MMA Stuff » Health

Ringworm – The Real Enemy

Jimmy — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 18:12:17 +0000

I’ve been training for well over 4 years now and two weeks ago I finally caught the ‘ole Ringworm. It could be attributed to more focus on my BJJ but I have no idea if it was from someone or the mats. It isn’t as bad as staph infections but it’s extremely annoying. I wanted to share some information ringworm.

What You Need to Know About Ringworms

Ringworm is a type of fungal infection which affects the surface of a person’s skin. The name was coined from the earlier belief that the infection was caused by a worm, which is absolutely not true. Nonetheless, the name stuck and since then, this kind of skin infection was called ringworm. Its medical name, tinea, is a Latin name for “growing worms”. Typically, medical professionals would add a second word next to tinea to help signify where the infection is located. For instance, Tinea capitis would mean ringworm on the scalp; Tinea pedis would mean ringworm on the feet; and so on and so forth.

Who gets infected with ringworm?

Ringworm can infect any person of any age, although it is most typical among children. It must be noted that this skin infection is contagious. It could be passed from one person to the next if they come into contact with an infected area of the skin. For example, one can get infected by borrowing brushes, combs, clothing and other personal care items from another person carrying the disease, which is why, there are people who get infected by ringworm after coming into contact with someone from shared locker rooms, gyms, and public swimming pools. Needless to say, ringworm can also infect dogs and cats which may then transmit it to people who come into contact with them. When a person gets afflicted with ringworm, he or she may have it at different skin areas of his or her body.

How does ringworm typically look like?

The most common type of ringworm is the one on the body, mostly found in the groin, the feet, nails, even arms, chest area and abdomen. Rarely does it affect the face of a person. But it does appear on the scalp and can cause hair fall or baldness if not immediately treated. When this happens, the person will have little patches of baldness, sized 1-3 inches in diameter. This usually occurs before puberty but it can appear at any age too, and can spread very easily by sharing combs, hats, pins, hair ribbons, even pillows and other hair care accessories. When a person gets inflicted on the other skin areas mentioned, he will first notice a tiny red spot which then grows in a globular or rounded fashion. As it does, the center gets cleared, while getting bigger and bigger. Scratching should be avoided at all times. If the disease is severe, more lesions can appear on the skin and can cause bacterial infection. Call a doctor right away if the following signs are evident: warm skin, swelling, redder patches, red streaks, fever, drainage and pus.

What is a quick remedy for Ringworms?

Some compounds and creams containing miconazole or clotrimazole are known to treat ringworms like Lotrimin, Tinactin and the likes. For people who are treated with these medicines, they can prove to be non-contagious and can even do their usual activities while undergoing treatment. Treatment usually lasts for four weeks. But if not done well, could keep recurring. Be sure to see a specialist and take antibiotics if the condition persists.

How can ringworms be avoided?

By practicing proper hygiene, ringworms can be easily avoided. Make sure you are always dry and clean; don’t borrow or let anyone else borrow your gym items or personal care items; regularly shampoo your hair most especially if you’ve just had a haircut; If not crucial, avoid wearing clothes that are tight-fitting; if one in your family is infected, wash all their clothes and sheets to prevent further contamination; and do not touch animals or even humans, with bald spots.

CLEAN YOUR GI, WASH YOUR GLOVES AND GEAR OFTEN.

Ringworms could be such a hassle in life. It’s best to stay clear out of it by practicing good health care and proper hygiene. But should the unexpected happen, treat it immediately or call your doctor for help.

The Rotater Review

Jimmy — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:41:52 +0000

Background
When I first saw The Rotater I was instantly interested. The Rotater is a simple tool that helps with shoulder flexibility and increase your range of motion. This great tool was invented by Scott Kay, a mechanic. Scott wanted an easy physical therapy tool to help him recover from a messy Motocross accident that destroyed his shoulder. So, The Rotater was born.

Benefits For MMA Training
Personally after a hard training session, the next day my shoulders are extremely sore. Just think about everything our shoulders have to endure, submissions that isolate the shoulders, grabbing, pulling, throwing, and punching. Shoulder flexibility is important when it comes to Jiu Jitsu. The extra bit of flexibility may give you that extra split second to escape that Americana. One of my favorite things about this great tool is it’s small and you can use it anywhere.

