Big Rocks

I have been fortunate in my martial arts career to train with and be exposed to so many martial arts teachers, systems, and curricula. This truly is the information age of martial arts. In this time I've had an almost constant struggle of how to arrange my training (and now teaching) so that all the "important stuff" gets worked in and the "less important" stuff doesn't eat up valuable time. The irony is that I think this dilemma is as common with martial art monogamists (my term for those that have the attention span to devote themselves to a single art or style) as it is with those of us that prefer a cross-training approach. I'm sure there are great BJJ practitioners out there that have thought "Man, I need to work my guard, my half guard, my knee on belly, escapes...sheesh! There just isn't enough time." Add a supplemental strength and conditioning practice to any martial arts training regimen and this dilemma only gets bigger.

Let's face it. Unless you work a night job, sleep only 4 hours a night, and train at the Inosanto Academy, the Minnesota Kali Group, or any number of similar schools for the bulk of your day (and we do know people that have done this!), it's pretty darn tough to try and "fit it all in" day in and day out.

For some, the way to solve this issue is simply to eliminate certain aspects from your training altogether. This is akin to spring cleaning and going into the garage to throw out anything that's just taking up space, or throwing away clothes that you haven't worn in 6 months or more. While I don't encourage anyone to become a hoarder (literally or figuratively), the danger in this approach lies in the short-sighted thought that we will never have need of these training methods or arts. I think a healthier and more mature attitude is to "leave the cage door open so the bird can return." In other words, to file something away and say "there will be a time for me to get back to this, but I just don't have the time or energy for it right now."

For example, I've been on a bit of a BJJ hiatus as of late, not because I don't like BJJ or think it is important, but I've just come to the realization that I don't have the time or energy to devote to it right now in light of other goals I currently have. At times I regret this decision, as I see my friends and fellow training partners making progress while I myself am getting rustier by the day (or at least stagnating), but the fact is that life is about prioritizing.

I think an important lesson to take from this, and one it's taken me 30 plus years to learn is quite simply "you don't have to do it all right now." Sure, being in your 20's without a family certainly leaves you with an abundance of free time to train, and at several points while in my 20's I thought to myself "I'd better make the most of this time now, because when I'm married with 2.5 kids I won't have time to do this." That is not to say, however, that I'll "never have time." After all, I have several students that are in their 40's/50's just starting martial arts for the first time. I have a friend and training partner who started BJJ for the first time in his late 40's and is now an active and very successful BJJ competitor. If you have a passion for the martial arts, especially as vehicle(s) of self development, then it truly is never too late to start.

If there are areas that you do not want to eliminate from your training altogether, but which you prefer to "keep on the back burner" then it is important to make the most of the minimal time you are going to spend working in these areas. When it comes to managing your training time for your current goals as well as these "backburner" activities, I think we each need to do the best we can to find the activities/drills/training methods that give us the biggest bang for our buck. I also see this as my main objective as an instructor. If I have students that are training anywhere from 1 to 4 hours per week, it is crucial that I help them make the absolute most of that training time so that they are still able to progress and get results.

This is sometimes referred to as the "big rocks" method of time management. If you were asked to fill a jar with as many of the following items as you could, in what order would you place each in the jar?

-Sand
-Small Pebbles
-Big Rocks
-Water

The most successful approach to this is the put the big rocks in first, then the small pebbles, the sand, and finally the water. The big rocks are analogous to the "big bank for your buck" tasks-those things that are the most important to you and/or give you the most benefit.

In the area of kickboxing skills, the recently implemented North Shore Academy Pad Holding system is an attempt to satisfy this need. Are you going to work 100% of your kickboxing skills within these drills? Probably not. But these drills will give you the biggest bang for your buck and allow you to continuously maintain and refine your combinations, coordination, and conditioning for your kickboxing skillset. (Have no fear, NSA students, your instructors are hard at work trying to implement similar processes for your weaponry, trapping/close range tactics, and grappling/groundfighting needs as well).

In this approach, we are not so much focusing on eliminating anything or claiming certain skills are unnecessary or useless, rather we are attempting to focus our efforts on getting our students "most of the way there" with as streamlined a curriculum as possible.

You could of course use the same approach for your solo training or supplemental strength/conditioning practices. In the larger sense, this means figuring out what areas you need to work to get the biggest performance boost. Are you lacking strength, endurance, or flexibility? Which one of these areas is holding you back the most in your martial arts performance ability? Which of these areas could you get directly from your martial arts training, and which areas are truly in need of supplemental work?

