The latest news from Pro-X Sports

May 2008

Weighted Vest The Maxivest is the ideal weighted vest product for fat loss and muscle training. It is fully padded for comfort on the shoulders and body where the removable weights are located. The Perfect product for • BURNING FAT! • BUILDING MUSCLE! • INCREASING STRENGTH! • MAXIMIZING ENDURANCE! The maxivest comes fully equipped with removable weights you can take out to alter the resistance of the vest. It is a one size fit all product, eradicating the problem of size variation. It has a short-body design and does not ride on stomach which may cause discomfort and irritation. Also, the maxivest is open sided providing a cooling effect and non-chafing with webbing pockets for maximum durability, it will not stretch or sag!!! The MAXIVEST can help you lose WEIGHT safely and efficiently. The MAXIVEST ENHANCES your current fitness program by concurrently strengthening core muscles, improving spinal bone density, and maximizing your workout with the added weight. Other documented benefits include strengthening core muscles and improving spinal bone density. Lack of physical activity, especially amongst women has caused a huge rise in the number of individuals suffering from osteoporosis which is a vast problem in the US and UK. In numerous research studies, where a weight vest was used, significant data has been produced to indicate that the weight vest improved spinal bone density. The weight that is added to the body is supported by the skeletal system and muscular structure and is distributed over a large area of the body and is also safe for a person’s joints This is great news for all those people in the US and UK suffering from osteoporosis. The maxivest is the answer!! When Can I Use The MAXIVEST • Walking • Running / Jogging • Daily Activities • Aerobics • Weight / Apparatus Training • Yoga • Enhance Your Current Exercise Routine How the MAXIVest Weight Vest Works: An individual’s body is acclimatised to one’s weight and it burns calories based on weight, exercise duration and intensity. When weight is added to the body, more strain is applied to the muscles and more energy is required to support the functioning of moving the added load; ultimately this leads to more calories being burned to support muscle action making any workout more effective. A weighted vest will intensify any activity or exercise, thus increasing the metabolic rate. The Weighted Vest allows you to add weight to your core in one-pound increments, slowly increasing the intensity as the body acclimatises to this form of resistance training. By adding weight to your body you are increasing gravity making it more difficult to move. By making even basic movements or motions more difficult your body requires more muscle fibres to be called into action thus requiring more calories to be burned to support the muscle actions. . By Paul Davis

