7 tips on making sure you get to training

It is so easy to sit on the couch in your underwear, eating bonbons and telling yourself that you will go to training on Monday and up for it on Monday. But often, when Monday rolls around the phantom motivation that you had  has vanished. For consistency in training you need to make it as easy for yourself going forward as possible. You want to put your future self in the mindset where getting from bed to gym or dojo is going to be as easy as possible. Try these tips to give your future self the very best chance of making it to the gym and achieving your goals. 

1. Get enough sleep. 

At 18 you could party all night, rise fresh the next day, and still be a champion in the gym. In my experience, the older I get the more a good night's sleep is essential for my well being and performance. Establishing a healthy sleep pattern of waking and going to bed at the same time is a big part of this. If you can wake up feeling refreshed, your chances of making it to a workout improve massively. Now obviously everyone is different and not everyone needs exactly the often quoted 8 hours of sleep per night but make an effort to keep an eye on how much you are sleeping and how you feel in the morning. Once you have an idea of how much rest puts you at your best, then commit to getting that every night.  

2. Easy on the booze.  

The best way to ruin your next day of training is by drinking alcohol the night before. A glass of wine or a beer with dinner might not affect you, but any more than that improves your chances of performing poorly, if you can even make it to the gym at all. A hangover is a major motivation killer and a great excuse to prevent you from doing anything of value. 

3. Pack your bag the night before. 

The act of thinking about and preparing for your training the next day will steel your resolve to complete the task you set out to do. Pack your gym stuff in your bag and leave it in plain sight. This will remind you of all the good intentions you had the night before and spur you on out the door or, at least, make you feel a bit guilty about being lazy. It will also speed your exit if you lose track of time which leads us to... 

4. Leave with time to spare.

We have all been there: heading to the gym, bag packed ready to workout, well rested and looking forward to the day's activities, when, disaster strikes! You get stuck in traffic, the subway train is delayed, and you check your watch - only five minutes till your class is due to start! You would have been right on time if everything had gone according to plan, but the NYC subway had other ideas. Oh well, you shrug, these things happen. I will make it next time. If your class allows you to come in late then, by all means, still show up and enjoy a workout.  However, taking advantage of this concession all the time is really rude. So always give yourself 15 spare minutes for any little travel disasters that might befall you. You can use any extra time at the gym or dojo to stretch, loosen up, or chat. 

5. Set a goal.

Will is a skill. The single biggest barrier to you not achieving what you want to is simply not wanting it enough. You may say that you want to lose that big belly. You may tell your friends that you want to learn to defend yourself. But how much do you really? Cultivate a spirit of passion and a drive for your goals. Write them down, visualise them in your head, and imagine the feeling of acheving your black belt. Get excited! you have to want it or you will never get it. Set your goals and hustle. 

6. Just go and see how you feel.

If you are sore or tired and just do not feel like you can physically cope with training, then say to yourself that you will just show up and see how you feel. If I can make it to the dojo, then by the time I arrive the atmosphere that greets me just stepping through the door is energising. Even if I train when I am tired, I never regret a training session once it is finished. Just showing up to your training centre will help you progress. If you play tennis, show up and just watch the better players. If you do Judo just go and watch the blackbelts. You can absorb lots of useful information just watching. Furthermore, it reinforces the habit of attending and  prevents you slowly turning into a hermit. 

7. Arrange to meet someone. 

Be it a friend that you want to start woking out with, someone from your gym or dojo, or a personal trainer, you are far less likely to miss an appointment if you know that your buddy will be left in the lurch. Likewise, you can help motivate your friend when he is feeling lazy. If you want to take this a step further, then hiring a personal trainer is a super-charged method for two reasons: (1) if you bail on a session, then you wasted your money, and (2) they are fitness and motivation experts who have a wealth of experience relating to your needs and goals. 

So, there you have it. If you really want it then go get it! 

6 tips for surviving an armed robbery

When going about your day-to-day life the threat of armed robbery is probably very low on your list of worries. Even though your chances of being a victim are slim, the fact is there are thousands of muggings a year in the USA and there is a chance you could be one of the unlucky ones. Preparing for the worst and hoping for the best is part of the martial arts ethos, so in this article I will share some key tips for surviving an armed robbery. 

1. Stay Calm 

When being accosted by an armed mugger your body will flood with adrenaline. People who are not used to these extremely high stress situations have no way of knowing how they will react . Do not behave in a way that will add more drama to an already highly volatile situation. You may want to flee the scene, or attempt to fight, or resist the robber. You may feel like screaming, or you may feel like shutting down and not moving or responding. Fighting these responses will give you the best chance of surviving the situation. Take a deep breath and be compliant with what the crook demands. 

2. Always be compliant 

The most important rule of surviving an armed robbery is to be compliant with the robber's demands. A mugger's goals are pretty basic; intimidate you into parting with your cash and valuables as fast as possible and then make a swift getaway. Remember, someone who is mugging you is a very desperate person. They may be on drugs and will likely not respond well to resistance. Do not give a volatile person any reason to use a weapon on you which could result in injury, or worse, for yourself or others around you. 

3. Talk your way to safety 

When a mugger approaches you and makes his intent to rob you known make it clear that you will not hinder him. Put your hands up and say "take whatever you want", then talk your way through the process. If he says "give me your wallet" then before you reach for it let him know you are reaching for it by saying "I am reaching for my wallet now". Quickly and unexpectedly  thrusting your hand into your jacket pocket and whipping out your wallet may startle the thief and cause him to react unfavourably. Make slow, deliberate movements and talk the robber through what you are doing. 

