Monday, March 11, 2013
Thursday, February 21, 2013
6 Tips for Fighting Zombies
This means that anything else can happen to me. I have very interesting meditation sessions sometimes when I let my mind consider this. It's good sometimes to explore just how far your mind can work, like all the specific details of what you would do in a zombie apocalypse. Seth Godin once said that anxiety is "experiencing failure in advance" which is a brilliant way to put it. I meditate on worst-case scenarios all the time and it helps remove a lot of fear toward the unknown. This leaves me more mental room and time to get excited about what great things are waiting for me.
Bear with me, I promise at some point this post will make sense. When I meditate on these possibilities, both good and bad, it helps me stay level-headed in the event that they happen for real. I got over claustrophobia by meditating in small rooms, for example. Over the years I've visualized hundreds of scenarios and sometimes you can break down each emergency to its core and find similarities to other disasters. This correlation is very good for fighting fear and anxiety.
For those that haven't read Locked On, I like to use these correlations to help make people's training more effective. Each chapter starts with a real life experience of mine dealing with violence and aggression, how I overcame it (or didn't) and then that chapter is dedicated to focusing our training for similar scenarios. It all comes down to the correlation and its associated survival principle.
For an example of real life experience being translated into my training, I associated an aggressive drug addict to sparring with a wrestler.
Defining the Zombie
Years ago I was working security at a sporting event. It was located in a terrible part of town, known for its homeless people and drugs. I volunteered to work the outside of building to make sure no one tried to sneak in, leaving the crowd control duties to my very new group of guys to get some experience. In the front entrance, there was the check-in desk with the cash box displayed for any crackhead to spot. Of course, that's exactly what happened. I spent the later hours of my shift fighting off overly aggressive drug addicts making suicide runs for the money. After the first one tackled me to the ground and tried to bite my face off, I spent the next hour using any object I could get my hands on to hold them off and stay away from their yellow teeth and open scars.
Months later, I was at the dojo, sparring with a training partner who was particularly skilled at wrestling. We had trained together for years and had grown especially competitive with each other, bringing out the best of both our abilities. I knew that if I had any chance of beating him I would have to avoid his grappling skills and use any advantage I could find. I needed to avoid what he was better at and use what I was better at. Sounds simple of course.
I would later meditate on that sparring session (after winning...I think) and realized that that very simple concept was exactly like fighting those homeless drug addicts. Essentially, they were grapplers, only much more violent than my training partner (he never bites me).
Both these situations instantly came to mind while watching a zombie apocalypse movie, not long after. Zombies are the top of the food chain when it comes to grapplers. Allow me to clarify, let's define the zombie (or wrestler):
-Usually has endless cardio, so you can't outrun them,
-Ultimate goal is to take you down, always pushing forward pressure,
-Almost impossible to beat if they establish top position when you're on the ground.
So we've identified the qualities of the zombie. I should mention to all those wrestlers out there that can kick my ass that I mean no offense here. Was just pointing out an interesting correlation, not calling all wrestlers zombies. I think we can all agree that zombies are bad, so here are some tactics we can use to kick their assses:
6 Ways to Fight a Zombie
Move in circles, not in straight lines
When fighting with a grappler or a zombie, whichever applies to you more, always circle out, preferably away from their back hand. If you move back in a straight line you're much easier to catch. As soon as an attacker enters, circle out. By backing up in a straight line, you're still in their sites and all they have to do is continue to push forward to eventually catch you. Try running backwards, even at your fastest you're not moving faster than someone running forward. Also, by circling, you'll avoid ever being pinned up against a wall.
Go for the head shot
As countless books, movies, tv shows and comic books have made clear is that the key to stopping a zombie is to aim for their brain. The same is true of any attacker, especially grappling enthusiasts. Fighting is simple: the attacker wants to hurt you and you want the opposite. If your attacker, human or zombie, is deliberately trying to wrestle with you, then they are automatically telling you that they prefer that to striking. This could be a weakness. Also by being overly aggressive in entering, there's a good chance that your attacker is exposing their head in the process. Whether you're using a gun, ax, pipe or your hands, that's when you shoot for the head. A knockout is just as good as a head shot, the brain shuts off either way and you can get away safely.
Don't wrestle
As mentioned above, always do the opposite. If they want to grapple that could mean that they're confident there and good at it. Think of any zombie movie you've ever seen. Any time someone starts to wrestle with the zombie it's usually the end for them. If your attacker is experienced in submission techniques then you'll end up in an armbar just as easily as someone who finds a bite mark on their shoulder and tries to hide it from the rest of the group. Don't be that guy. Protect your personal space, push for room to move and don't leave anything behind. Always bring your arms in and keep your elbows tight.
Use all available tools
Someone once taught me that the first rule of bar fighting is to cheat. Use any and all available objects. This is the kind of wisdom that has got me out of some bad situations. Back when people could smoke in bars, there was a move called the "slapshot", where you would slap a glass ashtray like it was a hockey puck toward the attacker's face. Worked every time...but I digress. Don't forget your natural tools either. You have your hands and legs at your disposal to defend your personal space. The jab is especially good to gauge distance and well-timed kicks will keep your attacker out of arm's reach. Thrust kicks have great stopping power. Combine this with some good punching and movement and you'll be almost impossible to touch.
Don't turn your back
The first lesson I was ever taught in Jujitsu is to never give them your back. This is usually ingrained in your brain immediately when you train in any grappling system. Wrestlers are extremely powerful when they're on top of you, but life only gets worse for you if they're on your back and on top. When it comes to zombies, this also applies. How many times have you watched someone scrambling to their feet and turn their back to crawl away, only to get dragged right back to the swarm? Or they're running away, but tripped because they turned back to look? Only turn your back when you know it's safe and never look back. As a rule, if they're within kicking range, it's not safe to expose your back.
Control the distance
The first step to controlling the distance is to understand it. Kicks are a good way of testing the waters. Once your attacker is close enough to hit with your jab, you're within their shooting range. When fighting a wrestler or an undead, you need to either be close enough to finish the fight or way too far for them to touch you. Striking is the natural enemy of the grappler so a sound strategy is to move in and out with punches and kicks. DO NOT STAY IN THE POCKET. Never stay within their reach for longer than it takes to punch or kick them (or hit the zombie in the brain with an object). An important tool you need to control distance and move well is footwork. This will help you when you're running from swarm (sure steps, no tripping) or circling out.
