Fear is an important component of winning an altercation. The fighter who becomes guided by fear will inevitably fail. Battle itself is inherently horrible. Blood, pain, and loss are inevitable results of conflict and their surety will frighten all but the most hardened opponents. As such, it is crucial for a martial artist to learn to instill fear in their opponents and fight their own fear responses. One of the surest ways to thoroughly unnerve an opponent is to cultivate an aura of amused mastery in battle.
Who would the reader least like to fight? The person who sweats, gulps, and throws a half hearted punch? or the person who smiles, slaps the cigarette out of your mouth, and kicks your legs out from under you? The latter person embodies amused mastery. Such individuals rarely ever need to fight, because they have developed their skills to such a degree that physical confrontation no longer evokes fear. They engage with confidence, as though fighting is a game. Opponents who are driven by fear or anger quickly avoid these individuals or face certain defeat.
Amused mastery as a concept originates in the seduction arts as a general principle of dominant male behavior. The man who can dominate a social situation with a smile on his face is guaranteed to wet panties. Women respond to this attitude so positively because it highly correlates with reproductive fitness. The ability to weather conflict with grace and charm is a universal aphrodisiac for women and every man should invest time in learning how to better master their emotions and skills to embody amused mastery as a lifestyle. However, this blog concerns itself with larger matters than female approval.
In the martial sense, amused mastery serves a larger purpose than reproduction. It serves the goal of self preservation, irregardless of whether any woman notices or cares. The person who can maintain a cocky, competent, fearless attitude in the face of certain death is a consummate leader and a formidable enemy. One of the most rewarding challenges a person can face is the honor of painful austerity to test their capacity to maintain optimism and competence in the face of a dangerous threat. There is no greater reward than to prevail over a hopeless situation by one's own strength and cunning.
In this way, approach all of life's austerities with the attitude of a mountain climber testing his skill against a treacherous pass. Stay calm, consider your hazards, and act decisively during moments of truth. There is comfort in succeeding and failing by one's own choice and redemption in taking responsibility for the consequences. Learn to smile and make eye contact when you feel like retreating. Focus when you feel distracted. Laugh when you are driven to anger.
This attitude will manifest in combat through techniques which infuriate, frighten, and confuse opponents. Disarm an opponent's knife and slap them with the broad side of the blade, drawing no blood. Do a spinning back kick to interrupt a straight punch. Stand perfectly still when approached by multiple opponents and calmly examine them for weaknesses. Attack only an opponent's arms until they can't block attacks. These are just a handful of ways to exemplify amused mastery, all of which require great skill, strength, and emotional control to execute. I enjoin the reader to examine amused mastery as a guide for the adequacy of their training as well as an ongoing personal challenge when faced with conflict.
Wednesday, October 30, 2013
Martial Conditioning: The Kettlebell Snatch
The kettlebell snatch holds the title of most efficient and valuable
overall exercise a martial artist can use for any purpose, in addition
to having the goofiest name of any exercise yet considered by this
author. To correctly describe optimal form for this movement would
exhaust many volumes by many authors (there is already an industry of
authors doing exactly this work), to identify all key muscles used by
the movement would require multiple studies (these studies are currently being conducted around the world), and the reasons why
a martial artist should bother to incorporate this movement into
training are innumerable. Therefore, a comprehensive examination of
this movement in one post would be a jejune waste of time. Instead, I
will list some epiphanies my practice of this movement has uncovered
over the past 3 years.
*If the physical movement of the deadlift is analogous to the action of a crane, the movement of the kettlebell snatch is analogous to a tethered catapult. The hips propel the bell forward, the back controls the arc of the bell, and the upper body 'catches' the bell in the top position. Every other muscle in the body is involved to a greater or lesser degree as well, from the feet to the hands (the significance of which is likely not lost on my TaeKwonDo readers).
*The snatch can serve different ends across trainees. Athletes who desire maximum explosive strength (football players, wrestlers) should use a bell heavier than 50% of their bodyweight (usually more than 32 kg, or 70 pounds) for low repetition snatches (25-40). Athletes desiring maximum endurance or health (runners, cyclists, the elderly) should use beginner weights (less than or equal to 16 kg or 35 pounds) for as many repetitions without rest as possible (100 +). Athletes who desire general power endurance and strength (most martial artists and adventurers) should use a bell approximately 30% of bodyweight for as many repetitions as possible. For this author, that bell is 24 kg, or 54 pounds for 100-200 repetitions per workout, twice per week, and was sufficient training to prepare for a 13 mile obstacle run with teammates from multiple branches of the US military.
