The majority of people are creatures of habit. They find one workout and they stick to it (to their detriment). If I told you, the reader, to do cardio today, what would you do? Most people just run…and run…and then, just run some more. Are you one of those people? Are you bored with just running to improve your cardio? If you are, then this article is for you. In the following paragraphs I will give you some cardiovascular alternatives to running, and for each alternative mentioned there will also be at least one sample exercise.

As I said earlier, in my experience I have noticed that most people find one exercise that they are comfortable with and stick to it. They become extremely (and unreasonably) faithful to this exercise as if it was a monogamous relationship and not just an exercise. And when asked to do a different exercise they become anxious or reluctant. Many people have a strong aversion to doing anything that is not their normal cardio routine. When doing cardio, you should mix it up as often as possible (cross train) to avoid boredom and to activate different muscle groups. Plus, it’s a lot of fun to experiment and change things up. So enjoy the following suggestions and be open- minded.

Jumping rope is a great alternative to running. Some believe that jumping rope gives more cardio/heart benefits than running, and that it’s much more intense. Also, jumping rope gives your entire body benefits that you cannot duplicate with running; for example, it gives your calves a great workout. A lot of jump rope routines come from a sport that is as ancient as running itself- boxing. And if jumping rope works for elite boxers competing at the highest levels such as Muhammad Ali, Floyd Mayweather, and Oscar Delahoya; then jumping rope will work for you. If jumping rope is new to you, start out by doing four 5 minute rounds for a total of twenty minutes.

Cycling is another great cardio alternative to running. Also, cycling puts a lot less stress and impact on your knees. You can do your bike riding on a stationary bike at the gym; or if you’re feeling adventurous you can take it outdoors and hit some trails with a mountain bike. The following cycling exercise is specifically for a stationary gym bike-start pedaling and set the bike to the “hill” program for 24 minutes (pick whatever level intensity that suits your current physical fitness level).

Swimming is yet another great cardio workout that works out your entire body as well as your heart. It is also low impact on your knees for those of you that get aches from running. Find a pool or hit the ocean if you’re feeling adventurous. Remember you can make the world your gym if you like. I like to do laps in the pool where I do five minutes at the fastest pace I can go, then 5 minutes nice and slow. I alternate like this for a half an hour.

Sports are another option. Playing basketball, soccer or tennis can provide great cardio benefits as well as helping you develop agility and speed. And an added benefit to these kinds of cardio workouts is that you are playing a game and having fun at the same time.

Throwing on a pair of gloves and punching and kicking the heavy-bag can be one of the most intense workouts you will ever experience (shadowboxing too).

To sum it all up, most people just run for cardio and the majority of people drop their exercise routines because of boredom. Add some variety and spice to your cardio by mixing it up. Swim one day, jump rope the next, ride bike the following day, play sports on the weekend, and hit the bags whenever you can; and lastly don’t forget to make the world your gym!

