My practice of self-myofascial release began with me rolling around on a baseball, a softball and your garden variety 4" PVC pipe! I know it doesn't sound too sexy, and at the time I didn't feel too sexy either. Truth be told, it took months before I got into a regular practice of self-myofascial release. For me, like most, rolling around on hard objects just didn't sound right and was definitely not in the mainstream, so I didn't give it much time or thought. It was not until I had tried everything, spent a ton of money and was living in constant pain that I started regularly practicing self-myofascial release.After suffering with sciatic and neck pain for years, I had run my body into the ground. Finding a trigger point (i.e., a tight muscle) was not hard to do, I just needed to sit, stand or lay on a ball and I was on a trigger point! My self-myofascial release practice started by doing just that, I would place a ball on the ground, lay on it for a couple of minutes, breathe deeply to relax, wait for the muscle to release then move to the next spot. After the first week I could feel my pain decreasing and my mobility increasing. As the weeks went by I was able to roll on a ball from my neck down to my low back and I could feel my body changing. As the months went by my body and mind were getting better aquatinted - the daily rolling out was connecting them both. I finally knew where I was tight and what I needed to do to release the tension.My collection of balls and odd shaped rollers grew with my need to gain access to deeper trigger points. I also bought a "Theracane," the green hook shaped object that is great for releasing tension in your neck and shoulders. Some of you may be wondering why I don't have a foam roller, which is known as the prop of choice for self-myofascial release. The foam rollers were simply too soft for me and provided no real benefits. My problems were deep tissue and the foam roller is better for soft tissue problems. For the same reason I don't use tennis balls for self-myofascial release, which is another common prop recommended by physical therapists.Despite my large collection of balls, rollers and other devices, I always felt there was something missing. There were very few products that were geared specifically for self-myofascial release, and those products that were on the market, were simply too soft to effectively activate and release my trigger points (i.e., foam rollers). It was this absence of effective self-myofascial release products that led me to develop Bula Balls which consists of five balls of varying sizes and firmness specifically designed to activate sensitive trigger points. But until Bula Balls are out on the market (which should be in the next few months!), you should get started with your own practice of self-myofascial release. Use whatever props work best for you, if tennis balls and foam rollers get the job done, then that is what you should use. But, if your like me, you will need something harder, such as baseballs, softballs and PVC pipes to really see the benefits of self-myofascial release. So head down to your local sports store or raid your kid's toy box and get started. Your body will thank me for it!

Pain is your friend was my mantra as a young rugby player trying to crack the big leagues and run with thebig dogs, I needed to be bigger, stronger, faster and earn the respect of my peers to win theconfidence of my coaches to make the cut. I had set a tall order for myself and had made manysacrifices, it was all or nothing - overcoming my fears and breaking the pain barrier time andtime again was the only way to succeed. I knew if it wasn't hurting - I wasn't working hard enough.No pain, no gain..When we're born, the first thing we feel is pain - its how we know we are alive. The pain of our first breath of air, the pain of hunger to eat, pains from growth and the pain of loss. Pain, in all its forms, guides us, pointing us in the right direction so that we can react accordingly to avoid further more serious forms of chronic pain. Unfortunately, more often than not, we are not listening to what pains us and we reach for the easy out which is usually pain medication. Prolonged use leads to all sorts of serious problems like dependance, illness and ultimately, surgery, facts which I know all to well.The pain management industry is huge and continues to grow at an alarming rate, you can't watchtelevision, listen to the radio, read a newspaper or browse the internet without a pain medication ad being shoved down your throat. In America its reported that the leading cause of Americans taking sick days is due to sciatic back pain, pain which I suffered with for years. By living with my pain for so long I ultimately did more damage to my body than if I had addressed the pain head on. I had lost sight of my mantra, "pain is your friend." Instead, I tried to ignore the pain and dial it down with pain medication so that I could work my way though it. I now know that this is impossible.If you want to fix any problem you need to find the root cause. When it comes to muscle pain inyour neck, back, shoulders, feet and hips, the root cause is tight restricted fascia.My speedy recovery from surgery stems from seeing one of the best surgeons in the country, quality pre and post surgery physical therapy, including self-myofascial release, and treating the surgery like any other sporting injury which consisted of me spending a lot of time icing, hydrating and resting. My postural improvements, the reduction of muscle pain and my ability to be running around on thebeach and living an active lifestyle comes from re-aquatinting myself with my old friend, pain. My practiceof self-myofascial release is allowing me to revive my battle-beaten body. I can now say that my body is finally back to normal and I have overcome the injuries that have plagued me for so long. I look forward to living the healthy active lifestyle that I have grown so accustom to and I want to help otherknow there is a better way.

