WHOOHOO!! I’m running on fumes right now from the effort I put into getting this thing done but HOLY CRAP IT’S OUT! RPG Fitness is done, which means that the full HOW TO BE A GAME CHARACTER fitness system is complete, live, and ready to be downloaded! As if that weren’t enough, I’m so stoked about this that I decided to do a grand launch sale! From now through Friday the 17th, How to Be a Game Character will be $10 off the normal price, in addition to any coupons you may or may not have **coughsurveycouponcough** For less than the cost of a single new video game, you can make a purchase that can permanently improve your life. With over 160 full-size pages worth of goodies, this book is the equivalent of an entire year’s worth of blog posts (and then some). Heck, just take a look a the official write-up:
Finally it’s here, the complete How to Be a Game Character fitness system! Four separate volumes designed to fit together perfectly, to help you engineer your own legend, and unleash your inner champion. The definitive guide to becoming a real life game character comes packed with knowledge, tips, motivation, and strategies for success. Gain the body, mind, and life you’ve always dreamed of, by following How to Be a Game Character system. Just what exactly is contained within this hallowed volume? I’m glad you asked!
Part 1: Intro
Choose Your Class
Choose Your Class is all about picking the plan that fits you. Short, sweet, and to the point, we’re not going to be following any multi-page personality tests here. Instead, you get a short, concise summary of each class, their approaches to life and fitness, and how they might benefit you. Get off the fence and pick a path!
Part 2: The Care and Feeding of You
Nutrition and personal care are important. Incredibly so. In fact, I’d go so far as to say they’re MORE important than your workout regimen. Seriously. The Care and Feeding of You walks you through exactly how to go about changing your body’s shape to your liking. Want to lose weight? We’ve got that. Want to gain muscle? We’ve got that too! Want to cut some body fat percentage and get shredded for the beach? No problem!
Additionally, The Care and Feeding of You offers some no-nonsense strategies for success, to help keep you from falling off the wagon. It’s not a crash diet, it’s not a cleanse, and it’s not some magic pill mumbo-jumbo. Just straightforward, easy-to-follow advice and suggestions on how to supercharge your body with the best fuel you can.
Part 3: RPG Fitness
Have you ever had an issue staying motivated? Do you ever find yourself wishing that getting fit could be more like leveling up in your favorite game? Wish no longer, my friend. RPG Fitness is here to cease those woes, once and for all.
Featuring nine detailed workout plans, far more complete and comprehensive than anything featured on the blog, you’ll be introduced to the principles of fitness, laying out a simple, straightforward understanding of how your body works. Then, we’ll walk through how to develop your own character sheet. You’ll fill in your class, your mentor, learn how to gain experience points, and level up! What’s more, the RPG Fitness system is designed to go hand-in-hand with The Care and Feeding of You, giving you a total package. Additionally, if you’re particularly fond of a certain character’s workout on the site here, I walk you through how to plug their workout into the RPG Fitness system, so you can still work on becoming your favorite game character and level up at the same time.
Part 4: Potions and Power-Ups
Part four introduces you to the wide world of fitness supplements. With so many different products out there, it’s tough to know what’s worth getting and what isn’t. I help you steer clear of the snake oil, as well as point out what products really do benefit you, and why. Then we close out with some “Potion and Power-Up” recipes of our own, because what’s the fun of trying to be a game character if you don’t get into character a little bit?
Make no mistake. How to Be a Game Character is a life changing book. Choose your class, write your own legend, and unleash your inner champion. Grab How to Be a Game Character today.
Man, I am wiped out, but I am really looking forward to seeing everyone’s reaction to this. I worked so hard on it, and I am so proud of it, and I think you guys are all going to love it. Go check it out!
The other benefit of having finished the book is that next Monday we’ll be returning to business as usual with a new character breakdown! Sorry for the brief break there, but I think we can all agree it was worth it. Also, we have the website redesign looming on the horizon, I’ll be throwing up a vlog about that this Saturday, talking about the survey results, and what my plans are.
Now, I’m going to go sleep for a day or two.
Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Happy Monday, folks! I’m currently sitting in the middle of the northeastern snopocalypse and enjoying every second of it. Nothing better than a hot cup of coffee and a white blanket covering the backyard to make you feel all cozy inside. =D So, today’s post is, of course, The Skills of Megaman. Megaman, as I stated in the first post, is not known for his strength, so much as he’s known for his skills. His ability to copy and inherit weapons systems, programs, and upgrades from enemies is basically unrivaled in the video game world (except for maybe a certain pink puffball), and it’s been the foundation of MULTIPLE successful franchises.
As such, we’re going to be focusing on different methods of rapid skill acquisition in different applications and settings. We’re also going to touch on some standard abilities he carries over through most of the series’ he’s been in. Let’s get started!
Combat Adaptability
So, here’s something cool: You’re a great fighter. Seriously. If you’ve played any amount of video games in your life, especially of the Megaman variety, you already possess a great combat skill. That skill, my friend, is pattern recognition. Almost every boss fight you’ve ever faced in a game has probably centered around this. You survive long enough to recognize the inherent patterns in an enemy’s combat style, sort out the variations, and execute upon their weaknesses.
Here’s the thing: a real life fight is almost the exact same way. You just have a lot less time than you typically do in a video game. People are creatures of habit, in everything we do. The key is to figure out your opponent’s habits before they figure out yours. Here’s a few tips…
Observe the dominant side. Most trained fighters will fight with their less dominant hand leading their guard (this is in unarmed combat only – armed combat is almost always the opposite). Similarly, untrained fighters will usually lead with their dominant hand. So, if you know what side your opponent is dominant on, you can guess their level of proficiency by which hand they lead with. If you don’t know which side they’re dominant on, but you can guess by other clues how well trained or practiced they are, then you can usual figure out which side is their dominant. Either way, figuring out the dominant side will warn you where most of the big power shots (haymakers, hooks, big kicks) will come from.
Guard the head. You want to last long enough to identify your opponent’s weaknesses. Leaving your head open to tee off on is not the best way to accomplish this. Keep your hands up, keep your chin tucked, and accept that while body shots can really suck, they’re a lot less likely to take you out of the fight in one shot. Remember, in the street, a straight knockout can be fatal, so avoid them at all costs.
