The final four fighters in The Contender Asia semi-finals are:

Sean Wright – From Scotland, Sean Wright has been training in Muay Thai gyms in Bangkok and Chiang Mai in Thailand. He’s had some very successful Muay Thai fights in Thailand and, even though he was the last fighter picked for a team in the first episode of The Contender Asia, he’s shown everyone he really is a world class fighter.

John Wayne Parr – Probably the most famous farang (Western) Muay Thai fighter in the world, John Wayne Parr had an amazing fight against Zidov Dominik, to get through to the semi-finals. From Australia, John Wayne began fighting Muay Thai at the age of 11, and eventually moved to Thailand where he has lived and trained on and off for many years. He’s also an instructor at a top Australian Muay Thai gym. Along with Yodsaenklai of Thailand, he is expected to end up in the finale fight.

Yodsaenklai – Thai fighter Yodsaenklai is the favorite to win The Contender Asia’s first season final fight. He fought the other fighter from Thailand, Naruepol, to end up in the semi-finals. He has already beaten John Wayne Parr once, in 2005, to win the World Muay Thai 154lb division title so, in a finale fight between him and Parr, he is likely to be the favorite to win.

Dzhabar Askerov – currently lives in the United Arab Emirates and won his way into the semi-finals by knocking out Soren Mongkontong. He has trained in Russia and, although not the best fighter technically, he definitely dishes out some strong punches. If his fight against Mongkontong is anything to go by, his semi-finals fight could have some surprises.

With these four fighters in The Contender Asia’s final four, the semi-finals should be thrilling to watch. They will be played out in the next episode of The Contender Asia, with the finale held in Singapore on April 12th. This is The Contender Asia’s first season, but with such an exciting line up for the final four, this Muay Thai reality show is likely to be around for a long time.

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Also known around the globe as Thai Boxing, Muay Thai is a very old martial and self defense art that were utilized by warriors of Thailand. Their knees, their fists, feet, and elbows became known as the 8 deadly weapons of Muay Thai.

Nowadays, the popularity of this martial art spread all throughout the globe. Muay Thai is now used by United state’s Navy Seals, Thai Military, and even the CIA! Many other organizations and law enforcement groups have recognized the devastating and bone crushing blows that this self defense art that came all the way from Thailand offers. No Belts

Unlike other martial arts like Karate, Judo, etc. one doesn’t earn belts for increasing their skills and capabilities or for mastering more advanced techniques. Their technique and power is not tested by Kata’s or solo performances in front of the masters. They test it inside the ring.

Muay Thai practitioners are interested only in one belt – the championship belt of the martial arts competition that they joined.

Looking at the martial art more closely, it’s easy to see that these guys don’t care much about grappling or throwing their opponents out of the ring. Instead, they’re more interested in breaking your nose, ribs, and other bones with their crushing kicks, punches, and elbow strikes.

How come Muay Thai doesn’t use grappling?

The reason is simple – this martial art was developed with multiple attackers in mind. Think about it – how effective could you grappling skills be if there are 5, 8, or 10 attackers closing in on you? It’s better to take them down one by one and speedily with your fists, elbows, and legs. Weapons

Like most martial arts, Muay Thai also uses different weapons like swords, spears, sticks, and many others. If you come to battle with these weapons, you definitely don’t want to waste them by taking the battle to the grappling range or down to the ground.

If you want to use these weapons effectively, your movements should be lighting fast, hard, and very accurate…hitting the precise point in the opponent’s body.

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The first technique is the fakes, or feint attacks. This is very useful in the ring and deadly in the streets. In the ring, you don’t have to hit your opponent first to make him react to a feint attack. In street fighting however, you must hit him first. Hit him hard and fast, and if he survived your first attack, your second attack could be a feint followed by a counter. Examples of this would be (from a right stance) feint a left cross and throw a right hook to the body, then clinch and follow with a right knee. Throw a left round house kick, then feint the second round house kick twist your body counter clockwise to load up your left hand, jump up with your right foot and execute a super man punch. Feint a right foot jab and throw a left super man punch. Feint a right hook to the head and do an uppercut. Feint a body shot and do a head shot (either hand). Feint a high kick and do a low leg kick (either leg). The possibilities are endless!