With the state of the world now and the growing popularity of bath salts, it's important to consider what it would be like to fight a zombie. Ok, maybe it's not that important but it's always good to know how to counter a grappler. Hopefully you'll never have to use these tips in real life and can bring something to your training!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
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Tuesday, January 22, 2013
Weekly Home Workout Program
I do most of my training at the dojo, but lately I've been experimenting a lot with workout concepts to help me achieve some of my new year's goals at home in my free time. I've also been involved with a startup business that is taking up a lot of my time (in a good way), so the need to make up for some lost workouts is even greater now to stay on track. I've recently put together a program that will allow me to continue making improvements, while maximizing time. I should clarify that this is specifically training outside my regular training at the dojo...not a replacement. This is designed to continue developing new skill sets, without compromising my regular training in the dojo. After a few weeks of loyalty to the schedule, I have been seeing and feeling some terrific results, despite my limited time training. This has gotten me closer to several of my fitness goals and hasn't interfered with my regular training or my temporarily busy work schedule. Hope this is helpful!
Monday: Strength & Conditioning
-Combat Conditioning/Circuit Training* 30 minutes
-Weights; Lunges, Dead lift, Military press, Curls,** approx. 30 minutes
-Pushups
-Pull up training (exercises vary, will explain in detail in another post)
Tuesday: Health & Cardio
-Knee stabilizing work 20 minutes
-Yoga/Pilates 20 minutes
-Elliptical H.I.I.T. Sprints (Tapatas protocol, 8 rounds, 2 sets, 2 minute rest in between) 10 minutes
Wednesday: Strength & Conditioning
-Combat Conditioning/Circuit Training 30 minutes
-Weights; Lunges, Dead lift, Military press, Curls, approx. 30 minutes
-Pushups
-Pull up training
Thursday: Health & Cardio
-Knee stabilizing work 20 minutes
-Yoga/Pilates 20 minutes
-Elliptical H.I.I.T. Sprints (Tapatas protocol, 8 rounds, 2 sets, 2 minute rest in between) 10 minutes
Friday: Health (Rest before measurements and testing on Saturday)
-Health/Flexibility work
-Sparring if at the dojo
Saturday: Measure & Test
-Slow pushup test (timed)
-1 Mile run test (timed, target is 6 minutes)
-Pull up test (reps)
-Standing vertical jump test (height)
*Although I usually attend the Combat Conditioning class at the gym, on days where I miss it I can easily replicate the class or circuit at home. The class usually involves a blend of cardio, yoga and Pilates, while the circuit involves kettlebells, club bells, weights, resistance bands, medicine balls, jump rope and bag hitting. This is also where I focus on speed and coordination.
**The weight program works on a protocol that I've gotten great results from and doesn't change according to the weight. Each exercise is divided into 3 sets and they breakdown like this: 1st Set is maximum reps until failure then a 1 minute rest, the 2nd Set is between 60-75% of the total reps of the first set and the 3rd Set is the remainder.
Example: 1st Set 20 reps, 2nd Set 15 reps and 3rd Set 5 reps.
The second and third set should total your first one.
I should mention again that this is supplemental training for very specific goals. Also, as I mentioned in the footnotes, if you noticed that speed and accuracy were omitted here it's because I usually get to train that in the Combat Conditioning class, Circuit Training and regular martial arts training sessions. Hope this helps in some way. I can personally say that I've experienced great results with this so far and the program is flexible enough to change when I need it most. I didn't list the weights or number of reps here on purpose, as they change to adapt how I'm feeling after my primary training schedule (classes). Thanks for checking this out and please feel free to leave feedback, tips or drop me any questions right below! Happy training!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
If you're interested, here are some more home workout drills you can do...
Monday, December 17, 2012
Shots Fired: an Excerpt from Locked On
The following is an excerpt from chapter 2 of Locked On: Focused Training for the Modern Warrior. I've been getting non-stop feedback about the book and am very humbled by what I'm hearing. The praise and constructive criticism are keeping me motivated, focused and determined to train harder and share as many experiences as possible!
If you haven't seen it already, you can find information on the book and also download the first chapter for free right here to see if it's something you might enjoy. If you like reading the blog and have any interest in training or violent fight stories I think you might like it.
This particular chapter focuses on achieving clarity in chaos and how to simulate that in your training. If you address it in your training and reflect on your results, you'll almost go into a combative auto-pilot when in crisis mode. When there's no time for thought, you'll perform what has always worked best for you. How you train is how you fight.
And enough of me explaining! Here it is...
Chapter 2
“The journey of a thousand miles
starts with a single step.”
-Lao Tzu
January,
2005
Montreal,
Canada
The night had turned
into chaos. I was working as private security for a group of people visiting
the city on vacation. Or so I thought. It turns out, “security” to them meant
that they would attack anyone they didn’t like and expect me to finish the job.
They only let me bring one guy from my team of usual co-workers and paired us
up with some eye-lowering psychopaths. I remember my only thought when meeting
them: “thank God they’re on our side.”
On paper, the job was
to go to a show in a small venue where they had reserved a balcony VIP area. My
only job was to shadow one of the big shots in the group. Each member of this
group had a security person assigned to them. The in-house security would handle
the exits and make sure we weren’t disturbed. My hopes were for an uneventful
night of drinking a little of their champagne and looking mean. I realized
right away that I wasn’t going to get the easy gig I had hoped for. I broke my
own sacred rule of freelance security: don’t take a client without references.
I had no idea who these guys were and took the job anyway. Stupid. From
coat-check to the bar, a distance of maybe 20 feet, I had to diffuse FOUR
near-conflicts! Not a good sign…
When we got to the
closed-off private section, I felt a little relieved that they were separated
from the rest of the crowd. I figured if I could keep them contained we should
be fine. I tipped all the waitresses and busboys generously to make sure that
the ice stayed frozen, the drinks came regularly and, most importantly, that
any unused glass objects be removed frequently (a trick from my sensei who had
helped me prep for that job, thanks again Kevin!). A few bottles later and all
my precautions would be thrown out the window. Fights among themselves started
to erupt, which prompted the venue’s security team to intervene, which made the
other “security” gorillas jump in and, of course, also meant that we had to fix
the whole situation. Lots of restraining and verbal de-escalation and the next
few hours would have random flare ups like this, but nothing more. That’s when
things really got crazy. Someone in the general crowd had pulled a gun and the
performer on stage saw it. In a panic, he yelled “Gun!” into the microphone while
getting rushed off the stage by his bodyguards.
The crowd started to
go crazy, naturally, as everyone was scrambling for the exit. I told everyone
to stay in the VIP area because there was only one way in and we could guard it
until things cooled down. Somehow, they took that as confirmation that we were
invincible in our fortress and that they should start throwing empty glass
bottles at the crowd from our balcony. Our other security partners had run out
the second things got hairy and I could see them fighting with the bouncers who
had been in our area earlier. Good job, guys. The next day, the news would
report that there were “shots fired” at that show, but at the time I had told
everyone to stay low without knowing for sure if there was any shooting going
on. I knew that there was a chance and, even if there wasn’t, it kept them from
throwing things at the crowd.