*The high repetition snatch with 30% bodyweight is man medicine. Lightweight martial artists will gain weight, strength, and muscle. Overweight martial artists will lose weight and gain stamina. All trainees will become harder in body and mind. Regardless of the size of person, everyone suffers equally from this movement as it readily exposes all physical weak links from strength to endurance and every capacity in between. This movement will ferret out and strengthen loose grips, hypertensive hearts, wobbly cores, weak lungs, and skinny legs. If a trainee has courage enough to endure the pain for high repetitions, this movement alone will burn out every part of the body until it has forged a man of strong will and durable frame. There are parts of Russia where the measure of a man is his number of k-bell snatches in 10 minutes with 24 kg.
*The Russian tundra does not lend well to traditional endurance activities common to countries below the frost line. Running and swimming require hazardous exposure to the elements. The k-bell snatch, by contrast, requires only a heated garage with a few feet of space, or even a little courage corner in one's bedroom. That the results gained by this movement are superior to running or swimming is merely a fortunate side effect.
*The k-bell snatch is time efficient. In 15-20 minutes, a trainee can work every muscle in the body while developing work capacity and cardiovascular health. This advantage holds great appeal for those who have jobs, activities, and social obligations beyond lifting weights. A martial artist can incorporate the snatch as a brief warmup to receive all the benefits of weightlifting in one movement.
*The k-bell snatch optimizes breath control and efficient use of oxygen. Unless the breathing is tightly regulated, high repetition sets are impossible. Therefore, the movement teaches a balance of tension and relaxation for increasingly long periods of time. This self control carries over into all stressful situations, allowing a trainee to keep their head during those moments of pain, panic, and desperation which would defeat a lesser person. Therefore, this movement develops both physical and behavioral strength. In the physical sense, it translates to greater capacity for lifting weight. Behaviorally, it translates to greater resistance to punishment.
*The k-bell snatch increases absolute strength. Most professional k-bell lifters are capable of deadlifting impressive weights (400+ pounds) despite rarely lifting a weight heavier than 70 pounds in training. This owes to the intensity of the movement over time as well as its integration of every body system. This fortunate carryover also allows a trainee to build superior strength without subjecting the spine to unhealthy loads.
*The snatch conditions every body system to a ridiculous extent. When I accomplished 200 snatches over 20 minutes with 24 kg using a 1:1 work/rest ratio, neither my muscles nor my cardiovascular system reached failure. My kidneys reached the point of rhabdomyolysis due to the length of training. I had caused such cellular damage in my body that I pissed brown for two days. In other words, the k-bell snatch allowed me to make my muscles, lungs, and heart more fit than my kidneys could process.
*Few nondangerous things are more painful than the high rep k-bell snatch with 24 kg. This is the exact weight and movement used by the Russian military and the US Secret Service for testing the overall toughness of recruits. If a soldier can subject themselves to this level of pain for long periods of time with discipline, they are assumed to have a great capacity for delivering comparable pain to their enemies while withstanding most battlefield tortures. If every US man traded endless shots of alcohol for endless sets of 20 k-bell snatches, our culture would be much improved.
*Unlike most weightlifting movements, the snatch does not incentivize useless mass. Observe the physique of Valery Fedorenko, one of the strongest kettlebell lifters in the world who has set numerous records:
This man is physically unremarkable, yet has pushed the boundaries of human weightlifting endurance. I challenge all readers to learn and train with this movement. The benefits are well worth the investment.
*If the physical movement of the deadlift is analogous to the action of a crane, the movement of the kettlebell snatch is analogous to a tethered catapult. The hips propel the bell forward, the back controls the arc of the bell, and the upper body 'catches' the bell in the top position. Every other muscle in the body is involved to a greater or lesser degree as well, from the feet to the hands (the significance of which is likely not lost on my TaeKwonDo readers).
