tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-485673151853724922024-03-13T14:54:55.380-05:00The Happy GrapplerThe Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-35229617290672231932014-07-21T15:28:00.000-05:002014-07-21T15:28:21.899-05:00So this just happened.So here I am at a Commando Krav Maga seminar at my Academy, minding my own business, when this happens...<br />
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Saturday, after 7 years of training Brazilian Jiu jitsu, and after training the martial arts for 37 years, I was awarded my first and hopefully only, Black Belt. I am humbled and flattered beyond words. During my acceptance, for the first minute, I was speechless. Thanks to my constantly supportive and long-suffering wife, to my Pop for instilling a love of the martial arts when I was a boy by telling me incredible stories of when he trained Judo in Japan in the 50's as a U.S. Marine, to Professor Marcos for being the best instructor I have ever had, to His Imperial Supple Leopard for being the best training partner I have ever had, and the best Academy to train jiujitsu in, bar none. I am now investigating ways to pay it forward and spread the art that I have come to love.<br />
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My journey continues.The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-48003485203615330702014-06-25T13:54:00.001-05:002014-06-25T13:54:16.904-05:00A long overdue updateGreetings tribe!<br />
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It has been a long, long time since I have written. Mainly due to the super business of work. I have debated over and over if I want to continue this blog, but you can pretty much assume with this post that I want to keep it going. But in all fairness, due to work, I cannot any more promise a regularity of posting. Whenever, I can, I will post. But it has certainly been an interesting summer. Here are some updates:<br />
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When we finished weight watchers, I had lost a total of 42# and have pretty much stalled there. I am not as ridiculously strict as I was, however, I have kept a majority of the weight (95%) off. We just returned from vacation, and I followed no diet while I was there, so it will feel good to return to disciplined eating. I have been IF'ing for about a month again, which is a great practice. I am playing around with some vegetarian eating after reading Scott Jurek's "Eat and Run" which is an incredible foray into Ultramarathoning and Vegan eating. The lion's share of sugar in my diet comes from fruit and I am greatly moderating my alcohol. I also feel better when I take a natural approach to low carbing, drink more water, and restrict things like bread and pasta.I am also going to play with the Gracie Diet idea of not mixing starches. I also like it when my pants fit.<br />
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Non-bjj training- I have got the running bug again and my wife got me some new minimalist shoes for father's day. I am settling upon the following split for my non-bjj training: A run day, a KB day, a run day, then a Calisthenics day in a split fashion. This will ensure an even spread of strength and cardio. I still do mobility work every single day. Currently, I am mixing the Big 5 pressing reset from "Original Strength", the 5 rites of Tibetan Yoga, the Founder and the prone decompression drill from "Foundation Training" and the Baker's dozen of mobility work from Steve Maxwell. I have also been playing around with the Bio-energetic "Charging and Grounding" routine from Eliott Hulse. For KB work, I am mixing it up with some Hardstyle Drills and some GS style work of LCCJ and OAS in timed sets. Circuits seem to work the best for me when it comes to bodyweight calisthenics and while I may get the occasional bug to deadlift (I have access to that stuff at school) for the most part, my barbell days are over. I have read Al Kavadlo's books and the Convict Conditioning, Jailhouse Strong, and Solitary Fitness as well. There is much wisdom in using your bodyweight as resistance.<br />
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BJJ- still training 2-3 times a week. Still working to be as smooth and efficient as possible. Marcos just gave me the fourth stripe on my brown belt and to say that I am slightly freaked out is an understatement. In 37 years of consistently training the martial arts, I have never achieved a black belt rank. It is so close, it is rather intimidating. It has been one hell of a journey, that isn't over yet!<br />
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My wife and I just returned from an amazing vacation. I am starting Nick Ortner's Tapping Solution, Timber Hawkeye's Buddhist Boot Camp and Jack Kornfield's "The Wise Heart."<br />
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That is all for now. I will write more soon.<br />
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Oss.The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-53529296725656848042014-03-04T09:40:00.000-06:002014-03-04T09:40:01.012-06:00Sad day...Yesterday, the world of grappling lost a legend.<br />
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Billy Robinson, legendary catch wrestler, passed away.<br />
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The later years were not kind to him, but he leaves a legacy of brilliance.<br />
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This man has done more to influence my grappling than almost anyone.<br />
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RIP<br />
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<br />The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-69098832660935258532014-03-02T09:20:00.002-06:002014-03-02T09:20:52.722-06:00What I have learned from Weight WatchersSo far it is 38# down, with 12 to go.<br />
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My wife has lost over 30!<br />
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I have given the plan so much grief through the years, made fun of the meetings, thought that it was a method for the untrained, but I have really benefited from the program, so WW, I apologize.<br />