Application of The Rotater
So when do you actually use The Rotater? Before you train, after you train? While you’re eating cereal? Well I reached out to Kira aka The Fight Geek who is a Muay Thai expert. He’s been using The Rotater for quite a while now and shared his experience with The Rotater with Muay Thai fighters. Kira states

In Thailand the dudes train two, three hour sessions a day, six days a week … my friends over there found it particularly useful to use after the first session … it made the second session for the day noticeably easier.

Unfortunately I didn’t have The Rotater available during my fight training, when I was doing two-a-days but I’m glad I have it now. Kira has found a great way to use The Rotater after many trials.

Anyway, after screwing around with it for a while we basically use it in the following way …

1. Passive stretch and hold all the main positions.
2. Stretch, hold and then add joint rotation (once again do this from all the main positions).
3. Stretch, hold and then add spinal twist (try with all the main positions).

These movements not only loosen up the shoulder, they give you an ‘early warning sign’ for potential problems BEFORE they happen.

I would suggest you invest in The Rotater. Big thanks to Chris (Scott’s business partner) for letting me try out The Rotater.

Follow Kira (TheFightGeek) on Twitter
Check Out Kira’s Training Blog
Follow The Rotater
Purchase The Rotater

Manumission Fightceuticals Review

Jimmy — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 18:16:12 +0000

Everyday we use all kinds of product to keep ourselves to hygienic standards. Face wash, body wash, face moisturizer, and shaving gel (for the d00dz). One of the things about Manumission Fightceuticals that separate them from their competitors is their complete solution that they offer. Here is an excerpt from their website about their products.

We decided it’s time somebody recognizes the sacrifices you make day after day. That’s why we engineered the first comprehensive line of personal care products specifically for you. We started by combining natural ingredients. Then we added vitamins, nutrients and anti-oxidants to give the body’s first layer of defense every advantage possible. Once we had the formulas just right, we battle-tested them to make sure all Manumission products are tough enough to do their job when it matters most.

Manumission provides the following products

Body Wash
Body Bar
Face Wash
Shave Gel
Facial Moisturizer

For some reason I really liked the Shave Gel. It provided a smoother shave than a lot of the commercial products. Although I’m very upset that the TSA took my shaving gel when I was flying last week – so I want to thank terrorists for that. All of their products have a great scent and fortifies your skin with essential vitamins.

I cannot stress enough the importance of hygiene when it comes to MMA training. Just think about all of the contact our skin takes on a daily basis training alone. Rolling on mats, the equipment we use and the constant contact we’re having with other individuals.

I recommend purchasing the Manumission Starter Kit. Also follow @Manumission on Twitter.

“Ghetto” Weight Cutting

Jimmy — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:12:53 +0000

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This is a guest post from a buddy Courtney.

Thursday 14th May 2009, week and 3 days before my Grappling match. I get to Leicester Shootfighters and step on the scales ARRRRGGGHHHH I weigh 79kg!! I have to be 75kg or under by the 23rd May 2009.

Let me just say that I’m not a Pro Fighter or Grappler and what I did to cut weight was far from anything professional. You’re probably thinking, “ I could make that easy, it’s nothing” for someone that eats what they like all day everyday it’s HARD. That’s why I’ll call it the Ghetto weight cut!!

About 2 weeks before the comp I started to drink lots of water. Lol you’re probably thinking 6-8 pints a day….like I said this is a Ghetto cut so I probably drank around 2-3 litres a day. This was to get my body used to pissing out the water. It was hard to drink the water because I don’t usually drink that much. The toilet was a regular place to visit. I also started to cut down on the carbs as this is supposed to help as well.

It gets to Thursday and I hit Leicester Shootfighters for the Grappling class. It’s a 2-hour session with the first hour going over techniques and the second hour is more rolling. First thing I did was to step onto the scales to see how much weight I had lost. Gained weight was the term to be used. 79kg ouch! So I did the session and made sure I worked up a good sweat. A few members of the TUF UK team came down and I got to roll with Nick Osipczak.

On the Monday I decided to do something about the weight. Carbs were right down (No bread, pasta, etc) I love my toast in the morning but had to miss it for a whole week. It was hard at work also because I usually have a sandwich for lunch and other junk. Monday evening I got home and decided to go for a run. Not your usual run though. As I didn’t have sweat suit I had to think of something…what could replace a sweat suit??? A bin liner!!! I got bin liner and cut out holes for my head and arms, put a t-shirt over the bin liner, a sweatshirt and 2 hooded tops and a hat. I ran 1.5 miles (yeah I know its not far) with all of this on. When I got home my chest was very tight (due to Asthma) but it felt good. For the next 2 nights I did the exact same. The water would be dripping off me when I took my clothes off and I could start to see a difference.