*The snatch can serve different ends across trainees. Athletes who desire maximum explosive strength (football players, wrestlers) should use a bell heavier than 50% of their bodyweight (usually more than 32 kg, or 70 pounds) for low repetition snatches (25-40). Athletes desiring maximum endurance or health (runners, cyclists, the elderly) should use beginner weights (less than or equal to 16 kg or 35 pounds) for as many repetitions without rest as possible (100 +). Athletes who desire general power endurance and strength (most martial artists and adventurers) should use a bell approximately 30% of bodyweight for as many repetitions as possible. For this author, that bell is 24 kg, or 54 pounds for 100-200 repetitions per workout, twice per week, and was sufficient training to prepare for a 13 mile obstacle run with teammates from multiple branches of the US military.
*The high repetition snatch with 30% bodyweight is man medicine. Lightweight martial artists will gain weight, strength, and muscle. Overweight martial artists will lose weight and gain stamina. All trainees will become harder in body and mind. Regardless of the size of person, everyone suffers equally from this movement as it readily exposes all physical weak links from strength to endurance and every capacity in between. This movement will ferret out and strengthen loose grips, hypertensive hearts, wobbly cores, weak lungs, and skinny legs. If a trainee has courage enough to endure the pain for high repetitions, this movement alone will burn out every part of the body until it has forged a man of strong will and durable frame. There are parts of Russia where the measure of a man is his number of k-bell snatches in 10 minutes with 24 kg.
*The Russian tundra does not lend well to traditional endurance activities common to countries below the frost line. Running and swimming require hazardous exposure to the elements. The k-bell snatch, by contrast, requires only a heated garage with a few feet of space, or even a little courage corner in one's bedroom. That the results gained by this movement are superior to running or swimming is merely a fortunate side effect.
*The k-bell snatch is time efficient. In 15-20 minutes, a trainee can work every muscle in the body while developing work capacity and cardiovascular health. This advantage holds great appeal for those who have jobs, activities, and social obligations beyond lifting weights. A martial artist can incorporate the snatch as a brief warmup to receive all the benefits of weightlifting in one movement.
*The k-bell snatch optimizes breath control and efficient use of oxygen. Unless the breathing is tightly regulated, high repetition sets are impossible. Therefore, the movement teaches a balance of tension and relaxation for increasingly long periods of time. This self control carries over into all stressful situations, allowing a trainee to keep their head during those moments of pain, panic, and desperation which would defeat a lesser person. Therefore, this movement develops both physical and behavioral strength. In the physical sense, it translates to greater capacity for lifting weight. Behaviorally, it translates to greater resistance to punishment.
*The k-bell snatch increases absolute strength. Most professional k-bell lifters are capable of deadlifting impressive weights (400+ pounds) despite rarely lifting a weight heavier than 70 pounds in training. This owes to the intensity of the movement over time as well as its integration of every body system. This fortunate carryover also allows a trainee to build superior strength without subjecting the spine to unhealthy loads.
*The snatch conditions every body system to a ridiculous extent. When I accomplished 200 snatches over 20 minutes with 24 kg using a 1:1 work/rest ratio, neither my muscles nor my cardiovascular system reached failure. My kidneys reached the point of rhabdomyolysis due to the length of training. I had caused such cellular damage in my body that I pissed brown for two days. In other words, the k-bell snatch allowed me to make my muscles, lungs, and heart more fit than my kidneys could process.
*Few nondangerous things are more painful than the high rep k-bell snatch with 24 kg. This is the exact weight and movement used by the Russian military and the US Secret Service for testing the overall toughness of recruits. If a soldier can subject themselves to this level of pain for long periods of time with discipline, they are assumed to have a great capacity for delivering comparable pain to their enemies while withstanding most battlefield tortures. If every US man traded endless shots of alcohol for endless sets of 20 k-bell snatches, our culture would be much improved.
*Unlike most weightlifting movements, the snatch does not incentivize useless mass. Observe the physique of Valery Fedorenko, one of the strongest kettlebell lifters in the world who has set numerous records:
This man is physically unremarkable, yet has pushed the boundaries of human weightlifting endurance. I challenge all readers to learn and train with this movement. The benefits are well worth the investment.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
Martial Conditioning: Core Work
For the martial artist, the core is used in nearly every movement from kicking to punching to grappling and will therefore be continuously activated throughout training, no sit ups required. Therefore the "core" assumes a paradoxical status. It is an incredibly important part of the body and therefore needs very little direct training. On the other hand, it needs to be strong enough to execute martial movements effectively.
