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I have gone from 26% bodyfat to 22% bodyfat since starting nerd fitness. Meh, I don't care. Because, to me, it's a side effect. So many people are trying to look like LOOK a superhero, so few people are training to BE like a superhero. Everyone should be specialized, no one should be overspecialized... Crossfit got us closer... but I think MOVNAT actually has the baseline answer... If we are specializing too much, we are still deconditioning our general fitness and overspecializing Still recovering from injury. So wisdom/prudence tells me I shouldn't do something, Optimism tells me what's left is what I should do. Combatives: -Shouldn't: Spar (no BJJ rolling or kickboxing, no strikes to the body, no ballistic kicking) -Should: Work on form, shadow box, test for MACP Level II (in fact, test is tomorrow) Cross Training: -Shouldn't: Sprint, work abs, split squats, planks, rows. -Should: Jump Rope, Jinga Mixed Movement -Shouldn't: Climb using legs, swim using legs, sprint, high line vaults. -Should: Roll, Break fall, most floor work (Acrobatics, Handstands), balance beam work, isolated pulling, short precision jumps. So, Starting Quest 14.. Q14.01 Combatives: 0 Q14.02 Cross Training: 0 Q14.03 Mixed Movement Arts: 0 Q14.04 Regeneration: 0

This summer I stepped away from the heavy goal setting and just let life take whatever shape it would. It was a good exercise in some ways. I got a little better at rolling with the punches instead of stressing myself out by trying to control everything. But now it is time to exercise some discipline. Goals Weight loss is still one of my top goals. I've made huge amounts of progress, having lost about 50 pounds since I started a year ago! I've got another 25 pounds to go until I hit my initial goal. Tracking and copious amounts of training have been the two biggest components to my successful (with accountability from you lovely people coming in a close second!). So I'm back to daily tracking and not exceeding my total weekly calories. Organization/Discipline at Work. My new job is awesome. Great coworkers, awesome flexibility...almost too much flexibility. My work is almost completely self-directed, which I prefer, but it leaves a lot of room for slacking off. My goal for week 1 is to create a weekly and monthly work schedule to instill a little structure in my days and to come up with a way to keep track of one-off tasks (a list I keep on the wall will probably be sufficient). Training. BJJ is my sanity. Even when everything else in life is crazy pants, I can go to the studio and life feels better. For this challenge I want to focus on using my feet and knees more effectively. I'm not sure of details/specific moves right this moment...those can take shape along with the challenge. Control the daydreaming. All the stress and life changes have me retreating from reality through daydreaming. (That feels weird to write, but I'm certain I'm not the only person who does this...right? Maybe?) It is affecting my ability to focus, and focus is something I really need to have right now. I have creative pursuits I'd rather be working on; I think I just need a little nudge to go after those instead of retreating into made-up versions of reality. Initial goal: finish a book by the end of the challenge. Secondary goal: learn a song on the guitar. So that's that. I'll tidy this up into something easier to track over the days to come, but this is my focus for the next four weeks. See you all around the boards!

Hello friends! I missed NF a lot but I think I needed a break since I had fallen in the habit of writing magnificent goals and not ever actually working on them. For those of you who are joining me for the first time, I have done some boxing but I'm currently an honorary monk since I'm not actively training a martial art. Right now I'm pretty active with my new rugby team. Last summer I realized that I was out of shape, about to turn 40 and would likely never play rugby again. Four days after my 40th, I got a message about a new team and would I be interested in helping get them started. I quickly went from "helping out" to "starting player". I'm hoping to transition into coaching soon. I still love playing but I really am getting kind of old and also really too out of shape. So that's why I'm here. As of right now, I need to keep playing since we need my experience and my brute strength on the field. (I AM the brute squad) Goal 1) Rugby practice 2-3 times per week. It will depend on how many practices we have scheduled. Goal 2) Gym 3 times per week. I'm doing rowing to build cardio endurance and strength training. Goal 3) Food. My eternal struggle. As usual, I know what I want to do, I just need to find the right way to structure it for a goal. I will get that sorted before the challenge starts. Goal 4) Rugby knowledge. I've got a level 200 coaching certification clinic on July 30. I need to make sure I'm prepared for it. This will include studying the materials, assessing my own strengths and weaknesses as a potential coach and coming up with a plan to improve my weak areas.

Well hello there fellow monks! I've missed you all this summer, but a break from extra requirements (even positive ones) was exactly what I needed. I'm jumping into this challenge in the final days, so I have no crazy goals...just the desire for a little accountability as I re-establish my tracking habit. Also, I started a new job back in July. Much of the scheduling is at my discretion, which means procrastination can become a problem. Today my goal is to write 2 blogs, 2 employee bios, and discuss a new project with my boss. Happy to be back.

Big life stuff is happening. First and most exciting! That tournament I had the other weekend? My very first one ever? I placed first in my division. I'm just a teeny tiny bit thrilled about that. Even if I hadn't won, it would have been a fantastic experience to be there with my team to support one another and be supported. But winning took it right over the top. I stayed calm, composed, and patient. That was the biggest victory (I think) for my first competition. Now for the less thrilling life stuff. After a lot of deliberation my husband and I have decided to separate. It's a good call I think, and neither of us are a mess over the decision. It does mean a lot of life changes though, and some, like job hunting for me, are more anxiety-inducing than others. Some days my focus isn't great, which I suppose is to be expected. So, this challenge is all about taking small, positive steps each day/week to keep myself focused and acknowledging the good things I do. Because the toughest part about finding a job is that so much of the process is outside of my control. Goals Apply to 2 positions per week Track calories daily Find something beautiful each day and share it (either here or with someone) Do one thing from the following list per day Journal Creative writing prompt or story progress Make something for the fun of it Have a social outing Do something fun with my daughter No points involved. Just regular check-ins to keep me positive and moving forward.