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Here is a short list of the things I have learned so far:<br />
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Food is not the problem, overeating is the problem.<br />
There are no "evil foods".<br />
A properly kept food journal is worth its weight in gold.<br />
Everything is an experiment, I have to figure out how I respond to certain foods and either use them to my benefit or avoid them. (Turns out that I may have some issues with wheat.)<br />
I was using the "good fats" and "red wine is good for your heart" excuse as license to over eat and over drink.<br />
We vastly overestimate the calories we burn via exercise and underestimate the calories we take in without keeping track of it.<br />
"Cheats" and "treats" need to be planned and not spontaneous.<br />
Having an accountability partner is essential.<br />
In order to lose weight with exercise, you have to work out HARD.<br />
In the past, I have tried to compensate for a poor diet with exercise-it doesn't work.<br />
Little "slip ups" can add up and cost valuable pounds.<br />
Having experience with meditation has helped immensely, by anchoring myself in the present, food tastes AMAZING!<br />
Focusing on real food and dropping things like bcaa's and whey protein was a wise choice for me. I still take D3, fish oil and ACV and the numbers don't lie about their benefits.<br />
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When the weather warms up, I am going to start walking/running again. I am also going to experiment to see how intermittent fasting works within an approach like weight watchers.<br />
I heartily recommend WW to anyone.<br />
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In other news, training is going really well. My guard is becoming dangerous and my training partners are wonderful.<br />
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I recently listened to the JRE with Kron Gracie and it is fabulous. Do yourself a favor and check it out.<br />
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OSS!The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-5773871575158986502014-02-09T07:54:00.001-06:002014-02-09T07:54:32.695-06:00I have not forgotten you!Greetings tribe!<br />
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Today is a very short post to say that I am still around. I have been incredibly busy and sometimes life does not allow for blogging. I am still weight watching (down 35! wife has lost close to 30!) Still training (doing bodyweight and some kb stuff) still rocking the bjj and meditating. I pinky promise to be more regular when it comes to blogging. Stay tuned more posts to come.<br />
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<br />The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-78993036491132990022013-12-20T14:32:00.001-06:002013-12-20T14:32:59.747-06:002013 in reviewGreetings Tribe!<br />
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This will more than likely be my last post of the year. So I thought I would take some time and review some of the changes and memorable points of the year and sum them up.<br />
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The berimbolo: the year started of with one of the hottest drills in jiujitsu and I couldn't do it to save my life. Uncoordinated, unathletic and for the most part, immobile. Thanks to my training partner, we drilled the position for almost a solid year. While I am far from a Mendes or Miyao, I can pull it off in drilling. I am far from doing it in sparring. But it has turned out to be a very revealing and rewarding drill. It began to teach me the concept of flow (more on that later).<br />
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Brown belt: Totally shocking when it happened. This has been the belt of passing the guard (Riberio) and getting mean (Roy Harris). Brown belt has been a period of quantifying the fundamentals and expanding my arsenal. It has been the time of refining the most basic sidemount escape, and the pleasure of training the rolling backtakes. I no longer fear inverting. I no longer stop in half guard or in side mount, I am always attacking mount or back. I have gotten lighter (thank you WW!) but feel heavier. Flowsparring with Bill has helped me move more quickly and react manytimes without thinking. Bill and I are attacking legs, feet and knees with more ferocity and abandon. I have learned better ways of defending kimuras, reverse and mounted triangles, and figured out an entire array of attack from quarter guard. I am watching and dissecting more videos and I am having fun share what I know with others. The prospect of a black belt still scares the shit out of me, but I am reflecting back on my journey with admiration. Professors Marcos and Bill are jiujitsu giants and I am eternally thankful for their guidance and knowledge.<br />
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Geezers: I have broadened my passion for bjj, wing chun and the filipino arts, because they are "geezer" methods. They allow a person to age and they get better. Watching Dan Inosanto or Paul DeThouars (RIP) or Renato Paquet (RIP) gives ample insight into how well "old men" can move. It gives us something to strive towards. I cannot wait to get to the point of rolling without any strength, where it is nothing but balance, timing, rhythm and leverage. This year was the realization that I am a martial artist having trained in something for 36 years. I no longer watch youtube for the latest technique, but to watch Rickson or Pedro Sauer spar, to see Paul or Bill DeThouars move, or to watch the influence of Dan Inosanto, Hawkins Cheung or Jin Young. It still has the same fascination for me.<br />
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Conditioning: I have utilized programs this year from Pavel, Dan John, Jon Hinds, Eric Goodman, Steve Maxwell, Eric Orton, Tim Anderson and am just now investigating and trying kettlebell sport. I am more mobile, leaner, and stronger than I was last year. I am becoming more efficient.<br />
