Well here it is :)
Posted by Alysa Westergard on Sunday, December 6, 2015
Sunday, December 6, 2015
Friday, October 9, 2015
Man Bun & Beard Intervention: We Think You Have a Problem...
It was 3 years ago... I was fresh out of a six year relationship where the girl hated all kinds of facial hair. So I figured it was high time that I grew the Manliest Beard I could Muster.
Let it be known I wasn't growing this Ironically. As a champion MMA fighter I wanted to look like a goddamned badass.... Like I did nothing but wrestle bears in a mountain cave for three months in preparation for the fight. But I still had to get laid right? So what to do with the hair not on my face?
I took to Pinterest and looked up styles. The pompadour seemed to work well, Retro Sheek and managed fairly easy.
Flash forward to Fight Night... I Cant wear hair product in the cage and I can't let it dangle in my face... What's a warrior to do? The girl I was dating offered to tie it up with her hair tie... And Thus, The Man Bun was Born.
I didn't know the "Man Bun" was a thing. As a Martial Arts Dork I thought it looked like a Samurai Top Knot... So I kept it. But that's how addiction starts, very subtle... very innocent. The Ladies loved it, On Instagram All I had to do was "#Beard" and "#Tattoos" and I was at 200 plus likes. I remember now the words from Macklemore and Ryan Lewis in "Neon Cathedral":
"But Yeah, I'm a Fool and I Stay Here,
Hope These Problems Drown Themselves
While I Die in Wait Here,
One More, Four more, Fuck it a Night Cap,
Service Starts at 5 Tomorrow and I'll be Right Back."
I've never rode the cutting edge of a trend before. This new Female Aphrodisiac known as the Man Bun & Beard consumed my life. I followed people on Insta and Twitter for "BEARDspration"... Retweeting Memes like the following:
"It's Okay... I don't have a Problem.
It's them, Not Me."
I signed the contract for my Utah State Welterweight Championship fight. Got in league with my MMA Conditioning Coach Nikki Carlin and Wrestling Coach Marc Brewer of University of Grappling in Lindon Utah. This was a wrestling camp that works with UFC fighters and oddly enough... Short hair styles everywhere.
"It's okay though, It'll be inconvenient...
But I could manage."
Coach Nikki Carlin is somewhat of a lifting Phenom... I went to a cross fit event with her and there it was. The Mecca for Beards and Buns... Rock bottom hit when I saw a spectator (Not a competitor) wearing Reebok Nanos, A shirt claiming "Your work out is my warm up", He had Neon high socks with a Man Bun.... All the while combing his beard.
I was physically ill. Is this me? Is this what people see me as? Here I was prepping for the biggest fight in my career so far, dealing with Long Hair in my face and Beard Hair being ripped out at the root in training, and for what? To look like THAT guy?
It was my lowest level. The Man Bun & Beard had robbed me of my physical and mental health and worse... self-respect.
"The First Step in the Recovery Process
is Admitting you have a Problem."
I went home with a pear of shears in tow and rectified the process. High and tight in the head and exposed chin on the cheeks. Training and life, Became that much easier. Then this happened:
"You are not Defined by your Catagen Hair Follicles...
But by your actions in the Now"
Rebuilding Social Networks is one of the hardest parts of overcoming addiction... but it IS possible. I am living proof.
Get rid of the Man Bun & Beard... Your Family wants you back... They love you... and you're worth it.
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
When has Quitting Ever been the Answer? Injury and Health Issues are NO excuse to quit exercise.
The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts is Running a Special for New Students!
$69.95 for 6 weeks and a FREE Uniform!
The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts primary goal is to help kids mentally a physically progress through a healthy life. One of the main things we deal with when it comes to people leaving our stead, is injury or health issues (Mostly due to activities outside of Martial Arts) as an excuse. What most people don't understand that there have been tons of science indicating how important exercise is for people suffering from health issues.
And we're not talking correlative studies you see on day time programs like Dr. Oz... We're talking Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs). RCTs are a type of scientific experiment, where the people being studied are randomly allocated to the different treatments under study. The RCT is often considered the gold standard for a scientific fact in clinical trails.
"Exercise is the most Powerful Thing
You can do to Improve
Your Health and Heal your injuries...
It even Relieves The Mood Swings
And Depression commonly
Encountered in the Teenage Years."
