I want your opinion
Like the vine of the grape, if we don’t grow and climb we wither and get overgrown. Gotta keep moving! So I need a new name for this weekly post, something to give it appeal beyond just martial arts since there are four segments — a martial drill, a fitness complex, a primitive/nature skill, and a spiritual exercise. Please vote for one of the suggestions below or make original suggestions in the comments.
Vote for the November Mettlecraft Challenge
November is Mettlecraft Month at Cabal Fang, and if you plan on playing along (here’s what we did in 2018 and 2019), please make your suggestions in the poll below. Pick one of the options or make your own original suggestions!
If you’re new in these parts, you should know that people who engage with the content by doing some of the work and/or posting in the comments have been known to get discount coupons for books and merch from Mitch’s General Store.
These weekly T.I.s support my martial arts programs — Cabal Fang (non-profit martial arts for personal development) and Bobcat Martial Arts (Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble martial arts).
Now let’s stop tootin’ and start shootin’.
Quizzical: Martial Arts T.I. #231
- Do you warm-up thoroughly for at at least 8 minutes before you train? Do 2-3 minutes each of (a) jumping rope (b) light calisthenics and (c) shadowboxing, forms, or light heavy bag work, or 8 minutes of MBF.
- Do you train with a purpose, or do you just sort of wing it? Complete 3 x 3:00/1:00 max power rounds on the heavy bag. Just because the monthly focus is wrestling doesn’t mean you shouldn’t practice your striking. If you insist on maintaining focus, lay down your floor bag and get busy on some ground ‘n’ pound. Whatever you, make sure the emphasis is on power this time, and always make sure you have a focus. For more on this topic, you see the “S.A.F.E. M.P.” protocol from my e-book Martial Grit available from Smashwords, B&N, or iTunes.
- Have you done this month’s constitutional yet?
Every constitutional back to 2009 is archived online at https://www.cabalfang.com/monthly-constitutionals
If so, pick one of the previous ones and do that (see pic at right). If not, here it is: Sit-out Push-ups (25), Ploughs (25), Pikes (25), Neck Crunches (25 ea. direction), Zombie Squats (50), Bear Walks (100 yards), and Jackknifes (25). Beginners, go slow and just try to finish (but listen to your body and don’t overdo it). Intermediates, aim to finish in less than 20 mins. Advanced, aim for under 15 mins and, if you succeed, go back and do 20% more (5 more of the 25-rep exercises, 10 more Zombies Squats, and so on).
- Have you been outside recently? Do something outdoors that your normally do indoors. Read a book, eat a meal, play guitar, do arts and crafts, do your physical training, etc. I recently moved all of my training outdoors — 100%. See video below.
Do you guide your habits, or they guide you? Manipulate your subconscious using rituals and habits. This month’s symbol is the Luminaries (the two lights that rule the day and night skies — check out the intro here). One of the many things the Luminaries symbolize is the relationship between your subconscious/body and your conscious/mind. The conscious/mind (“the Sun”) may want to stick with that diet, avoid that addiction, or adhere to that plan. The Sun can shine as brightly as it wants. But sooner or later night will fall, the Moon will rise, and the subconscious/body will be in charge. Train your subconscious/body using the four tried-and-true methods that have been used since ancient times: contemplation, meditation, prayer, and — perhaps the most powerful one of all — ritual. Allow the power of rituals and habits to provide direction to your subconscious/body. Set and keep schedules sleeping/waking. Do positive things in the same ways, at the same times, and/or at the same places — join clubs with which you share positive goals, start going to church on certain days, and so forth. Swap good things for bad and plug them into existing habits. If you always stop for coffee and a doughnut on the way to work and you’re trying give up sweets for your health, try stopping at a different place to make a healthier choice. If you always meet friends for beers on Friday nights, but you’re trying to give up drinking, see if you can get them to join you for a run instead — their choice might surprise you. If they won’t join you, widen the invite and be a leader.- Are you regularly writing in your journal? Do the work, the external and internal, and write about what you did and thought in your journal (by the way, this is another way to train your subconscious). And remember, if it ain’t in the training journal it didn’t happen!
TWO MARTIAL ARTS DISTANCE LEARNING PROGRAMS AVAILABLE. 100% free and operated through my non-profit, Cabal Fang is martial arts for personal development, self-defense and fitness. Bobcat Frontier Martial Arts is just $19.99/month and that’s your choice if you’re interested in Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble — the fighting arts, survival skills, lifeways and ethos of the colonial and indigenous peoples of North American during the frontier period (1607 – 1912). What are you waiting for — enroll today!
9 minutes of real-life action. Find a section of fence near a dead tree, or set up a couple of sawhorses and a 2×4 near one (never needlessly harm a live tree). Take your axe and your weapon of choice, gloves and goggles. If you’re working in a gym, stack up plyo-boxes and sub tire and sledge, dull training weapon and heavy bag. Set timer for 1:30 intervals. Vault over the obstacle for 1:3o, then axe the tree for 1:30, then attack with your weapon for 1:30. Run through twice for a total of 9 mins, no breaks. Beginners, work on accuracy, form and grace and leave tools at stations. Advanced folks, take a dull weapon with you on the vaults, attack as you clear the obstacle, and use a live weapon on the tree. Note: The essence of an axe is accuracy. Even if you are subbing a sledge and a tire, aim to hit a literal pinpoint. If this looks fun, create more sessions in a similar vein using Frontier Rough ‘n’ Tumble Fitness Dice © 
Then get into Side Control with the “head” of the bag on your right. Hands out to the side — the floor is lava! — insert your L knee into opponents imaginary “guard” to take Top Saddle. Then extract R foot with good form and go t0 Side Control with head of bag on your left. Go back and forth for one minute. For the next minute, pop into Shin Ride, punch-punch, switch to other shin (or into Hamburger Ride) punch-punch, and repeat until timer beeps. Keep going until you’ve done 3 sets of each. If you liked this drill, get yourself some 
Intellectually there are two sides to every argument, and you must engage the other side with sincerity. Emotionally we must remember that we are possessed of both a conscious and a subconscious, each illuminating the light and dark sides of ourselves. Scientifically we cannot behave as if we are machines immune to the phases of nature. Do you sleep all day, stay up all night, ignore your body’s needs for adequate sleep, sun on your skin, and so forth? Do you even know what the current moon phase is? Finally, and most importantly, we must see the luminaries mystically. There are two lights — God, who lights up Heaven, and you, who light up the World. You must be as much like God as you can, following His example and lighting up the World with all your might.
This is the last T.I. in the September focus of grappling, so this week we’re going sop up every bit of our grappling gravy before we move on to October.
Robert Mitchell Jr. 