Suddenly, crystal
clear focus came to me and I realized that I didn’t care about this contract
anymore. All I knew then was that I was going to get home that night, get my
friend home that night and not get shot. These were the only sure things in my
life at that moment. I peeked out of the door and saw an angry mob heading
toward our section. Who could blame them? Realizing that we were grossly
outnumbered, I started scanning the crowd for those other two idiots, who were
supposed to be security also. I found them, getting the shit stomped out of
them by a large group of bouncers who decided that was more important than
helping the crowd. Past them I saw a door. It was an emergency exit in a dark
corner that no one seemed to realize was there. That was also my ticket home. I
pointed it out to my partner and told him to run for it, grabbed the person I
was shadowing (my partner grabbed his also) and ran for the door holding my
client’s head like a football. The angry crowd had caught up to us by then and
so it took some punching and elbowing to get through, but I knew if I could
just keep moving forward I could get out. I hate winter, but I’ll never forget
the moment of pure relief when that cold winter air hit my lungs and I knew I
was safe. I even let myself think that my night was over for a moment there. So
close…
After doing a quick
head count we realized that we didn’t all make it out. I told them that there
was no way I was going back for the other two nut jobs and that there was no
hope for them now. My client then informed me that his little brother was still
in there and that he was just a fifteen year old kid. They had been bribing the
bouncers all night to let him stay and he was somewhere inside. I knew that I
wanted to go home that night, but I realized that that kid probably did too.
I’ll never know why I went back in but I did. Our emergency exit was locked
from the outside so I had to go around the building, back through the front
door and head first back into the riot with no idea of where this kid would be.
When I got back in, I
immediately looked up at the balcony that we were in earlier, but there was no
one there. The place was going insane and I felt like a fish swimming against a
strong current. Every ounce of my being wanted to turn around and leave, but my
focus had changed and I really wanted to get that kid out of there. Punching
and elbowing through the crowd, some new faces and some familiar, I somehow
spotted who I was looking for. By pure luck I just happened to look at the
stage and saw him there, pinned against the front of the stage, frozen in
terror. Poor guy. At this point I was covered in cuts and bruises and my shirt
was ripped, but there wasn’t a scratch on the young man I came back for. I
worked my way toward him, ducking flying bottles and unseen things whizzing
past my head and made contact with him. He looked at me with watery and vacant
eyes and I simply asked him if he wanted to get out of there and he just nodded
slowly. At least he was somewhat with me. He was going to have some
post-traumatic stress from this for sure, but the important thing was that he
was going to be ok. I hoped.
(Ironically, this
event would lead to my own experience with some post-traumatic stress, when I
would later learn more details about the night)
After being chased
around by my many unhappy followers, we made it out for a second time. There
was a lot of ducking things in the air and using human bodies to push through
congestion points, but we were home free. I found a nearby strip club to bring
the tourists to, collected my pay and went home. I obviously never worked for
those sociopaths again and never found out what happened to the hired help that
had been with us but I did find out that that performer would never come back
to my city after that night. I would meditate and reflect on the moment that I
knew I was going to be ok for a long time after that night. I had never experienced
anything like it. There was a clarity in the middle of my panic, I saw myself
lying down in my bed and reverse-engineered the events of the night to make
sure it ended that way. I knew what I wanted and an action plan formed itself,
seemingly on its own. Some focus, determination and a little dumb luck and we
were all safe.
Years later,
celebrating my close friend’s return from Afghanistan over beers, I would be
telling him this story, laughing about how crazy people can be in a crisis. He
stopped me when I told him that I had to duck flying objects and loud whizzing
sounds in the air. He explained to me that those could have been bullets. I
laughed into my beer and he, with an uncharacteristically serious face, told me
that when a bullet passes within three feet of your head you hear a loud
whizzing sound. He told me that he had heard that sound overseas a number of
times and that I described it exactly how he remembered it. We both drank
quietly for a long time after that. I didn’t sleep for weeks. Instead, during
those sleepless nights, I would meditate on whether or not I would have been
able to stay so focused if I really understood the implications of the threat.
I’ll never know for sure, but you can bet that I still meditate on this
regularly. Stay sharp, stay alert, stay alive.
And there you have it. This chapter was carefully selected based on the kind of feedback I've been getting about the book. There are much worse stories and many more training tactics included, but I thought I would share this one in particular as readers have said that they appreciate the insight of what it felt like to be in a violent crisis.
Please feel free to share your thoughts. Feedback, both good and bad, is always appreciated! If you have any questions feel free to message me here, on Facebook, on Twitter, via email or any other way you might know.
Oh, and one last thing, if you haven't already make sure you sign up for our newsletter! If you have then you would have had this article much earlier, along with exclusive extras and newsletter-only discounts on upcoming products (and a free ebook)! You can get more info on this right here: http://scrapyardfighting.com/Signup.htm
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
The Birthday Belly Experiment
I was at a party, a week before my 30th birthday, catching up with an old friend and it was something he said that gave me a strange idea. I had been working hard on losing weight, improving my body fat percentage and building muscle and was a little worried about my upcoming cake day. Moving my dietary "cheat day" would only help the situation, but with scattered dinners and social gatherings with friends and family it was clear that I would be breaking in my 30s with some caloric damage control. Then my friend told me about his trip to Mexico and how great it was. He told me about the great food and parties and how he gained 7 pounds in the week he was there, but didn't feel bad because he was on vacation and it was planned. That's when it occurred to me that the most frustrating part of dieting and losing weight is when there is seemingly no reason behind good or bad changes. If I removed the surprise element, I could allow myself a weekend of guilt-free binge eating and calorie drinking. This is, of course, the kind of reasoning behind any failure in dieting so there would have to be a catch.
"7 pounds in a week? That's impressive." I said to him.
"Yeah and I think I can lose it all in the same amount of time. Hitting the gym like crazy." he replied.
There it was. Four days of guiltless festivities, on the condition that I could lose it all in that same time frame. Not an easy task. I prepared an action plan later that night.
In preparation, I spent that entire week eating light and training a lot. I kept my metabolism high through high protein meals, four or five times a day. I was tracking my measurements and caloric intake, but to spare you the boring stuff that isn't relevant to this experiment here are some important numbers on my "morning of" weigh-in:
Weight; 209 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 14.7%
Not the best shape I've ever been in, but this is the jump-off for the celebrations. 96 hours later, after four amazing days shared with family, friends, feasts, cake and every kind of alcohol, the damage was right around what I thought it would be:
Weight: 215 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 18.8%*
*Body Fat Percentage was calculated using online plug-ins. I entered my measurements and had them calculate it. The numbers above are the average of 3 different site, but judging by how much the sites varied from one another I doubt they are completely accurate. I posted them anyway for the sake of showing how much my body had changed.
So keep in mind that a 4% increase in body fat and 5 pounds is entirely from an increase in calories. I wouldn't be complaining if this was an increase in muscle, but 5 pounds of fat is usually a swelling of the face and belly. Not pretty. After my allotted time of pigging out, I put my plan into action. Here are the some of the changes that I made immediately that I believe had the most significant results:
-Daily food intake would be spread into 6 meals, 3 hours apart, between 100-500 calories, starting withing 30 minutes of waking up and ending within 30 minutes before bed.
