Monthly Archives: May 2011

RGI Conflict Resolution Course Review

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Last week I had the very special privilege of attending the RGI Conflict Resolution Certification Course.  Resolution Group International (RGI) is a conflict resolution company specializing in: Ethics presentations, Leadership training, Tactical Communication, Cross-Culture Conflict Resolution, and Defensive Tactics and Combatives.  It was hosted in Spring Lake, NJ and taught by a panel of experts in the field of conflict with decades of real world experience and credentials behind them. 

The RGI seminar format utilizes a unique teaching methodology which blends values-based lessons, conflict communication skills, and ethics with physical training and exercise to activate and clarify the principles being taught.  The interchange of movement with the classroom style lecture increases the absorption and retention of the intellectual and values-bases lessons.  This concept is backed up by latest research into combining education with physical exercise.  Check out the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey, MD for a more detailed discussion of the science behind it. 

RGI’s Conflict Resolution course starts with a premise: in order to resolve conflict one must be moral, knowing right from wrong; one must be ethical, putting that morality into action; and one must have the physical skills and confidence from which to proceed.  The Dual Life Value (DLV) theory is the linchpin holding the course together.  It permeates the philosophy, intellectual discussions, physical skills, and emotional stories.  The DLV states that we are all equal because my life and the lives of my loved ones are as important to me as your life and the lives of your loved ones are to you.  Further, the life value is a universal value by which all other values are judged.  If they support the life value, they are moral, if they don’t, then they are not.  This is a very high level summary of an extremely important concept.  To really gain a full understanding and appreciation of the DLV theory, you really need to attend the course and be immersed in the philosophy.  This review can do nothing more than offer a taste to whet your appetite.  I hope it makes you hungry!

PT with Joe Marine

Joseph C. Shusko AKA “Joe Marine” is a decorated veteran who served the United States Marine Corps for over 30 years.  He is now serving as the Deputy Director, Marine Corps Martial Arts Center of Excellence overseeing the Corps’ Martial Arts Program.  Joe Marine is also known as the “combat conditioning guru”.  He took the class through 2 morning PT sessions Thursday and Friday.  The Thursday morning PT session began with a discussion on health and fitness in which Joe Marine shared his outlook and really brought home the importance of taking care of oneself, especially as we get older.  We then proceeded to go through a simple, yet highly effective workout Joe calls “5-10-15-20”.  It’s basically a plug –n- play type workout template which uses a variety of bodyweight exercise for the prescribed number of repetitions, 5, 10, 15, and 20, respectively.  The set is repeated as many times as possible in 10 minutes.  This allows trainees to work at their own pace and to their own fitness level.  But as Joe says, you only get out of it what you put into it!  Friday morning’s PT was a real treat as we moved the location outdoors to the beach on Spring Lake.  This time the workout was done in teams of 2.  This really pulled the participants together as they struggled to overcome the shared adversity of the physical challenges together.

In addition to being the combat conditioning guru, Joe Marine is also known for his “tie-ins”.  These are values-based stories which serve to illustrate points and drive home the intellectual or physical lessons with an emotional impact.  Never miss an opportunity to ask for a tie-in!

Maneuver Martial Arts

Maneuver Martial Arts is the term RGI President, Jack Hoban uses to describe RGI’s approach to physical conflict.  Jack is a speaker, writer and Subject Matter Expert (SME) for the U.S. Marine Corps Martial Arts Program (MCMAP).  His business and military experiences, as well as an extensive 30-year background in martial arts, give him a unique and interesting perspective.  Jack, along with co-instructors Craig Gray and Artie Mark, skillfully introduced the participants to the concept of tactical movement, striking, escapes, takedowns, submissions, and protecting others.  Tactical movement and being able to control the tactical space around the opponent(s) was emphasized as primary, over and above the concept of technique.  This allowed the participants, some of whom had no prior martial arts experience, to gain an understanding and quickly absorb the principles of martial movement as the seminar progressed.  As a martial artist of almost 30 years of experience myself, it was hugely gratifying to watch this process unfold!