In the following slides, Lifted form Healthcare Triage, you can see how much science is behind how important it is for your child to engage in exercise no matter what the reason. Basically, Unless your Doctor has specifically told you that your child cannot exercise, stopping their program for any health issue is only hurting your child... not helping them:
The key here is to make your instructor aware of the injury, or problem so that we can correct course and augment the movements for your child. There is a reason we keep class sizes so low. And this is it! We want to make sure every child is getting the most out of the process. Remember, we consult with your doctors at no charge, and each of us is a Certified Personal Trainer as well as Supplement Specialists & Nutritionists along with our Black Belts. Take full advantage of that!
Remember, We're not just a Martial Arts School, We're a Mentoring Program. Maintaining Health and overcoming obstacles is what we mean to instill in your child. Let us help to make them unstoppable!
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Monday, October 5, 2015
MMA pre UFC Vol.2, Russian Sambo
At our Burbank Martial Arts Academy (Link >>HERE<<) We focus on educating our students about the history of the Martial Arts... As well as the Martial Arts themselves. As we move into a Generation of people whose only experience in Martial Arts is the ever popular UFC fight league, It becomes more and more important for people to understand where we come from, so we can accurately direct where we are going.
Today... we focus on Russian Sambo, Officially recognized as a Combat Sport in 1938. Far earlier than UFC's 1994 debut.
The word "SAMBO" is an acronym for SAMozashchita Bez Oruzhiya, which literally translates as "self-defense without weapons". Though Sambo as a sport has only been around since 1938, it is said that its inception as a fighting style comes years earlier in the 1920s.
Used as an Empty Hands defense system by the Red Soviet Army in the former USSR, It was
Anatoly Kharlampiyev whom solidified it as a sport before the Russian All-Union Sport Committee.
Sambo was a Unique as a Sport Martial Art for its time, As Combat Sambo tournaments in particular took a very western wrestling approach to Sport Fighting. Not only employing grappling techniques like Leg Locks and Arm Bars but striking as well... Both Standing up and on the Ground.
Early in the sport, Sambo also allowed Groin Strikes... Good times.
Sambo was a bit of a pioneer when it came to women in sport fighting. While women in Freestyle Wrestling were unable to compete in the Olympics until 2004, Russian Sambo Tournaments introduced a women's category in 1987. The UFC wouldn't hold a woman in the Octagon until 2013.
Distinctive to the art is Sambo's uniform and ranking system, Resembling Judo in appearance, Sambo's Gi like tops are not indicative of Rank but are a contrast in color for the sole purpose of distinguishing competitors. Vale Tudo style shorts combined with Gi Style tops and shoes reminiscent of Western Wrestling... its Uniform a true testament to its Mixed Martial Arts history. Its ranking system is only achieved through winning competition, Meaning if you have received the Black Belt Equivalent of "Master of Sport"... there was no discrepancy as to whether your metal was tested.
Sambo competitons have experiecned a resurgence of late due in part to popular MMA champions whom are also Sambo Masters of Sport. Of which include former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski whom just defeated heavy weight contender Frank Mir, And the Recently returned "Last Emperor" Fedor Emelianenko.
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Saturday, October 3, 2015
[Gallery] Halloween Epicness: A Burbank Martial Arts School Breaks the Internet with Family Halloween Costume.
Martial Arts as we all know is more than Just Kicking and Punching... Its about Community. That is demonstrated in this pic from 2 years ago when a Family in Burbank , Along with their Martial Arts Instructor... Dressed to impress in Award Winning Halloween costumes.
Mike O'Laskey Owner of The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts in Burbank California
(Website found >>HERE<<) Stated:
Follow this Martial Arts Schools FB Page >>HERE<< We will post Last years pics Next week. What will this Martial Arts School come up with this year?!
Mike O'Laskey Owner of The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts in Burbank California
(Website found >>HERE<<) Stated:
"Martial Arts is About Many things,
One of which is Inspiring Creativity...
Halloween is perfect for that!"
Follow this Martial Arts Schools FB Page >>HERE<< We will post Last years pics Next week. What will this Martial Arts School come up with this year?!
Friday, October 2, 2015
If this UFC 193 Promo with Ronda Rousey Doesn't Make You Love the Martial Arts Nothing Will
The New UFC Promo for Ronda Rousey's fight is a Paragon of what we want to teach in our children. Courage, Dedication, Inspiration and Hard Work.
Get your Daughter involved in Martial Arts in Burbank by following this link >>HERE<<
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Science shows Video Games are Worse Than Cigarettes for Your Child's Health.