Fight your fight. Hopefully by now you’ve taken my advice and found a good place to study martial arts. If you haven’t yet, do so (and watch out for McDojos!) Now, assuming you have started studying something, then you need to fight in your comfort zone, not their. Are you a grappler? Get inside and go to town. Striker? Keep your distance, remember your targets, watch for takedowns. Above all else, don’t let your opponent use mind games to throw you, or bully you around. Fight your fight.
Fights are dangerous and unscripted. I cannot give you a 100% foolproof strategy to help you win every single one. But observation before conflict, protecting your person, and fighting to your own strengths are good guidelines to stick with in any conflict. With enough practice and hard work, you too can become a Super Fighting Robot. Well, maybe not a robot. You know what I mean.
Rapid Skill Acquisition
So, one of the cool things about being a human being is that we are ridiculously good at learning things. Seriously, acquiring a new skill set is basically a human super power. To put it in robot terms, we’re carrying basically the same hardware that allowed us to learn how to kill mammoths, and we’ve adapted that hardware to develop vehicles that travel to other planets. That’s like using an abacus to play Dragon Age: Inquisition on a 4K display at 60 FPS. Super. Power.
So, how do we unlock this super power? I mean, most people have things that they’ve tried to learn, and then failed miserably, fell off the bandwagon, and generally gotten discouraged. C’mon, man, we learned how to walk, talk, read, write, and dance (well, some of us) within the first six or seven years of our lives! What happened?!
A lot of people think that learning gets harder as you get older. This is not the case. What if I told you, you could learn a new skill in a DAY, no matter what age you are?! Don’t believe me? Fine, I’ll prove it.
First off, though, here’s a few qualifiers. When I say a day, I mean twenty four hours of practice. All at once? No! We’re gonna divide em up! It’ll work, I promise. Second qualifier: I said learn a skill, not master it. I promise you, you can learn how to juggle three balls with twenty four hours of practice. However, you will not become this guy in 24 hours. Can you become him? Yes! But it will take a little more investment of time. That said, you can definitely learn enough in 24 hours to be impressive at a party! =P
So, here’s your guidelines to learning a new skill in a day or less.
Pick a Small, Defined Goal
To continue our juggling analogy, saying “I will learn how to juggle” is not a small, defined goal. It’s broad, and vague, and can lead to overwhelming discouragement (more on this in a bit). “I will learn a basic three-ball juggle,” however, is a fantastic goal, and definitely do-able in your short time table.
Work a Little Bit Every Day
Our brains don’t actually like to do new things things for a long period of time. They get tired, and discouraged (still coming up), and stop being productive. Twenty to thirty minutes a day should be it, especially when you’re starting out. That will give you your required 24 hours in less than a month, which means, even if you’re only learning one skill at a time, you can still pick up at least six new skills a year. That’s incredible.
Sleep
Sleep is when your body and brain process what you did during the day. You catalog, categorize, and go over everything you did, physically and mentally. In fact, studies have shown that sleeping within four hours of practicing your new skill (even if it’s just a quick nap), can drastically increase your retention and learning rate.
Play
Remember the little kid learning analogy I made at the beginning? Kids learn quickly because they learn through play. Think about how quickly you pick up new control schemes and move sets in video games. You don’t notice the incredibly fast learning you’re doing because you’re playing at it! Don’t just read about and research a new skill, play with it! Practicing your new skill should feel like a fun game. This is especially important when you’re trying to…
Avoid Discouragement
The other reason we learn faster as little kids is because we don’t know about feeling self conscious yet. We don’t berate ourselves for screwing up, or getting something wrong. This is something I see ALL THE TIME in my adult karate students. Little kids don’t care when they screw up, but adults and older teens seem to hang onto mistakes and berate themselves for it. Stop. You’re new at this, you’re supposed to screw up! In fact, the more you think outside the box and screw up while in your initial learning phases, the better your understanding of the new skill will eventually be. Don’t get down on yourself, have fun!
So, seriously, give this a shot. Pick a skill, give yourself two months, and do a half hour a day. This is kind of like The Jerry Seinfeld Method we talked about a while ago. Give it a shot, and unleash your inner Megaman!
Jump and Shoot Man
So, Megaman has a lot of incarnations and various versions of himself. Almost ALL of his variants feature a few basic skills! The most notable of these, of course, is his jumping. So, let’s take a look at some jumping variants!
The Precision Jump
One of the hallmarks of parkour is precision jumping. This is a static, two-footed jump where you land on a very small space with very exact balance. Megaman, similarly, needs to land every jump he makes with precision, or he’s gonna fall to his circuitry-exploding doom. SO! Here’s a solid video tutorial for you, because writing out parkour instructions is a lesson in failure!
The Tic-Tac/Wall Run/Wall Kick
Here’s a second jump option, too! One of X’s signature moves, the ability to kick off of walls and use them to increase your vertical jump is a powerful skill. Here’s a cool instructional video from a guy dressed as an Assassin! (he’s also got a pretty good vertical wall run tutorial, too).
Obviously, there’s a lot more to parkour than this, but Megaman isn’t really a parkour guy, he just incorporates a few skills. If you’re interested in learning more parkour, I’d definitely recommend checking out The Skills of Faith, my dedicated parkour writeup.
So, that’s it for The Skills of Megaman! I hope you enjoyed them. I’m off to dig out my car. Let me know what you thought of this writeup in the comments below, or over on the official forum thread. I’ll see you again on Thursday, with The Mind of Megaman! Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Ryu is an incredibly fit individual. I mean, he’s a ninja, so he’d pretty much have to be, but he’s elite even for ninja standards. We’re going to need a serious workout regimen to match his level of fitness, as well as a solid diet plan. For the workout plan itself, we’re going pretty much straight body weight, both for ease of use at home, as well as developing proper body management principles. For food, check out Macros and You! and The Fighter Diet. Remember, workouts can make you strong and agile, but only food can give you the definition and musculature you want!
