Finally off
the road, I have been away from home 23 out of the last 40 days; it is good to
be home. I already have gotten in a good bike ride, a swim and a pulled pork
sandwich from Choo’s Choo’s barbecue, what could be better. We start volleyball
next week, can’t wait. This will be a so-called rebuilding year after losing seven
seniors, but I think we will surprise people. These kids have put in the best
preparation I have ever had a high for a high school team, in fact their effort
and intensity rivals the best teams I have worked with at any level.
I ended the
road trip in Madison Wisconsin, one of my favorite places to visit. It is
always great seeing Steve Myrland and family. Spend last Thursday doing a staff
in-service for the ATC’s and PT’s at University of Wisconsin Sports Medicine.
Friday morning I went to “Movement Madness” at 6:00 am in the Middleton high
school gym. 
Instead of working out I took pictures and video of the session, it
was spectacular. There were all ages and abilities working out 
together, former
Olympians to a fourteen year boy getting in shape for football. This is
something that Steve Myrland started years ago when he was at University of Wisconsin;
it was a noon workout group with 10 to 12 people. Steve led the workouts. When
he left the University he moved it to different locations until they settled on
the high school. This is a community effort, not for profit. They have it
Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 6:00 am. Steve writes up the workouts, he leads
them when he is there. The people donate a small amount each week that goes to
the high school booster club so they can use the gym and purchase equipment. It
is a great concept, an idea that would help community fitness if employed anywhere.
If you are ever in Madison and need something to do at 6:00 am in morning on
Monday, Wednesday or Friday stop in, you won’t find a nicer bunch of people
anywhere.
Is it just
me or has our society turned even more violent. I saw a video clip of
elementary school kids doing mixed martial arts, it was alarming to me. Martial
arts and the discipline required is one thing but this adulteration called
mixed martial arts bothers me. Just this past week a couple of teenagers in our
community pummeled another teenager to death. Have we become so desensitized
that this violence is accepted. It is all over television because people watch
it, that is scary to me. Where are we headed as a society? Can the Christians and
the gladiators be far behind?
If you get
a chance go see the movie Swing Vote. A good entertaining
movie with some threads of truth, it made me think how absurd the whole presidential
election process has become.
Jonathan Hewitt ATC
Vern,
I don’t understand the comment about the Christians and Gladiators? Would you please clarify?
James Marshall
Hi Vern,
I normally agree with, or at least understand all of your comments on this blog and in your book. But I don’t understand how you think that Martial Arts and the discipline associated with them fit into your functional path. The discipline is not one developed internally as with all good athletes, but an external one developed in a quasi militaristic fashion.
The movement patterns associated with traditional martial arts are developed to inhibit natural responses and instead reinforce conformity.
It is the polar opposite of what you seem to Coach and recommend. By definition most Martial Arts teachers refer to themselevs as “Instructors” not “Coaches” and therin lies the problem.
As to MMA- I am not interested in it as a sport, but if that is what a street fight is like, then it is better to train in that situation rather than an artifical environment that imagines what fghting was like 200 years ago on a different continent!
Mark Crabtree
I think MMA invokes images of ultimate fighting championship, but is a term that describes training in a variety of matrial arts styles. Bruce Lee may have been the first MMA athlete, as he created his own style of training using the best elements from a variety of other martial arts disciplines. Instead of being an expert in one discipline he tried to learn something from all the styles to make himself more well rounded. Much like training an athlete where the focus shouldn’t be on just speed, or strength, but a combination of physical elements that gives an athlete the tools to succeed.
Joe P
All I know is what I hear from most high school wrestling coaches- that kids coming over from MMA do not do well in scholastic wrestling. They lack athleticism. Few can even manage a decent pushup. However, a good scholastic wrestling background does seem to have a carry over to MMA
Sympathy
Does all that travel take it out of you.
St.Patrick's
Joe P above.
I think that that may be a reflection of the MMA school in your area. The class that I go to puts a premium on physical fitness.