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I was able to go to 4 seminars this year: Marcio Feitosa and Flavio Almeida, Flavio Almeida, Phillip Della Monica and Rener Gracie. Truly amazing and inspirational events. I will never forget: "Bro, your kimura is dope. Daaaannnnnggg!!"<br />
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I have secured hopefully the last job of my career. I am truly fortunate to be at a place that I love.<br />
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It has been a wonderful year. Here is to 2014!<br />
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Oss.The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-10848669777763969812013-12-10T14:38:00.003-06:002013-12-10T14:38:41.680-06:00I am a martial artistWhat's up, tribe!<br />
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Sorry for the delay in posting. I used to be able to provide weekly updates, sometimes multiple daily posts, now due to work, I am lucky if I can post monthly. No complaints, though. I realize that I am where I am supposed to be. We are currently in finals week and just about 2 weeks until a winter break of about 2 weeks.<br />
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What's been happening in my world...<br />
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Weight watchers: In 6 weeks I have lost 21.8 lbs and my wife has lost around 15! The online tracking tools are great! For all of the crap that I have given WW in the past, it is a system that works. I can reasonably expect to drop 30# by the end of the year and hopefully another 20# by my birthday. What I like is that this teaches the principles involved with reasonable life-long weight loss and is not based upon deprivation. It is an accountability based system and since my wife and I can do it together, it helps bolster a chance of success. My joints feel better, my gi fits better and I have better endurance. Thumbs up!<br />
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My non bjj conditioning has seen an increase in joint mobility practices, kettlebell and trx use as well as going back to some of the drills in my stick and wing chun days. It is the reason for the title, I am not just a bjj guy, I am a martial artist. It has also brought back some great training memories and whacking something with a stick is always fun. I will include some of the training videos that I have been watching.<br />
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BJJ training is going really well. We have been doing flowsparring drills during every open mat and I am moving like a different animal. Bjj just frickin' rules.<br />
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Cyborg is the man!<br />
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Have a wonderful holiday season!<br />
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<br />The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-19503149089803665692013-11-10T09:18:00.001-06:002013-11-10T09:18:57.414-06:00Time flies ...when you are having fun!<br />
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Sorry for the lack of posting! (Since only about 4 people read this blog, at least it isn't a large apology! LOL) Things have been super busy at work, and with professional on-call duty taking one week at a time, I am away from jiujitsu for one week at a time, so I have to stay creative about staying sharp at jiujitsu. But the job is going great. I can now say that it feels like am where I am supposed to be. The hours are long, but the place, the people and the work are awesome.<br />
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Let's catch up on past events, shall we:<br />
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Phillipe Della Monica did a seminar at GBS. This man is an innovator. He taught ways of pulling to the knee shield half guard and taught it in attack-defend-counter sequence. I had some trouble figuring out a knee bar counter to an arm bar, but with my partner's help, we figured it out. His creativity and energy are amazing to watch. He creates positions I have never seen before.<br />
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Rener Gracie taught a seminar at John Geyston's Academy that was in a word: incredible. I attended 2 seminars- arm lock mastery and triangle mastery. The sequencing was solid, it worked for street and competition and as a bonus, Bill and I got to have lunch with Rener and Eve Torres. AND during the arm lock seminar, Rener told me "Bro, your kimura is dope." I responded with "Daaaannnng!"<br />
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Angie and I started Weight Watchers in October. I have lost 10 lbs. so far and for all the crap and ridicule I have given that system, I can say that it works. Having and using the mobile app is great. It is time that I make my peace with food, avoid fads and happily settle on the right weight for me and adopt a healthy lifestyle. I have let training try to cover for a bad diet and it just won't work.<br />
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I feel that I am in the middle of an upswing as far as training jiujitsu goes. Bill and I are doing drills that Marcos is suggesting and it is paying dividends. I am spending a lot of time watching instructional videos and reading books and trying new ideas. Marcos taught a series of belt level special classes, and the brown/black session was incredible. I worked on my x-guard transitions, my berimbolo game and sinking in the second hook from the back. I have found a student at the college who is a purple belt under a Royce Gracie affiliate in Texas, we had one session this past week and it was a lot of fun. I look to make more drilling time with him soon. Yesterday, I was able to take 9 Blackburn College women to a free self-defense seminar for women at GBS taught by Marcos. About 25 women in total for 2+ hours and it was great.<br />
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As fars as non-bjj training goes I am doing lots of mobility work and yoga, tons of meditation, running, the Bas Rutten CD's and hitting the Kettlebells.<br />
