Tough Times

During tough economic times, the only thing worth investing in is your safety.

Studies have always consistently shown that violent crimes are often associated with socioeconomic status. Most people would say that that is a pretty obvious. Desperation can make people do crazy things to survive. Just take a second and consider (God forbid) what lengths you would go to in order to provide for your family and yourself if you lost everything tomorrow. I know what I would do, and it's not pretty. Poor neighborhoods have higher crime, hungry countries have more conflicts. It all comes from fear. People become afraid for their health and their safety, so they start to take things into their own hands to try to establish order from chaos. 

Confront the possibility

In unstable economic times it's important to consider the idea that some people might compromise your sense of safety. I'm not saying everyone has to be as paranoid as I am, but don't be blind to the chance of something happening. A lot of the time, victims are assaulted (or worse) somewhere that they're familiar with. So if you're taking that shortcut home everyday, avoid falling into a false sense of security and stay alert. Just because you park your car in the same spot every day doesn't mean you should stand there fumbling with your keys for a few minutes, oblivious to your surroundings. Have your keys in your hand well before getting to your car or front door. When there are hurricane warnings, people don't hesitate to stock up on emergency supplies, but muggings and violent crimes, much like flash floods, often come with little to no warning. Also the simple act of considering certain scenarios and doing little things to avoid them will give you a some confidence and maybe even a little peace of mind. A 2007 study had declared Vancouver the break-in capital, which leads to the question: what would you do if someone broke into your house? Not a fun thing to think about, but if it leads to one small precautionary action that could save your life, then it's worth it. 

You're worth it

My sensei Kevin Secours has a terrific guided meditation (or solo) concept that he calls "Putting the Self in Self-Defense". This is a great reminder that we're worth fighting for. Think of all the things you would do to protect someone you love. You have to feel that way about your own well-being, otherwise you're not really going to be there to help anyone else either. Investing in things like self defense classes and some first aid training will instantly make you feel better. It's taking whatever steps you can to not be a victim. The training instantly makes you more aware, more confident, more capable and, if nothing else, it will identify and replace bad habits (most of the time, depending on the training) with better and safer ones. Through fighting, bouncing and body guarding I've seen a lot of ugly things. The more saw, the more I wanted to invest in myself. It wasn't just for the physical ability, but more for the awareness. The more I experienced, the more I noticed that in a violent crisis you're pretty much almost always caught off-guard. By dedicating some thought and training, avoidance and awareness became my main tools of survival. If you're using some combat techniques, you acted a little too late. If you're applying your first aid to yourself or a loved one, you're in the best-case scenario of acting MUCH too late. The crazier the economy gets, the higher the crime rate. Leading crimes in North America during the recession were Assaults (levels 1 to 3), rape and homicide. Attempted murder was also not far down the list. No matter how crazy the economy is, you're always a safe investment.

Storms will pass

Of course people get a little crazier when the economy crashes and jobs are taken away. Riots, protests, muggings and home invasions are acts of desperate people who are afraid. This can make people do crazy things. We pay attention to crime rates like we do hurricane warnings. The emergency supplies are what training and steps you're prepared to take to feel safe. Like any potential disaster, we educate ourselves on what we need, we prepare and then we happily resume living our lives. Control what you can and accept that you'll react accordingly to the things you can't. I chose to confront the idea of things that scare me and try to figure how much or how little I can do to prepare for these things. By not ignoring our fears, they don't consume us. We respect the possibilities, devote a certain amount of time to them and move on. Stay sharp, stay happy and stay smart. It's better to be prepared for a storm that never comes. 

Jordan Bill

Fight or Die

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The Hockey Fighting Controversy

Hockey fighting has been a form of on-ice justice and a tradition in the sport for over 80 years. In the modern age of professional sports, we are understanding more about concussions and head trauma all the time, so we have to ask ourselves, with this new understanding, if it's really worth it. Some argue that without the fighting there would be more violent illegal hits in-game. Others argue that the talented finesse players would be able to excel. The NHL has made less progress in this field than even college hockey or other promotions and doesn't seem to be taking this too seriously. Die-hard fans love the fights, but would they stop watching if it was banned?

