Pacquiao Vs Clottey

Due to the fall of negotiations between the Pacquiao vs Mayweather, Joshua Clottey a Ghanaian welterweight boxer gain an opportunity to face the Filipino hero for the WBO belt. Coming from a lost to Miguel Cotto (but many people considered that he won that fight), He is still a very legit contest for Manny Pacquiao having both height and reach advantage on his side and plus the fact that he has the skills to match the overwhelming speed and power of Pacquiao. He's a natural welterweight - simply put, Clottey is no push over for Pacquaio.

Manny Pacquiao has the most impressive fights in this era. A man who took the world of boxing by storm by taking down Champions, legends, future Hall of Famer, and top contenders of the sport. He has mastered the skill of utilizing speed and power. His attacks are ferocious and deadly. His style of boxing is considered as "Scientific Aggression" because he's not only an aggressive puncher but his attacks comes from different angles.

All this skills that Pacquiao gain was all thanks to his coaches Freddie Roach and Alex Ariza. The two works hand in hand to improve his uncanny skills. Roach who Pacquaio considers as "The Master" continuously sharpens and improve Pacquiao's boxing skills. On the other hand Alex Ariza,The man responsible for transforming Manny Pacquiao into a powerful and dependable boxer. His job is to make sure that The Filipino Icon is in his tip top shape when we enters the ring. Ariza's job is as important as Roach job without proper conditioning Pacquiao won't be able to apply the skills he had learned from Roach effectively. It is also his job to make sure that Pacquiao meets the weight limit.

Joshua Clottey rose to prominence by winning his first twenty fights, including 14 by knockout. His performance set him up to fight Carlos Baldomir, in a title defense by Baldomir for the WBC International Welterweight Title. On his last outing he faced Miguel Cotto for the WBO Welterweight title. Cotto dropped Clottey in the first with a Jab. Cotto was cut in the 3rd round by an accidental head butt, Clottey's combinations throughout the fight gave Cotto problems. Cotto emerged with a Split-Decision victory in a close fight which some considered should have gone to the favor of Clottey. Clottey has never lost via a knock out. His style often uses the ring keeping his distance and box by using his skills and combinations.

Clottey's conditioning is also impressive in that he has never lost by knockout. That alone says a lot. Basing on his fight record he can last a full fight without gasping for air. Roach is even considering to go for a decision win over The Grand Master. He's a tough and strong fighter capable of beating anybody in the welterweight division.

Boxing Shoes - The Importance of Comfort

It is imperative that boxing shoes provide a perfect fit for the boxer. If he is trying to box with his feet hurting or his shoes slipping around on his feet, chances are he will not win that match. A boxer needs to be one hundred percent confident of his equipment before he enters the ring, and the shoes are a huge part of that. Boxers take enough punishment during their matches. They do not need to add feet blisters to that due to a poor shoe choice.

When choosing boxing equipment and accessories, it is important to find the ones that offer a perfect fit to you. Boxing shoes need to fit just as well as the boxing shorts do. You would not want your shorts falling down or splitting open during a boxing match. So it only makes sense that you would not want your shoes to allow you to slip and slide in the boxing ring or make your feet sweat.

You need to be very particular when choosing your shoes because unless they feel as if they are a PART of your feet, you will have problems with them. Most pairs are made from soft leather, suede, and rounded out with rubber soles that are meant to offer traction. Boxing shoes also have ventilation through mesh �windows� on all sides so that your feet do not become over heated and too sweaty.

All of those things work together to make your shoes offer everything you need while in the boxing ring. However, they must also be a perfect fit or your feet can become sore, blistered and irritated from trying to move around in the wrong type of shoe. Be sure to try on your shoes before you decide to buy them. Walk and move around in the store to make sure they are going to feel comfortable. Remember, ideally, you want them to feel so comfortable that you do not even notice you are wearing them.

Climbing the Maasai Mountain of God - A Journey to the Top of an Active Volcano

The Maasai call it "the mountain of god", for not only do they believe their ancestors descended from it; they believe God lives atop it. It rises sharply and proudly out of the Great Rift Valley with jagged edges and carved angular slopes - as regal as is ominous, as beautiful as is rare - we call it Lengai. "Lengai" [pronounced: ling-eye] rolls trippingly off the tongue while conjuring images of mythical lands and far off places. It is, in actuality, a volcano - an active volcano at that; and the only active sodium carbonate volcano in the world.

Lake Natron

Lengai is situated in one of the most spectacularly jurrassic and underrated areas of Tanzania. Lake Natron is a natural alkaline soda lake that, from a distance, looks like a great, expansive puddle that covers the valley floor and glistens in the sunlight. The environment, however, is hostile; temperatures of the mud can reach up to 50 degrees Celsius and the alkaline level can reach a pH of 9-10.5!