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How about some videos of Professional Wrestling when it was real? Thanks to Makena for this, the choreography, intensity and moves used are great for any grappler to watch.<br />
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That should about "catch" us up-- do you get the reference!?!?!<br />
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Stay happy!<br />
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xoxoxoxo, ScissorThe Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-42448424342728335802013-10-06T18:17:00.001-05:002013-10-06T18:17:45.917-05:00The best laid plans...They often go ah-rye!<br />
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Hey there...<br />
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I haven't forgotten about you.<br />
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As of the last post, I was going to celebrate our cooler temperatures with some zen style running.<br />
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Didn't happen.<br />
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Got a new job.<br />
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At least I can say that I am one step closer to Gracie Barra Blackburn College!<br />
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My new job has been awesome. The people and students have been welcoming and amazing although the circumstances are very overwhelming. I am working about 50-55 hours per week and it is becoming much more challenging to regularly attend jiujitsu at my regular frequency. So when life handed me lemons, I am making me lemonade by spending my non-bjj time dedicated to yoga and solo bjj drills and you know what?<br />
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It is working.<br />
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Flexibility check. Cardio check. Strength and mobility check. During my rolls with the supple leopard (which are TOTAL FRIGGIN' WAR) my balance and fluidity and rhythm are still decent.<br />
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I am also logging and teaching a lot of mindfulness meditation too.<br />
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Some new challenges are up ahead as this coming week I will be attending 2 seminars (Phillipe Della Monica and Rener Gracie) and my wife and I are joining weight watchers.<br />
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Should be fun!<br />
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Stay tuned!The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-75989249263936730252013-09-05T13:47:00.002-05:002013-09-05T13:47:46.934-05:00Happy September or Change is coming!Greetings tribe!<br />
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The last time I wrote, I talked about enjoying the super mild temps and getting back to running. Well, it changed and got real damn hot. While I am planning a return to running, it just isn't in the cards right now. I have returned back to some mobility conditioning and core exercises. Of tremendous interest right now to me is the training offered by Dr. Eric Goodman called Foundation. He has some really great ideas for challenging the posterior and anterior chain, both separately and simultaneously. Check out some of these clips and if you like it, buy the book and DVD. Thanks Tom Furman for showing me this stuff.<br />
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BJJ training has been extremely interesting. Bill and I have begun every open mat with 20 - 30 minutes of drilling the berimbolo and the berimbolo pass. It is everything that I need to be doing, but haven't been. It is an athletic movement, but it also exposes a lot of incorrect habits and brings to light many deficiencies in core stability and thoracic and cervical flexibility. It is a slow process, but we are definitely better than we were when we started. I have seen a dramatic increase in the intensity in which we roll and spar. It is truly a curious phenomenon, but our rolling has turned into almost all out wars. My goal is to make us that guy that nobody wants to roll with ;-)! My cardio has definitely improved. I have been doing a lot of combat with allergies this week and getting a sweat has really helped my breathing.<br />
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On a sadder note, the academy had to say goodbye to a member due to poor fit. It was a very dramatic series of events and this is the first time that I have seen it happen in my martial arts career. I will miss him and miss training with him.<br />
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I guess the theme for this month is transition.<br />
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Finally, in personal news, I have secured a new job! I will be providing and running counseling services at Blackburn College. It has been 9 years since I have been in higher education and now I am excited to return to the opportunity of a lifetime. I might even be able to eventually start up a bjj club there. and next I am saying goodbye to my current clients and start my new gig on the 16th of this month.<br />
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Well, that's all for now. Take care of yourself and the ones you love.<br />
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Oss.The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-65774022258578436382013-08-15T09:34:00.001-05:002013-08-15T09:34:19.568-05:00Takning advantage of the weatherGreetings tribe!<br />
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This week of beautiful weather in the Midwest has marked a change of plans for my training, plus with the Academy being closed this past Tuesday for construction and that being one of the only days I can train, I have had some spare training time to fill.<br />
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I have an online friend named "Vern". He lives in the Seattle area out in the country and is a big SOB (6'6", 240#). Years ago, he started a training journal dedicated to running, with some biking and XC skiing and kettlebells thrown in. He listens to jazz, is an avid art collector and plays chess. Reading through his journal is like a travelogue. He reminds me of my bjj friend Greg Giddings, who bowfishes, rockclimbs, wakeboards, and practices jiujitsu. His philosophy is that his workout is his play. It makes a lot of sense.<br />
