reason.

do it for a fucking reason.

it is a common statement, and when applied to every aspect of training, will yield more results than any piece of equipment, any fad-diet, or what you would get by following anyone elses training program.

having a goal is the first part. it is easy to understand that a goal functions as the "why?" it is why we eat a certain way. why we get up early. why we go to sleep at 10 pm instead of going out. but once you have a solid and specific goal it will also shape the "how"...

what is required of your goal? what skills? what weight is ideal? how strong do you have to be? how fast? how much power? how much endurance? what movements drive this task? what are the common injuries you need to avoid?

these are not hypothetical questions. make a fucking list. do research. add to it often.

now: self assessment. the goal is outlined, time to find the starting point....

if you can, have someone help you here. someone who is not afraid of telling you the hard and ugly truth. do this without ego. lies at this stage are hurting only yourself. this must be ruthless. it should be humbling. the task is deceptively simple: where are you in relation to the goals?

timeline. triage. how long will this take? what goals can you train at the same time? what other factors are involved? what are you willing to take on? what are you willing to give up? what kind of diet/recovery/work/travel schedule will be required? how much are you willing to spend?

be honest. be thorough. ask questions and the path will begin to form.

what root goals are other goals based on? what steps are most important? what goals can be worked on in parallel? what problems can be solved in the gym? what corrections yield the greatest benefit? what psychological factors will play a role? what pitfalls am i headed for and how am i going to deal with them? who has been there before and how can i learn from them?

do work, and do it for a fucking reason.

explosion from a fatigued/compromised state

grind down, build up the acidity, learn to hang on and explode from it. fighters can immediately see the use of a skill like this. train the ability here so you can focus on the timing during your fight training.

CV recovery under a load.

initiate panic breathing - rack as much weight as you can handle and hang on. learn to control it. to contain it. and to recover under the load.

30' of 3" rope. 30# of chain. sprint the rope straight, pull it (and the chain) to you hand over hand (use your hips) repeat 4 times. rest while your partner does the same. repeat.

grip. hip/hand coordination and engagement. CV power. muscular efficiency and short term recovery practice.

mid-section stability. shoulder flexibility and control.

here we build the tools.

send a message. tell your body what you want it to be able to do. tell it clearly and tell it often. recover well. work smart. don't quit.

the fight.

it is a good one.

there has been much work done so far this year, with many new things on the horizon. a potential building to be purchased, small business loans, new web site, new tools, and new t-shirts. this is the good fight. this is scheming. problem solving. the whiplash shift between near fanatical attention to detail and the big picture. the willingness to wield the knife, to cut out what is inessential, to drop dead weight and become the perfect tool for the task at hand. i have been putting more energy into the space, we have been focusing on details, on goals... and reaping the rewards.


















the fighters have been a pleasure to work with. not just because of their willingness to work, but because the requirements of their craft. ju-jitsu is a skill game. it is hard on the body. the gym, their work with me, is supplemental. secondary. their tasks are tailored to their goals, their test places their flesh on the line and with fights on the horizon we have not the luxury of "free time". each task is presented to correct an imbalance or to encourage a trait. shoulder and knee work to help avoid future injury, constant pressure and compromised rest, explosive power from a confined and fatigued state...

ball slam to roll out.
dynamic-isometric back squat.
knee jumps.
deadlift to box jumps
russian twists, cauldron, shoot lunges...
recover in rack position, in front plank, under the slosh pipe....
the airdyne...


everything for a reason.


















there is so much to be said in these pictures. the fight. the fear. resignation. a realization that the work is harder than you thought, longer and your fatigue deeper. the realization that you chose this. sought it out. fought for it. that you are here. now. and all that is left to do is press on.

TANSTAAFL

There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch...

time. effort. money. faith. health. blood. sweat. tears.

everything costs something, and everybody has to pay.

this should not be seen as a threat.

in accepting that everything costs. that everything is earned, or at least paid for, gives us an framework to own our decisions. to accept and embrace the responsibility of doing what is right for us and those we care for.

act deliberately.

wield the knife, carefully and in full consideration of the consequences.

travel light. travel fast.

it was Heinlein who said that "the most expensive thing in the world is a second-best military establishment, good, but not good enough to win"

it is best then, to think of each day as a battle.

do not waste time on half measures.

if you are going to play, than play to win.

if you are going to rest, than fucking rest.

focus. forethought.

do. learn. fail as hard as you fucking can just to get up and do it better next time.

take what you want. and pay for it.

remember: the price for what you want will most likely include the things you least like to do.

the airdyne leaves no-one wanting.

new students and old teachers.

new students make me thankful for old teachers.

unbelievably thankful.

having the bar set so high. positive stress. proofreading training plans, asking questions, trying to spot weakness and short sightedness. nervous tension. hormonal response. something to prove...

i am so often startled by what people expect of me. from me. from the station. from the work we do.

students often impress me. their willingness. their dedication.

other trainers often depress me. make me ashamed of what has become my profession.

