The Feds

Riding into the campsite I could not see the surrounding hills. The morning light exposed the mist blanketing the hills and waterways. It was chilly this morning, I was glad when the sun finally made it out from beyond the horizon. I am sure it did not get warmer for a while longer but the shear sight of it did the trick.

I got a call from friends that were visiting New York. They were going to be in town until Sunday night and I wasn’t going to let the opportunity off seeing them pass me by. I decided to skip Richmond and head straight to Washington DC to train at BETA. They had an 11 a.m. Saturday class that I was trying to get to. Made it with just a few minutes to spare and right away was greeted with friendly staff and a very inviting environment. I remember seeing these guys last WKA tournament and wanted to make sure I pay them a visit. I sat in on a class that coach Andrew Viloria was teaching. Here are some of the things we reviewed.

1. Warm up – 3 rounds of shadow boxing with stretching in between rounds.

2. Pad work – Several rounds of pad work, anything goes.

3. Elbows, elbows, elbows!

a. We worked the snap elbow, which is thrown left or right and comes out horizontally directly in front of you. Full rotation of the body and hips just like on a hook is very important.

b. Diagonal elbow has your right hand traveling to the left side of your head in a 45 degree line. Visa versa for the left hand.

C. Down ward elbow has elbow coming straight out and straight down. On this elbow make sure that elbow does not continue path of travel past the target. This will expose too much of yourself.

D. Upper cut elbow has the right hand motion upwards and past the right side of your face as though you are brushing the side of your hair back. Visa versa for your left hand.

E. Back elbow comes from rotating over from a different offensive move in the opposite direction and on the way out throwing a back elbow. For example; jab, cross, hook, and instead of rotating back after hook into fighting stance you point elbow outwards and drive it forward.

F. Thrusting elbow has you arm shoot straight up as though punching the sky, on the way down the elbow will bend and drive forward.

4. After that we had some light sparring for several rounds.

After class I wanted to go visit the Washington landmarks. My tours all have to be a condensed version and when I tried to get to the white house without having to park I knew It was going to take too much time. I did however notice the interesting layout of the majority of the city. All of the buildings are no taller than 12-14 stories. Congress passed a law restricting the construction of buildings to a maximum height of 130 ft (Height of Buildings Act of 1910). Makes for an interesting feel. The city, like a cake of glass, steel, and concrete cut up into blocks by the streets. All the pedestrians looked like they were up to something very politically important. Suits, ties, and business skirts seemed to not mind that it was a Saturday and were buzzing around like worker bees. Pressed on time I rode around for about 15 minutes and asked Siri to take me to New York.

Jumped on the Jersey Turnpike and ate up the miles. I stopped at a place to fill up and on my way out a random guy came up to me to start chatting. I told him what I was doing and he pulls out his wallet and hands me a $20 and gave me his daughters number saying that if I needed a place to stay in Chicago to call her. “God works in mysterious ways” he says as he turns and starts walking to his car. Its when you least expect it he shows himself and gently reminds you of his never ceasing presence.

Into the Hills

Woke up bright and early, not wasting a minute of daylight. Pulled the throttle back on cindy and kicked my feet back and headed into the hills. The road to Roanoke is right along the Smoky Mountains. The scenery comprised of rolling grassy hills, barns, and scattered houses that give way to fully wooded hills. Every time I come through Virginia I cant help but imagine her in a younger colonial time. More overgrown back then I am sure and settlements far and wide apart from each other. I stayed mostly on the interstate but veered off for lunch at a place I discovered last time I was exploring the area. If you are ever in the Roanoke area look for Bent Mountain Bistro.

Coordinated a visit to the Hybrid Martial Arts gym with Dennis Hayes and trained with the guys. I don’t typically do ground work but put my Thai shorts on and… yes I rolled in Thai shorts. We worked on variations to a single leg takedown from a clinch position with under arm control;

1. From the clinch push then pull rotating your partner to create some distance between his lead and rear leg. Place left arm over partners bicep for control. Drop your level to scoop up the separated lead leg and pull it up between your legs maintaining control of the bicep with you left hand. Your neck should be kept fully erect and pressed up against the center of your partner’s chest. Release control of bicep as you pivot clockwise dropping your hips to drop opponent.

2. Same as above all the way through dropping your partner. Instead push opponent back while having control of the leg. As soon as you push back pull back and raise up fully standing locking the partners leg under your armpit. Step through with right leg planting it in front of the standing leg of your partner. Pull your leg back and with your free hand push forward to sweep partner.