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Anywho, inspired by these men and given the beautiful, unhumid fall-like days here, I decided to make a change of plans, lace up the only semi decent pair of running shoes that I have and plod on down the roads. I have had more surreal zen experiences in the past 4 days of running than I had in the past 1 year of slinging a kettlebell. First, the path. In the past when I ran, I ran a loop that was in town and went through a park and a residential neighborhood. I found simply by changing directions it takes me on old desolate farm roads in the middle of vast cornfields. When the wind blows through the trees or through the corn, it sounds like applause. Yesterday, I was absorbed in the moment when suddenly behind me I hear "yo, dude, what's up?" and passing by me is this leathery, wrinkly old man riding the relic of a Schwinn bike pedaling past me. He smiled and waved and kept on riding. He must have been in his late 70's or early 80's. <br />
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I have been using my gymboss timer for running a 3:00 interval and then taking a short walking break. This was the first time I have been back running since late March. I don't have a lot of skill, but I am a follower of the mid-sole, minimalist movement, such as evolutionary running, chirunning, the POSE method, etc. These past 4 days I have had minimal soreness. I have had issues with a blister and some chafing, but once I am acclimated, I will be fine.<br />
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Take care and do what makes you Happy!<br />
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-8117195931214020132013-08-08T09:54:00.001-05:002013-08-08T09:54:14.006-05:00Brilliant!This guy is amazing!<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shPI6A2Pq2E">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shPI6A2Pq2E</a><br />
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Although I can't embed it. Check it out if you are interested in meditation.The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-63953626153202519492013-08-08T08:30:00.002-05:002013-08-08T08:30:46.525-05:00How I have been conditioning lately...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-71418569605405895182013-08-02T15:16:00.003-05:002013-08-02T15:16:42.567-05:00The best rolled up episodes ... EVAR!If you have been around the bjj game for a while, you know how big budovideos is. They have been making "Rolled Up" episodes with Budo Jake (A GB black belt...respect) for a while and they are really good. However, I keep watching 2 of the episodes over and over and here they are. Tim Cartmell and Kurt Osiander are as about a far apart from each other as you can get, but they drop some serious knowledge. So, in the immortal words of KO, "GO TRAIN!"<br />
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-79783721670804474532013-07-31T10:10:00.001-05:002013-07-31T10:10:59.972-05:00Back from vacation report...<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greeting tribe!<br />
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I have just returned from a week of family vacation re-connecting with my wife's family during their annual family reunion in Southern Missouri. In a word it was... breathtaking. The weather was fantastic (except for the second day when we went to Silver Dollar City and it rained like it was going out of style!), the girls had a great time, it was wonderful to connect with family members I hadn't spoken to in a long time, and it was an excellent exercise in mindfulness. It was also a great break from bjj and exercise in general.<br />
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I attended bjj last night for the first time in a week and a half and rolled with his Imperial Suppleness for an hour of the hardest roll I have ever had. Constant transitions, relentless pressure, overwhelming speed. I was going to attend the next class after, but was whooped. So I called it and will incrementally add classes here and there.<br />
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My July challenge was intermittent fasting during the week and it was overall very successful. I will continue this practice. It really teaches you a lot about hunger cravings and what you can get by on. The month of August is all about balance. Balancing my time in bjj between standing and ground, passing, guard, mount and back. Balancing time between "keeping it real" and "keeping it playful." Incorporating more balance postures in my training, being more balanced in my strength and conditioning work (incorporating jump rope for cardio and a functional fitness routine), and more balanced in my diet (more water, less sweets and alcohol during the week). As my wife always says, "Balance is the key."<br />
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Well, that's about it for this update. Keep training hard and I will see you on the mat!<br />
<br />The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-27689129192068105942013-07-15T13:39:00.001-05:002013-07-15T13:39:19.192-05:00S'up!Greetings Tribe!<br />
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It is a hot, humid and sweltery summer afternoon in the Land of Lincoln and I am (so far) done with clients for the day. It is mid-point of July which means that I am due for an update. I have also been struggling as what to write, but I will give it a go.<br />
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July challenge: I am learning this issue the hard way. Only one challenge a month. Any more, and I end up with struggling focus and diluted goals. I have decided to eliminate the other goals except for lunchtime fasting through the week and it is working on non-bjj days. On bjj days, it is a miserable failure and I find myself really bonking in class. However, on the days I am not training bjj, it is such a feeling of euphoria and almost like the weight is evaporating off of my skin. It is also excellent mental training. I do not know about fat or weight loss, but I seem to be leaning out some in the midsection and broadening and thickening in the shoulders and arms, but more about that later. So, as far as the challenge goes, one thing at a time.<br />