So, in addition to being strong, we also want to be agile. Part of being agile is improving range of motion and keeping yourself limber. You also want to be free of injury. As such, you MUST warm up AND cool down properly after each workout. For this purpose, I’ve put together a Warm Up Walkthrough to do before every workout, and a Cool Down Walkthrough to do AFTER every workout. Make sure you include them!
Now that that’s all said and done, let’s get to the workout!
Note: This workout, is split into four tiers in order to easily plug into the RPG Fitness workout system.
Equipment Needed:
Pull Up Bar (rings will be necessary, you can make these by attaching ropes with short lengths of PVC for handles, as seen in the Pull Up Progressions video)
Chairs (may be optional)
Level 3 (Advanced): 5×3-10 Uneven Pull Ups (see notes below for description) 5×5-10 Ring Dips 5×3-10 Uneven Bodyweight Rows
5×3-10 Handstand Push Ups
5×3-10 One-Legged Pistol Squats (place your hand on a wall or chair when first attempting these)
5×5-10 One-Legged Calf Raises (get your toes elevated on something to increase your range of motion)
5×5-10 Second Hanging L-Sits
5×10-20 Second Tucked Front Lever (start working on extending your legs to a full front lever)
Level 4 (Ninja): 5×3-10 One-Armed Pull Ups 5×5-10 Ring Dips (In L-Sit position) 5×3-10 One-Armed Bodyweight Rows
5×5-10 Handstand Push Ups (work towards one-armed for true Ninja status – see notes below)
5×5-10 One-Legged Pistol Squats
5×5-10 One-Legged Calf Raises (get your toes elevated on something to increase your range of motion)
5×10-20 Second Front Lever (work your way to fully extended legs)
Strength Notes:
Okay, so, this is basically the best possible utilization of your body weight for workout purposes. We’re looking to build up to basically all one-limbed exercises to leverage your body weight to its fullest. This is actually a circuit variation on what I’m doing to train for American Ninja Warrior. As such, since it’s a circuit, all exercises are performed one set at a time, immediately following each other, for five circuits. On the legs portion, feel free to swap in the plyometric portion of Big Ups once a week.
For the uneven pull ups and bodyweight rows, you want to put one hand at the normal position you would put it on, and the other hand lower, starting at an inch or two and gradually getting lower. This puts more strain on the higher hand, and helps you build up to one-armed exercises. I personally use my rock rings for this purpose on the pull ups, and thread a towel through one of my rings for the rows. One armed handstand pushups are pretty ridiculous exercises, I’d personally recommend when you attempt them, you kick up into a corner so you have something to brace your feet between.
For bonus challenge mode, when you’ve got your full front lever down, start doing some rows while you’re up there. Wheee!
Level 4 (Ninja): 20-30 minute jog (optional) 4 minute Tabata interval hill sprints
4 minute Tabata interval burpees (with push up)
Cardio Notes:
Super simple, super brutal cardio! If you have eight minutes, you have time to do your full cardio workout, even at the Ninja level! What are tabata intervals, you ask? It’s a High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) protocol developed by a Japanese doctor (fitting, eh?) to maximize anaerobic conditioning. You perform an exercise as quickly as you can for twenty seconds, then rest for ten seconds. You repeat that pattern eight times, for a total of four minutes. The great thing is that it scales as you get fit. You will always be gassed because you will always be doing the exercise as quickly as you can. Also, if you see fit, you can swap in The Sheik Agility Workout for your sprints or burpees, as long as you still follow the Tabata protocol.
Obviously, the jogging portion is optional, as stated, but if you feel up to it I definitely advocate throwing it in. Once you start to get in really good shape, you can go for a light jog on your rest days, for 20-30 minutes.
Schedule:
Day 1: Strength Day 2: Cardio Day 3: Rest Day 4: Strength Day 5: Cardio Day 6: Strength
Day 7: Rest
Schedule Notes: Pretty straight forward schedule, as usual. If you’re just starting out, feel free to take an extra rest day (I’d recommend day four or six). Also, as stated above, feel free to go for a light jog on your rest days when you start feeling comfortable with it.
That’s it for Ryu’s workout! It should give you something to work on. If you get up to the “Ninja” level, feel free to video and send it in, I’ll feature you on the blog! I’ll see you again on Monday, with The Skills of Ryu Hayabusa! Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Alright! So, Megaman is, like I said on Monday, a multi-faceted character. He’s a very well rounded character, with his signature traits not being super strength or anything like that, but rather the ability to learn and master new skills quickly. His fighting style is agile and makes use of the environment around him. Our strength workout is all about building a well-rounded base that will also provide us with excellent control of our bodies. We’re not trying to be SUPER strong, we just want to be strong enough to move ourselves quickly and efficiently, and direct force as necessary to ward off dangers.
Now, of course, Megaman has the advantage of being a robot, so, barring running out of energy, he’s not going to get fatigued. As such, we want to build a good amount of stamina and endurance as well, so we stick to the higher end of repetitions for our strength exercises, and work in a lot of low intensity cardio. At the upper levels of our cardio workouts, we also incorporate some high intensity stuff, to keep our agility and mobility high, and build our anaerobic systems as well.
As usual, I recommend you take a look at Macros and You, as well as The Fighter Diet, for tips on nutrition. Megaman isn’t huge, so we want to stay trim and “fighting fit.” Also, I recommend you start every workout with my Warm Up Routine to help prepare your body and prevent injury, and finish off with my Cool Down Routine to preserve range of motion, and help reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness).
Note: This workout, is split into four tiers in order to easily plug into the RPG Fitness workout system.
Required Equipment:
Pull Up Bar
Weighted Vest or Backpack (for upper levels)
5×5-10 Pistol Squats
5×20-45 second Planks
5×15-30 second Hanging L-Sits
Strength Notes:
The strength workout is meant to be done in a circuit. That means you do a set of one exercise, followed immediately by a set of the next exercise, with no break in between, until you do a set of each exercise. Rest for 1-2 minutes, and then begin another circuit. Continue until you do all sets for each exercise.
