Tag Archives: WOD

The Tentacle Porn Reclassification (and your WOD)

Posted on November 6, 2015 | Leave a comment
Here's the cover to my new supernatural romance eBook bundle. Pretty, huh?

Here’s the cover to my new supernatural romance eBook bundle. Pretty, huh?

Out of the frying pan and into the fire.

For some reason I had this idea that my books would fare better if reclassified as Supernatural Romance instead of as Horror.   Maybe it had been preconceived notions or simple machismo that had clouded my eyes before,  but I had the realization that my novels were actually romances.

So that’s where I put them.

And this morning I scoped out the competition, and what do I see?  Books with titles that include words like BBW, Sexy, Wild, Penetration, Lust, Erotic, and so on. I’m up against a bundle called “Monster Lovers” which apparently contains “Tentacles, Demons and Slenderman, Nonhuman, Kinky, Fetish, Supernatural, Impregnation, Pagan, Paranormal Erotica.”

Wonderful.  I mean, to each his own.  I’m not hating — read what you want.  I’m just a little disappointed because I had hoped to find my books lined up with similar books.  Is that so much to ask?

If you want to pre-order out my Supernatural/Paranormal Romance Bundle — which contains non-explicit sex between caring partners but no tentacle porn — here are the links.

Calis Codex cover final for web

I also wrote a calisthenics book that ‘s selling like hotcakes. Gitcha some.

And now for your WOD:

  • AMSAYC in 11 minutes of 8 Fingertip Push-ups, 8 Twisters, and 8 (per leg ) Front Lunges.
  • 4 x 3:00/1:00 of Weapon Combos vs. air.  Go hard or go home — full power practical combos from close to long range.    Combo Example with Cane: Two-handed bracing strike to face, two-handed poke x3 (high, low, mid-section), clearing maneuver x3, overhand figure 8 x3.  Alternate hands/stances.

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Hey Guys, Let’s Circle Up (and Your WOD)

Posted on November 5, 2015 | Leave a comment

It’s getting dark early now that we’ve done the whole Daylight-Savings-Time-Fall-Back-thing.  Pretty soon the martial arts club will be going to Winter hours, canceling Tuesday nights and meeting Saturday afternoons only.

I shot this video on Tuesday.  This is the blessing with which we close all our meetings.  Gotta say, my guys are the best.

And now for your two-part WOD.  This is only 20 minutes, but trust me, you’ll be pushing some serious carbon dioxide around your workout space.

  1. Sandbag Workout. Choose a bag at least 15% body weight and complete AMSAYC in 10 mins of 10 Prisoner Get-ups and 10 Squat-Curl-Presses.
  2. Ground Fighting Conditioner #1.  Set timer for two minutes and take as few 12 second breaks as possible:
  • Circle the bag: Forearms on bag and toes on floor are only points of contact.  Circle the bag using only legs and feet, alternating directions, until the timer beeps.
  • Mount the bag: Strike 10 times as hard as you can. Body lock the bag, barrel-roll, regain mount, and repeat until the timer beeps.
  • Roll the bag: Lay on your back with heavy-bag perpendicularly on top of your body.  Roll it up and down across torso, pushing and pulling like a rolling pin.  From time to time, press up the bag and let it drop on your torso to maintain your tolerance for the stresses of wrestling.  Continue for entire round.
  • Defend the bag: Lay on your back with back on top of you longways.  Push up the bag w/ left hand and strike it five times with the right, then switch and strike with the left hand.  Repeat for two minutes.
  • Side Mount the bag: Scissor legs each direction 3 times, then scramble over bag with forearms and toes only.  Repeat.  When the timer beeps, you’re done.

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My Tajine Recipe, More Temple Pics, and your WOD

Posted on November 4, 2015 | Leave a comment
The Cabal Fang Temple in the morning fog.

The sun rises behind The Cabal Fang Temple in the morning fog.