The second technique is the draw in. In a draw in, you make your opponent believe that you forgot all about your defenses and put one of your hands down to chest level or open up your guard. But make sure you are at a right distance relative to his weapons when you’re doing this. You could do this by: Dropping your lead hand and timing your cross before he lands either a jab or a cross (when you do this, make sure you slip to the outside of his jab and to the inside of his cross), dropping your rear hand and timing a lead hook to his temple/jaw, leaning backward and executing timing a front/ rear foot jab (depending on distance), and again the possibilities are endless.

The third one is the clinch-push-attack technique. What is the clinch-push-attack technique? The clinch-push-attack technique is used when your opponent is to strong for your clinch game. At the moment he gets away from your clinch, push him away with either hand (only one hand please) and execute an attack relative to distance. If he is too close, throw a right/ left elbow. If he is too far, load up with the muay thai round kick to the thigh, body, or head. Hint: While he is off balance when he first gets away and is leaning forward, throw a round kick to the head. If he is leaning back throw one on the thigh. If he’s hands are flailing to get his balance, throw a round kick to the body.

This article is in its infancy and I will be posting more techniques as soon as I get back from training. Remember: I only post techniques that work for at least 15-20 different people. If a technique does not work, don’t throw it away like a scratch paper, vary your timing, distance, and positioning to make it work. And most importantly, do what works for you, but set it up to where the opponent does not know its coming.

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The angle bag or uppercut bag as it is sometimes called is much wider at the top than the bottom. The ledge in the middle allows you to practice uppercut punches which are essential to learn. Also you can still practice normal punches too like straights and jabs but they require more precision on this bag.

The speed bag is a very small punch bag designed to be hit by only one hand at a time and it’s used for practicing technique and rhythm (not power). This bag has to be mounted on the wall instead of the ceiling so there’s a bit more setup evolved.

If you have some money to spend then you may want to invest in a full leather bag. Full leather is much nicer to hit than vinyl in my opinion but it’s going to cost you maybe twice as much. However since it won’t damage your hands it could be worth it overall.

Sometimes people don’t want to have to drill holes in their wall in order to support the punch bag, which is understandable if you’re renting. Instead why not go for a free standing punch bag that comes with its own frame, this way you can put your punch bag wherever you want.

A wall mount bag isn’t exactly a punch bag in the traditional sense as it’s attached to the wall and doesn’t move. Boxers use it mostly to build up power as the bag will take whatever you throw at it, although you have to drill a lot of holes in your wall to mount it.

I hope this quick list of the main types of punch bag helps if you’re in the market for boxing equipment. Just remember to hit hard and keep going!

If you’re thinking about buying a free standing punch bag then stop by my new blog.

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We will wait and see if these disadvantages he was talking against Pacman will be a plus for them or he may be included in the list of the guys who just said the same thing but got frustrated in the end. Indeed, he answers that it will be a good fight. In this coming 23rd of October, the award winning documentary series that features different boxing events from HBO is back to feature once again the drama behind the action-packed fight of the year especially the WBC Super Welterweight Championship Pacquiao vs Margarito which will held on November 13, 2010 in Cowboys Stadium in Texas. There will be a 4 episodes of HBO Pacquiao/Margarito 24/7 which will be aired every other week starting on October 23,2010, Saturday.

Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is known to be a destructive fighter possessing both the speed and power that efficiently beaten a lot of fighters from different countries. In addition to it he is also a guy who has a determination to win every fight that he had played. His stamina at his age is great compared to a boxer with the same age. He loves to move on the right that’s why every moment of the way from round 1 to the last, Pacquiao give his fans a fight that will is very memorable for them watching it and it is also worth what they paid off. We have seen him evolve from being an orthodox, unscientific fighter to a more professional, scientific fighter through the effort of his coach Freddie Roach. This makes him the most dangerous boxer live today.

Here’s the complete schedule of the 24/7 which you can watch via HBO:

Episode Premiere- October 23 (Saturday)

Episode 2- October 30, 10:00-10:30pm (Saturday)

Episode 3- November 6, 10:45-11:15pm (Saturday)

Episode Finale- November 12, 9:30-10:00 (Friday)

I am a fan of a Pacquiao and Margarito showdown this November 13, 2010. I keep updating myself about Pacquiao vs Margarito Live Stream this coming November. Discover on how to watch Pacquiao vs Margarito Live Stream.

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This is a bit challenging but is all worth it once you have achieved that level to which you are prepared to be inside the ring and show what you’re made of.