MMANews.com Interview With EliteXC Star Kimbo Slice This is Chris Howie with MMANews.com and today I am speaking with the man who will face James Thompson on May 31st on CBS, Kimbo Slice. How are things Kimbo? Kimbo Slice: Things are going good Chris. MMANews.com: So you have a big fight coming up May 31st. What are your thoughts on that? Kimbo Slice: May 31st? What do you want to know buddy? MMANews.com: First and foremost how does it feel to be in the main event of the first MMA card ever on Network Television? Kimbo Slice: I was born to do what I am doing and I am looking forward to this fight. I train hard. I make dedications and sacrifices and commitments because this is something I love to do Chris. MMANews.com: What are your thoughts on your opponent that night, James Thompson? Kimbo Slice: I never under estimate any of my opponents. James Thompson is a well rounded fighter. He has great ground work and he is not afraid to stand and bang. He has the ability to knock out his opponent and I’m prepared for that. If it goes to the ground I have a lot of tools that I’m dying to use so I’m also looking forward to a good ground game. MMANews.com: How has your training been going for the fight? Kimbo Slice: Training has been going great man. I can’t complain. MMANews.com: You mentioned that you have some ground tools that you are dying to use. Are you training your ground techniques often? Kimbo Slice: Yeah for sure. MMANews.com: When it comes to your training what do you tend to focus on more? Kimbo Slice: Well without giving away to much, I have well rounded training sessions and it is balanced out. MMANews.com: Besides Bas Rutten who else has been helping you prepare for this fight? Kimbo Slice: Bas Rutten and Randy Khatami. They are the only two guys I train with and I have been training with them since the beginning of my career and I wouldn’t change them for anything. Those are my guys. MMANews.com: How helpful have they been in your development as an MMA fighter? Kimbo Slice: I probably wouldn’t have won any of my fights if it had not been for those two guys. MMANews.com: How did you end up hooking up with Bas? Kimbo Slice: Through a mutual friend. MMANews.com: In terms of where you are now as opposed to where you were when you started your training how would you say you’ve come along? Kimbo Slice: I would say I was a one dimensional fighter then and now I believe I am not a one dimensional fighter and consider myself a well rounded fighter. MMANews.com: Did you at any point have any formal boxing training? Kimbo Slice: No I’ve never had any formal training. I don’t think things would have worked out if I had of become a boxer so instead I found myself trying to find ways to make money instead of being a drug dealer or anything and I found that I was able to make money street fighting. MMANews.com: How much have your striking skills been refined? Kimbo Slice: When I was street fighting I would just head hunt and now I’m a headhunter with skills. I know what to hit and when to hit and I know when to go hard and when to slow down. I’m able to control my breathing now and pace myself and back then I was just swinging away. MMANews.com: You’ve said in the past that your dream match ups would be with Tank Abbott and Mike Tyson. You’ve fought and defeated Tank, Tyson still a dream or anyone else that might be a dream fight for you? Kimbo Slice: You know, I have a lot of respect for Mike Tyson and I love him a lot. I looked up to him growing up as a kid and when you are young you have the tendency to say things like that. When you got it in you to be a fighter you wouldn’t be afraid to fight the best and Mike was the best at what he did. I imagine at some point there will be kids that look at me and want to fight me. I’ll be on someone’s mind and that’s cool. That’s the respect of the time and the respect there is to want to fight another ultimate warrior. It’s nothing out of disrespect to Mike or Tank. To answer the part about having anyone else I’d like to fight the answer would be no. MMANews.com: There is been a bit of back and forth smack talk on the internet lately between you and Chuck Liddell. Can you talk about that a little bit? Kimbo Slice: Hopefully one day me and him will be able to get in the cage and do what we do. I have a ton of respect to everyone in the MMA and I look up to these guys. They are the reason I am doing what I’m doing now you know? There is a lot of money to be made in this game and hopefully we can all do that together. There is too much money in this business to just hate on one guy. I’d have to be an asshole to do that. Lets everybody be a part of this. If I can change and you can change than we can all change [laughs]. MMANews.com: Do you feel disrespected when media and fans look down on you because of your background? Kimbo Slice: No dude, I don’t feel disrespected at all and I don’t worry about that at all. I’m going to do what I do and continue doing what I do. MMANews.com: Focused on the future and not the past? Kimbo Slice: That’s exactly it. MMANews.com: Speaking of the future, who will be appearing on the cover of ESPN Magazine. What are your thoughts on that? Kimbo Slice: That’s going to be cool man. That’s something I’m looking forward to. I’m loving the fact there are fans out there that are loving me and as a fighter I give my word to my fans that I’ll never tap out ever. Tapping out is for dirty men. If you get that arm you better fucking break it ‘cause once I get loose I’m going to get yours