McKenna's GPP

Thursday Training Plan:
12:00pm Lunch time. Hurdle work, static holds, pink.

7:45pm Feeling good today. I do not know what it is about LPS but it just seems to put everything in alignment. On paper you shrug and say big deal, I have done or do most of that stuff. Yeah, you probably have, but until you apply it in the order and time it was designed keep your mouth shut. Try it I dare you, double dare you. It only takes 30 minutes twice a week. Let’s see Brian Alvarez or Michael Polinko try this and then go back to a Boflex.

The plan tonight is Recovery and Range of Motion work. It will be a repeat of Tuesday’s workout. As you might notice I have elected to keep GPP in my workout plans. If you have been reading Tom Mastrocola's blog http://tommasomastrocola.blogspot.com/2008/02/bear-hunting.html then you noticed he just eliminated GPP from his training and replaced it with SPP as the season approaches. Unfortunately Pro-Wrestling is not seasonal thus I need an alternate strategy. Had this been Football, baseball, soccer etc… I would have followed Tom’s lead. GPP is still an area I need to work out, as far as doing it 2 days before a match I am not really concerned as my diet is right on and I am getting plenty of sleep.

Something’s in life standout. One such instance for me was Coach McKenna discussing GPP. I could not tell you whether he wrote it on a forum or mentioned it at Cert class, but I remember him saying “I have my lineman recite blocking assignments during GPP.” This really made an impression on me. Tonight my plan going into GPP was to envision each opponent and what moves would be best suited to each of my four competitors.
This would go something like:
If I got the Beast cornered what is my best offense? He is big, heavy, then punch, punch, punch, shoot into opposite corner might work.
If he hits it chest on then what? Clothesline?, Russian Leg Sweep, can I get him in a submission? Octopus perhaps or is he too big? Cover? Start working the arm? What if he turns and hits the buckles facing me? Drop kick to the knees? Elbow?
What if he reverses somehow?
My hope was to come up with a loose set of sequences for each competitor. Unfortunately this, like LPS, sounds and looks easy on paper. Doing it while performing GPP is extremely, extremely, extremely hard. Sure the first round or two might not be bad, but after that……
I have yet to master this feat. It went well for a couple of rounds but I had to abandon my efforts to keep a kid working in with me motivated and thinking of other things rather than how little oxygen their was going into his lungs. Hey that was the deal, I would teach him ladder work, but he had to join me for GPP and not quit. He did fine, but I had to bite my tongue as I tried to get him working out with me months ago well before the start of track season which starts Monday. Too little to late. Learn a lesson there kiddies.

Tune-Age of the Day: “Schism” by one of my all time favorites Tool. I know the pieces fit. I just need to fit them.

Ahh Grasshopper you have returned, good. Remember your Affirmations: Be positive. Avoid negatives. “Do not say I will not give up during GPP tonight.” Your brain will interpret it as “I will give up during GPP tonight.” Instead say “Tonight I will only do 5 rounds of GPP.” Now go give me 5 rounds and don’t forget your blocking assignments or I will have Coach McKenna pay you a visit!

The Beast

The stage is set the backdrop lowered but who’s in the cast?
Team #1

The Beast Glen Osbourne & 400 lb, Mega:

“Osbourne and Mega are an interesting combination…..Osbourne is more of a brawler, but this wily iconic veteran can wrestle technically with the best of them. Titles are nothing new to the Beast. Mega is looking for his 1st taste of title gold in the ECWA. He has been in the ECWA for many years and has never worn a championship. This team brings the size, experience & power on March 1.”
Glen is…well a beast see pic, and Mega is…. “Mega” 400lbs. This is a case where the monikers fit. I have had experience wrestling against both these opponents and let me say pinning either one of these guys is going to be no easy task. The shear size of “Mega” really limits your offences, and Glen has seen about everything one can see thrown at them in a ring. Glen and I have a long standing feud from way back so I am definitely planning on focusing my efforts on him just to be a smart-ass and dig up some bad blood. Just how am I going to go about it is a question. Despite owning a pinfall victory over Mega, I intend on avoiding this behemoth if possible, which means I probably will be confronting him most of the match… Murphy’s Law.

