Some may say that yoga and swords don't really mesh but yoga can add enormous benefit to one's workout routine. Practicing yoga develops strength and endurance, enhances your focus, improves your balance and increases your performance in every aspect of your life. It works the whole body synergistically, working every joint, muscle and fiber improving all of your bodies functions. Several eastern martial arts that use swords also use some form of yoga , tai chi or stretching in their practices, Japanese Bushido, Kendo and Shaolin Kung Fu come to mind.
While strength is a major consideration in HEMA, especially with larger weapons like the Poleaxe or Montante, I would argue that speed and endurance are more important. With technique being equal, the faster swordsman will win. I mostly use yoga as either a cool down after kettlebells or bodyweight sets or to keep me active on rest days. If I hit the weights a little too hard and two days after I am still sore, a 20 minute session works out the kinks and I am ready to continue the next day.
Lastly I like how yoga aids my focus. I am fairly active, mentally, and that combines with a photographic memory my brain is like a web browser with about sixteen windows open all the time. Physical activity help settle this down to some degree and yoga aids this further. After a session I can focus better without so many mental distractions. I seem to be treading close to Kendo's Mokuso and that is exactly what I am looking for. Mental discipline is every bit as important as physical when it comes to HEMA or any martial art.
Thursday, February 25, 2016
Monday, February 8, 2016
Red Meat, Red Holiday
Valentine's Day is coming and I can think of no better way to impress your mate (girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband etc.) than cooking them a fancy dinner at home. Further more we fight with swords as a hobby so it only makes scene that the showpiece of such a meal be red meat.
But isn't steak bad for me you ask? Well, no and yes. I would like to state here for the record that my last check-up included praise from my doctor that my blood-work looked great and I should live for a very long time. Steak is made of animal muscle and absolutely nothing is better for rebuilding your muscle that breaks down when you workout than consuming the flesh of another animal.
But what about fat you ask? That's the tricky bit. The problem lies in that cows are mostly fed corn here in the US. The thing is that cows aren't designed to eat corn, they eat grass. When you feed cows corn then their Omega-6 fats increase and that is the bad fats, it also makes the poor cows sick so you need put medicines through them to keep them functioning, medicine that you will be ingesting secondarily. That's also bad.
If you stick to grass fed and grass finished beef then, guess what?, they have increased levels of Omega 3s, the healthy fats. Everyone goes on how wild salmon have healthy fats but if you let the cows eat what they are designed to eat it is the same thing for them! I will admit that is is more expensive than regular beef but ask yourself "How much does a heart attack cost?" or "What does an Ambulance Ride run me?" It's all about perspective.
Below is my go-to recipe for steak, beautiful in it's simplicity and essential sustenance for any swordsman or woman.
How Steak Should Be
Steak (Any good cut is fine. Rib, T-Bone, Sirloin, Tenderloin, etc. Grass fed and Grass finished)
Kosher Salt
Beef Tallow (Rendered fat)
Turn on your stove vent and crack a window. Then put a cast iron skillet over the top end of medium high and add the tallow. We are looking for an oil here that will take the high heat and have a neutral flavor, tallow works pretty well for this.
When the iron smokes, only then remove the steak from the fridge. Cold meat will stay rarer in the middle, and rare is good. Sprinkle lightly on one side of the steak with kosher salt- the flake shape of the salt sticks better to the meat.
Place the steak salt side down on the cast iron and don't touch it for three to four minutes. Flip the steak with tongs and again do not touch it for three minutes. Evacuate the steak to a platter and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
This produces a steak know as 'Black and Blue.' The outside should have a nice deep sear (especially on the salted side) and the center should be basically still raw. Because of this I do not recommend this style of steak to anyone pregnant, nursing, has a weakened immune system or is rather young. Additionally I would make sure the steak is fresh, good quality and from a reputable butcher. Use caution here because used improperly this recipe can make you ill. Good Luck.
But isn't steak bad for me you ask? Well, no and yes. I would like to state here for the record that my last check-up included praise from my doctor that my blood-work looked great and I should live for a very long time. Steak is made of animal muscle and absolutely nothing is better for rebuilding your muscle that breaks down when you workout than consuming the flesh of another animal.
But what about fat you ask? That's the tricky bit. The problem lies in that cows are mostly fed corn here in the US. The thing is that cows aren't designed to eat corn, they eat grass. When you feed cows corn then their Omega-6 fats increase and that is the bad fats, it also makes the poor cows sick so you need put medicines through them to keep them functioning, medicine that you will be ingesting secondarily. That's also bad.
If you stick to grass fed and grass finished beef then, guess what?, they have increased levels of Omega 3s, the healthy fats. Everyone goes on how wild salmon have healthy fats but if you let the cows eat what they are designed to eat it is the same thing for them! I will admit that is is more expensive than regular beef but ask yourself "How much does a heart attack cost?" or "What does an Ambulance Ride run me?" It's all about perspective.
Below is my go-to recipe for steak, beautiful in it's simplicity and essential sustenance for any swordsman or woman.
How Steak Should Be
Steak (Any good cut is fine. Rib, T-Bone, Sirloin, Tenderloin, etc. Grass fed and Grass finished)
Kosher Salt
Beef Tallow (Rendered fat)
Turn on your stove vent and crack a window. Then put a cast iron skillet over the top end of medium high and add the tallow. We are looking for an oil here that will take the high heat and have a neutral flavor, tallow works pretty well for this.
When the iron smokes, only then remove the steak from the fridge. Cold meat will stay rarer in the middle, and rare is good. Sprinkle lightly on one side of the steak with kosher salt- the flake shape of the salt sticks better to the meat.
Place the steak salt side down on the cast iron and don't touch it for three to four minutes. Flip the steak with tongs and again do not touch it for three minutes. Evacuate the steak to a platter and allow it to rest for 5-10 minutes before cutting.
This produces a steak know as 'Black and Blue.' The outside should have a nice deep sear (especially on the salted side) and the center should be basically still raw. Because of this I do not recommend this style of steak to anyone pregnant, nursing, has a weakened immune system or is rather young. Additionally I would make sure the steak is fresh, good quality and from a reputable butcher. Use caution here because used improperly this recipe can make you ill. Good Luck.
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