Sing Your Song: Mettle Maker #264

Sing Your Song: Mettle Maker #264

  • Hum your solfège before you break out into song. To avoid injuries, warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes before you train. 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.

  • Wreck your rhythm. Disrupt your form by picking up an awkward object, like a hiking stick or water bottle, and go for a run. It’s amazing how a little thing can make such a big difference in terms of cadence and therefore, energy demand. Try it!

  • When it comes to your favorite weapon, change your tune. With weapon in hand, can you safely run and perform key maneuvers like shoulder roll, side deadfall, forward dive, baseball slide, etc.? If not, you should probably pause working on your fancy techniques and interpretive dance moves and start figuring it out. If you can’t move with your knife, stick, tomahawk, gun, or what-have-you without killing yourself, that’s an issue. Put in 10 minutes of movement practice with a dull/dummy version of your weapon. Count the number of faults — times you touch yourself with the business end or point the weapon at yourself. When your 10 minutes are up, perform 50 Push-ups for each fault. For more help and guidance, sign up for the Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts Program.

  • Learn a bird song. This is a Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) that I identified using the Cornel Ornithology Lab’s free Birdnet app. The single “weep” call at dawn or twilight is indicative of a calm area free of aggression by other birds or predators. Learning bird calls brings your landscape alive. CLICK TO LISTEN

  • Sing a new psalm. This month’s spiritual symbol is the Candle. The wick runs through a candle the same way your spine runs through your body, and the flame at the top of the candle is analogous to enlightenment. Try lighting your fire with meditative singing. Chant or sing a piece of beloved scripture and see what happens to your head. If you’re new to this, you’ll likely feel a little peculiar. But if you stick with daily practice, in a few short weeks you will likely come to appreciate its affects. I’ve pasted the words to one of my favorites below, as well as an audio recording. A sung hymn, psalm or other “mantra” easily triggers a positively altered mental state. Get there.

PSALM 24, RESPONSORIAL FORM

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.

Audio Player

Ruffle: Mettle Maker #262

¹ruffle \rəf·əl\  vb 1. to roughen or abrade 2. to stand up (as in feathers or a collar) 3. to flip through as in the pages of a book 4. to fold back and forth in accordion fashion

²ruffle \rəf·əl\  n 1. a state or cause of agitation 2. a commotion or brawl 3. a surface disturbance ie. a ripple  4. a strip of fabric pleated on one edge 5. a low vibrating drumbeat

Yesterday was Patrick Henry's birthday.  I'm a big fan.  I went to visit his house at Scotchtown last year.  Henry was a contrarian and an expert at ruffling feathers.  In honor of Patrick Henry's birthday yesterday, allow me to ruffle your feathers with some of my favorite contrarian quotes from history and fiction.

  • “The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.” ~Patrick Henry, Patrick Henry, Champion of Liberty

  • "Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and generally more useful." ~Mark Rippetoe

  • "When deep space exploration ramps up, it will be the corporations that name everything, the Microsoft Galaxy, the IBM stellar sphere, Planet Starbucks... " ~Narrator, Fight Club

  • "We're consumers. We are by-products of a lifestyle obsession. Murder, crime, poverty, these things don't concern me. What concerns me are celebrity magazines, television with 500 channels, some guy's name on my underwear. Rogaine, Viagra, Olestra. Martha Stewart." ~Narrator, Fight Club

  • "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance

  • "Just because you are a character doesn't mean that you have character." ~Winston Wolfe, Pulp Fiction

  • "I saw that the State was half-witted, that it was timid as a lone woman with her silver spoons, and that it did not know its friends from its foes, and I lost all my remaining respect for it, and pitied it." ~Henry David Thoreau, Civil Disobedience

  • "You don't win wars with niceness, doctor. You win wars with guts." ~Col. Chester Phillips, Captain America: The First Avenger

  • "When you discover you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount. But lawyers have other strategies including buying a stronger whip, changing riders, declaring that the horse is better, faster and cheaper dead, and finally, harnessing several dead horses together for increased speed." Judge Thomas Penfield Jackson, The Wall Street Journal, 2/18/99

Ruffle: Mettle Maker #262

  • Warm up before you train. To avoid injuries, warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes before you train. 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. Here's a fun MBF warm-up: 8 minutes of low-intensity 4-rep sets of HSPU, Shots, Spike Sprawls, and Shoulder Rolls.

  • Don't "work out." Train. If you don't have a plan or you're just doing something to burn calories, you are "working out." Stop. Think about where you want to go and devise a plan to get there. What are the fundamental movements, fitness requirements, and success indicators in your martial art or sport endeavor? What are you doing to tailor your training to suit them? If you're stuck, start here.

  • Read a book. Research indicates that reading rewires and strengthens the mind, increases empathy, builds vocabulary, fights cognitive decline, reduces stress, aids sleep, alleviates depression, and lengthens lifespan. Read more here. I read three in the last two weeks -- A Pilgrim's Guide to the Old Catholic Church, Self-Defense for Gentlemen and Ladies, and Relation of Virginia: A Boy's Memoir of Life with the Powhatans and the Patawomecks. If you want to read a book a week, you're going to have to put down your cell phone, power off your Switch, and close your laptop. Get there.

  • Go outside in the rain. Look, the holes are in bottom of your nose and your skin is uniquely suited prevent absorption of falling water. I promise that, no matter how stupid you are or how wet you get, you will neither drown nor stay wet forever. Few things are better for mood and resilience than cultivating the ability take joy in inclement weather. Get dirty!

  • Practice contemplation -- one of the four essential methods of spiritual development. Assume posture of choice and regulate breathing to a slow and steady rhythm. Keep your eyes open. Do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Allow your thoughts to dissipate like ripples on a pond and your mind to approach a state of calm and relaxed awareness. Do not think at all, but especially not in words -- do not evaluate, judge, make lists, fixate on emotions, let your mind wander, or any of that. Just breathe and be. Start with 5 minutes and work your way up to 20 minutes. Eventually you should be able to do this for an hour if so desire.