Video Games are a Billion Dollar a year industry. And kids love them! Often games are vilified in the media for promoting bad behavior or violent tendencies... which is NOT the case. There have been no credible studies to show that violence in games parlay themselves into real life.
However, The Danger of video games does not come in its content... But in its sedentary lifestyle. In a study published in "Medicine & Science in Sport & Exercise" (Found >>HERE<< for your reference.) Researchers showed that:
"Levels of sitting were closely associated
with an higher risk of death.
Those sitting the most having an
INCREASED risk of death"
So the long periods of sitting while playing Video Games... Is the most unhealthy thing for your child.
A study published in the British Journal of Medicine (Found >>HERE<< for your reference) did the math. They found that on average people who spend long bouts of time in front of the TV lose about 5-6 years of their lives... or to put it bluntly:
"For every Hour you Spend
Playing Video Games,
you are giving up about
22 minutes of your life"
22 minutes! Let's put this into perspective for you parents, it has been calculated that each CIGARETTE you smoke reduces your life by 11 minutes!
The reason for this is not quite understood yet, but obvious factors are involved like Sedentary Lifestyles leading to Obesity Related Illnesses. Some Scientists think that Sitting for long periods prevents the body from producing enzymes that help clean out certain fats. But either way, the facts remain:
"For Every 10 hours of Gameplay,
Your Child is Smoking 1 Pack of Cigarettes"
But the good news is that we can fix this! In the American Journal of Clinical Nutritional (Found >>HERE<< for your reference) They found that by interrupting gameplay every 30-40 minutes with with a 1 minute bout of physical activity reduces this risk exponentially.
At The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts, We recommend that when parents allow their kids long gameplay bouts... About every half an hour the game needs to be paused for one minute of Martial Arts practice. Whether it shadow boxing, Pad work, Wrestling or weapons drills.
The study indicates that it doesn't matter what the activity, as long as they are moving! The child gets what they want, Which is long bouts of Video Games... And we get what we want, Which is a long lasting healthy life for your child. This also teaches your Child Accountability and Responsibility while gaming, Concepts they can take on into a healthy adulthood.
If you are worried about your Child's Sedentary life style, The O'Laskey Academy of Martial Arts is running a special Trial Offer to see if the Martial Arts is right for your Child... It even comes with a FREE uniform. Click the Link >>HERE<<
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 30, 2015
MMA pre UFC Vol.1, The Story of Shooto
It was 1980 in Japan, Their pro wrestling league the NPJW (Japan's equivilant to WWE) saw the arrival of a mysterious wrestler, clad in the mask of a Tiger. "Tiger Mask", as they would come to call him, stole the stage with a secret identity and a Luchador mask Japan had never seen before. Dominating the entertainment sport over the next few years he would eventually make his way to America in the WWF (Now WWE) League. Brett "The Hitman" Hart would call him "The Bruce Lee of Wrestling" because of his sheer athleticism and Martial Arts Talent.
The Man under the mask, Satoru Sayama worked endlessly to try to improve his performance wrestling game. Studying intensely the arts of Muay Thai, Sambo and Judo in order to stay on the cutting edge of his craft and make the faux fights look as realistic as possible. There was only one problem Sayama couldn't foresee in studying these arts... He was becoming a better, more talented, Real Life fighter.
The Entertainment Wrestling Scripts would sometimes force Sayama's Character "Tiger Mask" to lose in order to fulfill certain Character Archs. In most cases, to Wrestling Actors Sayama could easily beat... And As any Competitive MMA Athlete could tell you, the concept of this doesn't sit well.
It was at this Point Sayama left Entertainment Wrestling for good. Penning the infamous book "Kayfabe", A kind of "Magic Secrets Revealed" style book along the same vein as the "Penn & Teller: Bullshit" Television show. In this book Sayama exposes the secrets of the Pro Wrestling Circuit to the Japanese public.
In 1985, Eight years before the first UFC match up, he founded "Shooto." Derived from the expression "A Shoot" common in Entertainment Wrestling, Which means any Unplanned, Unscripted or Real Event in an otherwise Fake Wrestling Match up... In most cases, this referred to a Real Attack or Genuine Fight that occurred in the ring between the Actors.