Putting this up real fast due to coming back the night a challenge started...plus, do frivolous details real matter… Goal 1: Track my attempted paleo-ish intake Yippee, back to tracking food…..but not only that, I am also trying to go at least 80/20. This will be done by weekly meal prepping so most all meals will be measured and ready to eat. Target: track all intake into MFP and make at least 16 meals in the week as paleo-ish. Goal 2: Tackle the Academy I have logged back into the newly improved NF Academy and have started the Body Weight track and am starting at level 2. Target: 3 NF Academy BW workouts a week. Goal 3: Get on the mats I have finally returned to training back at the academy, now to make it a priority. Target: train 3 times a week Goal 4: Sleep With so much going on and training again I need sleep…well more/better sleep. Target: bedtime is 2230 so I get at least 6 hours a night. Again, making this fast as I just saw a new challenge started and its 32 mins past my bed time.

I apologize for the Meghan Trainor reference, but with a balance/stability-focused challenge (and as the owner of a large...bass) I couldn't pass up the opportunity. Now, let's get to the good stuff! Stability Training: Balance is an essential component of a strong bjj game. There are times for movement and times to root in place. This month I want to focus on rooting myself into the mat, so that I am less easily moved by my opponent. Core strength is one component of this, but just as important is learning how to direct my weight through my legs and arms in a variety of positions. Practice yoga 2 x per week 5 minutes handstand training 6 x per week (more for fun than for bjj ) Diet: I'm still working on losing weight. I've fallen off the wagon with tracking my food and don't enjoy the feeling of uncertainty. Also, wheat has really crept back into my regular eating, and it is making unhealthy choices all too easy. Track calories daily and maintain weekly caloric budget 2 servings or less of wheat per week Write the Story You Want to Read: I've been struggling with writing a lot since I took my writing class. I need to recapture my excitement for my novel and set myself up for success with the writing process. I think I'm starting to understand what is tripping me up, so now is the time to push through the initial writing friction and get some momentum going. Week 1 Timed writing prompts just for fun, 2-3 per day, every day this week. Fine tune your story world and plot, learn more about your characters, and create something you're excited about! Writing goals will shift weekly, but I'm aiming to be up to my usual 1,500-2,000 words per day by the end of the challenge.

Okay, so this is more going to be a quasi challenge tbh. The number one goal is to keep going to the gym throughout the roughness I've got ahead. May 6th leave for Ohio and won't be back til May 12. On the 13th I have surgery to remove a 2.25cm fibroid adenoma from my left breast. That means I won't be able to do heavy benches for a while since I can't risk the bar smacking the stitches and popping them. It also means 10 days off from Brazilian JiuJitsu and Judo which I've fast fallen for. I can still do other things at the gym, including rowing, elliptical, leg press, maaaybe try some light squats and see how they go. I could even check out the Muay Thai class at the school depending on if I'm allowed to wear a sports bra or not. Food wise, I'm not really following a plan other than to make sure I eat enough and heavy on the protein. I have a nasty habit of forgetting to eat, then I'm exhausted and everything falls apart. Great times. Bring your gifs and your fun

...Except for the tan because I'll look like a lobster Sugar Glider Mode: Pull-ups and dips every evening, 3xF I'm going to need lats and triceps where I'm going this year. Strength +5 #WomensPhysique: Oh god, this every challenge, stop being so fat Tanky. So aim for 135g of protein a day and calories at 1,800. STA + 2.5, CON + 2.5 (because eating good makes you feel good) Voce fala portuguease?: So I can ask for coffee, cake, steak and chicken, but I can't ask for directions, know which day it is or talk about lifting. Keep up with daily duo lingo practice. Post hilariously wrong training updates in Portuguese here. Practice reading out loud and talking to Ana Banana in the gym. Realistically, I should be able to read the first few pages of "A cat called kitty" by the end of this challenge. Charisma +5

Hurray for zero week! Confession: I was one of the crazy people who voted for no real time off between challenges, but I'm actually really grateful this time around for the free week as I have something, well...challenging planned for my diet in April. Main Goals Get my ass off the mat. One thing that became clear to me during matches on belt evaluation week is that I get stuck on the bottom a lot in bjj. I play decent defense, so I'm not tapping all the time. But obviously defense isn't the where I want to be long term. This month I want to focus on getting a few solid escapes and sweeps in place. Say goodbye to wheat. Bread is so easy to grab, and I go for it all the time in place of fruits and vegetables. For April I'm kicking it to the curb. To be successful with this I need to get better with meal/snack prep. Zero week is the perfect time to experiment and get things in place. (Pass/Fail) Side Quests Branch out with writing partners. I've become complacent with my current writing group, that if I'm honest isn't really the best fit. This April I want to shake up my routine and connect with some new writers/readers. Sharing my work with a stranger feels risky, but new perspectives and reading other people's work, i.e. putting myself out there, is something I need to get more comfortable with. (On that note if anyone writes and is interested in swapping work or if you are just interested in reading work, let me know.) (Pass/Fail) Hydrate like a boss. Drink 24 oz. of water by 10AM and another 24 oz. by 4PM daily. Evenings tend to take care of themselves in terms of hydration. (Pass/Fail) Nothing too crazy, except for that wheat thing, but it's just four weeks. I can totally handle four weeks without bread, right? **Quickly publishes challenge to prevent backing out**