-All dairy, red meat, sugars and "white carbs" would be demoted to "cheat day" only once again.
-Total fat intake would remain under 120g, while saturated fats under 20g (general guideline for me all the time).
-Cholesterol intake to stay under 200mg (some nutritionists say that 300mg is still safe, but that's to maintain weight, not necessarily to lose).
-Sodium intake to remain under 2500mg (proved to be most difficult, as high protein foods often have high sodium).
-Every meal to contain at least 20g of protein to keep metabolism high all day.
-1.5 liters of cold water within 30 minutes of waking up, then scattered all day. It's harder than you think when the water is cold and you just woke up. Keep a water bottle on you all day.
-Morning meal (within 30 minutes of waking up) and last meal should each contain no less than 30g of protein. This was probably the most significant change for me. Big results.
On wednesday morning, after a full 48 hours of doing this, my numbers were:
Weight: 206 pounds
Body Fat Percentage: 14.2%
In the race against myself, it took only 48 hours to get rid of my birthday binge pounds. I'm just sharing the info with you, not recommending that you try this or that you'll ever get the same results. Keep in mind that a contributing factor here is how lightly and healthy i was eating before the weekend. The caloric invasion during my four days of eating and drinking sent my metabolism into a frenzy, then met with an even healthier set of eating habits, therefore working much harder than usual. Typically, I get a small version of this every week when I celebrate my cheat day. This keeps my system working all the time, keeps my digestive enzymes active and my protein synthesis stimulated. It was an interesting experiment, but I would recommend being a little more reasonable with your diet.
Another factor to consider is that during my four days off, I wasn't training at all. As soon as I was back to eating healthy, I was hoisting some weights and rolling on the mats again. The numbers are always interesting but rarely ever tell the whole story.
What I've taken away from this is just how important my eating habits are. For those that read my previous article about eating healthy, if you've experienced results from those habits listed, I also encourage you to incorporate the ones I've listed here right away. You should experience some changes within a few days! Interesting side note, eating six meals a day will increase your sex drive. Do with that what you will.
Make sure to leave a comment below, I'd love to get your feedback or similar stories!
Also (last thing I promise) make sure you send a blank email to newsletter@scrapyardfighting.com to subscribe to our news letter and stay updated on training, seminars, videos and general fight news! Go now and receive "Best of Scrap Blog" as a digital ebook for free! Thanks!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
ScrapyardFighting.com
Monday, October 15, 2012
37 Motivational Quotes
If you've followed this blog, or read Locked On, you know that I'm a huge sucker for motivational quotes. Words carefully put together by great men and women get me really psyched up. From pushing me into my workouts to, as demonstrated in my book, becoming the focal points of entire chapters. They motivate me and I hope that at least one of the following has the same effect on you. Shared wisdom can bring out the best in us and the following list is a compilation of some of my favorite motivators. They are numbered, but not in any particular order of preference. Hope they resonate and inspire you to do something great!
Note: the Bold font will indicate that I'm giving my two cents on that particular quote. Enjoy!
37. “Success is about having, excellence is about being. Success is about having money and fame, but excellence is being the best you can be.” -Mike Ditka
36. “The harder you work, the harder it is to surrender.” -Vince Lombardi
35. “Things that hurt, instruct.” -Benjamin Franklin
34. “During my 18 years I came to bat almost 10,000 times. I struck out about 1,700 times and walked maybe 1,800 times. You figure a ballplayer will average about 500 at bats a season. That means I played seven years without ever hitting the ball.” -Mickey Mantle
33. “Leadership, like coaching, is fighting for the hearts and souls of men and getting them to believe in you.” -Eddie Robinson
32. “Without self-discipline, success is impossible, period.” -Lou Holtz
31. “There are only two options regarding commitment; you’re either in or you’re out. There’s no such thing as life in-between.” -Pat Riley
30. “The more you sweat in practice, the less you bleed in battle.” -Author Unknown
Jordan: I'm not a huge fan of anonymous quotes, so I only really included the ones that I like the most. Don't worry there's only a few of them.
29. "Age is no barrier. It's a limitation you put on your mind." -Jackie Joyner-Kersee
28. "It’s not the will to win that matters—everyone has that. It’s the will to prepare to win that matters." -Paul "Bear" Bryant
27. "You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave–win or lose." -Gordie Howe
27. "You find that you have peace of mind and can enjoy yourself, get more sleep, and rest when you know that it was a one hundred percent effort that you gave–win or lose." -Gordie Howe
Monday, September 24, 2012
Discussing "Locked On"
For those that don't know, for the last year I've been working on a book for the modern martial artists out there. "Locked On: Focused Training for the Modern Warrior" is designed to help practitioners get the most out of their training. For most of us, we don't all have the 10 000 hours it takes to reach the professional standard, and in my case I would like to cut that time down even if I did! The process of writing this book was both rewarding and challenging. It was nice to relive how much I've grown as a human being from training, but on the other hand there were some demons that I had to confront again as well. There is residual post-traumatic stress, of course, but it is out-weighed by the incredible experiences that I've had and will continue to have for a long time. Here is a quick breakdown of what you can expect to find in the pages of "Locked On":
Identifying the Targets
By identifying what we hope to achieve in our training, we can focus our time in the dojo more intelligently. Training needs and motivations change all the time and through a strong support network and regular meditation, we can always make sure that we're working toward that goal. In these chapters, we discuss meditation techniques and exercises to identify what is giving us the most results in our training so that we can focus all of our time on them properly. Stick to what works. Also, with a clear vision and proper exercises we can also learn who is playing the role of supporters and non-supporters in our lives. Sometimes the truth can be shocking, so it's even more important to stop certain people from having an effect on us, while we encourage others to have more.
Just Showing Up Isn't Enough
There's no punch-card to becoming the martial artist, or even person, that we want. It's not an easy process and we can't expect to just stumble our way into enlightenment by accident. Aimless training methods just create a sense of entitlement to those who follow them. Working hard is good, but working smart is better. Taking the time breakdown the learning process of each technique will allow us to master them even faster. Physical delivery, rehearsal and pressure testing are stages of learning that should be isolated and ingrained so that all our techniques measure up to even the toughest resistance. "Steel forges steel" is the only approach that will yield honest results. If something doesn't survive this process, it's probably not worth keeping. Much of this ebook is dedicated to specific training methods that will test your entire arsenal, from casual training enthusiasts, to professional athletes, to fitness experts and even law enforcement.