and I’m fucking breaking it. If you get me in a guillotine you best put me to sleep cause I’m going to put you to sleep if I get you. Other than that I’m coming to bang and that is one thing my fans will tell you • no matter what I’m bringing it. MMANews.com: How have things changed for you since becoming so well known? Kimbo Slice: Well a lot more people notice you and you have to be prepared for that. You can’t get tired of the people because they make you who you are. I love it though because I’m a fan of my fans. MMANews.com: What are some of your goals for 2008? Kimbo Slice: To take care of my family and to make sure they keep their minds straight and stay in the right frame of mind. MMANews.com: Do you have dreams of being a champion someday? Kimbo Slice: When the time comes and I am deserving of that opportunity then yeah, I’d like to be a champion someday but right now I’m kicking asses and taking names. When the time comes you will see me challenging for a title. MMANews.com: A lot of people out there want to see you fight stiffer competition but in reality you are just a rookie to the sport. What are your thoughts on the people that complain about your level of competition? Kimbo Slice: Well, right now I’m 3-0 but a lot of people don’t recognize the Ray Mercer fight as an actual fight. I defeated Ray Mercer in the first round by guillotine choke so I consider myself 3-0 and not 2-0. MMANews.com: That was something I didn’t expect to see when you won by a submission… Kimbo Slice: Right Right, and when that happened I was a complete rookie. If I did that then can you imagine where I am at now? MMANews.com: Your beard gets brought up in a lot of discussions where people question whether or not you should be allowed to have it and whether or not it is an advantage to you. Have any athletic commissions ever brought it up before a fight? Kimbo Slice: No, They respect it, I respect it, it’s all good. MMANews.com: Do you feel that coming into the sport at age 33 may have any effects on your career? Kimbo Slice: 30 is the new 20 baby. I can fight as long as my body will let me fight. MMANews.com: Who are some of your favorite fighters to watch when you get a chance to sit down and watch fights? Kimbo Slice: I watch everybody man. These guys are the future of combat and contact sports you know? It’s the evolution of all the mixed martial arts combined. Anything that I get a chance to watch from UFC, EXC, WEC, BoDog, I watch it. MMANews.com: What do you do when you are not training for fights and have some spare time? Kimbo Slice: I really like spending time with my kids man. I love spending time with my babies. I love taking them to the gym with me and train with me. On my spare time I like to be with my kids Chris. MMANews.com: If you had one fight left in you, who would you like to fight and why? Kimbo Slice: Wow that’s a tough one. I have to think about that one there. The why would be for 10 million dollars [laughs] MMANews.com: [laughs] Kimbo Slice: No but to be honest with you dude I don’t like fighting anybody. As a fighter and as a person who likes to do this I’m not trying to make any political statements or call anybody out. This is a warriors sport and you can’t say you fight for fun. I’m fighting to see if I can be the best at this game and knock somebody out. I want to learn and get in there any compete. It’s competition. My intentions aren’t to get in there and kill anyone it’s just to get in there and knock someone the fuck out. I can’t explain it buddy, it’s just something I fucking love to do. MMANews.com: Just one more question here for you Kimbo and it involved a rumor that has been circulating around the internet that came to light when Dana White made a comment about it recently. It involved a training session in which as rumor has it you were knocked out by Forrest Griffin. What’s the story here? Kimbo Slice: No, there is no truth to that at all. It’s bullshit and Forrest Griffin will tell you that it’s bullshit too. The fact is it was a good sparring session and I was training with Forrest and he was talking to me about defending yourself at all times and then he threw a big kick and I was like “WOAH I never even seen that coming” but no I never got knocked out. Even if I did get knocked out, saying that and putting that rumor out there just makes you a pussy. As a fighter and a professional if you get knocked out in training you get knocked out in training and if you get choked out in training you get choked out. As a matter a fact I did get choked out in training once by Bas Rutten and I’m saying that. It’s really nothing to brag about. I wanted to see how long I could defend that position before going to sleep. In training we spare to learn and help each other but no Chris, Forrest Griffin did not knocked me out. MMANews.com: Ok Kimbo, any prediction for your fight with James Thompson? Kimbo Slice: Best man wins is all I can say. MMANews.com: Anything that you would like to say to your fans out there? Kimbo Slice: Just stay tuned for May 31st. Kimbo Slice and James Thompson, it’s going to be brutal and bloody. MMANews.com: Do you have sponsors you would like to throw a shout out to? Kimbo Slice: Yes of course. I’d like to thank my sponsors Triumph United and check me out on Kimbo305.com. You can check out all my old and new fights on there. MMANews.com: Alrighty Kimbo, I want to thank you for taking the time out to speak with me today and I wish you luck on your upcoming fight. Kimbo Slice: Thank you a lot Chris.