by: Kevin Perez

If you ask ten people at FFA why they train in MMA, you will probably get ten different answers i.e. weight loss, self defense, competition, etc. Why do I train? Well, let me start from the beginning.
Ever since I can remember I’ve been fascinated by the martial arts and combat sports in general. As a young child I spent my Saturdays watching pro wrestling and Kung Fu movies. Later, the ninja explosion of the ’80’s permeated every form of entertainment I enjoyed; comics, film, and television. I bought every martial arts magazine I could find and constantly nagged my mother for Karate lessons. Finally, on my 15th birthday I began Tae Kwon Do classes. I studied Tae Kwon do for about nine years and achieved a second degree black belt.
I enjoyed my TKD training but felt it was just a piece of a larger puzzle. On November 12, 1993 the rest of the puzzle became clearer. This was the date of the first Ultimate Fighting Championship. This event was a dream come true; a no holds barred competition featuring various martial arts pitted against each other. Ever since watching those old Kung Fu movies as a kid I always wondered who would win if a wrestler fought a boxer or if a karateka faced off against a judoka. Well here it was, and it was real! Who prevailed in that inaugural ultimate brawl? A lean and unassuming jui-jitsu practitioner who barely threw a strike and was outweighed by all his opponents; Royce Gracie. Before the UFC, I had read about the Gracie challenge in Black Belt magazine, which claimed that the Gracie family was undefeated in no holds barred fights and that they could beat anyone with their form of self defense; they had even challenged Mike Tyson. Now I saw first hand that they could back up their talk and that grappling was the missing element that completed the martial arts puzzle.
Over the years I consumed everything NHB related I could. Along with the UFC this included the World Combat Championship, Battlecade, Shooto, Pancrase, K-1, Universal Vale Tudo, you name it. All the while I wished there was some place where I could learn the hybrid style of fighting showcased in these events.
That day came on February 14, 2002. That was the day I first stepped foot inside the Freestyle Fighting Academy. There were only about a dozen students back then and the academy was just a room with some mats. The instructors were a couple of kids barely in their 20s. I figured I’d pick up a few techniques and move on. Well, I’ve been here ever since and I have no plans to “move on”. Not only did I find a school where I could learn the techniques I had been seeking, but through my training at FFA, I have also had the opportunity to compete in MMA, boxing, and kickboxing. In addition to being a student and competitor, I have also had the honor of becoming an FFA instructor, allowing me to share the knowledge and experience I have accumulated through the years to help guide as many of you toward your goals as possible.
So why do I train? To get in shape, for self defense, to compete? Yeah, those are all good reasons, but there’s one other reason…for the love. I train for the love.

By: John Mangual

I would like to express just a little bit how martial arts has worked in my life and how it has shaped my foundation and the core of my very soul. I could have done many other things in my life, for example, stay in the Marines and make a career in the military. I could have also done law enforcement, but my calling has always been to teach and train martial arts.
From all of my experiences, jiu-jitsu has been the art which has moved me the most and has made me look within myself with deeper thought. Throughout my 15 years of training jiu-jitsu, I have learned to think in three dimensions. A lot of people see and perceive in a flat jigsaw-puzzle manner. Jiu-jitsu in itself is a multi-dimensional art and it makes the practitioner build the senses and perception that others don’t have. You can tell what kind of person or character he/she is by how they express themselves through grappling.
Through jiu-jitsu I have learned to assimilate and to develop. Most importantly, I have learned to protect what is dear to me in martial arts. Our goal as martial artists should be to achieve our visions and reach our self actualization.

By: Efrain Ruiz

Every black belt martial artist started out just like the rest of us, an eager student hungry to learn more technique and get better. Class is a great place to learn that technique; but for those of us who want to learn more and at a faster pace, sometimes class alone is just not enough. If you are that sponge-like student who wants to constantly learn and advance quicker, then keep reading. Aside from the hour you spend in class, there are many other resources available for learning technique (especially with the advent of the internet). The purpose of this article is to point you in the right direction on your quest to learn more technique.

The most inexpensive and convenient resource for learning new techniques is the internet. Nowadays you can go online and spend countless hours watching technique being demonstrated on various websites. Youtube literally has thousands of videos teaching virtually any move you can think of. Just log on to youtube.com and type in what you’re interested in seeing and hundreds of videos will come up in your search results. Other good websites are dailymotion.com, submissions101.com, and lockflow.com.

Another good resource for acquiring new techniques is books. If you like to read and prefer learning at your own pace with books then buying a book is a good choice. Any major bookstore such as Barnes and Nobles has a martial arts section within the general sports section. There are usually specific books on wrestling, jiu-jitsu, and kickboxing. There are also books that cover all three disciplines in one book. Some students like to buy a book and bring it with them to open mat. Then they open the book up to a certain technique, read through it, and practice the technique with a partner at open mat (usually with the book right next to them on the mat).

Private lessons and mentorship programs are probably the best ways to learn more technique and improve the learning curve. Although pricier than the previous two options, it is definitely worth it. With a private lesson you have a highly experienced coach working with you one-on-one. In a private lesson the instructor teaches you new techniques and focuses exclusively on you. Mentorship programs are extended private lesson packages where your instructor takes you under his wing, like a mentor, and works with you for an extended period of time. If you can afford these options and are interested ask the staff at the gym.

