HIT AND RUN             This is the archive of past issues of Hit and Run. If you have not signed up, click here and enter your email address.       10/2/2008 6:58:00 AM DO FIGHT CLUBS REALLY EXIST?       People still talk about the 1999 cult classic, Fight Club, starring Brad Pitt and Edward Norton. This drama is about two young guys who start an underground venue for brawlers to engage in bare-fisted combat. The movie continues to appeal to some, it still generates buzz. (It also offers us the memorable line, “This is your life and it’s ending one minute at a time.”) Do fight clubs really exist? I’ve been asked and I say I really don’t know. Likely, if there’s money to be minted, they must exist somewhere. If I ever happen upon one I’ll bolt in the opposite direction – of that I’m sure. Even bars have more illegal violence than I care to be around. I don’t need to have my career in jeopardy at a crazy fight club with no rules, referees or law enforcement. That’s not sport. If fight clubs really are around, the fighters and spectators must know what they’re getting into. Hollywood cannot be fairly blamed for causing any raw violence, because people know right from wrong. Responsibility flows out of that awareness – and most everyone accepts this. A teaspoon of sense is all it takes.               9/29/2008 6:07:00 PM THE BIG STARE DOWN       After the weigh in and also before the fight, there’s the stare down. For some fighters it’s a fun part of the theatre of fighting. Other fighters believe it’s nothing more than a really annoying ritual. I clearly fall into the latter category. I never use the stare down as a psychological tactic. Fighters have to deal with tremendous mental stress for weeks leading up to the fight. By the time of the weigh in, a fighter is either mentally prepared for what’s coming or he’s not. Staring isn’t going to make any difference. ,br> Whenever I’m on stage I do make a point of presenting a confident look. I want my opponent to know that I’m prepared for combat. If he is unsettled by that, then it’s only because he’s in a weak mental state. Some fighters appear cocky, but that can be a cover for lack of confidence. By the time a fighter heads to the arena, it’s way too late to have mind games add up to anything.               9/17/2008 3:45:00 PM SEA SALT FOR LANDLUBBERS       I’m really not that preoccupied with my intake of sodium. Most people pay little attention to salt, unless they develop a medical condition. Your body needs salt to function. If you’re dehydrated, sick or injured, the first thing they give you in the hospital is a saline solution IV. Refined table salt is not very good for you. Most of it comes from mines, and is so heavily processed that many minerals are depleted. If you’re cooking, try using sea salt if your recipe calls for it. This is a healthier alternative. Sea salt has greater nutrient value.               9/12/2008 10:56:00 PM FLYING TO THE MIDDLE EAST       As you read this, I am visiting our troops in the Middle East. On this trip I won’t actually be entering Iraq. During the next week, I’ll be appearing at our Navy bases and ships in the surrounding areas. This mission was planned by American Fighter, and I appreciate the efforts of the hard-working staffers who devoted themselves to setting everything up. Tim Sylvia will be joining me in supporting our military men and women. These trips mean so much to me. I’m always honored to be in the presence of our national warriors. They don’t fight for sport - but to keep our nation strong, our people free, and our values sacred.               9/11/2008 1:24:00 PM Reflecting on Evan Tanner...       When I heard about Evan’s tragic and sudden death a few nights ago, I was shocked. We spent some time talking together this summer, in Las Vegas, when he was there to fight Kendall Grove. I always found him easy to talk with. Having lost my father this year, I know how hard it is to have a parent die. The condolences of others mean so much at a stressful time. My thoughts go out to Evan’s family and friends, especially knowing they are losing him at such a young age.               9/9/2008 11:26:44 PM THE FIGHT WITH MATT HAMILL       I’m glad my fight with Matt Hamill is over. He’s not only a powerful guy but I genuinely like him. Both of us knew the time had come to conduct business. We approached our octagon combat as professionals. I wasn’t surprised Matt wanted to stand up. I had assumed for