Last week I warned you not to get distracted by “viral” training methods, tools, and techniques promising easy results. This week I’m encouraging you not to freak out over another “viral” phenomenon — coronavirus a.k.a. COVID-19.
Something’s always “going viral.” Most of it is either snake oil (like the Thighmaster or the Versaflex) or drama (gossip or train wrecks). Both are wastes of time, money and attention.
So — what about the real virus that’s “going viral” right now — COVID-19? Is this all just manufactured drama? No sir.
This is not a drill. COVID-19 is for real.
Which reminds me of a clever atheist quip I heard recently (as a member of the clergy, I spend a lot of time witnessing to atheists): “If God really wanted to save us, why didn’t he give us a good book about the germ theory of disease instead of the good book as in the Bible? He would’ve saved way more people.”
For an answer I turn to 1,500 year-old words of St. Augustine of Hippo.
“What grace is meant to do is to help good people, not to escape their sufferings, but to bear them with a stout heart, with a fortitude that finds its strength in faith.” ~ St. Augustine of Hippo
God didn’t “give us a book.” Hebrews and Christians wrote a bunch of books about what they learned from God, and they were brought together into a library of books called the Holy Bible. And God doesn’t solve our problems for us. God helped us a fish a couple of times, but His real goal was to teach us how to fish.
“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”
God helps those who help themselves. So follow the advice of the CDC — especially in the hand-washing department. Say your prayers, have faith, and be strong in God.
Antiviral: Martial Arts Training Involution #200
Gyms are a great place to expose yourself to diseases of all kinds. Good news is, you can exercise just find at home with this zero-equipment, solo training session.
- Warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes. I generally do 8 minutes of MBF or either 2-3 minutes each of (a) jumping rope (b) light calisthenics and (c) shadowboxing, forms, or light heavy bag work.
- Complete this month’s constitutional. Intermediate and advanced folks should be able to get this done in under 15 minutes: Lunges(50), Push-ups(50), Get-ups(25), Crunches 3-Way (25), Prisoner Squats (50), Wall Touches (100), and Sprints (25).
- 250 kicks as fast as you can. Set a timer and complete 250 kicks vs. air. Don’t to them in static isolation — do them in combos while you move around realistically. Intermediate and advanced should be able to get these done in under 10 minutes.
- “Antiviral” contemplation. Cool down for about 3 minutes, then set a timer for 10 minutes. Have a seat in your posture of choice and regulate your breathing. Leave your eyes open, and do not fidget, wiggle or scratch. Now think about exactly nothing. Clear your mind as completely as you can and allow yourself to stop thinking in words while maintaining total awareness of your surroundings.
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Robert Mitchell Jr. 