Starting at 4pm there was a good roll up with a few quiet drinks, conversation between groups and a bbq around 6pm.

Great to see the young kids come along and have some fun on the mats. It wasn’t long before a few games/challenges were pulled out by Joel, and the rest of the night consisted of various attempts to pick up a low lying half ripped cardboard box with your teeth while standing on one leg and holding the other one behind your back, and yes it was as funny as it sounds!!

A bit of indoor cricket on the mats which soon saw the talkative group sitting in the middle, move after Michelle caught a ball with her lip after it ricocheted off KC’s head ( as good a reason as any to move….laughing…laughing). Well 9pm came quickly and Joel went missing (he smartly locked the doors).

After a few more challenges, stick jumping/spinning and tyre rolling (while curled up in it) it was 11pm and a few of us decided to head into Broadbeach where I had pre-organised to get into a few clubs. To our disbelief Joel managed to awaken from his slumber and come along for the ride, big effort! It wasn’t long before we lost Sean, who we found out later was wrongfully ejected from the second club after only 2mins of being there, and a few hours later to no-ones surprise….where is Joel?? In a garden bed sleeping somewhere in Broadbeach apparently! Ohh yes, it must of been a good spot as it was daylight when he woke up!! Lucky this only happens once a year was his comment the next day. So if you didn’t make this one, make sure to get there next year. Who knows you may even make the newsletter!

Overhand Right and Out!
Stephen

2012 February 2nd- Hobart, Tasmania Australian Titles

James Katz (Matrix) v Luke Jackson (Tasmania), Winner on points (12 to 7) – Luke Jackson

James Katz once again can hold his head high. Drawing the top seed and long reigning Australian champion in Luke Jackson, James as he always does, took the challenge by the throat and came close to upsetting the favourite by continually pressuring him for the full three rounds. Losing 2 points for bobbing his head too low in the 3rd round (ridiculous from what I hear), made the bout deceivingly closer than the 1 point difference after each round. Luke actually went on to win the Australian title.

I would like to congratulate James on a superb amateur career that saw him compete for Queensland at 2 National Championships and the Arafura Games, and I look forward to taking him into the pay for punch ranks this year. With a style more suited to the professional ranks, I can’t wait to see him fighting 6, 8, 10 and 12 rounds. James, you are going to have an even bigger career in the pro’s mate! Also a special mention that whilst amassing 30+ amateur bouts over the last few years James, has also graduated with ‘Honours’ in Engineering and has just received his first job with Holcim, a leading supplier of aggregates, concrete (readymix) and concrete pipe and products in Australia. Well done mate it’s going to be a big few years ahead!

2011 December 9,10,11 Queensland Titles/Olympic Trials Beenleigh Tavern

91+kg Elite- Nathan Brown (Matrix) v S. Mahoney (Yungaburra) Winner on points- S.Mahoney Nathan lost a close bout by 1 point. Nathan showed a good improvement after his last fight by taking the fight to his opponent more and was unlucky not to get the decision.

56kg Youth- Jacob Ng (Matrix) v Matt Casboult (Nerang) Winner on points- Matt Casboult Jacob (7 fights) showed a higher level than his experience suggests, when he took on Matt (28 fights) who showed his experience by keeping a tight guard for the whole fight and picking up some easy points when Jacob dropped his hands. Great experience and a lot was learnt from the bout.

60kg Elite- James Katz (Matrix) v Miles Zalewski (Caboolture), Winner on points- Miles Zalewski (as Miles isn’t an Australian Citizen, James Katz took a place in the Australian Titles in Hobart) The battle continued between these 2 regular foes with James leading by 2 after the 1st round, then leading by 1 going into the last round. After receiving a cut over his eyelid (6 stitches) early in the third, James battled on and ended up losing by 2 points. This was a bout where the points really should have gone the other way, but that’s amateur scoring for you and we weren’t the only bout scored badly from all reports.

2011 December 15 Pro/Am Brisbane

81kg Joel Leaney (Matrix) v Peter (The Boxing Shop), Winner on points- Joel Leaney Joel Leaney (2 fights) won a convincing points decision against the much more experienced Peter (15 fights). Joel found the gaps early between Peter’s tight guard to finish strong, almost stopping his opponent in the 3rd round.