Every since I read the book Wind, Sand and Stars by Antoine De Saint-Exupery I’ve had a fascination with North Africa and its flavors.  I experimented with Moroccan cooking and spiced coffees for months, and then I kind of got out of it.  Then last night, out of the blue, I started craving all those crazy spices.  So I made this — my first Tajine.

wpid-20151103_195341.jpgMitch’s Quick ‘n’ Dirty Tajine*

  • 1 lb. Free Range Ground Beef
  • 2 sweet potatoes boiled and cubed
  • 1 cups of cooked fresh or frozen peas
  • 1 cup cooked brown rice
  • 1 snack-sized box of raisins
  • 1 can of diced tomatoes with onion and garlic
  • 1 teaspoon of cumin (or more to taste)
  • 1 teaspoon of cinnamon (or more to taste)
  • 1/2 teaspoon of salt or to taste
  • optional: a dash of Cobra Spice Mix

Brown beef and drain while  your peeled and cubed  sweet potatoes are boiling and your brown rice is cooking.  When done, add all of it the pot.  Throw in peas, raisins, tomatoes and spices.  Put a lid on it and let it bubble on very low heat until heated through.  Like most stews, it’s much better on the second day after the spices settle in and permeate the ingredients.  This is two servings for me, which means it’s actually four servings.

And now for your Cabal Fang WOD.

  • Dumbbells: 6 x 12 of Two-handed Bench Presses, Curl-ups, and Goblet Squats (should take about 20 minutes).
  • Standing Contemplation: Set timer to beep every minute and change stances when it does.  Do Horse stance (thighs parallel to floor), Left Front (left thigh parallel to floor), Right Front (right thigh parallel to floor), Left Back, Right Back, Left Crane, Right Crane, and Horse once more.  Total 8 minutes.

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* I know, Tajine is supposed to be ladled over couscous.  But I don’t eat white carbs, and very rarely even brown rice or wheat bread.  So I subbed brown rice and threw it all together in the same pot.

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A Filthy Little Workout

Posted on October 27, 2015 | Leave a comment
Calis Codex cover final for web

If you like this workout, you might like my eBook “The Calisthenics Codex.” Click this pick to check it out.

Yesterday I was so busy talking about the new three book bundle I have out on preorder right now that I forgot to share the Cabal Fang Workout of the Day.  So, without further delay, here it is…

  • Dumbbells. 5 x 12 of Military Press, Rear Lunges, 2-Handed Tricep Ext., Ripcords.  Rest 30 secs between sets (this should take 15 – 20 minutes).
  • Rest 1 minute.
  • Deck of Cards Original Combo. Remove Jokers, shuffle deck, and place face down on floor.  Flip top card.  Black = Push-ups, red = Squats.   Hold last position while flipping next card — deep squat or one-handed plank.  Aces = 10, face cards = 12.  Finish the whole deck and it’s 200 Push-ups and 200 Squats.  Finish it faster than 20:50 and you have me beat.

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Three Realizations and Your WOD

Posted on October 21, 2015 | Leave a comment

It’s funny how, if you don’t give up, your spiritual and intellectual vision gets ever more acute and insightful.  I think that’s what they call wisdom?  Anyway, I’ve had several significant realizations lately, all of which coalesced after reading the Alan Watts book and the D. W. Hauck book.

And those realizations, in no particular order, are:

  1. What I actually study should properly be called “the ageless wisdom” or “the perennial philosophy.”  “Occult” is a stupid choice of words that’s really off-putting to 99% of the population.  The word “occult” is damaged goods, now suitable only for horror films.  Kind of like Tsuguharu Foujita’s mustache immediately reminds everyone of a certain genocidal maniac.  I’ve talked about poor word and symbol choice before.  How could I be so dumb?
  2. Cabal Fang, the martial art I founded in 2008, isn’t really a Western martial art as much as it is a world martial art.  East and West are increasingly meaningless distinctions.  Just because it was born in the Western hemisphere doesn’t mean it’s Western, necessarily.
  3. I’ve been setting my sights too low.  Why do I always allow myself to be hammered flat onto the anvil of mediocrity?  I do not want to write books that a few people enjoy or that make a few bucks.  I want to write books that change the world, and I will not write another book unless I think it is going to be the best of it’s kind that has ever been written. 

wpid-20151021_070131.jpgAnd now for your WOD, which is a “mega-Tabata” that will take you 24 minutes.