The injuries related to the contact in the NHL (including fights) have only increased in the post-lockout era, while being virtually non-existent in college leagues as a result of strict enforcement of the rules. Bob Probert was a "goon" in the NHL for his entire career and died suddenly last year at the age of 45. Despite the cause of death being a heart attack, Boston University researchers have not ruled out a link to head trauma. Boston U also approached the family of Derek Doogaard after he had passed away only 5 months after a career ending concussion. This is scary stuff because injuries that might have been unnoticed in the past are now possibly being linked to deaths. Crosby himself missed 20 games last year and has no clear return date, due to post concussion syndromes. Fighting, head shots and dirty hits just aren't going anywhere and taking people out of the game more than ever in the NHL. The league's commissioner Gary Bettman doesn't seem to mind at all, stating that the league "celebrates body checks" and doesn't think that head trauma is something that has to be addressed. 

Players, coaches and GMs don't seem to think that fighting has to be addressed either. Not surprising considering that any change that has ever taken place in hockey has always been met with resistance. Even helmets were unpopular when they were introduced! General managers fear the loss in ratings if fighting was banned, coaches don't want their players being hit without someone to fight back and players accept it as part of the game. The league is there to protect its players so it should be the league that makes a decision on that, but that probably won't happen anytime soon. 

The only plausible purpose for the fighting would be to regulate the amount of illegal hits in-game, which is the main argument for the enforcers. If there is no fear of consequences then there's nothing stopping people from taking out the best players with head shots or using their stick. This argument makes a lot of sense, but watching hockey on an international level seems to indicate that this isn't as big as a problem as some believe. There is no fighting in the Olympics and very strict contact rules and some feel that that is the highest level of competition. 

As I'm writing this, I appreciate the irony on many levels. For one, I'm a fighter. I don't play hockey, but I've trained in martial arts for over half of my life and love to fight. Second, my best friend (Ricky Mabe) has a new movie coming out ("Goon") about a hockey enforcer and this is the most excited I've ever been for any of his films. Third, a long-time friend of mine is an enforcer ("Sheriff" Sean McMorrow) in a hockey league in Europe and I'm always proud to see him lay someone out. The irony is not lost on me here. I'm the first to jump out of my chair watching a good hockey fight. I love fighting and I love hockey, but if it's going to start costing people their lives (or quality of life during retirement) then maybe it's time to really put it's role under the microscope. There are plenty of combat sports out there to get behind and I certainly wouldn't stop watching hockey if fighting was banned. On an international level, it seems like this is only such a big issue in the NHL. Maybe it's time that Gary Bettman starts to look out how the rest of the world has handled this issue and save some lives.

Jordan Bill

Fight or Die 

youtube.com/scrapyardmartialarts

twitter.com/jordanbill

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Victor Ortiz vs Floyd Mayweather Recap
Keep your guard up at all times!!! This was warming up to being a great bout, until a slightly anti-climatic and highly controversial finish in the fourth round in favor of the champ.


I was very excited going into this fight because this had the potential to be a real war. The first couple of rounds were pretty typical, both fighters testing the waters. Ortiz was definitely trying to do some damage, but not rushing or taking any unnecessary chances. Mayweather doing what he does best: not being there. Mayweather  spent the first three rounds doing a great job of moving, dodging and jamming up any major blows from Ortiz. Ortiz's jab couldn't seem to find it's way around Mayweather's leading elbow and he had no answer for the heavy rights from the defending champion. This was the story of the first three rounds.

In the fourth round, both fighters came out swinging. They took turns stealing the momentum and pushing the other up on the ropes with flurries and combos. Crowd on their feet, this round was insane. Ortiz seemed to be taking more damage but never stopped moving forward. Mayweather was even pinned up on the ropes at one point, but simply smiled at Ortiz and shrugged him off. Seeming a bit frustrated, Ortiz hit hard with a blatant headbutt in the corner. He would later claim that it was accidental, but I watched the replay several times and it seemed pretty intentional to me. And to the referee. After a quick break (and a suspicious amount of apologies from Ortiz) the fight was back on. Now as I said I've watched this fight over a few times now and this is where the controversy really happens. Headbutts and other dirty tactics are going to happen in a fight of this caliber. The more there is on the line, the crazier things will get. That's normal.