The "Massage"I thought I was going to see Karl for a deep tissue massage but in actuality, I had no idea what Karl's treatments were all about and although massage was part of Karl's treatment, it certainly was not the main ingredient. The hour and a half session started with me standing on a 2" hard rubber ball, first under the knuckle joint of my big toe and working my way down to my little toe, then down my arches and finally undermy heel. Never having done this before, the round ball felt like I was standing on something sharp, I waslearning fast this was not going to be a pleasurable hour and a half "massage"From there it was on to what would become my "favorite," rolling a 20 kg lifting bar down my leg with an extra 15 kg on each side. My muscle was sandwiched between my bone and the thin foam covering the weight bar. This "massage" technique was extremely painful, but also extremely effective. To get the best results from this kind of myofascial release you will need a weight bench. Sit at one end and place your leg on the bench, point your toes to the ceiling, squeeze your abs, relax yourshoulders, point the top of your head to the ceiling and get in the best postural position possible. Thenhave a trained professional, i.e. Karl List, place a 50 kg weight bar on the top of your thigh, where it meets your hip. The next bit is really important, without pulling a face or losing your composure,have the trained professional roll the bar down to your knee, very slowly and then back again. Do this 3-4 times then change legs. At this point in my "massage" I began to feel beads of sweat gathering on my brow. "Holy Shit" I thought to myself, "what is he doing!!" Trying to remain cool and not lose my composure I kept quiet and endured the pain. Next, we moved to the stretching mats, finally, I thought, I can lay down and have Karl do some traditional "massage," I can close my eyes and relax while he works on me. Think again, while laying face down Karl placed a 5" ball under my abs just to the left of my belly button, then he placed a smaller ball under my right shoulder. My muscles were tight to start, but as I breathed into them I could feel them begin to loosen. Karl was working on my calves while I was lying on the balls, and by working I mean he had the tip of his elbow buried into my calf all the way down to the bone. Then he shifted gears and started working on my hamstrings, while he was doing this he had all his weight on my back which was forcing the ball I was lying on further into my abs. My eyes were wide open and sweat was streaming off of me. I was trying to stay relaxed, but Karl was not making it easy! An hour had passed and I was sweating like I was doing a work out, I remember thinking "this guyis insane, when is he going to stop!" To Karl's credit he gave me my moneys worth, he was relentless and did not let up until he felt he had sufficiently worked my muscles. Karl's methods are unorthodox, intense, extremely effective and are unique to him. If rugby is described as a collision sport, then Karl is the number one body shop man.I later found out that I had ruptured a disc in my lower back two years earlier. I had been suffering with sciatic pain for that entire time and thought thats all it was. After just under three months of seeing Karl once a week and practicing self myofascial release between our sessions. I was pain free and returned to play out the American Super League rugby season. This alone speaks volumes for Karl's deep understanding of the human body and what has lead me to refer to him as the closest person to Master Yoda I have met. Karl has gone further than any one trainer or therapist I have met, and there is still so much more that I can learn from him. Karl is the inspiration for the creation of Bula Balls, and is why I can speak from experience when I say that self myofasical release really works!