Walk the Earth: Mettle Maker #260

Cockspur Hawthorn a.k.a. Crataegus crus-galli

Walk the Earth: Mettle Maker #260

  • Before you train, 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. Here's a fun MBF warm-up: 8 minutes of as low-intensity 4-rep sets of HSPU, Shots, Spike Sprawls, and Side Deadfalls.

  • Farmer walks to the death. I had been on a weightlifting plateau for a bit. But when I took the advice of the legendary Dan John and expanded my heavy carries to include farmer walks (I've been doing Bearhug Carry for a couple of years -- see below) all my numbers starting going up again. Plateau broken! Here's a good Farmer Walk program: Train every other day. Start with a light weight. Walk off 25 yards, rest 1 minute, walk 25 yards, rest 1 minute and then walk as far as you can ("to the death"). Next session, add 5 lbs to each side. When you get to a point where you can't get 3 x 25 yards, de-load 10% and start the progression again. Pro tip: Bend your knees when you pick up the weights, as if you're deadlifting.

  • Circumnavigate your opponent's jab. Try this jab counterpunch drill on your heavy bag. Set timer for rounds of 3:00/1:00 and practice your L. Jab counters -- just make sure you really imagine that hand coming at you. Round 1: Slide inside to avoid opponent's jab as you fire your own jab back at his nose. Next iteration, Jab twice. Next iteration after that, Jab thrice. Then reset to 1 Jab and continue. Assuming you're a righty, you should be circling the bag in a clockwise direction. Round 2: Slip outside and Jab to "the mark" (solar plexus), and come back with an Right Hook to the body and a Left Hook to the jaw. Round 3: Slip outside and Jab to "the mark" (solar plexus), then weave inside and fire a 1-2 to his nose. If you're still feeling chipper, switch stance and do all three rounds again with hands reversed. If none of this makes sense, sounds like you could stand to take one of my classes or sign up for one of my distance learning programs (see below).

  • Go on a wild plant walk. Why? So you can impress your friends and wow the ladies with your cool horticultural know-how, of course! But mainly to build a connection with the world around you, to get out from in front of your laptop screen, and to maybe save yourself in a survival situation. Get yourself a sturdy blank book (or make one out of paper grocery bags like I did) and start pasting in leaves and adding sketches. You'll know hundreds of species before you know it. Get dirty!

  • Walk the earth. This month's spiritual symbol is The Staff. All of the figures from history, myth and fiction who carry a staff -- Moses, Aaron from the Bible, Gandalf, Rafiki, Hermes with this caduceus, the Hermit card from your Tarot deck, and so forth -- walk the earth with integrity, chastity, poverty and obedience. Integrity is the condition that manifests when you are unified in your thoughts, desires, actions and beliefs. Poverty is the state of putting material possessions, money, and worldly things at the bottom of your attention. Chastity is the healthy ordering of your sexual desires. Obedience is alignment of one's entire being with Logos -- the Divine Order of the Cosmos -- or Christ. And here's the incredible thing: if you do those four things, nothing else matters. Remember in Pulp Fiction when Jules says "I'm going to walk the earth" and Vincent says "you're going to be a bum"? Jules has seen and acknowledged a miracle, and he can't go back. He has apprehended the ultimate truth, which is simply this. It doesn't matter what you do, but rather how you do it.


Gauntlet: Mettle Maker #258

This week I'm throwing down the gauntlet -- I'm challenging you to get more done this coming week than I did this past week.  Here's a top-level rundown of what I've done in the last 7 days:

  • Had a public conversation with the Vinny Raposa of Team Raposa Martial Arts in Newark NJ and put it up on YouTube. We talked about Frontier Rough 'n' Tumble. Watch it here.

  • Started a new weekly online meeting called Let's Talk Martial Arts. Come and join us this Saturday at 2 PM.

  • Started a new weekly online chat for my Independent Catholic Meetup called God and Coffee. Come on by this Sunday a 10:00 AM, we'd love to have you!

  • This Sunday will be my fourth week presenting Holy Communion for my church, Ekklesia Epignostika Church and Seminary.

  • This has meant that I've had to write formal homilies (a.k.a. "sermons" for you protestants out there). Here's a link to last week's: Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Easter, April 25th 2021

  • I carved, sanded and finished a new fighting cane (it finally broke after 10+ years of use, including hitting heavy bags)

  • Almost finished my altar stone. There are very specific requirements that have to be met before I request my Bishop bless it for use in my home chapel.

  • I finished work on the revamped Fool's Journey for the upcoming 2nd edition of Cabal Fang: Complete Study Course from Querent to Elder.

  • I finally read The Varieties of Religious Experience by Wm. James. A smash hit, and still relevant after 100+ years.

  • Total training time, fitness and martial arts: 10.25 hours

This is not me bragging -- this is me trying to encourage you to put down your cell phone, shut off the TV, and go get things done.  Not in a "chalking up numbers" sort of way, but in a "get engaged in the art of living" sort of way.

In last week's mettle maker I suggested that the things that you think make you unique -- your likes and dislikes, your favorite food, favorite movies, etc. -- might actually be the things that prove you're just like everyone else.  What might make you truly unique?

More on this topic in the mettle maker below.

Gauntlet: Mettle Maker #258

  • Before you train, 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.

  • Do some practical command and mastery with your chosen weapon. 16 min. pyramid of Air Strikes (10), Crawls (5 yards), Sprints ( 5 yards out/back = 1), and Russian Squats (2). Start an 8:00 timer. Do 10 Air Strikes, Crawl 5 yards, Sprint 5 yards out/back, and do 2 Russian Squats -- striking the air with your blunt training weapon the entire time. Then do 20 Air Strikes, Crawl 10 yards, Sprint 10 yards out/back, and do 4 Russian Squats. Keep climbing until the timer beeps, then climb down.

  • Pick up something heavy. Try a Cross-walk -- a Shoulder Carry and a Farmer's Walk at the same time. I used a 65# Sandbag for the shoulder carry and I put #60 on my Farmer Carry rig. Walk as far as you can, rest a minute, and then do it again switching sides. I love this combo for practical strength.