Team#2

Robere’ Shields & Tommy Trouble:

“Trouble has just enlisted manger/fitness coach Jim Shorts to be his personal trainer…What’s that all about…..we have been told Shorts will lead these two down the aisle on March 1. Trouble is a tough competitor in the ring who can do it all and he teams with the much under rated French Star, Robere’ Shields. These two bring a lot of energy, youth and quickness to the ring. Will it pay off against two larger and more experienced teams?”
I really don’t know too much about either of these wrestlers other than they might weigh a buck sixty each soaking wet. I hear they are extremely talented and fly around the ring a lot but other than that I got nothing. From what I gather they are a modern day Rock and Roll Express. More Nancy Boys if you ask me!

Team#3

J. J. Crew Guy & Hot Shot Mike Reed: “The Crew Guy and Mike Reed joined forces last show to make an impressive combination billed as “Leather & Lace”. Reed dumped his long time tag team partner Frederick of Hollywood to team up with the Crew Guy. There is still a lot of bad blood between Reed and Frederick. J. J. the Crew Guy is no stranger to ECWA gold and marquee matches. He once headlined the biggest show in ECWA history. This team brings power, strength, experience and the diabolical mind of manager Sebastian Night with them to the ring on March 1.”
I know my talents and limitations. I know “Hot Shot” is top shelf material when it comes to talent. He trained at the Monster Factory and reminds me of his mentor Larry Sharpe and Ric Flair combined. But, to be honest I am not really comfortable yet with Mike as we are complete opposites when it comes to personalities. We just have not gelled, and whether we do or not is left to be seen. The promoter who asked us to team up is really high on the idea together, and who am I to argue? He has been promoting wrestling since 1967 and has not been wrong about a pairing yet. When he paired me with the infamous J.R.Ryder (you will be hearing alot about this ace here in the future) to form the “J-Team” I was reluctant at first also. It took a few matches for us to come together, but when we finally got on the same page there was not a better tag-team on the independent circuit. You heard me, NOT A BETTER TEAM ON THE INDEPENDENT CIRCUIT! As they would say in the Blues Brothers “We had a band powerful enough to turn goat piss into gasoline”

Where are you buddy? You better not be at a 2 live Crew concert. I need you!

Wednesday Training Plan:
12:00pm Lunch time. Hurdle work, static holds, pink. I told you I do this every lunch hour. You did not believe me did you? Believe, I said Believe!

7:45pm I was real tight going into this workout. Hams, hip flexors lower back. It appears I made my first miscalculation for the week having included rotation work yesterday. This is a weak point for me that I am addressing, but I should have known better to include it especially after doing a full med ball workout Sunday. Not a big mistake, but something to note. Other previous lessons include not including anything new in the mix on match week.
I was not sure how I was going to handle the issue going into my workout. My thinking was just to see how I felt after GPP. If I felt good then I would proceed with resistance work, if not I still got a hell of a workout in and would move right to pink
LPS was my biggest concern, especially having done a session on Monday. If I did not do it tonight then it would have to wait till next week. Thursday-Saturday would not allow enough recovery time I feared. Had I not been wrestling this week I would not have hesitated in making this a recovery day and repeating Tuesday’s workout.
However just cause I was pissed off at myself and the workout was going really well I proceeded with my initial plan. Let me say Good Workout!
Hurdle work, tumbling drills. A little bit of shuttle sprint work with a few dive rolls thrown in the mix. Rope work, 5 rounds of GPP (4 good rounds, what ehhh!) followed by one arm barbell snatches, push jerks, squats, a couple of pullups, LPS, Pink, and again….tanning. Normally I would throw some good morning squats, snatch-grip deadlifts in the mix, but my goals are to be loose, and save the knees for Saturday so I elected to leave them out.