Hey all! I'm a bit late to the party, but that's just me -- fashionably tardy. How is everyone?!? Is anyone else considering going to camp?!? Wouldn't that be AMAZING. I just don't think I could afford it unfortunately. Anyway, we are back at it again. I was doing really well until Easter, where I broke my diet and it has all come tumbling down and I have reverted to old habits. Starting today, I will get my shit together again. I don't want to eat like crap because 1) it costs me too much money and 2) eating poorly makes me feel like bad physically. I delayed coming up with a challenge this time because I wanted to focus more on career stuff, but I am at a bit of a loss of what to do. On the one hand, I would like a whole new job in a whole new field, the problem is that I am not sure what that field would be. On the other hand, I would like to earn extra money on the side until I figure out where to go next. However, what ends up happening is that both seem very overwhelming so I do nothing. It is not awesome. I want to take concrete steps in either direction but am finding it hard. If anyone has made a successful career change or has found a way of making decent money on the side writing/editing, I am all ears. May as well use that MA for something! Anyway, on to the Challenge! MAIN QUEST 1 (Weigh 175 by the end of the challenge) Unfortunately, I have been on such a binge that I believe in only 10 days I have put on 4.5 lbs. This has got to stop. At the moment I right the ship. MAIN QUEST 2 (Career/side job progress) GOALS 1) Track calories using MyFitnessPal and stay below the minimum every day until the end of the challenge. I have no idea why, but I have fallen off COMPLETELY. Today I ate so much that I hurt my stomach and then felt sluggish at BJJ class. Not cool. Time to get back on track. 2) Nutrition: Eat vegetables three days a week and no soda or sweets until July 4. I do wonder if I am the type that doesn't do well with sugar and overdoes it and am too all-or-nothing with 'cheat' days. So, with this in mind, I will have no sweets or soda until July 4. I will make exceptions for 1) Red Sox games and 2) if I am meeting up with the lady friend and she wants sweets. Other than that, I need to get this under control. 3) Meditate 10 minutes every day. I got away from this last challenge. I will bring it back. 4) Take concrete steps toward a career pivot of some sort. OK I had this as a goal last time but nothing concrete. I will have some concrete things I can do by the end of the week. Two things! I will do one for career and one for money on the side. 5) BJJ 2x a week and run 3x a week Pretty self explanatory. I would like to run a 10k in June at the beach and need to start training now for it! 6) Make sure I don't push the hurt elbow too much. It has been sore the last few days which is frustrating. I went to BJJ class tonight and it felt OKish, but I will monitor it. 7) Post to other monk challenge threads at least 2x a week I was a crap forum member last time. This time I will be more active. OK that is what I have for now. I will post tomorrow to update my food just as a way of being accountable to myself. Happy spring!

Have any of you ever thought about or implemented balance exercises as a Monk, during your strength training / fitness days? After talking to a trainer at the (fitness) gym, I've been thinking about it. It sounds like a good idea to do so as a Monk (grappling/BJJ), but I was wondering if any of you had any experience with this and maybe some good tips on specific kind of balance exercises. Balance is not something that is really explicitly trained at the dojo I used to go to, however I just moved to a new place and am still browsing new dojo options while I work on my strength/stamina.

Last month I unofficially took on the sit-up. Training six days a week took my sit-ups from strained with lots of pauses to smooth and controlled. With the increased core strength I'm ready to take on my next opponent: the full push-up. Two challenges in with pass/fail, and I'm convinced it is the most effective system for me. So once again all components will be pass/fail, allowing for modifications in the case of injury or illness (no passes for laziness though!). Fitness Push-Up Training (6 days/wk) - 5 reps, dropping as low as I can and holding for 1-3 seconds. Core Strength (6 days/wk) - Side Plank w/ dropped knee (30 sec per side), Shrimping (10 per side), Up-kicks (10 reps), 90 degree Turns on Back (5 per side) BJJ Training - Continue attending at least 4 classes/open mats per week. Create a master list of moves I know from bjj and from what position they can be executed. (Practice linking techniques will get built in in future weeks) Weight Loss Tracking - Continue to log food daily and don't exceed weekly caloric limit. Fruits & Veggies - Eat two servings of fruits/vegetables a day. Professional Weekly Word Count - Write 7,500 words per week. Revision Work - Log 4 hours of focused work on revisions by bedtime Wednesday night. It's time for me to improve my revision skills. I tend to procrastinate on this part of the writing process, because it is difficult to measure my effort. First drafts have those lovely word counts. The number keeps going up, and I feel happy knowing I've done my work for the day. To bring a little structure to the revision process I'll approach them as deep work problem solving sessions, putting the hours at the start of my week to combat my tendency to procrastinate. Rewards Still firming this part up. I'll update in the next day or so. So that's that! I'm stepping things up a bit this time around. I might be up for a belt promotion at the end of the month, and I really want to give competition grappling a try in the next few months, which means the time to get focused is now.