For me, a great example is maximal strength development. Max strength is something I haven't developed fully, would have a great benefit for my overall athleticism, and is very hard to develop through martial arts training alone. Contrast that with endurance, something that I've tended to focus on for more of my training career, and something that is easily developed through martial arts specific training methods (thai pad drills, sparring, etc.) So now I've effectively streamlined my supplemental training needs, and can focus my time off the mat on getting the biggest bang for my buck. Since my intention is to use this as an example and not to give you a rundown of how I spend all my free time, I'll stop there.

To finish up, I really would like to revisit the idea of making the false assumption that certain training methods/arts are useless or not worth our time. One of the biggest influences on my martial arts career in this regard is Guro Rick Faye of the Minnesota Kali Group. I've often said that Guro Rick "came along" at just the right time in my training career (which is not to say that he wasn't there all along, it was just that we hadn't had the privilege of hosting him for a seminar yet). At the time, I was all about "functional martial arts," which is to say that I spent most or all of my training time focusing on the things that I thought were the most applicable in a fight.

In my mind, such things as sparring, hitting thai pads, grappling, and working on my conditioning were crucial to my training, whereas much of my Kali training, hubud, trapping drills, silat, etc. was all "just goofing around" or "just for fun." Well, like I said, that was before Guro Rick came to our school. That first seminar it felt as though he was reading my mind, and offered up numerous reasons as to why these training methods were just as important as anything my relatively immature 20-something mind deemed as "functional." More important than that, Guro Rick challenged each of us to examine the role that martial arts training played in our life, rather than just thinking of the martial arts as being all about fighting. It was amazing and disappointing that even after nearly a decade spent training in the martial arts, I still hadn't figured this out. Since that time, Guro Rick has become one of my absolute favorite instructors, and I always look forward to any opportunity to train with this great man. I've said on several occasions that I believe him to be arguably the best TEACHER of martial arts I've ever seen.

Here is a short video interview courtesy of MKG Seattle in which Guro Rick discusses his perspective on the often quoted Bruce Lee line of "Absorb what is useful, reject what is useless, add what is specifically your own." Enjoy.

Thoughts on Confidence

Three Types of Confidence:

A. Physical Confidence – Belief in one’s own physical attributes, such as strength, speed, endurance, pain tolerance, etc.
A.K.A. – Conditioning, Being “in shape”, Athleticism, Work Capacity
Developed Through – General and Specific Physical Preparation, Strength and Conditioning, Nutrition

B. Technical Confidence – Belief in one’s knowledge and ability to problem-solve
A.K.A. – Knowledge, Skill, Technique
Developed Through – Learning, Memorization, Repetition, Practice

C. Stress Inoculation – Belief in one’s ability to manage their performance under pressure
A.K.A. – Timing, Game, Experience
Developed Through – Drilling (against progressive resistance), Sparring, Competing, or other Life Experience (ex. Military, Law Enforcement, or just getting into a lot of fights)

Examples:

A without B or C = Fitness buff, Gym Rat
B without A or C = Paper Tiger, Fat Black Belt
C without A or B = Tough Guy, Banged up ex-athlete
A+B without C = "Stage" Martial Artist
B+C without A = Banged up Martial Artist
A +C without B = Fighter who can’t teach

Relationships:

Nothing can replicate C, and no amount of C will ever be “enough.” The same cannot be said 100% for A and B. A can be developed to an extent through B and C. B can be developed to an extent through A and C. High degrees of A and C are necessary for peak performance, while B plays more of a permissive role (i.e. minimum level of proficiency).

Analogies:

You are the car. A is the engine (or fuel). C is the road. B is the map. Without B, you can still reach your destination, it just might take longer. Without A, you’ll break down before you get there. Without C, you’re a show car in a garage that goes nowhere.

You are the musician. A is the instrument. C is the playing. B is the sheet music. Without A, you have no means to make music. Without B, you'll make a lot of noise for a while, but eventually you'll make music. Without C, you have unfortunate silence.

Process vs. Outcome

This is a message that has been spouted time and time again, and it can be found in Christianity, Buddhism, just about every level of Athletic Training, and of course in the New Agers of today. I believe that such a message bears repeating so often for two reasons:

1. It's true
2. It's the exact opposite of what we normally do when left to our own devices.

In this video, writer and life coach Srikumar Rao says we spend most of our lives learning to be unhappy, even as we strive for happiness. At Columbia University, he teaches us how to break free of the "I'd be happy if ..." mental model, and embrace our hard-wired happiness.

Check it out.

