Hey you vicious fighters!
We worked on the 3 things in the title quite a bit on Sunday. We discovered through light contact the value of mobility. No mater what we are doing, proper Shifting, Level Changing, and Speed are our best tools once violence has occurred.
Mike Tyson: There is nothing about this guy that hasn't already been said. I'm going to say it again because I think it is valueable to the theme of our class on Sunday.
The real ability of Mike Tyson was not his power. It was not his offense at all... It was his defense.
I have posted this video before, but I don't think it ever made it to this blog. Watch the master of defense move. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYZzMPsm6c4&feature=related
Of course, this is not exactly what we do in a street fight, but his mechanics should be practiced, mimicked and meditated on regularly.
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
Why we train how we train.
This could have been/ could be any of us:
Note the location: a bathroom. A classic "Gimme 3 Steps" scenario. I'm glad that a passerby was able to help out, but that was close. To paraphrase Bas Rutten, "Never let them get the choke, because God only knows what they're gonna do to you!"
An allegedly schizophrenic man assaulted and tried to strangle a Hennepin County Medical Center lab technician in a hospital bathroom last week after he claimed his threats to kill someone went ignored, according to attempted murder charges filed this week.***
The victim told police it was 10:15 p.m. when she went to the public restroom because the staff restroom was locked.
When she went to wash her hands, a man ... placed her in a choke hold and pulled her to the floor while trying to muffle her screams. He put her head between his legs and grabbed her by the throat and squeezed, charges said, and punched her at least twice in the head as she began to lose consciousness.
She was able to escape when someone walked in and told Marshall to get off her.
***HCMC spokeswoman Christine Hill credited the passer-by and security members for interrupting the assault and arresting the suspect.
Note the location: a bathroom. A classic "Gimme 3 Steps" scenario. I'm glad that a passerby was able to help out, but that was close. To paraphrase Bas Rutten, "Never let them get the choke, because God only knows what they're gonna do to you!"
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
The Value of Fitness
If you see me before class, I typically am trying to balance upside down or do something goofy. Chris has helped me with getting my hands on old manuals and books. Every week, it seems like someone shows up to class with and makes an attempt at a tri-pod, hand stand, or some other such thing.
I personally take the time at class to do this stuff because at home, if I falter, A pile of hot wheels meets my fall like a bed of nails.
So yes, I do stuff like this outside of class, but I like the open, clean mat to warm up with. It's also a good way for me to show those who are interested in learning, how I do it.
But the real question is: Why?
Why learn to balance on your hands? Are you going to fight upside down? The movements are slow, and the positions are goofy.
During my recent fitness kick I noticed something. Something that has stuck in my mind like a tapeworm in your lower intestine...
Gymnasts are probably the most healthy, vital, and strong athletes I have ever seen. Such a strong combination of power, grace, flexibility, and agility form together to make Gymnastics.
And Fighting.
The skills and attributes need to be a good fighter are the exact same you need to be a Gymnast!
The goal of the Survival Academy is not to make you into a better fighter. It's to make you Survive life and all it's encounters the most safe and healthy way possible. The term would be "Vitality".
We want you to be vital!
So if your 5-6, 300 lbs, and can kick the shit out of anyone, you still lose because Heart Disease will kill you faster than a mugger!
So I use gymnastics as a way to improve my fighting AND my health!
The idea is spreading like wild fire! I love martial arts sports and watch them all the time. Yahoo has been showcasing "Athlete Workouts" for a while now, and I came across one that validated everything I thought about exercise.
If you don't know who GSP is, I suggest you get you crawl out from under the rock you are living in and get on the computer to learn about this guy. He is a humble fighter with amazing talent. Arguably the best who ever fought! He uses gymnastics to make himself a better fighter! Amazing!
Add that video to this beast. His brand of "Gymnastics" is one of the coolest thing's I have ever seen. It's a amazing combo of carny and fitness!
The last video I have for you is a fitness buff who recently got himself a pair of "Gold Metal Bodies" rings. Now, anyone with basic building skills could make these themselves, but this guy promotes them well. Take a look!
Well, I hope you all consider adding Gymnastics to your daily fitness routine. Doing a few yoga poses or tripods will greatly increase your vitality, athleticism, and health!
Hope to see you all at class!
Friday, October 28, 2011
Class this week and Training
A bit of an announcement:
This Sunday, Chris will not be at class. Thus, I will be running the show.
What this means for you:
Prepare to drill! There will be very little technique demonstration. I will be working people on stuff we have done before and drilling out the imperfections. What we will be doing will have quite a bit of light sparing. For those of you who have put in the extra time after class to work with me on my drills, it will be very similar to that stuff. It will be fairly open, but I have a few specifics I want to touch on.