Purchasing videos is another option if you want to learn more technique. Almost any advanced martial artist owns at least one DVD or video series on technique. There is a huge market selling DVD instructional videos on the internet. For those of you that don’t like to read or surf the internet, this option is for you. Each instructional video usually focuses on one aspect of grappling or martial arts. For example, FFA’s head instructor, Marcos Avellan, is soon to release his own DVD instructional that focuses on passing guard.

To sum it all up, there are many places you can go to improve your learning curve outside of your class. The internet, books, private lessons, and instructional videos are just some of the many resources available for learning more technique. Good luck on your quest to learn as much as possible.

As a result of the open house meeting last week, we have added more classes and made a slight schedule change! Using the extra room we just added, we have added a couple of extra classes, like the new “Executive Class” (for students over age 40) and a new weapons class during a much better time slot! We also pushed the 6:15pm to 6:00pm, 7:30pm to 7:15pm, and 8:40pm to 8:30pm.

We have also shuffled the instructors around! We did this to give everyone a chance to work with a new instructor and also for our instructors to be able to meet everyone. At 6AM, we have brought in FFA Brown Belt superstar and Thailand veteran Coach Chevenne Moreno – by popular demand, he is now teaching CAP classes in the mornings. I am also teaching a new COLOR BELT only class for everyone that is blue belt and above, four days a week, in the evening – along with the pro-fighters. If you are a color belt, come and train with us!

There is one typo though that I just noticed, that at 12:30am, Monday-Thursday, the instructor is Coach Denis Hernandez, who is now back from Thailand with some amazing kickboxing techniques!

To see the new schedule, go to

www.BestFreeTrial.com/CAPschedule.pdf

THE NEW SCHEDULE BEGINS ON MONDAY, APRIL 13. All the new classes will start then as well.

Attention all FFA CAP students and Women’s Bootcamp, we have a special event planned for Saturday, April 11! It’s Coach Marcos and this event is only for the CAP Students and Women’s Bootcamp… we are having a Beach Workout and Get-Together at Crandon Park on Saturday, April 11 at 10AM! For those of you that don’t know, Crandon Park is right on the beach. The idea came from when I was in Thailand and we did a beach workout. Here is a video of what we are trying to duplicate down here:

We rented out a shelter, so after our workout we can swim in the beach, chill out, and have some food with a barbecue right by the beach in the beautiful Crandon Park! All the CAP members and their families are invited! There is no charge, but any contribution of food or drinks would be very appreciated. This event is going to be posted on FFAspace.com under the “Events” tab… on there, please leave a comment of what you plan on bringing so that we don’t have the same item brought 80 times over You should see it on FFAspace by Tuesday.

It’s very easy to get to the park, you can mapquest.com the directions, here is the address: 4000 Crandon Boulevard, Key Biscayne, Florida 33149We are at Shelter #7 which is right by the “North Beach” entrance. We are meeting at 10AM SHARP and staying to about 3 or 4pm. There is a $5 parking fee. If you have any questions, feel free to ask any of the staff at FFA for more details or email info@FFAgyms.com. Thanks everyone! And to the rest of you who aren’t in the CAP yet, we’ll be planning some events for you as well. Stay tuned!

For the next two months, are goal is to create 20 new referral sign-ups (just 10 a month) – and we are going to make it fun! From now on, whenever you recommend a friend to our and program and he/she signs up, you will get a free spin of our new raffle wheel! The wheel has all sorts of prizes, some worth up to $200! The wheel will be brought out onto the mat during class – you won’t be able to miss it It is hilarious but in great fun. So if you recommend any friends, MAKE SURE THEY MENTION your name at the sign up.

WHAT ABOUT THE $1,000??? Here is when it gets really good… for every person you refer to FFA and/or Bootcamp that joins up, you will get your name dropped into a jar… so the more people you refer, the more times we drop your name into the jar… and on June 6, we are going to do a party at the gym and pull the name from the jar… whoever’s name gets picked will win $1,000 CASH! We are going to be doing this contest every two months from now – so enjoy!

This raffle contest starts TODAY! And that is NO April fools joke either!