Q – If there was one supplement you would advise to help most of us at matrix get the most out of our training session what would it be?

A - This is a fairly simple question, but has a pretty open ended answer unfortunately, and ultimately, it comes down to “What are you trying to improve?”
If you’re looking for improved energy levels & vitality, you should first be looking at your food choices and sleep patterns. A great deal of lethargy, loss of motivation & training plateaus can be improved by simply eating better quality food, cutting back on caffeine & excess sugar and getting more sleep (or improved sleep quality if not the quantity).
You may find that these 2 supplements can assist. They aren’t expensive. You just need a shaker to mix it up with. BCAA’s are for muscle growth & recovery. Electrolyte replacement supplements help restore salts in the body after vigorous sweating or dehydration after weigh-ins.

• Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s): “Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein”. Basically, your entire body is made up of proteins. Hormones, blood, muscle tissue, hair as well as enzymes required for chemical reactions in the body are made up of proteins. Branched Chain Amino Acid supplementation can help to create an anabolic (“to build”) environment and help reduce muscle catabolism (“breakdown”). If you are training regularly, BCAA supplementation can assist with muscle soreness & recovery, and create an optimum environment for muscle tissue growth.
• Electrolye replacements – There’s a lot of research on the use of sports drinks and their usefulness. Is water just as good to rehydrate? Drinks like Gatorade & Powerade and Endura contain electrolytes such as magnesium & sodium, which can be depleted largely during endurance activities or a really sweaty & hot Boxing Circuit class! When you exercise and lose a lot of sodium through sweat, you’ll get super thirsty. That’s because water goes where sodium goes. Lose sweat, lose salt, lose a lot of water. If, after exercise, you drink a lot of plain water, and overcompensate, it can dilute your blood and the concentration of sodium compared to water can decreases. This is where Electrolyte replacements are useful. They are essentially Isotonic, which means they contain the same concentration of electrolytes as in the blood, and won’t change the ratio of salts:water, so you won’t dilute or concentrate your blood. We have found that Endura is an excellent brand, buy it buy the tub from the chemist or supplement store. See Dennis at Nutrition Warehouse at Ashmore and he’ll help you out J

Q – I’ve always been wary of eating plans that cut out a major food group. That said, what is your take on the Paleo diet? I’m intrigued by it, but being a distance runner I’m nervous to cut out all grains. Thanks for the input!

A - I’ll make the assumption here that by cutting out grains, you’re worried about cutting a good source of Carbohydrates needed for endurance exercise.

Carbs provide sugar in the form of glucose, which is the most readily used fuel for the body. Glucose is then converted to Glycogen, which is how it’s stored in the muscles. We only have a limited amount of Glycogen stored in the muscles and liver and glycogen depletion is often blamed for fatigue. However, studies have shown that during low intensity, long duration activity, IMTG (Intramuscular Triglycerides) and FFA (Free Fatty Acids) are the fuel of choice. Glycogen & glucose is utilised as the intensity increases, and glucose can actually be synthesised from recycled Lactic acid created from working muscles.

Back to the main question, the Paleo diet. There is quite a divide on this diet, mostly caused by confusion over what exactly those from the Palaeolithic era actually ate! The records are less than accurate. The premise behind the diet is to “eat as cavemen did”. Which means not consuming farmed “modern day agriculture”, such as dairy, grains, legumes.

Certainly, there is a lot of merit in eating non-processed foods – canned, packaged and chemically treated foods are obviously detrimental. However, the diet also excludes many fruits & vegetables which some argue should be included.

I have included a link to a site that I found explains the Paleo diet very well and goes through the pro’s and cons, highlighting the main points of argument. It’s quite long, but the author has put in extensive effort in putting all points across. http://www.jonbarron.org/weight-loss/paleo-diet-review-good-bad

So, if it’s energy levels you are worried about for running, then yes, you can exclude grains from your diet and still meet your Carbohydrate & energy needs through other sources. Remember though to also include adequate amounts of fats in your diet. Fats are essential for a number of roles including hormones, transport of fat soluble vitamins A, D & K, a source of energy. Did you know that every single cell in your body is surrounded by a “Lipid” (fat) layer? So, those on very low fat diets can experience tissue & muscle breakdown, skin problems, organ failure, hormone imbalances and vitamin deficiencies.

