Cut the Chatter: Mettle Maker #241

99% of what goes in the world is just racket.

Cut the Chatter: Mettle Maker #241

  • Warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes. Do 2-3 minutes each of (a) jumping rope (b) light calisthenics and (c) shadowboxing, forms, or light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.

  • Face the 25-minute "Stayin' Alive" drill. Set timer for 5 X 5:00. Round 1, run away from your training area. Round 2, run back. Round 3, shadowbox. Round 4, pick up your floor bag (a heavy bag with chains removed) and do not put it down until the timer beeps. Practice your stand-up grappling -- squeezes, Scarf Holds, chokes, etc. Round 5, wrestle the bag. Put it on the mat and practice your Bridges, Reverses, tackles, Bottom Scissors, etc. Click here for a video.

  • Pick a finisher. Cap off your training session with a quick "finisher" -- a short but intense contribution to functional martial fitness. Take your pick: (A) 100 yard heavy carry (choose a sandbag based on your fitness level -- I used #105), (B) 5 minute IMT run (C) As many kicks as you can in 5 minutes. That ought to "cut your chatter."

  • Do you know what bird this is? It's one of the chattiest birds in North America, and it's name comes from the Greek kitta -- "chattering bird." If you don't know its call, then you don't know one of your closest, most talkative neighbors.

Give up? Click here for the answer.

  • Cut the chatter and see how different the world looks. We are constantly awash in racket -- music and media of all kinds, T.V., YouTube, podcasts, books on tape and on and on -- much of it verbal. Words can be very useful. But pointless words are just noise. Shut off the media, go outside (or at the very least go to a quiet space), and silence your chattering monkey-mind with 10 minutes of contemplation. Set timer for 10 minutes and assume your posture of choice. Regulate your breathing to a slow, steady rhythm, making sure that you fully fill and empty your lungs with each breath. Keep your eyes open and do not fidget, wiggle, or scratch. Full instructions and more info in the video below.