Tune-Age of the Day: “Holy Diver” Kill Switch Engage. Really digging the remix.

Ahh Grasshopper remember, "The gyms you go to are crowded with guys trying to look like men, as if being a man means looking the way a sculptor or an art director says." ~Chuck Palahniuk

Thursday we begin figuring out a game plan to handle my opponents.

#1 Contender?

The date: Saturday March 1, 2008
The time: 7:00pm
The place: Boys and Girls club Rt.40 Bear Delaware
The Match: #1 Contenders 3-way tag match with the winners facing off in a 3-way tag match for the Championship in the same night.

Explanation: Well it looks like Murphy’s Law taking over. Here just a week after completing the Bruised Brain Blog, a tale of the complications of wrestling with a concussion and wrestling multiple matches in the same night, I find myself in a similar situation. Lets see if we can do it without a concussion this time.
Here are the details of the match according to Josh Martin, wrestling columnist: “March 1 is a history making night….and this bid for the Tag Team Championships brings no less than 14 of ECWA’s top competitors together in two 3 way No. 1 contenders tag team events that culminate in the 2 winning teams taking on the Logans in the title match. Matt & Bryan Logan are among the most talented and popular teams ever to hold the Tag Championships, but you can rest assured that this talented combination is sizing up all the possibilities of whom they could be facing for the titles. They will have not one team, but two teams to worry about…..and preparing is a nightmare for them….as the contenders will not be known until that same night. So, everyone, including Bryan and Matt will be watching the two 3 way No 1 contenders tag matches very closely.”

Told you it was a Marquee Matchup. Now you see how potentially important this match is? This also means the magazines and scouts will be watching these matches closely as Matt and Bryan Logan have a very good shot of heading to the big time as do the Valedictorians. But, make no doubt about it I am here to leave my mark. I have every intention of taking that gold which should have been mine years ago despite it only being my third match back. Look at those pretty boys, oh man they got some hurtin coming. Logan Brothers Hah, more like the Nancy Boys!

Tuesday Training Plan: Objective, Range of motion work, recovery, work threshold improvement.
12:00pm Lunch time. Hurdle work, static holds, pink. As I said before I do this every lunch hour while the rest of the populace are heading to the China King on Tuesday.
7:45pm Recovery day with emphasis on range of motion. Tons of hurdle work, as well as a double block of tumbling drills. A little bit of shuttle sprint work with a few dive rolls thrown in the mix, sort of a hybred spp drill. Rope work, ladder drills, and of coarse 5 rounds of GPP followed by some rotational med ball work and Fix for shoulder stability. We cap it all off with some static holds, Pink, and I hate to put this into print........tanning. Yeah I said tanning go ahead and bash me on the boards. But, if you saw my last match on tape you would agree. Oh please, like you never tanned! I feel dorky enough standing up in a booth getting tan.

Tune-Age of the Day: “Play the funky music white boy!” Wild Cherry. Get it?

Ah Grasshopper remember always: “Coordinate your forces so that there is a minimum conflict and maximum effect. One uses four ounces to deflect four thousand pounds.” I Ching #61
Tomorrow I will introduce you to my opponents….as if it matters.

Barometer of Progression

Once more it has come time to take a reading upon the Barometer of Progression.
This Saturday marks my third big match since making my return to wrestling and possibly the biggest to date. This potential marquee matchup will be a true test of my training to date and possibly be a barometer of what is to come as it has the potential to be a make or break situation for me. If I excel and perform to perfection then it will be “Main Event” time once again for JJCREWGUY. If not I stand the possibility of falling back with the pack till another opportunity arises, and you only get so many chances.