Sayama simultaneously founded one of the first known MMA training gyms called "The Super Tiger Gym" in Tokyo Japan, and began training his own band on MMA Fighters also known as "Shooters". His ways were merciless, often demanding his students train 10 hours a day, 7 days a week in a brutal fashion... See video below. Among these proteges was Yorinaga Nakamura, Whom eventually would introduce the sport to the US in 1989.
It was Martial Arts Legend Dan Inosanto (of Bruce Lee fame) that provided Yori with the ability to bring Shooto to America. At the Inosanto Academy, Yori trained many a prominent Martial Artist in todays MMA scene such as Ron Balicki of the MARS Academy (Link >>HERE<<) and Eric Paulson of CSW fame (Link >>HERE<<). Under Yori, American Fighters would frequently be flown to Japan over the next 10 years to fight for the Shooto organization started a Decade and a half earlier.
So the next time someone tells you the Gracies or BJJ Invented MMA... You know different.
Today, the concepts of Tiger Mask's Shooto Lineage stays strong. Churning out competent fighters like Josh Barnett, Ken Shamrock, Renato Sobral, Cub Swanson, and James Wilks.
Oh yeah... and we can't forget your's truly.
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Friday, September 25, 2015
6 Reasons why you should Rethink Taking Supplements.
Given my experience in the MMA Fight Game... A lot of people ask me for advice on what types of Supplements they should be taking. My response? Don't.
Here are 6 reasons why
1. They Don't Have What they Say they Have.
In February of 2015 the Attorney General's office issued a report found >>HERE<< accusing a number of large supplement providers of selling "Fraudulent and Potentially Dangerous Supplements". They ran DNA strand testing on a number of supplements containing herbal and vitamin remedies to determine what was in them to find that:
"4 of of 5 Supplements
contained NONE of the products
listed on the label."
The Attorney General found that they were mostly filled with... well... cheap filler! Powdered Rice, House Plants and Asparagus. A popular supplement even contained wheat, while advertising on the label that it was "Gluten Free."
The same people who go INSANE over labeling GMOs and Labelling where our Ground Meats come from... Seem to care less about what is in the supplement they put in their bodies! Why is that?
Especially considering that...
2. There is No Regulation AT ALL on Supplements.
According to the FDA (Source found >>HERE<<) The Industry does not need approval from the Food and Drug Commission to begin selling a product. In fact:
"A firm DOES NOT have to
provide evidence of
Safety or Effectiveness of
a Product and The Manufacturer
is Responsible for Ensuring the
Accuracy and Truthfulness
of Product claims."
The FDA does provide a set of guidelines "They Would Recommend" the Supplement Industry to Follow, However because of continued lobbying for deregulation, These guidelines are unenforceable. The FDA supposes that 70% of all Supplement Providers do not listen to their guidelines. And according to unbiased, unpartisan studies like the one presented in reason #1. I'm inclined to believe it.
We don't let "Big Parma" get away with regulating themselves on what is in our vaccines and medications... Yet for some reason we give the Supplement Industry a pass.
3. YOU DON'T NEED THEM!!!
In a conversation with the Director of the Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research (Organization Link found >>HERE<<), He went on a tirade about the consideration and proclamation by the Supplement Industry that we need, for some reason, to supplement ANYTHING at all. Stating:
"Believe it or not... The Truth of the Matter
is that MOST Americans have a totally
Balanced Diet as Far as getting their Vitamin Needs.
The Human Body is not meant to Take in
any Excess Vitamins or Supplements...
Your Body doesn't even Process Them."
He went on to state that if there was a need for this kind of supplementation, Evolution would have pushed us and other animals to EAT more of this stuff. You're basically conditioned internally to get about the right amount of this stuff... Anymore, you just pee out.
So yes, It would seem the Only Benefit to Buying Supplements is REALLY expensive Urine.
4. They can... and HAVE harmed people.
The Ambiguity and Wild Wild West Mentality of this business has caused some pretty serious injury. Herbs commonly sold as "Detox" supplements have caused severe liver damage in people. And media reports have uncovered over-the-counter supplements, including those purporting to build muscle, aid weight loss, and reduce anxiety, that were secretly laced with dangerous prescription medications. CBS news found (Source for your Reference >>HERE<<) that even individuals found at the pinnacle of human health can die of:
"Internal Bleeding,
Severe Liver Damage
and Even Strokes."