Do some heat-ups. Training for boxing should usually commence with a ten to fifteen-minute heat-up session either within or outside the fitness center. Generally these warm-up workouts constitute cardio and muscle exercises. Cardio workout routines are intended sustain the appropriate flow of blood all over the boxer’s physique. On the other hand, warm-up muscle exercises are completed to loosen muscle tissue that are tightened thus preparing the physique to endure any kind of workout that entails contact with the entire body. Loosening the muscle tissues is also helpful in sustaining the body’s equilibrium in instances that the body requirements to carry heavy weights. Some heat-up workout routines contain dynamic stretching, calisthenics like squats, push-ups, sit-ups and pull-ups, and mobility drills.

Develop your power. Focusing on weight training can aid in creating a boxer’s strength. This can be done via compound movements like clean or press, deadlift and squat. Also be conscious with your body’s weak points to be ready to identify the appropriate accessory physical exercise in order to assist in the development of these weaknesses. Compound actions are also involved in instruction with the involvement of heavy weights ranging from 4-6 reps.

Metabolic pathways and core balance are important to be trained. Metabolic pathways are concerned with the areas within a boxer’s body that requirements much more power. By means of conditioning with anaerobic instruction, metabolic pathways are enhanced. One can do this by means of interval and circuit coaching. On the other hand, core balance workout routines ought to include actions on planks, back extensions and crunches.

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That opinion may have been justified many years ago when the legendary Gracie family first started The Ultimate Fighting Championship in the United States. At that time, the Gracie family believed their brand of martial arts dubbed Gracie Jiu-jitsu to be unbeatable. They were well known in Brazil for The Gracie Challenge. As the legend has it, one of Gracie Jiu-Jitsu’s originators, Hellio Gracie, often ran newspaper ads in Rio De Janeiro requesting anyone who wanted broken arms, legs and ribs to simply show up at his marital arts academy! They were obviously trying to prove a point.

Shortly after coming to the United States, one of Hellio’s many sons’, Rorion, sent shock waves through the mixed martial arts world by announcing he would fight any man to the death for $100,000 in an early 90’s magazine interview. Rorion was also the mastermind behind the original Ultimate Fighter Championship that pitted fighters from many different fighter styles against each other with basically no rules in a fenced-in “cage” called “the octagon.” The Graicies wanted to prove to the world their fighter style was the best. And after Rorion’s skinny little brother, Royce, quickly dismantled all his opponents – some out-weighing him by over 100 pounds – they had proven their point.

It didn’t take many of those “no rules” fighter tournaments before local governments stepped in and outlawed the event in most states. Since that time, however, that “shock event” has turned into a legitimate sport with sanctioning bodies and rules to protect the fighters. It has also attracted some of the best athletes in the world such as former professional football players, Olympic Gold Medalists in Wrestling and Judo, Professional boxers and many others. Because the fighters must be accomplished at so many different fighter arts and skills (Brazilian Jiujitsu, Kickboxing, Wrestling, Thai Boxing just to name a few), many think ultimate fighters are the ultimate athletes in the world.

Why am I telling you all this and what does it have to do with relieving back ache? As you can imagine, Ultimate Fighter also puts ultimate stress and strain on your back. These athletes are constantly picking up opponents, punching, kicking and twisting themselves into a pretzel. And because of that, back ache is common. So how do these fighters keep themselves training and fighter ache-free?

Here’s is how. During the final show in the second season of the hit Spike TV series “Ultimate Fighter,” the heavyweight winner, Rashad Evans, took the time to thank Chiropractic Care. This was for relieving his back pain and allowing him to fight that night! THIS WAS NOT A PAID ENDORSMENT! This was a testimonial to chiropractic care.

Even more amazing, Former Olympic Greco-Roman wrestler, Randy Cotour is the former heavyweight champion. What’s so amazing about that? He was over 45 years old! Whether you agree with this sport or not, can you imagine being in good enough physical condition to be able to step into a cage and fight another person… half your age? And not only that… be the best in the world? I have heard and read several interviews with Randy. What does he credit for his mind-boggling success and what seems to be his fountain of youth? He always mentions three things…1) Diet 2) Hard training 3) Chiropractic care

And listen to this little fact. Just about every ultimate fighter I looked into was under routine chiropractic care by skillful chiropractors. So what? You don’t know who any of the “ultimate fighters” are. I thought you might say that, so I’ve compiled a little list of athletes and celebrities you will recognize. All have the money and resources to choose any treatment their little heart’s desire. Yet, they all have chosen to be under Chiropractic care. They are Michael Jordan, Whitney Houston, Alec Baldwin, Richard Gere, Tiger Woods, Muhammad Ali, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Wayne Gretzky, Evander Holyfield, Rocky Marciano, Joe Montana, Sylvester Stallone, Robin Williams, Anthony Robbins, and more.

