Dojo Discernments
Hi all!
Here is your weekly dose of dojo discernments! Golden nuggets of thought I've been gifted from the mats this week.
What I'm Watching
Zheng Le picking up Francis Ngannou 🤯
Francis Ngannou Picking up Shaq 🤯🤯
How I'm Training: Hypoxic & Hypercapnic 1.5-Mile Run
⚠️ I do not recommend this. Do not attempt alone, especially near water. If you do try, always have a safety spotter to rescue you in case you pass out.
- Hypoxia: Lack of oxygen in the bloodstream
- Hypercapnia: Excess carbon dioxide in the bloodstream
- Two related but distinct conditions
The Exercise: 1.5-mile run continuous: Breathe for a count of 15 breaths, then breath-hold for 15 strides counting on the left foot strike. Repeat until run is over.
This created a mix of fatigue and panic that demanded control. The faster I got my first couple of breaths under control, the easier the next breath-hold became. I had to fine-tune how fast I was running during the breath-holds. Enough to tax my system but not so much that I blacked out mid-run, which we pushed near the limit of.
I don’t run much in my regimen, but leading up to a match, I add it in to calibrate my heart rate, oxygen, and carbon dioxide management. Coming from a Recon Marine background, I’ve spent 12 years pushing my body to the limits of passing out, both underwater and on land. But this was the first time running this drill. I felt my self-control-on-demand muscle needed some refamiliartity and tuning.
Come Friday, if I get put into a bad position or near a submission, I’ll have already trained my mind to override my body's natural panic response. I want my system to understand one thing: we don't panic or break, we are in control and adjust.
What Inspired Me: Becoming a Self-Learner
I recently watched an 11-minute video on self-learning that emphasized three key principles:
- Learn through observation
- Consume a high volume of information
- Use precise language
At the start of my jiu-jitsu journey, I had a thought:
"Lock me in a room with two white belts. In 10 years, we will emerge as black belts."
Eight years in, after nearly living out that process, I believe this statement holds true, whether for jiu-jitsu or any other field of study. With the right mindset and approach mastery is inevitable.
Verse I'm Studying
Proverbs 15:22 “Without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established.”
When I get caught up in my plan of action for my life and career, say like right before a WNO 26 match. I'm reminded by good counsel to run it by the big man upstairs, The Father, to check if this action isn't for self glorification.
Competition Week
Account for all the most important variables at play, plan accordingly, execute your plan. Accept that this mission may cost your life, as such, dedicate yourself wholly. This is all one can do.
There's still time to join in person tonight WNO 26 at the Hangar, OC Fairgrounds. Let's create an evening we'll never forget.
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