be changed and stick with what's working.

Take the first step on the journey of mastery, it starts with taking responsibility.

Sifu Martin

P.S. Tomorrow I'll talk about the second step to Mastery. Nothing gets done without it.

Important lifestyle changes and choices

I came across a memo being passed around in different levels of government recently and I thought I'd share it with you today.

It's a report from John Hopkins Hospital, a leader in cancer treatment and prevention.

It goes on to explain updates, new studies and alternative treatments to the dreaded chemotherapy, as well as important knowledge we should all be aware of.

Cancer touches us all in some way, either personally, through family or friends.


And will continue on that trend if we don't make some important lifestyle changes and choices.

Because in the end, who has your best health at heart?

You do.

My January post on keeping the body alkaline and our work with KO Recovery Drink falls right in line with the report.

What they found is staggering:

Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.

When a person has cancer it indicates multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.

When a person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumors.

Radiation and Chemotherapy destroys cancer cells but also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.

An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with foods it needs to multiply.

Cancer cells feed on:

Sugar.

By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. The same is true about all sugar substitutes like nutra sweet, equal, spoonful, etc. They're either made with aspartame, sucralose, or high fructose corn syrup to name a few which are all harmful.

Sugar really does drive the world, if you can just control this one poison, you can avoid many health problems down the road. Do you think the world is ready to cut it from their diets?

Just take a look at the popular donut shops in the morning and see what's the verdict. Disgusting.

Next food to avoid:

Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with almonds for example, you're getting your dose of calcium and of protein while starving cancer cells. Milk does a body good? Bull. Here we go again with external authorities trying to tell us what's good for us.

Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, seeds, nuts and good wholesome fruits help put the body in an alkaline environment. Drinking alkaline water also helps balance your bodies ph levels and as you know, is found in KO Recovery Drink, a product we're proud of being the canadian distributors for.

Cancer cells cannot live in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily and deep breathing helps get more oxygen to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means of destroying cancer cells.

It's always better to prevent than to cure that's for sure, this is only a small reprint of John Hopkins' report but you get the picture.

Exercise, Common sense when eating, deep breathing, drinking alkaline inducing water or food.

Cutting out acid builders like sugar, certain foods, and smoking, clearly give you protection against the big "C".

KO Recovery Drink has been engineered to do just that, to go to the root of the problem, to go in cancer's natural habitat and wreck havoc through alkalinity.

KO is sold in all of our schools, if you want to stop by one of them to pick a case up for yourself, find one close to you and a contact number here, or you can order on-line by visiting this link.

Protect and Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

Missing piece of the Fitness Puzzle

Warm weather this weekend gave us a small preview of what's to come.

The spring brings a breath of fresh air, but more important than spring is that actual BREATH of fresh air!

In martial art training your breath really IS your power.

Everything you do in MA relates to your breath.

If you're breathing correctly it can help you stretch your body further during certain exercises.

Holding your breath can help stiffen your body to squeeze out a few extra seconds when holding a strength position.

Exhaling your breath when attempting any dynamic movement like punching, kicking, sprawling, tackling will add great power to your movement.

Concentrating on the vibration of your breath at the end of a class or a workout will get you in a very calm state in no time flat.

Visualizing your breath in movement and feeling it reach every cell of the body, in turn helping activate your lymph system, helping your body eliminate toxins, is very therapeutic.

Understanding breathing patterns will help you increase mental focus and alertness.

Recent studies show that engaging in proper forced breathing alone can help you lose weight.
And the list goes on.

Breathing is so easy and simple, you're doing it right now automatically without thinking about it but just letting your subconscious take care of the breathing for you isn't enough to yield the kind of results you're looking for.

Learning to force the breath in specific ways is an important key to getting faster results in your martial art training, any other physical activity or to simply increase your overall health.

The quickest way to learn how to use breathing is to first start by incorporating it with your stretching routines. Once that is in place everything else will be that much easier to acquire.

I can show you exactly what I mean here.

Master Yourself,

Sifu Martin

P.S. I'll be letting you know shortly how you can get involved in our 30 year anniversary celebrations. It all starts March 28 th.

Don't settle for Artificial Energy

Don't do it! I know it's tempting but don't settle for artificial energy.

It's a fact Energy Drinks actually rob you of energy.

You see them branded about everywhere nowadays.

Nothing about them interest me. Who wants to ingest 200 to 400 mg of caffeine in one drink?
Do you know which other drink boasts those same numbers? Coffee.