I hate mediocrity!
I am little surprised this tremendous opportunity has presented itself so early in my return as I have not really had a chance to concentrate on my sports specific skills. This is of great concern to me as it limits my arsenal of moves and causes the match to move extremely fast. What do I mean as fast? By now you have heard the term “Stillness in Motion.” Imagine the Matrix, your "Mr.Anderson", and just learned to see that bullet or punch coming at you in slow motion. Now imagine a real bullet or punch coming after you in real life. Fast or slow? Fast right? Well right now the matches are “fast” for me. It takes a little bit for the commands from my brain to reach the limbs and react accordingly. This has nothing to do with age or brain damage it is just lack of practice. What I need is to get the match to slow down and this will only be accomplished through Sports Specific Training, and experience, at this point. Luckily for the short term I can compensate this lack of Sports Specific Training through my Renegade training skills which remarkably carry over well, and a little thing called Charisma.

This week in the JJCREWGUY blog we will follow my training as I lead up to the “Marquee Match.” I will tell you how I plan to come up with a game plan for success and how I train the week before a big match, which honestly is still in experimentation.

So here we go:
Mondays routine: I hate going to gyms on Mondays, just too many people and not enough mirror space for me to stare at the guns while doing 16 sets of biceps and 16 sets of triceps. Not to mention there will not be a bench, incline bench or chest machine in sight without a dozen people waiting. So if I don't have any clients or classes I either do a home based workout, head to the park, or do it at work when everyone clears out. This week we'll take care of business at work, so this is how the week starts:
12:00pm Lunch time. Hurdle work, static holds, pink. I do this every lunch hour at my first job while the rest of the jokers are heading to Burger King or surfing the net.
7:00pm Hurdle work, Red2 basics, Kettlebell swing, Kettlebell Snatch, Kettlebell cleans, step ups, bodyweight box squats, broomstick overhead squats, one legged kettlebell deadlifts, LPS, Pink and few other odds and ends (hey can't give away all the secrets, I need to eat too. You want to know those little odds or ends, perhaps learn some kettlebell training? Hire me, or buy the kettlebell dvd off the Renegadetraining website http://www.renegadetraining.com/kettlebell_dvd.html.) Like how I worked that plug in? Like I said I got to eat too buddy.

Tune-Age of the Day: Finally a DJ with some grapefruits. Working Man by Rush on the radio, not satellite at 12:35! GOOD TUNE!

Ah Grasshopper remember always: “Coordinate your forces so that there is a minimum conflict and maximum effect. One uses four ounces to deflect four thousand pounds.” I Ching #61

I am old!

Having just finished a workout that I can confidently say would flatten ANY person that belongs to my gym, regardless of sex or age, I feel old.
Yes I said it “I feel old!” Mark this date in your calendars my students for this is the first time I ever, ever, ever let such words creep out of my mouth.
Why would I utter such nonsense?
Could it be fatigue from hurdle work?
Perhaps two blocks of tumbling?
Please people this is a Renegader here.
Then you would guess it would have to be the three four minute rounds of rope work, right?
11 minute session of ladder drills?
5 rounds of GPP?
Oh, perhaps the one armed snatches with a barbell?
Pause squats?
Split jerk?
Pull ups?
No? Then it had to be the 30 min session of LPS followed by Pink, right?
Knees? Back?

