Posts by briskjackal5

The biggest plus, I guess, is just how useful it is when you're actually out there in the field.

- Joe Biden -

Emily Hayes said:I think Steve is spot on about the UN.

I’d also throw in a third benefit regarding the UN—it really makes people pause and actually think about what they’re eating, and I guess you end up learning so much about nutrition while you're at it.

The downside, though, is that people tend to view it as a sacrifice or just another diet—you know, something with a clear start and end date where they think they can reward themselves afterward... and that's exactly how that whole crazy yo-yo effect starts up. 🙂

It’s more about changing your whole lifestyle rather than just going on a diet, I suppose. 😉

But hey, to each their own! Maybe any kind of diet can work if a person manages to shift their mindset while they're still "on it."

Every single point you made is totally right.

You're such a smart girl, Emily Hayes. 👍

- Steve -

Melanie said:I mean, seriously... where am I even supposed to find this??? 😕 Are there specific distributors here in the States that carry it, or what?? And man, it looks super pricey..👎
My take? The UN diet cleanses your system, maybe a little slow, but it works. I really need to drop about 10 pounds myself.. If I go on the Atkinson diet, I can lose them in 5 days (trust me, I've done it), but then I'll probably just gain 7 pounds back within two days of eating normally. A total DISASTER!! 🙏
If you stick to it for a month, the weight just melts away. And we're talking real weight, actual fat.. not just water weight or muscle loss like when you're basically starving yourself.
Good luck!😍

With the UN diet, you're mostly just losing water and muscle tissue, and honestly, it all comes right back the second you start eating what you consider "normal" food again.

I guess the UN diet has two okay points: first, it tells you exactly what to eat, and second, it gives you something to focus on—like, "oh, today is my carb day, tomorrow is my water day..."
BUT, because it makes things so simple, your body just takes a massive hit. It's pretty rough on your system.
If you're already planning on switching up how you eat, maybe try this: take the total amount of food you'd eat over four days on the UN diet, and just spread it out so you get BOTH carbs and protein EVERY single day.
And voilà—you've got a healthy way to eat, and those pounds (the FAT ones!) will actually start going down.

- Steve -

Incorporated said:I’m really curious about what you guys have experienced. Like, roughly how many pounds would I actually drop in that amount of time?

The only idea even more extreme than this one would be to just ask how much weight you'd lose if you decided to amputate a leg instead. 😁

So, you're asking how many pounds might come off.
Honestly? You'd probably lose less than what you'd gain back the second you went back to your usual diet.
Not to mention, your body composition would likely end up looking way worse than it does right now.
And don't even get me started on things like brain fog, dizziness, irritability, a wrecked metabolism, and all that other stuff...

- Steve -

Drew Gonzalez75 said:dance is great and all... but:
"So, I really want to get into some kind of martial art, just for fun and to blow off some steam."😉
and I'm honestly not that great at dancing, my coordination is kinda off and remembering steps is hard😬 seriously
I live right by the Importanne Gallery

I highly doubt that.
If your coordination was actually an issue, you probably wouldn't even be looking at combat sports.
I bet you're just being modest, though.

Anyway, that's a pretty interesting spot where you live.
Fredi holds his classes right next to the Importanne Gallery—it's like, one 35-step walk away if you take average strides.

- briskjackal5 -

Drew Gonzalez75 said:Okay, so I have a super specific question here🙂
Basically, I really want to get into some kind of martial art, you know, just for fun and maybe to blow off some steam when I'm feeling aggressive😍
But what I definitely don't want is to get all bulky—especially in my upper body, though I guess a little lower body bulk might be okay—and I also don't want to lose too much weight. Boxing sounds pretty cool, but I'm worried about that whole muscle-building thing I mentioned earlier.
I'm 20, fairly tall, and on the slim side. So, if anyone has any ideas about what kind of skill or sport would fit me best... please, feel free to chime in!😉

Look, you aren't going to wake up looking like a bodybuilder just from training for a bit, unless you've been at it for like 250 years straight, so I guess you really don't need to worry about that part.

Honestly, just pick whatever looks fun to you!

If you want my take, check out:
www.fredi-dance.com

- briskjackal5 -

Jamie Fowler2 said:I honestly just miss the old days of endless debates about absolutely nothing, just filling up the void with random posts😬

Well... I guess you're right, I didn't really expect much. But I was kind of hoping 😁 maybe someone would pop up who actually wants to chat about this silly stuff. Oh yeah... 😢

So, if you've got all this extra energy, you probably just need a hobby.... 😁

Plus, we've always got those classic topics around, like ninjutsu and aikido, especially with the current sub-threads going on: the list of the 24 ninjutsu titles and some more or less realistic aikido...

- Steve -

Jamie Fowler2 said:I am. 😛

And honestly, it’s not even a funny question, it's just that Bazooka keeps teasing me like I have absolutely no clue what's going on.

So?

Now all of a sudden, after everything I've rambled about, he can't give me an answer besides "maybe they're in the woods."

What a shocker.

I really thought he might actually be able to teach me something, since he keeps insisting I don't know anything...

You didn't "expect" it, really—you just reflexively posted those questions because of how the conversation was going, and you know better than anyone that things were getting pretty annoying. 😁

- Steve -

Jamie Fowler2 said:it all depends on how you look at it 😬

Honestly, I’d love to just stop overthinking this whole thing and get some straight answers from people who actually know way more than I do, but man... life happens, I guess...