I know it must be hard for some of you to drop that habit. But believe me in the long-term you're in for some serious health issues.

Caffeine is the addictive element that makes coffee or energy drinks so appealing - and provides the jolt to smooth the transition from sleep to facing another day at work or school.

Take the worst energy drink out there: Monster

For every 20 oz. of Monster you drink it takes 6.3 gallons of water to flush it out of your kidneys. The average person drinks 6.3 gallons of water in 23 days. For every 20 oz of Red Bull you drink, with no sugar, it takes .9 gallons of water to flush out your kidneys and the average person drinks .9 gallons of water in about 2 days. (as published in a recent GNC article).

Once caffeine enters your bloodstream, it takes about 15 minutes for you to start feeling its effects. Caffeine stimulates the brain in the same way that cocaine and heroin does:

It blocks adenosine reception so you feel alert.
It injects adrenaline into the system to give you a boost.
It manipulates dopamine production to make you feel good.

Energy Drinks don't replenish the body after physical exertion (like sports drinks such as Gatorade).

In fact, because Energy Drinks have so much caffeine - they can actually dehydrate the drinker. That means if you're physically exerting yourself and drink just a Red Bull, the lack of hydration could strain your heart.

And if you combine energy drinks with alcohol, your risk of dehydration rises. There's another trend among teens and college students.

Students whose motor skills, visual reaction times, and judgment are impaired by alcohol may not perceive they are intoxicated as readily when they're also ingesting a stimulant, only the symptoms of drunkenness are reduced - but not the drunkenness. They can't tell if they're drunk; they can't tell if someone else is drunk. So they get hurt, or they hurt someone else.

You don't need to rely on artificial sources of energy.

The formula is quite simple: Short-dynamic-daily exercise, drink water! (3 glasses a day minimum), fruits and vegetables, protein (from nuts and lean meats), & deep breathing exercises.

You might say: "It can't be that simple!"

"Oh yes it can!", it just takes a little bit of discipline. Remember what I've talked about before:

Do you treat your body like a trash can?

Keep ingesting energy drinks and loads of coffee and you'll NEVER find the energy you were looking for in the first place.

Your health first,

Sibok Martin

Begin with a major adrenaline rush

I seem to be stuck on the subject of deep breathing recently. It's just so important. It's the foundation to anything you'll ever do in the martial arts or fitness training in general.

I've covered many different ways to use breathing to your advantage in past e-mails.

This one way is especially important. It's Isometric Breathing.

Breathing this way will forge your character, build true strength, emotional intensity, and mental toughness.

I've done lots of it since the age of 6 and I like to believe it had everything to do with my physical development.

A quick example would be to stand feet shoulder width apart, and clench your fists.

Inhale through the nose twice (short and sharp), then proceed to exhale through the mouth, with your tongue behind your teeth, making a hissing sound as you punch out slowly while resisting your own movement.

Imagine someone trying to stop you from punching or kinda like punching against a spring.
Time the full extension of your punch with the end of your exhale and aim the height and center of your nose.

Inhale twice again, relax, start punching with the other hand. Do this 20 times to start. Remember apply maximum resistance, everything depends on how emotionally involved you get.

Also when exhaling, contract every muscle in your body especially your abdomen.
I'm telling you, you're gonna feel major alertness, intensity, and an adrenaline rush after doing this.

This is one more strategy you can use when you feel a bit sluggish and lazy before starting your strength training. It will definitely set the mood for a great workout. Want to know which workout you can do to yield the best results?

Get them here.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S If you never do what I ask you to do then reading this is worthless. Once you incorporate this simple isometric exercise before your training routine you'll be all set and ready to roll.

Like breathing through a straw?

That last comment on my last e-mail really hit home for me when I originally read about that statistic years ago. I hope it did for you too.

In case you missed it, here it is again: By the time you get to be 70 years old your lungs will have shrunk by 50%?

I say: "Not If I have anything to say about it". I know it is inevitable but I can surely post-pone that from happening that quickly.

Imagine breathing through a straw?

That really motivates me to do my deep breathing exercises. It does seem to be so basic and simple but it's invaluable. You just need to do it.

Apart from the deep breathing pattern I've been talking about, I also recommend you train once a week (for starters) with your mouth piece in.

It forces you to breathe through your nose and not from the mouth. It has the same effect as to strength training with a weight vest on, once you remove it and perform the same exercise it makes it easier to perform that same exercise.

The mouth piece causes that same pressure on your lungs and once you train without it you'll feel an increase in your stamina and the control you have over your breath.