5. The Industry is as Corrupt as the Oil Industry.
The Supplement Business is a 33 BILLION DOLLAR a year Industry! And As Hinted at in #2, They Spend large amounts of money to lobby for it's continued deregulation. According to Open Secrets, a Nonpartisan and non-profit organization committed to informing citizens how money in politics affects their lives (Link for your Reference Found >>HERE<<), The supplement industry gives Millions of dollars to House and Senate representatives to ensure this, as evidenced in the graphs below.
Given there is No evidence Supplements Work, No Evidence they are Needed, PLENTY of evidence that they Lie to us and a myriad of examples that this has harmed people... How is the Supplement Industry any different than the Tobacco and Oil Industry? Especially when you couple these with their Lobbying Efforts.
6. They're Expensive.
This Last one feels like a bit of a cop out. With all of the serious information I given above, Money is probably the least important one to consider. I feel However it is an important reminder that premium protein products can sell for nearly $70 for a months supply. A ton of companies will even force you (Surreptitiously in some cases) onto an "Auto-Ship" program that will continually bill you and ship you their supplements month after month... regardless whether you have finished the supply. Reminding you of their cost, I hope, forces you to look at what you are paying for... and compare it to what you are actually getting.
If you're looking to lose weight and lead a better life, Spend your money doing active things that you actually enjoy... Like Martial Arts Classes or Dance Classes. If, despite this, you think you need help with your vitamin intake, all you need is better food choices... Go to Built Magazine's online program at >>WWW.BUILTMAG.COM<< where help is about 2 Bucks a month, instead of paying a boat load of cash on something that doesn't work.
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Monday, September 21, 2015
4 Ways Knife Fighting can change your MMA Game
Fighting with the Knife and Fighting with your Hands may seem worlds apart. Make no mistake... the differences are vast, Yet in every expression of aggression... You can always find concepts that relate, with different training methods to enhance the preferred attributes. Like in the Above picture of NFL Hall of Famer Randy White training Filipino Martial Arts to better Elude the Defensive Line. Thinking you're qualified to fight in the cage with ONLY knife fighting knowledge is a little insane, But here is how training the Blade, Helped my fight game.
1. Switching Leads
Being an ambidextrous fighter is something I think everyone strives to be. Switching to the south paw stance can bring you closer to the lead leg for the shot or just shake up your stand up game up so much, that its hard for your opponent to follow. UFC Champs TJ Dillashaw and Anderson Silva did this with so much ease it was practically poetry. Where standard fight theory states that your power hand stay in the rear... The OPPOSITE is true in knife fighting. If you are right handed... It is essential you stand in the South Paw stance. This is because your body needs to rest behind the blade, in order to avoid being cut by your opponent. Though my punches aren't has effective in this stance as they are in my standard stance... I am very comfortable in throwing jabs... and even some pretty devastating kicks.
2. Redirecting Motion
A major part of grabbing the clinch or even wrestling, is what feels like a deadly patty cake over fighting for superior hand position. Training drills for the knife plays out like a ballet of hand fighting. Treating the knife or hands as a dangerous blade, brings a new level of honesty to what can practically be applied to hand fighting.
In the video below, watch as we use a basic knife flow drill to redirect motion. The blade in this drill serves to keep us honest. With a Knife in hand, we wouldn't dare force an angle that doesn't come naturally. As long as we commit to treating the blade as dangerous, we can obtain an honest flow that manipulates body position.
3. Fakes and Misleads
Fakes, Faints and Misdirects bring your Kickboxing came to a whole 'nother level. You're opponent has a hard time distinguishing what is real, and thus should be taken seriously... And what is not. With over 20 years of teaching experience its difficult to this day getting students to properly chain fakes together. You have to be an "Actor"... because the attack has to look believable, AND you have to be a "Magician" in the way you use Slight of Hand to accomplish the REAL move.
Knife fighting is good for this kind of training because of the sheer number of times you use the concept in one round. Since the goal of fighting with the knife is to CUT without BEING CUT, the first thing you need to do is get passed your opponents knife. This takes a lot of Trickery.
Check out the two Photo Progressions below. In the first we Use the Upward Slash to clear the blade and take the Leg Cut. In the second we use the exact same concepts with empty hands, to complete a shot.
Step 1. Face off. Step 2. Clear Hand with Upward Slash
Step 3. Drop Elevation to Full Squat. Step 4. Slash Opponents Leg.
Step 1. Face Off. Step 2 Close Opponents Arms with an Uppercut Threat.
Step 3. Change Elevation. Step 4. Take Shot.