weeks that he’d been working hard on that area of his game. I thought he’d abandon stand-up brawling sooner, but he didn’t. I know he wanted to take me down but I was lucky enough to land some leg kicks, to keep him at bay. After the fight we spent time together in the medical room, all the while we were both getting stitched up. I got about 7 put above my right eye and 3 stitches over the left one. My eyes are so badly bruised and swollen, I’ll be looking racoonish for weeks. While the doctors were working on us, I thought to myself how glad I was that we were back to being friends. Matt and I both had our families and teams nearby, everyone talking and snapping pictures. Since the fight I’ve been nursing the blows he landed to my head. And I’ve been eating endless amounts of pizza, biscuits and gravy, and ice cream. To all of you, my fans, your support and loyalty mean everything to me. You energize me and give me purpose through the long days of training – right up to my entering the octagon. I give my thanks.               9/1/2008 3:58:00 PM BUSTATION OF THE NOGGIN       Do I worry about sustaining brain damage from a long fight career, either by a single blow - or from the accumulation of head strikes? This is a difficult question. The answer is both yes and no. There is no brain cell reproduction, so brain trauma is not to be taken lightly. However, the athletic commissions require MRIs every 5 years. If I ever have a scan that reveals any evidence of significant degeneration, I’ll quit the sport. In the UFC, great care is given by the medical staff and the referees to ensure that the fighters are as safe as possible.               8/28/2008 12:44:00 AM JABBERING INSTEAD OF JABBING       Someone asked me if I’ve ever spoken to an opponent during a clench. The answer is no, because conversation between fighters if not legal. However, prior to fighting in the UFC I have spoken – and been spoken to – by opponents during a fight. In the UFC, you can communicate with your eyes or facial expression, but spoken words are prohibited. You have to be careful because anything you say could possibly be misconstrued as a verbal tap out.               8/25/2008 9:33:00 AM GENTLEMEN, START YOUR ENGINES       In the weeks leading up to my fight, I’ll be working on the telephone with my mental conditioning coach, Brian Cain at Peak Performance in Richmond, Vermont. He helps me through specific visualization exercises. Cain keeps me focused as I approach the fight - right up until I enter the octagon. Once I’m in the locker room I slowly begin to warm up my engine in a timed and deliberate manner. In my next fight, I’ll undergo the same methodical process I’ve used many times before. Before I enter the arena for my long walk to the octagon, I try to stay relaxed and calm. It’s a waste of physical and psychological energy to get revved up too soon.               8/20/2008 1:07:00 AM PREPARING FOR WAR       I’ve been asked if I try to obtain insider information on my opponents. The answer is no. I’m not sending out spies to find out his gameplan, but like most UFC fighters, I do study tapes of everyone I’m preparing to meet in the octagon. As to video taping my workouts, I only allow specific sports news programs to do so - and even then only selective footage. The true colors of a fighter are revealed during the fight, not his practice. My focus is always on what I need to do - so I can impose my will.               8/13/2008 10:42:00 AM What's Love Got To Do With It?       Surprisingly, when battling an opponent, it really makes no difference whether we like each other or not. The fight will be intense right up to its furious finish, no matter what. I personally like Evan Tanner, David Loiseau, Nate Quarry and Jason McDonald. Anderson Silva and I have a very cordial relationship. On September 6th, in Atlanta, Matt Hamill and I will try to inflict upon each other as much pain as possible. Yet I have the greatest respect for Matt as a fighter and as a person. Except for that particular evening, I wish the best for Matt in every way. In my experience, positive or negative feelings seem to make very little difference. When you’re a professional and your job is to fight – you fight.               