What’s New at the Denver Academy this Month?
By now you have certainly heard of the Enrichment Program. We’re halfway through the first module and it has been a great success!
1-stripe through 4-stripe white belts are meeting once a week with instructors and taking a deep dive into the current week’s curriculum. They also address students’ individual questions and concerns about all positions, techniques, and all things jiu jitsu related.
What do Enrichment Program Module 1 students think? Here are some excepts of enrichment students’ experiences so far:
I’ve really enjoyed my time in the enrichment program. The extra small group training each week has already had a positive impact on my game. Aside from getting better at jiu jitsu, my favorite part about the program has been becoming better friends with my coach and teammates. I’ve seen a lot of these guys at the gym before, but never spent any significant time with them until now…
-JT
As a participant of the enrichment program I’ve had the opportunity to learn in a small group environment details of Jiu-Jitsu that would take me many months of normal classes to understand.
Being able to take those details and then drill them over and over so that they become somewhat second nature has been a fantastic addition.
I highly recommend enrolling into future sessions.
-RM
Another great aspect has been getting to know the other guys in class and train more with them. Since starting the program I feel a stronger connection to the Easton community, and my game has definitely improved. Overall rating a 10/10 would recommend for anyone
-CC
Be on the lookout for details and changes that will be made to next module of the Enrichment Program. Ask the front desk staff about enrollment details.
20 Years of Easton!!
It’s hard to believe that this amazing thing has been around for 2 decades! The Denver Academy was once the new kid on the block. However, since Easton expanded to the corner of 3rd and Broadway in Denver and then relocated to the big training center, we have added locations all over the metro area. We are thousands of members strong now and still growing!
Let’s all celebrate this incredible community that we share by packing City Park in Westminster on August 10th from 11 am to 3 pm! There will be food, games, music and literally hundreds of fellow Easton members with whom to rub sore elbows!
Don’t forget to go on the website and pre-order your lunch ahead of time as food will definitely sell out! Also, if you are a business owner or know folks who are, there are still sponsorship opportunities. All proceeds go to Children’s Hospital.
For sponsorship partnerships, contact Denver Academy Operations Director Vanni Tran.
Instructor Highlight: Pedro Meyer
Stats: Height 6’2″ Weight 190lbs
Age 29 Years training 11
Current Rank Brown Shirt Date you got promoted June 2019
When can we find you on the schedule? Tuesday/Thursday 5:30pm and 6:30pm
What do you love about teaching Muay Thai?
The look of satisfaction in people’s faces when they fight through discomfort to reach their goals is priceless. That’s my favorite
What are your personal Muay Thai goals?
Work on giving back to this community that gave me so much. Win fights and represent well my academy
Didn’t you recently win a big competition?
TBAs A class 186lbs division. It is the biggest amateur tournament in north America with over 900 athletes registered.
Keep an eye out for details about the upcoming Muay Thai Summer Smoker on August 24th!
Nutrition Tip of the Month: EFAs (Omegas), what are they?
Omega fatty acids (3, 6, 9 are the most commonly-known) are a form of polyunsaturated fatty acid that perform a host of important duties in the body. They are called essential fatty acids because it is essential that we get them from our diet; we cannot make them.
We’ll focus for now on Omega-3 and Omega-6 balance.
Omega-3 fatty acids are known to be anti-inflammatory and important components of healthy cell membranes throughout the body as well as a primary building block for brain and nerve tissue.
Omega-6 fatty acids are pro-inflammatory. They are used by the immune system to create inflammation as part of the primary response to things like trauma, cuts, infection, etc.
Both are important for our survival, but-as with so many other nutrient relationships in the body-the ratio of these vital fats is what makes them healthy or unhealthy.
It is thought that the ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 is in the body should be 1:1, but that as high as 4:1 (in favor of Omega-6) is healthy, as well. Can you believe that the ratio in Americans (depending on the source) is between 10:1 and 20:1 in favor of pro-inflammatory Omega-6 fatty acids? This is a primary driver of systemic inflammation in the American population.
How do I know if my Omega-3: Omega-6 ratio is off? You can have it tested, but unless you are actively addressing it, you should just assume that it is. The western diet is extremely high in Omega-6 fatty acids and very low in Omega-3s.
Food sources are, of course, fatty fish like wild-caught salmon (farmed salmon is actually higher in Omega-6 than Omega-3 and should always be avoided), wild game, grass-fed beef and dairy products like butter, and pasture-raised eggs. The claims that vegetable oils are high in “heart-healthy omega-3s” are typically deceptive. Technically, canola oil (a terrible “food” product) is high in the Omega-3 ALA (alpha linoleic acid). However, this is a form of the fat for which human beings have very little use. We have to convert it to the bioavailable forms DHA and EPA. Most people have no capacity for this conversion and at the high end, it’s converted at a rate of 2%-4%.
In fact, there are no plant sources for EPA. Outside of algae-based supplements, there are not plant sources of DHA either.
Plants are, however rich in Omega-6 fatty acids. Grains, seeds, nuts are all rich in Omega-6. If these are regular parts of you diet, then you need to be intentionally balancing them with sources of Omega-3 fats. So if fish and the other foods mentioned above are not a regular part of your diet (and even if they are) you should also be supplementing with a high-quality fish oil like Nordic Naturals or Green Pastures.
A better Omega-3 to Omega-6 balance will reduce general inflammation and help you to recover more quickly from hard training.
