Indigenous Ability

This offering is an Old-School PT Challenge, a mini tutorial on form, and a bit of a finger wag at an aspect of “functional” training. First the PT Challenge: The Lumberjack Tabata Gear ·         You ·         An Eastern Single-Bit Ax [you can go double-bit but you won’t be shifting surfaces.] ·         A downed log to work [or if you’ve got a tree that needs to be felled, you’ve got a twofer—conditioning and chores—you’re welcome.] ·         A timer set to Tabata Intervals. The Protocol ·         Hit that timer and chop furiously for 20 seconds. ·         Rest for a strict 10 seconds. ·         Then back on the stick for 20 more seconds. ·         You do this for a total of 8 work rounds giving you a total of 2 minutes and 40 seconds of work. For those unfamiliar with Tabata rounds and that seemingly paltry work ethic, if you’re playing honestly the soul will cry as soon as you start your second 20-second interval. The 10-second “rest”

Setting the Scene ·         You’re on the 33-mile Chilkoot Trail winding through the Coast Mountains. ·         The temperature is dropping, through more than a few mishaps you’ve lost your sled-dogs like a cheechako [Greenhorn/no account rookie.]   It’s either sit and freeze or get back on the stick. The Gear ·         Your own bad self. ·         A drag sled, or a fine stand-in. ·         Weight to fit your grit. [Me and my 6-weeks out from knee-surgery went with 125#.] ·         Choose terrain with hills if you got it. The Protocol ·         Lash yourself in like the lead dog you are and… ·         Mush that sled for ½ Mile at your fastest pace, we’ve got to beat the night after all. ·         If your terrain is flat, make that ½ mile a full mile. Mushing uphill is soul-breaking man making work; you’ve chosen for grit if it takes you dropping to all fours like a lead dog to make the final uphill stretches. The Goal ·        

We’ll be talking three little targeted aspects of street/reality work that we will loosely label “Scatter-Gun” tactics.  First, that name. In my ongoing historical research, I have come across a few instances of phrases along the lines of “ Scatter ‘em!” or “ Don’t forget your scatter-gun” also “ shotgun ” has been used here and there in the same context, as in “ He got shotgunned all to hell .” What was initially puzzling to me is that often these references were in incidents where no weapon was pulled.  Finally, the key came together when realizing that we are hearing archaic slang for targets along the periphery, that is, forgoing, or at least, adding to the usual targets of head, limb, and body. We hear echoes of this euphemism in old prison slang. The most current usage I can find of it is in “Paul Wade’s” Convict Conditioning 2 where he refers to training the neck, grip, and calves as “shotgun muscle.” He explains it thusly: “ These groups were often