April 2008

Michael Bisping eyes UFC title On the same night as Joe Calzaghe climbed off the floor to beat Bernard Hopkins, Britain’s leading mixed martial artist Michael 'the Count' Bisping was in Montreal, overcoming a spirited challenge from Charles McCarthy to send a clear message to the UFC middleweight division that he is gunning for the title. Gareth A Davies: Bisping goes from obscurity to celebrity In his first fight in the 185lbs division, Bisping scored a first round KO of American submission expert McCarthy with a series of Muay Thai knees and follow-up ground and pound in front of 22,000 fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada. The bell seemed to have saved McCarthy from the assault, but when the fighter [10 wins, 5 losses] was unable to climb off the canvas to return to his corner, the referee waved it offBisping looked in superb shape in his first fight since quitting the 205lbs light heavyweight division following his controversial loss to top contender Rashad Evans last November. After a bitter war of words with the man who had dubbed him “an average fighter who does nothing particularly well”, Bisping lived up to his promise of a fast start. The Brit used his excellent boxing skills to back his man up to the fence and pepper McCarthy with jabs and right crosses. McCarthy did threaten at times with fast counter right hands, but ‘the Count’ had them well scouted. The 16-1 father of two had to escape from a precarious position, though, in the middle of the round after the stocky McCarthy scored a thunderous takedown came very close to locking in an armbar. However, just like he has every time he was close to a submission hold before, Bisping kept cool and used his own significant Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills to escape back to his feet. The denouement was dramatic and brutal. Bisping slammed in over a dozen knees until McCarthy collapsed to the canvas. The follow-up ground and pound sealed the Brit’s first win in his new division. Despite the pre-fight animosity, Bisping paid tribute to McCarthy, who may had suffered a broken forearm as he desperately sought to defend against the knee strikes. In the main event at UFC 83, local hero George St-Pierre regained his UFC Welterweight World Championship by avenging defeat over his nemesis Matt Serra inside two one-sided rounds. Serra had knocked ‘GSP’ out in their first fight a year ago but fighting in the Canadian’s home town, the American was never, ever in the fight. In last April’s shock result, the New Yorker and 10-1 underdog blasted out St-Pierre in one round. Instead, it was the 33-year-old who found himself on the business end of every strike in the book: kicks, crosses and a spinning back-kick to the jaw. St Pierre eventually stopped Serra with a barrage of punches and the 4:45 into the second round. of the second. “It feels great to be champion again,” St-Pierre told an ecstatic home town crowd. “Thank you Montreal.” UFC’s growing popularity was confirmed with the Bell Centre selling out in a few hours on its Canadian debut, even with two crucial mid-week Stanley Cup play-off games for the beloved Montreal Canadiens due to take place. The $5.2million US dollar gate was the second largest in mixed martial arts history. Other results from the Bell Centre Lightweight: Mac Danzig beat Mark Bocek in the third round with a rear naked choke. Jonathan Goulet defeated Kuniyoshi Hironaka via ref stoppage after a knockdown in the second round. Rich Clementi beat Sam Stout via split decision. Middleweight: Michael Bisping defeated Charles McCarthy via ground and pound in one. Rich Franklin hammered Travis Gareth A. Davies on boxing and MMALutter out in two. Nate Quarry outpointed Kalib Starnes over three boring rounds. Jason Day beat Alan Belcher via strikes in the first round. Jason MacDonald beat Joe Doerksen via ground and pound in the second round. Demian Maia best Ed Herman via triangle choke in the second round. Heavyweight: Cain Velasquez beat Brad Morris via strikes in the second round By Gareth A. Davies

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JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME - VAN DAMME SET FOR UNIVERSAL SOLDIER RETURN? Main Movie Reviews News Martial arts movie star JEAN CLAUDE VAN DAMME is in talks to reprise his character in the UNIVERSAL SOLDIER franchise for a fourth film. The Belgian action man starred in the first two hit films, but wasn't part of 1998 flop Universal Soldier III: Unfinished Business. Movie news website CinemaBlend.com reports Van Damme's old movie enemy Dolph Lundgren is also in negotiations for the new film. The two European movie stars teamed up in the original Universal Soldier in 1992