Level 4 (Megaman): Jog 20-30 minutes (uphill grade if on treadmill, varied terrain/grades if outside)
8 Hill Sprints, 20 seconds sprinting, 10 seconds rest.
Cardio Notes:
To get between level 1 and level 2, start to add brief periods of jogging into your walking. Soon you’ll be jogging more than you walk, and then even sooner after that, you won’t be walking at all. For level 3 and 4, don’t be afraid to kick up the speed on the jogging portion, or go for a little bit more time. The interval sprints can be tough at first, so ease into them a couple sets at a time.
Schedule: Day 1: Strength Day 2: Cardio Day 3: Strength Day 4: Rest Day 5: Cardio Day 6: Strength
Day 7: Rest
Schedule Notes:
As usual, feel free to take an extra rest day when you’re first starting out (I’d recommend day 3). Always listen to your body. If it needs a break, take a break! It takes a lot longer to heal from an injury than it does to take a day off. Finally, I SINCERELY recommend you come join us in posting a workout log on the forums. It helps keep you on point, and you get a great support network to help you out with any questions or problems you may have! I check in one or twice every day to see if anyone’s got any issues, and to offer advice where I can!
So, that’s it for the Megaman workout! I’ll see you again on Monday, with The Skills of Megaman! Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Hey guys! Guest post number two comes from our own Gilver, and it’s based around the mindset of a successful fighter! Enjoy! Also, remember our current t-shirt campaign is still running!
More than once around here, Dan advocates avoiding fighting whenever possible, with which I strongly agree, but also gives some good pointers for when shit gets real. I thought I’d take some time to do the same- not with specific techniques or tactics, but good all-around thought patterns that will greatly increase anyone’s chances of survival and success if applied. While reading this, bear in mind that my orientation is Fighter-Weapons Master. In no particular order-
1. Unarmed combat is a matter of dodging
Time and again, I see evasion get the better of unarmed fighters who utilize either blocks or counters. Blocks should be a last resort, because you’re still getting hit, and even forehead/hands/forearms/whatever will feel the pain after a few good blows. Counters can open a path to a solid win, but outside of a demonstration or whatever, I notice they don’t go as planned more often than not- in a life or death encounter, it’s harder to remain cool and precise, and for moves that really need precision, this can get you. Evasion, on the other hand, doesn’t involve you getting hit, has a smaller chance of backfiring, and might result in the opponent overextending and giving you an opening to capitalize on. In a legit unarmed encounter, dodging has a good record of ensuring your survival. If you’re facing a gun, statistics show that you are likeliest to live by getting behind cover rather than thinking offensively.
2. Keep things in perspective
It can be easy to let doubt creep in if you have a second to assess the situation. You might be outnumbered or facing superior weapons, not feeling your best while the opponent seems to, or any other number of things that can throw off your confidence. Take things in stride. You’re going to have to survive, and can consider how badly the odds were against you later. If you’re outnumbered, do your best to satellite your opponents and face as few as possible at a time until they’re no longer a threat or you can fall back. If you’re outmatched for weapons, try to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the weapons you’re facing. Clubs are vulnerable to catches, as are whips. Blades need a decent arc to slash, though stabbing will still prove troublesome. Guns can only attack in a straight line, and it’s likely your opponent is going to have shaky hands- getting distance between the barrel and yourself is likelier to ensure they miss. Hunting cover and concealment should be your top priority against a gunman, whatever you’re armed with. If you’re sick, already injured, low on energy, you might be better served to try to end a fight fast and brutally- break noses, joints, teeth (not with your fist, please…), go for testicle, throat, and temple attacks, and do everything you can to avoid allowing your opponent to exploit your vulnerability by ending the fight aggressively. Retreating while you’re messed up might do nothing more than allow your attacker to get a good shot in at your six. Do whatever it takes to ensure your survival. Whatever’s gnawing at your confidence, understand that just because the odds aren’t good doesn’t mean it’s all over. Be intelligent and take actions that maximize your ability to survive. Leading into…
3. Comparing the strengths of one man against another is pointless
A lot of online threads are devoted to something like ‘could x beat y?’ Could Batman defeat Darth Sidious? Can Flash and Reverse-Flash defeat Dante and Vergil? Can Alucard beat Sebastian Michaelis? While at times an interesting intellectual exercise, the truth is that if these fights were to really take place, any of these people could beat anyone else. In virtually any conditions, Sidious would murderrape Batman. If Batman hid his presence with a taozin nodule amulet or whatever and stuck a Batarang in Sidious’ throat, Batman would win. DMC3 Sons of Sparda against normal Flash and Reverse Flash depends on what point of the game it is.Initial Dante and Vergil would have a hard fight- Vergil can teleport to offset the Flashes’ abilities, but Dante would be nothing more than another guy to soak up damage. Fully powered Dante and Vergil from the same game would paint the walls with Flash and Reverse Flash- Dante can now slow time and teleport, Vergil still teleports. Dante after DMC1 could defeat both Flashes himself with the Bangle of Time. DMC3 manga Sons of Sparda would lose. Alucard in almost any situation would overcome Sebastian. However, if he was in Level 0, having disengaged his familiars, making him only very durable instead of invincible, Sebastian would have at least a fair fight. And it’s the same way with anyone against anyone else. In the correct situation, a crippled 12 year old could kill a US Army Infantry platoon. Don’t get caught up in what another guy can do on paper- his strength, speed, knowledge of technique, and even weapons can only be weighed against you in a purely theoretical basis, and in live combat, any number of conditions can tip the scale. Don’t even let your thoughts turn to why your opponent has the upper hand. He has advantages and disadvantages, as do you.
4. Fights are won in the mind by positive thinking and envisioning victory over defeat before the battle begins
Someone who sees his escape routes cut off and figures he’s in for a beating or being killed will probably find his calculations fulfilled- he has, in a very real sense, given up. The man who sees an impending crisis, but has the confidence that he can deal with it, and foresees his victory, has a fighting chance and is likelier to find and seize an opportunity to be victorious.
5. Options are everywhere
This is becoming a more widely known fact, but everything in your environment has value in a fight. Floors and the ground determine your footwork. Walls and natural wall or pillar-like objects are cover and concealment. Ceilings determine how agile you can get, and a possible escape if there’s a vertical path. Any object you can pick up is a shield or a weapon, from a notebook to a bag of marbles to a wheelchair to a sword. Unless you’re stuck in an empty concrete square room for the duration of the fight, there’s almost always something available that can help you turn the fight in your favor. Hell, even then you’ve got walls to beat the other guy into. Be aware that you have choices.
