This is a fantastic idea

[musasabi]

Greetings all.

 

I am a Linux programmer who's been into martial arts tricks, weight lifting, and running for many years. Most recent footage for tricks is me and a bunch of friends and young'ns from Chicago (I'm the white pants/brown shorts/Venom shirt individual):

 

I'm genetically slow twitch, so I'm far from the most explosively talented person in that video. However, I am blessed with some kickass natural strength, body fat percentage, and general ability to achieve. That in mind, my goals for the immediate future are to become stronger than my genetic baseline. I've been able to squat 225lbs for reps for a long time, but I've never cracked 315 and I find that to be a shame. I've got one notable disadvantage: rotational lumbar scoliosis. It makes achieving a properly neutral back for deadlift more or less impossible (I believe) but I've got a plan to deal with that.

 

I also want to achieve more balanced and complete flexibility, lower my body fat percentage slightly, and up my body weight by 20lbs. Another skill goal would be a improved basic kicks (better technique and consistent head-level execution).

 

Finally, I fantasize about running a decently quick marathon (3 hours, perhaps) some day. I can run 8 miles at about an 8 minute mile pace currently without having run for months (or years) prior, so again I'm presented with a fantastic genetic starting point.

 

BUT. If I am anything, I am an over-planner, paralysis-by-analysis sufferer, and an appreciator of the merits in just about every discipline. So, one thing at a time and steadily forward.

 

The above is why I'm classifying myself as a Ranger but focusing exclusively on power lifting for now. I want to put up 315 for reps on squat and deadlift, despite my back, and see my chest, back, and arms catch up with my naturally strong legs.

 

It's 12:48am in Chicago on January 1st, 2014. Now, I'm going to grab my new music, don the loosest fitting shorts I've got, and go lift heavy in my basement. =)

[Wondertje]

Wow, I am in awe of what I see in that video. I used to practise karate a few years back, but unfortunately I had to quit due to big issues with my knees at that time and thus didn't get very far. One of my dreams has always been to reach the point where my knees can handle martial arts and tricks again, I really do miss it. I'm impressed by what I see, and it's a very nice inspirational video too

 

Welcome here, and best of luck with your journey on achieving your goals!

[musasabi]

Thank you. =) And good luck to you too; there are a lot of routes out there to healthier knees, so I'm sure you'll get there!

[Basement Cat]

Welcome Musasabi!

 

Awesome video! It's good that you want to try different things. Good luck with your training and keep us posted!

[musasabi]

Thankya. =) That's what makes a Ranger, right?

[SymphonicDan]

Aha, good to see another trickster joining this forum! For how long have you been tricking? I'm only just getting into it after years of thinking about it - I'm still to learn a "proper" trick whereas I see you have a lot of skill down already - but otherwise we seem to be on the same boat, focusing currently on upper body strength (and C++ programmer here also ).

[musasabi]

Oh, nice!

 

I've been tricking for about 10 years actually. =) Have you met Andy Jefferies? He's a UK trickster and one of my oldest friends. He lives around Shrewsbury, if I recall.

 

What do you do with programming? =)

[SymphonicDan]

Oops, only just noticed the reply!

 

I've not heard of Andy Jeffries; the UK's pretty big so I haven't met everyone yet I'm a C++ developer and do lots of work in sentiment analysis (software that reads reviews, articles, tweets etc. and determines whether the author is saying positive or negative things... so a hotel manager might want to know whether customers are happier than last year, or what they complain about most, without having to read everything personally).

 

Also, your comment about paralysis by analysis just caught my eye as I scrolled down, and I can empathise with that... seems to be a common trait amongst people working in software!

[musasabi]

Haha. When we're obsessed with how shit works... Sometimes it can backfire. =)

 

Yeah, I wasn't expecting you to bump into Andy at the grocery store. But, he's decently well known in the general UK tricks community I think, haha.