Posts by Daniel Garcia

Nah, I think people have been getting a few things a little mixed up... 😛

Rebecca Smith4 said:Armen Doslic, Expert 1
IKMF Director USA & Mexico

He used to be on this forum too... maybe you could try searching for him.

Armen's with the International Krav Maga Federation—basically runs the show for Sweden, Canada, and the States for them. I think his crew is opening a club in Chicago right about now... if I remember correctly. The Velesajam crowd? That's a totally different story.

The instructors at the trade show are certified by the head trainer from Krav Maga Netherlands—who’s been an official instructor for the Israeli Krav Maga Association for 15 years and is easily one of the top KM pros in Europe. We're talking about a guy with two decades under his belt who actually trains government officials... real deal stuff. Plus, they collaborate with Itay Gil—literally one of the world's leading KM experts, ex-Yamam, and ex-Mossad. You clearly have no clue. 😉

mistyviper2 said:From what I know through reliable channels, the guy at the State Fair isn't actually qualified to be an instructor... The only person who can hand out instructor certifications is Eyal Yanilov over in Israel.
And I'm certain the fellow at the State Fair doesn't have that credential...

Give me a break... 🙄 Eyal Yanilov is the big boss of the International Krav Maga Federation. And honestly? Their KM federation is total garbage.

rustyangler02 said:Hand weights might be okay—if you don't go full extension on the punch... but honestly, stay far away from ankle weights. Just don't do it...👎

So... knees are giving out? ...

rustyangler02 said:just ignore that... you aren't trying to be a bodybuilder, you're a fighter—you don't need every single isolation move just to waste hours in the gym... hit the big lifts twice or three times a week for maybe 45 mins to an hour—think bench, deadlifts, rows, squats, core, pull-ups—stay away from those machines and pulley nonsense... focus on explosive power instead of just raw strength (look up 'plyometrics') which basically means doing the 'up' part of the movement as fast as possible using standard weight...

FBI, that’s pretty much my routine. I hit the weights twice a week right after my bag work at the gym. Basically, I do fast sets of compound movements that hit as many muscles as possible so they actually help me fight. Plus, I throw in some plyo work with my own body weight before that, then go into bag drills and shadowboxing with wrist and ankle weights...

Same goes for biceps—doing pull-ups on a bar set above you. Personally, I like mixing up my bodyweight stuff with the heavy barbell basics—standard bench, incline, wide, narrow, all that... plus overhead presses with varying grips. For biceps, I hit the EZ bar while seated and straight bar curls with a wider grip. For legs, it’s squats or barbell calf raises with the weight behind my neck. I swear by decline sit-ups and back extensions, especially when I'm holding a plate for extra weight. If I'm feeling particularly pumped one day, I'll throw in some dumbbell work—like single-arm rows on a flat bench and stuff. Muhammad Ali style guard drills and wrestling/ground sparring are also killer for conditioning and raw strength.

So, what I'm actually wondering is—can you catch diseases from a bite? Doesn't matter if it's me biting someone else or getting bitten myself...

mistycrane14 said:keep it simple, obviously 😘 😬

🙂

Heh.😉 Kind of like how our parents used to drill it into us when we were kids—you know, "wash your hands after playing outside" or whatever...😁

mistycrane14 said:That’s basically what I was thinking too...
so where would be the best spot to aim?
I mean the head area 😬

The nose or the jaw, for sure.👍 It knocks you down—and trust me, there’s zero chance you're getting back up...

The biggest joke is when you're landing hits and his teeth start flying—it's like he's actually splitting open right there on the mat, even if he's bleeding out too...

nimblemarlin6 said:Kickboxing at "Forma" Gym in Chicago. Who on earth is Bruno?

So, I was looking into the kickboxing classes over at the "Forma" gym—you know, the one on Hebron Avenue here in Chicago—and I decided to give them a quick ring. I just wanted to see who was actually running the show, specifically the instructor. The answer I got? Just "Bruno."
That’s it. Just Bruno. So I start digging—asking if this guy is actually qualified, if he’s got a competitive background, if he’s ever stepped foot in a ring. Their response? "We don't know."
I mean, come on. I asked them if they could at least give me a last name so I could do a little digging online—standard procedure, right?—to see if the guy actually has a track record.
And they tell me: "We don't even know his last name."
Does anyone out there actually know who this Bruno character is? And more importantly, is the kickboxing program at "Forma" gym actually worth the time, or am I better off looking elsewhere?

That’s just recreational kickboxing—totally fine if you’re just looking for a solid gym supplement... but if you actually want to get serious about training, I’d say keep hunting...

Looking for an actual expert here—where’s the best spot in the States to learn Tai Chi Chuan/Qigong?--need the good stuff...

Check out this textbook example of some streetfighting madness:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69202...elated&search= 😬

If samurai used to test out their new katanas on prisoners and local peasants back in the day, why wouldn't he just try his bolo on some innocent kids instead? 😬 🙂 Once again, Filipinos are proving exactly where they sit on the civilized scale... 🙂 😵 🙂

That's just some European Union outfit for Civilian crisis management...

It’s not like I don't get jumped or harassed occasionally—verbal stuff, physical stuff... and honestly, I won't even get into where all this happened. It ranges from getting cornered right outside my apartment while walking the dog, to being mugged in the middle of Times Square back when I was just a kid. Some jerks even smashed my computer just because I happened to be a fashion designer during Carnival season. 😬

I was just laying out my argument based on what was asked. People can do whatever they want, honestly—fine by me—but it’s just a shame seeing some of these weak links lose their grip, that's all. Plus, I know plenty of scrawny little guys or total couch potatoes who could absolutely wreck me or anyone else looking "fit" like some lost puppy... 😬

Laura Harris13, you probably wonder why people obsess over being "real." It’s because half the gyms out there are just going through the motions—zero contact, zero grit, zero actual intent. It isn't even about skill level... it's just that some people don't know how to show up to training in a way that actually prepares them for a real fight. That’s why so many guys in boxing look down on MMA. Plus, everyone loves to argue about whether what happens in the ring actually translates to a street fight.
Don't think I'm acting like an expert or anything—with my tiny bit of experience, I'm basically just parroting the legends who actually know their stuff. 😁