Natron's edges are dotted in a pink tinge created by the thousands of flamingos that migrate there annually. They are some of the only creatures who can thrive in these conditions, the caustic environment actually acting as a barrier against predators. The fringe of the valley around it is composed of emerald green hills and slopes that create scenery unrivaled anywhere else in the world. Among this naturally pristine spectacle sits Lengai.

Setting up Camp

We arrive at the riverside base camp dusty from the hours of rambunctious 4 x 4 off-roading (no other type of vehicle could possibly make it out here). The campsite is minimalist complimented by the grandiose of the looming mountain that overlooks us. That is what we're going to climb tonight?? A few meters walk from where we set up our tents is a small river winding its way out of a canyon. We are told it leads to water falls, so we decide to take the short hike to cool off in the mid-day heat. After about 30 minutes of trekking in and out of water along the rocky ledges we reach the fall. Situated between two cliffs, it is blanketed in moss and flora. The noon sun makes rainbows in the mist and we swim and baske lazily on the shore like sirens. The scene is something of enchantment.

The Climb

The hike begins at midnight, the reason being we are to get to the top in time to watch the sunrise. As our vehicle clamors along the pocked earth to her base we can just make out a faint tableau in the moonlight. Our minds begin to wonder and we all sit silent with our doubts. We start trekking and immediately the effects of the 45 degree slope are felt. Our legs burn and shake with uncertainty beneath us. We laboriously climb higher through different elevations of vegetation: aromatic fields of mountain heather, dense grasses, rocky crevasses, and burned bush. We rest intermitantly to break our sweats and catch our breath. As soon as we stop moving however, the chilled wind penetrates our jackets forcing us to continue on our way, only to sweat again in minutes. It is virtually impossible to find a level of temperate comfort between the cold wind and the body heat generated by the climb.

As we near the top the landscape changes from difficult to hostile; the earth is covered in jagged rocks and loose volcanic debris. The slope continues to get steeper still and parts of the climb are having to be done on all fours. Whose idea was this?? Moments when one has to catch themselves from a stumble are often thwarted by a giant blast of cold air that wails down the incline like a banshee. We continue despite the innate urges to turn back - and suddenly the top comes into view in the blue-haze of daybreak. We lob ourselves over the side and all sit back in exhaustion and amazment as the African sun rises in the East.

From the distance, Lengai looks like her peak is exactly that, a peak. In reality, however, her ashen and barren cavern is vast and plain-like. The summit itself is lunar covered in a white molten crust with towering individual peaks (formed by mini-eruptions) that jut out in sharp, sporadic disarray. As you wander its vastness you feel a sense of tremendous accomplishment negated by a certain sense of unease. In certain areas, your feet crack through the crust setting free sulfurous smoke that rises out of the footprint as an eerie reminder that while Lengai may appear to be stable to the eye, she is anything but.

The wind is a constant force at this elevation; clouds fly past your face and seem to fall down the side of the mountain with no hesitation as if they're being poured like milk out of a carton. A trip to volcano's edge offers a spectacular view: a sweeping panorama of the entire region and beyond. Kilimanjaro, Meru and the lesser mountains are seen in the distant haze. The Serengeti lies just on the horizon. The sloping Great Rift slips effortlessly into the valley and from this vantage point looks like a massive green velvet curtain rippling to the floor. Summiting Lengai offers some of the most beautiful landscapes the eye can behold and is definitely a unique and worthwhile endeavour.

That is, until you start down!

Interested in climbing Lengai or planning a Tanzania Adventure? Combine this climb with a Crater Highlands Trek for a real "Out of Africa" experience! Contact Tropical Trails - The Tanzania Adventure Specialists at:

info@tropicaltrails.com

www.tropicaltrails.com

Climbing the Maasai Mountain of God - A Journey to the Top of an Active Volcano   

Rock Climbing Basics

Rock climbing is an exhilarating sport and one that is growing in popularity. Today, people of all ages are taking up this fun but physically demanding activity. Many aspects of rock climbing appeal to those partaking in this sport, but one thing which stands out most is that this is an activity that can be done both indoors and out.

Man-made rock climbing walls are perfect for training and for when the weather conditions outside are less than desirable. Indoor rock climbing walls are a great way to learn the various rock climbing techniques while being under the careful watch of more experienced rock climbing professionals. Because they're made to resemble the characteristics you'd find in a natural rock environment, many rock climbers never even venture outdoors. But for those who do, the outdoors experience is truly unique and awe-inspiring.

Countless rock climbing opportunities await those who do venture outdoors. Not all rocks though are optimum for the rock climber. First in importance is whether the rock face can be traversed horizontally or vertically. Equally important is that the rocks chosen for rock climbing must be solid rocks and they must be stable. Also look for locations where the weather is predictable, and where trails already exist.

