Florida Judo Ki no Fuda's O Genki Desu Ka?
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[WEBSITE EDITOR'S NOTE: This article, which was the fourth O Genki Desu Ka? ran the paper newsletter Volume 1, Number 6 dated November/December 1989 with original editor being John R. Ellis. Some people have asked for the schooling background required for Chiropractors. The following facts come from the National Health Federation bulletin and other publications' statistics. Have you ever wondered just how much education your chiropractor has? The facts may very well surprise you. Today, at least size years of highly specialized college training are required to graduate and earn licensure, and chiropractic has gained recognition as a comprehensive, scientifically sound force among the healing arts. Only chiropractic concerns itself with the interrelationship of structure and body functions, and only chiropractic effectively utilizes natural, drugless methods of treatment primarily spinal adjustments. The Doctor of Chiropractic readily acknowledges that the early, formative years of chiropractic education - like those of medicine - left much to be desired. But this is true of every science and profession. Look (below) at these typical basic educational requirements for medical school graduates as compared to those for Doctors of Chiropractic. The chiropractor must meet stringent educational requirements, including approximately 600 hours of externship, which qualify him for licensure in all states and Canadian provinces. In many states, he must pass a basic science examination - the same examination that is given to medical students. He must also pass a rigid chiropractic board examination. And his state probably requires continuing educational seminars for annual license renewal. If you have friends who are uninformed or misinformed about chiropractic education, why not share this knowledge with them. They, too, may benefit from today's scientific chiropractic care. Medical ------- Subject ------- Chiropractic Class Hrs. ---------------------- Class Hrs. (Min.) -------------------------- (Min.) 508 ----------- Anatomy ------- 520 326 ----------- Physiology ---- 420 401 ----------- Pathology ----- 205 325 ----------- Chemistry ----- 300 114 ----------- Bacteriology -- 130 324 ----------- Diagnosis ----- 420 112 ----------- Neurology ----- 320 148 ----------- X-Ray --------- 217 144 ----------- Psychiatry ---- 65 198 - Obstetrics & Gynecology - 65 156 ------------ Orthopedics -- 225 2,756 ---------- Total Hours -- 2,887 Other required subjects for the Doctor of Chiropractic: adjusting, manipulation, kinesiology, and other similar basic subjects related to his specialty. Other required subjects for the Doctor of Medicine: pharmacology, immunology, general surgery, and other similar basic subjects related to his specialty. GRAND TOTAL CLASS HOURS 4,248 - Including Other Basic Subjects -- 4,485.] [EDITOR'S NOTE: Dr. Andre' Merrill offers a unique perspective on health issues as they relate to Judo training. Not only is he a respected Chiropractic Physician, but an excellent Judoka, having trained under some of the finest Sensei in the Western Hemisphere, including Dr. Sachi Ashida. This is the first in a running series of articles which Dr. Merrill has agreed to wrote for the Ki no Fuda. We are honored to have him as a regular contributor! The name of this column comes from a very common Japanese expression, frequently used when greeting people. Genki translates as spirits or well-being. When used as a greeting in the question "O genki desu ka?", it means "Are you well and in good spirits?" This is a most appropriate name for Dr. Merrill's column.] All you wanted to know about Muscle, Fat and Exercise!The body contains three types of muscles: the voluntary or skeletal muscles, the involuntary muscles such as those of the digestive tract, and the heart muscle which is somewhat unique. In exercise we are primarily concerned with skeletal muscles because they are what move us. There are 434 skeletal muscles which make up 40% of the body weight of the typical American male. On the other hand, at least 20% of the average American's body is in the form of fat, or adipose tissue. The major function of fat is the long term storage of energy, heat insulation and protection for the body and its inner organs. It does not help in muscular contraction and actually acts as a friction barrier in between muscles during exercise. Therefore, in the performance of Judo and other sports, fat contributes nothing! Muscles growth consists of two parts. First, there must be growth stimulation at the cell level within the body itself. This occurs naturally until after puberty; then you have to exercise at high intensity levels. Secondly, the proper nutrients must be present. However, excesses beyond what the body needs will do nothing to promote growth. There are no short cuts to training. Certain over-the-counter supplements (as opposed to steroids) can have a beneficial effect, but using excesses will not help. Steroids could be a whole article in itself! Suffice it to say, they have no place in anyone's training program. The growth machinery within the cell must be turned on. Muscle stimulation must always precede nutrition. If a judoka has stimulated muscular growth by high intensity exercise, then his muscles will grow on almost any diet. For our purposes, high intensity exercise means repetitive performance against resistance to the point of momentary "muscular failure". Uchi-Komi movements are an excellent example, as are many of the conditioning drills done in judo by the very nature of working out with a partner who offers resistance to movement. Randori, by itself, is not sufficient to produce muscular development. High intensity training in Judo is a safe method for muscular development through repetitive motion against resistance (your partner). Training injuries occur when a muscle exerts a pulling force that exceeds the breaking strength of some part of the muscular structure. In weight training, that would be when trying to lift too great a weight causes a muscle tear. High intensity training, properly done, will produce faster results with less training time. When the intensity of exercise is increased, the amount of exercise can be decreased. For most of us who have very little extra time, the benefit of efficient training can produce better results in less time. Brief high intensity training with large amounts of training such as only Randori sessions may not produce the increase in muscle strength you may think. If we chemically analyzed a pound of fat and a pound of muscle, we would discover some interesting facts. Both fat and muscle contain water, lipids (fats), and protein, in varying amounts:
Calorically speaking, a pound of fat has 3,500 calories while a pound of muscle contains only 600 calories. Most of muscle is water, whereas fatty tissue is mainly composed of fat. To gain body fat, all a person has to do is eat 1,000 extra calories a day and he will gain two pounds a week. To gain a pound of muscle a week it is necessary to first stimulate muscular growth through several high intensity workouts, and then add an additional 100 calories each day to the diet. There are individual tendencies to develop a high density of fat-storage cells in different body areas. This is an inherited characteristic that cannot be altered. Some people naturally accumulate noticeable fat on their legs and hips, others on their back and neck; but generally speaking, most people (especially after the age of 30), tend to store fat around the waist. The average male has about 18% body fat and the average female has about 26%. Half is right under the skin, and a large portion of the remainder is around the inner organs. Wrong! Sit-ups and leg raises will develop the abdominal muscles, but they will do little or nothing to reduce the percentage of body fat. It won't make your stomach any smaller. In order to reduce the percentage of body fat, it is necessary to force the body to burn its own fat as a source of energy. To do this, the daily caloric intake must be kept below the maintenance level. Consuming 1,000 less calories than the maintenance level each day will require the body to burn several pounds of body fat a week as a source of energy. But even then, the fat will come from all over the body, not just one spot. In the final analysis, muscle building programs should be designed with two aims in mind: 1) the production of maximum strength of the muscles involved in our sport of Judo, and 2) the reduction or limitation of body fat to minimum amount. Both of these goals can be accomplished through high intensity exercise along with a reasonable diet. Till the next edition, Andre J. Merrill D.C. |