  • Part 1 — Dumbbells.  Select dumbbells each no less than 10% of your body weight.  Set timer for 24 x :20/:10 and cycle through Squat/Press, Shrugs, and Goblet Squats 8 times.  Each round complete as many as you can during the :20 and rest for the :10.
  • Part 2 — Static Slow Kicks.  Set timer for 24 x :20/:10 and cycle through Lead Leg Roundhouse, Lead Leg Side Kick, and Lead Leg Push Kick.  Change stance and do it again.   Repeat 3 more times.  Execute kicks very slowly and with perfect form (no more than 5 or 6 kicks per :20 round).

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Striking Accuracy Drill

Posted on October 14, 2015 | Leave a comment

wpid-20151014_074134.jpgCan you still punch accurately when your arms are gassed?  Use today’s Cabal Fang WOD to answer that question.

  1. Dumbbells:  Complete 4 x 10 of Military Press, Squats, Pump Curls, Squat/Curl/Press with 1 min. rest between sets.  Start first set with 25% of your SSM, then 50%, 75%, and finally 100%.  This should take about 12 mins.
  2. Rest 1 minute.
  3. Punching Accuracy Drill: Set timer for 3 x 3:00/1:00.  For each 3 min leg, hit your double-end ball with solid combos while executing clean shoulder pops to dodge the returns.  During each 1 min break, practice your tennis ball grabs, alternating hands.
  4. Total elapsed workout time: 25 mins.

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Unplugging for a Vacation

Posted on August 28, 2015 | 1 comment
This rainbow popped up after a storm last week. I sat at the stop sign, rolled down the window, and snapped this shot.

This rainbow popped up after a storm last week. I sat at a stop sign, rolled down the window, and snapped this shot.

Next week there will be no posts.  I’m going on vacation, and I’m unplugging from all electronic devices for the full seven days.  If you aren’t doing this at least once a year, I highly recommend giving it a try.  I have the most amazing insights and creative ideas whenever I unplug.

Sure, unplugging for just a day or two is cool, but it takes a couple of days for your brain to settle into a different rhythm.  Do it for a whole week or more to get the maximum benefit.

Same goes for working out.  Twice a year minimum, please do yourself a favor and take a full week of rest.  Don’t workout at all and eat whatever you want for a whole week.  If you aren’t taking at least two weeks off each year you are over-training.

Now for the Cabal Fang WOD.

Dumbbell HIIT: Set timer for rounds of :40/:10 and select two dumbbells of appropriate weight (I used #10 and I weigh in at #138).  Complete 6 sets of the following exercises , completing as many as you can for :40 and resting for :10. Pump Curls, Squats, Plank Rows, Lunges, and Squat Presses (that’s 30 rounds, a total of 20 minutes).

Be back in a week!

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High Clouds, Low Kicks

Posted on August 20, 2015 | Leave a comment

wpid-20150819_170226.jpgDriving home from work last night, the sky was amazing.  I felt as though I could roll down the window, unclip my seatbelt, slide out the window, and soar like a blue jay into swirling clouds illuminated by the sun.

Are birds not angels?  If a bird were to come and light upon our hand and allow us to caress its wing, could we smell the dew of the heavenly clouds or taste the electricity of coming storms?  What unknowable, mysterious and majestic secrets must the songbird know?

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wpid-20150820_072426.jpgThis morning’s Cabal Fang Workout of the Day:

Dumbbells: 4 x 15 of Military Press, Two-handed Squat Press, Two-handed Triceps Extension, Front Lunge, Swing-throughs.