Really people, I could have done it all again if I wanted, well except perhaps the LPS. Ah who am I kidding I could have went at it again with just a tiny bite to eat. No, I was not feeling old from any of these fantastic exercises separate or combined. In fact I felt really good, my nervous system was aflame! I felt old because of two words…….
Dippin Dots.
Yes you heard me, Dippin Dots!
WTF JJ? You suffer another concussion?
No concussion my friends just a run in with one of my power lifter friends.
There I am finishing up my stretches when in walks “Big Jeffy.” Think Westside folks, go ahead stereotype its okay. Think big Viking tattoo that looks to have been inked in a Russian prison plastered on his enormous arm.
“What do think of Dippin Dots?” No hello, no how are you? Have not seen you in weeks… When he is straight to the point, I know he is pissed. Here is where I show my age. I have not a clue what a Dippin Dot is. I am thinking some new performance enhancing drug, perhaps a type of infection, venereal disease (once you meet Big Jeffy you will understand).
“What’s a Dippin Dot?” I dare ask.
“Its ice cream, but not ice cream.”
“Huh?”
“It is fake ice cream that has been cryogenically frozen to resemble candy or something.”
“That sounds good. Like the stuff you get at the National Air and Space museum?”
“No, tiny beads. It sucks! Cold Stone Creamery closed and my kid really likes the cotton candy flavor so I took him to Dippin Dots tonight. I go in their and ask for cotton candy and the owner, this little Asian guy who does not speak English started dipping out these little skittle looking things. I kept asking him where was the ice cream and he kept saying “This ice cream, this ice cream.”
At this point I am on the ground laughing my ass off as big 300lb Jeff is recreating the argument he was having with the store owner. In walk two gym employees, one 22, the other 17. They hear the word Dippin Dots and both tell us how they love them and how great it was they just put a store in the mall too. That is two stores within a 3 mile radius. So Big Jeffy asks them:
“You like them better than real ice cream?”
“Yeah, they are so convenient. They’re great.” The 17 year old replied.
“Yes, regular ice cream messes my stomach up,” The 22 year old replied.
In walks a thirtyish female.
“You like Dippin Dots or regular Ice Cream?”
“Ice cream, I hate those stupid Dippin Dots.” She replies.
And so goes the poll.

In conclusion I can only surmise that only younglings like Dippin Dots, and if you don’t you must be old. I bet even our own Renegade Desert Cart, Grant, does not even like Dippin Dots.
Having no desire to taste a Dippin Dot, or still not really knowing what a Dippin Dot is I can only assume I am old.

Lesson of the day Grasshopper:
Get an attention span, screw convenience, and go get some real ice cream if the desire is that strong. Get some real homemade stuff made with real raw milk cream and organic sugar. Throw in some fresh peaches or strawberries and you will never have a desire for any thing like a Dippin Dot, Bryer’s, Ben and Jerry’s again. Get some raw milk yogurt while your at it, you won’t regret it.

Tune-age of the day: Hmm….David Lee Roth…. Ice Cream….???? If you can’t figure the tune of the day out then you are too young, go eat your Dippin Dots and get fat!

Oh and for the record I never said the "Old" word aloud, so just erase that mark of the calendar.

Bruised Brain pt3

Overtop crushed stone and some 50 odd years of trash I ran, cold wind shrinking my manhood through a growing rent in my jeans and dew soaking my socks with every stride. I remember it being cold, real cold. I remember beating on the emergency door on the opposite side of the arena, next to the heels locker room and telling whoever opened it “Tell Mozart I forgot the whole f’n match!” I remember running back around the building, but not ever re-entering. All faded to black.

Hamburg Fieldhouse is nothing more than a giant airplane hanger (what airplane hanger is not giant I wonder). I know your thinking it is some grand arena by the legendary names I threw out in part one, and it is in a nostalgic kind of way, but in reality is nothing more than a 20,000 square foot airplane hanger built in the 50’s with a kitchen/concession stand on one end, a small lobby and two locker rooms on the other with bleachers in between.
Don’t get me wrong I love the place, the lighting and sound were perfect as was the crowd, but here is the significance to me giving you such background: The locker rooms were separated by the lobby. That meant no communication between the heels (bad guys) and faces (good guys) once the doors to the public were opened.
“So what?” you say? Well, the key to surviving wrestling and putting on a great show is communication, both before and during a match. Generally speaking I break down pro-wrestling into three type of matches:

A Shoot: Every wrestler comes upon these, as have I. A shoot is every bit as real as the UFC and potentially more dangerous. Shoots usually occur when opponents have genuine animosity towards each other, or one has too big an ego and does not believe he should do the job, or you are put in a match with a complete buffoon who knows nothing of what he is doing and deserves to be taught a lesson before he hurts you. The only difference between a Pro-Wrestling shoot match and the UFC is you try and make it appear as if it is a scripted match. In a shoot chances are one of you is leaving bloodied, battered, and possibly with broken bones. Just follow some of Kurt Angle’s earlier matches in the WWE where every veteran thought to test him.

