How To Make Ghee

Ghee, or clarified butter, is common in Indian and other cooking and can be used to saute foods or can be eaten plain for nourishment.

Here are the steps for a simple method of making ghee:

1. In a pot on the stove, boil up a bunch of unsalted butter on medium to medium high heat. Bring to a bubbling boil. Use a good quality butter.
2. Once the boiling (bubbling) slows you will notice that the butter solids have settled to the bottom and a froth is floating on top. The clear yellow amber liquid inbetween is what you want. It will smell like freshly baked croissant or the best gourmet popcorn you have ever smelled.
3. After about 15 to 20 minutes of bubbling turn off the burner and let the pot cool for about 10 minutes. Then pour the ghee through a cheesecloth into another pot (not plastic). Leave the bottom sediment in the original pot. You make strain through cheesecloth a second time if desired.
4. Pour the liquid (ghee) into jars with lids. Refrigerate. Well prepared ghee does not require refrigeration. Ghee can last up to a year. So make enough to last a while.

Ghee tastes better than plain butter and is more pure and healthy. You can use it for scrambling eggs, cooking meats and vegetables, as a spread, as a dip, or anything else that would be done with butter. It will supply you with much needed nutritious healthy fats.

The Long Jump of the Ancient Greeks

The ancient Greeks were fanatics about fitness. The result of their lifestyle can be seen in statues from the period. Our modern day term "gym" comes from the term "gymnasium" which is the name of a training area in ancient Greece. The root of the word comes from "gymna", to be naked. Yes, the ancient Greeks trained naked, but I wouldn't recommend it in our modern times.

Greeks of the time did many forms of training- running, swimming, bodyweight exercise, weight lifting, throwing, jumping, wrestling, and a brutal fighting called Pankration.

The long jump was an important exercise in ancient Greece and can be seen in many paintings of the time and itself was a competition in the ancient Olympics. The long jump was (and still is) a phenomenal leg builder. It can be done with or without small weights in each hand. The ancient stone hand weights in the picture above are called "haltares".

To perform a static long jump you first squat down and throw your arms back, then swing the arms forward and jump as high and as far forward as possible using the forward arm swing as assistance with forward propulsion. Small weights will add to the forward momentum. You then land gently into a squat. This can be repeated in a continuous fashion. Like a kangaroo. This will cook your legs and develop excellent power.

“No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training…what a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
~Socrates

Book: Hagakure- The Book of The Samurai

The Samurai of Japan possessed incredible mental focus and can be a fascinating subject to study. The mindset and way of the Samurai (Bushido) is still used today in everything from martial arts to business.

"Hagakure" is a compilation of the teachings of Yamomoto Tsunetomo, a formidable Samurai in the late 1600s. After a lifetime of service, he became a hermit monk and changed his name to Yamamoto Jocho.

Here is a link to a free copy of Hagakure or you can purchase a hard copy below.

"There is something to be learned from a rainstorm. When meeting with a sudden shower, you try not to get wet and run quickly along the road. But doing such things as passing under the eaves of houses, you still get wet. When you are resolved from the beginning, you will not be perplexed, though you will still get the same soaking. This understanding extends to everything."
~Yamamoto Tsunetomo

The Hindu Pushup

The Hindu Pushup, known in India as "Dand", is a very misunderstood exercise. In fact, I searched the internet for a video of a good example and all I found were experts that have poor form. Here is a description and video of the exercise.

First it is important to master both the start position and the end position. These are both variations of Downward Facing Dog "Adho Mukha Svanasana" and Upward Facing Dog "Urdvha Mukha Svanasana" found in Yoga. It is important to get the full range of motion stretch and to execute it with relaxed strength. I know the term "relaxed strength" sounds like an oxymoron, but if you fight this exercise it will fight you back! The chest glides past the floor (or board) at the bottom position by an inch. You must get as close to the floor (or board) as possible without touching it. The board makes the arch of the pushups greater. Hindu Pushups can be done with the hands on the floor, on a traditional pushup board (shown in video), or on pushup handles. You will notice the deep breathing in the video. It is essential to breathe deeply with the exercise. Another very important point is to NOT flare the elbows out. This is usually done by beginners as a compensation but can lead to a gleno-humeral joint injury, so keep the elbows reasonable close to the body throughout the movement. At first you may not be able to do very many. Start by building up to 25, then 50, then 100, then 250, and beyond. Please note that this is not a Divebomber Pushup. This is a smooth flowing circular rhythmic pushup designed for high repetition.When done correctly, the Hindu Pushup is very hard, so if it is easy your form is lacking somewhere.

