More stuff you don't need

I came across this knife recently. One more gizmo that does not make that much since. It is a knife that holds a compressed gas cartridge that you trigger after it is in the body. There are so many things wrong with the idea that I do not know where to begin.

To start off with it looks bad to the legal system. A regular knife was not enough? You had to get one that would destroy organs etc? That shows a little more than the desire for self-defense. It is also more complicated to use than the everyday blade. Edged weapons are simple and easy tools. if you touch something with the sharp part it cuts. With this tool you are having to push buttons in the middle of an attack. It also has to be thicker than a regular blade and it appeared to be difficult to puncture the watermelon. Basically, not something I would waste any money on.

It has been tagged as a "scary" knife on the internet. I do not think that it is something you would have to worry about coming across any on the street.

Scientific Wrestling

I can't say enough about Jake Shannon and Scientific Wrestling. Jake has done more for Catch Wrestling than anyone else. Jake is the real deal when it comes to this form of combative sport. he knows the history as well as the techniques. I have been a member of his site for several years and I am finally getting to a point where I will be making some trips out to the OC to train with them. If you are interested in some neat stuff, get on board. He is putting together tournaments and has opened a training facility. Good stuff. This is a clip from a tournament.

Good Week

It has been a pretty good training week for the most part. We had a broken finger in the group, but that is the worst injury in a while. The nice thing is that it is something that we can work around as it is the tip. The nice thing is that the same person has moved up a level and is working on a new set of skills that allows us to work around the injury.

My hand is finally healing up pretty well. I performed double swings this week instead of Snatches. I wanted to work on the hip snap power developed by doubles. I am hoping it might help for my next workout phase, which will be a real run at the 106 for the Beast Challenge. I know I can do the pullup, but everything else is in the air. My press and my pistol still need work. I have a pretty good workout template that Jeff Neupert Sr. RKC posted recently on Dragondoor.

I am looking at holding a Kettlebell workshop in the near future. I am looking towards the end of August or first week or so in September. I would like to get out of the 104 temps we are seeing now. It will be a standard level 1 workshop with some kettlebell for combatives after the main portion. That is unless I get a bunch of people that want combatives training.

Neo Tribe Kali and Guro Jeff are a pretty neat find that I made this past week or so. I have not trained with this group yet but came across some clips of their material on the internet. I really like what Guro Jeff has put together in teaching kerambit skills. If you watch what he does, he really knows what he is doing. They have a link to the clips on their site. I recommend checking them out. I will be ordering their DVDs pretty soon and will see about hooking up for some training in the future. I would love to do it sooner than later, but it is a busy time for me with Camp Lansdale, RKC and Amazing Athletes.

Fight of the Week

When Bears Fight Bears - Watch more free videos

Links in a chain

Over the years, you would think that I would learn that everything is connected in some way. This is especially true in exercise and training. If one thing changes or a link is weak, than it tends to mess up the rest of the chain. I hurt my ankle a few years ago and two years later I was still nursing a bum knee. I hurt my shoulder in the military and it took me four years to be able to even think about lifting again. Why? Because I never quit training when I should. Instead of taking a short break, I usually continue to train as hard as ever.

This time it is not a serious injury. I ripped a callous off about two weeks ago and have continued to train. I have been taping my hand, along with liquid bandage, to be able to work out. The first injury changed my grip and put the stress of ballistics on a different part of my hand. There goes another blister/callous ripped off doing snatches. It it right in the center of my palm. I made the mistake of putting liquid bandage on it right after it happened. It hurt more doing that then working out with the injury. I let out a few dirty words after that. I did modify my workout after doing it. I did swings for my last set of ballistics.

I am looking at a late August or early September in the Dallas/Rockwall area. If interested let me know, I have not set it up yet but would like an idea of participation or what people would like to work on.

WOD
Joint Mobility
Snatch 3 x 10 l/r 1 x 10 swing
Pullups 4 x 5 w/kb
Windmills 4 x 5
Squats 4 x 5
Floor press 4 x 5

Relax into stretch.

Ross always has great stuff. This is a great addition to your training. Right now, it would kill my hand though.

Long week

It has been a long, hot week. the temps have hit 99-100 a lot this week and it makes training lots of fun. It makes the workout harder because the heat saps you. it makes things harder to hold onto and it is just a beat down at times.

A friend of mine is starting a martial arts training group and he mentioned the Spartan style training that I enjoy. I am not sure that I enjoy it as much as I used to when I was a lot younger. I am not a sissy yet, but getting out of the hot garage into the cool A/C does not sound half bad.