I decided that March needed a mentally strong month for me. I will likely be limited physically due to my knee/ankle injury and it will take a high level of mental fortitude to keep my spirits positive, clean up my food choices and exercise as much as possible give my physical limitations. Jean Grey (aka: Phoenix) is one of the most powerful mutants through her powers of telepathy and telekinisis. Also she absorbs the Phoenix Force that renders her even more powerful with crazy amazing abilities. I am going to focus on the two original power of Jean Grey with the end focus of being reborn through the trials of fire (surgery or nasty PT for the knee) to be reborn into a new and powerful me! Telepathy – I will use the power of my mind in many ways!!! 1. I will use the power of Telepathic manipulation to perform Personality Alteration on myself. EACH and EVERY post to this challenge thread will have three bulleted points of gratitude. If you see a post from me with out these bullets call me out!!!! a. A family gratitude b. A personal gratitude c. A wildcard gratitude 2. I will use the a Telepathic Defense and Psionic Shield to protect me from poor decisions and peer pressure (including from my own family) when it comes to the food choices that I make this month. I need to eat paleo for my health and eating healthy for me will improve my chances of a quick recovery. Clean paleo eating is a must for me right now. And here is what I need to do to clean it up: a. Get rid of the dairy/cheese. This has been a stress food for me lately and I just need to get it out of my diet. Its in the house because other b. On occasion I eat corn or rice, but they have gotten too frequent and the impact is not good. So no grains at all this challenge! c. Veggies have been lacking lately so I will increase my veggie intake this challenge. d. Potatoes, while arguably paleo, are a comfort food to me and I need to minimize my intake of them. So one potato serving per week (I’ll use this as a treat) Telekinisis – I will use my mind to move the things that I can! 1. I plan on maintaining my attendance in the BJJ classes this month. a. It part because my attending class will keep my family (especially the hubby) moving and attending classes. b. I will also participate in BJJ as much as I can. I might not be able to do much while protecting the knee/ankle but I can do stuff. Professor wants me to keep attending and is willing to help me work on skills that stay away from my injury. c. Conditioning classes often include working on abs and upper body strength with free weights and I can still do these things. So attendance in these classes will continue. 2. I will also make an effort to make things in my spare time. Once I week I will get down to my craft room and do something productive. a. The room still needs some cleaning… b. The weekend of March 18-20 my girls and I are planning on doing lots of work for the cruise gifts that we are making for our summer vacation… If I need it I will ask for my sewing machine to be brought upstairs for easy access… In the end I will channel the energy and power of the Phoenix Force to rebuild myself and come out of this setback a stronger and more resilient superhero!!! Below is a selective excerpt from http://x-men.wikia.com/wiki/Jean_Grey on Jean Grey’s powers. Telepathy: She can manipulate and control the minds of others and even higher order animals within a vast, potentially limitless radius. Her notable powers include: Telepathic Defense: She can manifest her telepathy in a number of defensive ways. Psionic Shield: Ability to erect a psychic shield for protection of herself and of others minds. Telepathic Illusions: She can create realistic telepathic illusions and cause people to experience events which are not actually occurring. Telepathic Manipulation: She can manipulate other people's minds easily, achieving a variety of effects. Mind Control: She can control the thoughts and actions of others. Personality Alteration: She can alter the minds of others by force of will, permanently changing their personality partially or entirely. Mental Paralysis: She can induce temporary mental or physical paralysis. Heal Trauma: The ability to erase a person’s memories and to heal mental trauma through “psychic surgery,†the power to stimulate or deaden the pain and pleasure centers in a persons brain. Mind Link: Ability to develop a mental link with any person which remains as a connection to that individual. Telekinesis : telekinetic abilities enable her to levitate herself or other objects, propel or manipulate them however she wishes, stimulate individual molecules to create heat, and generate concussive force or protective shields. It was later revealed that Phoenix had a secondary mutation. This mutation makes her the physical embodiment of the Phoenix Force; she and the Phoenix itself has stated that they are in fact one and the same being. The Phoenix powers are infinite. She is able to manipulate matter and energy on a sub-atomic scale, although there is substantial variation in the amount of power she has access to at any point based on her current health, mental blocks (natural or constructed - by herself or others), and sometimes for other more esoteric reasons. Phoenix Force Avatar: A cosmic entity which embodies creation and destruction, and derives its power from those yet unborn. Phoenix's body is permanently tied to the Phoenix Force as a nexus. Phoenix Force thinks of Jean Grey is its "host, body, and self." The Phoenix Force gives her vast psionic ability to manipulate time, space, matter, and energy for virtually any purpose. Phoenix (Jean) can also revive, absorb, re-channel and preserve any kind of life-form, since the Phoenix is the sum of all life-force. The Phoenix Force can significantly boost her mental abilities allowing her to rearrange matter at a molecular level, to fly unaided through space, create intense heat and thermal energy by stimulating molecular activity to create fire, flames, and concussive blasts. She can create fire under any condition, including while submerged, and she can manipulate thermal energy in her vicinity. She can also manipulate the voluntary and involuntary responses in the human body.