4. FootworkIn the previous Section we talked a bit about how having a knife in the way of getting to your opponent changes the game. Well the same concept applies here. In knife fighting... You can't take hits. Im most cases, in a knife fight, if you get hit... You're dead. This means to be an expert Knife Fighter you have to have a Firm Understanding of angles and footwork to get anywhere. You have to be an expert judge of distance to know exactly how far is needed to to cut and not be cut and you have to be fast and bouncy enough to get in... and get out clean.
Lyoto Machida was a master of this elusive style of fighting. Watch the Video below of the Cold Steel Challenge. And imagine how you can apply those angles to fighting!
By the way... The 2015 Cold Steel Challenge is Sept 26 at the Ventura County Fair Grounds... you can Enter >>HERE<<
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Sunday, September 20, 2015
Friday, September 18, 2015
The Art of Losing... How Participation Awards ROB your child of Life Lessons.
UPDATE: My School is Offering a Fall Special! 6 weeks for $69 and a FREE Uniform!
Details Here: http://www.olaskeyma.com/#!trial-offer/c2q4
As A Child, I was deathly afraid of losing. It wasn't so much the actually "Not Winning" I was worried about, I didn't like the idea of being confronted with the fact that I may not be as good as I envisioned myself to be. Additionally, I didn't like others to see for themselves that my talent might not be up to par with what they perceived.
As a result, I lived my life up to the age of 30 only half committing to anything I wanted. Whether it be my Job, My Relationship or straight down to my beloved hobby... The Martial Arts. I avoided competition in nearly all forms saying to myself:
"I can't lose if I don't play the game"
At 30 years old, a notion grabbed hold of me that only the milestone of age can bring. The concept that if I don't begin cage fighting NOW, I may never have the opportunity to experience it ever again. This fear of missing out on this experience luckily overwrote my fear of losing and I began the journey.
As of this writing, I am the Current Steelfist Welterweight Champion... With a Record of 5-2.
"My Two Loses... Are at Once Both
the Worst Experiences, And the Best Things
to have Ever Happened to Me."
And that is the point of this post. Losses are terrible experiences. There is no denying that. I almost feel that it is worse as a parent watching what failure does to our child, than it is for the child themselves. But just because something is difficult... Does not mean its our job to "Save them" from it.
My first loss in MMA was especially difficult. I was undefeated, soaring high in my self perceived value. I thought I was strong physically... and near unstoppable in all areas. And then THIS happened:
It was heart wrenching. I had everyone from family to students drive over 1000 miles to come an see me win this belt. We had planned an epic celebration weekend and in 10 minutes... it was ruined.
I thought I knew what sacrifice was... I thought I knew was Conditioning was... But I was proved to be wrong. In that moment, I knew if I wanted this, that I would have commit to putting myself in uncomfortable situations during my strength and conditioning courses.
Would that course adjustment and recommitment have happened had I been given a participation award? Furthermore, Would I have learned that lesson had I won?
In my second loss I was steadfast in displaying my commitment. I committed to a fight at 145lbs (Mind you I am the Current 170lbs Champion) The cut to make weight took nearly 24 hours to complete and was one of the more difficult things that I have accomplished. My previous lost taught me that if you want something... You have to bury your head and grind it out. I wrestled with people I was comfortable with, whom made me feel awesome and ready to take on the world... and then this happened:
The massive cut played a big role. But in this fight, I was dominated on the ground. When I wrestled in training, the constant fear of failure and being thought of as "not good" lead me to wrestle with people who didn't make me better as an athlete.
I was furious. In the weeks to come I became a different person. I contacted the Venue Myself and Demanded a title fight at Welterweight (A Weight Class I was still undefeated in). After that I Contacted Marc Brewer of University of Grappling in Lindon Utah (Link >>HERE<<). This particular gym is part of a camp that trains UFC Athletes, I was terrified.
Here I am... the Kid afraid to fail and in the following three month camp it was 3 hours a day 5 times a week of being thrown around and put on my ass. 3 hours a day of failing.
I was sore and sad most nights. I not only felt out of my league... I felt I sucked. There were some nights I came home holding back tears, Trying to convince myself it was due to the physical pain... Not the inner turmoil I was suffering.
Fight day came and I didn't feel much better. All this hardwork and sacrifice put even more pressure on me. If I felt bad about my losses before? How am I going to feel if I happens again? I remember that night in Salt Lake City. The winds were so bad it knocked out all the power in the City... the Venue was in a frenzy trying to restore it. I thought subtly in my head "If the power doesn't come back on... Then I don't have to fight... Maybe thats a good thing."