Put Into Context
I also share some personal experiences of when these principals have been tested in violent crises. By working in the field of private security, I've often found myself neck-deep in chaos and finding focus isn't always easy. In some cases my life was at risk. In others, it was the life of a friend or client. In all cases there is very little time to think. Clear focus is crucial to your survival and a lot of that will come from how you train. There's no time to think, so when your training takes over the wheel, you better hope that it's been carefully tested. I wouldn't recommend a method or principal to anyone unless I've experienced it first hand. After 16 years of training, 8 years of teaching and 7 years of working in private security, I have assembled the most common survival habits that I like to focus on in my training. There are over a dozen personal stories of my experiences with violence and several case studies as well.
"Locked On" is something that I can say I'm very proud of. Early feedback from readers seems to be very positive and I'm happy to share what I've found over the years. Martial arts communities tend to get distracted with labels and traditional loyalties to certain methods, while forgetting that survival and growth are the real reasons we all train. This is reinforced early on, in the foreword that my sensei of 16 years Kevin Secours was kind enough to contribute. The ebook is about 120 pages and includes over a dozen chapters, each with a case example of that chapter's focus point. The case examples were not easy to share, but I felt they were necessary for the purpose of the book. During the outline process, my editor had to witness me fight through two anxiety attacks, so I guess it was good for me to acknowledge these events also!
I sincerely hope that reading this ebook helps you in your training as much as it did for me to write it!
Note from Jordan: For one week only, this link will give you access to a discounted version of "Locked On". Act now, click here!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
www.scrpayardfighting.com
www.twitter.com/jordanbill
www.twitter.com/scrapyard514
www.facebook.com/scrapyardfightingcom
www.youtube.com/scrapyardmartialarts
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
High Intensity Interval Training
This summer I've incorporated High Intensity Interval Training (H.I.I.T.) into my regular workouts and I've experienced positive results in record time! I didn't know much about it, but after a little bit of homework I started to understand how essential this kind of training really is. As a bonus, by switching from aerobic to anaerobic training, I was also able to train twice as hard in half the time! Those who know me or follow this blog regularly know that maximizing the use of my time is a huge priority for me.
My long cardio sessions have been changed to shorter and more intense sprinting sessions. Instead of a slow and steady long term run, going to full capacity for a time and then a rest period increases my resting metabolic rate for much longer after my workout, so I'm literally burning calories in my sleep! A 60 minute cardio session will burn more calories and elevate my metabolic rate for an hour or two after my workout, but by doing sprint intervals my metabolic rate stays high for one to two days! So in the long run, by keeping a high metabolic rate for longer periods, I burn more calories in the long run (pun intended).
So the idea behind this is that you push yourself into a sprint for a short period of time, followed by a rest period, then back to a sprint. This circuit continues for as many sets as you can take. I've been experimenting with how many sets I can do and how long each phase should be. Still playing with it, so no real tips on that for now. What I can tell you is that I started with a full 1 minute sprint with a 1 minute rest (jog) and tried for 10 sets like this and that was way too much for my first time. I almost got it, but paid dearly for it! I spent the rest of that day trying not to throw up and then the next three days on my couch, sore from head to toe. Don't be like me and bite off more than you can chew.
After a little more research, the experts seem to all agree on a gradual build up. Here's a simple guideline that could help you get started or step your game up.
1:3 Ratio
This is the most recommended way to start and I wish I had done the right amount of homework before starting. The 1:3 ratio refers to your sprint to rest times. I recommend going for shorter times and make your rest periods a light job, that way you never stop moving. I tried with higher sprint times, but spent most of the rest periods trying not to fall over. On your first set, you'll have the same evil thoughts I did: "man this isn't that hard". Just wait....
So an example for this ratio would be to sprint for 20 seconds and then jog for 60 seconds. That's one set and you should aim to repeat that 4 to 6 times.
1:2 Ratio
So when you start to get comfortable with the earlier ratio, you can adjust the rest time. I've personally found this to be more intense than adding sprint time. You're still going all-out in your sprint, but with less time to recover before the next set. Very difficult at first, no matter how comfortable you were with the previous ratio, as it shocks the system and sends it into panic mode. Lots of fun.
So to keep with the sample times, you'd be sprinting for 20 seconds and jogging (resting) for 40.
1:1 Ratio
This is the ratio I foolishly tried to start with, which I later found out is a goal for even very experienced runners. Back in my rugby days, we had been doing these kinds of sprint/rest drills, but I was too busy trying to survive to take note of how long we were running for. I'm now starting to suspect that we were training at a 1:1 ratio...
This is very intense and make sure to take the time to build yourself up to this.
In this case, you'd be sprinting for 20 seconds and then resting for 20 seconds each set.
Tabatas
The most dreaded of any kind of sprints I've ever tried or heard of. This will take your sets into a 2:1 ratio! This is a vomit-inducing killer workout that will build more lean muscle mass and burn more calories that anything else I know in only 4 minutes! Very difficult, but the results are amazing and will leave you feeling like a warrior...after a few days of recovery.
This method means you sprint for 20 seconds, rest for 10 and complete 8 sets without a break for a total of 4 minutes.
By pushing myself into H.I.I.T. I was able to lose about twenty pounds without losing any muscle mass and even dropped my body fat percentage by 6% almost instantly! Of course, not healthy workout or diet will show you results overnight, but this has been by far the fastest I've seen improvements in training! Hope this helps and good luck!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
www.scrapyardfighting.com
www.twitter.com/Scrapyard514
www.twitter.com/JordanBill
www.youtube.com/ScrapyardMartialArts
Oh, and don't forget to find our "Scrapyardfighting.com" page on facebook!
Monday, August 27, 2012
Losing Weight on Vacation
As I mentioned in my last post, I went away for a couple of weeks of volunteer work at a summer camp. This was hardly a vacation, but I was away from my routine and eating habits for an extended time. While I was there, I had very little control over my nutritional habits while there, since all meals and food on site were provided by the staff. Somehow, I was able to control my calories while I was there and even managed to drop a few pounds! I should clarify that I lost weight the good way, not because I starved myself for two weeks. There was no deterioration in muscle mass, just a lower body fat percentage. I thought I'd share some of the small habits I was able to stick to in order to stay healthy.
No White Carbs
This rule is an easy one to follow just about anywhere. All "white foods" like rice, pasta, cheese or sugar contain lots of fat and more carbs than you need in one sitting. The problem with a heavy dose of carbs is that if you don't burn them right away they get stored and turned to fat. Avoiding anything like the foods mentioned will help you control your caloric intake. Good rule to stick to no matter where you are or what diet you follow. I suggest replacing bread, pasta and rice with whole grain alternatives.
Don't Drink Carbs
Very simple and easy to do while away. I got in the habit of only drinking water at home and had no problem following that while I was working at the camp. Even so-called "health drinks" are loaded with calories and carbs you don't need. Fruit juices and protein shakes are also easily replaced by eating more carefully. Your body was designed to absorb protein and nutrients through eating, so drinking them doesn't always mean you're absorbing them as much. Stick to water and be more mindful of what you eat. Listen to your cravings, that's usually your body telling you what you need more of.