Another month, another challenge! Is anyone else appreciating the brevity of these 4-week challenges? Something about 2 fewer weeks makes me feel like I can take on something a little more ambitious. Maybe not as good if you have a big goal you want to achieve but perfect for the commitment-phobic. Last challenge I committed to daily tracking, and it went really well. There were a number of days when I wanted to quit, but the pass/fail component made me stick it out. So this challenge I plan to follow that style more. Fitness Core Strength: My core guys...it is frailer than a newborn kitten, and core strength is everything when you've got someone sitting on top of you and you need to get off your back. So daily core training is happening this February (with Sundays as a rest day). I'll start at 10 slow bicycles, 20 sit ups, and a 30 second plank for now, and move up if that gets too easy. (Pass/Fail) BJJ Training: I have a gi! That opens up a whole new world of classes I can take at my studio. There are early morning classes, midday ones, and evening ones. This month I want to make it to 4 bjj classes/open mats per week. Assuming I don't get terribly injured...(Pass/Fail) Weight Loss Continue daily tracking with a new goal of not exceeding my weekly calorie allotment. (Pass/Fail) Life Mindfulness: I would like to be more aware of my thoughts and emotions, rather than letting them lead me through my day. I've become more aware lately that I don't notice my agitation or rising stress level until I've already raised my voice, searched my kitchen for cheese and sweets, and so on. A daily meditation session seems a good first step. I've heard a lot of positive feedback about Headspace, so I'm going to give that a try for the month of February. (Pass/Fail) Writing: Meet a weekly word count of 7,500 words (Pass/Fail) Rewards Now we get to the most exciting part: the awesome prizes! Hitting my Life Quest goals earns me one afternoon of guilt-free leisure time reading and enjoying a glass of wine at one of the restaurants downtown. Meeting my tracking goal unlocks a rash guard purchase. And for the meeting the Fitness goals: new gi pants.

Got my third white belt strip at the end of quest. Still need to get better at sweeping the ground and pound from under top mount (whole point of training). Current Stats: Rebel Monk Level 8, STR=11.5 DEX=9.2 STA=9.2 CON=10.9 WIS=1.5 CHA=.5 Quest 8.1-(Monk/Druid)=10% per class/workout (MACP/BJJ/MMA STRIKING/TAIJUTSU) (STR/DEX/STA/CON) Quest 8.2-(Ranger/Warrior)=10% per workout: Resistance Training or Tactical S&C Power WOD (STR/CON) Quest 8.3-(Ranger/Assassin)=10% per workout: Parkour Flow/Tricking or HIIT or Distance Movement or Tactical S&C ESD WOD(DEX/STA) Quest 8.1 Long Term Goals: Six Strategies, 20 tasks (note, in real world escape/evade takes priority over confrontation) Six basic Unarmed Combat strategies and my 20 training tasks: -Sprawl and Brawl- 13, 14, 16, 17, 18 -Throw and Go-5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 -Lay and Pray-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, 16 -Get and Submit-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 20 -Ground and Pound-1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 -Wall and Maul- 11, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20 20 tasks Order of Priority: 1-If on bottom of top mount, defend against strikes/common submissions and sweep the mount 2-If on top of top mount, maintain position while striking strategically or lock down opponent until submission becomes available, maintain 360 awareness and bail if necessary. Lay and pray/ground and pound/bailout takes priority over submission. 3-If on top in full guard, be able to strike strategically while defending against submissions, keep 360 awareness and prepare to stand and bailout. Pass guard without getting triangled. 4-If on bottom in full guard, defend against ground and pound and maintain arm/head control..don't hold guard if getting slammed, sweep if guard broken. Sweep or return to guard is more important than submission. I would like to be able to threaten a bottom arm bar to triangle to omaplata or situp armbar, but that will only happen after I get good at locking down strike defense. 5-If on top in side control, first priority is lay and pray, second is select strikes, third is submission, fourth is full mount attempt. Maintain 360 security and prepare for bailout. 6-If on bottom in side control, defend strikes, wait for opponent to make a mistake and sweep (four sweeps for regular sidemount, three options for scarf and one for knee on belly). 7-If on bottom of half guard get head to side, defend against strikes and return to guard or sweep to back mount 8-If on top of half guard avoid submissions and deliver strategic strikes. Passing guard or maintaining half guard is more important than strikes or submissions. 9-If in turtle on bottom: (other than back mount)-attack hips/leg takedown, if opponent sprawls turn into his side mount. 10-If in turtle on top: North/South=Seatbelt to underarm RNC choke (darce/anaconda/etc), if not in north/south then achieve back mount. NO STRIKES FROM BACK MOUNT! 11-In little spoon in back mount: Two on one-Defend chokes, Turn into mount/guard unless armbar presents itself. 12-If big spoon in back mount: Seat belt to RNC/NINJA choke, NO STRIKES 13-Ground defense from multiple attackers: Kicks from ground/rubber guard/Helicopter Sweep/Stand in base 14-Breakfalls and Sacrifices: When off balance sit and spin. Front/Side/Rear break falls, Front/Side/Rear rolls, Spider Guard to Helicopter Sweep. 15-Offensive Grapple/Takedown: Achieve Clinch, get double under, takedown in direction of movement (Body Fold, inside/outside trip, outside/inside sweep, hip throw, rear clinch/side clinch sacrafice takedown, drop to single/double leg. If in single overhook then whizzer) 16-Defensive Grapple/Takedowns: SPRAWL!!!!!!!!!!Standing Strait Armbar (see variations below), Standing Single Wing to outside sweep or whizer, Double or single leg takedowns from knees, Front Bear Hug to any double under, Rear Bear Hug to heal pick, Suplex Defense from rear, Suplex Defense from front, Double Collar Tie/knee strike defense (high crotch) 17-Basic Boxing for MMA/Combatives-Peakaboo defense, slips, Jab/Cross/Hook/Uppercut, basic footwork and level changes, combos, no knuckle variations (palm heal, ridge hand, hammer fist, knife hand), elbow variations. 18-Basic Kickboxing for MMA/Combatives: Add in defensive (pushing) front/side/back kick, basic kick checking, round kick to legs. 19-Weapon Takaways/Weapon Retention: Weapon Takeaways: Standing Strait Armbar to shoulder lock (with wrist lock/knife/gun variations), if fails go to Standing Bent Arm Bar to sweep/hip throw (with wrist lock/weapon variation) if fails go to standing single wing triangle with sweep or wizzer. Weapons Retention: Post/Hook/Frame, 20-Basic Submissions from all positions: Have at least one no-gi choke from all positions and basic defense for each one. Properly get a strait arm bar, bent arm bar, reverse bent arm bar from all major positions, transition from Arm Bar to Triangle to Omoplata from bottom guard. Last priority is submissions even though most training time is BJJ. Long Term Quest for 8.2: Priority is full body Tactical Strength, nice to have is more mass in arms. Able to do the 300 challenge. Long Term goals for quest 8.3: 100m obstacle course and still have wind: Speed Vault, Safety Vault, Parkour Roll bailouts, Stick 5 Floor Precisions in a row at 4-6 Feet, Wall Pop to Climb Up (10 ft obstacle), Wall Splat bailout, Cat Hang to wall muscle up, Cat Hang to Cat leap, Tic-Tac to cat hang 10ft, Quadrupedal Movement 100m, Basic bar swing w/control from hang Current Martial Qualifications: BJJ: White Belt-3rd Strip Army Combatives: Level 1 Tae Kwan Do/Hapkido: Yellow Belt Kuk Sul Wan: Orange Belt Combat Akijujitsu: Level 1 (six weeks) MMA Striking: 11 Hours Judo: 3 Hours Akido: 1 Hour Folk Wrestling: 1 Hour Taijitus/Ninjitsu: 10th Kue (white belt no stripe) Wing Chun: 1 Hour Fire Arms: Special Forces Basic Combat Course-Support Driving: Gryphon Group Mobile Security Course Survival: SERE C Sword and Shield: 5 hours SCA Heavy Fighting Street Weapons: 1 hour Filipino Martial Arts basic weapons.