3. Defense of take down requires breaking head position of partner by pushing head down and placing your chest on the back of your partner between shoulders. Once control is established slide left hand in to control the bicep of the arm locking your leg in. Slide your leg out from in between partners legs to the outside of the thigh. Simultaneously push off with your leg (to the outside of the thigh), your shoulder (that is weighing down on the back), and arm that is controlling the bicep. This push breaks the grip allowing for your leg to escape.

4. If your partner gets to a position 3 where your leg is locked up under the armpit, turn and roll in the opposite direction of your opponent to escape.

I would like to spend more time in Roanoke sometime. It looks and feels so cozy nestled where it is at the edge of the Smokys. The hip and artsy crowd makes it even more inviting. I rode for another 30 miles and camped out in the smoky Mountains along the North Creek. Pulled into the campgrounds around 11:30. Complete silence except for the soft gurgling creek helped reset my hearing from listening to Cindy all day. The skies were clear and moon was bright. Took a minute to walk around, left the flashlight at the campsite and let the moonlight do its thing. So peaceful, no sound, no hustle and bustle, no worries.

When it rains

Got a glimpse of the sun at sunrise and that was the last I saw of it for the remainder of the day. Had breakfast at my coaches restaurant in Ashland City Tennessee. Nothing like some home style cooking from Sunrise Café. As I was finishing up breakfast the rain started up again and I was reminded of the hole in my rain gear that was burnt out by Cindy’s pipes. Get in line ladies, I cook, I clean, I build things, fix things, and Apparently am quite the Seamstress… or tailor. It only took me a whole hour, and a neck cramp, to sew on a piece of buffalo hide over the hole in my pants.

On the way out ran a few work errands in Nashville and hit the road around noon. By this time it was coming down hard and I had a 180 miles to book it to make it to a Muay Thai class at 6:30 in Knoxville TN. Whatever part of the body was exposed (in this case my hands) felt like it was being pelted with tiny razor blades at 70 MPH. My helmet is an open face, and I wear goggles and face protection. Goggles kept fogging up and more than half the time I would guess as to where the road is based off of the taillights of the other vehicles. Passed a few cool places that I did not have time to pull into. There is the y-12 security complex and nuclear power plant. The plant is where the atomic bomb, that was dropped on Japan, was developed. The y-12 Security complex is one of the world’s largest and most secure nuclear waste storage facilities. Several waterfalls also whizzed by. I really wanted to stop by Ozone Falls just outside of Knoxville but was pressed for time.

Made it to KRU Knoxville and trained with the guys there. Coach Jeremy Harris taught and here is what we reviewed;

1. Warm Up – Started going up and down the mats with a series of kick combinations.

a. Rear kick, step through, rear kick (if you are orthodox it would be right kick, land forward, left kick).

b. Rear kick fake by stepping right foot forward to plant and left kick.

c. Rear kick fake (rotate hip and drag foot to imitate rear kick), step through and left kick.

d. Rear kick fake by hopping and landing a left kick simultaneously with right foot landing on the ground from the hop.

2. Combination partner drills

a. Offensive partner throws a jab, cross. Defensive partner shells up to take punches to the forearms. Try setting this up with several jab, cross, hook combinations. Once your jab, cross lands step/hop back and do a switch (when your left and right feet switch places lead and trailing). As you switch your jab hand (in a switch position would be your cross) goes straight in to the body. Works well if defensive partner throws a jab in return in which case you parry with your cross hand, switch and cross to the body.

b. Same as above but from the parry rotate a bit more to return with a left shovel hook. Note that to land this you will need to be in closer range than the straight left, gauge your distance and step in on the parry to close the distance.

C. Same as above but from the parry left kick. You would parry with your right and essentially throw a switch kick.

D. Same as above but if you are too close for a kick, throw a switch knee.

3. Clinch Take down

A. Swim in for a single arm clinch. Right arm swims in and cups the crown of the head. Your left arm will grab over the inside of partners bicep. Hips come in close and your head is on the side of the hand grabbing the bicep (left). Bring your right knee to the inside of the right thigh of your partner. Simultaneously knee the inside of partner’s right thigh (just enough to lift its contact from the ground), lift your left elbow upwards (partner’s elbow is resting atop yours), and jerk with your right hand to the right. The object here is to get partner on a single axis on which to rotate and fall. The knee to the inside of the thigh breaks contact with the ground, making partner rely on one leg for balance. The lifting of your elbow tilts you partner in the intended direction, and the clinched hand pulls him to the right and downwards. There is no way the partner can remain standing.

Rode for a bit longer after class stopping by a full service Pilot station with a glorious shower. Staff knocked on my door several times to make sure I was ok, I just could not get out of that warm shower. Felt good to get all cleaned up before sleepy time. Day 2 made me realize how much work I have ahead of me. I was going to take back roads and stop by places to take in the scenery, but I feel it will end up costing too much time. I need to hit as many gyms, train, and spread the word about what it is that I am trying to accomplish. So I made the decision to rush through the start of the journey so I can better gauge my most valuable resource. That night was far better than the last, stayed warm and dry. Hung my hammock up at a rest area and slept for a few blissful hours. I didn't even have enough juice to take my gear off.