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I have been struggling in bjj. My performance is on a downspin and it seems like I am constantly getting my ass kicked. However, that is part of the growth cycle. However, time off (or lack of it) may be to blame. In 6 years of bjj training and aside from the weeks that the academy is closed for Christmas, I have taken about 10 days away from bjj. We are heading on family vacation for a week at the end of July, so it is pretty serendipitous timing. However, I am also getting my ass kicked due to always placing myself in deficit positions with people that are much more skilled than me in a particular area. The other night, Bill the Wristlock King passed my guard like it was non-existent like 11 billionty times. So it is important to focus on the deficits. I will improve when it is time to improve.<br />
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Martial art-wise, I have been working on my flexibility more and playing around with kicks more. It is more of an exercise in athleticism than it is for combat effectiveness, but it sure is fun!<br />
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I received a new comp style kettlebell for a Father's day present and have been doing a lot of double kettlebell work, either complexes, crossfit style, or straight hypertrophy work and it is working. We were leaving for church yesterday when a boy in the neighborhood said I looked like John Cena. LOL! You can't see me!!!! I have been also getting the clubbells out and combining them with my kettlebells and my pushup board for homemade "Zurkhaneh" (Persian = House of Strength) training popular with kushti wrestlers of the past. But, my shoulders, elbows, hips and wrists haven't felt healthier! I typically do it in circuit fashion and end up having one Zurkhaneh style workout and one hypertrophy style workout a week, which seems to be enough. Mobility work, every day.<br />
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Today's videos are a smattering of the things that I have been watching including an example of how I have been working out, what the Zurkhaneh is, a really incredible documentary on arm wrestling, what clubbells are, and some good ole kickboxing.<br />
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Have a good one!<br />
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xoxoxo, Scissor<br />
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-91271494633983445102013-06-27T08:53:00.001-05:002013-06-27T08:53:58.277-05:00Meh.Greetings tribe!<br />
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I have struggled for about 2 weeks trying to determine what I will write about for an end of the month report. Turns out, without clear focus, I get lost in the weeds. I started out the month with unclear and relatively undefined goals for a June challenge, and then I am surprised at having meager results. Physician heal thyself or "the very thing I hate."<br />
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I continued my bodyweight only exercise routine through June, as well as worked out primarily outside and additionally utilized Steve Maxwell, Jason Brown of the pathfinder method, Jon Hinds of the MBG and Frank Forencich of exuberant animal methods. The exuberant animal short form is fun and is a great way to get the blood flowing. "Change your body, Change the world" is an amazing book that you need to read.<br />
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However, the mistake that I made was continuing to workout without regulating my intensity. BJJ training can be immensely draining on the CNS and I continued to work and train and towards the end of the month, I really started to drag my anchor and was really beat up. So I finished out the month with some DDP yoga and it was a good decision. I have the original "YRG" dvd's but I would definitely recommend his new stuff and DDP is in killer shape for being 57 and having his spine explode when he wrestled.<br />
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I am receiving an AKC quality comp 24 kg kettlebell for a belated father's day present, so I plan on playing with it in the month of July and at least trying the Bob Harper "Deck of cards" workout. I have done tons of DoC workouts before, but this one is basic and well put together. Spades - pushups; Clubs - squats; Diamonds - burpees; Hearts - sit ups for time. I will also continue my YRG training, but the overall goal will me to modulate and regulate intensity. Enter tired and leave fresh.<br />
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I have been playing around with Intermittent fasting for a week, but much differently than prescribed by the gurus. Google "The Physics Diet" to read my source. I also plan on continuing to IF during July (until my vacation the end of the month, then all bets are off!)<br />
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My youngest daughter turns 13 tomorrow. Syd, you are my constant joy. I love you beyond words. You are beautiful on the outside and breathtaking within. Happy Birthday.<br />
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Well, for having no idea about what I was going to write, I think I did ok. <br />
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Stay happy.The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-72054703475279577472013-06-06T08:42:00.002-05:002013-06-06T08:42:52.519-05:00Off topicWhen I am not feverously scouring the internet for jiujitsu videos and dreaming about running my own BJJ gym, I am a psychotherapist in real life. Several years ago, I was introduced to mindfulness meditation and have had a regular practice for some time. One of the documentaries that really transformed my view of meditation was "The Dhamma Brothers" which portrays what happens when a vipassana program is introduced to a Maximum Security Alabama Prison. I have watched it many, many times and still can't watch parts without crying. The DVD is very hard to come by and I have had to rely on youtube, that being said I found a part of the documentary, but it had Malaysian subtitles. Then I found the whole thing as a part of "Super Soul Sunday" on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The first part is an interview she does with Thich Nhat Hahn and the rest of the program is the documentary. Powerful does not begin to describe it.<br />
