Tag: mixed martial arts

Boost Your Martial Arts Performance with Military Style Workouts

Posted on | by Team Tooke | Leave a Comment on Boost Your Martial Arts Performance with Military Style Workouts

 

 

If you want to take your martial arts performance to the next level, you may want to consider adding military-style workouts to your routine. Military style workouts, often referred to as calisthenics, are a great way to increase strength, endurance and flexibility – all of which are essential for martial artists. Let’s take a look at why calisthenics can be such an effective addition to any martial artist’s training regimen.

Increased Strength and Power

Military style workouts focus on building strength and power in the body’s major muscle groups. This kind of training is great for martial artists because it helps them become stronger, faster and more agile. Calisthenics exercises like push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups and burpees are all excellent ways to build strength and power in the body’s core muscles – which are essential for martial arts techniques.

Improved Endurance

Calisthenics also help improve endurance by focusing on cardiovascular exercise. Exercises like jump rope, running in place and high intensity interval training (HIIT) help improve the body’s ability to perform at a high level for extended periods of time. This kind of endurance is essential for martial artists who need to be able to go full force during sparring or grappling sessions without tiring out too quickly.

Increased Flexibility

Flexibility is also important for martial artists as it allows them to perform more dynamic techniques with greater precision. Stretching exercises like yoga are great for increasing flexibility in the body’s major joints – including the hips, shoulders and spine – which can lead to improved performance in the ring or cage. Additionally, stretching can help reduce soreness after a hard workout by loosening tight muscles that could otherwise restrict movement or cause injury over time.

Conclusion: If you’re looking for a way to boost your martial arts performance, adding military style workouts into your routine is a great place to start! Not only will these exercises help you become stronger and more powerful but they can also increase endurance and flexibility – both of which are essential elements of any successful martial artist! So if you’re ready to take your game up a notch, give calisthenics a try today! You won’t regret it!

Travis Tooke Family Pic

I’m Turning 40!

Posted on | by Team Tooke | Leave a Comment on I’m Turning 40!

What I have learned over the years

Tomorrow I turn 40 years young. In many ways it’s hard to believe. I remember as a young man thinking how “old” 40 was. I also recall this idea that whenever I eventually reach that age, I would be wise and mature with answers to all of life’s problems. Well, I may have overestimated my abilities. I have so many more questions about life than I do answers. I’m hardly the Yoda like entity of wisdom that I once imagined and my corny/inappropriate sense of humor would suggest that I’m far from mature. I still have a long way to go and much to learn, but I have gathered a few ideas along the way that I’d like to share with you.

Exercise Every Day

I currently exercise much more now than I ever did in my younger years. This daily ritual has been paramount in keeping me young both in body and mind. While some of my training has been tapered to work around a few nagging injuries, I am more physically active than ever before. I run, lift weights, do calisthenics, yoga, and, of course, Jiu-jitsu 1-2 times daily. This weekly routine has kept me going strong and is the most important part of my mental health. You don’t have to train like an olympic athlete and run yourself into the ground. But an ‘intensity appropriate’ exercise session every day will improve the quality of your life in a way that is second to none. And if you are not currently a Jiu-jitsu student…WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?

Read More Books

Here’s something you may not know about me. I was a slightly below average student throughout my school years (which didn’t include any college). I hated to study and I absolutely dreaded reading assignments. These days, I read about 3-4 books every month. Reading (or audiobook listening) helps me see the world through a fresh new lens every week. It is nearly impossible for life to become dull while in the process of learning some new and exciting. While writing this, I was coming up with dozens of ideas about what I’ve learned over the years and I realized that the majority of my education and knowledge has come from books.  I’m enjoying the process as much as I did when I really upped my reading game over 20 years ago. Even if I lived another 1,000 years I still would never get to read everything about all the fascinating aspects of life. That fact alone is humbling and fascinating (actually, I bet there’s a book written about that very topic). I equate the ongoing education I receive from books to that of martial arts training. Both are incredible journeys, filled with adventure and unending knowledge.