The crown jewel of RGI’s martial arts training though is really the protecting others piece.  As Jack mentioned in his introduction to this section, in a typical martial arts school setting, if 100 techniques are taught, 100% of those techniques are geared towards defending yourself.  How many look at how to defend others?  Usually none.  This segment of the training served to rectify that deficiency in current martial arts training, as well as to drive home the importance of the universal life value of self and others – all others.  Protecting others activates the life value and solidifies the concepts, principles, and ethics in a very real and effective way.

Conflict Communication

RGI’s approach to conflict communication is both an art and a science.  Gary Klugiewicz is employed by PoliceOne as a police and corrections subject matter expert. He is retired from the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Department after 25 years of service where he was promoted to the rank of captain. Gary has been a Verbal Judo Instructor for the last fifteen years.  Gary expertly distilled the essence of Dr. George Thompson’s Verbal Judo, to give the participants a highly beneficial introduction to tactical communication.  Take a look at what Verbal Judo calls the 5 Universal Truths and see if they resonate with you.  They certainly did with me.  Also, try them out on your kids.  You’ll be amazed at the level of compliance!

5 Universal Truths

  1. All people want to be treated with dignity and respect.
  2. All people want to be asked rather than told to do something.
  3. All people want to be told why they are being asked to do something.
  4. All people want to be given options rather than threats.
  5. All people want a second chance.

Real world experience in conflict communication from both the ER and out on the street from a law enforcement perspective was also shared by Joseph Lau, RN, veteran police detective Arthur “Artie” Mark, and decorated veteran detective James Shanahan.  Additional presentations were given by heavy hitters such as Brian Pensak, Marine Corps Martial Arts Program Instructor Trainer and SME, and Bruce Gourlie, Special Agent of the FBI.  There is so much experience, expertise, and information to unpack from just one of these gentlemen’s presentations that it’s impossible to delve into in a short seminar review.  My advice?  If you deal with any type of conflict in your job, in your family, in your life, get to an RGI Conflict Resolution course ASAP – you’ll never look at conflict the same way again!

The RGI Conflict Resolution Course has a synergistic effect whereby the whole is much, much greater than the sum of its individual parts.  The combined impact of the instructors’ professional presentations, the interchange of physical skills with values, morals, and ethics, and the engaging course material create an outstanding professional development course. 5 out of 5 stars – highly recommended!!

For more information on RGI upcoming events and seminars, please click here.

Ninja Endurance – Part II

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In part one of Ninja Endurance called,  How to Train for the Endurance of a Ninja, we discussed strength endurance and I provided a sample workout to help you build yours.  Here in part 2, I ‘d like to delve a little deeper into the whys of endurance training and how specifically high intensity interval training is an excellent choice for it.

What is Endurance?

Endurance is defined as being able to keep going without fatigue setting in, or being able to push oneself through fatigue.  Essentially, it is the ability to resist or bear fatigue.  What is fatigue?  Fatigue is weariness or exhaustion from exertion, or the temporary loss of power to respond.  An equally critical corollary to the definition of endurance, especially for the warrior,  is that your level of endurance also determines how quickly you are able to recover between bouts of activity.  Combat, like life, does not happen at one constant rate of speed.  It is multi-faceted in nature.  There will be periods of brutally intense activity followed by lulls in the action, again followed by another flurry of activity.  Being able to use those lulls in action to recover is a critical ability for the warrior.

Steady state cardio, Long Slow Distance (LSD) training simply will not cut it.  Running on a treadmill may be appropriate for a hamster in a cage, but human beings require more.  Long distance running can be beneficial for mental toughness and/or active recovery, but it should not be the primary focus of a warrior’s endurance training.  So then how should we train to maximize our ability to endure?

Warriors Need to HIIT!

