Issue 044

December 2008

By Pete Irving.

Though Abdul Mohamed is best known for his unstoppable takedowns, in his clash with Ross Pointon at Cage Rage 21 he delivered a shocking KO with an unexpected and explosive spinning backfist. Peter Irving, pro MMA fighter and sparring partner of Mohamed, is joined by Marcelo ‘Torinho’, a BJJ world champion at only 17 years of age.

Step 1  Peter (black shirt) and Torinho (white shirt) square off. Peter is looking for a gap in Torinho’s guard behind his right hand.

Step 2  Pete steps in faking a left hook, but falls deliberately short.  

Step 3  Pete sweeps his back leg around and spins his head so as to reacquire his target.

Step 4  Pete whips his left arm around, connecting with Torinho’s jaw.

Step 5  Pete spins back the way he came, reversing the steps to return to a safe position. 

What happens when I drink an energy drink? 

Energy Drinks can improve performance, increase concentration and reaction speed, improve vigilance and stimulate metabolism Thet provide more energy than a typical soft drink.

You get a caffeine and sugar kick. The caffeine makes you feel alive and kicking by blocking the sleep-inducing chemical, adenosine, in your brain. Adrenaline takes the place of adenosine, giving you what is called a ‘caffeine jolt’. Another ingredient, glucuronolactone, improves short-term memory and concentration. The glucose and sucrose are sucked up by the brain for a fast energy boost, and pantothenol, one of the vitamins, improves your mood. A stimulant called ephedrine, present in some brands, may be bad news for your heart. This may be countered by taurine, which stabilises the heart rate, but such see-sawing too often is no good for your health.

It is recommended to drink one can of energy drink before the start of a concentration task, or the start of a race or game in sports. Since an energy drink has not been formulated to deliver re-hydration, we encourage people who engage in sports to also drink lots of water during intense exercise.