Srikumar Rao: Plug into your hard-wired happiness | Video on TED.com

On the Process of "Getting Good"

Recently, I was honored by Sifu Marc and presented with my 4th degree black belt at NSA. While I certainly was not expecting it, I do take it as an important milestone in my martial arts career. At these times, I've been told it is important to take a look back and think about the lessons that have been learned along the way.

The interesting thing that has come to mind lately is that, while I have been promoted to a higher level of black belt, I'm more reminded of the number of times I've been a "white belt" in various martial arts or other areas of learning. If being a black belt gives you anything, I think it gives you perspective on the journey of training and improvement.

The first thing that I thought of when I received this honor is that it seems the more I learn, the more I realise how much I don't know. This brings to mind an interesting metaphor that I once heard regarding the process of moving from white belt to black belt and beyond. To paraphrase, the white belt represents innocence (or ignorance). A white belt is a "blank slate." Over time, and through repeated training, your white belt starts to get a little dirty. It starts to acquire some color, until eventually you make it to brown belt. Now you are a "seasoned" martial artist. You've put in a lot of training time, but by no means are you an expert. So you train even longer and harder, and the brown belt itself starts to get a little darker from the dirt, sweat, and occasional blood spent during hours of training, until eventually you make it to black belt. The belt, like you, is seemingly "saturated." You can't get any darker than black, after all. It seems you have been filled with all of the knowledge and skill you can contain. But then a very interesting thing happens. Over time, the black belt starts to shed. The edges fray and the black coating starts to come apart. Guess what color is underneath? White. And so the process in a sense begins again. You've gone from novice to veteran to expert, and now you begin again as a novice.

One thing I like about this story and how it pertains to my own martial art journey is that, after spending over half of my life training and achieving various ranks in various arts, I can tell you from personal experience that I LOVE BEING A WHITE BELT! Yes, you read that right.

For one, I find that the more you learn and the more ranks or black belts you achieve, the more you carry this persona or perception of an "expert." This can put a lot of pressure on you if you let it. Being able to start over and put on a white belt (literally and figuratively) takes that pressure away. I can say that this is one of the most enjoyable parts of starting over as a white belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. I get to make mistakes, tap out, learn, and just be that "blank slate" again. It rocks.


One other point that I think I have gained a great deal of perspective on is the process of learning and developing skill in a martial art. Ironically (given what I just talked about) I find that, particularly in sparring/performance based arts like Boxing, Crazy Monkey, Wrestling, or Jiu-Jitsu, it seems people are always looking for a shortcut to expertise. They want to know the "secret trick" to passing someone's guard, or escaping the mount or the arm bar. They want to know the best combination to throw, or the "trick" to hit without getting hit. I myself have fallen prey to this attitude MANY MANY MANY times! But lately, when I catch myself falling into this trap, I'm able to keep more perspective on the issue.

Ultimately, I think the issue is striking a balance between two ideas:

1. Putting in the Time
2. Finding the Secrets

I think of these ideas as being on separate ends of a seesaw or scale. If you tip too far in one direction, the balance is upset. Better yet, think of them as resting on the wings of a plane. Tilt too far in one direction and you won't fly straight.

Very often, people tend to tilt too far to the second point. They spend all their time analyzing, critiquing themselves, and dwelling on their mistakes. This often leads to frustration as the fun gets sucked out of the activity. Or it ends in paralysis by analysis, where you spend so much time thinking about the details or weighing different options that you actually don't get anywhere (such as on the mat, to train!). I also find that highly intellectual people are more likely to fall into this trap. Intellectuals are used to "figuring things out," and they think that all it takes is some problem solving and analysis to "figure out" why they aren't progressing. Sometimes there is nothing to be figured out, and often even if you do figure out the answer, it takes a long time to consistently implement the solution. For example, maybe you've figured out that you tend to drop your hands after you throw a punch, and that is why you continually get countered. Good for you. But understand that just because you "know" you're supposed to keep your hands up at all times, doesn't mean that you'll automatically do it from that day forward. Sometimes things just take more practice.

Anyone who's in this postion would be well served by realizing that training is a process, and you aren't going to "get good" overnight. Sometimes it's just a matter of putting in the time. You can have all the right ingredients to make a great cake, but at some point you just have to put it in the oven and wait if you want it to come out right.