First dawn

Impatience, sometimes its a good thing. I ended up leaving early and have quite the head start to the chase. Left Atlanta Wednesday morning in the direction of Cloudland Canyon in NW Georgia. For all of you Atlantans this is a perfect getaway that is about a 2 hour drive from the city. Epic views, breathtaking waterfalls, and easy camping. Add this to your list!

Despite signs that warned of staying on trails I veered off, typical me. Ended up getting a bit turned around but got to see some spots that most people don't go down to see. That and stretched my legs for a good 7 mile hike. About a week or so ago a friend of mine informed me of her reaction to Poison Ivy or Oak or whichever it was, and she taught me how to identify it. When I approach an area that had no way around it but through the nasty little plants I cringed and decided to run through it to save some time…. It was…. uneventful. Was kind of upset, I wanted to see what that hurt felt like. I ended up not getting any reaction to it and frolicked in it a little longer just because. 

Finally made it back to the main trails and stopped by the main falls on the way out. Water was really low but still a fantastic site and swim.

The hike ended up taking a bit longer than expected so I needed to book it to Nashville to get some sort of training in at Bonafyde MMA and Sidthilaw Muay Thai. This IS my favorite gym. Its all family under that roof and I wish I could live in Nashville for the sake of training here. Champions are made in that gym, and they helped me train for and win 3 of my own fights. Below are some links to more information on this beast making laboratory. There was no classes but I got to do some strength training and see my Black Russian Brotha Irv Jones and my Kitty Kat Katherine Booker. That was the icing on the cake. 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Bonafyde-MMASidthilaw-Muay-Thai/107186342749132

http://fight4jc.com/partners

Decided to camp out overnight on the Cumberland River near Ashland City. On the way in the skies were so lit by lighting i could have easily rode the 20 some miles with my headlights off. The moon stuck around with me as long as it could, until the clouds bullied it into hiding.

 Made it and set up camp just in time to enjoy the storm! First it was calm and you could only see the lightening. It was dead quiet except for the fish jumping in the river in anticipation of the storm. I couldn't even hear any frogs, everything that had any life out of water was in hiding. They new something I didn't. Though I knew but wanted to stick around anyways. Eventually the leaves started to rustle a bit and the cover on my bike slowly waltz this way and that. The clanking of branches, thunder, and a prop like flapping of the bike cover and tent added to the mix just before the rain. And then the rain, by this time its about 1 AM. I just started to fall asleep in all the calamity, it was actually kind of soothing, and then the dripping started. There was no escaping it. I ended up sort of escaping it in a small 1/8 section of a 1 person tent. Slept rolled up into the fetal position until 4:30 am. By this time the rain had stopped so I got up to stretch my legs. As I was about to get back in I heard a bird sing, and then another. Ahead of me in the distance I could see daylight struggling its way trough the storm clouds. I could go back in, I sat with Cindy and watched the fight. Night didn't stand a chance, and submitted after about a 2 hour struggle. Giving way to the magic of tomorrow.

Seeking

Insomnia, I welcome it. A chance to gather your thoughts, focus them, and fire them like the 16” guns of a battleship on the unexpecting daylight that tomorrow brings. In about an hour I take off and hit the road. Many things running through my head, strongest of which is why I am doing this in the first place.

This trip has several purposes, and all are centered on this verse. “But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” Matthew 6:33. I buried a family friend last year, a young lad that passed away far too early. His passing shook me to the core, making me realize that we are just travelers passing through this life. The time that is given to us is precious and I had already invested far too much of it unwisely in ways that would make my creator hang his head in shame. So I reassessed the direction and path that I had previously chosen, and turned in the opposite direction and took of sprinting. Looking at it with the naked human eye it is a path less attractive. Looking at it through the vision that our father intended for us to see it, the path is lined with spiritual gold.

I wanted to serve those around me, and serve with a passion. I am a fitness freak and a recent practitioner and fighter within the Muay Thai form of Martial Arts. This is how Fight 4JC came to be. I wanted to take the passions that I have in life and directed them in a way that would help me change a the world around me into a better place. I had an urge to change the course of the future, and what better way to do it than through the generation that will have the reigns to it soon enough. There are many things that are backwards in this society. A backwards way of thinking has numbed the masses from qualities that were a required norm not but half a century ago. Honor, respect, dignity, integrity all took the back seat while the opposite took over. The younger generation rarely gets exposed to the qualities of a respectable man and woman. I was and am fed up. I want to bring all of these positive qualities back into the light and make them mainstream. The only way to do this is to get kids in an environment where these qualities are held in the highest regard.