Spot Fest: This is exactly what it sounds, no story line, no thought, no artistic talent. Basically it is two opponents just going out and doing moves equivalent to a high pace training session with each wrestler trying to get in as many of his specialty moves as possible. This is increasingly common today, especially among the Indies and has developed a whole cult following known as “smart marks.” It is more a backyard style and frowned upon by traditionalists. These wrestlers, though extremely athletic and talented, rarely last long in the business or advance.

Traditional: Here you have a match where you try to get a story across, one that usually follows the standard arc found in most books. You start with an exposition, move to a conflict, encounter complications, hit the climax, find a resolution and then a conclusion. Each match then contributes to another plot consisting of beginning, middle and end. These plots can last a couple of shows or if they are really well done nearly a year. Generally you go in with an outline of what you want to do and alter it as needed on feedback by the crowd. The story is what is important, not getting in all the moves you can and making yourself look good. These types of matches are becoming increasingly hard to pull off as the public’s attention spans are dwindling.

Some wrestlers like to plan out the entire match move for move, sequence after sequence. However, most script only beginning sequences and the finish and call the match on the fly. In other words if we take an 8 minute match the first minute is planned as is the last. The other 6 minutes are made up as you go with an attempt to fill the premise of your story. Ideally if you have anything out of the ordinary you want to include in the match you of coarse let your opponent know ahead of time by walking through it. Again, survival by communication. You do not want to get a broken neck because of lack of communication. Unfortunately this is not always possible.

Both my matches for this show, as are all my matches, were traditional matches. Each had a specific story line set and meant to outline the next several shows spanning over a few months. It was imperative that we fulfill these story lines otherwise find ourselves curtain jerking. In this case we had these matches entirely scripted out due to our inexperience in the business at the time. This was of course a mistake. It is hard enough remembering one match let alone two or three as I never possessed a great memory. A harsh lesson learned.

I wish I could tell you more, but that is all I remember of that night, strange as it might seem. I can tell you the match went flawlessly and it went exactly as we planned several hours beforehand despite my concussion. Several wrestlers, fans, and owners told me it was the best match I had ever had to date. It even received a write up and a picture in one of the magazines. Here is a quote from the magazine that stands out “In the eleventh match, JJ Johnson defeated Mozart Fontaine. Making his singles debut was the pompous Mozart Fontaine who was brought to the ring by the manager of the Box Office, E.S. Easton. Johnson was relentless in his attack on Fontaine and when Easton attempted to get involved his interference backfired and gave JJ the win.”
I guess I did okay. All that training paid off and allowed me to perform to perfection under duress. Of course the majority of credit goes to my opponent Mozart Fontaine who took control of the match and made sure the plot was fulfilled. He could easily have shot on me, but was the ever consummate professional. He might not be the model of physical perfection, but the guy is definitely skilled in the ring. His ability to remain calm in the face of adversity allowed our match to flow perfectly.
As for the final match of the night….I have no idea? All I came home with was a bloody pair of jeans with a giant rip through the crotch. I sure hope I had clean underwear on that night. Still do not know whatever happened to my gym bag and street clothes.

And that my friend is what happens when you get a concussion. Hoped you enjoyed the story, and yes it is true.

Your lesson for this day Grasshopper:
Train to perform under duress.
Train to overcome adversity.
Train not to look good but to perform to perfection when conditions are not perfect.
Train Renegade.

