Life Line: Mettle Maker #249
Warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes. Do 2-3 minutes each of (a) jumping rope or footwork (b) light calisthenics and (c) shadowboxing, forms, light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.
Come in under the line. Set timer for 10 minutes and string up a line about jaw height -- hand wraps, jump ropes or Karate belts will do. Visualize opponent's head sitting on the line as you move forward and backward up the line, practicing lightning bolt movement and throwing combos from alternating sides of the line. Start with a jab-cross combo, then move to jab-cross-uppercut, jab-cross-hook, etc. No idea what any of this means? Links to home training options below.
Go for red line. As a training session finisher, complete one 50 yard heavy carry (BHC, FC, SC, etc.) at 2/3 of your PR. Walk it off for 2 mins. Then push up the weight to PR and walk to failure. If 2 sets aren't enough, you aren't doing it right (I picked BHC and did a #105 and then finished with #140 for 50 yards).
Go offline. When was the last time you put your phone on do not disturb, closed your laptop, shut off your tablet, and spent some time completely disconnected from glowing screens? Do it. A whole weekend would be great, but do the best you can. What do you do with the time? Cook a new recipe, read a book, play Master Mind (my favorite game) with your partner, or go outside and get dirty.
Fall in line. Last week we kept a notepad handy and gave ourselves demerits for behaving in a manner inconsistent with our precepts (the Five Vital Graces). That's top-down pressure, and it works. But this week, try using bottom-up pressure instead (see video below). Align yourself with goodness, truth and light like a string on a violin vibrating in accord with the others, or a compass needle lining up with the earth's magnetic field. Try to sense when you are "out of line." Common symptoms of imbalance are tension, worry, nail-biting, talking to yourself, cursing, impatience, anger, loss of focus, forgetfulness, drumming, and tapping your feet. When you manifest a symptom, slow down and search yourself for the underlying cause. Heed the answer, address it sensibly, relax, and move forward.