Keeping Intake Below RMR
Your body, on a daily basis, burns a certain amount of calories, regardless of how much or little exercise you do that day. Just your basic functions require some calories to be burned and this is called your Resting Metabolic Rate (RMR). To calculate my body fat and RMR, I usually use the site http://www.bmi-calculator.net/body-fat-calculator/body-fat-chart.php and once you know how many calories your body burns naturally every day, you can adjust your intake accordingly. I was able to memorize most of the popular meals of camp before going up so that i had an idea of how many calories I was taking in each meal.
For example, my RMR is about 3000 calories, so if I eat that many in a day then I break even. If I eat more, then I'll gain weight. If I eat less, I'll eventually lose weight. I was able to keep my daily intake around 2500 calories, which created a 500 caloric deficit each day. This is equal to 3500 each week, which is approximately one pound lost.
If you're going to attempt this, don't allow your daily calorie deficit to be more than 1000, because this will also affect your muscle mass. Your body will use your muscles for energy, like your fat, and you'll lose mass. Eventually, this causes that "skinny fat" look which is not healthy.
Eat 5 Small Meals, Instead of 3 Big Ones
5 small meals a day is good, but I've had my best results with 6, but that isn't always convenient. When we eat 3 large meals, we're carb loading our bodies, but rarely burning them as fast as they're coming in. By spreading them out a bit thinner, divided into 5 meals or more, we can control how our carbs are being introduced into our bodies and gives us a chance to use them, before they get stored away. Essentially, when you eat lots of carbs separated by many hours, your body thinks you're starving and will store your carbs as fat. Also, by spreading your meals, you keep your metabolism active which keeps your RMR high and burning calories all day.
Eat Right Away
Try to eat within 30 minutes of waking up, which wasn't a problem at my camp since we had a packed schedule. It's always good to hit the ground running. Try to have a high protein breakfast somewhere between 300 to 400 calories if possible. This will get your metabolism working all morning and you'll be burning calories all day long! You'll notice that an hour after your meal you'll feel really hungry again. This is your body expecting a frequent input of food, so it won't be shy to digest fast, as opposed to a slow metabolism when eating scattered meals that are too heavy.
Midnight Snack
Now I wouldn't actually recommend eating at midnight, but a light snack about an hour before you go to sleep is great, contrary to popular belief. Crash diets that don't allow any food within a few hours of bed are actually quite counter productive. This puts your body in a catabolic state, where your body starts eating away at your muscle cells instead of your fat. You'll technically still lose weight, but less and not for long. When you lose muscle mass, your RMR lowers, which means that you're burning less and less calories every day. This means that your losing muscle and not burning fat. Add to this a slower metabolism and you'll be gaining weight again within a week! Bad for the long term. Instead, try to have a protein based snack before bed and keep your body working hard and burning calories while you sleep! You'll wake up just a little bit hungry, which indicates a high metabolism.
If you sleep 8 hours and don't eat 3 hours before bed, as some diets suggest you do, that's almost 12 hours without food and your body will think that you're starving. Keep the intake slow and steady.
These were the golden rules that I stuck to when I was away and forced to eat burgers and hot dogs several times a week. I was active every day, doing manual labor, but not nearly as active as training in the dojo or lifting weights. If this diet could work there, I can only expect better results now that I'm home (for the time being) and back into a regular training routine. Eating healthy is not nearly as hard or as expensive as people make it out to be. Just a little bit of homework and you'll be adding years to your life!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
www.scrapyardfighting.com
www.twitter.com/scrapyard514
www.twitter.com/jordanbill
www.facebook.com/scrapyardfightingcom
www.youtube.com/scrapyardmartialarts
Monday, August 20, 2012
What I've Been up to this Summer
Lots of my usual work, like this blog and other responsibilities, have been slowed down this summer in pursuit of some very interesting new opportunities. I apologize for the lack of blog updates and videos in the last month, but things are relatively back to normal and consistency will be restored! Thanks for all the continued support during my neglectful period. I received tons of emails and social media messages from people encouraging me to keep doing what I'm doing and I think that the break allowed people to re-visit some of my older material and also allowed newer members to catch up. In any case, everything is back to normal now! It's going to be great to get back into a normal routine and share some thoughts with you guys again. Thanks for being patient and supportive. Here are some of the very cool things I was up to this summer that took me away from my regular duties:
Volunteer Work
For those who don't know, I like to do volunteer work whenever possible. I've been involved with a youth camp for about 16 years now and have taken on more responsibility there this year. Over the years, I've been a councilor, a recreational program director, a Core Team member and helped train new staff through a Councilor-in-Training program. I've also taught martial arts, yoga, women's self defense and sports workshops as well. The weeks leading up to the camp take up a big bulk of my time and this year I was also invited to help with animating and maintenance with another camp that shares the site. Very rewarding work that charges my spirit like a battery for the rest of the year. You can check them out at www.visionscamp.ca to get more of an idea of what we do.
High Intensity Interval Training
Not overwhelmingly time-consuming, but worth mentioning. I actually plan on writing a much more detailed post about this, because I've seen amazing results very fast and want to encourage more people to incorporate this into their training. I was able to lower my body fat percentage significantly, drop several pounds and cut my workout time down. Really effective, but quite challenging. I will be writing about this a lot more in the coming weeks.
Video Game Consulting
Sadly, I'm not allowed to discuss this in any real detail, but it's a project that I'm very excited about and can't wait to share with everyone. I'm going to leave this vague for now, but with a promise to explain (and brag, maybe) as soon as I'm allowed! As a lifelong video game geek, I never would have imagined that my training would lead me to such a cool project!
Book Writing
After a year of writing, editing and re-writing, I finally finished a book project that I've been working on. Very proud about this one! The book is for modern martial artists and focuses on effective goal setting for performance enhancement in training. It also features examples of universal lessons learned in the realm of combat that have also helped me in my personal life. Each chapter also features a personal story of real-world violence that I've been exposed to (or created) and how proper focus and goal setting helped me survive. I really think this book will help people in their training and hopefully encourage others to start. It's in the final stage of editing now and will be available on the site within the next two weeks.
If you're interested in reading an excerpt, just email me at jordanbill@scrapyardfighting.com and I can send you a chapter. Also, if you email me, I'll be sending out a few free copies, chosen at random, for preliminary reader feedback and questions. In exchange for the free copy, I would use your feedback for a testimonial and your questions for my FAQ section. More on this soon, but make sure to email me!
More Teaching
I was booked for even more teaching contracts this summer than usual, which I love! More people pushing themselves to share my passion with! I consider myself to be a very lucky person when I get to do what I love for a living, so I take my job as a teacher very seriously. In exchange for people allowing me to live the life I've always wanted, I make it a point to always push myself in my own training, exploring different methods and practices thoroughly so that I'm always bringing the best information possible to anyone who wants to learn. Teaching has pushed my personal training further than any other motivation before so I always appreciate new opportunities to share.