Bruised Brain Pt.2

The puddle of sweat grows outward upon the aged concrete. For some reason it fascinates me, just as it did on the hardwood. There I sit on the narrow bench sucking the blood from a broken lip and staring at sweat.
How would you describe the taste of blood? Think about it.
The foul smell of greasy chicken and pierogis fill one nostril. The stench of passing fast food fills the other along with the cursed smell of Hot Stuff that plagues every locker room. I could get up and flee the foulness, make my way out of the concrete block prison to the curtain like the other wrestlers, but there I sit staring at that damn puddle of sweat surrounded by concrete blocks peeling 50 years of paint. To my right is a sink, a urinal and of course an occupied stall. The stall is always occupied in the locker rooms of sporting events it seems. Before me a shower drips, it is where the doctor usually does his stitching. For once I don’t need stitches, except my pants which are without a crotch. To my left is another bench lined with wrestler’s gym bags, spray bottles of water, oil, and that f’n Hot Stuff! The room is no more than 15x15 and old, real old.
“JJ, Yo JJ” The voice is that of Boogie Woogie Brown. There he sits, all 370 pounds of him, in the center of what has been named the “Faces” locker room on a stool made for a first grader. He is wearing nothing but green weenie benders (yes the same as in the pic) and licking his fingers while juggling a clipboard along with a white Styrofoam carton of chicken and pierogis. I don’t even know what the hell a pierogi is or how to spell it, but Boogie Woogie Brown it is not a pleasant site to behold at the moment. Yet I remember him sitting on that tiny stool clear as me staring at these words I type, just as I remember the pool of sweat and confliction of smells.
“Hey you okay? You need the Doc?” I can’t tell you what I replied but the next words I remember were “Your up next.”
“Next?”
How can the end of match 7 become the beginning of match 10 in the blink of an eye? With a concussion that’s how. Generally speaking the average wrestling match is about 8 minutes long, add in entrances and such and your looking at roughly 15 minutes. Somehow 30+ minutes passed with me just staring at a puddle of sweat and no one asking otherwise. The "Doc" was ofcoarse out enjoying the show.
“Match 11, that’s you brother.”
“Who am I wrestling?”
“Mozart, you sure you okay?” I am only guessing at how the conversation went as my next memory is of me sneaking out the curtain and bolting out the emergency door in a sprint with the hopes of no one seeing….

Oh No! Did our hero succumb to the pressure? Will our hero be named a coward? Where did he go minutes before his match? Did he come back? What happens to a person with a concussion as he confronts adversity?
Stay tuned kiddies your questions will be answered along with some “secrets” of the business in our next exciting episode. Same Bat time, Same Bat Channel.

Ahh Grasshopper did you really read the passage from the ancient Book of Change? I mean really read it? Read it again, contemplate it and then we shall proceed with your training.
“The superior man respectfully appreciates the cycles of increase and decrease…. External ploys will not put an end to the natural cycle of deterioration. Time Will. Nurture your mind and body… Look for wisdom in your acceptance of the times.” I Ching #23

Tune-age of the day: I see no one killed the rooster it is playing on the radio. Good thing, because it is one of my favorites.