As for going Paleo? Well, I don’t see a problem with cutting back processed & packaged foods, preparing fresh meals comprising of mostly lean free range meats, eggs, fruit & vegetables, limiting grains & eliminating sugary junk foods. Unfortunately, well funded marketing, supply & demand has made it way too easy to consume not only the wrong type of food, but also massive quantities of nutrient-poor foods that leave us wanting more, more often.

There is also a great book you might want to read Christine, called the Omnivores Dilemma by Michael Pollan. His motto is “Eat food, mostly plants, not too much”.

“I gained weight up to 94kgs after I had to stop kick boxing due to a foot injury back in 2007.

Unhealthy eating and drinking soon became part of my normal lifestyle. Immigrating to Australia gave me another reason to put off getting back my fitness, as I had the excuse of having other more important things to do. It wasn’t until 2010 when I saw a picture of myself and realised how unhealthy I had actually become. I joined the Matrix Gym back in May 2010. Initially, I started slowly doing 1 boxing circuit a week. It wasn’t easy and travelling from Ormeau, I sometimes didn’t feel like going after a heavy day in work. But the motivation from the Matrix Team and the other people who I had met there made it worthwhile.

Gradually my fitness improved and I have increased my classes to three boxing circuits and a stretch mobility class a week. My fitness and stamina have increased enormously and I now weigh 82.5Kgs.”

For his efforts, Jake wins our “Having a red hot go” award. Jake has been so consistent with his training as you can see by his pics below, he’s made some great changes.

1. What training do you do at Matrix?
   Professional Boxing
2. What do you do for a living?
   Self Employed- Kitchen Sales… ‘Kitchen King’
3. Do you have a favourite boxer?
   Roy Jones Jr
4. Who is your favourite trainer at Matrix?
   Stephen
5. Are you worried the other trainers are going to flog you next session?
   No
6. What’s your favourite song/ band?
   Anything by Susan Boyle
7. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
   Have Never been to a concert!!
8. Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry?
   Vanilla
9. When was the last time you gave someone a hug?
   Today
10. What is your favourite movie?
    Troy
11. Would you prefer to see Stephen in a tutu or a mankini?
    Neither!
12. What’s your inspiration when training?
    The thought of winning my next fight
13. Cats or dogs?
    Dogs
14. What’s your porn star name?
    Max Yaldwin
15. What’s your favourite exercise?
    Cool down
16. What’s your most hated exercise?
    Burpees – Hill Sprints
17. Do you like vegemite?
    Yes
18. Who was your childhood hero?
    Mal Meninga / Kostya Tszyu
19. Are you a folder or scruncher?
    Scruncher, Does anybody really fold?
20. Who would you turn gay for?
    Stephen in a Mankini

The Matrix Boxing Gym Christmas Party is on Saturday 17th of December @ 4pm. BBQ food provided as well as beer, wine and basic spirits, party will continue for those wanting to go out afterwards, family welcome.

Open sparring days were again held on October 29th & November 19th. It’s great to see new students testing their skills and the improvements from those regular attendees, also nice to see the young boys from our Youth Boxing class getting amongst it, keep up the good work everyone! The next open sparring day will be held in January 2012.

On the 10th of September Nadine ran a workshop on “Injury Prevention and Training” pointing out the importance of correctly warming up, paying close attention to correct techniques when training and effective cooling down. Thanks Nadine for helping us all get the most out of our training sessions.

A free Women’s Self Defense workshop was held on the 26th November by Professor Jason Roebig who is head instructor of Axis Jiu Jitsu. This was an awesome 2hrs that highlighted the importance of learning his ‘Gracie Girl’ self defense and every lady who attended really enjoyed the workshop. Keep an eye out next year when Jason will run the full series of ‘Gracie Girl’ self defense, which in my opinion is a must for all women. Thanks Jason for this great day!