Gathering Affiliates
Something I've been meaning to do for a while, but just haven't found the time to do so. For years I've been following the work of other professionals both in person and online. I've finally gathered the nerve to contact them and get their permission to make them official affiliates to ScrapyardFighting.com. Surprisingly, everyone was excited by the idea. The purpose of this is to make it as easy as possible for you and anyone who visits the site to also see what other professionals are up to and writing about. People who like my work will get a chance to also see the people who influence me as well. The online affiliate section of the site is being made as I'm writing this and should be up on the site soon. I look forward to sharing the work of some amazing people with all of you!
So that's the bulk of what has kept me away for the last little while. All very cool reasons, but no excuse for the lack of blog updates and for that I apologize. Not only have these opportunities allowed me to challenge myself in new ways, but they've also provided all kinds of new material and thoughts to write about! I look forward to sharing more with you in the coming weeks and thank you again for your patience during this low activity period. Hope to hear feedback from everyone and will be back soon with more. It's good to be back!
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
www.scrapyardfighting.com
www.combatsystema.com
twitter.com/jordanbill
twitter.com/scrapyard514
youtube.com/scrapyardmartialarts
facebook.com/scrapyardfightingcom
Thursday, July 12, 2012
10 Rules of Negotiation: The Fight Version
Everything is fighting...
I recently came across an article by Damien Holliday called "10 golden rules of negotiating; learn how to improve your negotiation skills." The article was interesting, but I'm a pretty easy audience because this is a skill set that always impresses me. Every time I read about negotiating, the art of leaning things in your favor, I can't help but think about the concepts in a combative context. It's the fighter in me, I think about verbal de-escalation skills and how, in its very essence, self defense is a negotiation for your well being. Every fight is a hostile negotiation and sometimes the two parties are punching rather than talking. To prove that the principles are transferable, I will list the 10 rules as they were originally posted and translate them into a language that martial artists, fighters and operatives can appreciate.
1. Knowledge is Power
Originally intended to describe the importance of knowing your market and gathering information for a potential investment, knowledge is crucial when fighting as well. Training is gathering knowledge and practicing its application. When we fight, we have to evaluate the entire situation as well. The more information we can put together, the better our chances of survival. Is my attacker alone? Is he/she showing any habitual weakness or mistake? Are there any objects that they or I can use as a weapon? These are just a few of hundreds of details that can change the course of events in under a second.
2. Use Time to Your Advantage
In a real estate market, for example, time can play a huge factor in your negotiations. Often times, manipulating a deadline can do most of the work for you. This is also true in fighting, but that can be used both ways. If you find yourself in a self defense scenario, you need to establish control as fast as possible. The longer the fight lasts, the more damage you are likely to take. In a sport fighting context, this can result in injuries and a loss of brain cells. In a street fight, this can result in permanent injury or even death. You can even die of a knife wounds several minutes after winning in a self defense scenario! Time is a factor. Use it to drive your sense of urgency to solve the violent situation as fast as possible.
Possible exceptions of stalling for time are if someone's called the police and you want to wait for them to arrive or if you have friends that are coming to help. Otherwise, the faster the better.
3. Don’t just focus on price as terms and conditions can be equally as important.
The conditions of a major business deal is often just as important as the financial gain and sometimes even more so. When we're fighting, we know what outcome we want. That one's obvious: we want to win. Win can either mean winning a match or stopping the other from hurting us. Either way we want to beat the other person. The "terms and conditions" of the fight are just as important as well. If I have no regard for my attacker, then I want to win, but as fast as possible and taking as little damage as possible. If I'm working in security, sometimes I need to restrain a hostile person without harming them. The objective is still to impose my will on them, but with conditions. The terms are the ends to the means and sometimes those change drastically.
4. Always make sure that nothing is traded without you receiving something in return.
Of course in business, as it mentions in the original article, staying neutral in a negotiation won't make it easier for you to establish any gains. Boxing has created the expression "they're trading blows", which depicts two men going hit for hit. That means with every hit received, one is given. This is a neanderthal approach to fighting, ensuring the one with the least amount of brain damage will win and both fighters can expect a shorter career and poor quality of life. In every exchange, make sure you come out on top. If you have to get hit, it should still benefit you somehow. When exchanging hits, make sure to be setting up the next move. Just like chess, you should move closer or gain leverage with every hit.
5. Be prepared to walk away! As soon as you must have something it will end up costing you far too much.
This is mostly a lesson about not letting yourself become greedy. You need to be able to walk away from certain offers. Don't get fixated on some hypothetical ideal scenario, if it's going to cost too much then it's not worth it (by definition!). Once again, fighting is the same. Weigh your options at all times. If you can walk away, sometimes (if not always) you should. If you find yourself standing in a dark alley prepared to fight someone with a knife because they called you a name, maybe you've made a bad choice. Maybe you should get the hell out of there instead!
6. Always base your judgments on sound property fundamentals and not your emotions. Whenever a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
This will make sense to anyone who's ever shopped for groceries on an empty stomach or bet on their favorite team. Emotions get in the way and could your judgement. When we're fighting, we have to keep an objective mind. Don't make it personal. Even though someone is trying their best to physically harm you, getting mad about it won't help you solve the problem faster. Keep an emotional detachment and always try to think objectively. Also, don't rule out the ability of an experienced fighter trying to "bait" you out. This is when someone makes a mistake on purpose, making your next move predictable and then they capitalize on your response. If it seems too easy, it is. Fight smart, not excited.
7. Throughout the negotiation process base your negotiation strategy on principles and not positions. Allow yourself flexibility and avoid locking yourself into positions and ultimatums.
If this doesn't translate into everything I've ever said about fighting then I don't know what does! Positions are important, but seeking them is almost exclusively a sports concept. In a street fight, you'll hit whatever is most exposed with the fastest tool available. You're in a hurry, act accordingly. Don't allow yourself to engage in a battle of position because then you're allowing your attacker to control the pace and direction of the fight, which is an outcome you obviously don't want. Refuse to participate, as my sensei always reminds me.
8. Aim to be a firm, but reasonable negotiator
Replace the word "negotiator" with "fighter" and this one explains itself! I've been in a situation where I was forced into a situation where I had to defend myself from an aggressor and, when I got the upper hand, they started screaming and begging me to stop, even though I only hit them once! Remember that violence is sometimes an act of desperation, so it might be a bluff. Of course, you should always act accordingly when you feel threatened, but recognize when the threat has been neutralized. Don't be excessive. In a sport fighting scenario, like all sports you don't stop until the official tells you to, but when they do you stop immediately. Don't be that jerk who needs to sneak in that one extra hit to feel good about himself. When it's over, it's over.