March 2008

Martials Arts Equipment Required a variety of If you have decided to try one of the variety styles of Martial Arts available, you may be now wondering what you will need to purchase for your first class. Well, each Martial Arts practise is different and so it all basically depends upon which type of Martial Art you have chosen to partake in. The uniforms/suits and Equipment Needs of Each Martial Art All forms of Martial Arts require different things and generally the things which you will need for each one include: * Uniforms Depending entirely upon the Martial Arts class you have decided to join, usually you will need a uniform. For Karate the uniform consists of a white suit and it comes in two different sizes for both males and females. Firstly there is a children's white uniform and then there is the adult white uniform. There is no real size difference between the male and the female suits which could be a problem for some. If you are taking part in Tang Soo do then you will be wearing a similar suit to the Taekwondo one only it will have a V-neck and it can come with either a black V-neck or a white V-neck. The trousers are sold separately too so it is a little extra expense. Kung Fu and Tai Chi uniforms are completely black and again they come in either children's or Adult's sizes. If you are going to be doing Kickboxing or ordinary boxing, then you are going to need skipping ropes, bag & boxing gloves. You will also need Thai/ boxing shorts or kickboxing trousers as well as inner elastic gloves which fit under the boxing gloves to keep your hands protected. * Protective Wear As well as a suits, you may have to invest in some protective wear such as a head guard which will help you to protect your head against attack when you are fighting. It is usually a good idea to ask your instructor beforehand whether protected gear is recommended as not all Martial Arts need protection. Shin pads and other protective gear can be bought for your own peace of mind too so it all depends upon personal preference as well as if it is an actual requirement with the Martial Art that you have chosen. Overall each style of Martial Art is different as stated and you really should contact your instructor before buying any equipment and before your first class. You can usually buy the equipment from the Martial Arts school or failing that there are also plenty of equipment online for you to choose from. www.pro-xsports.com [Article Source: http://www.positivearticles.com] This article describes what is needed to participate in the martial arts. For more information go to www.ocjj.com

January 2008

Martial arts lands wireless blow One of the most popular martial arts in the world is being brought into the 21st century using wireless technology. Scientists at the Palo Alto Research Center in California have developed a system to measure the force of blows in the Korean sport of Tae Kwon Do. It works by using wireless sensors in the gear worn by competitors. "The fact it can work with the scoring system to improve a judge's performance is what we consider to be the novel aspect," said Dr Ed Chi. Apply force Tae Kwon Do is one of the most popular martial arts, officially practiced in 120 countries by more than 20 million people. It has its origins in the martial arts practised in Korea more than 2,000 years ago. Competitors earn points for landing blows to a scoring region of an opponent. The reality is that various kinds of technology have been introduced in a wide variety of sports and their degree of adoption can be controversial Dr Ed Chi, Palo Alto Research Center Traditionally this has been left up to three judges, who decide whether a blow was accurate and powerful enough to count as a point. The team at the Palo Alto Research Center (Parc) in California have taken computing technology and adapted it to this ancient sport. They have created a body protector, called a hogu, implanted with wireless pressure sensors using piezoelectric materials. The piezoelectric sensors convert the force of a blow into an electrical signal which is transmitted to a laptop base station. The hi-tech hogu is due to go on sale at the end of the year and is expected to cost about the same as a normal one. Changing sports The team have shown off the system in regional matches in the US, but have yet to demonstrate it at an international tournament. "The system functions as an additional judge, rather than replacing them," Dr Chi told BBC News Online, although he could foresee potential problems. The fencing world did not take to the wireless sensors "Currently there is an inherent bias against punches as a scoring implement as most judges do not believe that punches deliver the same amount of force as a kick." "With our system, we are able to establish how much force the punch was able to deliver and this could provoke controversy among judges if the punch was not scored." The system could also be used for other martial arts or contact sports such as boxing. But having technology accepted in a traditional sport like fencing have proved difficult. The Parc team looked into adapting the wireless sensors for fencing, so that players would not have to be physically tethered. "We were hoping that a wireless system would bring about a revolution to fencing," explained Dr Chi, who is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. "But we discovered that the fencing world would have to change its rules if it wanted to use new technology." "The reality is that various kinds of technology have been introduced in a wide variety of sports and their degree of adoption can be controversial."

Bruce Lee to get own theme park Bruce Lee died in 1973 A Bruce Lee-themed park is to be built at the late kung-fu star's ancestral home in China, the president of his Hong Kong fan club has said. The park will feature a statue of Lee - who died 34 years ago - as well as a memorial hall and martial arts academy. Newspaper reports in China have put the estimated cost of the park at 200 million Chinese Yuan (£13m). But fan club chairman Wong Yiu-keung told The Associated Press he was not sure who is funding the planned park. A ceremony to mark the laying of foundations at the park in Shunde, near Hong Kong, was held on Sunday, attended by Lee's younger brother Robert and actress Betty Ting Pei. Lee was born in the US but first shot to fame in Hong Kong, where he had moved as a child. His most famous films include Fist of Fury, Enter the Dragon and Game of Death. He died aged 32 in July 1973 from a cerebral edema - a swelling of the brain. A statue of Lee was unveiled in Hong Kong last year on what would have been his 65th birthday.