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Enjoy!<br />
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-9040946503742786362013-06-06T08:34:00.001-05:002013-06-06T08:34:25.789-05:00SAMBO!!!Me and some of the guys at the academy were talking about Sambo the other day. I trained some Sambo a long, long time ago (in a galaxy far, far away!) My college wrestling coach was a Master of Sport in Sambo. Anyway, I found some videos to share the love:<br />
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And what would Sambo videos be without some Russian House Techno!!!</div>
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-39365375789540607322013-06-04T09:53:00.003-05:002013-06-04T09:53:41.097-05:00Rousimar Palhares Fight Camp!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Great video!The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-35372426120561048822013-06-04T09:28:00.000-05:002013-06-04T09:28:04.990-05:00Mindfulness meditation in 7 wordsThanks to Frank Forencich of Exuberant Animal and Shambhala Sun for the picture:<br />
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Sit down.<br />
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Shut up.<br />
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Breathe.<br />
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Pay attention.<br />
The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-78666470981841292652013-05-30T08:54:00.003-05:002013-05-30T08:54:59.298-05:00May end of month reportOr what I would like to entitle: "Krav Maga, movement snacks and mindfulness."<br />
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But first, the end of the month report. My May challenge was to continue my April efforts of bodyweight only training and concentrate solely on the Pistol, Pullup and One Arm Pushup. My friend Tom Furman has a new ebook out called "Armor of War" which outlines a straightforward program elegantly and with grace. I am able to crank out a lot more pullups than I have in the past and focusing of the pistol and one arm pushup have increased my strength substantially. However, the intensity required along with the substantial dings that I have accrued with bjj have me feeling beat up and wore down. Shoulder issues, a low back tweaking and then on Monday I jacked my right adductor/hamstring. So this week, I am backing off of the non-bjj training and focusing on restoration. June will be a month for play based workouts ala Frank Forencich of Exuberant Animal, Jason C. Brown of the Pathfinder Method and more mobility conditioning via Steve Maxwell. If you haven't visited Exuberant Animal, do it. It is a solid challenge based on solid science and solid ethic. Frank has an idea called the "movement snack", which are brief bouts of play based movement kind of like how a "snack" is a small amount of food to tide you over to the next meal. I have played around with the idea and it is deceptive how much it can positively affect your conditioning. Here is a little bit of what I have in mind for June:<br />
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BJJ training has been going well. Training with a Black Belt twice a week will transform you, but it is coming in the form of beatdowns. Our intensity is raising substantially as is the amount of time we are rolling. This month we have gone for 18, 22, 24, 34, 37 and 38 minute rolls. In a way, sessions with Professor Bill are an amazing experiment in mindfulness. When in that moment, you have to be completely connected to that moment. And when one is truly connected, there is magic in that moment. Speaking of mindfulness, I have been using it a lot at work lately. Here is one of my favorite samples of the practice. <br />
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Finally, one of my Professors at GBS was invited this month to travel to Israel and become a certified instructor in Commando Krav Maga with the Founder, Moni Aizik. The pictures he posted on facebook were breathtaking and the training he went through was brutal. I can't wait to pick his brain on what he learned.<br />
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Oss!The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-35887757629714564282013-05-16T09:37:00.002-05:002013-05-16T09:37:24.403-05:00OK, I admit it, this post is a little strange<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A couple of weeks ago, I received Kstar's book, "Becoming a Supple Leopard", which should now be considered the Magnum Opus on the maintenance required for human performance. Both myself and Professor Bill have been fans of Kelly and the MobilityWOD for a couple years now and the book organizes his material in a way that the youtube videos never could. And while I have certainly used the material for maintenance and prevention purposes, the past couple of days gave me opportunity to apply the principles for acute pain and soreness. Tuesday night I trained pretty hard and ended up tweaking my lower back. At first I thought it was a minimal tweak, then as the night progressed the soreness, stiffness and pain became significant. So I went through the protocols for low back pain which included smashing the area with the single and double LaX ball, rumble rolling the obliques and T-spine, utilizing lateral openings for the hips and obliques, banded distraction for torso twisting and then I did some extra work for the anterior hip. I did it twice, once in the morning and once in the everning and my lower back stiffness and pain is about 90% removed. <br />
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Crazy.<br />
