[SugarRay] Assassin Skills.

[SugarRay]

Hey all!

 

SugarRay here, and a newbie to the Assassins. I usually hang with the monks, but this time I thought I'd focus a tad more on matters that aren't related to me getting my face knocked in! =D

 

A few months ago I started rock-climbing, and more recently I got started with gymnastics.

Both of these activities have been going great! I've made progress, become stronger, learnt some super bad-ass techniques and managed to get stronger in the process.

 

1. Climbing! +5 DEX

 

Everybody knows that assassins are master climbers. Not only were the ninja well training in climbing techniques...

But come on, every character in the Assassin's Creed series was a superhuman climber!

 

This part of my challenge is dedicated to honing my bouldering abilities. As of this moment, I'm a strong Level 5 boulderer who can carry out a few Level 6 problems..

There are seven Level 6 routes that are beyond my reach as of now. However, I have six weeks and I feel confident that I can build my technique to a sufficient level by that time.

 

Making progress with bouldering is quite tough. If I can clear at least three of those Level 6 routes that I'm working on, I'll be happy.

 

2. Urban Ninja! +6 STAM

 

This right here is the first ever YouTube video that I ever watched:

 

 

When I first watched it, I was in absolute awe. These guys were beasts! I was especially impressed at the gymnastics part.

Back then, I watched it and just.. carried on with my life. However, right now.. I'm more than equipped to start tackling some of those skills.

Six techniques. Six weeks. Aim? Mastery.

As of now, I can carry out most basic skills in gymnastics. Handstands and cartwheels? Yesterday's news. This part of the challenge will be devoted to six techniques that I wish to master by the end of the challenge.

 

1. Somersaults.

2. Back-flips.

3. Front handsprings.

4. Back handsprings.

5. Dive-rolls

6. No-handed cartwheel

 

I will not be jumping in with no training beforehand. I have a lot of help available and prior experience in training these skills. If I put some serious effort in training, I can reach this goal.

 

3. Assassin Conditioning! +4 STR

 

For the above tasks, it's important to have the strength to back up your technique.

...however, over-preparation in this case is never a bad thing!

 

I'll be carrying out the workout I always do on my free days for this challenge, but every week, it'll get tougher.

 

Where n = Week number

• Pull-ups: 37 + 3n
• Push-ups (variations depending on set): 55 + 5n
• Dips: 8 + 2n
• Pistol Squats (both legs): 1 + 2n
• V-Sits: 18 + 2n

I won't be doing all of those together; I'll break them down into sets and such. 

 

I also want to work on my levers. I have a terrible time maintaining my back lever: this'll hopefully improve by the end of the challenge. Maybe if I exceed expectations, I can start work on front-levers ! =D

 

4. Battle Theory! +5 INT

 

Outside my school work, I'm always on the lookout for great maths and/or physics books.

I recently obtained Euclid's Elements, which is awesome because geometry isn't my strongest field for maths.

The copy I have is in total 481 pages long.

I have 42 days to read it.

 

Therefore, I hope to average 12 pages a day. 

This book is no page turner; it is mathematics, and so takes a bit of effort to get through. I think 12 pages is a good value to aim for.

Realistically, I may be busy a few days or I might be so interested in the topic at hand that I carry on reading way past 12 pages.

 

 

Lifestyle Goal: Cut down on candy.

 

I don't eat much candy to begin with, but I feel like this will be an excellent test of willpower.

I'm part of a community where amazing people fight their temptations when it comes to food. I can't help but be inspired.

 

---

 

So.. rock climbing, gymnastics, a bit of calisthenics and some geometry.

Challenge time! =D

[raptron]

I wanna say that those are pretty lofty goals for 6 weeks of gymnastics, but I've seen so many random fit dudes who have never flipped in their life show up and learn things that take other foreeever to figure out, so it's definitely possible!

 

How often are you gonna go?

 

Welcome to the assassin side of things. Let's get trickyyyy.

 

[QwertyCookie]

Sounds like a great challenge, Ill be following! Particularly interested to see how the gymnastics and climbing goes

[SugarRay]

I wanna say that those are pretty lofty goals for 6 weeks of gymnastics, but I've seen so many random fit dudes who have never flipped in their life show up and learn things that take other foreeever to figure out, so it's definitely possible!

 

How often are you gonna go?

 

Welcome to the assassin side of things. Let's get trickyyyy.

 

Hey there, thanks for dropping in!

 

I'm going to be going twice a week at least. If my schedule eases up (probably during Christmas time), I could go some more.

Honestly, I'm feeling like the gymnastics part of the challenge is a bit of a dud. I've already landed my first few somersaults, hand-springs and dive-rolls, I just don't feel like I've drilled them deep enough yet. I actually started gymnastics on my last challenge and achieved the above three techniques within the six weeks, so maybe I'll get lucky once more. =D

For those three skills, I'm aiming on perfection; building the confidence to do them whenever I want.