6. Accept you won’t be at your best
I grew up as a weird guy in a crappy neighborhood, and I got into a lot of fights. Some I picked, most I didn’t. No one ever started a fight with me when I was at my A game. I always ached, had a headache, was stiff, hungry, whatever. Despite that, I very rarely lose a fight because I have a good mindset and it makes up for whatever’s wrong that day. Don’t worry about having the flu. Worry about kicking someone’s ass.
7. If it’s called for, hit first
On the scale of blood knight to total pussy, laws push hard for you to be a total pussy about everything. If it comes to it, they’d rather have you dead than a killer not under their control. I firmly believe it’s better to be judged by twelve men than carried by six, however. In no way am I advocating that you break the jaw of whoever looks at you sideways, but if you smell trouble coming, and you don’t have some nonviolent way to end it at your disposal, do what you think you need to in order to defend yourself. There’s a really good chance you’ll be arrested, and a fair chance you’ll be convicted of something, but if it’s that or your life, I strongly urge you to choose your life. Don’t let a fear of some chickenshit law send you to your grave. It’s why I don’t have a twin brother anymore. He saw danger coming, had no way out, but was more worried about the legal system than the threat directly in front of him. I’d rather have had my brother living in prison than dead with no criminal record. What would your family and friends prefer?
8. Your voice is a weapon too
If you’ve found yourself in a situation where fighting is the best option, probably it’s not very likely you can get aid by shouting for it. Might be worth a try, though. If it doesn’t get results, by either talking things out or calling for help, you can still use your words to rattle your opponent. Call him a bitch whose whore mother should have aborted him. Tell him you’ll rip his eyes out and eat them. Say anything that might shake him up, lower his guard for a second, and give you a shot at beating him or escaping. In life or death stakes, anything goes.
9. Whatever happens, don’t lose your head
It’s easy to turn your brain off in a fight and run on instinct, but it’s also when you’ll make bad decisions. When things are tense, breathe deeply, not allowing your oxygen levels to deplete. Pay attention to what’s happening around you. Panic, rage, shock, don’t let them dictate your actions. Unfortunately, this is something you master best by experience, but if you keep this tip in mind, you’re still going to have a strong mental advantage.
10. Do anything except die
These tips presume that you’re not a kid and that any fight you’re applying these to might end in your death or someone else’s. If you think that there’s no way that’s going to happen, think again. If you tried talking things out, leaving, getting help, all reasonable elements, and you’re still in a fight, the situation is bad and bad things can happen. If you’re getting into a fight, whether it’s one you picked or one that found you, understand that things might be going all the way to their extreme conclusion. You need to do whatever it’s going to take not to die. You might get hurt, might hurt someone else, might say some nasty stuff, might even kill someone else, you’re probably going to spend some time in jail at the very least, but your life is the most precious thing you have. As long as you’re alive, anything else can be dealt with. If you’re dead, nothing has any importance or meaning to you anymore. Live.
Gilver
That’s it for our first ever guest week! I’ll see you again on Monday, where we return to business as usual. Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Just a brief reminder before we dive in, How to Be a Game Character is on sale for $10 through tomorrow! Grab it while the deal’s still live!
Like we stated before, Zeratul is a mostly melee-oriented fighter who utilizes both stealthy and head-on style attacks. As such, we want to build a body that’s strong, agile, and adaptable. We won’t be looking to get HUGE, but we will want to get STRONG. Remember, part of getting faster is getting your muscles strong enough to move at speed, so don’t shy away from the strength drills!
For diet recommendations, I’d recommend picking up The Care and Feeding of You. Barring that, you can also check out Macros and You! and The Fighter Diet. Remember, size has as much to do with how you eat as it does with what you lift (more, actually!)
As usual, make sure you Warm Up before each workout, and Cool Down afterwards.
That’s enough talking, let’s get to the workout!
Note: This workout, is split into four tiers in order to easily plug into the RPG Fitness workout system.
Equipment Required: Pull Up Bar
Dumbbells
Weighted Vest or Backpack
Workout Style: Circuit– Perform one set of one exercise, followed immediately by a set of the next exercise. Rest for 1-2 minutes after all exercises have been performed for one set each. Repeat until all sets are finished.
Strength Notes:
All dumbbell weights given are a per-hand basis (so 20-50 lbs means each dumbbell weighs 20-50 lbs.) This workout is designed to plug into the RPG Fitness program, and borrows a bit from the Monk and Weapon Master sets in that volume.
Cardio
Tier 1 (Beginner): 20-30 Minute Walk/Jog OR
The Sheik Agility Workout
Tier 2 (Intermediate): 20 Minute Jog 3×5-10 Burpees OR
The Sheik Agility Workout
Tier 3 (Advanced):
30 Minute Jog with 5-10 Burpees every 6 minutes OR
The Sheik Agility Workout
Tier 4 (Dark Templar):
30 Minute Jog with 5-10 Burpees every 6 minutes 5×10 Second Sprints (rest 20-30 seconds between sprints) OR
The Sheik Agility Workout
Cardio Notes:
Yes, you read that right, you stop mid-run every six minutes and do 5-10 burpees from the advanced level onwards. You can also sub in the Sheik Agility workout for any cardio workout (I’d recommend doing one of each every week). This cardio program is designed to tax your WHOLE body. Zeratul fights in short, powerful bursts, but he also needs enough stamina to traverse the battlefield between targets. Like the strength program, this is also designed to plug right into the RPG Fitness system.
Schedule:
Day 1: Strength Day 2: Cardio Day 3: Rest Day 4: Strength Day 5: Cardio Day 6: Strength
Day 7: Rest
Schedule Notes:
Pretty straightforward. Take an extra rest day on day 6 when you need to, especially if you’re just starting out. When you start to feel real fit, then maybe turn one of those rest days into a “light cardio” day (just go for a jog). As always, listen to your body, and stop when it tells you to.
That’s it for today! If you’re ready to take the first steps towards becoming a Dark Templar, come on over to the forums and set up a workout log! It’ll help keep you on point and motivated, plus it’s always good to track your progress!