Some people will lack strength or flexibility for a full Hindu Pushup. Below is a 4 step variation that will help increase strength and flexibility to build up to a full Hindu Pushup. There are four positions for this- 1. back (start), 2. straight. 3. lower. 4. arch. There are two breaths- in, out, in, out. You may also reverse the order of the breathing.

For a further regression, to build the strength and flexibility needed, a straight arm bending pushup variation can be used to really work the range of motion. This is basically a Hindu Pushup with no dip or bending in the arms.

Chanko-nabe

This is an article about Chanko-nabe, a quick nutritious communal food eaten by Sumo wrestlers, grapplers, and martial artists in Japan.

Chanko Nabe, Sumo Stew

The More You Know, The Less You Know

Knowledge is interesting. Every person on Earth has more knowledge about something than every other person on Earth, regardless of how insignificant that knowledge may or may not be.

One thing is certain, that the amount of things to learn grows exponentially every day. Therefore "potential knowledge" is limitless, and from a human perspective is only as limited as our mind and our ability to comprehend.

Since knowledge is expanding and far greater than the human mind or all of the minds of humanity combined can ever comprehend, knowledge can be viewed as squares on an infinite chessboard.

Suppose a person possesses four squares worth of knowledge, the surrounding twelve squares is the amount of immediate knowledge that the person is currently ignorant of. If this person studies and experiences life to gain greater knowledge, they have then expanded their knowledge to the twelve previously unknown surrounding squares and now their knowledge encompasses sixteen total squares. Now this person has greater knowledge, but now there are twenty squares of yet to be tapped knowledge surrounding this persons current knowledge. So technically, the more he or she knows, the more they have to learn, and expanding knowledge can lead to greater knowledge with effort, or it can stall with effort. Much like an airplane can accelerate with effort, or crash and burn with effort, or it can crash and burn with not enough effort. The expansion on the infinite chessboard of knowledge can continue to the limits of the mind, or it can stay limited and keep the mind ignorant. The more you know, the less you know, but the more you know, the more there is to learn.

Expansion, elevation, enlightenment are the ways to knowing less. Knowing less is to know more.

Here is a link to www.chess.com to give you something to do while thinking about how much you don't know. Ignorance is only an untapped resource. Time to drill!

"The more I learn, the more I learn how little I know."
~Socrates

Superathlete: Eddy Weicz Carpentier

This is a special article about wrestler Edouard Weicz Carpentier written by his student Kris Iatskevich. Thank you Kris for this amazing article!

October 30th 2010, early Saturday morning ,my wife Isabelle phoned my Coach Edouard Carpentier to make plans for us to go over and work out some details for future projects regarding CACC. He asked her to call back the following Monday to make arrangements. Unfortunately he died of heart failure that same day.
The following Monday I was called by one of his close friends and asked if I'd be willing to read at his wake. I gave it some thought and eventually agreed.

Sitting in front of my blank computer screen, I pondered how to start writing his eulogy. Naturally, the obvious came to mind.
Edouard Ignacz Weiczorkiewicz was born in Roanne, Loire, France,on July 17th 1926
His father, a Russian immigrant, was a local innkeeper. His mother was Polish.
naturally gifted for sports,he had started as a boy practising gymnastics, wrestling,boxing and Savate. Edouard grew up in France during the Nazi occupation of that country. As a teenage boy he was a fighting member of the Underground, the famous French Resistance during World War II. His bravery and fighting skill was heroic enough to be later recognized by France.