Less Social Media, More Time With Friends, Family and Nature

I love posting on Instagram and Facebook about the exciting news happening here at the school. Recently, I had the honor to promote 6 new Black Belts! I was sharing stories and posts while tagging everyone and keeping the celebration going strong. Social media can be a great way to connect and share memories and events with the people you love. But there is a catch. And when I say “catch”, I mean a destructive and addictive force that causes anxiety, depression, FOMO (fear of missing out), envy, anger and negative thoughts that pile on to one another in a vicious that won’t end because you can’t stop from scrolling down to read the comments or see just how perfect everyone’s life is but your own!!! Am I exaggerating? For some, yes. For others, I barely scratched the surface on how much of a negative impact social media/their smart phones have had on their mental well being. Now, I don’t want to bash smart phones all together. Suffice to say, there was probably a pretty good reason why Steve Jobs wouldn’t let his own kids have IPads. But here’s a bit of advice…Never start your day or end your day on your phone. Before you go to bed, put your phone just out of reach. You can keep it close enough to hear your alarm, but far enough that you cannot reach it without getting out of bed. When you wake in the morning, drink some water, stretch your body, do some deep breathing but leave your phone alone. After you have completed this ritual…wait 5 more minutes, it won’t kill you. When you inevitably return to the dark world of smart phone addiction, see if you can refrain from checking it every 45 seconds. This can be difficult, especially when it’s buzzing with alerts and notifications! Those are so exciting, aren’t they!?! Here’s an idea, the next time you go to the bathroom (number 2 lol), leave your phone! I know, I know…you never do that, right? 😳

Sorry, that was a long “smart phone” rant. I think that’s what you would call “Projecting” as I feel that I’m giving this advice to myself. Once you have curbed your smart phone addiction, call an old (or new) friend, family member or loved one and go hiking in the woods together and keep your phones on airplane mode. If a mountain hiking adventure isn’t doable, your local park will suffice. Spending time in nature is good for the soul and spending actual time with actual people is what humans are wired to do. We need to be directly connected with the ones we love and we need to connect with the natural world.

I am always learning and my views on politics, religion, jiu-jitsu and the Corona virus might change from one week to the next. But when I push my body to sweat, learn something new and exciting, and connect with my fellow humans and the natural world we all share, I am right where I need to be. I believe these ideas are true and I hope you share this view. Thanks for reading. Happy Birthday to Me!

 

 

 

Travis Tooke

7 Ways to Guarantee an Unhappy Life

Posted on | by Team Tooke | Leave a Comment on 7 Ways to Guarantee an Unhappy Life

7 Ways to Guarantee an Unhappy Life

We spend a great amount of our time and energy longing for happiness and meaning. There is no perfect formula for everyone and we must all balance our opportunities and experiences with who we are as individuals. Knowing this is often not enough and finding true meaning can still elude even those of us with the best intentions. In this short blog I’d like to reverse engineer this existential dilemma and talk about how to have an unhappy life. Perhaps by identifying what makes us unhappy we can become more aware on what NOT to do. Below is a list of 7 ways to guarantee an unhappy life:

  1. Blame others for your hardships
  2. Lie to yourself and to others
  3. Rely on other people to give your life meaning and value
  4. Take any and all blessings for granted
  5. Take the easy route and avoid hard work
  6. Believe that you have learned all that you need to learn
  7. Accept the unfairness of the world as your destiny

Wow, that was hard to write. But maybe the message hits home in a unique way that will be better remembered. Now that we’ve identified 7 tried and true ways to guarantee an unhappy life, let’s explore 7 alternative choices that might bring about a more meaningful and happy life:

  1. Accept responsibility for where you are in life and where you go moving forward
  2. Be impeccable with your word
  3. Acquire the skills needed to lead the life you wish to lead
  4. Practice and express gratitude often
  5. Work harder than you ever thought possible
  6. Keep an open mind and learn new things every day
  7. Create your own destiny by applying yourself and working daily toward a better future

While ladder list may be more familiar to you, my goal here is that the contrast between the two will give you a different perspective as to how these ideas can help you. Instead of simply recognizing the truth of the positive list, a better task might be to ask yourself how often you are guilty of items from the first list. We all are at times and this can be a harder pill to swallow. But if we can manage to face our shortcomings, we can move forward and get back to the task of living a more meaningful and happy life!