I'm a little late to this challenge, and it's a short one. So let's keep it simple! Main Goal: Track everything I eat for the final 3 weeks of the challenge. I've managed to lose about 10 pounds since the summer, and I really want to see that total loss continue to go up. Being aware of how much I'm eating is the first step towards making that happen, but one that I really struggle to stick with, especially if I miss tracking even a single meal. The truth is though, it isn't a very difficult thing to do. If I can fart around on the internet for an hour plus every day, I can find 10 minutes to track. Side Quest: Read the chapter in Jiu Jitsu University for white belts and pick two skills to work on this month. Bonus Quest: Eat vegetables at every meal for 10 or more days of the challenge. I'll check in every couple days to report on the tracking, share what bjj wisdom JJU has to offer, and talk about what plants I'm munching on. Good luck everyone!

Whew boy, Christmastime is over and the New Year of 2016 has begun, the challenges resume on my birthday, I'm checking out two new arts, AND confronting a new dietary restriction. Yup, this is gonna be quite the wild ride here with the Monks once again. Let's jump in, shall we? Breath of Fire 4-style! Ryu/Fou-Lu (STR+1,DEX+1) Ryu and Fou-Lu are two halves of a whole--products of a failed god summoning trying to right the imbalance created by their "birth". Each has a very different agenda for what to do when they reunite, however, and they aren't about to see eye-to-eye anytime soon. The clash of the ages by a fragmented god will change a world forever. (Also, I'm going to say it, I was sad there wasn't a more amiable end for them...I like Fou-Lu....) Unlike Ryu and Fou-Lu, my aims aren't so disparate. I have one goal that I'll approach from two different directions: lifting form correction and mobility. These two halves will unite to give me greater ROM in my hips and hopefully address the issue of the slight but persistent knee soreness that has haunted me off and on lo these many months. Note this means I will be tackling hip flexibility/ROM only--consider this a trial run for reintroducing some stretching to the lineup and what better way to start than on the area at which I am weakest? Lifts and mobility logs shall be found here--I'm taking a step back on the weights as introduced in my battle log as a mercy step for poor recovery via mediocre sleep and the unknown territory introduced by my altered diet. The Mission: Take my lifting game to the next level by tackling trouble spots and increasing ROM in one area: hips. Do this by keeping knees shoved out during the lifts at all costs and employ three different stretches three times a week: hip opener, w-sit and kneel, and the forward fold.These three maneuvers will attack each angle of hip movement succinctly. Fix my knees - 3/wk - shove those knees out on squats Flexibility - 3/wk - Hip Opener: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPuGRbznCSc - W-sit/kneel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIz1F_lH5LA - forward fold [lifting log] [mobility log] Grading: Fix my knees - 3 = A, 2 = C, else F Note: effort grade--I don't expect every rep will be solid gold Mobility - 3 = A, 2 = C, else F Note: Do all stretches or it doesn't count Cray (STR+1,CON+1,CHA+1) Cray had a pretty crummy job from the very beginning of BoF 4. His princess girlfriend-of-sorts, Elina, disappeared while on a goodwill trip to another country and it's up to him and Elina's sister Nina to find her. Also, he's the leader of a nation in his own right. He has a sword to deliver, and a crashed hovercraft derails the trip right from the start. That's a lot of responsibility, and most of it is far from pretty. So I don't have any princesses to save, but what I do have is a lot of minding what I eat and how I sleep. As long as I don't keep waking up in the middle of the night due to itching (Food/contact allergy? Just plain old dry skin?), I feel I'm good on minding the sleep front. No, this time it's all food, all the time. I'm going to have to find a new maintenance weight, sadly, because I'm not sure I will ever be able to hit my old macros while restricted from dairy. Oh, that's right, I haven't summed up the complication to my food goal this challenge: I have been having some seemingly unrelated symptoms for several months now: digestive upset, difficulty using the bathroom, rash, and itching. They're really put a cramp in my life, as you might imagine. I don't know exactly what made me wake up to the idea that this was dietary related and specifically