 

Glad to be here! Hope to get to know this guild's sneaky, agile, super strong inhabitants as the weeks go by. =D

 

Sounds like a great challenge, Ill be following!   Particularly interested to see how the gymnastics and climbing goes 

 

 

Great to have you here! I myself can't wait for the climbing and gymnastics.

I'll be checking in on your challenge in a bit, until then! =D

[Nymeria]

Subbing!  You can't go wrong with being a Monk/Assassin hybrid who does bouldering and nerdy math stuff.    I'm not familiar with your grading system, but is a level 6 route the same as a V3?  Good luck with your goals.  They seem a tad ambitious, but I guess that will just provide some extra motivation.  

[SugarRay]

Subbing!  You can't go wrong with being a Monk/Assassin hybrid who does bouldering and nerdy math stuff.     I'm not familiar with your grading system, but is a level 6 route the same as a V3?  Good luck with your goals.  They seem a tad ambitious, but I guess that will just provide some extra motivation.  

 

 

Why, it's the last challenge of the year! Finishes at Christmas season.

Tis the season to go.. BEASTMODE!

Purposely making this the hardest challenge I've done so far; my last challenges haven't really been stretching me far enough. In any case, I feel as though all of the challenges are attainable with iron discipline.

If not, well.. mistakes make the man. =D

 

Not sure about this, but Level 6 routes usually range from V3 - V5 in the Font grading scale. The problems I'm working at are mostly within 6a whilst one is rated 6b; they all should be between V3 and V4.

 

Thanks for dropping in! =D

[RisenPhoenix]

[SugarRay]

...the great Risen Phoenix has now entered this challenge thread.

 

[Talvi]

Fantastically epic assassiny challenge!  I love how that video has inspired you and that this challenge is totally geared towards it.  You shall be one seriously qualified urban ninja!

[Teirin]

You can take off to the Assassins, but we still get to visit you :-D

[SugarRay]

Fantastically epic assassiny challenge!  I love how that video has inspired you and that this challenge is totally geared towards it.  You shall be one seriously qualified urban ninja!

 

 

 

Thanks for dropping in!

I shall be the first urban ninja... who lives in a quiet countryside town. =D

That aside, this is going to be a super tough challenge; I'm going to have to put in all the effort I can to pass it. Ninja training probably wasn't easy, why should urban ninja training be any different? xD

 

You can take off to the Assassins, but we still get to visit you :-D

 

 

It would be wrong of me not to visit the threads of some of the coolest people I know! 

 

Heading over to the monks right now. =D

[RisenPhoenix]

...the great Risen Phoenix has now entered this challenge thread.

 

 

Great?  Noooooo.  I'm just your every day, run of the mill Phoenix.  Ain't nothing special.

 

You can take off to the Assassins, but we still get to visit you :-D

 

^That

[SugarRay]

Great?  Noooooo.  I'm just your every day, run of the mill Phoenix.  Ain't nothing special.

 

 

Dude, you're an immortal bird made of fire who practices Aikido and does spartan obstacle races.

..need I say more?

 

Oh, I also found out that there are quite a few Spartan races taking place next year in the UK! I'm of course considering trying it, seems like great (and terrifying) fun. Plus, I hear you get a medal for completion...

I likes me some medals.

 

----

 

UPDATE TIME

 

I am in no doubt that the no chocolate part of my challenge is the most difficult bit.

My parents own a grocery store with a large chocolate aisle, and as I help out there regularly I'm allowed to take whatever I want.

...not anymore.

As I was helping my dad stock shelves today, I felt the desire for chocolate gnawing into my skull like some twisted, monstrous parasite. I could pretty much hear each bar, calling out to to me.

Then my mother holds up a box of Lindor chocolate and asks me whether I want one.

...I say no.

 

Me 1 - 0 Chocolate.

 

Today was a free day, so I carried out the body-weight workout. Pistol squats are freaking awesome, however I have noticed that my butt has become more Kardashian-like since getting them down. 

It's kinda bothering me.

 

Completed twelve pages of Elements today; 15 propositions of geometry. I'm not particularly used to the vocab used in the book, but I'll get by thanks to the terminology section at the beginning of the book.

[raptron]

Embrace da booty. It is a good thing, in ladies and fellows alike.

[SugarRay]

Good day today!

 

I've resisted the sweet temptation of chocolate for the second day running. It's... bloody difficult. 

 

Didn't need to do the body-weight workout this time, as I went boxing training. It's raining over here where I am and it sure was fun doing an endurance run in the rain!

It's the time of year where my gym starts becoming colder than the ninth circle of hell. I generally like it when it's like this, because after a hard training session I actually start steaming! It makes me feel like some overpowered anime character or something. It's the small things in life. =D

 

I have yet to read the next twelve pages of Elements, but I still have some time left.

 

Tomorrow; gymnastics training. I'll be working on somersaults and handsprings. I find handsprings so much easier than somersaults, even though it's apparently supposed to be the other way round.

 

---

 

Embrace da booty. It is a good thing, in ladies and fellows alike.