You're being pretty naive for someone your age, honestly. 😁

- briskjackal5 -

Caine said:Maybe they're up in the mountains too. Got anything actually useful to add to the conversation?

That's a hilarious question.

I mean, has he ever actually contributed anything helpful to any topic before? haha

- briskjackal5 -

wanderingridge said:Hmm... well, maybe not. I mean, there were about a hundred fighters there, which is actually a pretty decent turnout, but BJJ has this weird issue that you just don't see in other martial arts. It’s because tournaments aren't just split by weight classes—they also divide everyone by belt level. So, if you take categories like 150, 165, 185, 205, 225, and 225+ lbs, and then try to slice those up into white, blue, purple, brown, and black belts, you end up with situations where there are only like three or four people in a whole bracket. I guess that happens a lot here since BJJ isn't quite as huge in the States as it is elsewhere.

Honestly, splitting things up for purple, brown, and black belts isn't really the issue for us... 😁

But man, we have so few blue belts around here.

- Steven -

Joshua Clark said:That sounds like something out of a movie... oh man, here we go now...
I mean, thank goodness they don't have an official website or anything... 🙄

So, would you rather be out surfing or actually hitting the mats for training? 😁

Oh, I bet they totally told you they were all booked up.
Every single gym tells you they’re full the second you call them... honestly, I think it's just the first test of your chi... maybe? haha.

- briskjackal5 -

Yeah, there’s actually a boxing gym over there.

- briskjackal5 -

Brandon Hayes73 said:Budapest, October 28, 2006

.....

Big congrats to the guys!

Keep up that momentum! 👍

- Stipe -

Eric Fisher98 said:So you think your skills are better than everyone else's? Why's that?

Look, if we just set aside all those annoying labels and the whole debate over who's "better" or "worse" than anyone else...
The thing about Muay Thai techniques is that they're just really, really practical. I mean, once you actually put in the work and drill them, they're incredibly effective. Pretty much plain and simple.

If you're actually curious about how it works—honestly, the best thing you could do is just go out there and try it for yourself!

- Stipe -

Peter Myers29 said:I don't think it's really about how smart you are, more like just finding that one thing that actually clicks with you. You gotta let everyone else find their own groove too... Like, maybe one person goes for Muay Thai, someone else picks up karate, then there's Tai Chi, or even ballet or chess. Everyone's just picking their own path in life, I guess.

Totally.

And honestly, he didn't even tell you that you had to pick the exact same thing he did.

He was just sharing his own experience and what works for him, you know?

- Stipe -

silverhawk8 said:Thai boxing, I know what that's all about...
As for Jiu-Jitsu? I mean, I'm kinda curious about what kind they have there...

I guess I'm not totally sure if there's any Japanese martial arts near Central Park.

But I do know you can definitely find some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu around there, which is the one I was suggesting!

- Steve -

wearyowl92 said:I’ve got a serious question here.
So, I have this little guy, he's 5 years old, and he's absolutely obsessed with martial arts—mostly because of all those cartoons, obviously. It's kind of hard to tell if it's just the shows influencing him or if he actually has a genuine interest, you know? He's super hyperactive and basically mimics everything he sees on TV, so I was thinking about signing him up for...
but then these questions popped into my head:
1. Is he way too young for this?
2. Which sport would actually be best for someone his age?
3. Where should we look to join (any highly-rated clubs nearby)?
Thanks!

Judo.

- briskjackal5 -

I mean, Jiu-Jitsu isn't necessarily the best for "fitness," but honestly, it really just depends on how you define the word.

The kind of conditioning you get from grappling is worlds apart from what you get in Boxing.
Back in early autumn, I used to spend my warm-ups doing some heavy Muay Thai drills, and man, I could roll for a solid hour straight without even breaking a sweat—well, okay, maybe I did break a sweat, but I felt fine! The only real issue is that my shirt ends up absolutely soaked every single time, so I usually have to swap it out once I remember to pack an extra one in my gym bag.
But you see the flip side? A boxer who gasses out early... they might manage two minutes in a round and then they're just totally spent.

It’s just such a different way for each type of training to hit your body.

- Steve

silverhawk8 said:I've realized I really need to start doing something active. I passed on the gym thing because I just don't think I can force myself to go. I did sports back in high school—rowing for about three years—but that just wasn't my vibe.
So, I'm thinking maybe some kind of martial art would be best for me. But man, I have no clue which one! There seem to be like a thousand different options out there.
Basically, I'm looking for some advice on what might fit me best.
I'm 24, about 5'11", and 150 lbs. I guess I have a lighter frame; people usually tell me I look more like I'm 165. That said, I've always been pretty sturdy, you know? Like, I could handle intense physical stuff for a long time without a problem, totally above average. My explosive power was also a bit above average. I'm pretty coordinated too... but honestly, who knows, I don't even know what factors actually matter when deciding.
What I'm really after isn't necessarily getting huge or anything, just getting toned up. I want to keep looking roughly the way I do now, but just make it, you know, rock solid.
And of course, just in case—God forbid, obviously—it would be good to know how to defend myself or deal with some jerk on a bus or out on the street.

Oh, one more thing, I don't always have a car, so if anyone knows of any good spots, let me know, uh, 😁, starting from Central Park (Chicago) and working outwards in circles. 🙂

If you're looking around Central Park in expanding circles, you've got plenty of Boxing clubs, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu gyms, and Muay Thai spots that are definitely worth checking out.

Maybe try searching through a directory on www.profightstore.com.

- Steve -