an allergy to dairy products, but since I've almost completely quit ingesting the food group, all my symptoms have greatly reduced. It's not perfect yet by any means, the itching and resultant sleep deprivation is the biggest issue left to resolve due to the impact it will have on day-to-day life once we return to work. The Mission: Responsibility. Maintain weekly average macros in pursuit of epic recomp action...or at least to control weight loss and regain stability. Sigh. My sensitivity to milk is going to make this much more...interesting, shall we say? Effectiveness will be tracked via regular measurements. Symptom management will be logged here also just to help see how good a job I'm doing at not triggering whatever is the enemy. Measurements - 2/wk - log Wednesday weight, Sunday weight+measurements Maintenance - P/F - log macros daily [insert target macro breakdowns here] Grading: Effort grade--pass or fail based on whether I log or not. Scias (DEX+1,STA+1,WIS+1) Scias is a mercenary with great blade-wielding skill. He becomes tangled up with Ryu and Co. and decides to forsake his contract for aiding the dragon god and his friends in their quest to deal with Fou-Lu and his empire. Simply put, he is an excellent ally in a fight, and good-hearted. Not so good with words. I am contemplating taking up BJJ or Aikido. I have tried BJJ as of this post and soon (January 6th) have my first aikido lesson. This quest is to pick at least one of these arts and give it my all alongside lifting and Shinkendo (SKD). This is completely new territory and I look forward to share my flailing with you all. The Mission: Progress in my art. Put in the effort. SKD - 3/wk - class, review class material BJJ/Aikido - 2/wk - classes Grading: SKD - 3 = A, 2 = C, else F BJJ/Aikido = 2 = A, 1 = C, else F Ursula (STR+1,DEX+1) Ah, Ursula. She is a practical one, granddaughter of an Imperial general, she joins the group under tense circumstances and, for reasons that change as the story progresses, leads Ryu and Co. to the heart of the Empire--Fou-Lu. Guns are her forte. She's proud, but she doesn't make it a liability when she gets captured by Ryu's friends. Guns...are not my forte. Nor is keeping my nails trimmed. Bah. Ursula would know to keep her nails well out of the way of her grip! Speaking of grip, mine also needs work. Let's keep working on the grip as well. I have a neighbor ready and willing to teach me the finer points of marksmanship, no excuses not to keep nails in good order, and a few good exercises to work the old grip strength--chins and double overhand deadlifts! That's right, the chin-ups are coming back, too! The Mission: Support my other quests with hand-related care + self-defense 101! Firearms - 2 Firearms training sessions during challenge Nails - 1/wk - Clip nails Grip - 3/wk - DOH Deadlifts @ max effort, retest on intensity day Dead-hang Chin-ups working up to 2x4 Grading: Firearms - 2 = A, 1 = C, else F Nails - P/F Grip - 3 = A, 2 = C, else F Starting Stats: Weight: 112.4 lbs Waist: 23.0" Hips: 31.0" Biceps(L/R): 10"/10" Forearm(L/R): 9.0"/8.9" Thighs(L/R): 19.7"/19.9" Calves(L/R): 11.9"/11.8" That's all, folks!

For January I invoke my namesake the Roman Goddess Terra (AKA: Mother Earth and Gaia) DRAFT - but I wanted to get something posted ASAP!!! Create an amazing foundation! Mother Earth is a giver and provides us with so much, but she must take care of herself first! Exercise: BJJ >> 2-3 times a week. Conditioning (strength) class >> 2-3 times a week Foot care/yoga >> daily Skiing or walking will happen when the weather allows Other health related goals: Mostly Paleo eating with MFP logging. Sleep aim for 7+ hours per night Do something just for me... The craft room needs an overhaul so I can be productive in it!

Main Quest: Build and maintain "action guy" abilities in order to be useful in emergencies and keep my man card as I grow older: Combatives/Parkour/Practical Shooting, supported by Functional Fitness. Also some Hollywood Ninja Nerd tricking for no justifiable reason. Note: bodyfat percentage is no where in this goal. Medium Term Quest 1: Monk/Druid: Blue Belt in BJJ, MACP Level 2, Taijutsu 1 Kyu per quarter, occasional MMA Sparing, 3 events per week (eventually Krav Maga level 5) Medium Term Quest 2: Ranger/Warrior: Lower Body: Tactical S&C, Upper Body-Cybergenics push/pull, 3 events per week. Medium Term Quest 3: Scout/Assassin: Tactical S&C ESD, Parkour Open Gym, 500yd Swim, 1-3 mile run, 5-12mile ruck, Taijutsu Tricking, 3 events per week. Medium Term Quest 4: Defensive Pistol: Ungraded, train at least once a quarter.