I’ll see you again on Monday, with The Skills of Zeratul. Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
Game(s): Injustice: Gods Among Us, Lego Batman Beyond Gotham DLC
Archetype: Fighter
Class: Weapons Master
Skills/Attributes:
Expert Archer
Expert Hand-to-Hand Fighter
Extremely Agile
Strong Will
Resilient Body
Lots o’ Baggage
Overview:
So we’re bending the rules a bit here, as The Arrow actually started as a TV show character, not a video game character, however he’s been requested quite often, and he’s technically in Injustice: Gods AND Lego Batman, soooo here we are! Now, a couple things: I’ll be referring to him as “The Arrow” because calling him just “Arrow” is silly. Also, I realize that “The Arrow” the TV show character is way different from “The Green Arrow” comic book character, so this obviously shouldn’t be taken as a program for HIM.
Now, let’s talk about The Arrow a bit. He’s a pretty muscular dude, though not huge, and his well-rounded combat skills are pretty damn impressive. I’d say this places him pretty squarely in the fighter archetype, and his skill with a bow, as well as escrima, sword, and other assorted hurty-things lands him squarely in the weapons master class. Let’s see how we’re going to crack this (angsty, somewhat impulsive) nut!
So The Arrow is pretty freaking ripped. Seriously, Stephen Amell (the guy who plays The Arrow) is in awesome shape, and this goes beyond the ability to perform the feat known as ‘The Salmon Ladder’ (something I’m going to need to conquer in my quest to become an American Ninja Warrior). The Arrow isn’t just strong, though, he’s also incredibly agile and extremely capable in almost any situation. We’re going to focus on becoming the most “functional” person we can in The Arrow Workout.
In The Skills of the Arrow, we’re obviously going to start by focusing on archery. The Arrow’s skills with a bow are almost inhuman, and we’re going to need a lot of work to reach his level, so we need to get started! After archery, we’re going to take a look at some other weaponry and combat skills as well, since The Arrow’s abilities go beyond just the bow and arrow.
Oliver’s also incredibly resilient, physically, so we’re going to look at how to toughen ourselves up a bit (we may or may not be slapping some water). We’re also going to look at ways to heal and recover from injuries (or over-training) faster. We may not have magical chinese herbs, but we’ve got other options.
Finally, in The Mind of the Arrow, we’re going to examine the psyche of a man who’s obsessed with protecting his city and his loved ones, often to the point of self-harm. I warn you, I’m not going to be pulling any punches here, so if you’re looking for your standard hero worship type examination here, you might be a bit disappointed. The Arrow’s got some serious issues going on, beyond just your usual “dark and broody” type situation. We’ll talk about his these affect his decision making, both in battle and in life.
That’s our basic road map! I hope you’re looking forward to it as much as I am! I’ll see you again on Thursday, for The Arrow Workout! Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
We’ll get to Korra in a second, but first we’ve got a little housekeeping to do! First off, we’ll be doing a new feature over on the Youtube Channel called “Q&A Tuesday,” where I answer questions you guys have about, well, anything! Go throw your question up on the forums if you’d like to see it answered next week! Secondly, I’m trying something new…
Email subscribers will get an exclusive article tomorrow evening on How to Enter Your Own Avatar State! Get in on the action by joining the mailing list here!
This is part of a new initiative I’m starting to try to add even more value to joining the mailing list (besides regular blog updates and two free ebooks). If you haven’t joined up yet, make sure you do!
So, with all that out of the way, let’s get down to business. We’re going to talk a lot about martial arts and bending styles today, as well as the differences between traditional martial arts and combat sport arts (like how Korra needed to learn from both traditional teachers and pro bending teams). First off, let’s look at bending styles and what traditional real-world arts they’re rooted in!
Water Bending – Tai Chi
Tai chi is traditionally a very graceful, flowing martial art, renowned for its meditative qualities. In relation to other arts, tai chi is considered an “internal” art, one that is focused on balancing your chi (inner energy) as well as your own physical balance. Now, I’m not going to get into the whole “chi” debate yet, but I will say that the cool thing about tai chi is that if you speed up the movements, there are a lot of practical martial arts and self defense moves to be discovered in its forms.
Tai Chi’s full short form
Air Bending – Baguazhang
Baguazhang is another internal art, like tai chi, focused strongly on internal balance. It’s noted for its very circular motions and flowing movements. Something that isn’t touched on too much in the show for the air benders, is that bagua practitioners are usually very adept in multiple weapons, from staves to deer horn knives. They also use small knives, large sabers, and generally everything in between. The essence of bagua is using circular movements to flow around your opponent, and keep them away from your center (out of your circle), while moving around and attacking their center (penetrating their circle).
Baguazhang 8 Palms form
Earth Bending – Hung Gar Kung Fu
Hung gar is a much more “external” art, focusing on concussive force and powerful attacks to best an opponent. It’s full of deep stances, powerful movements, and heavily committed attack patterns. The internal concepts of Hung Gar are based on the idea of staying deeply connected to the earth (appropriate, eh?) through wide, heavy-set stances and powerful movements.
It’s also worth noting, here, that Toph’s style of earth bending is an exception here, it was designed and based on Southern Praying Mantis. Southern Praying Mantis uses less footwork and big leg movements than Hung Gar, and focuses more on quick, powerful movements with the upper body.
Hung Gar 5 Animals form
Fire Bending – Northern Shaolin Kung Fu
Northern Shaolin is a very externally oriented style, focused on quick attacks, powerful strikes, and lots of movement. It’s typically a very aggressive style, featuring empty hand movements and forms, as well as some weapons. Since Northern Shaolin is a very externally oriented art, traditional instructors usually also school themselves and their students in an internal style to accompany it, like qigong or tai chi.
Shaolin Duan Dar form
External Vs. Internal
So we may stir up a bit of controversy here, but I’m going to come right out and say it…I don’t believe in “chi.” At least, chi as purported by the majority of media, legends, and other various popular culture sources. I do believe in internal psychological balance, and I do believe that there is a LOT of value to be had in practicing traditional internal styles (like tai chi), however I do not believe that you’re ever going to defend yourself by using your chi to manipulate your opponent’s chi, or whatever. Any time someone claims to be doing something through “chi” manipulation, it’s usually either basic body mechanics (how the body moves/functions) or neuro-mechanics (how nerves function.)