But, it is possible to go too far in this direction as well. If all you do is mindlessly put in your time and never stop to analyze, it might take you far longer to correct your mistakes. Using the above example, if you never stop to analyze what you're doing, chances are you're just going to keep getting punched in the face (not good!). Which brings up another downfall of "just putting in the time." This attitude can often lead to injury and inadequate recovery, as people often overlook or ignore the aches and pains that might signal an injury. At that point, "putting in the time," seems more important than resting or recovering, when in actuality taking a day off might do you a lot better in the long term.

So in your own training, look at which of these traps you tend to fall into. Do you tend to overanalyze things to the point where you start to lose the enjoyment of training? Or do you just get out there and train without stopping to think about what you're trying to accomplish? If you tend to tilt the scale too far in one direction, think about what you can do to balance it out.

Internal vs. External Frame of Reference

This is something that's come to mind quite a bit lately. It's a phenomenon that we see in every walk of life and in almost every area of knowledge, from nutrition to fitness, from martial arts training to self-help psychology and even religion. And that is the concept of an internal vs. external frame of reference.

To put a simple definition on it, your frame of reference has to do with what data and information you consider and take into account when making decisions. An internal frame of reference involves using your own beliefs, emotions, and knowledge to make a decision. An external frame of reference involves relying on external information, or on someone else's opinion, knowledge, and/or instincts.

The common "self help" mantra, for example, usually involves looking inside for answers and for validation, for example, not being overly concerned with the approval, praise, or opinions of others. This view exists because so many of us out there seem to get into trouble and cause ourselves unnecessary anguish when we heed the words of others (in particular, those with negative attitudes, or those with which we may have toxic relationships) instead of valuing our own judgement.

If anything, this is what I believe Bruce Lee was trying to combat when he penned the oft quoted, "Research your own experience. Absorb what is useful. Reject what is useless. Add what is essentially your own." Given the widespread evidence that it is seemingly human nature to rely so much on an external frame of reference, I believe he also had this in mind when he said that only one in one hundred people would truly be able to understand Jeet Kune Do.

The fact is that even today, with all of the knowledge available in martial arts, fitness, and nutrition, people still want to BE TOLD WHAT TO DO. What should I eat if I want to lose weight? What exercise program should I used to get back in shape? What system should I train in if I want to be a good fighter? What techniques should I use in this or that situation? I admit that I'm still prone to these type of questions from time to time.

Part of the reason for this behavior is that all of us, in one area or another, are beginners. And this is where it is not only valid but necessary to seek the council of people in the know. If I don't know anything about nutrition, but I know I want to lose weight, I'll probably get a lot further by asking questions and learning more about nutrition by going to the "experts" rather than by simple trial and error. Likewise, if I want to get better at grappling, I'll probably save myself some frustration by going out and training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Wrestling, or some other grappling art, rather than just trying things out on my own. This also brings up the question of whom to go to for this advice, which is a topic for another day.

The problem with relying on this external frame of reference is that eventually we are going to encounter setbacks and difficulties. If all we have is an external frame of reference, these setbacks might cause us to question the source of the information we'd been using or throw our hands up in frustration and quit. After all, we asked for advice because we wanted to know "what works." So if it's not working anymore, we might as well go ask someone else, right?

The fact of the matter is that individuality always plays a role in any kind of human development. No two people will get the exact same results from the same diet or exercise regimen, and no two people will progress the same in a martial art. So it behooves each of us to take some responsibility for our own development and take into account our individuality. This might mean taking into account individual physique, orthopedic concerns, lifestyle, emotional make-up, motivations, etc.

So how do we know when to get outside help and when to look inward for answers? Well, like I said, this is something that we all will probably struggle with at times, but I think having some basic guidelines or principles can go a long way:

1. Go to the "experts" to learn the basic principles/techniques, but rely on your own experience to teach you how to best apply those principles/techniques.

2. When you stumble, first check and see if you were actually following the principles/techniques the way they were taught. Chances are, you might have missed something. If not, then it's time to think outside the box.

3. Everybody has bad days. Know when to chalk it up to a bad day versus a real problem.

4. Always keep your mind open to possibilities, but make sure that you're still keeping your eye on the road (more about that in the next post)

5. After you have some experience under your belt, it makes it easier to know whom to listen to. Does what you're being told by an "expert" seem consistent with your own experience?

Trying something new here at the blog..

Hey all-

I'm trying something a little different with the blog. This is more for my own accountability than it might be for you all, but I do get questions from people every now and then about what my training routine is. So, both to keep myself accountable and consistent, and to inform you all about what some of my routine looks like, I'm going to be posting some of my workouts on the blog. In future, we may get some video content going, so if there's stuff you guys want to see demonstrated, let me know!