Karl’s reputation as a highly skilled innovator and top personal trainer at Gold’s Gym in Venice, Californiahas made him one of the most sought after fitness experts in the industry. With more than twenty years experience as a personal trainer and a celebrated career as natural body builder, Karl has beenfeatured in several publications including Mens Health, Live Fit, Muscle & Fitness and Ironman, to name afew. Karl's degree is in Physical Education and Lifetime Health & Fitness and along with his other qualifications he is a IDEA-Master Level Trainer. However, I had no inkling of any of Karl's qualifications before I met him. I was referred to Karl by another trainer at Golds, Danny Henry. Danny is the strength trainer for the Santa Monica Rugby Club men's team and after one of our sessions I asked Danny if he could refer me to a good deep tissue masseur. At the time I was still battling the pain associated with the neck and back injuries I had been suffering with since early in my rugby career. To help with the pain I booked regular massage treatments and was having a hard time finding anyone good. Dannyquickly gave me three options ranging from good at $80 per hour, to very good at $100 per hourand finally the best at $150 per hour, my initial reaction was something like, holy shit $150 an hour!! Does it come with a happy ending?? At the time I was paying around $60 per massage and the jumpto $150 seemed like a bridge too far, but at the same time it felt like I was throwing $60 away everytime I got a shit massage, so I decided to give Karl a call.After calling and leaving a message, I received a call from Karl's wife Jodi a couple of days later to line up an appointment. Before the call finished I asked, "so what's the address?" Jodi told me that Karl works from Golds and to just meet him in front of the squatting racks. Confused, I asked if he had a massage bed at Golds. Jodi told me that I would understand once I got there. After hanging up the phone I remember sitting there thinking what the F$#K, this better be some F$#king massage!!The day of my appointment I turned up to the gym early and saw Karl finishing up with his previousclient and sure enough, there was not going to be any fold out bed for me to get comfortable on or any privacy from the rest of the people working out in the gym, it was all going to happen in front of the squat rack. What have a got myself in to?!?A couple of minutes go by, Karl finishes up with his pervious client and we meet for the first time,Karl has a slight build, lean, athletic and about 5 foot 5. The introductions are barely over when Karl says to me that I look like a "bent nail." Still reeling from the fact that I was paying $150 to get a "massage" in the middle of a crowded gym, I was shocked to hear Karl describe my body exactly the way it felt, like a bent nail. Karl was able to diagnose me without knowing anything about my history and without touching me at all. No one else has ever described my body in that way, though I knew immediately that Karl knew what he was talking about and would probably know what to do to help me overcome my injuries. My interest picked up and I wanted to know more. From the start, it was clear to me that there was much more to Karl List than meets the eye.

Fascia is a seamless web of connective tissue that covers and connects the muscles, organs, and skeletal structureslocated between the skin and the underlying muscle and bone structures. Fascia is a specialized systemthat has an appearance similar to a spider's web or a sweater.Fascia is a very densely woven covering that interpenetrates every muscle, bone, nerve, artery and vein, as well as allof our internal organs including the heart, lungs, brain and spinal cord. The most interesting aspect of the fascial systemis that it is not just a system of separate coverings, it is actually one structure that exists from head to foot without interruption.In this way each part of the entire body is connected to every other part by the fascia, like the yarn in a sweater.Injuries, stress, inflammation, trauma and poor posture can restrict the fascia. And since fascia is an interconnected web,restriction or tightness to fascia in one area of the body will, over time, spread to other parts of the body. Like a snag in a sweater, fascial tightness can create displacement in other parts of the body which will eventually create restrictions and tightness in the new location. Minor fascial restrictions and tightness can, in this way, eventually snowball into major systemic problems. The goal of Bula Balls (self myofascial release) is to release fascia restriction and restore tissue health, intended for pain relief,increasing range of motion and balancing the body.

Benefits of Self Myofascial Release!    * Restructures and realigns your skeletal system.    * Improves balance and body awareness.    * Decreases muscle soreness and relieves joint stress.    * Corrects muscle imbalances.    * Improves circulation.    * Helps in maintaining normal functional muscular length.    * Helps speed up the rehabilitation process.    * Increases flexibility.    * Its easy to do and can be done in the privacy of your own    * home ... even in front of the T.V.!    * Knowledge is power, self myofascial release gives you the    * knowledge to finally gain control over your chronic aches and pains. Take action, get started and get balanced!

After years of playing professional rugby, one of the world's most physically demanding sports, I have suffered my fair share of injuries and have done some of the oddest things to manage the pain - there is a painful story for another day regarding suppositories!Along the way I have learned many things about my body's ability to heal and mend itself, along with all the different therapies that can help speed the healing process. I was introduced to self-myofascial release (or SMR) many years ago (in the shape of a tennis ball), but never took it seriously. It wasn't until I began suffering from chronic sciatic pain which ultimately started to rule my life, that I was forced to take a serious look at SMR. Over the last twelve months I have made many personal discoveries about how the body works and can heal itself and how these discoveries can help anyone suffering from sciatica as well as neck, back and shoulder pain. My regular practice of SMR has significantly reduced both the mild and severe aches and pains I have been suffering with for years, as well as providing the unexpected benefits of lengthening my neck, lowering my shoulders and improving my posture. For me, the first step was taking action - making the decision to commit to a program and actually committing! You can't change your life sitting on the couch in front of the TV, but you can change your life by making the simple move from the couch to some SMR balls! This blog will help show you how.