 

Professor Travis Tooke

Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts Academy

Warrior Crucible

Warrior Crucible at Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts

Posted on | by Team Tooke | Leave a Comment on Warrior Crucible at Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts

Warrior Crucible

Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts Academy is preparing for the next installment of the Warrior Crucible. The Warrior Crucible is a 12+ hour martial arts military style event designed to test the stamina, character and inner spirit of all participants. Novice athletes and beginner level martial arts students should consider doing the course only when they have received a higher level of physical stamina. The program is quite grueling at times and students need to be well prepared for about 2 week’s worth of workouts packed into a single day! The event consists of:

 

  • Teamwork Skills
  • Leadership Development
  • Martial Arts Conditioning Drills
  • Endurance Training
  • Focused Breathing Techniques
  • Mobility Practice
  • Goal Setting Class
  • Emotional Resilience
  • Mental Toughness Training

The event is part of the Team Tooke Martial Arts Leadership Program which combines martial arts technical skills with character enrichment, goal setting and teamwork. The event will be lead by Team Tooke owner and 4th degree Brazilian Jiu-jitsu black belt Travis Tooke. It was inspired by his participation in a Navy Seal prep course called Sealfit. Professor Travis was so inspired by his experience that he decided to create a version of the same type of training for his students at Team Tooke. This latest edition will be the 5th installment of the Warrior Crucible. Students who wish to participate should arrive well rested, hydrated, injury free and physically prepared. In addition to the exhausting fitness and martial arts challenges, there are also visualization exercises, deep breathing practices and fun, yet exhausting games. Those who complete the course can expect to walk away with a sense of gratitude and personal achievement that few will ever experience.

Perspective

Posted on | by Team Tooke | Leave a Comment on Perspective

Putting Things Into Proper Perspective

2020 has been an incredibly challenging year for the whole planet. Covid-19 threw a wrench into everyone’s plans, goals and dreams for the year. And while a few people may have struck it rich in the stock market, the rest of the planet was busy dealing with job losses, shutdowns, sickness and even the death of loved ones. Add to that a presidential election that has stirred up more controversy and division than any in recent history. The combination was enough to drive stable, mild mannered people over the edge. Here in Texas, small businesses like mine have been lucky in the sense that our mandatory shutdown was short lived and we were able to reopen in a relatively short amount of time. But that does not mean we were without struggle. I know of several martial arts schools that had to shut down as a direct result of Covid. During struggles like this, perspective is key. Just a few weeks ago, I found myself mildly depressed. November and December were slow months in terms of the schools growth. And, with my recent bicep surgery and not being able to train as much or compete in the upcoming Jiu-jitsu Master Worlds, I was starting to feel a little bit like Scrooge.

The Unexpected

Although I was feeling a little grumpier than usual, I was excited to get our team ready to compete in the IBJJF Jiu-jitsu Master World Championships in Kissimmee, FL. In preparation for the final week of training, the competitors were focused and working their drills, positional sparring and final game plans. Jack Moores (Team Tooke purple belt, coach and competitor) was among the students registered to compete. He had a great practice Monday morning, and left the school in great shape ready to compete just a few days later. Later that day I received the news that Jack had suffered a stroke, was in the ICU and no one knowing whether we would ever see him again. Coach Jack is fairly young, in amazing shape and has no personal or family history of stroke. To put it mildly, we were shocked. I’m thankful that as of today, Jack is doing great and has made a fantastic recovery. He plans to slowly return to training and exercise within just a couple of months. When I heard about Jack I almost immediately felt 2 different emotions and lost another one. The first was sadness. I felt sad for my dear friend. I felt sad for his family. Jack is one of the hardest working and most reliable people I have had the honor to call a friend and the last person who deserves this misfortune. The second emotion was gratitude. I started to really think about how lucky our team and I have been to have Jack in our lives. I really believe that he gets more satisfaction from helping friends than anyone I know. The last emotion I felt was guilt. I had allowed a lackluster couple of weeks and a hurt bicep to really impact my mood. I can only imagine what a real problem (like a stroke) might have done.