7/31/2008 11:23:00 PM Germ Warfare       Are you a germaphobe? Does touching public bathroom fixtures unnerve you? I wash my hands after using a public restroom. Then I grab the door handle when leaving and feel like I've just wasted my time. Many people don't wash their hands, so what's the point? When coming up to a fight, I could pick up a head cold. Although no one would know my breathing is greatly compromised, I'd be at a huge disadvantage. While this possibility is always lurking, I just don't allow space in my head for worrying about it. And so I deal with handshakes, countertops, door knobs and handling money without trying to drive myself crazy.               7/23/2008 11:13:00 PM MMA websites       I'm asked which MMA websites I read, and how often. Actually, I don't get caught up with mma websites - and certainly not the opinion forums. The fact is most of my life is taken up with working out and training. I'm more focused on mastering new fighting techniques than reading about the latest news in the industry. Sometimes my biggest fight is for a life outside of mma. Long ago I realized I was burning up too much mental energy getting angry at unfair and poorly-informed opinions from some keyboard warriors. My tool for keeping in the loop is my wife, Beth. She patrols every website and knows every new detail. She screens the endless data and keeps me informed.               7/21/2008 10:40:00 AM My Life Beyond MMA       I spend my free time playing sand volleyball, a pickup game of basketball, backyard football, paintball, rock climbing (indoor), mountain biking and I recently took up snowboarding. This is not a complete list, nor am I an avid practitioner of any one of these. However, when I am training for a fight, I don't have the excess energy to burn on these activities. During fight prep, my stress relievers are more relaxing. I enjoy activities such as drumming or shooting my pistols at the range.               7/14/2008 9:40:00 AM Sneaking the Bad Stuff       What about junk food – pizza, chips, chocolate, ice cream, candy – I’m asked if I indulge. I’m very strict with my daily nutrition. I weigh my foods on a scale and I track calories. Sometimes I keep a food journal to help calibrate what I’m eating. But I do take one day a week to allow myself the fun, bad items. Usually this is Saturday, from the time I finish training until I go to bed. This allows me 2 junk meals, which I savor. Is this bad for me? I’m sure it is! However, I’m a strong believer that ANYTHING in moderation is not that bad for you.               7/9/2008 5:45:00 PM Before I Fight       The day before the fight I’m focused on trying to make weight. When that’s no longer an issue I have dinner with my team in the evening. I like being around my friends. They help to keep my mind off the fight and away from any negative thoughts. Part of fight day I spend alone, usually reading my Bible. But I also like being with my team, usually watching a movie. I also have a habit of organizing my room before the UFC staff escorts me to the arena. Organizing always helps me to feel more in control.               7/7/2008 9:38:00 PM How I Stay Motivated       Robert Santiago (serving his second combat tour) writes from Iraq. He asks how I keep from losing my motivation. The answer is that at times I do lose it, I just want to quit - as does everybody else. What I do is just keep pushing myself through, with grim determination. I know that if I quit, I would be letting more than just myself down. After a while, the letdown passes and I am able to regain my stride. Success at anything in life is not meant to be easy. And it isn't.               6/24/2008 1:54:00 PM Fight Day Weight       Fans who know I fight at 185 lb remark that I look much bigger in the octagon. This is the way it works: At the weigh-in, the day before, I step off the scale at 185-186. (If it's not a title fight, the UFC permits a 1 pound allowance, and believe me, I use it). Since I cut down my food and water intake for days before the weigh-in, my stomach shrinks. Although my mind says EAT, I know I'll get sick if I pour it on. So after formal announcement of my weight, I'll eat 3 PB&J, each at 15 minute intervals. ,br> During this phase I'm drinking a water/Pedialyte mixture at a slow steady pace. Before I go to bed I will have ingested 2 gallons of liquid. Each gallon of water weighs 8 pounds - so I will have taken in 16 pounds of fluid alone.               