Product Spotlight: Everlast Nevatear Heavy Bag

www.everlast.com

The Everlast Nevatear Heavy Bag provides a great combination of durability and affordability. I have owned the Nevatear (Never-Tear) Heavy Bag for just over a year and it has become a reliable piece of equipment and a necessity in my every day training schedule. I’ll tell you why I am happy with this product, and why anyone looking for a low cost heavy bag should consider this bag for their training.

Admittedly, the Nevatear is one of the low end heavy bags that Everlast produces, but it is a quality product nonetheless. It is typical for any bag that is not made of genuine leather to be considered a lower end model. Everlast does have some higher priced models of genuine high quality leather that are priced between $200 – $500. As I stated, the Nevatear is priced lower, but it is perfect for both the beginner and the avid trainer.

One of the benefits about the Nevetear bag is that it comes in a variety of colors and sizes. The bag comes in a 50 lbs. size which measures at 36″ in length and is the perfect sized for a young child or smaller fighter. The bag also comes in a 70 lbs. size, which is the one I own, which is 42″ in length and a 100 lbs. bag that is 48″ in length. All 3 sizes have the color options of Black, Red or Royal Blue.

As I said, I have been using this bag for over a year, and I am really happy with it. The bag has continued to hold it’s shape and form despite hundreds of boxing workouts and thousands of Muay Thai kicks. I have previously heard people complain about certain heavy bags because over time the filling seems to settle more towards the bottom of the bag, and there is less at the top. As a result the bottom becomes harder and the top becomes softer or more giving. The thing is I don’t know how you actually have a gym where gravity ceases to exist. It’s basic physics people!

This has somewhat happened with my Everlast bag too, but only slightly. The bag is really packed with a lot of fill to reduce this from happening. Nevertheless, the bottom is still a little more firm than the top, but I consider this an advantage. Because the bag is tougher at the bottom it will help toughen your shins if you consistantly use it for your Muay Thai kicks. With the top getting softer over time, it will reduce the impact on your hands and wrists, which will keep you healthy and training longer.

The bag comes equipped with all the necessary hard ware to install the bag for a ceiling mount. If you don’t have the room or can’t install a ceiling mount for some reason, you may want to look at either a wall mount or a free standing Heavy Bag Stand. Everlast also carries those products as well.

In fact, the only problem I had with the bag at all actually came with the ceiling mount swivel. After one really hard work out where I was doing a lot of moving around the bag to work on my head and foot movement, I struck the bag, which had already been swiveling and the bolt/nut that was attaching it to the ceiling part of the mount came loose causing the whole bag to fall to the ground. I contribute this to the fact that I don’t think I had tightened the nut/bolt as touch as I was suppose to during the installation. The part that is inconveinent is that I had to take the time to uninstall the part that is attached to the ceiling so I could reattach the entire mounting bracket correctly. As a consumer, if Everlast researched and developed a more effecient mounting bracket that was included with the bag, it would be a nice upgraded that would be appreciated. For future consumers, I suggest that you simply make sure you tighten all the brackets as tight as possible to avoid having to go through what I had to.

The Nevatear bag by Everlast is priced between $69.99 to $119.99 depening on what size you get, and as I stated before it is available in 3 colors. If you are interested in purchasing one of the bags you can click on the image below to visit the Everlast website.

If you are intested in other products from Everlast, you can visit my Online Store

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Show Me A Little MRSA!

Hey Guys and Gals,

I have several things I wanted to update you all on. First off, as the post title would indicate I got my fourth bout of Staph (the second time in my nose) since I first got it while I was in Thailand, so I will update you on that. Finally, I will update you on a couple future camps I will be spotlighting.

In case you started reading my blog at some point after my Visa Run to Burma, here is the back story. Basically at some point during the Visa Run, I developed an Abscess on my buttocks, which I had to get lanced and drained. I took some antibotics and it cleared up. After that, I returned home, and I got a second one. I went to the Dr. who prescribed some antibotics, it cleared up but then preceeded to come back a 3rd time. To sum up the entire saga, I have had it occur in February and reoccur in March, April and now May. I had it on my bum, my inner thigh and twice in my nose.

After getting the run around from my primary doctor, I decided to see an infectious disease specialist, who prescribed me 30 days of antibotics, along with a nasal swab. Oh, and he finally tested me for MRSA, after my primary doctor didn’t the last two times I went. I have been on antibotics for about 3 days now, but the growth cleared up almost after the second day. I am still a little fatigued and the medicine makes me sick to my stomach so I have to eat a decent amount of food with it each time I take it, but I am hopeful that it will resolve this issue. Oh, by the way I am not sure that I have MRSA, because the results aren’t back yet, but I am pretty sure that’s what it is. I am also pretty sure it will be out of my system by the end of this antibotic run.

Finally, some of you may have already seen my Camp Spotlight section. I have already placed articles on Lanna Muay Thai and Phuket Dragon Muay Thai. I have future articles coming on Jitti Gym, Tiger Muay Thai and Island Muay Thai Kick Boxing School Koh Tao. I am excited about these articles, and it appears that many of my readers are excited as well. I hope you continue to enjoy these articles as I write them. If there is a camp you would like to know any information about, please feel free to comment below.

Thanks again for visiting and reading this post.