It Takes Effort

Gratitude for our health, our family, our career…our lives all require practice. These things should make us feel happy, grateful and ecstatic from the time we open our eyes until the minute we close them. But we simply aren’t wired that way. Gratitude requires effort and we must practice it daily. Today I am grateful that Jack is doing much better. I am grateful that I have friends and students I absolutely love. I’m grateful for my strong health and for for my wonderful family. And I’m grateful for this very moment where I am free to share my thoughts, ideas and feelings without prejudice.

I hope you will take some time today and each morning to focus on how wonderful your life is (or can be), when you keep it in its proper perspective

 

Travis Tooke

Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts

www.TeamTooke.com

www.TravisTooke.com

Torres Jiu-jitsu Academy

Torres Jiu-jitsu Grand Opening

Posted on | by Team Tooke | Leave a Comment on Torres Jiu-jitsu Grand Opening

Torres Jiu-jitsu Grand Opening in Spring, TX

On Saturday, November 7th, Team Tooke Jiu-jitsu Black Belt Michael Torres celebrated his Grand Opening. Professor Mike started his school similar to Professor Travis Tooke, in a very small location! As he grew, he was forced to find a location that could support his larger student base. The growing pains of the martial arts business world are as difficult as any other business and more so than most. The road to black belt is long and arduous. Add on top of that a nationwide pandemic, being a full time instructor, business owner and new father, Professor Michael Torres has his hands full. But Mike has within him the martial arts spirit ad the dedication and discipline to succeed. That is why Torres Jiu-jitsu in Spring, TX will quickly become one of the top Jiu-jitsu academies in the greater Houston area.

Special Offer for New Spring Jiu-jitsu Students

Anyone in the Spring, TX area looking to learn realistic self defense and Jiu-jitsu should be sure to visit Torres Jiu-jitsu for a limited time introductory offer. Classes are available for kids, adults and families. Contact them today to find out why Torres Jiu-jitsu is the number one Jiu-jitsu academy in Spring, TX

 

Travis Tooke

Team Tooke Mixed Martial Arts

10111 Grant Rd Suite R

Houston, TX 77070

www.TeamTooke.com

Warrior Crucible

Outperform Your Old Self

Posted on | by Team Tooke | Leave a Comment on Outperform Your Old Self

Competing with Yourself

In the competitive world we live in it seems that winning against our competitors is a high priority. In Brazilian Jiu-jitsu, 2 athletes start a match but only one will be declared the victor. In team sports, 2 teams play but only one wins. It seems simple enough and the stakes are often so high that there seems to be little room for extra competition. But competing against others only shows you that you’re doing better than someone else. It doesn’t necessarily tell you that you  have improved a great deal. Working to outperform your old self is actually the best indicator of progress. As a Jiu-jitsu instructor I still enjoy the challenge of competition. But I only compete a handful of times per year. The majority of my time is spent teaching and training with my students. Since I have years, and sometimes decades, more experience than many of my students, I don’t always try to just win match after match as fast as possible. That wouldn’t teach me anything or tell me that I’m progressing. It also wouldn’t be too fun for the beginner level student. Rather, I challenger myself to work out of bad positions, limit myself to only one or 2 submissions that I’m allowed to use. This type of training forces me to grow and it’s a better learning experience for the student as well.

Why Compete with Yourself

Here a re a few ways that you can work to outperform your old self on a weekly basis. To start, remember that comparing yourself to those who are operating beneath your level might boost your ego but it won’t grow your skill. And comparing yourself to those who are operating above your level will slash your confidence and demotivate you. Competing against your old self will drive progress and growth. Competition among others is natural and can be helpful but only when you find a competitor that drives you to be better. When the sole focus is to beat a specific person or drag them down, you can only stop them from winning. But you will still lose in the long run. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely LOVE competition! I believe that the intense training, visualizing, nervous energy and focus that makes up  competition camp is a very good thing. And, competition goals and events will certainly fuel growth. I’m just saying that by itself, it’s not enough. You have to keep beating your old self.  You must always be working to improve, even with age. Your physicality may slow over time, but your comprehension and control can increase long beyond your physical prime. Not only will this way of training help you improve at the fastest level, but you will enjoy the process so much more.