Circular Striking-
Level Changing-
Ground fighting Vocabulary-
Surviving a ground and pound-
Mobility-
I am very excited to have some time to work some drills and move people closer and closer to "sparing". Everyone last week was very safe even though I gave them open reign to punch me in the face. Trist, Victoria, and Jason were all very controlled and safe. The outcome was more reps, more fun, and more learning!
Jack Depsey once said about sparing: "Although some exercises help condition and others speed improvement, there’s one all-important activity that assists both. That activity is sparring. There is no substitute for sparring. You must spar regularly and often to become a well-rounded scrapper, regardless of what other exercises you may take. Sparring not only improves your skill, but it also conditions your body for fighting by forcing your muscles to become accustomed to the violent, broken movements that distinguish fighting from any other activity."
In the dark catacombs of the Survival Academy Vault, I found a video of a real fighter training.
Rocky Marciano.
When you are watching this keep in mind: Fighters of his day fought WAY MORE than they do now a days. They couldn't dedicate 20 hours a day to heavy cardio and lifting because they were getting to close to fight night and wouldn't recover.
Put that into your mind for a second: Too Much Exercise can actually prevent you from being an effective fighter.
Where we fight, we must consider that. If you go to our class (or any other) trying to learn self defense, you must balance your exercise and fitness so that you are always in fighting condition. Becoming a sloth, or over doing it, could spell disaster to you if you had to defend yourself. The last thing you want to be when a guy tries to hurt you is sore, tired, or wounded.
So how did Rocky train when fights happend multiple times a year? You might be surprised!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fsGIq0t6YY&feature=player_embedded
This Sunday, Chris will not be at class. Thus, I will be running the show.
What this means for you:
Prepare to drill! There will be very little technique demonstration. I will be working people on stuff we have done before and drilling out the imperfections. What we will be doing will have quite a bit of light sparing. For those of you who have put in the extra time after class to work with me on my drills, it will be very similar to that stuff. It will be fairly open, but I have a few specifics I want to touch on.
Circular Striking-
Level Changing-
Ground fighting Vocabulary-
Surviving a ground and pound-
Mobility-
I am very excited to have some time to work some drills and move people closer and closer to "sparing". Everyone last week was very safe even though I gave them open reign to punch me in the face. Trist, Victoria, and Jason were all very controlled and safe. The outcome was more reps, more fun, and more learning!
Jack Depsey once said about sparing: "Although some exercises help condition and others speed improvement, there’s one all-important activity that assists both. That activity is sparring. There is no substitute for sparring. You must spar regularly and often to become a well-rounded scrapper, regardless of what other exercises you may take. Sparring not only improves your skill, but it also conditions your body for fighting by forcing your muscles to become accustomed to the violent, broken movements that distinguish fighting from any other activity."
In the dark catacombs of the Survival Academy Vault, I found a video of a real fighter training.
Rocky Marciano.
When you are watching this keep in mind: Fighters of his day fought WAY MORE than they do now a days. They couldn't dedicate 20 hours a day to heavy cardio and lifting because they were getting to close to fight night and wouldn't recover.
Put that into your mind for a second: Too Much Exercise can actually prevent you from being an effective fighter.
Where we fight, we must consider that. If you go to our class (or any other) trying to learn self defense, you must balance your exercise and fitness so that you are always in fighting condition. Becoming a sloth, or over doing it, could spell disaster to you if you had to defend yourself. The last thing you want to be when a guy tries to hurt you is sore, tired, or wounded.
So how did Rocky train when fights happend multiple times a year? You might be surprised!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fsGIq0t6YY&feature=player_embedded
Thursday, October 20, 2011
New discovery!
Hey everyone!
I don't have a ton to say about this particular article, but I needed to share.
We are not only a Survival group, but we are a Historical group.
That is why this article is so damn neat!
100 Survival Points to anyone who can get me a copy of the TRANSLATION!
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/World-8217-s-oldest-sports-manual-found-covers?urn=oly-wp818
I don't have a ton to say about this particular article, but I needed to share.
We are not only a Survival group, but we are a Historical group.
That is why this article is so damn neat!
100 Survival Points to anyone who can get me a copy of the TRANSLATION!
http://sports.yahoo.com/olympics/blog/fourth_place_medal/post/World-8217-s-oldest-sports-manual-found-covers?urn=oly-wp818
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
One more reason to level change...
I know I sometimes beat a dead horse with "Level Changing". I talk about it non-stop. I find it to be one of the best martial moves you can do in ANY martial activity. Even thing's like football and hockey get dominated by good level changes!
Most street fights stay up high. Head grabs, head punches, hay-makers, ETC.
I think this is why in "Martial Sports" these days, ignore a good level change.
When most people think of "Cool Knockouts" the last thing they think about is body shots. This is another reason why people ignore level changes.
But I am here to tell you that while you level change, throw those shots!
Body shots seem to be less common in modern fighting arts, but I assure you they kick ass!
I found a video that shows this pretty well...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNJjfx-Ojc&feature=player_embedded#!
