Paradigm Of Pain

Push Up Series "Genocide"

1. Regular Push Ups 30sec
2. Wide Push Ups 30sec
3. Close Push Ups (elbows touching sides) 30sec
4. Diamond Push Ups 15sec
5. Regular Push Ups to failure

Its the Principle of the thing.

"As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble."

— Ralph Waldo Emerson

I have always been fascinated by the principles of the martial arts, which in turn lead me to look for the principles in everything in my life. Consider principles the essence of everything you do, with out principles to guide our methods then there is no substance to anything. I try my best to never do anything in my training just for the sake of doing it, or just because so and so did it. I always ask myself if I am training a certain way because it works for me and I understand it or just because it is what everyone else is doing.

To me there is no best method to do something, method implies something that is set in stone. Principles are adaptable to many things and they allow you to evolve and adapt regardless of your chosen endeavor.

Paradigm Of Pain

The Paradigm of Pain is a series of exercises grouped together to create a circuit. There are various versions with each one focusing on a different attribute such as strength endurance, explosive endurance and so on.

Ab Series "Crash and Burn" (Strength Endurance Emphasis) each exercise is done for 1 min with no rest in between.

1. Butterfly Curl Ups
2. Squirm
3. Flutter Kicks
4. Crunches
5. Frog Kicks

To make your own series you can do it like this:

1. Upper Ab Movement
2. Oblique Movement
3. Lower Ab Movement
4. Upper Ab Movement
5. Lower Ab Movement

Each done for one minute with no rest.

The Ultimate System

For years people have been searching for the ultimate/universal martial art system. Some individuals have claimed that their art or system is the supreme of all...insert hysterical laugh ....with no basis other than their own point of view. However, I do believe that most systems contain elements of truth.

But I also believe that these elements are more rooted in principle than technique.

All techniques should be built upon dynamic bio-mechanical principles.

Unfortunately many systems are guided by techniques instead of principles.

I think that the universal search should be for universal principles that once found can be the basis for combative effectiveness.

1000 techniques are ok...but....a few universal principles lead to spontaneous, infinite applications.

Pure Martial Arts

"There are no pure martial arts, purity happens when pure knuckles meets pure flesh no matter who delivers or receives"

The above quote is a slightly altered version of an Ed Parker (The founder of American Kenpo Karate) quote. In the original it had the word karate instead of the word martial arts.

There is no such thing as a pure martial art, there never has been and never will be. Each and every martial art or fighting system was created by an individual. Once that person teaches his system to someone it immediately changes. No two people move, think, or act the same way. This is a fact not an opinion. When learning a martial art your entire personality comes into play your likes, dislikes, strengths, weakness, all physical and mental attributes. The way you apply a strategy or technique may be similar to others; however it will not and cannot be exact. Many fighters/martial artist want to move or fight like...Bruce Lee, Randy Couture, etc. There is only one Bruce Lee or Randy Couture...period. Just as there is only one of them there is only one of you as well.

Train with what you have and to the very best of your ability and you will become the very best martial artist/fighter you can be.

Basics, Basics, Basics

I just don't get it...seriously... Every time I watch the ultimate fighter it amazes me to see so many aspiring fighters that have almost no strong foundation. I will say that Danzig, and George are both very good in my opinion, which is due to their understanding of the fundamentals of fighting.

Distancing, Timing, Rhythm control are basic things that most people learn in the very beginining of stand up or ground game. One of the most basic things there is that I see done very poorly is proper footwork. It takes more than being able to "walk" around the ring or shoot on an opponent to effectively dominate or win a fight.

Proper footwork must be trained by itself at first before it is integrated with other skills. Isolation is the key to skill development regardless of your chosen fighting style. In order to become good or great at anything you have to isolate specific skills then progressively integrate them into your arsenal.

When in doubt.... go back to training the basics....

Bruce Lee and Jeet Kune Do

What follows is something I posted on a forum in regards to Bruce and Jeet Kune Do. There are those that believe that you should train exactly like he trained so that you can become as good as he was. Which of course is contradictory to what Bruce Lee wrote and taught during his life time. He is one of the greats but as I respond below there have been and there are many great innovators in the martial arts.


There are so many variables to consider when thinking about personal training protocols. Your goals in martial arts should dictate your training practices, you also have to take into account available training time, current physical attributes, strengths, weaknesses, your level of dedication and discipline..and so on.

You can mimmic Bruces training practices, routines, techniques and so on. NO ONE WILL EVER BE LIKE BRUCE LEE EXCEPT BRUCE LEE.

I have often seen people write that to get Bruce Lee like results you have to be put in Bruce Lee like hours...or something similar to that. His methods and training protocols are not a universal "mold" that everyone can fit in. Look at the Art of Expressing the Human Body...there have been so many advances in the science of strength training, supplementation, and so on since he was training in the 60s and 70s. It would be nuts for anyone to follow any of his training programs....that is just one example.

His research, notes, books, and his system of JKD have alot of value for anyone wanting to be the best martial artist they can be. But to soley do what he did or to train exactly like he trained does nothing but make his art and teachings "traditional" and "classical". He is most definetly not the only great and innovative martial artist to have ever lived...and he won't be the last.