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Since my post about geezers and Kelly's material about systems, I have been thinking about the connection of human movement and how aging can either make movement more subtle and graceful or some as they age become more brittle. My supervisor at work informed me that getting up off of the ground is a major chore for him. We may not be able to stop the hands of time, but by utilizing methods like Kelly's we can delay it significantly.<br />
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Speaking of human movement and connection, jiujitsu is the art of movement in connection with another human being. A lot of my most recent video study has been of Rickson and two of his students, Pedro Sauer and Henry Akins. They often speak of hidden jiujitsu and how true connection in human movement is often subtle and yielding, but there is power underneath it. Henry posted a video in his facebook group explaining connection and the concept of kuzushi explained in reference to aikido here <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwnGBLSFg7s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwnGBLSFg7s</a> (sorry, don't know how to embed it.) Next is an example of this in a bjj context while seing Pedro Sauer roll with one of his students. Note the subtle use of balance disruption, always utilizing fundamental movement and always attacking a submission.<br />
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We should all be attempting to become like wine and cheese. Smoother and stronger with age.<br />
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Oss.<br />
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<br />The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-68379226664275320902013-05-10T09:26:00.004-05:002013-05-10T09:26:43.284-05:00Geezer zonesIn his great book and project for National Geographic, Blue Zones, Dan Buettner did an exhaustive study of places in the world that had the highest concentration of individuals who lived past the age of 100. Communities of individuals who weren't just surviving, but they were thriving. The principle was that while the individual certainly had inspiring genetics, there were also practices within their lifestyle that enabled them a long life of health and radiant vitality. It is a great book and you should pick it up if you haven't.<br />
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Several days on this blog, I posted a video of Dan Inosanto explaining JKD and in the video he was moving extremely well. It wasn't until a personal trainer friend of mine, Tom Furman, mentioned that Dan was 76 and didn't start training bjj until his 60's that piqued my interest. He has also written an excellent and recent article (check it out on the sidebar) that chronicled the lifestyle and training of his mentor in Silat and life, Dr. Harold Koning, who is also 76 and moves extremely well. Then it got me thinking about several men in "advanced" age. However, they can do things better than most men one third of their age (I have posted several vidoes). Dr. Harold Koning, Willem De Thouars and Dan Inosanto are all 76. Renato Paquet is 79. Jhoon Rhee is 81. There are countless others who are not only practicing into their 70's and 80's, but they are flourishing. Helio Gracie practiced jiujitsu every day of his life for 82 years before he passed away at the age of 95. Much like blue zones, does there exist a set of practices that enable these individuals continue to train and reset the button of what we consider to be "prime." I believe that there is and while my evidence is only anecdotal, it should serve as a manifesto for us, including myself, who want to continue to train for the rest of our lives.<br />
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1. They each are lifelong martial artists and have put skill first. Skill training and learning and devoting themselves to mastery of the fundamental and advanced movements of their various disciplines are a priority. They have also embraced the "big picture" and aren't training for the next tournament, but for the long term goals of health and mastery.<br />
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2. Each of them are extremely mobile and make mobility training a priority, including practicing ground based movements. Ginastica Natural, Yoga, TCC, etc.<br />
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3. Each of them has included a form of internal training as well. Rickson is famous for his kundalini exercises in "Choke". Harold Koning is a highly regarded Qigong teacher. Steve Maxwell has been studying Systema. By focusing on the internal and the external attributes of training, they retain balance, not only of mind, but also in body. Stability becomes an important factor when getting older.<br />
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4. They have maintained a healthy bodyweight for themselves and compare themselves to no one. Leaner, not bigger.<br />
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5. They strength train, but do not traditionally "lift weights". Ankle and wrist weights, Kettlebell work, bodyweight exercises, isometrics, etc. but rarely a barbell. Interesting.<br />
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6. They have diverse educational backgrounds and have fulfilling social relationships. Everytime a person meets one of these individuals, they will always remark how "nice" they are. These men are at peace with themselves and with those around them.<br />
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This should serve as a lesson for us all... train for life.<br />
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-48567315185372492.post-8694911963219789052013-05-09T08:35:00.001-05:002013-05-09T08:35:13.305-05:00My birthday haul!Had an incredible birthday!<br />
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Here is my haul:<br />
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Oss!<br />
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The Happy Grapplerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09231178665931933104noreply@blogger.com0