High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) is one of the best ways to train for endurance.  It will enhance all 3 energy systems in the body (2 anaerobic and 1 aerobic – see here for an overview), as well as prime the nervous system to recover automatically during lulls in activity.  Simply put, HIIT alternates periods of high intensity exercise with periods of rest and recovery.  It can be performed with almost any exercise and can be utilized both with and without equipment.  The variety and adaptability of this style of training is second to none in results.

How else does improving your endurance through this type of conditioning aid your martial arts training?  I’m glad you asked!  If the benefits discussed above weren’t enough, consider that having a high level of conditioning also aids in learning new skills.  How’s that possible?  To put it simply, when the central nervous system (CNS) is fatigued, the body cannot effectively process new skills, especially technically advanced skills.  So, in essence your lack of a general level of fitness and conditioning will actually impede your learning process as you will tire more readily and not have the ability to recover quickly enough during training.  Want to train more, at a higher level, for a longer period of time?  Want to get more out of your training time both at home and in the dojo?  Want to build new skills and enhance your technical arsenal?  Get yourself in shape!

There are several sample conditioning workouts here on the Warrior Fitness site.  Here are a few examples:

Workout of the Week #1

 

Workout of the Week #5

 

Stay tuned for more Warrior Fitness style conditioing workouts to help you get and stay in fighting shape!

Warrior Fitness T-Shirts Now Available!

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Get Your Warrior Fitness T-Shirts Today for only $20 USD – Shipping is Free!!!

  

    Now you can look cool while working hard!                                                                                       

  

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Get Beach Fit – Warrior Style!

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Summer is coming and, hey, let’s face it – even warriors need to look good at the beach, right?!  So, if you’re going to workout with the intention of getting is shape for summer, why not do it in a  balanced, functional manner that syncs up with and supports your other activities rather than distracting from them?  To that end, here’s a newly designed Warrior Fitness workout to help tone and sculpt that beach body!

muscle-288x300

Pull-up Pyramid

  • Start with 1, pyramid up to 3, then back down to 1
  • Depending on your fitness level, do pull-ups, chin-ups, or commando pull-ups

Push-ups

  • 5 Pike Push-ups(begin in downward facing dog posture, bend arms to touch head to ground)
  • 10 Hindu Push-ups
  • 5 Diamond Push-ups (hands are touching at pointer fingers and thumbs directly under chest)
  • 10 Fist Push-ups
  • End with a static hold mid range of the push-up position for 1 minute

Dips

  • 4 sets of 10
  • Use a bench, chair, or couch

Bodyweight Squats

  • 4 sets of 15
  • If too easy, make them jumping squats

Seiza Step-ups (Begin in seiza, Japanses kneeling posture, on the balls of your feet.  Step up right leg, followed by left leg to half squat so legs are 90 degrees, then back down to seiza.)

  • 4 sets of 10/10

Static 1/2 Squat

  • Hold mid range of squat for 1 minute (wall sit)

V-ups

  • 2 sets of 10

Warrior Sit-ups

  • 2 sets of 10

Plank

  • Finish with static plank hold for 1 minute
  • Side plank 30 seconds per side

Take a look at the vibration drills in this article to see how to shake out and release that residual muscle tension.

Want to know more?  The strength and conditioning exercises in Warrior Fitness will not only provide a strong, functional body, but help burn fat and build lean muscle as well.  When used in conjunction with the mobility warm-ups, breathing exercises, and compensatory cool-down movements in the book, Warrior Fitness is a fully balanced approach to fitness and conditioning!

Good luck and let me know how it goes!

The Sanshin of Warrior Fitness

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A short introduction may be necessary for those readers not familiar with Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.  Sanshin no kata is a basic training exercises within the system that templates movement patterns for Bujinkan Budo Taijutsu.  In English, it translates to “form of three hearts”.  These three hearts are mind, body, and spirit.  All three must be united for technique to come alive for the martial arts practitioner.  Without all three aspects of body, mind, and spirit unified the kata become  empty shells of movement, devoid of essence.