  • Read an old book. When was the last time you read a book at all, much less an old book? Here's a challenge: pick up a book that's at least 100 years old and give it a go. Reading Wm. James has been a real eye-opener. This man knew more about human nature -- and offers more practical advice -- than many so-called modern experts.

  • Think about who and what you are. Yesterday is gone and future is unwritten. Neither is real. Therefore the only thing you could possibly be is what you are doing right now. Think about it. No, really. Actually think about it. Set a time for 10 minutes or so. Assume posture of choice and regulate breathing to a slow and steady rhythm. Keep your eyes open and fixed. Do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Think in a focused way about the fact that you are only what you are doing right now. This is a form of meditation. Get there.

Eighth Anniversary: Mettle Maker #257

Can you believe it?  Sat. 4/24/21 is the 8th anniversary of the weekly mettle maker -- time flies when you're having fun!

Over the years the frequency has changed, the name has changed, and the format has changed.  Which format do you like?  Did you prefer the experimental formats of last week and week before?  Do you like the format below?  Or is one of the old styles more to your liking?  Please post in the comments and let me know.  

The goal of these mettle makers is to inspire you to take charge of your life -- your education, your strength and fitness, your attitude, and your relationship with God.  Whatever you do, don't live your life in service of fashion, entertainment, food, comfort, or anything like that. 

The things that you think make you unique -- your likes and dislikes, your favorite food, favorite movies, etc. -- might actually be the things that prove you're just like everyone else.  What might make you truly unique?

Think about it.

Eighth Anniversary: Mettle Maker #257

  • Loosen up your shackles. 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.

  • Seize hold of your fitness. If you do MBF every day (or close to it) you can afford to dial back the intensity as compared to training martial fitness once or twice-per-week. If you're not using the MBF program several times a week, you have to a little harder. Try a 15-minute half-pyramid of Rope Climbs, Sit-outs, Bag Lifts, and Leg Triangles. Do 1 of each, then 2 of each, then 3, 4, etc. until the timer beeps.

  • Break free of the ordinary. Go for a P.O.W. run. Interlace your fingers behind your head and run 1 mile as fast as you can. This arm position (a) makes it impossible to fully fill your lungs and (b) wrecks pelvic rotation, eliminates arm lift energy, and removes your arms' ability to counterbalance the legs. 1 mile will feel like 3.

  • Tackle the tough questions. Take the self-defense quiz below and see how you do.

  • Liberate your taste buds with some maple seeds. Maple seeds are an edible, high protein food -- great for a fun snack or as a survival food. Catch some maple keys or "helicopters" before they get too dry. Split the casing at the spine to liberate a smallish green seed (technically a fruit I think). Eat them raw or toast them at 350F for 10 minutes as a snack, salad addition, topping for cereal or granola, etc. When toasted they remind me of a cross between a sunflower seed and a soybean (complete with the bitter finish of the latter). See pics below.

  • Charge up your batteries. Assume posture of choice and regulate breathing to a slow and steady rhythm. Keep your eyes open and fixed. Do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Allow your thoughts to dissipate like ripples on a pond and your mind to approach a state of calm and relaxed awareness. Do not think at all, but especially not in words -- do not evaluate, judge, make lists, fixate on emotions, let your mind wander, or any of that. Just breathe and be. This is called "contemplation" and practicing it regularly is associated with improved emotional resilience, increased patience reserves, and more. Add prayer and it works even better.

Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow: Mettle Maker #256

Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow: Mettle Maker #256

Which one of these pictures depicts the tool or behavior most likely to preserve your safety and prevent personal harm? Answer at bottom.


Answer at bottom of this post.

How many birds can you identify in your neighborhood?  If you don't know your neighbors, who do you know?

"Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground without your Father’s will.  But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows." ~Matthew 10:29-31

A recent observation using BirdNET -- a free app that lets you record, ID, save and map observations so that you can learn birds and their songs. [/caption]

"The monthly attribute associated with the Hourglass is justice...The lower half of the Hourglass mirrors the upper.  Only if we are able to sincerely mirror the Divine Will can we have any hope of bringing justice into the world...Justice is almost always personified as a lovely woman wearing a blindfold and holding a set of scales -- blind to her own passions and the winds of fashion and public sentiment, she weighs the facts with maturity and judges fairly." [from the forthcoming Cabal Fang: Complete Martial Arts Study Course from Querent to Elder, 2nd Edition]

“Do resolutely what is just: defend the poor, the widows, the orphans and the churches.” ~Rule #47 of the Latin Rule (the code of the Knights Templar)

If you don’t know what these exercises are, you probably should buy the associated programs — available at https://www.mitch.store/?category=Dice

Answer: The oil change.  Breaking down by the side of the road is one of the most dangerous situations you can find yourself in, and it's a hundred times more likely than being attacked.  Service your vehicle and don't operate it with less than 1/4 tank of gas, just in case you get lost or you get stuck in your vehicle during cold weather.

FULGURITE: METTLE MAKER #255

FULGURITE: METTLE MAKER #255

ful·gur·ite \’ful-g(y)ə-,rit\ n [Latin fulgur] : 1. glass formed by a lightning strike melting sand or other material. 2. a physical representation of a transitory event or experience.

“Art is actually a process rather than an end product…with any luck the process is embedded in the byproduct…it’s a crystallized act of exploration.”  ~Jordan B. Peterson

“A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance


A DAY IN THE LIFE: METTLE MAKER #254

Listen to modern culture and the message you get is that we are free to do, wear, say, choose and pursue whatever we want virtually without consequence, that there are infinite viable paths to a life of fulfillment, that all perspectives, philosophies and approaches are equal, and that being care-free is the way to happiness.

But that’s a lie.

Some things work and others don’t.  It turns out that…

and so on. Toward that end, what sort of choices are you making?

What does your typical day look like?