Yesterday's workout was short and sweet due to the long seminar weekend combined with the 5K race that I, my girlfriend, and my cousin ran on Sunday morning (right before the JKD session..NICE!)

Warm Up - Z health mobility / Neural warm-up
plus some additional ankle, hip, and shoulder mobility, and some hip flexor stretches

Followed by movement prep circuit (repeat for total of 3 times)
Ankle closed-chained dorsiflexion
Face the wall squats
Bird Dogs
Fire Hydrants
Scap Pushups

Workout:

Kettlebell Clean and Squat Ladder (53lb kettlebell) 1-2-3 x 3
(for example, 1 clean and squat with the right, 1 with the left, 2 cleans 2 squats R/L, etc..)

Kettlebell Seated Press Ladder (44lb kettlebell) 1-2-3, followed by 6 dead hang pullups x 3

Kettlebell Snatches (44lb kettlebell) - 8 minutes of 5 reps right, 5 reps left, rest 60 seconds.

Finished the workout with more Zhealth mobility.

To anyone who ever accused me of being "certifiable"...

Hey all,

I am absolutely ecstatic to report that one of my big goals for the year (ok, it was for last year, but who's counting?) has now become a reality. Earlier last month, I was given my Art of Strength Kettlebell Instructorship through the man himself, Anthony Diluglio. Despite being an avid reader and researcher of all things health, fitness, strength, and conditioning, oddly enough this is the first fitness related certification I've ever achieved (though there are many others that I've considered over the years).

Anthony is the creator of Punch Gym, the first commercial Kettlebell gym in the country, and he's now expanded the Punch family to 15 official Punch Gyms nationwide (plus one in Canada). There are a lot of qualified kettlebell instructors out there, and nowadays there are numerous kettlebell trainer certifications out there as well. One of the things I love about Anthony's work is that he is so generous with his time and knowledge. I've been following Anthony's work through his Minute of Strength newsletter and by watching his FREE instructional videos on his website. While there's no substitute for 1 on 1 professional instruction, I've learned so much from watching Anthony's instructional videos (did I mention that they're FREE?) and practicing on my own.

Another thing that I think sets Anthony apart from many other kettlebell instructors out there is that as good as he is at teaching proper technique for kettlebell training, he doesn't stop there. Some sources for kettlebell instruction will get you very far with your technique, but then they'll leave you wondering, "OK, now what do I do when I get to the gym to work out?" Anthony was way ahead of the curve on this and is also responsible for creating some of the first work-along Kettlebell workout DVD's on the market. He's now expanded his product line to include downloadable workouts, workbooks, and even more DVD's. (his website is linked to the right if you wanna check it out).

I had the pleasure of attending one of Anthony's workshops sponsored by Perform Better in September of last year. While I had long held the goal of becoming a certified Kettlebell instructor, my goal for attending the workshop was to get an honest critique of my form in all of the basic kettlebell exercises. In short, I wanted to make sure I was doing everything right, since I'd never had any in person isntruction. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the seminar was going to be taught in an Instructor Certification format. Meaning, not only would we be learning how to correctly perform all the basic moves (Kettlebell Essentials, as Anthony calls em), but we'd also get to learn how to teach these routines to others. I'm a firm believer in learning by teaching, so I had a great time helping my fellow attendees out with their form and having them help me with mine.

Anthony offered each one of us the opportunity to take his "Art of Strength Essentials" test within one year of attending the workshop, so that we'd have ample time to go home and practice what we learned. Here is a video of me performing the test...



If what you see here looks fun, or looks like something you'd want to incorporate into your training, let me know. Even if what you see here looks completely nuts and you want to know what the actual benefit or purpose of this type of training is, ASK ME!

I'm fairly flexible as far as setting up times to work with people one on one or even in small groups. Most of my kettlebell collection is currently living at the school, and we're not necessarily stocked with kettlebells, so group classes beyond 3 or 4 people probably are not an option. I hope to set up some small workshops at the school for people who are interested. Mike Adrowski at the school has also recently completed his kettelbell certification through CrossFit, and we have a few other budding kettlebell aficionados at the school, so between us we could probably pull together enough kettlebells to get a halfway decent size workshop going.

As far as one-on-one training, one option that I think would work both for myself and any of you who want some kettlebell training is for you to work with me once a week or so, and then if and when you purchase your own kettlebells, we can discuss training options for you to do at home the rest of the week. I truly believe in the benefit of this training for overall fitness. If I had to choose only one piece of equipment to keep in my home gym, this would be it. So come on and give it a try!