And this is a very small sample of the entire list I have put together. It’s really amazing. I wonder how many athletes and celebrities that get paid to endorse a drug or similar product were actually helped by Chiropractic or another alternative without the deep pocket to pay for testimonials. Who knows? I guess that’s a secret. To learn more about how chiropractic care can help you, contact New Century Spine Centers in San Diego.

Looking to find the best information on spinal decompression therapy, then visit www.BackCareTreatment.com to find the best advice on chiropractic for you.

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There was much concern prior to the fight about Pacquiaos ability to handle the naturally larger De La Hoyas strength and power. That concern was completely ill founded, and the reigning pound for pound king began to overwhelm De La Hoya from the opening round. Pacquiaos seemingly nonstop flurries of strikes began to show their effect on De La Hoyas face as his elusiveness made it impossible for his opponent to retaliate with any offense of his own.

As the fight progressed, it became nothing less than a one sided beating. His only effective flurry came in the 5th round, when he scored with a few solid body punches. It did little more than prolong the inevitable finish. Between the 7th and 8th round, trainer Nacho Berenstein told his fighter that he wasn’t going to let him stay out there and take a beating if he wasnt throwing punches. After the 8th round, Berenstein stopped the fight and Oscar smartly didn’t object to what was clearly the right decision.

De La Hoya displayed the class of a champion following the fight, as he deflected Larry Merchants pointed questions about his relatively low weight to keep the focus on Pacquaios masterful performance. He stopped short of retiring in the ring, but certainly sounded as if he were leaning in that direction as he observed:

“At this stage when you face someone like Pacquiao, it’s going to be a hard fight. I worked hard and trained really hard to get ready for this fight, but it’s a lot different story when you’re training than when you are actually in the ring. I just felt flat, like I didn’t have it. My heart still wants to fight, but when you physically don’t respond, you have to be smart.”

De La Hoyas post fight behavior should be required viewing for all aspiring prizefighters to learn how a champion carries himself with class, dignity and respect for the sport even in defeat. De La Hoya is an international superstar with a nine figure ATM balance; if he can be humble and gracious in this setting other fighters have no excuse for not being able to emulate his gentlemanly manners.

The most poignant moment came as De La Hoya prepared to leave the ring to allow Pacquiao to enjoy the glory he had earned. As De La Hoya gave him one last congratulatory hug, Pacquiao assured him that “You’re still my hero”.

To which the defeated Mexican warrior responded: “No, now you’re my hero.

Ross Everett is a freelance sports writer and respected authority on World Cup betting. His writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and sportsbook directory sites. He lives in Las Vegas with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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The mainstream sports media also likes to depict boxing as a repository of sleaze, but the reality is that more so than other sports ‘the sweet science’ cares about ‘how the game is played’. Boxing pundits place great emphasis on the competitive quality of a fight–great fights like the Morales-Barrera trilogy, Hagler-Hearns or Hagler-Leonard are considered such for the heart and resolve shown by the fighters, not because of who won. The 2004 fight between current ‘pound for pound’ king Manny Pacquaio and Juan Manuel Marquez is a perfect example–despite breathtaking action from start to finish the fight was ultimately ruled a draw.

Fighters can even be criticized for not having any losses on their record. While the highest level fighters like Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Rocky Marciano are certainly exceptions, an undefeated record can often suggest a poor level of opponent as much as it does fistic superiority. A glossy won/loss record alone isn’t enough to cement a legacy of greatness in the glorious history of boxing–that has to be earned inside the ring with heart, skill, toughness and character.

The true greats distinguish themselves both by how they ‘play the game’ as well as their championship accomplishments. Few fit that description more aptly than Mexican welterweight great Carlos Palomino. The native of Sonora, Mexico rose to prominence by holding the welterweight title during the late’70’s. During this time, he set a laudable example by becoming the first reigning world champion boxer to earn his college degree.