A DAY IN THE LIFE: METTLE MAKER #254

  1. Rise and shine. 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.

  2. Do your Chores. Get out your sledge, a sandbag (I used #55), a sturdy stand at least waist high (I used on inverted heavy duty trash can), and your dull training weapons. Set timer for 5 mins. Do 1 Shovel vs. the sandbag. Put down the sledge, load and unload the sandbag onto the stand, then shoulder it and walk 25 yards. Put the sand bag down and strike your heavy bag 5 times using fists, feet, or training weapon of choice. Then do 2 Shovels, 2 Loads, a 25-yard Shoulder Carry, and 10 strikes. Next round, 3 Shovels, 3 Loads, a 25-yard Shoulder Carry, and 15 strikes. Switch striking tool as often as you like. Keep climbing as fast as you can until the timer beeps. When it does, finish the set you’re on then descend the pyramid back to beginning. Created using Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble Fitness Dice ©. Get some.

  3. Take your constitutional. What’s a constitutional? constitutional \’kän(t)-stə-‘t(y)ü-shən-ªl\ n 1. Belonging to, or inherent in, the constitution or structure of one’s body or mind. a constitutional infirmity, constitutional ardour or dullness 2. For the benefit of one’s constitution or health. a constitutional walk. Complete this month’s constitutional as follows: Sprints (25), Mtn. Climbers (25 full), Shrimps (25), Back Bridges (50), Ploughs (25), Sit-out Push-ups (25), Squats (100). If desired, add a heavy bag or other weight to the Back Bridges and cut the reps. Advanced players sub neck bridges.

  4. Cook your supper. The plant at the top of the page is Curly Dock, a.k.a., Rumex Crispus, which I came across on my property the other day. In a survival situation, cook young leaves in several changes of water. In summer the plant dries to a dark brown color and looks scorched, at which time the seed pods can be harvested and ground into a buckwheat-like meal and fried into cakes or boiled into gruel. Note: Curly Dock leaves contain oxalic acid which isn’t good for people who suffer from kidney stones, gout, or related illnesses.

  5. Sit down with a book. “Read with diligence, and do not rest satisfied with light and superficial common knowledge.” ~Marcus Aurelius, Meditations. Since our spiritual symbol of the month is the Hourglass, let’s turn to the Emerald Tablet, an obscure but profound ancient writing which speaks to the concepts inherent in the hourglass symbol. Below is an excerpt from The Emerald Table, an article by Robert Steele and Dorothea Waley Singer that appeared in The Proceedings of the Royal Society of Medicine, Vol. 21, Issue 3, 1928.

“The Emerald Table itself is a brief summary of the principles of change in Nature, the foundation of alchemical doctrine, which purports to have been found on a plaque of emerald in the hands of the corpse of Hermes Trismegistus. There are several forms of it in Arabic, and their divergence is wide enough to make it probable that its ultimate origin must be sought, before the Islamic invasion, in Alexandrian philosophy, when Egypt was still Christian, though with a Pagan element. Kircher, a learned Jesuit of the seventeenth century, suggested that it was compounded of extracts from the Poimander and AEsculapius, Jamblichus and Proclus. But the oldest forms of the text we possess are all in Arabic, and Latin versions come early in the history of the transmission of science, one in the tract of Apollonius de principalibus rerum causis, another the central portion of the text here published, still another embedded in the Secretum Secretorum, while other forms are found in various later works. We give an English version, somewhat expanded:

THE EMERALD TABLET

True it is, without falsehood, certain and most true. That which is above is like to that
which is below, and that which is below is like to that which is above, to accomplish the
miracles of one thing.
And as all things were by contemplation of one, so all things arose from this one thing by
a single act of adaptation.
The father thereof is the Sun, the mother the Moon.
The wind carried it in its womb, the earth is the nurse thereof.
It is the father of all works of wonder throughout the whole world.
The power thereof is perfect.
If it be cast on to earth, it will separate the element of earth from that of fire, the subtle
from the gross.
With great sagacity it doth ascend gently from earth to heaven.
Again it doth descend to earth, and uniteth in itself the force from things superior and
things inferior.
Thus thou wilt possess the glory of the brightness of the whole world, and all obscurity
will fly far from thee.
This thing is the strong fortitude of all strength, for it overcometh every subtle thing and
doth penetrate every solid substance.
Thus was this world created.
Hence will there be marvellous adaptations achieved, of which the manner is this.
For this reason I am called Hermes Trismegistus, because I hold three parts of the
wisdom of the whole world.
That which I had to say about the operation of Sol is completed.

Threshold, Door and Gate: Mettle Maker #253

Threshold, Door and Gate: Mettle Maker #253

  • Stand at the threshold. 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.

  • Open the door. If you haven't done this month's constitutional, get there (see video below). If you have, then do this little wrestling conditioner pyramid for variety. Get out your floor bag and set a timer for 6:00. Start off with the bag on top of you. Do 1 Reverse to Top Saddle, 1 Pass to Cross Body (with good form), and 1 Clock (mat is lava!). Step over bag and fall back into a Short Arm Bar. Then to 2 of each and 1 Short Arm Bar, 3 of each and 1 Short Arm Bar, etc. When the timer beeps, finish the set you're on and then descend in reps back down to 1 of each.

  • Make your passage. Half mile Balboa run. Throw a variety of punches non-stop as you run. Finish faster than 6:29 and you've got me beat.

  • Clear the bar. Can you pass the original 1908 Scout's Test? Do you know the composition of the flag and how to fly it? Can you tie the following knots: reef, sheet bend, clove hitch, bowline, fisherman's, and sheepshank? Do you know elementary first aid? Do you know semaphore or Morse code for every letter of the alphabet? Can you follow a track half a mile in 25 minutes? Cover a mile in 12 minutes? Lay and light a wood fire in the open using no more than 2 matches, and then cook a quarter pound of meat and 2 potatoes with no utensils? Have at least sixpence in a savings bank (that's about $10 in today's money)? Do you know the sixteen points of the compass? If not, in a survival situation you're less capable than an 11-year-old from 1908.