9. If negotiations become heated for whatever reason, always focus on the problems and not the people. Whenever you make an emotional outburst, you tend to give up some control.
Business rivals always run the risk of letting personal feelings affect their judgement. The same can be said for fighting. In sport and in reality, fighting will always feel personal, but reacting out of an emotional response will reduce your cognitive mind to its most primitive state. This is exactly what your opponent would want. This will accomplish two things: remove your most dangerous weapon which is your brain and allow them to control how you think and feel. You should dictate the terms. Stay focused on that and impose your will.
I recently came across an article by Damien Holliday called "10 golden rules of negotiating; learn how to improve your negotiation skills." The article was interesting, but I'm a pretty easy audience because this is a skill set that always impresses me. Every time I read about negotiating, the art of leaning things in your favor, I can't help but think about the concepts in a combative context. It's the fighter in me, I think about verbal de-escalation skills and how, in its very essence, self defense is a negotiation for your well being. Every fight is a hostile negotiation and sometimes the two parties are punching rather than talking. To prove that the principles are transferable, I will list the 10 rules as they were originally posted and translate them into a language that martial artists, fighters and operatives can appreciate.
1. Knowledge is Power
Originally intended to describe the importance of knowing your market and gathering information for a potential investment, knowledge is crucial when fighting as well. Training is gathering knowledge and practicing its application. When we fight, we have to evaluate the entire situation as well. The more information we can put together, the better our chances of survival. Is my attacker alone? Is he/she showing any habitual weakness or mistake? Are there any objects that they or I can use as a weapon? These are just a few of hundreds of details that can change the course of events in under a second.
2. Use Time to Your Advantage
In a real estate market, for example, time can play a huge factor in your negotiations. Often times, manipulating a deadline can do most of the work for you. This is also true in fighting, but that can be used both ways. If you find yourself in a self defense scenario, you need to establish control as fast as possible. The longer the fight lasts, the more damage you are likely to take. In a sport fighting context, this can result in injuries and a loss of brain cells. In a street fight, this can result in permanent injury or even death. You can even die of a knife wounds several minutes after winning in a self defense scenario! Time is a factor. Use it to drive your sense of urgency to solve the violent situation as fast as possible.
Possible exceptions of stalling for time are if someone's called the police and you want to wait for them to arrive or if you have friends that are coming to help. Otherwise, the faster the better.
3. Don’t just focus on price as terms and conditions can be equally as important.
The conditions of a major business deal is often just as important as the financial gain and sometimes even more so. When we're fighting, we know what outcome we want. That one's obvious: we want to win. Win can either mean winning a match or stopping the other from hurting us. Either way we want to beat the other person. The "terms and conditions" of the fight are just as important as well. If I have no regard for my attacker, then I want to win, but as fast as possible and taking as little damage as possible. If I'm working in security, sometimes I need to restrain a hostile person without harming them. The objective is still to impose my will on them, but with conditions. The terms are the ends to the means and sometimes those change drastically.
4. Always make sure that nothing is traded without you receiving something in return.
Of course in business, as it mentions in the original article, staying neutral in a negotiation won't make it easier for you to establish any gains. Boxing has created the expression "they're trading blows", which depicts two men going hit for hit. That means with every hit received, one is given. This is a neanderthal approach to fighting, ensuring the one with the least amount of brain damage will win and both fighters can expect a shorter career and poor quality of life. In every exchange, make sure you come out on top. If you have to get hit, it should still benefit you somehow. When exchanging hits, make sure to be setting up the next move. Just like chess, you should move closer or gain leverage with every hit.
5. Be prepared to walk away! As soon as you must have something it will end up costing you far too much.
This is mostly a lesson about not letting yourself become greedy. You need to be able to walk away from certain offers. Don't get fixated on some hypothetical ideal scenario, if it's going to cost too much then it's not worth it (by definition!). Once again, fighting is the same. Weigh your options at all times. If you can walk away, sometimes (if not always) you should. If you find yourself standing in a dark alley prepared to fight someone with a knife because they called you a name, maybe you've made a bad choice. Maybe you should get the hell out of there instead!
6. Always base your judgments on sound property fundamentals and not your emotions. Whenever a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is.
This will make sense to anyone who's ever shopped for groceries on an empty stomach or bet on their favorite team. Emotions get in the way and could your judgement. When we're fighting, we have to keep an objective mind. Don't make it personal. Even though someone is trying their best to physically harm you, getting mad about it won't help you solve the problem faster. Keep an emotional detachment and always try to think objectively. Also, don't rule out the ability of an experienced fighter trying to "bait" you out. This is when someone makes a mistake on purpose, making your next move predictable and then they capitalize on your response. If it seems too easy, it is. Fight smart, not excited.
7. Throughout the negotiation process base your negotiation strategy on principles and not positions. Allow yourself flexibility and avoid locking yourself into positions and ultimatums.
If this doesn't translate into everything I've ever said about fighting then I don't know what does! Positions are important, but seeking them is almost exclusively a sports concept. In a street fight, you'll hit whatever is most exposed with the fastest tool available. You're in a hurry, act accordingly. Don't allow yourself to engage in a battle of position because then you're allowing your attacker to control the pace and direction of the fight, which is an outcome you obviously don't want. Refuse to participate, as my sensei always reminds me.
8. Aim to be a firm, but reasonable negotiator
Replace the word "negotiator" with "fighter" and this one explains itself! I've been in a situation where I was forced into a situation where I had to defend myself from an aggressor and, when I got the upper hand, they started screaming and begging me to stop, even though I only hit them once! Remember that violence is sometimes an act of desperation, so it might be a bluff. Of course, you should always act accordingly when you feel threatened, but recognize when the threat has been neutralized. Don't be excessive. In a sport fighting scenario, like all sports you don't stop until the official tells you to, but when they do you stop immediately. Don't be that jerk who needs to sneak in that one extra hit to feel good about himself. When it's over, it's over.
9. If negotiations become heated for whatever reason, always focus on the problems and not the people. Whenever you make an emotional outburst, you tend to give up some control.
Business rivals always run the risk of letting personal feelings affect their judgement. The same can be said for fighting. In sport and in reality, fighting will always feel personal, but reacting out of an emotional response will reduce your cognitive mind to its most primitive state. This is exactly what your opponent would want. This will accomplish two things: remove your most dangerous weapon which is your brain and allow them to control how you think and feel. You should dictate the terms. Stay focused on that and impose your will.
10. Always be consistent during a negotiation.
Stand your ground, both in business and in fighting! My professional advice is to do whatever you can to avoid a fight. However, once that line is crossed and you feel threatened, commit to the escalation as well. When the time comes to act, decide to see it through until its end. You don't decide that part though. You keep acting however your judgement deems appropriate until you feel safe again. Be consistent in your actions. Release any doubts, fears and signs of self pity when you hit that switch.
Jordan Bill
Fight or Die
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