Bujinkan martial arts are the wellspring from which my concept of Warrior Fitness sprung as a natural outcropping.  So as my philosophy of Warrior Fitness continues to evolve, it naturally gravitates to this type of structure for me to express it.  In keeping with the trinity of mind, body, and spirit, here is how I see it for Warrior Fitness:

Mind –Concentration and focus along with an understanding of the interrelationship of the exercises and how they integrate with and enhance the way we move in the world.

Body – Forging a strong body to carry us through the challenges we face. 

Spirit – Pushing the edge to consistently increase resistance to failure.

The Sanshin no kata consist of 5 forms which are called, Chi no kata (earth form), Sui no kata (water form), Ka no kata (fire form), Fu no kata (wind form), and Ku no kata (void form).  Those who have read Miyamoto Musashi’s famous work, Go Rin No Sho – A Book of 5 Rings, are most likely familiar with the terminology as well.  Here is how each is expressed in Warrior Fitness:

Earth – Building strength, stability, and structure in movement and stillness

Water – Freedom of movement through all ranges of motion, flow state

Fire – Metabolic conditioning to ignite fat loss and sculpt lean muscle

Wind – Breathing exercises to vitalize every cell in the body

Void – Pushing the edge of our limitless potential

 

Hone Your Mind, Invigorate Your Spirit, and Make Fierce the Body with Warrior Fitness!

Got Some Spare Time? Try Isometrics!

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If you’re like me and can’t stand to waste any amount of time no matter how short, you’ll love how isometrics can fill in some strength gaps.  Nowadays, my days are jam-packed full with work, meetings, conference calls, networking, family time, training time, teaching time, writing time, and oh yeah – a little sleeping in my spare time.  Since there are never enough hours in the day to accomplish all the things I want to do (not to mention those pesky things I have to do!), I try to make the most of those few free minutes of downtime in between tasks so I can be just a little more productive.

The only way to constantly improve is to consistently work on improving your self.  One of my favorite quotes of all time is from Calvin Coolidge:

“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”

And, since I don’t consider myself particularly talented, or even all that smart, it’s a good thing I am persistent!

So, let’s talk isometrics. 

Isometrics are a great way to work on increasing strength, or shoring up a strength deficiency in a certain movement or exercise, with virtually no equipment and very little time.  They are both effective and efficient – good news for us!

So what exactly are isometrics?  Basically, isometric exercise is exerting force against an immovable object.  The idea is that the length of the muscle does not change, but the tension remains constant during the exercise.  There are 2 general types of isometric exercise:

1.  Holding yourself (or a weight) in a static state.  For example holding the mid-point of a push-up position or the mid-point of a squat.  Or, holding yourself statically on a pull-up bar.

2.  The other type of isometric exercise consists of pushing or pulling against an immovable object.  This picture of Bruce Lee is a great example of just one of the ways he used to train isometrics.

For our purposes, when training the first type of isometric drill, try holding the mid-range or hardest point of the exercise for 30 to 60 seconds.  Make sure to keep breathing!  Then shake it out – see the vibration exercises here  – and go again.

We will use much shorter time frames for the second type of isometric exercise.  Here we will be pushing or pulling against an immovable object as hard as possible (maximal contraction) for 1 to 3 seconds each rep.  Exert force as quickly as possible to improve speed strength.  Studies have found that the intention to move fast was more important for speed development than the actual speed of the the movement.  Interesting, eh?  Train about 4 to 6 reps per set and use the vibration exercises referenced above to remove residual muscle tension between sets.  Since there are innumerable variations here – pushing with the arms (one or both), pushing with the legs (one of both), pulling with the arms (one or both), pulling with the legs (one or both), not to mention the number of different joint angles one can use with either push or pull, I will leave it up to your creativity to determine how to best apply it in your training.  Let me know what you find works best for you.

I hope you enjoyed this short primer on isometrics.  We will be exploring them in more depth, as well as showing how isometrics can be used to not only increase strength, but increase power for your strikes in my upcoming book… Stay tuned!