In my martial arts practices and learnings, I have been knocked out in one touch, but it was by an eighth degree black belt who is ALSO a neurosurgeon, who told me the exact scientific reasons for why it worked, and how it had nothing to do with chi. I’ve done unbendable/breakable arms/finger exercises, being instructed by a sports medicine doctor who told me exactly why my joints were doing what they were doing.
I’m not saying you do or don’t have to believe in chi. All I’m doing is getting my biases out there, and telling you that I personally am not going to instruct you in anything that I personally don’t believe and/or practice (and this is the same reason we never cover occult/magick stuff here.) Your beliefs are entirely up to you, and I do not begrudge you for them.
Traditional Vs. Modern Sport
Okay, now time to ruffle some more feathers! I think anyone who trains exclusively in traditional martial arts will lose a fight to someone who trains in equivalent modern combat sports at least seven times out of ten, assuming all else (size, weight, level of fitness) being equal. Why is this? Well, a multitude of reasons, the first of which being live sparring.
Traditional martial arts usually either don’t spar, they don’t spar with pads, they only do “point” sparring, and they never practice heavy contact. This isn’t to say you have to go knock each other around at the dojo/dojang/gym every time you go (heavy sparring on a regular basis is actually pretty bad for you), but if you never get hit, you will never learn how to recover from a hit, or escape from a combo. This is also part of the issue with point sparring, in that a point sparring match usually stops the second someone gets a shot in, whereas in a real fight, that’s usually when the actual fight starts.
Secondly, traditional martial arts are usually mired in, well, tradition. I see this a lot, even in a relatively modern art like my own Isshinryu Karate. I have been blessed with very non-traditional instructors, in karate, judo, and even my kung fu and tai chi practices. That said, in my relation with other schools, I see a lot of people who stick to what they’re doing just because it’s what they’ve always done, rather than learning and adapting from what other arts and styles bring to the table. Fighting is like life. If you don’t adapt, you die.
To bring this all back to Korra, Korra found herself at a disadvantage while first engaging in pro bending. If you watch pro bending vs. traditional bending, you find a lot of similarities between modern vs. traditional arts. Pro benders have more upright, narrow stances (better for rapid footwork and movement), they keep their hands up, covering themselves (less openings for attack, quicker recovery from defense), and they focus on fast, easily-entered combinations, rather than going for the single punch knock out every time.
The thing that Korra does, and the thing that we all have to do, too, is take what we can from our different sources. Traditional martial arts definitely have a lot to offer, still! You can see this in UFC greats who studied traditional arts, like Georges St. Pierre (kyokushin karate), Ronda Rousey (kodokan judo), and Lyoto Machida (shotokan karate). Traditional martial arts feature all kinds of awesome self defense moves that you could never use in the ring (eye gouges, joint smashes, pressure point control). However, you also have to take the strengths of modern sport arts into account, like live contact sparring. Unless you use a move, you have no idea what’s actually going to work in combat (everything looks awesome when you’re fighting the air, or a wooden board).
Like Korra (and Aang before her!), if you want to become a truly proficient martial artist, you have to take what works, and use it, and discard what doesn’t. Let go of your predetermined notions, and keep your mind open to new ways.
Using the Elements
Speaking of drawing from what works, let’s talk about drawing from the elements. Now, I wish I could teach you how to make the natural elements do what you want with awesome kung fu moves, but the fact is, I can’t. But, we can still draw from elemental inspiration. Bruce Lee is famous for his “be like water,” speech, and drawing ideas and principles from elemental sources is a very legitimate way of “bending” your own ideas and concepts in fighting.
You don’t have to study the arts listed above to still apply those bending principles to whatever arts you do study. For instance: even though I’ve studied some kung fu and tai chi, I am a karate and judo guy at heart. However, I am also a fire bender at heart. As such, I apply fire-bender type principles to my own combat style. I value fast, powerful attacks, quick footwork, and rapidly chained combinations. I like to maneuver quickly, and either overwhelm my opponents with speed and force, or react quickly in my counters with rapidly chained combinations.
If you find yourself to be more aligned with earth bending, then you want to focus more on making your opponent work around you, blunting themselves against your own solid defense, and then using strength and powerful attack vectors to smash through their defense.
If you’re a water bender, you want to focus on counters and smooth motion. Redirecting your opponent’s force should be your signature style, and you should adapt to and fill every opening your opponent gives you, while absorbing and redirecting any attacks they throw at you.
Air benders focus on the art of not being there until they have to be. In your practices, you should be focused on avoiding, dodging, and countering swiftly. You want to make your opponent feel as if you don’t even exist, like trying to hit air, until the moment you counter-attack.
Applying principles of elements to your own combat styles give you more creativity to draw upon in crafting your own style, regardless of what martial arts you study. Make it your own.
That’s it for the skills of Korra! Don’t forget, mailing list subscribers will get an exclusive bonus article tomorrow about unlocking your own Avatar state, so make sure you sign up if you’re not already on the list!
I’ll see you again on Thursday, with The Mind of Korra. Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
The Arrow has some issues. Seriously. The dude’s been tortured, beat, starved, nearly drowned, stabbed, and a whole host of other nasties that most of us folks never have to deal with. That alone is enough to seriously damage a person, but if that weren’t enough he’s also been mentally and emotionally coerced to do unpleasant things against his will, giving him a guilt complex the size of Starling City. Suffice it to say, he’s got some baggage to deal with.
We’ve seen some interesting character progression from Oliver/The Arrow, partially driven by this dark history. When Oliver first returned to Starling City, he became The Arrow in an effort to redeem his father, by eliminating the threats on his father’s “list.” This was driven by a sense of justice, yes, but also by a sense of guilt at his father’s death. His dad told him point-blank that there wasn’t enough food for them both, right before shooting himself. That’s pretty heavy.