350 Low Kicks (with full power and good form):  75 Lead Roundhouse, 75 Rear Roundhouse, 50 Lead Sidekick, 50 Rear Sidekick, 50 Lead Chassé Frontal, 50 Rear Chassé Frontal.   I strapped a heavy bag to my forging post with hand wraps and Karate belts.  The lower of the two red hand wraps marks the sweet spot just over knee height.

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Super Cool News: Pentagons, Coffee, Islam, Bernie, and a WOD

Posted on August 19, 2015 | Leave a comment

First a magnificent miscellany of super cool news:

Now for your Cabal Fang workout of the day, one that’s a little more of a slow burn than the usual all-out ball-buster (I told you I was going to dial down the intensity a little).

PTDICE Half Pyramid‡ to 9 of: Steam Engines, Fist Push-ups, Back Crunches, Zombie Squats, Staggered Push-ups, Twisters, Regular Squats (this should take about 19 minutes).

Heavy Bag Half Pyramids: 5 x 3:00/1:00: Each round complete as many sequences as you can of 1 punch, 2 punches, 3,4,5, etc. up to 9 followed immediately by 1 kick, 2 kicks, 3,4,5, etc. up to 9 (dis-including the last 1: 00 break, this will take 19 minutes also).

wpid-20150819_071034.jpg

See the training DVD in the background?  I had the chance to train with Mssr. Dubreuil a few years back and it was a real treat. He’s a wizard with a stick and a true gentleman.

A Half Pyramid is 1 of each, 2 of each, 3 of each, etc. up to the max count. A Half Pyramid to 9 is a total of 45 exercises. Where p = the peak, the formula is p(p+1)/2.  In this case, that would be 9(9+1)/2 = 45.  Math is super cool.

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Disengaging Ruach, Engaging Neshamah

Posted on August 14, 2015 | Leave a comment
wpid-20150814_071215.jpg

A morning glory on my patio this morning. Don’t forget to stop and smell the roses. Or morning glory. Any flower will do.

I greeted the morning by reading a lovely post by Moma Fauna that reminded me that I need to breathe a little and generally chill out.  That’s one of the things I love about her blog.  It seems like every post is written just for me, like one of those pictures where the eyes seem to follow you no matter where you are in the room (only not creepy).

I think it’s time to engage my Neshamah and disengage my Ruach.  So I shifted my morning workout down a couple of gears and took a moment to walk around my yard and enjoy the flowers.

What’s a Ruach and a Neshamah?  Well, in Qabalah  there are four parts of the soul:

  1. Chiah – the life force, or unified cosmic soul
  2. Neshamah – the higher instincts, such as love, holiness, kindness, and so on
  3. Ruach – the logical, discerning, common sense soul
  4. Nefesh – the animal drives, hunger, thirst, sex drive, etc.

This is a useful way of looking at your spiritual self.  If you want to be physically fit, you work out your whole body.  If you want to be spiritually fit, you should work out all parts of your soul.  Every day isn’t Upper Body Day, and every day shouldn’t be Ruach day.

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And now for your 2-part Cabal Fang WOD (workout of the day).  Part 1 comes by way of the irrepressible Coach Mark Hatmaker.  It was in this morning’s LEGENDS Newsletter email.  If you want to get Legends in your email box, sign up here.

  • Get everything ready so you can run through each part without breaks.
  • Part 1: Select two dumbbells (#15/#20/#25 depending on your size).
  • Set timer for :30 intervals.  Do as many Push Presses as you can for :30, then “rest” for :30 with your arms locked overhead in the up position.  Cycle through twice more.
  • Complete 3 x 3:00/1:00 on the Heavy bag, all out.
  • Part 2: Get on your bike and ride for 30 minutes (if you don’t have a bike, do something else aerobic like jumping rope or jogging).  For the duration, keep your pace at “I can sort of talk but I definitely can’t sing.”

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