Dog Brothers Public Forum

Grateful for a freeing up of some time.

Grateful for a current deadline.

Grateful for another full day.

Grateful to know some talented, nice people.

Grateful to have completed some minor home improvements yesterday. My wife wanted a few simple things done here and there, and now that they are finished, it really does look better in here!

I'm a bit surprised at the lack of commentary myself.

I think it's a mix of having heard about a previous TV project that did not come to fruition, and not wanting to jinx it. It's not a "I'll believe it when I see it" attitude; it's a "let's maintain excitment and see what really comes about" attitude.

I think it sounds great, and I'm glad that the timeframe for the edit on the first show is so soon!

Grateful to have information I am waiting to receive, about which I'm excited.

Grateful for Saturday mornings that start slow.

Grateful to feel the need to keep plugging away in some life areas.

Grateful to have found a reliable source of information.

Grateful to retain the ability to be really excited by life.

Grateful for an exciting goal which may become a reality.

Grateful for deadlines.

Grateful for an amazing last day of coursework in my doctoral studies, I expect to defend my dissertation in the fall.

Grateful for a nice camping trip, followed up by a great 4th spent with family.

Grateful for what has been a great June.

Grateful for having completed the first step on a project yesterday, and at no point thinking of it as "work".

Grateful for a gift I received.

Grateful for a wonderful Father's Day!

Grateful for time to accomplish some simple errands.

Grateful for good endings.

Padraig,

I think you have some sound advice already. I would add a few things:

- In a magazine article, Guro Lonely Dog suggested stopping your hard sparring several weeks before the Gathering. Naturally, this helps you to avoid injury, but I have always appreciated that advice to avoid going into the Gathering feeling psyched out. What if you're sparring the night before, and you just "don't have it" that day and you perform badly? By focusing on yourself those last weeks, you don't bring any performance-related baggage with you into the Gathering space that could come with sparring days before the event.

- Focus on a few things, and put those FMA concepts into a circuit training routine. Go beyond the norm. If you lift weights, halfway through the weight routine, do some carranza, or hit a tire. Go for a run, and cool down with power shots. By working on a few FMA things while your body is recovering from other (varied) activities, you will OWN the FMA material on which you are working.

- Check your equipment the night before, so you don't have to bother with it the morning of. You want to just be able to get into your car and go.

- Most of the fighters I have met over the years, whether I only met them once, or I see them at every Gathering are really good, funny, friendly people. Get to Powerhouse early if you can, and introduce yourself to some folks. It will lighten your mood, and make the waiting easier.

- For me, once my first fight of the day is over, I'm in it, and the nerves settle down exponentially. The night before, and the morning of are the hardest.

- Set a number in your head of fights for the day, and try to achieve it. If you don't think you have another one in you, take one more.

- If you think there is a fighter completely out of your league, try to fight him. In my humble opinion, you will either fare well and surprise yourself, or you will survive a beating, and come back stronger.

- Remember, not too many people in the world want to do RCSF, so enjoy the moment and the day itself!

GD

Grateful for the approaching ending of the 2009-2010 school year.

Grateful that a member of my family is receiving some help.

Grateful for the majority of the academic year so far.