50 Russian Squats, 25 Jacknifes, 50 Pris

50 Russian Squats, 25 Jacknifes, 50 Prison Pushups, 100 Jump Squats, 100 Crunches, 25 Broad Jumps @cabal_fang #WOD

15 rounds of: 100 yard Sprint, 10 Squats

15 rounds of: 100 yard Sprint, 10 Squats, 10 Pushups @cabal_fang #WOD

“Fight” by Eugene S. Robinson

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Have I blogged about this book before? Can’t remember. Must be getting old, or maybe punched in the head too many times. What the hell. It’s good enough that, if so, it bears blogging twice.

Although the subtitle of the book is “everything you ever wanted to know about ass-kicking but were afraid you’d get your ass kicked for asking” it is not what it seems to be at first glance: a coffee table celebration of violence.

It is an examination of fighting from all angles that contains plenty of nuance and heart, a metric ton of  journalism, and a big fat syringe full of testosterone-fueled humor.

Robinson has chops. Writing chops (contributor to Vice, GQ, L.A. Weekly), fighting chops (martial artist, former bouncer), and artistic chops (lead singer of the boundary-crushing band Oxbow). His writes the way Ali used to fight. He’s all over the ring, peppering you with jabs, stinging you with crosses from all angles, everywhere at once. Yet, through it all, he never loses control of the ring.

I checked the book out of the library years ago and never forgot it.  The other day I wanted to read it again. So I bought a used copy from Alibris.com.

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Buy yourself a copy. Chapter 13 “I Killed a Man” (which deals with the aftermath of killing someone in self-defense) is alone worth the price of the book.

Vacation Sketch

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Last week I went to upstate NY on vacation to visit relatives.  Not a place I’d want to live — too remote and far too cold in winter — but it’s beautiful country.  And a nice place to get a break from Virginia’s heat.

Here are some of the sketches I did as I was looking out over the St. Lawrence River.

Full Pyramid to 9 of: Squats (x2), Pushu

Full Pyramid to 9 of: Squats (x2), Pushups, 25 meter Sprints @cabal_fang #WOD

AMRAYC in 7 mins of 10 Squats 60# sandba

AMRAYC in 7 mins of 10 Squats 60# sandbag, 10 Knuckle Pushups @cabal_fang #WOD

To Readers of the Cabal Fang Manual

Update 11/28/18.  I’m cringing as I look back at this old post from 7/30/2014.  How crappy and creepy the original book cover looked!  It’s all out of focus and the imagery looks like a skinhead’s fantasy.  And then I proceed to whine about nobody participating.  No wonder!  What was I thinking?  I marketed a mediocre product and then blamed consumers for not lapping it up.  What a ninny I was just four years ago.  Know what’s scary?  I’m way more mature, exacting and on the ball today than I was then.  But what are the bazillion flaws that I have right now that I’m not aware of yet?  What’s festering in my blind spot as I type this?  Oh well, there’s always a new discovery on the horizon and another shortcoming to overcome.  Onward and upward!

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7/30/2014: Don’t get me wrong — I’m thrilled that my book has become so popular — it’s just that, despite the book’s popularity, there don’t seem to be many people starting up working clubs to practice it.  And I’m having a little trouble working out why.  You’d think that, with over 5,000 downloads of the book, there would be at least a few dozen clubs.

Is it because Cabal Fang is lodge-styled martial arts, complete with secret initiations?  I find that hard to believe when there are over 5 million Freemasons worldwide.  I mean, we’re not masons or affiliated with masons, but clearly lodge-type activities aren’t an issue for most folks.

Is it too self-service, requiring too much personal responsibility and self-education on the part of members?  Is it because the physical fitness demands posed by the Constitutionals are too great?  Or is it because membership is always free, and people think that there’s no way free stuff could be any good?

I just don’t get it.

If you read the Cabal Fang Manual, and you haven’t started a club (we call them “Orders“) please help me out.  Take a moment to tell me why in the comments below.

T-shirts are Ready!

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REMITCHELLJR.COM t-shirt — feature art by yours truly.

T-shirts are ready, and they’re on sale for $8.00 — go get yourself one here.

Now you can literally wear your support for me — writer, martial artist, and mystic Robert Mitchell Jr — on your sleeve!

Art by yours truly.  It really is quite fetching, don’t you think?

100% pre-shrunk cotton, heavy-duty 6 oz (“Lofteez”) in assorted colors.

12 rnds of 16 Tire Hops, 8 Tire Vee-ups,

12 rnds of 16 Tire Hops, 8 Tire Vee-ups, 8 Tire Pushups @cabal_fang #WOD

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You are God, and You are with God

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