We’ll let Thomas tell you his story ….
Before weight: 116kgs
Now:95kgs
Goal:85kgs

Before: I have always struggled with my weight, and being a type 1 Diabetic, weight control, regular exercise and a healthy lifestyle have always been a vital part of controlling my condition. Despite this, by August 2011 my weight had spiralled out of control with boozy nights out and university taking priority over managing my condition and my weight. I felt tired all the time and lacked the energy to get out and do something about it. It wasn’t until I stood on the scales and saw 116.2kg that I realised a drastic change had to occur.

The Road: I returned to Matrix with the ultimate goal of losing weight to better be able to manage my diabetes and in turn, extend my life. After starting small with some circuit sessions I quickly entered into a bet that was going on. I thought this would give me the motivation to lose the weight so I set a goal of being 105kg within 2 months… or I’d lose an eyebrow. Through regular exercise at Matrix and a strict-as all protein diet I made the cut. A couple of weeks later, after hitting a plateau in mid-October, I set myself another bet – be 95kgs by the 22nd of December. After ramping up the training and continuing with a strict diet I made weight, weighing in at 94.6kg on the 29th of November.

After: Since starting to train again, I have seen first-hand the benefits of putting in the extra effort and working that little bit harder to achieve my goals. My diabetic control has improved tenfold with my insulin levels being cut by 70%. I feel much happier and have way more energy to do the things I love. THANKS MATRIX.

New Zealand’s best and only female on the World surfing circuit, Paige Hareb, was recently on the Gold Coast picking up some new surfboards form local sponsor Mt Woodgee. Paige is matched to have her first boxing match in December on a special celebrity challenge charity bout, so while on the coast, she decided to keep her training up by doing a few lesson with Stephen.

With limited sparring and the need to do more, we were lucky enough to have one of our keen novice boxing students Brianna Campbell offer to help out. With only a few spars under her belt as well it was a great yard stick for Paige as to where she was at. Thanks for helping out Bri, both girls got a lot out of it and we all know Paige is a natural competitor who is fearless not only on the waves but showed the same in the ring and will do her best on the night. All the best Paige I look forward to seeing how you go, Stephen.

October 1st Rosewood

Chris Rossi- In his third bout and a rematch against the boy he debuted against, Chris was looking to avenge his first loss after a good win in his last start. Unfortunately the match was nearly identical with Chris losing again on points after waiting a bit too much in attack. After this fight Chris informed me he would no longer be boxing competitively, I would like to wish Chris all the best in his future endeavours and hopefully we see him back competing one day.
James Katz was matched against Campbell Cobbo-Riley an 18 year old with plenty experience who has been a part of Australian development squads for many years and a competitor and the World Youth Titles. Getting off to a slow start James picked the pace up in the second getting on top of his opponent and by the third was totally dominating him with vicious body and head attacks for the full three minutes, believing he had done enough to win we were disappointed to be on the end of a split points loss. No whinging from us, let’s just get going quicker from now on please Mr Katz!

October 7th QT Hotel Surfers Paradise (Pro Fights on Fox Sports)

Dennis Arthur v Lincoln Fitzpatrick

In his first fight under the Matrix banner and his first fight back in 4 years Dennis was a bit eager and loaded up most of his shots which saw him blow out slightly. Although slightly tired he remained composed to go on and win comfortably on points over four rounds. Keep training hard mate and let’s see you in the Light Heavy weight division next year!

Nadine Brown v Sarah O’Connell

Well this was fight number 2 and after their first one that was named ‘Fight of the Night’ on Jamie Myer’s last card seeing Nadine win the Qld Lightweight Title, this was always going to be a cracker! With both girls starting out a little more cautious this time it didn’t take long for them to replicate the war that was fight one!

By the end of round 6 both girls had again punched themselves to a standstill, leaving nothing in the tank. With plenty of leather being thrown and one too many head clashes, Nadine did look the worse for wear at the end of the fight but with the cleaner shots being landed each round we and most of the crowd believed victory was ours, only to be given a Majority Draw, meaning one judge gave it to us (5 rds to 1) and the other 2 judges gave it a draw. Although disappointed, Nadine as the Champion, held onto her Qld Title. Another great display made even more amazing by the fact Nadine trained and fought with a fractured leg! With an Australian title shot offered, we unfortunately had to pull out due to Nadine’s leg which is on the way to a full recovery now. We look forward to getting that shot next year.