  • Become the gate. The word "contemplation" has "temple" as it's root word. A temple is a space set aside for divinity to enter. Practice your contemplation so that you can be the gate through which the divine enters the world. Assume posture of choice and regulate breathing to a slow and steady rhythm. Keep your eyes open and fixed. Do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Allow your thoughts to dissipate like ripples on a pond and your mind to approach a state of calm and relaxed awareness. Do not think at all, but especially not in words -- do not evaluate, judge, make lists, fixate on emotions, let your mind wander, or any of that. Just breathe and be.

."Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
Yea, lift them up, ye everlasting doors,
That the King of Glory may come in.
Who then is the King of Glory?
The Lord of Hosts; He is the King of Glory."
~Psalm 24

Recant: Mettle Maker #252

RECANT: from Latin recantare, present active infinitive of recanto (“to sing back, reecho, sing again, repeat in singing, recant, recall, revoke, charm back or away”), from re- (“back”) + canto (“to chant, to sing”)

The first fitness post I made on my blog, the pre-cursor of the current "mettle maker" format, went as follows:

Solo Martial Arts Workout 11/13/12:

1/2 pyramid up to 10 reps: Lunge, Jackknife, Jump Squat, Pike (Total of 55 each, 20 minutes).  500 kicks in combos of 2, 3, or 4 (20 minutes).  Stretching (10 minutes).  Contemplation/Meditation (10 minutes).  Total time 1 hour

I often cringe when I re-read old posts.  I look at this one and I think (a) How does it take more than 10 mins to do those calisthenics? (b) Why would anybody want to do 500 kicks in one go? (c) There's no definitive evidence that stretching is beneficial to a healthy, uninjured person. (d) What was I thinking?

I feel the same way when I read many of my other old posts about politics, corporate America, religion, and so on.  But I refuse to take them down because they're real.  I said those things.  I will not to try to sanitize my past.  No backsies around here, only keepsies.

Because, despite all my errors, misconceptions, and embarrassing moments, there is a unified refrain: the pursuit of excellence, sense-making, goodness and indomitable spirit.  If I hide my errors I also hide my improvements.  And thus I fail to let the power of the Divine Logos, to which I owe all that I am such as I am, to shine forth from my face.

So I recant in the literal sense of the word.  I sing back, I sing again, I sing forever.  I confess and reveal my sins and thus proclaim the Eternal Truth that reveals itself whenever and wherever its pursuit is dauntless.

Recant: Mettle Maker #252

This week we recant and rehab the first training session in the series that ultimately led to the mettle-maker format..

  • Reheat. 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.

  • Repeat. 1/2 pyramid up to 10 reps (55 total) as fast as you can: Lunges, Jackknifes, Jump Squat, Pikes. This should take about 10 minutes, not 20.

  • Recycle. Instead of 500 kicks in combos of 2, 3 or 4 in 20 minutes, do 25o vs. air or 150 vs. the heavy bag in combos of 2, 3 or 4.

  • Rerun. Are you prepared to run to escape or get help in the event of an emergency? Cover 2 miles as fast as you can.

  • Reflect. Assume your meditative posture of choice and regulate your breathing to a slow and steady rhythm. Keep your eyes open and fixed. Do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Allow your thoughts to calm and your body to relax. Now review the biggest mistakes and sins of your life -- the things that most fill you with the most shame and horror. Now think about all of the beloved people you have known who were taken from this world before their time. Ask yourself, "Why is it that God has permitted me to live? What is my purpose? How am I going to make amends for my mistakes and denounce my sins -- not in my words but in my actions?" There is a word for this: repentance. Dedicate yourself to this and it will change your life. By the way, this is a condensed version of the second exercise in the first week of The Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.

Bone Shaker: Mettle Maker #251

The essence, the meaning, the central issue, the tastiest bit -- this is the marrow.  To get to the marrow, break the bone and dive deep.  Get down to the core.

Get dirty.

When you skim the surface of an endeavor, not only do you fail to arrive at its kernel, you reduce the total time and energy available for mining once you decide to dig.  Read that again and let it sink in.

Life is short.  Death is forever.  Don't waste time getting your head right -- right with truth and reality, right with your calling, right with God.

Bone Shaker: Mettle Maker #251

  • Roll the bones. 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.

  • Break some bones. Have you completed this month's constitutional yet? If not, get there. If so, do it again but substitute O Goshi (or similar hip throw such as Cross-Buttocks Throw) for Seoi Nage. Use the heaviest bag you can manage (60 - 75 lbs. works for most folks). If you're stuck, see video below.

  • Rattle your bones. Are you prepared to go for a strenuous hike -- either for fun or in the case of an emergency? Shoulder a pack of about 2/3 your comfortable max (I used #25 because I rarely hike with a pack >#35) and cover at least 2 miles. Do this regularly so that you can manage when the chips are down. Those who never hike and don't own packs, start with a #10 bookbag and work your way up. Advanced folks, extra credit if you fashion your own pack from tarp and cordage.

  • Pick them bones clean -- apply survival strategy to everyday life. Wander for hours after realizing you are lost and you'll waste precious energy and daylight. Stay put instead. Make shelter before darkness falls and rest warm. Assess resources, abilities, likelihood of rescue, etc. Get your bearings by watching the sunrise. Then, based on facts, decide on sitting tight and signaling for help or hiking out. Here's the thing: this is true about other areas of life. Every penny spent on toys isn't saved for retirement, every minute spent training low-percentage techniques takes time away from critical skills, every bit of attention paid to the frivolous steals time from the essential. Where can you scavenge a little more money, a little more time, and a little more attention for the things you really care about? Chew on this and take corrective action.

  • Feel it in your bones. Set timer for 10 minutes and practice your contemplation. Assume posture of choice and regulate breathing to a slow and steady rhythm. Keep your eyes open and fixed. Do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Allow your thoughts to dissipate like ripples on a pond and your mind to approach a state of calm and relaxed awareness. Do not think at all, but especially not in words -- do not evaluate, judge, make lists, fixate on emotions, let your mind wander, or any of that. Just breathe and be.