not ashamed, annoyed. annoyed that there are people out there calling themselves "coaches" and "trainers", people diluting the meaning of these titles, these stations that i have come to respect so much.

i sometimes worry, worry about ending up like them. about being a know-it-all, about "leading" from the side lines. about accepting less. about compromising for the sake of business...

this, however, can be turned into a positive. an incentive to work harder. to work smarter. and nothing shakes those fears away like doing. doing it right.

there has been a group of fighters training at the station for the last month. its hard to explain, seeing someone and knowing what to do to help them. when years of small lessons, seemingly disconnected experiences can lock together and help someone correct an imbalance, break past that barrier. the surprised response from these guys when i remind them that the gym is supplemental. that what we do exists to make them better fighters, and not to forget that. they are fast learners, already feeling different, for them the test comes in the ring. for me, the work is the reward.

new students also make me thankful for old ones. for the hard work and dedication. for the trust and willingness to suffer. for making commonplace a level of effort that is anything but. i am grateful for all of this. for challenging me. for asking questions. for forcing me to grow.

to the teachers, the students, the seekers and the workers.

i thank you.

cass and mary are a wonderful example of strength and the benefits of working with a partner

focus. control. will. all these traits are built, shaped, and strengthened along with the body. this should be undertaken mindfully, and deliberately.

a willingness to endure discomfort is also useful.

do everything for a reason. a simple tip that yields incredible results. with only 3 weeks left before a fight, we cannot afford to waste time.

cope. deal. adjust what you can, then take what you need. learn to recover. under stress. under weight. under any circumstances.

the battle to stay in control is one worth winning.

again, waste no time. justify your decisions. make arguments. have reasons.
reap the rewards.

goals

"the goal is not simply to hurt you, but to make it so that no one will ever be able to hurt you again"

the physical stuff is easy. or at least, it is the easy part. you apply a stimulus, a stress, and the body responds. it is cultivation. attention to details. it is a process.

it is surprisingly easy to be mediocre. it doesn't take much effort. much thought.

to change. to excel. that is where it gets interesting.

defining goals. assessing ones ability, ones short comings. correctly assessing the relative merits of certain traits, absent of personal bias....

how strong? how fast? power? endurance? where should the time be spent? what kind of returns can you expect? applied economics, on a very personal level.

traits beyond the physical must, must, be considered as well. discipline. integrity. nervousness. depression. anxiety. fear. overconfidence. patience...

how do these traits factor into your goals?

how can you train these?

how important is this to you?

where is your weakest link?

"training" as we understand it is to work with a dedicated group of peers with the common goal of making each member more effective at achieving their personal goals. we do this by encouraging growth and exposing weaknesses.

denial helps no one.

we ask hard questions because we want to hear honest answers. we surround ourselves with dedicated people because we are actively and consciously raising our standards.

the greatest personal flaw is often the one that we ourselves do not see. we depend on each other to question, to critique, and to criticize. to encourage good behavior and punish the bad. i dont think anyone has achieved greatness by being comfortable.

we push each other. we drive each other. to be critical. to be practical. to give our best. to make it normal. a habit. to make it a minimum. the least we will give, and the least we will expect.

we aim to raise the bar.

-the station

the moment.

everyone has that moment.

the moment. that first time you truly over-reach. the sensation of slipping, of loss of control. when you can't breathe, which makes you panic, to focus on that fact, and make it worse. the negative feedback - the searing limbs that make you want to lie down and cry - the terrifying realization that that doesn't help either....

that moment is the beginning of something new, or at least it can be, if you are willing to learn from it...

to learn that your body was built for this. people have done this since the dawn of time. this sensation is nothing new. people all over the world are working harder than you. it is your mind that has atrophied. become as used to comfort as your legs used to be...

but they changed, didn't they? in shape and tone and response to pressure... your body has begun to crave that acidity, that stress and twitch and hum of power. your mind will change. will thrum. if you let it.

realize that panic is feeding your mental and emotional collapse - and fucking stop it.

realize that lying there having a tantrum is not helping you recover, not creating a space for your body and mind to process what is going on - and fucking stop it.

realize that you are actually in control. that this is the only thing you are in control of. and exercise that for a change.

breathe deep. get up. move around.

the work will never get easier - you will just get harder.

being comfortable is simply realizing how truly uncomfortable you can be and still survive.

confidence, like patience, is earned. one challenge at a time.

pain is about thresholds. about realizing that wall is only the horizon - and there is a whole world on the other side.

this is where the proverbial shit gets real. this is where real and meaningful change happens. this space, this moment is where you learn to do what is right and not what is easy. this is where you learn to push, to shout back at the voices of complacency and mediocrity. this is where you leave your mark. where you make something happen.

by force of will alone.

and to do it again tomorrow.

five minutes with a 44# kettlebell can teach you something about yourself.

the next five minutes with it will teach you more.

smile or bare your teeth. cope how you need to, take notes, and don't fucking quit.

in the end, the motivation can only come from within.

remember that quitting will not make the pain go away, the damage is done, so you might as well finish what you started.

work leaves its mark.

...

"we were born for battle against the tide of compromise."