Palomino came to the United States when he was ten and, like many Mexican immigrants, started to train as a boxer during his teenage years. He displayed a good deal of skill at an early age, but delayed becoming a professional until after a 2 year stint in the Army where he was the All-Army Welterweight Champion. He also won the national AAU championship in’72 before turning pro later that year. He was brought along slowly and steadily despite a decision loss to Andy Price in’74. By the middle of the decade he had put himself into championship contention and finally won the title in June’76. Palomino scored a TKO victory over Englishman John Stracey in a very hostile environment (London, England) and became the WBC Welterweight Champion. He defended his title seven times over the next two years, before dropping the belt to a hall of fame level opponent in Wilfred Benitez in a split decision (January’79). He lost his next bout to another hall of fame fighter in Roberto Duran and decided to hang up his gloves. He made a short comeback in the late’90s, posting a 4-1 record before retiring for good.

After his boxing career ended, Palomino took on another challenge as an actor. He’s worked steadily both in movies and television, appearing in shows like “Taxi” and “Hill Street Blues” along with countless action films. He’s done a number of commercials, live theater work and has always devoted a lot of his time to charitable causes.

As a fighter, Palomino was much more technical and deliberate than the ‘blood and guts’ stereotype of a Mexican fighter. He had deceptive power, and a left hook that could end a fight, but would more often break his opponent down over the course of a fight with a punishing body attack and relentless pace. While he might not fit the mold established by men like Julio Cesar Chavez and Erik Morales, Palomino no doubt rates among them as one of the greatest fighters in the proud history of Mexican boxing legends.

Ross Everett is a widely published freelance sports writer and respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sports news and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former energy secretary Donald Hodell.

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Arguello is best known to fight fans for his epic battle in’82 with Aaron The Hawk Pryor when he moved up in weight after dominating at lighter weight classes. Though Arguello would lose via knockout (amid some controversy due to an apparent mystery drink offered to Pryor by his trainer Panama Lewis) it was a thrilling toe to toe battle that even the most knowledgeable boxing experts remember fondly to this day. Promoter Bob Arum offered these thoughts on Pryor/Arguello:

“It was a brutal, brutal fight. That was something I will never, ever forget as long as I live. That was one of the most memorable fights I ever did.”

While the first Pryor fight may have brought him the most mainstream notoriety, boxing cognoscenti are aware that Arguello is arguably the best lightweight and junior lightweight in the history of the sport. Arguello would end his career with an astounding 82-8 record with 65 knockouts and championships in three different weight classes.

Ironically, Arguellos career didn’t get off to a good start and he lost his debut in’68 via first round TKO. After that, he seldom lost again. He was at his best against his toughest adversaries including Ray Mancini, Bobby Chacon and Ruben Olivares. Bob Arum remembered him not only as a great fighter, but as a great man:

“Not only was he one of the greatest fighters I’ve ever seen, he was the most intelligent fighter. He was a ring tactician. Every move was thought out. And he was a wonderful, wonderful person.”

The articulate, intelligent Arguello was frequently quoted on the fight game and how champions should conduct themselves. Here, he speaks of his attitude toward his opponents:

“Of course after the fight you want to make sure that you’re okay and so is the other guy, its a brotherhood in there, so you want to make sure everyone is okay after the war is over.”

Arguello didnt fight for his first title until he’d had 58 fights, and would frequently admonish boxers who didn’t show the same respect for the sport or their status as champion:

“When you won that title you should know now that you are representing a whole country or nation with your actions and you are now in a glass house or under a microscope and you better be ready to make your people proud.”

Most importantly, Arguello loved boxing and sought to protect it from those who would undermine its greatness:

“I respect boxing because it has given me so much and thats why I will never allow anyone to mistreat the sport of boxing if I can help it.”

While the modest, dignified Arguello would never say it himself, that was for from a one sided debt–he also gave immeasurably to the sport of boxing with his grace, intelligence, talent and toughness.

Ross Everett is a freelance writer and highly respected authority on sports betting odds comparison. He writing has appeared on a variety of sports sites including sportsbooks and betting odds portal sites. He lives in Northern Nevada with three Jack Russell Terriers and an emu. He is currently working on an autobiography of former interior secretary James Watt.

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