Category Archives: Martial arts

Zero Drop Boots

Posted on September 18, 2013 | 2 comments

My zero drop boots

I’ve talked about shoes before. In a nutshell, some time ago I decided to transition to the most minimal shoes possible (here’s why).

The problem is that I couldn’t wear my favorite boots. The heels, although not very high, still allowed my Achilles tendon to shorten. If I wore them all day, I had Achilles tension the following day when I tried to exercise in a minimal sneaker.

This was a problem because I firmly believe that if a man has a good pair of boots and an attitude, there is nothing he can’t get done. Also, as a martial artist, I consider my boots important tools for self defense. You don’t understand. I need my boots.

Another shot of my zero drop boots

Buying zero drop boots wasn’t an option. They just don’t make them (don’t ask me why, I have no idea). So I took them to Jerry’s Shoe Shop and had them pull off the old sole and put on a perfectly flat one with no heel. This cost me $50.00. They aren’t minimal (the new soles are about 1/2″ thick), but at least they won’t shorten my Achilles tendon, and if I want to go for a hike, work in the yard, or go on a globe-hopping expedition to find the Ark of the Covenant, I’ll get more support and protection that I would from Chuck Taylors.

Look out world. I got my boots back.

[UPDATE: I’m no longer in minimal and/or zero drop footwear. See the comments section below. If you have already transitioned without any trouble, enjoy! But if you’re just starting out, I strongly suggest that you turn back now and stick with regular shoes!]

Did you like this article? Then there’s a good chance you’ll dig my books.

The Calisthenics Codex (5 stars on Goodreads and in the Top 10 calisthenics ebooks at Barnes & Noble). 50 calisthenics exercises explained, fully illustrated, with instructions for building workouts from total beginner to expert!

Cabal Fang: Complete Martial Arts Study Course from Querent to Elder. Over 300 pages, hundreds of photos. Everything you need to start learning the world’s most innovative and transformative martial art! Buy a paper copy on Amazon or from Createspace or download the ebook here.

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Posted in Martial arts

Tagged boots, minimalist shoes, zero drop

What I Learned From Other People Last We

Posted on September 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

What I Learned From Other People Last Week: If you say you’re an island you’re full of beans. Everybody learns fr… http://wp.me/ppc1y-sP

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Posted in Green, Martial arts, Writing

What I Learned From Other People Last Week

Posted on September 17, 2013 | Leave a comment

Update 7/18/19: My club still uses the flag but we’re now called Cabal Fang Temple, and we’re a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational charity. Visit our website or purchase our 12-week personal growth program at Smashwords, Amazon, B&N, or wherever fine e-books are sold.

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Original post:

If you say you’re an island you’re full of beans. Everybody learns from everybody else. No, life isn’t a big lecture hall, it’s more like a big wine tasting where people sort of hang out and soak up things from other people, often without knowing it. Sometimes you just see something going on and you learn something. As Yogi Berra said, “You can observe a lot by watching.”

Here’s a run-down of what I learned from other people last week:

My wife taught me, in her sweet and gentle way, that the best intentions are meaningless if they’re wrapped up in a crappy attitude.
I learned from my Mom that, when it comes to loved ones living or dead, there is a time for judgment and a time for mercy, a time for remembrance and a time for forgetting, and graceful is the way of knowing the time for each.
A guy I work with at the office reminded me that you don’t need to be an expert at every task in your wheelhouse in order to be a great manager. You just have to know who the experts are and how to put them to work for you.
I learned from an old friend that distrust is a doorway to the loneliest hell, but the way out is always there if you knock.
And I learned from my pals at the Order of Seven Hills that pretty body mechanics is no match for reaction time, distance control, and killer instinct (and I have the scrapes and bruises to prove it).

What did you learn from other people this week? If you think you learned nothing, you might need to open your heart and your eyes.

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Posted in Green, Martial arts, Writing

Tagged family, friends, learning, wisdom, yogi berra

Lunges 100,Pikes 25,P/ups full stop 25,G

Posted on September 15, 2013 | Leave a comment

Lunges 100,Pikes 25,P/ups full stop 25,Getups 25,100 Yard Dash 2,Wall Touches 100,P/ups finger tip 25 @cabal_fang #WOD

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Posted in Martial arts

Introducing My Wiki

Posted on September 12, 2013 | Leave a comment

For years I’ve been calling the fictional universe my characters call home The Redneck Ul Universe. Yeah, I know, it’s stupid. But you can’t help the weird names your head comes up with. It is named in honor of (a) the numerous redneck characters which inhabit the universe and for (b) the as-yet-unfinished Ul Trilogy.

I originally created the Redneck Ul Wiki so that I could keep track of dates and facts, and also so that I could make new connections between story lines and spawn new relationships and ideas. But now I’m making it public so that my fans can have fun poking around.

Go check it out, but pardon the blanks and typos. You’ll find details that didn’t make it into my books, character bios (some of which from unreleased material), information on half-formed stories and pending projects, links to the conlang I developed for the Ghilan series, and much much more.

I make Wiki updates on Tuesday mornings, so check back often. And if you’re interested in writing a story featuring characters in my universe, let me know.