It is also hard to classify the core by movement, as nearly any compound exercise could be used as a "core" exercise from the pushup to the deadlift. Therefore, there is a high likelihood anyone who trains any exercise at all will already have a certain degree of core strength. The question is how to augment that strength most effectively to target the core, build it to a specific degree of strength, then move on to more comprehensive exercises without wasting time on hundreds of situps.
A few exercises fit this bill, some more efficiently than others.
This blog unequivocally rejects the situp, the crunch, and all other high repetition, low tension core exercises. In the time it would take to complete 200 repetitions of those exercises, one could complete 200 kettlebell snatches, thereby receiving many more benefits for the core and every other part of the body.
Rather, a martial artist needs minimalist, high tension exercises that work every muscle of the core in a short period of time. The two most accessible, easy to learn, and effective core exercises fitting this bill are the L-sit and the Dragon Flag. The ab wheel rollout also deserves honorary mention, but requires a specialized piece of equipment that may not be readily available.
L-sit: Intro: The L-sit consists of balancing all one's weight on the hands and straightening the legs 90 degrees perpendicular to the body.
Muscles Worked: The anterior chain. Primary: Abs, obliques, deep core muscles, serratus anterior, hip flexors. Secondary: Triceps, chest, shoulders, upper back, quadriceps, forearms.
Why Train the L-sit? The L-sit, despite being one of the most basic gymnastics positions, is more effective than almost any other core exercise at building strength in the anterior chain while increasing overall relative strength and posterior chain flexibility. This position can generate great results with very little training time. Holding this position on the floor for just 1 minute is a world class feat that will guarantee 6 pack abs. Even sets of L-sit for 15 seconds at a time are superior to situps and crunches for midsection strength. Additionally, this movement develops relative strength in the shoulders, arms, back, and legs.
Rehabilitation: The L-sit can be used for rehabilitation of the lower back by decompressing the spinal discs, activating the core to stabilize the spine, and simultaneously stretching and inhibiting the hamstrings and glutes to take pressure off the lower back.
Strength: The L-sit can supplement a primary strength program by pre-fatiguing the core musculature before compound movements, thus increasing core fatigue during the course of typical exercise and building more core strength as a result.
Likely Results of the L-sit: Proficient users of the L-sit are shown below with photos from Google.
All three photos show individuals of exceptional midsection, back, shoulder, and tricep development. Merely incorporating 1 day of L-sit practice per week is sufficient to gain similar results with great strength carryover to other core movements. Strive for sets of 15 seconds to 1 minute. This position alone is sufficient for martial core strength.
Dragon Flag: Intro: The dragon flag is a high tension, dynamic midsection exercise which consists of anchoring the upper body by use of the hands, suspending and straightening the body in the air, and slowly raising and lowering the entire body without bending the hips or knees.
Muscles Worked: The anterior chain. Dynamic: rectus abdominus, obliques, deep abdominal muscles, deep spinal stabilizers, diaphragm. Stationary: Upper body, legs, hip flexors, grip.
Why Train Dragon Flags? The L-sit is sufficient to build core strength for any martial application, however it is an isometric position which builds muscle inefficiently. The dragon flag is a dynamic movement which isolates the core while integrating the rest of the body to move the midsection through a complete range of motion. This results in faster muscle growth and greater spinal stabilization. This movement is only necessary for muscle growth and advanced spinal stabilization however, as the L-sit alone will enable a trainee to perform dragon flags but the reverse may not be true. Therefore, this blog recommends training the dragon flag for vanity purposes or as an accessory movement to the L-sit.
The dragon flag also shares identical core benefits to advanced anterior chain gymnastics positions such as the front lever without requiring extensive unnecessary training in a skill unrelated to martial combat.
The form of this exercise is crucial to maximize results and minimize risk of spinal injury. The entire body must remain entirely straight. Sets must end before form degrades. To build beginning strength in this movement, start with negative lowering while striving to maintain perfect form then progress to full repetitions.
Likely Results of Dragon Flags: Below are examples taken from Google.