He was captured by the invaders at age 16 and escaped being taken a prisoner of the Nazis and sent to one of their concentration camps. Joining the Resistance, he distinguished himself well enough to be decorated for bravery. For his efforts, he was the recipient of both the Croix des combatants (Combatant Cross) and Croix de Guerre (cross of war) medals. Edouard received them from the French government at the end of the war.His bravery went far beyond the ring, he was a real life decorated hero!

After the war, he resumed training in his favourite sports. Making his way to the national team in gymnastics and serving as an alternate on the wrestling team.
He would eventually represent France at the '48 and '52 Olympics.

Soon after,Edouard landed a job as a stunt man,where actor and wrestler Lino Ventura,impressed by Edouards athleticism and fighting skills proposed he try his hand at pro wrestling.

The next day Edouard made his way to the gym where the resident wrestler proceeded to,as Eddy told me ''me botter le derriere pendant des heures'' translated ''kicked my ass for hours''. The next day he went back,with the same outcome.He did this till finally they started actually showing him stuff.He was introduced to catch by the likes of Felix Miquet and Charles Rigoulot.

One thing that always comes up during conversations about Eddy was his phenomenal athleticism. When I met him around 1996,Eddy was then 70 years old.Every morning he would run with his German Shepard up the mount royal in Montreal,before heading to the gym where he would teach young wrestling hopefuls.
If you've never seen the mount Royal,trust me,it is no small feat making it to the top. He once told me how Karl Gotch and himself would climb up the side of that very mountain.
One man would load the other onto his shoulders and would walk up the wooden steps leading to the top.They would jog briskly down,then the other man would have a go at it.


Eddy made the acquaintance of Karl in Europe while Gotch (real name Istaz) was Working under the alias ''Karl Krauser''.
Being the European champion at that time, Edouard (who wrestled under the name Wiecz), soon left for Canada for a new career as Edouard Carpentier (in honour of his boxing coach George Carpentier)
Gotch kept in touch with Carpentier, and in 1959, accepted Carpentier’s invitation to come to Quebec and work for promoter Eddie Quinn.
Eddy picked up a lot technically from Karl and put him at the top as one of the most technical wrestlers he had met along with Lou Thesz.

The first time I mentioned Karl Gotch to Eddy was after a particularly gruelling handstand workout he had us do after our wrestling practice. We were down in the basement gym.The mats in the basement room were very thin and laid directly on concrete so breakfalls were particularly rough (It gave you a better understanding and appreciation for dominant top game strategies). After having done many front and reverse handstand routines, we started casually talking about his career and the people he met.So I asked him ''Have you ever met Karl Gotch'' ? ''Karl Istaz'' he responded...''No'' I replied ''Karl Gotch''. ''Exactly'' he said '' Karl Istaz''...
Now, given his age at the time, I thought maybe his memory was going. Noticing my confusion he added ''His real name is Karl Istaz,and he lived with my wife and I for some time when I invited him over to Canada''
He then went on telling stories about their gruelling workouts together.One thing that stood out was a story about how many wrestlers refused to be on the receiving end of Karl’s famous supplex,afraid they would get injured.So Karl, to demonstrate how ''safe'' it all was, would get behind Eddy (or anyone else brave enough to play along) and hit the supplex so slowly that he would gently deposit you on the dressing room floor.


Along with the Handstand workouts Eddy would have us perform,there also was Calisthenics, Hindu Squats, Hindu Push ups and Bridging exercises. One particular training we would do required a tire.
Eddy took us out to the park which was right across the street from our gym and brought a big ol’ car tire with him.The exercise consisted of throwing the tire as far as possible,sprint to it then throw it back.
We would perform 3 min rounds like that.The throws consisted of side throws , over the head throws (basically the move consisted of a power clean and a overhead throw) then we was the reverse overhead throws.