4. Do not be a hero

Your life is far more important than any material possession you could be carrying with you and if the robber is armed with a gun or a knife then chances are extremely high that you will get hurt, or worse, if you try to disarm or attack the robber. Even for someone like myself, who is a highly trained martial artist with over a decade of experience, I still would not risk trying to disarm a mugger. Let me put it this way, even if there is a 99% chance that I would be successful in disarming the crook it is simply not worth risking my life over. So, swallow your pride and realise that sometimes discretion is the better part of valour.

5. Pay close attention 

While the robbery is underway study the thief and take in as much information about him as you can. His face and attire, his build. Does he have any distinguishing marks like tattoos or scars? Does he have a particular accent? All of this information may be useful to the police. If he leaves the scene in a car try to remember the licence plate. As soon as the thief is out of view call the police straight away and inform them.  Then write down as much as you can remember or make a voice memo in your phone. Your memory can play tricks on you so make the reminder while it is still fresh. 

6. Keep an eye on your mental state 

Even thought you remained calm, controlled your emotions and got through the experience unscathed dealing with a terrifying event like an armed robbery can take a great toll on your mental state. If you feel unsettled and shaken speak to a trained counsellor; it will be helpful to mentally process what has happened. 

So, commit these tips to memory and internalise their message. Plan for the worst and hope for the best. 

Three amazing true stories of a choke hold saving the day

We have all seen it on TV shows and movies countless times: the spy/soldier/kung fu master sneaking up behind an adversary and rendering them unconscious with a Vulcan nerve pinch or a swift karate chop. So effortless, so easy, so cool. While this looks great on the big screen  the chances of it working in real life are almost zero. However, there is a real-life technique that is  effective and is one of the first grappling attacks a martial arts student learns. The rear naked choke, when applied correctly, compresses the carotid arteries preventing blood entering the brain and rendering the recipient unconscious - in as little as two seconds. Once the hold is released consciousness is regained quickly with no lasting effects. Here are three stories all featuring extreme bravery and a choke hold. 

63 year old man protects his wife and subdues robber 

Five foot six Fred Kemp and his wife were getting into their car one night in Florida when out of the darkness came a man threatening them with a gun. Fearing for his wife's safety Mr Kemp reacted immediately. All his martial arts skill, honed as a university wrestler many years before, came rushing back.

"He started to hit me" a bruised but cheerful Mr Kemp explained, "so I reacted from there. I got him out into the street and held his arm. I foot-swept him down and I was trying to get a hold of the gun. He banged me up a little bit but my main concern was the gun".

Mr Kemp's training kicked in in earnest and he applied a rear naked choke to the robber, who fell unconscious enabling Mr Kemp to disarm him. Mr Kemp was then able to hold him down until the police arrived.

"He asked me to let him go when I had him down," Mr Kemp said. "I said, 'No, I'm not going to do that.'

Even out-of-practice martial artists can fall back on their skills when they are threatened. Clearly Mr Kemp's instincts stuck with him and he was smart enough to rely on his wrestling when danger found him.  

Boy Tackles pit bull and saves friend and her puppy 

Nine year old  Drew Heredia was out with his friend Susie. They were taking Susie's dog, a dachshund puppy, for a walk when all of a sudden a ferocious pit bull rottweiler crossbreed  jumped out on them and snatching up the puppy in his jaws began shaking it wildly. Susie rushed forward to save her puppy. Her challenge prompted the snarling dog to drop the puppy and turn its attentions to Susie biting her viciously in the leg.  

Without hesitating, Drew leapt on the savage dog and applied the rear naked choke hold he had been learning at his local Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu school.  The dog loosened its grip and Susie was able to escape. 

"It was kind of a heart pounding moment." Drew said "It was very scary."

Drew held and subdued the aggressive dog in the choke hold for 20 minutes until animal control officers arrived.

Susie was taken to hospital and treated for puncture wounds. Her injuries would have been a lot worse had it not been for the quick thinking and bravery of Drew. The little dachshund was not badly injured. It ran away during the attack and returned home of its own accord later that day. 

Father takes out cinema gunman with rear naked choke

Ben Ahmed, a BJJ student living in France, was at the cinema with his two children. As they were queuing with the rest of the patrons to get their tickets a man stormed in brandishing a shotgun. He robbed the cashier and began moving down the line to rob the terrified customers of their valuables and cash. 

"I went to the movies with my two kids - my daughter and son. - We had planned to go see the movie Superman and went to 21:30 in the queue to get our tickets when I saw a man come up with a shotgun" Ben said 

"I realized that it was neither a police officer nor a practical joke because the cashier immediately started calling for security.”

Ben was reminded of  recent atrocities involving gunmen that had just taken place in the USA including a man opening fire in a crowded cinema costing numerous innocent people their lives. He resolved to do something. 

"My protective instinct overcame the fear… When this gentleman walked past me, I asked my kids to be quiet by telling them that I would come back. It was instinctive, I didn’t think about it, I just saw that there were other people there, other children."

“So I hid behind him, I followed about 8-10 meters and when I felt ready, I grabbed him by using a jiu jitsu method (rear naked choke) then I put him down and switched to side-control to make him release his shotgun.”

Ben restrained the man until the police arrived and then amazingly still went and watched the movie with his children afterwards. 

"I wanted to go and watch it because I thought that would make the incident less traumatic for my children." 

Ben's cool composure, bravery and technique saved not only the day but his family day out.