The above examples demonstrate acceptable form. Note the overall muscle tone and leanness evident in both trainees.
It is also hard to classify the core by movement, as nearly any compound exercise could be used as a "core" exercise from the pushup to the deadlift. Therefore, there is a high likelihood anyone who trains any exercise at all will already have a certain degree of core strength. The question is how to augment that strength most effectively to target the core, build it to a specific degree of strength, then move on to more comprehensive exercises without wasting time on hundreds of situps.
A few exercises fit this bill, some more efficiently than others.
This blog unequivocally rejects the situp, the crunch, and all other high repetition, low tension core exercises. In the time it would take to complete 200 repetitions of those exercises, one could complete 200 kettlebell snatches, thereby receiving many more benefits for the core and every other part of the body.
Rather, a martial artist needs minimalist, high tension exercises that work every muscle of the core in a short period of time. The two most accessible, easy to learn, and effective core exercises fitting this bill are the L-sit and the Dragon Flag. The ab wheel rollout also deserves honorary mention, but requires a specialized piece of equipment that may not be readily available.
L-sit: Intro: The L-sit consists of balancing all one's weight on the hands and straightening the legs 90 degrees perpendicular to the body.
Muscles Worked: The anterior chain. Primary: Abs, obliques, deep core muscles, serratus anterior, hip flexors. Secondary: Triceps, chest, shoulders, upper back, quadriceps, forearms.
Why Train the L-sit? The L-sit, despite being one of the most basic gymnastics positions, is more effective than almost any other core exercise at building strength in the anterior chain while increasing overall relative strength and posterior chain flexibility. This position can generate great results with very little training time. Holding this position on the floor for just 1 minute is a world class feat that will guarantee 6 pack abs. Even sets of L-sit for 15 seconds at a time are superior to situps and crunches for midsection strength. Additionally, this movement develops relative strength in the shoulders, arms, back, and legs.
Rehabilitation: The L-sit can be used for rehabilitation of the lower back by decompressing the spinal discs, activating the core to stabilize the spine, and simultaneously stretching and inhibiting the hamstrings and glutes to take pressure off the lower back.
Strength: The L-sit can supplement a primary strength program by pre-fatiguing the core musculature before compound movements, thus increasing core fatigue during the course of typical exercise and building more core strength as a result.
Likely Results of the L-sit: Proficient users of the L-sit are shown below with photos from Google.
All three photos show individuals of exceptional midsection, back, shoulder, and tricep development. Merely incorporating 1 day of L-sit practice per week is sufficient to gain similar results with great strength carryover to other core movements. Strive for sets of 15 seconds to 1 minute. This position alone is sufficient for martial core strength.
Dragon Flag: Intro: The dragon flag is a high tension, dynamic midsection exercise which consists of anchoring the upper body by use of the hands, suspending and straightening the body in the air, and slowly raising and lowering the entire body without bending the hips or knees.
Muscles Worked: The anterior chain. Dynamic: rectus abdominus, obliques, deep abdominal muscles, deep spinal stabilizers, diaphragm. Stationary: Upper body, legs, hip flexors, grip.
Why Train Dragon Flags? The L-sit is sufficient to build core strength for any martial application, however it is an isometric position which builds muscle inefficiently. The dragon flag is a dynamic movement which isolates the core while integrating the rest of the body to move the midsection through a complete range of motion. This results in faster muscle growth and greater spinal stabilization. This movement is only necessary for muscle growth and advanced spinal stabilization however, as the L-sit alone will enable a trainee to perform dragon flags but the reverse may not be true. Therefore, this blog recommends training the dragon flag for vanity purposes or as an accessory movement to the L-sit.
The dragon flag also shares identical core benefits to advanced anterior chain gymnastics positions such as the front lever without requiring extensive unnecessary training in a skill unrelated to martial combat.
The form of this exercise is crucial to maximize results and minimize risk of spinal injury. The entire body must remain entirely straight. Sets must end before form degrades. To build beginning strength in this movement, start with negative lowering while striving to maintain perfect form then progress to full repetitions.
Likely Results of Dragon Flags: Below are examples taken from Google.
The above examples demonstrate acceptable form. Note the overall muscle tone and leanness evident in both trainees.
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