Sure enough an hour later the power kicked back on... we wrapped my hands and walked towards the cage, Brovado as false as I can muster it... and then this happened:
The point of this story is to express my honesty. I never would have learned what it took to be a Champion had I never lost that first fight. In fact, I probably never would have continued fighting.
"Because of my losses,
I learned Commitment.
I learned Sacrifice.
I learned how to take control
and demand what I was worth"
Participation awards do just the opposite. I wish I had the guts to have these experiences earlier in my youth... I'd likely be further along in life.
That is why at my Martial Arts Academy, There are no participation awards... there are no belts that will be awarded that a child didn't earn. Because I will not sacrifice teaching your child positive life skills... So that they can feel good about themselves for the next two hours. Click >>Here<< if you wish your child to join!
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Wednesday, September 16, 2015
I Was [[AMAZED!]] Science proves Your Fad Diet is LYING to you. Paleo, Low-Carb, Zone...
MMA Fighters like myself have to look at things skeptically... I may LIKE the idea of doing a BackFlip Kick and knocking out my opponent, But the likelihood of that happening is not a reality. As I grow in the sport and become more and more competitive I have learned to bring that skeptic mindset to my Nutrition and Weight Loss.
CEO Of Built Magazine, Andrew Riposta pretty much walked up to me and said the following meme:
And he was RIGHT. Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Found >>HERE<< for your reference) A Meta-Analysis of nearly 50 different Fad Diets found:
"The Main Factor to the Success
of these Diets was that each one
Restricted Calorie Intake
to about 1500 Calories a Day."
Basically, Fad Diets are just tricks to get people to reduce their Calorie Intake, Riposta Said. "Weight Loss is Simple... But it ain't Easy." He went on to explain that this is the reason he started his Fitness Website. The Laws of Physics are unavoidable, You need to Burn MORE Calories than you Ingest... We need to help people make better, Low Calorie decisions for them and their families.
"Adjusting the Proportion of Macronutrients
(fat, protein, carbohydrates)
Does Not seem to be Important for Weight Loss.
All that matters is Calorie Reduction."
By the Way. www.BuiltMag.com is Free to sign up for their mailing list. If you're at all Like me... You're Probably feeling a bit like this about now:
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
Monday, September 14, 2015
OPINION: Why we don't we see certain "Styles" in Sport MMA?
Whenever I think of styles in MMA I am reminded of an endeavor that was once made to breed a domesticated line of Foxes.
In Richard Dawkins Book "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence of Evolution" he describes that by the time Breeders successfully weeded out the unsavory "wild" mannerism the Fox... what they were left with was an animal nobody wanted. The ears got floppy, the body filled out, the coat color changed and the tail lost its fluff.
Basically, it looked exactly like any other dog... and nobody cared for it. Does this mean that the Fox wasn't there anymore? I don't think so. Just that when you want a Fox to be a Dog... It's going to look like a Dog.
I see martial arts styles a lot in the same way. When we cater any style to the sport of MMA, its going to transform it into something more applicable to that sport. Machida's Karate looks a lot different in the cage than it would in his Karate Dojo. Even the sport of BJJ doesn't get the luxury of as many submissions from the bottom due to strikes.
You can't fit a square peg into a round hole... If you wanna try, your going to have to shave off the sides of the peg to round it out. The RULES of MMA set the standard for what can be done in the cage. You ever see a fighter put his hand or knee down to the mat so he can't get kneed to the head? Take a few minutes to recover from a groin shot? These all alter the martial arts... forcing them to play by THEIR rules.
You take the ability to eye jab away all of the sudden 40% of all of Kung Fu is now rendered nil. Every time you make a "rule" you are shaving off a piece of the square peg... And now what used to be a square, fits easily into the hole.
The Problem with Sport MMA is that its a round hole... Just because a square doesn't quite fit... Doesn't mean its not a shape.
"Everyone is a genius. But if you
judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree,
it will live its whole life believing
that it is stupid." -Matthew Kelly
Mike O'Laskey is a Welterweight Champion MMA fighter and Owner of O'Laskey Martial Arts in Burbank, CA.
1312 W. Magnolia Blvd Burbank Ca
91506
818-480-7810
olaskeyma@gmail.com
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