So the fight's back on. At least that's what the ref called for. The two meet in the middle of the ring, Ortiz coming in for another apologetic hug and Mayweather with his hands up. Again, I've watched this a few times and the champ clearly has his hands up and isn't participating in the bromance. I understand that Ortiz was being a gentleman, but the rules state that you should be defending yourself at all times. After the hug, the challenger steps back with his hands down and get instantly tagged with a jab. First mistake and he got caught. Second mistake: he looks at the ref (who called for the fight to resume), hands still down. A strong right from the champ puts Ortiz on his back and he fails to answer the count. Fight's over.

Now obviously that's a bit of a disappointing finish to a fight that was a round or two away from blowing the roof off the arena, but when you're fighting one of the best to ever do it, DON'T DROP YOUR GUARD. I'm a big fan of Ortiz, but I just wish his focus didn't slip up right there. As a fan, I would have liked a more honest or exciting finish, but I have no problem with Mayweather defending his belt this way. Win at all costs. Ortiz started the dirty game with the headbutt anyway. The champ just didn't want to give him any mercy after that, nor should he. I love the sport and I'm a fan of both these guys and I have no beef with how this went down. That being said, I would love to see a rematch. 

@jordanbill

10 Tips to Being a Better Training Partner

The following are just 10 simple tips for making yourself a better partner in the dojo. These are all relatively simple and obvious, but it's good to have them out there in the open. I'm sure we've all been matched up with someone over the years that could benefit from accidentally stumbling onto this list...
Remember, you get what you put in. The better partner you are, the more your partner will want to return the favor and everyone gets better that much faster.

10. Don't Stink
If you're waiting for some kind of metaphor here you're out of luck. The first thing you owe everyone at the dojo (and yourself) is to practice good hygiene. There's nothing worse than being paired up with someone who smells bad, looks like they haven't washed or forgot how their laundry machine works. You're there for them just as much as they are for you so clean up! Clean gear and regular showers please. It's not just for comfort but for your health also.

9. Focus
Joking around sometimes is alright and so is being really focused, but don't go to the extreme on either side. Goofing around to the point of losing focus will get someone hurt. On the same note, being too much of a robot can lead to escalation in the drills with the same end result. Remember, it's fighting. No matter how good you are it's still the art of inflicting damage on someone...easy to get hurt. Find a comfortable pace that generates hard work and stay vocal. Communicate with your partner at all times and try to make the experience friendly. If not friendly, at the very least try to not be an asshole.

8. Ask Questions
If you're with someone you don't know too well keep in mind that they might be new to the school or style. If that is the case, remember that what might be an easy drill to you could be confusing to them. Ask questions to the instructor if there is any room for doubt. There's nothing wrong with that at all and even if it's not for you someone in the class (maybe even your partner) might have been wondering that and was too nervous to ask. Don't do it just to be nice, ask because if it's not clear someone will get hurt. Also it's good to be nice.

7. Speak Up
This was mentioned earlier, but to be more specific make sure you're giving your partner feedback on their performance. You can easily "cheat" or set a pace to a drill that hides their mistakes or makes them feel like they're doing it right when they're not. Talk to your partners and you can expect the same in return. This allows us all to grow that much faster and avoids developing bad habits. I had been dropping my right hand when jabbing and finally my boxing coach pointed that out to me. The alternative was to get knocked out, so thanks for speaking up!

6. Be Consistent
This is easier said than done of course, because people have lives outside the dojo and there's just so much time we can put in. That being said, no matter how frequent you are try to be consistent. If you can only go twice a week, try to make it the same two days every week. You'd be surprised how many friendships can develop through training and if you and your partners can count on each other, that leads to you guys pushing each other also.