The liver shots are vicious. I have never been K.O.ed by a liver shot, but I have been given HORRIBLE pains from liver shots before.
When Bas Rutten himself says "I'm going for the liver, because it's the most painful knockout there is" you know body shots do serious damage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBUJa7ndYL0
Don't like liver shots? The Spleen works too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2JhhzYqaB8&feature=related
Listen carefully at about 2:30... He explains a type of punch that you may have heard of...
So work those drills! Bob, weave, squat, shoot, level change! Practice moving from high to low, low to high, and develop explosive movement. Not only is a great martial move to learn, but it's great exercise!
For any bears fans out there, you also might like Bas Vs. Urlacher...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGDFr-BXp0I&feature=related
See you at class!
Most street fights stay up high. Head grabs, head punches, hay-makers, ETC.
I think this is why in "Martial Sports" these days, ignore a good level change.
When most people think of "Cool Knockouts" the last thing they think about is body shots. This is another reason why people ignore level changes.
But I am here to tell you that while you level change, throw those shots!
Body shots seem to be less common in modern fighting arts, but I assure you they kick ass!
I found a video that shows this pretty well...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNNJjfx-Ojc&feature=player_embedded#!
The liver shots are vicious. I have never been K.O.ed by a liver shot, but I have been given HORRIBLE pains from liver shots before.
When Bas Rutten himself says "I'm going for the liver, because it's the most painful knockout there is" you know body shots do serious damage.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBUJa7ndYL0
Don't like liver shots? The Spleen works too...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C2JhhzYqaB8&feature=related
Listen carefully at about 2:30... He explains a type of punch that you may have heard of...
So work those drills! Bob, weave, squat, shoot, level change! Practice moving from high to low, low to high, and develop explosive movement. Not only is a great martial move to learn, but it's great exercise!
For any bears fans out there, you also might like Bas Vs. Urlacher...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGDFr-BXp0I&feature=related
See you at class!
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Shadow Training
"As you shadow-box, go through the same offensive and defensive movements you use in sparring. To be most valuable, your imaginary fighting should be done at top speed. Too many scrappers loaf at this work."
This quote should be branded on the chests of all of our students.
There is value in slow movements. Yoga style exercises are very valuable. I also would advise against doing sprints with a 100lb bag over your shoulder. Safety first!
However, we all often neglect speed and agility. Speed can only be really cultivated by fast movements. Do something fast, now do it faster. Over and over again.
Out of all the drills and exercises that I have done, by far the most helpful is shadow boxing. But I take it a step further...
"Shadow Training" is what I call it.
Basically, it's the art of using imagery and full speed drills without a real threat. So
So when you get homework assignments from me, class, or the blog to sit at a coffee shop and watch people and imagine that someone tries to rob the joint in front of you, I'm trying to get you into "Shadow Training". Do this with your ground drills too. Don't flop around on the ground like a fish!
Imagine that you are shrimping to save your life! Imagine a hailstorm of blows coming down as your trying to roll out of an attack. Imagine that there is a shadow-fighter on top of you and if you don't get to guard soon, you will die!
I'm not sure who said the quote first, but always keep in mind:
"Your body cannot do what your mind has not already thought of".
So really use visualization in your training. Imagine shadows moving around you, attacking, surrounding, shooting, or whatever.
You never know when you might be in a hair salon...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1013-seal-beach-shooting-20111013,0,4309220.story
By the way, the quote above is from Jack Dempsey. So Don't think I am creative or anything. He is a master and we could all learn more from him.
See you at class!
This quote should be branded on the chests of all of our students.
There is value in slow movements. Yoga style exercises are very valuable. I also would advise against doing sprints with a 100lb bag over your shoulder. Safety first!
However, we all often neglect speed and agility. Speed can only be really cultivated by fast movements. Do something fast, now do it faster. Over and over again.
Out of all the drills and exercises that I have done, by far the most helpful is shadow boxing. But I take it a step further...
"Shadow Training" is what I call it.
Basically, it's the art of using imagery and full speed drills without a real threat. So
So when you get homework assignments from me, class, or the blog to sit at a coffee shop and watch people and imagine that someone tries to rob the joint in front of you, I'm trying to get you into "Shadow Training". Do this with your ground drills too. Don't flop around on the ground like a fish!
Imagine that you are shrimping to save your life! Imagine a hailstorm of blows coming down as your trying to roll out of an attack. Imagine that there is a shadow-fighter on top of you and if you don't get to guard soon, you will die!
I'm not sure who said the quote first, but always keep in mind:
"Your body cannot do what your mind has not already thought of".
So really use visualization in your training. Imagine shadows moving around you, attacking, surrounding, shooting, or whatever.
You never know when you might be in a hair salon...
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-1013-seal-beach-shooting-20111013,0,4309220.story
By the way, the quote above is from Jack Dempsey. So Don't think I am creative or anything. He is a master and we could all learn more from him.
See you at class!
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