Events: IPF World Open - 10/11/2015 (live streamed on goodlift for those that are interested) Edinburgh BJJ Open - 21/11/2015 Southend No Gi Open - 29/10/2015 Newcastle BJJ Open - 6/12/2015 Goals: Competition: IPF Worlds - Top Ten STR - 3, Top 5 STR - 5, Podium (lol yeah right) STR - 7 Edinburgh - Gold CON - 1, DEX - 2, SIlver CON - 1, DEX - 1, Bronze DEX - 1 Southend - Gold CON - 1, DEX - 2, SIlver CON - 1, DEX - 1, DEX - 1 Newcastle - Gold CON - 1, DEX - 2, Silver CON - 1, DEX - 1, DEX - 1 Life Goals: Be more social Do at least one thing a week which isn't training related, even if it is with training partners. CHA - 2 Keep on top of all social media. CHA - 1 Helping others Be timely with my online coaching input instead of hitting it all at 23:00 every night. WIS - 2 So the name of the thread explains itself really. It's a month of competition. I think an obligatory "Pls b safe" is required here.

I started taking bjj and kickboxing classes about 3 months ago and love it. But I realized recently that my initial growth will slow rapidly if I don't start training outside of class. That's where drills come into play! I'm setting up a space in my home this week to run through striking, footwork, and foundational bjj movements on a regular basis. I'm also trying to regain my focus when it comes to my writing. Currently, a lot of time gets wasted each day doing "research", i.e. searching the internet until something shiny comes along to distract me. So I'll be implementing the pomodoro technique (25 minutes on task followed by 5 minute breaks) to stay on task. My breaks need to be computer-free time, so some stretching, simple bodyweight movements, or trips downstairs for more tea are all fair game. Last, but certainly not the least challenging, is giving better care to my diet. Historically, tracking calories is obnoxious to me. I'm going to switch things up a little an give myself a daily protein goal that increases as the challenge progresses. I'll start it at 60g for the first two weeks and add 20g to the daily goal every two weeks. So week 3 & 4 will be 80g and week 5 & 6 will be 100g. My hope is that trying to reach a certain number, instead of trying to stay under a caloric one, will be the positive mindset shift I've been missing. To summarize: Challenge Goals BJJ Drills x 2 per weekKickboxing Drills x 2 per weekPomodoro Writing Sessions w/ Breaks away from the computer x 15 per weekMeet Daily Protein Goal (starting at 60g)But wait, there's more! Side Quest - Rescue the short story from certain doom! I have several promising short stories that are hanging out in the doldrums while I work on my novel. To claim victory over the side quest I must pick one of these stories and get it submission worthy by the end of the challenge. So, I think that's everything. I plan to assign points/grading at some point, but really that feels like more than I can handle this evening. Any suggestions for a not-elaborate method of counting are welcome!

So after almost two years of no serious competition (TBH the Scottish Judo Open was more an experiment in seeing if I could still cut weight like a pro) I'm returning to competition. My first will most likely be a judo grading as the London IBJJF Open is a bit out of my league, bearing in mind I have to fight at blue belt. "Gentle means tired" was a favourite phrase used during competition preparation at the judo club, and right now I'm gentle very often. Sport Specific Activity: I'm already at classes regularly but I shy away a bit during rolling, people are gentle and won't hurt me. I can get in on this. Goal: Rolling and Randori - aim for only sitting out one round max. ( STA - 2) Conditioning: I have a conditioning program in place that will help me with power output in competition. I just have to actually do it three times a week. I will also keep up the drills from my previous challenge and shift the focus on inversion and DLR/ Spider guard drills. Goal: conditioning program 3xpw (STA - 3) Goal: Morning drills 4xpw (DEX - 5) Healthy Eating: This is where IIFYM goes back to "if it fits your macros" and not "if it fits your mouth" Goal: Keep avg calories below 1900 (as I'm still needing to lose extra bulk weight ;_; ) (CON - 2) Respecting the Men Folk: To put it bluntly, I'm good at respecting them in a sporting sense but not in a relationship sense. Over the past six months I have upset many of the men folk by really just not caring. The worst part was calling out another black belt (who I really should have respected as being the same level) purely because of the dating scenario presented. Worked out OK and mutual respect developed. This incident made me realise I'd gone a bit weird. I just haven't got round to do anything about it till not. Goal: Keep trolling, teasing and "Fite me bro" to a level that doesn't cause angry texts and getting ignored. (CHA - 3)

One has not been as active in the Monk's section lately. The madness drives one to solitude, the solitude drives one to madness; and one neglects an entire community of supporters who are willing to keep me accountable. And we all have a meeting place. THE QUEST One With The Universe Declare a schedule at the beginning of the week. Even if I don't follow the schedule to a T, having a schedule gives me a reason to not sit around wallowing in misery (or at least limit the time that I spend doing it). And declaring said schedule, I suppose, would keep me honest, or at least make me work hard to be otherwise. (+2 CON, +2 WIS) The Middle Way Despite keeping to myself, I spend too much time on Facebook. But I cannot just delete Facebook, since it also deals with my work, so I have resolved to follow Intermittent Facebook Fasting. No Facebook from dawn to dusk. (+2 CON, +2 WIS) Embrace The Madness I have a blog, but it remains relatively empty. I have words running around in my head but I never write them down. I shall spend at least two hours a week reflecting and writing on my notebook. (+3 WIS) SIDE QUEST Basic Review A rather overdue belt test is coming up, and I am going to take part in it. No more sandbagging [albeit honest]. Review techniques from the Gracie University's Blue Belt requirements. (+2 DEX, +2 WIS)