5. Switch it up
Naturally there will be people you are more comfortable with in training, but make sure you train with someone you haven't before once in a while. As much as it's good to have your partners that are familiar enough to push hard, it's important to work with a body type you haven't before. Everyone moves and reacts differently and if you can make your techniques work with just about anyone that means you're training well. Remember, you're not training to fight that one buddy, you're training to fight anyone. Take notes on yourself when training with a new partner and take it back to your partners to work on.

4. Positive Reinforcement
So we talk a lot about communicating with our partners but there are specific ways of doing that well. We've already covered a few, but there's more. Whenever possible, chose positive reinforcement over negative feed back. Sounds simple but this is crucial. This has been proven to give greater and faster results and I can say from personal experience that this is the only way to go. Practice this when addressing yourself as well. Instead of telling someone what not to do, give them something better to do instead. So replace things like "don't bite your lip" with "breathe". The mind is goal oriented (especially in a crisis or fight) so by eliminating something you create a mental void. Instead, give them a new goal.

3. Keep it Professional
Whether you're just training partners or close friends outside the dojo, save the personal updates for before and after a session. This is just another way of emphasizing the importance of focus in training. Talking about your personal life during training is a manifestation of a lack of concentration. If it happens that's fine, but politely snap out of it. This is normal when you're comfortable with your crew or tired or have a lot on your mind, but ultimately it is still a slip in focus and someone could get hurt. It's good to develop friendships in training but there's a time and place to discuss the game last night. Focus up.

2. Show Up Ready to Bring it
Make sure you bring your A-Game everytime. This is almost impossible of course but it's a good goal to have, both for you and your partner. Try to avoid showing up tired, sick or hungover. Think of something that you do when getting ready or warming up before a session and make that your "point of no return". At this moment, however you're feeling gets pushed aside and you focus on the training. Everything that is bothering you or affecting your mood can wait until the session is over. If it can't, then you shouldn't be there. Go handle your business and come back later, your partners will understand. If it's something physical like a hangover or being sick, stay home and work out. Don't get the entire dojo sick as well just to prove a point to yourself. For me, everything is cast aside when I seal the belt on my gi. Whatever was bothering me is compartmentalized and I go back to being who I really am. You owe it to yourself and everyone who trains with you to be at your best.

1. Turn up the Heat
Avoid getting into a routine with your partners. If there is anything to be said about the world of fighting is that it is unpredictable, as most chaotic elements are. If you're in a routine it's because you've found what you're better at and probably only working on that in order to avoid stepping out of your comfort zone. There should never be a comfort zone in your training. If you train with someone who has become complacent, tell them. They'll appreciate it when they see that they're becoming better faster. It's up to you to push them all the time, they will do it for you too and then the whole crew is getting better all the time. Without a little bit of pressure testing you'll never create an inventory of tools that you are sure will work. Always go hard on your partners and ask for the same in return. Go to their capacity and make them earn it. Give them as much pressure as they need to have to work for it, but make sure you end every session in a way that ingrains success.

Jordan
Fight or Die

Kempo Jujitsu External Work

Here are some highlights from a Kempo Jujitsu class i taught recently. Hope you guys enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcIlnpmT2lU

15 Signs You're Taking Training Seriously

The following list is the top 15 signs that you're training hard and taking your martial arts seriously. Well, for me at least...

15. You once told a story about fighting that you thought was funny, but accidentally traumatized everyone listening. Now they think you're weird.

14. The first thing you do when you get home is take off your shoes and socks. If it was up to you you'd be barefoot all the time.

13. Every time you meet someone new you wonder if you can take them.

12. You think everyone should get punched in the face at least once in their life.

11. You'd rather wear a gi to formal events then a suit.

10. When giving your friends advice, you try to make them understand that their problem isn't as hard as getting kicked in the head. They never seem to get it.

9. You can't walk by a mirror without taking a second to pose in a fighting stance.

8.You've given a significant other a weapon of some kind as a romantic gift at some point.

7. At least 3 of your 5 favorite movies are about fighting.

6. When being intimate with your partner, they complain that you always have a straight face. You try to explain that it's part of your training. They just think you're creepy.