Tuesday was a cheat day because my cousin from Canada had come over and she wanted to go to London. I knew I would eat some junk whilst I was there…A nice handmade burger and curly fries. I know I shouldn’t have but I didn’t want to be the only person not eating. Got back from London at about 10pm. I donned the homemade sweat suit and proceeded with the ghetto run.

Wednesday I weigh myself at a Service Station fully clothed the scales said 78.2kg. Still not happy. Again I donned the suit and ran like mo fo. I took an extra step and broke out the Laxatives.

Thursday night again and I went to train. Our Coach was going over the last few details and what people should be working toward. Light rolling was the name of the game. Training, not trying to kill each other. No suit or laxative tonight.

Friday I cut water and fluids out to almost to nothing. I didn’t eat much either. I was very hungry and my lips were as dry as sand paper. Friday evening I didn’t don the suit but I went for the run and ate a laxative.

Saturday morning (Competition day) I feel o.k after a few visits to the toilet. I eat a little before I leave to pick up my teammates. We get to the venue early (so that we can weigh in early). The moment of truth….. I take my shoes and my t-shirt off (strangely I left my tracksuit bottom on) and cautiously stepped on the scales. 75kg on the dot!! Woo hooo I had made it. The relief was amazing. All the hard work (albeit half heartedly) had paid off.

Anyway I came 3rd in the under 75kg weight class. Which is o.k for a guy that trains once a week ;-P. to see the videos of my matches (or any of my other matches) head on over to www.youtube.com/chokewho.

About The Author
Courtney Rawle is an grappler who trains at Leicester Shootfighters
Watch Courtney’s Grappling Matches on YouTube
Follow Courtney on Twitter

Knockouts: Anatomy & More

Jimmy — Sun, 31 May 2009 16:55:57 +0000

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I was sparring with someone from my gym who was a lot bigger than me. A guy who was 6 inches taller than me, and 50 pounds heavier. We weren’t sparring all that hard, we were exchanging punches back and forth, dancing around the mat. All of a sudden, I remember slipping inside for a jab and then getting rocked. I vaguely remember what happened next, my feet gave out and I just saw the mat racing closer to my face as I fell. I knew I was hurt, I tried getting up then sort of blacked out and fell down again. This was the first time I was close to being knocked out. I guess it was a flash knock out? I’m not sure.

The video above does a great job explaining what happens during a knockout and the kinetics of a punch. I felt that it was great video to share to those who may be knocked out or may be doing the KO’ing.

Post Knockout Care

I would suggest getting checked out after any type of knock out. There is a very good chance of suffering from a concussion or some sort of head trauma. Concussions are caused by blunt force trauma to the head. Blunt force referring to someone punching or kicking you in the head really hard, right?

Concussion Symptoms

Nausea or vomiting
Loss of consciousness
Confusion
Headache
Blurry Vision
Loss of short term memory

I would suggest seeking medical attention if you have any of these symptoms especially if you lose consciousness.

Boxing Glove Cleaning

Jimmy — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 20:35:44 +0000

A lot of people have their own little methodology of cleaning their gloves. I haven’t done any scientific research to prove that their methods work or not, but they all make sense.

Method 1: Put your gloves in a huge ziplock bag and freeze them. This will kill any germs but won’t make your gloves smell better. If you live in a house that barely has any freezer room this method isn’t for you. Although, if you live in Alaska, you can put your gloves outside.

Method 2: Spraying Lysol instead your glove. It’s simple, it’ll kill the germs and it’ll smell nice. Although you may want to use this in moderation because there are some harsh chemicals in Lysol.

Method 3: Just airing your equipment out. Throw them in your backyard or deck.

Method 4: No B.O – it’s an equipment deodorizer in a spray bottle

So I’ll leave it up to you to what method you want to use. Try not to leave anything in your gym bag, like your gloves because germs will just grow all over the place.

Athletic Body Care Products

Jimmy — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 18:58:53 +0000

Since I’m running a hygiene series, I figured it would be great to talk about some products that will really help you out in the hygiene department. The folks from Athletic Body Care have a great line of products that can defend you from nasty infections. “Prevention Before Infection” is their motto, and their products do just that, prevent you from getting infected from fungus or germs.

