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| This tells me I need to practice my standing takedowns. |
If you've seen my cartoon, How I Didn't Become a Ninja, you know I haven't grown up getting in many physical altercation. Is it a good thing? Overall it is better to end altercations with words rather than fisticuffs but I noticed the long-term effect had made me too passive. When I needed to be aggressive, I couldn't do it.
One of my top three greatest regrets is not getting involved in a competitive sport earlier in high school. Frankly, I was intimidated. Eventually I resolved to face my fears during a process of reinvention that started even before I read Neil Strauss' The Game. I started boxing lessons at Conan's Academy and transitioned into kick boxing only to move towards the mix-martial arts classes.
Twice a week we work on striking and twice a week we work on ground work. I hated going to the ground work days. It's exhausting. It's rough. It hurts every time. Sometimes you're paired up with people that out weight you by 20 pounds. Sometimes you're paired up with overzealous noobs. Everyone earns bruises at practice.
It's better than any therapy money can buy.
As much as I dread it, nothing makes me feel as good as surviving another class and walking (sometimes limping) away. Elijah Wood's character, Matt Buckner from Green Street Hooligans, explains this best:
"Once you've taken a few punches and realize you're not made of glass, you don't feel alive unless you're pushing yourself as far as you can go."
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