I do cover a lot of variations to increasing stamina and lung capacity as well as changing up the way you train in our intermediate strength training kit.

If you're ready for it pick it up here.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S There are many other ways to increase lung capacity and strength, you can wait as I slowly release them here and there or grab your intermediate strength training kit now and start benefiting from them today.

Are your lungs shrinking?

I'm getting interesting questions from some of you. Although my schedule doesn't allow me to respond to all the e-mails I get, you can try your luck and I might cover it in one of my daily tips.

You should not do your deep breathing before going to bed. Unless, you want to pull an all-nighter. You'll just have too much energy and won't be able to go to sleep.

I usually perform the deep breathing pattern when I wake up in the morning. It just gives me the energy I need to get my engine running.

I also do my deep breathing at other low points in the day. For some it might be right after lunch or when driving back from work.

As you probably know I used to commute to Montreal 3 times a week for 8 years until I dropped it to 2 times a week. For me to go and come back, door to door, with traffic it takes me about 3 1/2 hours.

As soon as I feel a bit drowsy I get to it immediately. 5 seconds inhale, 20 seconds hold, 10 seconds exhale. It works for me 90 % of the time. The other 10 % I need to stop on the side of the road.

Since I usually drive back at night I can allow myself to do things without no one seeing me. Things like sprints, shadow punching, rowing squats, isometric exercises, and car lifts.

You might be wondering about that last one, I'll explain that some other time. If you ever see a guy on the side of the road doing the above that's probably me.

Deep breathing helps with digestion, circulation, energy, fat loss, focus, eliminating toxins in the body, and increasing lung capacity.

Did you know that by the time you get to be 70 years old your lungs will have shrunk by 50%?

That should motivate you to get trainin' now!

Here's the link to get started here.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S Sometimes you just need a bit of creativity and variety in your strength training program to keep you motivated. That's exactly what our strength training kits provide.

How did the breathing go?

Wow! I'm getting a lot of positive feedback from my tip on deep breathing on Monday. I asked you to try this breathing pattern 10 times in a row, a day.

Today's Thursday how are you feeling? Most specifically how do you feel after having done the breathing pattern? Pretty darn good right.

Make sure that when you inhale you do so slowly and gradually, stretching the breath as long as possible, in this case 5 seconds. If you can't do this, do 3 seconds or 2.

If you can't inhale long and deep for 5 seconds you seriously need to start practicing more.
Also, when inhaling, expand your belly fully, this way you enjoy the full benefits of deep abdominal breathing just like a little baby would.

When holding your breath for 20 seconds visualize a domino effect, kinda like that scene in the movie V for Vendetta, seeing how one domino creates a wave of movement affecting one then the other.

You see and feel the oxygen start from the abdomen move up your chest to the top of your head and out through your arms. While other dominoes run down your legs all the way to the soles of your feet.

Last, when exhaling push out the air slowly through pursed lips and squeeze your abdomen to push all the residual air out. Think of the air as water being squeezed out of a sponge. Stretch the exhale for 10 seconds.

With training you can bring those numbers up to 20-60-20 and beyond.

When you understand how to breathe you can easily merge that ability to increase your stretching ability.

When you're ready you can find our flexibility course right here.

Master Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S Let me know how you're doing and feeling with the breathing exercise. You might be dizzy at first since your body is not accustomed to receiving such large doses of oxygen. Don't worry your body will come to crave it.

Get energized on Monday

What you do on Mondays and the health related choices you make today sets the stage for the rest of the week.

If you skip breakfast, load up on coffee and donuts and fail to get a strength training routine in, it probably means the rest of the week won't be much different.

As you know, we are creatures of habits. You just need to decide which ones you keep and which ones you discard.

Muscle Flexing should be part of your daily habits as well as deep breathing. Use the 5-20-10 rule. Inhale during 5 seconds, hold your breath for 20 seconds and exhale completely during 10 seconds.

Just incorporating this simple breathing exercise will leave you feeling awake and re-charged. I suggest doing this 10 times in a row daily. You'll automatically feel centered and focused.

It's easy, it requires no special skill and nobody knows you're doing it. If you can't follow the count at first that's fine just work up to that for starters.

Consider that your first basic test.

Once you can breathe this way you're ready to start strength training the way we show in our kits.

Get yours right here.

Energize Yourself,

Sibok Martin

P.S Implement on Monday the good habits of strength training, breathing and stretching and before you know it you'll be feeling the positive results of leading a healthy lifestyle.