ABC Foaming Skin Sanitizer

Most people use them hand sanitizers that use harsh chemicals and alcohol that really dries out your skin. Athletic Body Care has the answer by creating their own sanitizer that is alcohol free, and more effective as you use it. It can be applied to almost anywhere. Personally I’ve thrown this bad boy right right in my MMA gym bag. Instead of using baby wipes that are meant for babies, I can use this product BEFORE and AFTER my workout. You just rub some in, in the specific area, and bam that’s it. No need to rinse and wash.

ABC Clean Power Wash

This wash has 4 functions, washing away dirt, sweat, bacteria, and makes you smell nice. It also keeps your skin nice and moisturized, I’ve noticed a lot of regular soaps and body washes cause your skin to dry out, this does the exact opposite. The soap also is made from mostly natural extracts. The one thing I would suggest buying is a mesh shower sponge when using it so you don’t use it all quickly. Also there are little beads in the soap, be careful you don’t get any of them in your eye.

ABC Daily Defense Lotion

This is a product I’ve been waiting for a lotion that doesn’t feel completely greasy and will help aid with some of my damaged skin. From training, I get little scratches or dings in my skin, which are dealt with by the lotion. It will also protect the skin from bacteria. I use it in the morning and after I shower at night.

Conclusion

These three products are the ones I’ve personally use, and fully endorse. I feel that, yes I could spend a bit less and get regular cleaning products that will dry out my skin and be geared towards regular people. Lets be real here though, us that train in MMA are exposed to a lot of bacteria and germs from mats, our equipment, and our sparring partners. It only makes sense to use product designed for US.

You can check out Athletic Body Care Products at their website. They offer free demos and you can buy their product off of Amazon. The cost is about $10-15. To save money, I do use regular body wash on days I don’t train, and when I do train I use the gym soap, but that’s just me. Also, I contacted the company via email, and they contacted me back really quick, which I want to give kudos for.

USE ATHLETIC BODY CARE PRODUCTS

Hygiene Series

Jimmy — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 23:12:48 +0000

There have been several posts on MMA Stuff regarding cleanliness and hygiene. Hygiene is as important as the countless hours you spend sparring, the miles you run, and the diet you upkeep. With the constant contact you have with others and the gym equipment you maybe using, you are at risk for staph infections and other bacteria that can cause many problems.

In the next few posts, I’ll do reviews on some products that will help you fight these harmful bacteria that can affect your training. While you’re waiting, check out these previously written articles.

Washing Hand Wraps
Staph Infections
Importance of Cleanliness

Fat Lip Remedies and Dating

Jimmy — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:14:33 +0000

It seems like in the past two weeks I’ve been getting more busted lips then I’ve ever gotten training. Getting a nice elbow to the face will cut you up real quick. The other day I got elbowed in the mouth and it cut the left side of my lip wide open. So it started to swell of course and since I lack the common sense it got really fat.

What To Do?

Ice it as soon as you can, I don’t know why I didn’t ice my lip but I paid dividends the next morning. It would make sense to put neosporin on it but there is a warning that tells you not to swallow it, so that’s out of the question. I also want to make a note that I had a major cut inside of my lip.

I was reading an article and it said to use honey. Apparently honey has been used to treat cuts forever now, don’t ask me to explain how because I don’t know but it works. So before bed every night, I would just put a little bit of honey on my lips (both on the outside and inside). The inside of of your lip heals way after than the outside of your lip.

If you have blistex or any medicated chapstick, it will speed up the healing. Stay away from salty and spicey foods. You probably shouldn’t plan any dates if you have a fat lip, so if you already have a date, reschedule. Just tell the person “I got a really hurt training for my upcoming cage fight.” It’ll sound really badass and impress your prospect.

Importance of L-Glutamine

Jimmy — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 20:21:45 +0000

As mixed martial artists we run into a rut when it comes to strength training. L-Glutamine can act as an agent that prevents your body from eating your muscles. What activity can eat away at muscle? Heavy Cardio? Jiu Jitsu? Sparring? L-Glutamine is used for many things outside of athletics, but we’re only interested in the relevant benefits.

Benefits

Faster recovery time because of cell volume maintenance and hydration
Anti-catabolic agent (mentioned above)
Increases growth hormones
Aids your immune system – can’t train if you’re sick right?

The best part is there are no known side effects. Pick up L-Glutamine from any place that sells supplements. I bought L-Glutamine from GNC and take 2 pills before my workout and 2 pills after.