5. You wake up sore almost every day of the week. The good kind of sore.

4. You consider a black belt to be as impressive as a post graduate degree.

3. In the winter, you get a brief rush of excitement every time you put your gloves on.

2. You have to do 4 or 5 loads of laundry a week.

1. You own a sword.

Well there you have it! These are some of the random observations I've made over the last fifteen years or so of training. Hope this means I'm doing something right. Hope you enjoyed them and please feel free to comment, share your own or message me for the stories behind this list. There is a story behind every point. Happy training!

Jordan Bill
Fight or die







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Heart Attack!

Intensity in Training
Regardless of training for sport fighting, reality combat or general self defense, it's always good to train at an intense level. Safely, of course. The truth is, if you're training in martial arts then you at least have enough interest in being able to protect yourself or a loved one. For others, it's to perform in a ring or survive in the field. No matter what, the stakes are high. Adrenaline, fear and excitement are all things that are going to affect your thinking and motor skills at crunch time, so it's important to address this in training. The benefits of training this way is an increase in cardio, technique, timing and mental confidence of having simulated stressful scenarios, among others. Therefore, it's good to "warm-up" to the point where you're training with an elevated heart rate. It will make the rest of your training more realistic and reliable.

Cardio Benefits
Probably the more obvious purpose of an intensified training pace is improving your physical endurance. It's not just about getting through an intense warm-up, but then being able to perform at that pace while learning new applications and techniques. This way there's never a rest and constant movement. Your heart-rate stays up and your metabolism continues to burn calories until you rest. Like most cardiovascular exercises, this will strengthen the heart in a healthy way, holding more blood at any one time, getting oxygen to the muscles that much faster and also keeping the brain oxygenated during a crisis. Also, being accustomed to this kind of increase in pulse, you will have more control over the fear and/or excitement during an altercation.

Application Benefits
Another key factor in training at a high intensity is the physical toll that fear and adrenaline take during a crisis. Physical attributes such as strength and speed will abandon you pretty fast in a crisis. Speed is gone as soon as your tired, strength is gone after the initial adrenaline dump and technique becomes sloppy. Motor skills become harder to control and if this comes as a surprise it's hard to deal with and can trigger panic (in which case trained techniques are out the window). It's important to at least explore what it's like to try to maintain proper form and technique in an exhausted state. At the very least to feel the difference. This will change your priorities in training. Speed starts to become timing, strength becomes leverage and technique becomes experience. Simulate as many scenarios when you're pressure testing and there will be nothing out there that you haven't faced.

Mental Benefits
As mentioned earlier, becoming familiar with these physical reactions to fighting is important if or when the time comes. Like a fighter warming up for their first fight, a police officer on their first shift or a soldier being deployed for the first time, there is a wave of physical and emotional sensations that can easily catch someone off guard. Some you can be prepared for and some you just can't. In a self defense scenario, these responses happen in less than a second with little to no warning. This can even trigger some self pity about how unfair it is and how you didn't have a chance to prepare. Just by keeping your training realistic and confronting ways of safely emulating stress on the body and mind and greatly increase your performance and chances of survival when confronted with violence. Staying focused, calm and goal oriented can get you through anything, but if you're not prepared the mind is the first to go. Panic often strikes us before the mentioned physical depletion of stress. By having studied various scenarios, you can keep the mind calm and compensate to the environment and also to how you react. High intensity training will take it's toll, but not like being under-prepared.

Always Step It Up
I remember reading a book by Marchinko where he mentions that if you're preparing for war then you have to at least train at the intensity of risking injury. Considering that the cost of war can be death, that seems to make sense to me. It's the hard truth. Training in martial arts should take you out of your comfort zone on a regular basis. Take the precautions to do this safely and attack it head on. Violence can attack at any second and your body and mind can abandon you when you need them if you're not able to seize control. Things never happen when they're "supposed" to, so have the confidence that you can roll with anything. Remember: heavy on the warm-ups, steady pace during the drills and some good, safe and honest pressure testing to end the session and prove to yourself that you can make it work. If you can keep good timing and form when exhausted, you'll be that much better when you're feeling 100%. Leave all doubts on the mat.

-Jordan







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