In the beginning, Arrow murdered the people in his father’s book. Sure, they may have been “bad guys,” but that doesn’t make serving as judge, jury, and executioner any less sadistic. In fact, one of the more chilling aspects of The Arrow is his sadistic tendencies. We find out later that Oliver was forced to torture people to obtain information for Argus, which, I’m sure, is part of where The Arrow gets his sadistic streak. Even when he stops killing people, The Arrow still performs a lot of “advanced interrogations” on people, which The Flash calls attention to in their crossover episode.
Oliver says every time he tortures or kills someone, a part of his humanity dies with it. I’m sure The Arrow persona helps to shield him a bit from this damage, but it’s still something that will seriously eat away at a person. Over three seasons of the show, we’ve seen this damage become more and more evident, which has coincided with The Arrow slowly trying to grow out of these tendencies.
Part of The Arrow’s growth has come from the growth of his own team. One by one they’ve each brought their own little bit of sanity with them, and caused Oliver to see something in himself. Diggle brings the calm, cool head of professional military training, as well as coping mechanisms from his own experiences. In a lot of ways, he’s almost a “big brother” to Oliver, and a counselor to The Arrow. Felicity may be the brains of the team in some respects, but she’s also the heart, and the most human of Team Arrow. She, above all, reminds Oliver of his own humanity, and his need to bring decency to The Arrow’s sense of justice.
Roy reminds The Arrow of his own past with Slade and the Mirakuru, and his own redemption helps Oliver let some of his guilt for that incident go. Finally, Laurel rounds things up by coming in later in The Arrow’s growth, and reminding him of how he started out. Seeing your own guilt and escapist tendencies laid out as another person (The Canary) can really spell things out for you. One by one, each of The Arrow’s compatriots have helped to bring back a piece of himself that he lost in the five years that he was lost to the world.
If you are truly trying to become The Arrow, then I encourage you to become who The Arrow is also striving to be, not just who he is. There is a lot of guilt, hurt, and anger that still drives Oliver in his quest, and in a lot of ways he puts on the mask to exorcise his own demons, as much as to protect his city and the ones he loves.
If you find yourself driven by guilt as well, you have to learn to let it go. Guilt is a poison that will destroy you from the inside if you let it, and allowing your personal guilt to drive you won’t do anything to redeem yourself in the end. Do your actions for yourself, not as a misguided attempts to clear your own past transgressions. if you’ve wronged someone and feel responsible for it, the best possible thing to do is to live your life in a manner which prevents you from doing it again.
Oliver is now living to protect his family and his city, instead of to atone for his or his father’s past. He’s become a more whole, complete, and healthy person in doing so. Find your own crusade, your own cause. Own it, make it yours, and don’t allow your own guilt or hurt to stand in your way. Live your life according to the present, and the opportunities it presents you, not according to the mistakes you have made in the past. Damage causes scars, but scar tissue can either limit us, or protect us. Choose what you let your scars do for you.
That’s it for The Arrow! We’ll head back into video game land next week! In the meantime, I’ll see you again on Saturday with our regular video post! Live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome!
[notice]Ever wanted to Fight Like Connor/Ratonhnhaké:ton? Now you can, with the Connor Kenway Fighting Style Combat Guide [/notice]
Connor Kenway Quick Navigation Links: CharacterBreakdown: Connor Kenway
The Connor Kenway Workout
The Skills of Connor Kenway
The Dichotomy of Connor Kenway
Ratonhnhaké:ton lives in two worlds. In one, he is Connor Kenway, son of British immigrant Haytham Kenway, head of the Templar order in the New World. In another, he is Ratonhnhaké:ton, son of Kaniehtí:io, and trained Assassin.
In many ways, Connor’s own personality mirrors this dichotomy. He is almost childlike in his naivete, leading him to not understand why Achilles should be treated any different from him when they are in Boston, or trusting the Americans to leave his people alone in their freedom and independence.
At the same time, Connor’s naive tendencies show wisdom beyond his years. He sees no reason why people should be treated differently because of the color of their skin, or where they come from. He sees the battle between the Templars and the Assassins as futile, thinking they should instead be working towards the common goal of bettering humanity.
Ratonhnhaké:ton is a trained, skillful assassin, able to deal death with a wide variety of weapons and tools. A the same time, however, he dislikes killing, and always tries to avoid it if possible. He seeks vengeance upon Charles Lee for his mother’s death, but he doesn’t wish to visit death upon all of the Templars merely because they exist. This often puts him at odds with Achilles, his teacher and the head of the Assassin order, but Connor’s conviction and stubborn determination refuse to relent.
Even up to the end of the game, Connor is trying to reconcile these two factions, much as he seems to be trying to reconcile two sides of himself. He wishes there could be a better way. Connor is an honest, humble young man, feeling uncomfortable with deceiving General Washington, unaware that Washington himself was actually deceiving Connor.
This whole inner conflict within Connor about the worlds he spans and the masters he serves actually reminds me of an often-repeated native american story…
An old Cherokee is teaching his grandson about life. “A fight is going on inside me,” he said to the boy.
“It is a terrible fight and it is between two wolves. One is evil – he is anger, envy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego.” He continued, “The other is good – he is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith. The same fight is going on inside you – and inside every other person, too.”
The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
The old Cherokee simply replied, “The one you feed.”
In the end, I suppose that sums up the greatest lesson we take from Connor’s life. He faces many tragedies, in some ways darker than what Ezio and Altair faced. He lost his mother, his people, and his land, all taken directly from him by the very people he was helping. Still, though all this, he sticks to his convictions, his honesty, and his humility, refusing to give in to his inner rage, instead trying to find peace on the diverse grounds of the Davenport homestead.
In your reaction to things in life, it’s worth taking a moment and asking yourself which wolf you are choosing to feed.
That’s mostly it for our time with Ratonhnhaké:ton. I say mostly because we still have a video or two coming out next week on his combat style, so keep an eye out for that! If you haven’t, yet, you should go subscribe to the Be a Game Character youtube channel, so you know as soon as our new videos come out.
Please don’t forget to like the blog on Facebook, and follow on Twitter and Tumblr. While you’re at it, if you enjoyed this post, please share/retweet it to your friends! We’ll see you on Sunday!. Until then, remember to live boldly, change the world, and continue to be awesome.