Keepsies: Mettle Maker #250

When I was a kid we played marbles.  My pop showed me.  Playing marbles was on the long list of games he had mastered, right along with croquet, dominoes, and checkers.  I never saw him lose at any of those.

When you play marbles you must decide if you are playing for fun or if you are playing for “keepsies.”  When you play for keepsies, you get to keep the other guy’s marbles.  This is the origin of the expression “playing for all the marbles.”

Real life is always keepsies.  Get this through your head and say it with me.

REAL LIFE IS ALWAYS KEEPSIES.

This is true with regard to your philosophical life, your emotional life, your physical life and your spiritual life.  Thoughts, desires, actions and beliefs have extremely important consequences.

Face reality because life is for keepsies.

This month’s martial focus is Grappling (stand-up wrestling or “clinch work” in the common parlance) and our spiritual symbol is The Bell (contemplation).  All of this month’s mettle makers will revolve around these two themes.

KEEPSIES: METTLE MAKER #250

  • 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.

  • Train for keeps. Complete this month’s constitutional which is all about directly relevant martial fitness. Get out a heavy bag, grappling dummy, or just a big gym bag full of towels, mitts and gloves and get through this: 25 Seio Nage (put a shirt or sash on your bag or dummy as needed), 100 yards of Bear Walks, 25 Scarf Hold Switches, 25 Bag Lifts (regular or Kansas-style, your choice), 25 Shots, 25 Sprawl ‘n’ Punch, and 1 HB Squeeze to failure. If you finish in under 15 minutes, go back and do 20% more of each exercises 1 – 6. If any of these exercises are unclear, sounds like you need to take come out and train with us or sign up for the Hermit Path Distance Learning Program! .

  • Move for keeps. Run 1 mile like somebody’s chasing you.

  • Forage for keeps. If you want to forge your mettle, don’t shy away from reality — confront it head on. Get up tomorrow morning, walk out your front door, and give yourself 20 minutes to find breakfast. You don’t have to actually eat it if you don’t want to, but say to yourself, “If I don’t find something to eat this morning I’m going to skip breakfast.” I did this on Monday and the best I could do in 20 minutes was some wild onions, some inner pine bark and some pine needles for tea. Slim pickings in my suburban neighborhood because many of the spring plants haven’t shot up yet — see the video below that I made last March. A few calories and some electrolytes could make the difference between life and death in a survival situation. Get dirty!

  • Contemplate for keeps. There is a common misconception that contemplation is about shutting out the world or “navel gazing.” What we call contemplation is very similar to zazen, the meditation method taught in Zen Buddhism and is closely related to the Christian “prayer of quiet.” Call it whatever you want as long as you do it. Set timer for 10 minutes (beginners 5 minutes, advanced folks up to an hour). Assume posture of choice and regulate breathing to a slow and steady rhythm. Keep your eyes open and fixed. Do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Allow your thoughts to dissipate like ripples on a pond and your mind to approach a state of calm and relaxed awareness. Do not think at all, but especially not in words — do not evaluate, judge, make lists, fixate on emotions, let your mind wander, or any of that. Just perceive reality. Click the picture above for more pointers. Stay with regular contemplation practice and you will begin to “break through” and experience true, inner quiet (the presence of God, theoria, satori, “silent illumination,” etc.).

 


Life Line: Mettle Maker #249

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.

FIGHT DIRTY: METTLE MAKER #248

FIGHT DIRTY: METTLE MAKER #248

  • 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, light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.

  • Face some foul weather dirty work. I’m pretty accustomed to training outdoors. But this week the weather has been so completely icy, frozen and inhospitable that a couple of mornings I just couldn’t train out there. So every half our or so throughout the day I did 10 each of PUP and SQT. Be extra scrupulous about form and pace — 2-count descent, 1 count hesitate at the bottom, 2-count press, 1-count hesitate at the top.

  • 20 min. command and mastery knife pyramid drill. Get a dull training knife and a floor bag or grappling dummy. Set timer for 1o mins. Complete 1 of each of the following four exercises (a) 5 attacks to bag from Top Saddle, roll to bottom, 5 attacks from Bottom Scissors, Reverse back to Top Saddle. Do a Smearing Get-up (don’t forget the push-cut). (b) Sprawl. (c) Sit-ups with a double “X” air slash (step over bag, hook rear toes, and fall back into over/under Short Arm Bar position and work from there). Then do 2 of each, 3, 4, etc. until timer beeps. Finish that set, then descend. 50 Push-up penalty if the business end of the training weapon touches your body at any point during the drill. If any of this doesn’t make sense, sounds like you should enroll in the Cabal Fang distance learning program or come out and train!

  • Have you done this month’s constitutional twice this week? If not, get it done. If so, reward yourself with something nice, like a long walk, a new book, or a fun fitness tool, etc.

  • Do you know the prevailing wind direction for your home territory? In my area, the wind most often blows from the south in summer and the north in winter (see wind rose on the right). Find the regional climate center for your state, do a search, and generate the wind roses for you stomping grounds. If you know the ICAO code for the airport climate center nearest you, plug it into the URL from at the WRCC and you can get what you need, or if you’re in the SE, just go the the NCCO. You can’t rely on wind direction if you get lost, but you can use it as a backup, for support of a supposition, to determine if there’s a new weather pattern blowing in, etc.

    Fight as dirty with yourself as you would in self-defense.  Last week your assignment was to put one of the Five Vital Graces (Wonder, Sagacity, Frugality, Indomitability and Fraternity) into action.  This week be extra self-critical.  Keep a notepad or a scrap of paper and a pen in your pocket.  Write down the Five Vital Graces on the paper.  If you catch yourself behaving in a manner inconsistent with one of the five precepts, put an “x” next to it for that day.  Max score for a given day is 5 — one point for each precept you kept.  See if you get better over the course of the week.  “That which is measured improves.”

SLIP AND FALL: METTLE MAKER #247

SLIP AND FALL: METTLE MAKER #247

  • 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, light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.

  • Eight minutes on your slip ball. Set a timer for four minutes and get in front of your slip ball. Put in 4 minutes in your preferred stance and another 4 in reverse stance.

