Modern Warrior

In today's "tactical" world, this image has become all to common. The current trend is to pretty much buy everything that you can and put it your tactical vest in an effort to be at the "top" of your game. The problem is that to many people have trained in "Tactical Consumer" classes versus tactical skills classes. "If I have the newest shiniest toys I will win whatever I face." I see that a lot in schools that I have attended as well as those I have taught at. Everyone wants the toy with the highest CDI factor (Chicks Dig It) and they think that it is the magic solution. "If I just have the XYZ transmogrifier, I will prevail in every confrontation."

The problem with this line of thought is that people forget the fundamentals of what ever they are striving to achieve. They forget that the real answer to most problems is hard work. It is the time in the Dojo, on the range, even the time in class to learn the reasons why we do what we do. People forget that they are the Weapon and everything that we carry into combat is a tool for the weapon system to use.

The Modern Warrior needs to step back a little and evaluate their needs and goals in regards to their tactical equipment. Is the answer buying more stuff or is it training to use what you already have in your arsenal.

We need to be the "Naked Warrior'" to borrow a great term and idea from Tony Blauer. The basic premise is that you can defend yourself without all of the tools and gear if you need to. It is a very powerful premise in that it reshapes the way you live and train. You than start to rebuild your system from the ground up in such a way that they all mesh.

I like to teach all of my students that everything we do is based on the same platform, whether it is hand, stick, knife or firearm that they are deploying. It makes since once you realize that there is no reason to separate your skills into different branches or actions. One seamlessly flows into the next, because in Combat you can be at any level of force at any time. The real confrontation is not a case of meeting at High Noon for the shootout. It is the push, punch, weapon drawn from a hiding place and used against you. If you are not the weapon system, how do you defend yourself and prevail?

Kettlebell Juggling

I like to play with kettlebell juggling, but this is a whole new level. Ian has some great explosive power. Something else to work at, along with everything else I am trying to do.

Paul

Sandbag training

I have added a lot of different tools to my workouts and those that I teach others. North Point Training has a lot of good clips and ideas from which to take good stuff. They are squared away and I really like what they do. This a a clip of Rick Mayo doing a variety of sandbag drills. Like everything else I am playing with, there is no end to the fun and pain that you can have. It is great that there are so many people that thinking outside the bench bench press. I hope to have clips like this up in the near future that are this good.

Paul

The Dark Knight

For those who know me pretty well, I have always been a geek in regards to Batman. I even have the Batman Converse shoes. It was my all time favorite program as a child. I read the comic books and have seen all the movies. I am looking forward to Summer when this comes out.

Everyone has to have their vice.

Sucker Punch

This was a funny clip. But it does have something to teach about Self Defense. The sucker punch is what usually wins the fight. It is from the criminal that comes up and blind sides you, because you are not paying attention. Tony Blauer has built a great program that helps handle the sucker punch. Look into his training material for simple effective tools and techniques.

By paying attention to your surroundings, you are able to negate the sucker punch. The other side to the coin is that this is not the Old west. You do not want to meet in the street at High Noon for a fight. If you are threatened, your life or limb is in danger from an unlawful attack, use this same tool against the bad guy. If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.

Choices

This is a nice video on personal accountability and choices that are made.

Happy New Year!!!

It is the New Year and time to make new resolutions and changes in our lives. the problem is that we all make grand plans and then fail to follow through and the year is the same as the one before. I am as guilty of it as everyone else. Sometimes I cheat and make a resolution such as cutting down on smoking, which is easy as I have never smoked before.

It seems that the best way to go out and make changes, to keep resolutions made, is to start small and move forward. I think that people often vow to make grand, sweeping changes to their thoughts and actions. Unfortunately it does not become a reality as it is such an overpowering, all encompassing goal, that it overwhelms the person making the statement. It is to much to bite off and chew, as the saying goes in Texas.

The first step is to make sure that your changes and desires, mesh with your goals and mission in life. There will be no follow through if they do not mesh. Everyone needs to have a Mission Statement. This gives them a framework from which to proceed through life. How can you make changes if you have no mission from which to base them on? You really cannot go forward successfully without a mission in life. Take some time and figure out what your mission is, it makes a difference in your life.

The next step to making changes in your life is to start with the end result and break the trip there into smaller bites. You do not drive Coast to Coast without your end result being a series of smaller trips. Let's say your goal is to earn a college degree but, you work 40+ hours a day, have 3 kids and a lot of other pressing matters in your life that make it hard. Is it possible? Yes, take one class a semester until it is completed. What is the hurry as long as you are on your path? It has taken this long to get back to that path and it might be a slow journey, but you are making it.

In this New Year, set your Big Goals, but also plan out the small trips that will get you there. The End Goal might seem to large and to hard to ever reach. It is not if you start the journey with way points to head towards.

Paul

Look for some changes in the next year with our training programs. We will be hosting more seminars in Kettlebells and Combatives across the country. I hope to have two training manuals out for KB's and Combatives. We have a KB seminar on January 19th. I will be posting my own video clips on this site soon.