If you haven’t ever been part of a Martial Arts gym there are a few things that need to be explained. Everyone is there to learn and sharpen their skills, minds, and bodies. An attitude that has negative qualities is quickly submitted, knocked or chocked out. The nature of the game does not support the life for the disrespectful, arrogant, and dishonorable. What better place to teach positive qualities? Fight 4JC’s purpose is to get kids, that otherwise would not have the opportunity, into gyms to train. Train in any physical activity that requires discipline and hard work for its survival and success. Getting kids in front of people that respect themselves, their bodies, and the people around them is life changing. If we can change the lives of our children than we can change the course of out society’s future.

So fallow along as I ride around the best country in the world promoting my vision and the vehicle in which I will bring it to light. Support us by checking out the Facebook page, and coming soon the website with products whose profit goes towards funding programs for kids. Godspeed and keep fighting the good fight. All packed up and ready to go! 

Robbing Adventure

This is all one big journey for me, from the planning to execution. I am adjusting, learning, and figuring out ways to make this as epic as possible. Which is why I have come to the conclusion that I am robbing adventure. 

Those of you that know me can attest to my free-spirit, my passion, and adventurous lifestyle. Granted, there are things that you must plan about that affect your safety and wellbeing, but planning each detail means predictability. I want this to be the adventure of a lifetime, I want there to be more unknowns and things waiting to be discovered rather than fallowing directions in an orderly manner. That being said I will loosely fallow the previous plans and leave it up to which road looks more interesting at an intersection. 

From here on I will do no more planing. I feel I have all the gear that I need to safely make the trip and the rest I will leave to chance. Stay tuned...

Phase III

Phase III

Due West

When I leave Boston on the 16th and head north towards Montreal QC. My route has me passing though some beautiful NE countryside and I will be making a stop either at Mount Kearsarge State Forest Park or Camels Hump State Park to soak in the scenery. Below is a picture form Mount Kearsarge State Forest Park;

I will ride quickly to get into Tri-Star gym to catch an evening training at the same gym where the legendary George St. Pierre trains. Over the years I have accumulated a few friends that are performers for Cirque du Soleil and their headquarters are in Montreal. I will find someones couch to surf and might as well expand my circle of Cirque friends while I am up there. I will leave morning of the 17th and heading to Toronto and will train that night in Warrior Muay Thai. I faced Usman Sadar for the finals in the WKA 2014 Tournament Full Thai Rules Division and would like to meet him at his gym. Hopefully we can get some work in.

Once I get into the States again the first stop will me Detroit and Mash Gym on 8 mile Rd. I will be training there on the 18th and try to leave right after training to head to Chicago. I plan on getting there early in the morning and spend some time with friends that I have residing there. The evening of the 19th I train at Janjira Muay Thai. I could not pass up a warm summer evening in Chicago and will stay for the night, find some Chicago Style Pizza and have myself a cheat meal. I love Chicago, and its history, will enjoy an evening stroll in Millennium Park with friends whom I have not seen for quite sometime. I will try to slow down and enjoy myself here for the night, there would have been some heavy riding to get to this point so stretching my legs a bit will be a must. 

I will sleep in on the 20th and head out on a 409 mile stretch to Minneapolis. Not a lot to see on this stretch so I will try to fly through it as quickly as possible. I have a few extra days that I would like to spend in MN so a quick pace would be wise. I lived there for 18 years and still have quite a bit of family and friends there. While in MN I would like to train in The Cellar, heard many great things about them. While there I also have a good friend who is an MMA fighter and I would like to get some work in with him at Valhalla Rising. Will try to stay no longer than the 23rd here as I will only be almost 1/2 through my trip. It will be very difficult. There are many people I would like to see and many that would like me to see them. 

Minnesota will always be my home away from home and there is always someone friendly that is eager to take me in and play catch up. Luckily I have been staying in touch with everyone through Facebook, and watching people's lives unfold. Friends get married, couples have children, some friends pass away, everything unfolding like some movie that you have no remote to fast forward, pause, or rewind. All the more reason for us all to not take the days that are given to us for granted, for us not to waste a day in unhappiness or a discontent attitude. We get caught up in our day to day and forget what the important things are in life. Like some horrible "Ground Hogs Day" loop we repeat today what we did yesterday until something tragic happens and we are forced to reevaluate. I leave you with this thought; Don't wait for tragedy to trigger that reevaluation of your priorities. Be aware of what is important at all times and I think you will find yourself in a more happy and fulfilling place in your life.