  • Hit the dirt and scramble for a loose weapon. If you are under attack and there’s a scramble over a loose weapon, be prepared to come out on top — without falling on a blade and injuring yourself in the process! Put on safety goggles and toss a rubber or wood training weapon up in the air about 6′ away. As soon as it hits the ground, dive forward and gain control of it with your right hand. Your enemy just missed — attack the imaginary killer two or three times. Stand up and repeat until timer beeps. Put in four more rounds, one right and one left with baseball slide and shoulder roll. That’s 6 minutes of practical self-defense action that’ll force you to practice all weapon grips with both hands while training practical movement. If you need training on the specifics on grips, pickup and/or movement techniques you’ll have to show up at Cabal Fang to learn them!

  • Learn to tie a trucker’s hitch with a slip knot and two half hitches. One of the most useful knots of all time, and my personal favorite. In the pics below I’m using the knot to lash a t-shirt to a backpack. But you could use this to hold a box onto a flatbed truck or to cinch down a tarp. See photo set below.

  • Don’t fall from grace — fall into one of the Five Vital Graces.  This month’s spiritual symbol is the Hand of Mysteries, and each one of its fingers equates to one of the Five Vital Graces: Wonder, Sagacity, Frugality, Indomitability and Fraternity.  This week, put one or more Vital Graces into action in the real world.  Need examples?  You could travel to a new place and experience its majesty (Wonder), install a security or smoke alarm (Sagacity), sock away some money in savings (Frugality), do something that you’ve been putting off due to fear or dread (Indomitability), or help out a friend in need (Fraternity/Sorority)

Handprints: Mettle Maker #246

Handprints: Mettle Maker #246

  • 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, light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.

  • Do the February constitutional. Calisthenics are the most efficient fitness investment when you factor in equipment cost, space, time investment, injury risk, and functional strength. Do this month's constitutional: 25 BRPs, 100 WTCs. 50 ZSQs, 25 CNPs, 100 JJKs, 25 GUPs, and 25 PUPs.

  • Put your hands on your floor bag and on the ground and make tracks. Get out your floor bag or grappling dummy and set timer for 10 minutes. Complete 6 Wrestling Shots away from your floor bag, Bear Walk back, and then pick up the bag and squeeze it as hard as you can using a Gable grip. When you gas out on the squeeze, put down the bag and repeat. Cycle through this as many times as you can in 10 minutes. If you aren't breathing hard when you get done, you are either a very fit person or you paced yourself. Note: This drill was ceated using Scufflin' Dice © -- available at Mitch's General Store. Use coupon code FEBFLASH at checkout to get any set of dice for 50% off.

  • Look for some handprints in the snow -- some critter handprints that is. As I mentioned last week, the snow makes animal tracks incredibly easy to spot and follow, and it's so much fun. Last week we tracked a raccoon. This week watch this video and go look at a rabbit and a squirrel to see if we can determine which way they're jumping.

  • Speak to the hand. The Hand of Mysteries that is. Watch this cool video about this remarkable symbol.

Alas, Flesh: Mettle Maker #245

Alas, Flesh: Mettle Maker #245

  • 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.

  • Do some calisthenics. Calisthenics are still the biggest bang for your fitness buck in terms of equipment cost (zero), space (very little required), and functional strength. Do this month's constitutional. or dodge over to Mitch's General Store and use coupon code FLASH121 to get 50% off any fitness dice order (offer good until midnight 2/5/21).

  • Striking and self-defense movement drill. Set timer for 3 x 3:00/1:00 and get in front of your heavy bag. First round, strike with your focus on movement. Make sure that you are popping, weaving, dropping and twisting. For the break, practice your stalking steps. Walk the area like a crane stalking minnows. Second round, concentrate on striking with accuracy. For the break, practice your stalking low crawl around the training area. Move slowly and silently, keeping your navel within 2 inches of the floor at all times. Third round, strike with maximum power. For the break, practice your stalking high crawl on hands and knees. If you are stalking properly you should be exhausted. Not exhausted? Crawl slower and more quietly next time.

  • Go out your back door and see where your dinner is headed. Find some animal tracks near your home (trust me they're there!) and follow them as far as you can as if your life depended on it. In a survival situation there are no vegetarians because critters are more nutrient dense than weeds (not that weeds aren't yummy and great for fiber). Go get 'em, tiger. See video below.

  • Alas, you are only flesh. To quote theologian Paul Tillich, "Finitude in realization is anxiety." Sooner or later the realization of mortality will shatter your soul's pretentious façade and you will have to deal with the existential threat of death. Where is the solution to this ultimate reality? Our first clue can be found in the great Evelyn Underhill's definition of mysticism: “One of the most abused words in the English language, it has been used in different and often mutually exclusive senses by religion, poetry, and philosophy: has been claimed as an excuse for every kind of occultism, for dilute transcendentalism, vapid symbolism, religious or aesthetic sentimentality, and bad metaphysics…Mysticism is the art of union with Reality.” Write at least 50 words in your journal on this topic. If you aren't squared off and all set, schedule a meeting with me and let me help you get there.

Telos: Mettle Maker #244


Telos (/ˈtɛ.lɒs/; Greek: τέλος, translit. télos, lit. "end, purpose, or goal")[1] is a term used by philosopher Aristotle to refer to the full potential or inherent purpose or objective of a person or thing,[2] similar to the notion of an 'end goal' or 'raison d'être'. Moreover, it can be understood as the "supreme end of man's endeavour."[3]

Telos: Mettle Maker #244

  • 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.

  • Do some purposeful fitness. What are you getting fit to do? How about real stuff in the real world. Set a timer for desired training length based on your fitness level and needs -- I did 10 minutes for maintenance -- and adjust weight of sledge and sandbags as well. Start timer. Do 10 Sledge Blows, 50 yard shoulder carry (I did #40 each shoulder), 25 weapon strikes per hand (I did live tomahawk strikes vs. a wooden pell), and 10 Step-ups (I used a 25" box). Repeat until timer beeps. Created using Frontier Rough 'n' Tumble dice available at Mitch's General Store. Use coupon code "SCUFF21" at checkout and get free shipping (offer good until 1/31/21).