6/20/2008 4:41:00 PM Upcoming Plans       I have been in Las Vegas this week, training Dustin Hazelett and Matt Brown for their UFC fights. I'll be cornering them tomorrow while they're in the octagon. I'll leave Sunday for Seattle; Matt Hume will be working with me throughout next week. Although my next UFC fight isn't scheduled yet, I need to constantly be incorporating the newest fighting techniques into my repertoire. The younger, up-and-coming fighters have fresh approaches - not being familiar with them can set the stage for defeat. Complacency in the octagon is dangerous. Awareness, tinged with paranoia, rules.               6/17/2008 5:48:00 PM Avoiding Grudge Matches       A number of you have asked whom I would like to fight next. Actually I try to not dwell on this - I just fight whomever the UFC wants to lock me into the octagon with. I know this is contrary to the usual practice of manufacturing a grudge match with a probable next opponent, but it's never been my style. I was trained with the notion of fighting-as-sport, and seeing the other guy as an opponent, not an enemy. The other approach is, frankly, more entertaining, but I like to keep my focus narrow.               6/10/2008 7:37:00 PM My Diet on Fight Day       I eat normal meals until I leave my hotel room. A typical meal would be a baked potato, two chicken breasts, and a fruit or vegetable. My goal is to eat 3 meals before I’m picked up for my fight. Often I spend hours (even up to 6 of them!) in the locker room, waiting. For my last fight against Travis Lutter, I ate 4 jars of baby food, sweet potatoes, and a can of salmon in the locker room. I keep a few protein bars with me for emergency. I always try to eat within 3 hours of my fight so my body is performing as it does on a daily basis. Every 3 hours, food.               6/10/2008 7:35:00 PM My Diet the Day before I Fight       On WEIGH-IN day, the day before the fight, I eat nothing - until I make weight. Then my first meal is PB and J washed down with Pedialite. I return to my hotel room to snack on trail mix and fruit. Dinner is pasta with chicken or steak.               6/6/2008 2:55:00 PM My Daily Nutrition       Breakfast this morning: 18 egg whites (grade A large) and 1 cup of oatmeal (with 70 grams of raspberries and 2 teaspoons of cod liver oil - as my fat intake). My nutrition is clean 95% of the time. I eat fats high in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids - nothing processed, ever. This is my way of life - so cholesterol and saturated fats are not a concern.               6/2/2008 6:51:50 PM Dread vs. Desire       I'm asked about my emotional state during the hour before I enter the octagon: do I experience dread and just want to get it over with, or do I feel the bold excitement of "bring it on"? I experience both emotions simultaneously and in the extreme. It is a maddening struggle to keep my head together.               6/1/2008 9:52:17 AM Isometric Exercise       Sometimes I include isometric exercises in my circuits. Following a difficult set of squats, I'll do a timed wall sit. Isometric exercises definitely have their place, but should not be primary.               5/22/2008 9:50:00 AM Walter Reed       I'm leaving today for Washington, DC. I am honored to have been asked to visit our soldiers at Walter Reed Hospital. When I visited the troops in Iraq, the medical facilities were surprisingly empty at the bases. So when I was sent to North Carolina's Camp Lejune, I was unprepared for what I saw. I was left shaken. I hope I'm better prepared mentally for this weekend. I pray for the soldiers and their families.               5/21/2008 9:47:00 AM Daily Training vs. Pre-Fight Training       Thanks to Seth Wilson in Ohio, who asks if I always train 20-22 hours/week. That's my pre-fight schedule. My "off season" training is 10-12 hours/week. The human body cannot handle 22 hours of intense physical exertion 52 weeks a year. I lower the intensity when I'm not preparing for combat.               5/19/2008 7:22:00 AM My Stretch Routine       My stretch routine takes about 30-40 minutes. I usually do this 4 times/week. When preparing for a fight, my boxing coach, Rob Radford, runs me though a 30-40 minute assisted stretching routine. I'd do an assisted stretching routine everyday, if time allowed.               5/17/2008 3:29:24 PM How Much and How Long I Train       During fight preparation, I spend as little as 2 hours in the gym or as much as 5 hours. I train 6 days each week. My system: train 4 days with double sessions and 2 days with a single session. Weekly training time: 20-22 hours.           © 2008 Rich Franklin Inc. All Rights Reserved