 

 

Is that so? News to me! Well, I shall now take great pride in my glorious glutes. =D

[Teirin]

Have breakfalls corrupted your somersaults?

[Sabretooth-Kitty]

Hey, good luck with the new challenge!

[SugarRay]

Gymnastics training today!

 

I've brushed up with the somersaults, gotten used to them. I'm feeling confident with them now. =D

My handsprings always landed whilst my knees were slightly bent, but I worked on handstand hops and managed to land some good ones. Need a bit of work, but we'll see how it goes.

I was pretty confident with dive-rolls before I started the challenge, to be honest. I don't know why I put them on there.

 

It's come to my attention that applying the boxer's work-ethic to gymnastics isn't.. right. I'm used to training until I'm drenched in sweat and completely exhausted, but applying that to gymnastics usually ends with me getting slammed on the floor more and more often.

...I pretty much have to chill out, I guess.

 

No Euclid today. Need to do more work with matrices. Row operations, man...

 

Free day tomorrow, so calisthenics time! =D

 

---

 

Have breakfalls corrupted your somersaults?

 

 

Not in the slightest! In fact, I believe that my grappling training has seriously helped me when it comes to gymnastics by removing the fear of getting slammed on the mat.

Grappling really is an excellent discipline, it makes you tough as hell.

 

Hey, good luck with the new challenge! 

 

 

Thanks for dropping in! =D

[RisenPhoenix]

It's come to my attention that applying the boxer's work-ethic to gymnastics isn't.. right. I'm used to training until I'm drenched in sweat and completely exhausted, but applying that to gymnastics usually ends with me getting slammed on the floor more and more often.

...I pretty much have to chill out, I guess.

 

For some reason I just imagined you shadow boxing intensely, and then running forward to do a sommersault, only to faceplant.

 

I giggled.

 

Sorry.

[SugarRay]

There's no need to apologize! =D

I've face-planted a lot of times. Yesterday, I was going into a somersault to quickly and the momentum took me right off my feet and face first onto the floor. I'll be honest, I've never seen myself face-plant, but I imagine it's quite hilarious.

[raptron]

Ohhh, yeah. Serious fatigue is not the goal during gymnastics practice. You can save that energy for conditioning after you're done.

 

Sounds like you are progressing nicely though!

[SugarRay]

Will do! It's pretty silly how it's taken me so long to figure that out, though. =_=

 

It's a good change of pace, however. It's more relaxed, but still super difficult. The conditioning is beyond amazing, too. One of the other guys that trains there used to be an average chubby British bloke, but now he has an upper-body that bodybuilders would envy and the strength to back it up!

 

----------

 

Update!

 

I have a maths test tomorrow that I need to get a good mark on. No Euclid for today (I'll catch up in the weekend, I promise!)

 

Did the body-weight workout, realized that the number of dips I have to do are nowhere near sufficient. I'm bumping the count to 28+n.

 

Tomorrow; boxing... or ice-skating. My friends want to go to the local ice-rink (which happens to be beside my climbing center), so I can probably get some climbing done tomorrow if I decide to go with them.

It occurs to me that this challenge has me doing something physical every day. I don't feel like this is a problem, but maybe if it does become a problem I'll assign a rest day.

 

I have refrained from eating candy so far.

It's. So. Freaking. Difficult.

[SugarRay]

D'ARGH DAMN YOU SHORT, STOCKY LIMBS!

So close, man..

 

Went bouldering today and managed to get to the third last move on one of the problems I'm trying to complete.

To clear it, I needed to make a dyno. It would have been a tough dyno for taller guys, but for me it would require a lot of power.

I got myself ready. Took me a deep breath and focused on my target... and I leaped like a freaking monkey.

And I reached it.

 

However, I couldn't get a good grip on it and I fell right back down.

I shall not say more lest the emotions that I'm hiding deep inside come pouring out.

 

---

 

Almost one week of no chocolate.

No, just typing that out is enough to bring on the cravings!

Let's just refer to it as the C-h-word.

How the hell do people do this for years on end?

 

---

 

Tomorrow, gymnastics. Will be working on mastering somersaults, dive-rolls, handsprings and I'll look to start work with the back-flip.

[SugarRay]

Somersaults, dive-rolls, handsprings? Backflips?

 

LOL. I spent the whole session on the rings and high bar. Did do a couple somersaults and dive-rolls, but yeah.

Bah, I'll do the floor work on Wednesday.

 

---

 

I am completely behind on the geometry.

I must catch up.

 

---

 

No chocolate for a whole week.

I'm quite proud of that! However, I'm being tested; a new product came into my parent's shop; Yorkie Peanut Bars.

I love Yorkie bars, and I love peanut chocolate.

...this battle will get harder over the next few weeks.

 

--------

 

As this challenge is results oriented, there's no point doing a grading at this point. No, the grading will come at the end of the challenge, where it really matters.

[Sabretooth-Kitty]

Congrats on avoiding the chocolate Always difficult