  • Yank drill. Don't be one of those martial artists who fixates on fancy moves and neglects the blunt power of basic movements. Put a rope on your floor bag or heavy bag and practice yanking. Do not pull or reel. Yank with maximum violence. Imagine that you are pulling an attacker away from a loved one by taking hold of a wrist, arm, coat sleeve, shirt, etc. and yank with your entire body rather than just your arms. I try to put in a couple of rounds of yanking every week or two so that, if need be, I can yank as hard as a bayou 'gator. If you're doing it right, this is exhausting. Get there.

  • Make fire using natural materials only. You can use a commercial lighter, but don't use newspaper, sock lint, or anything manmade for tinder. I prefer cedar bark fluff and the bark of paper birch. If you need a little more detail see Chapter 7 of The Wildwood Workbook or, if you're all at sea, sign up for the Bobcat Frontier Rough 'n' Tumble Program. And please be sure to build your fire safely -- clear a large patch of dirt or build it in a fire pit, chimenea, fireplace, stove, camp fire ring, etc. away from combustibles and obey local ordinances.

  • Review your 2020. Sit down with your journal or diary and take a hard look at last year. Did you achieve the things you set out to do? What were your successes and failures? Evaluate your metrics. Did you use the right measurements and tracking methods last year? How could you improve your metrics this year? I've made slight adjustments, but mainly my metrics are staying the same for 2021. You can view them here. If you don't keep a journal or diary and you don't have any metrics, then how do you establish your personal teleology?


MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAM AVAILABLE. 100% free! Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness -- enroll today!

 
 

Vault of Reason: Mettle Maker #243

Vault of Reason: Mettle Maker #243

  • 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.

  • Do some scufflin' fitness. Set a timer for repeating 1 min. intervals. Cycle through 1 min each of Sprawl 'n' Punch, Bear Walks and Heavy Bag Squeezes (use your floor bag and squeeze as hard as you can!). As a maintenance drill, run about 3 cycles (9 mins total) at moderate intensity. For something more strenuous, up the intensity and run more cycles.

  • Hike, vault, and roll. Put on a pack and hike to a place where you can practice your vaults and rolls. Take off your pack and put in a few minutes of movement practice. I used a couple of park benches -- see video below. When you're done, put your pack back on and hike home. Adjust weight and distance, and number and type of movements, based on your fitness level, training cycle, and so forth. See video on the right.

  • What plant is this? Here's a hint: it's the same plant the famous wand is made of -- the one Voldemort wanted to get his hands on so badly. It’s Sambucus canadensis or common elderberry.  Berries ripen from late July to August and should be cooked before eating, which explains why you always see elderberry jam, preserves, wine, etc.

  • Acknowledge your higher power. If you don't believe in God you might want to reconsider. Recognition of a higher power was central to the survival of our hominid ancestors when they were on the verge of extinction 70,000 years ago and is easily supported on scientific and logical grounds. Of the roughly 20 sound logical arguments for existence of God, the best, in my opinion, is...


    The Cosmological Argument

    1. Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
    2. The universe began to exist.
    3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
    4. The universe began to exist at the point of the Big Bang.
    5. Before the Big Bang there was no time, no matter, and no causality.
    5. Therefore the cause of the universe is timeless, immaterial, and uncaused.
    6. A timeless and immaterial first cause is commonly known as God.

    The first classic rebuttal is "Not all things that begin to exist have a cause." But persons, animals and things are not popping in and out of existence all around us. If you insist on completely rejecting our current understanding of how things work, I can't help you. The only other avenue of escape from this argument is to dispute the standard model of the universe. But the standard model -- in which the universe had a beginning and will have a cold dark end -- has remained the scientific consensus despite all challenges thus far, including the Steady State Model, the Oscillating Model, the Baby Universe Model, the Multiverse Model, and so on.

    Based on the evidence and the current state of the scientific debate, we can say with relative certainty that the universe is of finite size, it had a beginning, it will have an end, and that only the Uncaused Cause – a.k.a God -- is infinite.  So start saying your prayers. It might feel a little awkward at first, but like anything else, you'll get better with practice.

 
 
 
 
 

The Ropes: Mettle Maker #242

The Cabal Fang monthly focuses are Self-defense vs. empty hands and the Rose.

The Ropes: Mettle Maker #242

  • 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.

  • Do the monthly constitutional. Complete a 15-minute half pyramid of Sprawls, Mountain Climbers, Push-Ups, Slow Side Kicks, Drop Duck-unders, Steam Engines, Jump Squats (for split leg exercises and kicks L + R = 1). A half-pyramid is 1 of each, 2 of each, 3, 4, 5 etc. until the timer beeps.

  • 16 minutes of Frontier Rough 'n' Tumble mix 'n' match fitness.   Set timer for 1 minute intervals and cycle through the following four times: Rope Climbs, Bowie knife air strikes, Sledge Blows, and Wrestling Shots. 

  • Can you tie a taught-line hitch? It's one of the most practical knots known to man, useful for setting up a clothes lines, staking out tents, and so on. Knot slides easily but holds well under moderate loads. Steps below.

  • Say a prayer. If you already have an active prayer life, don't let me interfere. But if you don't, let me show you the ropes. Why? Because recognizing a higher power was central to the survival of our hominid ancestors when they were on the verge of extinction 70,000 years ago. Recognizing a higher power is step two in the Alcoholics Anonymous 12-step program -- the most successful mutual-aid, self-help program in history. And there are hundreds of reliable studies showing that prayer improves cognitive function and happiness quotient, reduces alcohol intake, fights depression, aids in psychological resiliency, and much more. Get started. If you've never prayed before, or you're rusty, start small. Say grace before meals, say your prayers before bed, or start your day with a simple prayer like, "Heavenly Father, I pray thee stand with me today, guiding my thoughts, desires, actions and beliefs so that I may walk in your ways in all I do and say this day." If you don't feel better I'll eat my hat.