Although this is a relatively safe activity if undertaken using the proper rock climbing equipment [http://www.climbinghub.com/rockclimbingequipment.html], rock climbing can be a dangerous sport, especially for those who venture far off the ground and away from more densely populated areas. It's one thing to want to climb in an uncrowded area, but should an emergency situation develop, being close to others could mean the difference between getting timely help and not getting the help the injured party needs to survive.

Many people mistakenly believe that the majority of rock climbing injuries result from falling. This belief might simply result from the fact that rock climbers who fall get more attention from local authorities, rescue squads and even the media. However, most rock climbing injuries occur to the hands, tendons, elbows and shoulders and are caused by straining and overuse. Although these types of injuries are not preventable, their occurrence can be reduced by taking time to properly warm up and stretch out these body parts. Using the right rock climbing equipment for the journey ahead is also advisable.

Rock climbing shoes are a must and help ensure a proper grip on the sometimes slippery surfaces. Helmets, which unfortunately aren't worn by many climbers, are a good way to prevent serious head injury. A rock climbing harness that is in excellent condition with no frayed or worn out parts, climbing ropes, webbing, karabiners and belay devices are other essential pieces of rock climbing gear.

Keep the above rock climbing basics in mind before venturing out on your next rock climbing adventure and you'll hopefully keep rock climbing accidents to a minimum.

Climbing the Maasai Mountain of God - A Journey to the Top of an Active Volcano   

Boxing Sparing Robots Needed

It is always difficult to find a good sparing partner to box with or practice martial arts. The better you get the fewer people who are willing to get in the ring or on the mat with your. Worse off if it is a friend and he makes a mistake, you often find yourself holding back on your gut instincts to take him out and exploit his foolishness in letting his guard down. If you do not take him down to the mat or clock him so hard he cannot see straight, you are actually doing him a disservice, as in a real fight it would have been over right then and there.

Unfortunately we live in the real world and in the real world if you are in the ring with a good friend you often hold back, if you get too tough, you trigger them to go all out when you are just there for practice and not to kick the ever-living crap out of someone.

I therefore propose Boxing Sparing Partners to spar with. Sparing Robots, which you can clock as hard as you can if the opportunity exists. Robots which you will not feel bad when you do and one which will hit you back on the level you set in case you make a mistake and unnecessarily leave an opening or let your guards down. Enough to sting you hard enough to learn the lesson but not hard enough to break you in half, break your nose or cause you a serious head injury.

Robots are perfect for sparing partners and we can build them to feel as if you are sparing with a real man, without damaging them and so they hit you back. This will help boxers and martial artists test themselves and excel in their quest to become even better. Think on this.

Success Lessons From Boxing   Boxing Sparing Robots Needed   Success Tips From Boxing   

Iron Mike and Boxing KOed

Sometimes, athletes can be extremely annoying to the average fan. It gets to the point that their freakish nature becomes more intriguing than watching them compete. Take the following pathetic account, for example.

Iron Mike Tyson . Let that name resonate for just one moment. In the mid 1980s and some of the '90s, Iron Mike Tyson made boxing the most exciting sport in the world -- even to non-boxing fans. This kid with the sheepish smile and Swarzeneggar body was an absolute fury inside the boxing ring. The youngest heavyweight champ ever, Tyson burst onto the scene with fists that could knock down walls and a interviews that could put a smile on Yogi Berra's face.

After a prison term for a rape conviction, Tyson became less of a devastating fighter and more of a freak. One minute he was crashing his car and walking away from it, the next he was denying raping a young girl but saying he wished he had, then he was nawing on Evander Holyfield's ear in a failed attempt to regain boxing prominence. Finally, after countless run-ins with the law, Tyson was pummeled into submission in one last title shot by Lennox Lewis, a champ who had run out of quality opponents.

There was a time that we all learned to love Tyson. Soon, we learned to hate him. And, in the end, many would pity him.

After squandering a 400 million fortune and claiming bankruptcy, Tyson decided to escape his demons and try to get some of his glory and a few of those lost millions back. He would fight again, after several years of recovery from the beating he suffered from Lewis.

Finally, an overweight, too old Tyson, lacking the skills he once had, took yet another beating -- this time at the hands of an unknown journeyman named Danny Williams. Knocked out in the fourth round, Tyson was left to ponder a dark future. His own trainer suggested that Tyson's journey must come to an end.

For nearly two decades, Mike Tyson has saved boxing from completely drowning in its own pool of greed, malevolence, and awful boxers. Whether he was decimating an opponent with the most powerful punches in history or boggling our minds with his strange behavior, Tyson awed virtually everyone who watched him or read about him. He did what all sportsmen should do -- he kept us entertained.

Now, with his latest defeat, Tyson and boxing are both beaten. And all we can do is hope for the next freak to get here soon.

Success Lessons From Boxing   Boxing Sparing Robots Needed   Success Tips From Boxing