I really like training in the garage or outside. I try to train in as close to "normal" conditions as possible. Normal means those that I would be facing in a real world event, encounter or whatever. I think that is what separates kettlebell, tire, sandbags and the like user from a regular gym rat. we are using some tools that require us to be outside, I can't keep an 800lb tire in the house, ( I asked). We train in the environment that we will have to utilize our skills in as, such as Law Enforcement, Combatives, fire fighting etc.

There have been so many studies that show the more realistic your training, the more it will serve you in times of trouble. Spartan Training does not have to mean the "300" Workout. It should mean real world training in a real world environment. That is where the Spartans excelled. Their training was as close to combat as possible at the time. Everything they did was to further their skills and abilities when they needed them.

Workouts this week.
I did not increase my sets this week. I felt a little rundown and was nursing my hand still.

2 hand swing
snatch 3 x 10 l/r
Pullups w/weight 3 x 5
Windmill 3 x 5
Squat 3 x 5
Floor Press 3 x 5.

I did this both days this week, with my third workout on Saturday.

RKC

I owe quite a bit to Pavel and the RKC. It really changed the course of my life for the better. Finding out about kettlebells changed my workouts and my training philosophies. Before the Kettlebell, I was all about the mass and weight that I could push. I did not look at the whole picture, the flexibility, the ability to use that strength, the injuries. Pavel opened my eyes to the way of real world strength and showed me a different path. Since then, I have taken the ball and ran with it. Attending the RKC made me realize that just as in my workouts, there was no need to follow a path that was not working for me in my job. I was working in a place where incompetence was rewarded and everyone was scared to speak the truth. Attending the RKC showed me that there were other paths to follow. Since attending the RKC, I left full-time Law Enforcement and stepped off into the fitness world. I realized that I had a passion to teach and help others. In that regard I found that teaching kids fitness and sports was a very rewarding job. I absolutely love what I do now. It is great to watch kids make great strides in their fitness and their sports skills. I follow the tenet that strength is a skill also and must be practices. Today I had about 20 kids doing deep RKC Squats and real pushups. They loved it.

Yesterday's workout - Hand still raw

Swings 3 x 10 l/r
Pullups with 24kg 3 x 5
Windmill 3 x 5
Double Squats 3 x 5
Double Floor Press 3 x 5

Hand was sore so I did not snatch.

Diesel Crew

Some strong people.

Ouch

Well after 3 years of kettlebell training without tearing up my hands, I tore a callus off tonight. It was about 97 during my workout so I used chalk. I probably won't do that again. It changed my entire swing and rotation. The good thing was it was on my last set of snatches. I did not even do any damage at the RKC weekend. I guess there is a first time for everything. Overall it was a good workout. I spent a little more time on joint mobility tonight. it is time that I started doing that every day again. I always feel better if I start the morning off with it.

I am headed to the RKC to recert. I am looking forward to it. It is a great weekend and I always learn something earth shattering. The RKC changed the course of my life the first time. It put me on the new path away from full time law enforcement and into the fitness world. What a great change. I have more energy and time for my family.

WOD

Swing 1 x 10
Snatch 3 x 10 l/r w 32kg
PU 3 x 5 w/24kg
WM 3 x 3 w/32kg
Double squat 3 x 5 w/32
double Floor Press 3 x 5 w/32kg

This is just cool! It is David Whitley RKC





This is a great DVD. that is available at Scientific Wrestling

Long weekend

Holiday weekends are always hit or miss, at least during the summer, for training. I went to Nacogdoches and was able to train with Joe Lansdale and the rest of the crew. What a great night, as it turned out to be a black belt clinic. It was four of the highest ranked people in Shen Chuan and me. What an opportunity! It is always a humbling experience to go back to the main school. i work away and try to improve my skills just to find out how far I still have to go on my journey. Joe Lansdale is an incredible martial artist and teacher. The things that he has learned and is able to pass on is immense. His understanding of how the body reacts coupled with his knowledge of pressure points, balance and general whoop as stuff is by far the most impressive that I have come across. It is well worth a trip to Nacogdoches to see what he has to offer. He has been brought in for seminars across the country so there is always a chance to see him. I feel bad for our training group this week as I have some new things to work on.

I ended up being pretty over trained last week. It was a long week for Amazing Athletes and I also hit my workouts. I took the weekend off to recuperate. I feel pretty good this week. In an effort to be ready for the RKC recert, I started snatching again. I figure if I can hit my numbers with the 32kg It will be an easy weekend in some respects. It was almost 100 today and the training wore me out.

Joint Mobility
Snatch 3 x 10 l/r w/32kg
Pullups 3 x 5 w/24
Windmill 3 x 3 with 32
Double Squats 3 x 5 w/32's
Double Floor Press w/32kgs

Relax into stretch.

Here is a clip of Mark Shultz in an interview. He has the right attitude. One of the greatest wrestlers of all time.