As far as Wrestling skills went,Eddy emphasized strong basics and drills.Everything was about repetition,making the movements as effortless,natural and fluid as possible.
He also,along with one of his assistants Tito Senza,introduced us to a more rugged form of wrestling.Most set ups were anything but nice.Leaving the gym battered and bruised was the norm,and contrarily to the general attitude these days where inflicting pain is frowned upon,we took pride in being tough and being able to take as much as we gave.

Eddy often spoke and had a profound respect for the technical skills of Yvon Robert,especially his famous ''clé de bras Japonaise'' a particularly brutal rolling short arm scissor. Robert is the man who brought Edouard to Quebec from Europe. Yvon Robert was a student of Emil Maupas a French Greco wrestler who,after honing his skills with the likes of Martin Farmer Burns,operated a wrestling school in the Laurentians. There was also Henri Deglane who greatly impressed Eddy. French born Deglane was a gold medallist in Greco Roman wrestling at the '24 Olympics before switching to Catch.
Deglane moved to Montreal in the 30' and lived there until his passing in 1975. Eddy never missed an opportunity to bring other wresters to come and teach their specialty techniques.Yvon Robert jr came in one day to teach us his father' trademark short arm scissor. Bob Langevin,another student of maupas,came to teach us some very intricate leg rides.These sessions were pure gold for guys like myself who wanted to learn as much as possible about the old school style of submission wrestling.
Yoga was also part of our training regime. being a powerlifter for years, I was sceptical about this new form of training.the gymnastics based movements,calisthenics Yoga etc. But soon came to realize it made me better aware of my own body and movements. Also,for the first time in years,my joints didn't kill me anymore and suddenly I became much more mobile.


Although I never once heard Eddy speak ill of anyone,in return many of his peers didn't have as much scruples. Eddy wasn't universally loved, in part because of his moody, loner personality, but also because of the challenges of working with him.
To the press, he was always gracious, extremely nice and never refused a request to pose, sign autographs, etc. but he took great pride in his appearance and his work,and perhaps some of that came off as ego-driven.

One of Eddy's opponents, Ivan "The Russian Bear" Koloff, put Carpentier
in league with the likes of Karl Gotch,Mil Mascaras and Billy Robinson.

"There were several guys like that who were in right great shape, and they're the type of wrestlers that you had to be on your toes and work hard to make a match," Koloff said. "Not that they were difficult that way, it was just the idea that they were proud guys and you just didn't kick them around in the ring.

"They made you work for it." (1)

Some,like Feddie Blassie would say of Eddy '' Edouard Carpentier? Very scientific, but very conceited.''
Actually,He was just very quiet, minding his own business. Not out to make friends with everyone.Especially not with those who didn't share his work ethic or his commitment to training.
Edouard was an easy-going guy who did things is own way and never kissed anyone's ass.

When out on the road for wrestling venues,fellow wrestlers would often flip a coin to know who would ride with Eddy.
While the other guys made there way to local pubs,strip clubs and the like.Eddy would prefer retiring to his hotel room early.
Even if he went to bed at 3 am he would get up at 6 am for his dayly 5 mile run.This was Followed by a healthy breakfast,for which he measured all of his caloric intake,then he would find a local gym and train for hours on end,before jumping into the ring that same evening.He seldom,if at all drank alcohol,never smoked and would rather spend an evening alone in his room reading a good book rather than go out and party with the boys.
His training routine also included Yoga which he said helped him focus and maintain his suppleness.

Extensive Calisthenics workouts,Greco Roman Wrestling,Catch Wrestling,Boxing,Savate,Judo,yoga... Eddy was cross training even before they had coined a term for it.

During social gatherings,he would never be centre stage.You would find Eddy sitting alone in a remote corner of the room while all the people mingled.
Oddly enough, everyone would flock towards him.People were naturally drawn to him. He always treated people with the utmost respect.
He was very generous of his time and of his person.
Soft spoken,mild mannered,highly cultivated and bright,he was the perfect gentlemen at all times.


Thank you Edouard for your time and patience and especially for those wonderful stories.
Bon Voyage

Kris

(1) slam sports wrestling

You can visit Kris at his site www.catchwrestlingcanada.com