China Celebrates one year countdown to olympics As the countdown clock in front of the Chinese National Museum struck the exact moment of the one-year countdown, fireworks lit the sky before International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Jacques Rogge presented Beijing Olympics invitation letters to various National Olympic Committees (NOCs). A number of senior Chinese officials joined in the celebration at Tiananmen Square, including Wu Bangguo, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC and member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, and Liu Qi, President of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Games. "We welcome athletes, coaches, officials, spectators and journalists to participate in, observe and report the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games," Wu Bangguo told the crowds. "We will provide quality services for them in accordance with Olympic standards, and create favorable conditions to facilitate their work, visit and participation in competitions," he said. Rogge paid tributes to the work done by Beijing, saying the local organizers have worked extremely hard to give Beijing an Olympic shape. "The world is watching China and Beijing with great expectation. The athletes also have great expectations and they are all looking forward to competing in the state-of-the-art Beijing venues," he said. Rogge also said that China would greet the world with an entirely new image when the Olympics open next August. "Beijing and China will not only host a successful Games for the world's premier athletes, but will also provide an excellent opportunity to discover China, its history, its culture, and its people, with China opening itself to the world in new ways," he said. Across the country, Chinese people are celebrating the occasion in various ways. In the city square of Urumqi, capital of northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, residents performed roller-skating, martial arts and Taiji under red banners reading "Fitness campaign to welcome the 2008 Olympics". More than two thousand Tibetan natives and tourists gathered on Wednesday morning in Lhasa to mark the countdown. The celebration starts with a domino display by 2,008 middle school students from Lhasa as they dropped to the ground one after another on the plaza before the Potala Palace, forming the pattern of the Olympic rings and the number "2008". In Yangzhou of east China's Jiangsu Province, thousands of residents played Guzheng, a traditional Chinese string instruments to mark the occasion. Residents in Beijing found various ways to express their joy. A resident named Zhao Yue'e in Huanghuamen community around Jingshan in downtown Beijing gathered with friends at the countdown clock in her community. "We are not just waiting for the Games, we are welcoming and expecting it to come," she said. "My 15-year-old daughter is learning English, and she can speak a few words with foreigners now," she added. A netizen wrote online that "in the beginning of the 20th century, China was still worried when it can send an athlete to the Games. But less than a century later, the country will be the host of the event." "I can hear the steps of the Olympics," Wang Xiaochun, another resident in Beijing said, after taking photos with his family in front of a countdown clock set up at Sanyuanqiao on the northern third ring road in Beijing. Olympics 2008 (Xinhua News Agency August 9, 2007)

December 2007

The Function of Sauna Suits - Sweat Suits UK Sauna suits are used for weight loss and conditioning by professional athletes, amateur athletes and enthusiasts. Typically, these suits are made from rubberized vinyl, which is able to hold up (not tear) under the stress of active sports such as wrestling. The use of sauna suits brings out misconceptions about losing weight. That is, to lose weight, your body needs to burn more food (calories) than you eat. And, when your body has no immediate food/source of energy to burn, it will start burning stored fat. Sauna suits help you lose weight by burning more fuel, not only by helping you sweat out lots of water. Sweating lots of water does help though, as it helps your body rid itself of toxins. Plus, the water you lose will be regained when you drink more water. However, the food and fat that were used to create the sweat will not go back into your body, so you’ll lose weight! Good sauna suits allow you to quickly begin sweating and sweat for longer periods of time. Like with saunas, it is critical to be careful in order not to become dehydrated. Remember your body is burning calories when you wear a sauna suit, so you can drink water to keep yourself hydrated. In summary, a sauna suit is a good, and inexpensive, alternative to purchasing or using a traditional sauna. If used with care, it can be a great addition to anyone’s workout routine. By Kevin Smith

March 2007

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