Adam Lovelock v Phil Armstrong

Like Dennis, Adam was having his first for Matrix and first one back for six years. In a crowd pleasing bout that saw both boys get up off the canvas and go toe to toe for four rounds Adam was beaten on points and although the crowd loved it Adam knows the fight was made hard by himself and is looking at putting the hard work in the gym to see him fighting in his correct weight class, keep motivated mate!

October 14/15/16 National Golden Gloves Titles @ Caboolture

James Katz- Without doubt the 60kg division is the toughest in Australia with each of the state’s best capable of beating each other on any given night depending on who brings it better! James drew the Victorian champ who he lost to on points at the Arafura Games earlier in the year. Another loss on points was James’s fate as the Vic champ bought his ‘A’ game from the opening bell and in a surprise attack out muscled James on the inside(usually his game). Although losing sucks…we once again learn valuable lessons and I know James’s determination will see him improve as a fighter. All the best at the State Titles James.

Nathan Webber- Having his first bout for Matrix after boxing under World Champion Daniel Geale at Sydney’s Grange Old School Boxing and with 12months off Nathan showed plenty of heart to get up after being dropped with a massive body shot in the first round. Although his aggressive opposite had him on the back foot for most of the bout, Nathan showed he has the ability to box well and with some fine tuning will fair a lot better against this style of boxer. Points loss.

Nathan Brown was hoping for ‘third time lucky’ when he faced familiar foe Josh Robertson in the final. With the fight there for the taking Nathan unfortunately didn’t push the fight enough to get the points… Nathan being very disappointed with this is out to prove a point at the State Titles in December… I know you have it in you mate, let’s do what it takes next time.

29th October Condong Bowls Club

Joel Leaney showed good improvement from his first bout to score a second round stoppage when a constant attack of combinations left his opponent wanting nothing more to do with the bout. Keep learning mate and it was great to see a few pennies drop while sparring the other night and I look forward to seeing you handle the step up in class in your next bout. Joel is matched on a Pro/Am on December 15 in Brisbane against a boy with 15 more fights than him…. Implement your new understanding of boxing and keep that guard tight mate and you will continue to win.

Nathan Webber lived up to our expectations in his boxing ability by out pointing his opponent  in a great display of counter punching and holding his ground when needed, keep working on integrating these areas mate and you will win plenty!

John & Stephen from last month’s newsletter, John fought on a charity card in Hong Kong – Warren from last month’s 20 Questions

1. What training do you do at Matrix?
   PT sessions with Nadine and boxing circuit Saturdays.
2. What do you do for a living?
   Hmmmm…Raise children! Plus I have an unhealthy appetite for baking.
3. Do you have a favourite boxer?
   Not really. I am inspired by Nadine’s commitment though!
4. Who is your favourite trainer at Matrix?
   Nadine (I am not looking for brownies lol!)
5. Are you worried the other trainers are going to flog you next session?
   No because I love getting flogged at training sessions!
6. What’s your favourite song/ band?
   Foo Fighters and I have an obsession with Dave Grohl.
7. What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
   Any Foo Fighters concerts!
8. Vanilla, chocolate or strawberry?
   Chocolate
9. When was the last time you gave someone a hug?
   5 minutes ago.
10. What is your favourite movie?
    I have too many!. Enjoyed Midnight in Paris recently.
11. Would you prefer to see Stephen in a tutu or a mankini?
    Tutu with sparkles
12. What’s your inspiration when training?
    How I feel afterwards
13. Cats or dogs?
    cats
14. What’s your porn star name?
    Minky Laura
15. What’s your favourite exercise?
    Bench press and deadlifts
16. What’s your most hated exercise?
    Jump squats
17. Do you like vegemite?
    Yes
18. Who was your childhood hero?
    KISS
19. Are you a folder or scruncher?
    Folder
20. Who would you turn gay for?
    Stynes. She is so edgy cute

• 800g kumara, peeled, cut in 2.5cm cubes
• 2 onions, diced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 125g baby spinach leaves
• 8 eggs
• 1⁄2 cup low-fat natural yogurt
• 2 tablespoons bought basil pesto

Preparation method