Manny Pacquiao Knocks Out Ricky Hatton In Second Round

Is Manny Paquiao the best pound for pound boxer in the world? All the hype and this fight only lasted 2 rounds. It’s still worth a free view. Enjoy!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu vs. Boxing – Renzo Gracie

Renzo Gracie vs. James Warring Again, groin shots, hair grabbing and striking the back of the head were allowed! And here in Brazil we call that kind of neck-crank: Reverted Mata-Leão!

Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do

Jeet Kune Do (JKD) is the name Bruce Lee gave to his combat system and philosophy in 1967. Originally, when Sijo Bruce Lee began researching various fighting styles, he gave his martial art his own name of Jun Fan Gung Fu. However not wanting to create another style that would share the limitations that all styles have, he instead gave us the process that created it. Essentially, The concept of combining the elements of multiple martial arts was pioneered and popularized by Bruce Lee in the late 1960s to early 1970s via his system and philosophy which he called Jeet Kune Do. Lee believed that “the best fighter is not a Boxer, Karate or Judo man. The best fighter is someone who can adapt to any style.”

With Wing Chun at the core of his system, Bruce Lee incorporated a modification of various techniques from Northern Praying Mantis, Southern Praying Mantis, Choy Li Fut, Eagle Claw, Western Boxing, Savate, Muay Thai, Wrestling, Fencing, Aikido, Judo, Jiu Jitsu, and some of the more refined kicks of the Northern & Southern Chinese styles. Innovative and radically ahead of his time in his training and teaching methodology, Bruce Lee developed a martial system and fighting strategy that has lost none of its effectiveness over time.

JKD as it survives today – if one wants to view it “refined” as a product, not a process – is what was left at the time of Bruce Lee’s death. It is the result of the life-long martial arts development process Lee went through. Bruce Lee stated that his concept is not an “adding to” of more and more things on top of each other to form a system, but rather, a winnowing out. The metaphor Lee borrowed from Chan Buddhism was of constantly filling a cup with water, and then emptying it, used for describing Lee’s philosophy of “casting off what is useless”. He also used the sculptor’s mentality of beginning with a lump of clay and hacking away at the “unessentials”; the end result was what he considered to be the bare combat essentials, or JKD.

One of the theories of JKD is that a fighter should do whatever is necessary to defend himself, regardless of where the techniques come from. One of Lee’s goals in Jeet Kune Do was to break down what he claimed were limiting factors in the training of the traditional styles, and seek a fighting thesis which he believed could only be found within the reality of a fight. Jeet Kune Do is currently seen as the genesis of the modern state of hybrid martial arts.

Sijo Bruce Lee incorporated several key principles into Jeet Kune Do including: 4 Ranges of Combat, 5 Ways of Attack, Economy of Motion, Centerline Principle, Absorbing What Is Useful and “Be Like Water”. He felt these were universal combat truths that were self evident and would lead to combat success if followed. The “4 Combat Ranges” in particular are what he felt were instrumental in becoming a “total” martial artist.

JKD practitioners also subscribe to the notion that the best defense is a strong offense, hence the principle of “Intercepting”. Lee believed that in order for an opponent to attack someone they had to move towards them. This provided an opportunity to “intercept” that attack or movement. The principle of interception covers more than just intercepting physical attacks. Lee believed that many non-verbals and telegraphs (subtle movements that an opponent is unaware of) could be perceived or “intercepted” and thus be used to one’s advantage.

Jeet Kune Do students train in the 4 ranges of combat which include: Kicking, Punching, Trappling and Grappling. According to Lee, this range of training serves to differentiate JKD from other martial arts. Lee stated that most but not all traditional martial systems specialize in training at one or two ranges. As a historical note, the ranges in JKD have evolved over time. Initially the ranges were categorized as short or close, medium, and long range.

Absorbing what is useful is perhaps the least understood and most confusing principle in Jeet Kune Do. This principle does not mean choosing, collecting, compiling, or assembling the best techniques from various diverse styles and slapping them together to form a new style. To do so is to miss the point of Jeet Kune Do. Absorbing what is useful is about immersing oneself in style or system and learning and grasping its essence. It is only through a holistic approach that one learns techniques in their proper context. Styles provide more than just mere techniques; they offer training methods, theories, and mental attitudes to name a few. Learning all of these factors allows a student to experience a system (in what Lee would call) its “totality”. It is only through its totality that one can “absorb what is useful”. Applying what is learned in real combat training situations is what allows the student to figure what works or doesn’t work for oneself. It is at this point that one can “discard that which is useless”. The critical point of this principle is that the choice of what to keep is based on personal experimentation with various opponents over time. It is not based on how a technique may look or feel or how well one can execute it. In the final analysis if the technique is not beneficial in combat it is discarded. Lee believed that only the individual could come to understand what worked for oneself based on critical self analysis and by “honestly expressing oneself; without lying to oneself”.

Although Bruce Lee officially closed his martial arts schools two years before his death, he allowed his curriculum to be taught privately by the 3 students he personally certified as instructors in Jun Fan Gung Fu/ Jeet Kune Do. Those individuals were James Lee, Taky Kimura and Dan Inosanto. Currently only Taky Kimura and Dan Inosanto are alive. Since 1964, Taky Kimura has been the instructor of the Jun Fan Gung Fu Institute of Seattle, while Dan Inosanto teaches The Art and Philosophy of Jeet Kune Do, Filipino Martial Arts, Shoot Wrestling, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Silat, Mixed Martial Arts and other arts at his Marina del Rey, California school, the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts.

Sources: Tao of Jeet Kune Do, Inosanto.com, AndyKimura.com