Bruised Brain

A puddle of sweat or perhaps it is blood, I can not tell, rapidly turns into a lake beneath my head. It is hot, just like the air I am trying to breathe through lungs that just will not quite fill. My eyes are closed and opening them would only result in seeing strands of hair, my hair, and that pool of blood, but it is still not yet time. Instead I work on getting my lungs to right themselves and envision the stain my soul is forever adding among the thousands of others upon the aged hardwood floor of the Hamburg Fieldhouse. I could be laying just where Superstar Billy Grahm, Nikoli Volkoff, Bruno Sammartino, Zbysko, Blassi, Backlund, Rogers, shall I go on? had once laid. Cool.
“Okay what’s next?” I think to myself running the next several sequences I want to attempt through my head. The pace will be fast, time short. “I really want to get that Russian Leg Sweep and Slingshot Suplex in, but how?After the moonsault? Perfect I will have him throw me in, work me to a corner, reverse and then hit him with the Russian leg sweep. Do I go for a pin or submission with the octopus? What will the fans buy?”
Slowly I open my eyes and stagger to my feet finding my opponent nowhere in sight. That’s good. The hundreds of fans are shouting, urging me on, urging me to turn around. “JJ, JJ, JJ….” This is good too, as they are into the match. We are doing exactly what we wanted. The crowd is in the palm of our hands. I let the drama build, take a few steps like I am drunk before flicking the hair from out of my eyes and slowly turning around. Too late, or just right depending on your point of view. Fast Eddie is already airborne from the top rope. All I see is a blur of black and gold tights, a trace of blond hair and an extremely hairy chest. No one can forget that chest I assure you. I reach outward in self defense and the next image is that of a size 12 boot slamming me in the jaw followed by a flash of light. Downward I travel the hardwood floor meets my skull and another bright light fills the darkness.
I would love to finish, but that is all I remember. That is what happens when you get a concussion. Sometimes you remember bits and pieces, most of the time nothing. I did continue to wrestle and finish the match which remarkably went on for another four minutes. Eventually I did lose thanks to my opponent’s personal groomer/manager Sebastion Night’s interference. I have been told was a phenomenal match, I even have pictures and yes that was “The Moonsault” you see. I guess I have to take their word for the rest of those four minutes. I am sure it was a great finish, with Fast Eddie I have no doubt it was epic.

This blog was inspired by a recent post on Prosource.net pertaining to a CBC medical report on multiple concussions among athletes of which I have had plenty.

But wait this is not the end of the story. Oh no this was only match #7 on a 12 match card. I was also scheduled to wrestle match #11 and #12 too!
Stay tuned kiddies to see how the mighty Ring Crew Guy fared. Did he wrestle? Was he rushed to the hospital? What happened on that night of non stop action? Same Bat channel, same Bat time.

Ahh Grasshopper you have returned for more training. Contemplate this: “The superior man respectfully appreciates the cycles of increase and decrease…. External ploys will not put an end to the natural cycle of deterioration. Time Will. Nurture your mind and body… Look for wisdom in your acceptance of the times.” I Ching #23

Tune-age of the day: AIC, Can anyone kill the rooster?

#1 Beverage for the Year

And the beverage of choice for this year is……

You did not really think I was going to make it that easy did you? What fun is the “kill” without the “hunt”? None!
Let us get to the hunt.
This year marked the 10th annual Superbowl party at Casa de JJ. This is my one party for the year I throw. I save a hundred bucks a month to cover the cost and make sure it is done right. No second rate party here. I also plan one special project to be done. In years past it has been re-finishing the basement, building a bar, buying a grill, refrigerator, ect… you get the point.
Over the past few years I have been fascinated at what the beverage of choice will be among my friends and family as it changes. Lately anticipating this trend has become a bit of an enigma. I do not know what to buy? Believe me I stock the fridge and bar to the max and have more than enough food just look at the pic’s. I usually average about forty people, this year the number hit sixty.
The menu for this year was Arizona themed so that meant Tex Mex. We’ll get to the food in the next blog and stick to beverages. As you can see the fridge is stocked and if you look close on the second shelf next the “Lite” is some good ole “Pabst” I keep this on hand incase Grant or the Coach finally decide to drop buy as they have refined tastes.
Going into the night I thought the favorites would mirror the 2006 Superbowl:
Dr. Pepper #1
Yuengling #2
Sprite #3
Water #4

Hard Liquor:
Yagermeister #1
Bicardi Orange #2

This year I made sure I had extra of each of the above, along with
Molson, Sam Adams, Sam Adams light, Bud, Rolling Rock, Heineken, Pabst Blue Ribbon, Lite, Smirnoff Ice Raspberry, Coke regular & diet, 7up, Dr. Pepper diet & berries and cream & another flavor ??, Mt. Dew regular and Code Red, Orange Crush, Ice tea, Seagram’s and few I can’t remember (I don’t drink soda’s at all), In addition to having 5 cases of water.

Winner of the 2007 Superbowl of beverages:
Dr. Pepper “Berries and Cream” #1
Coke regular #2
Water #3.
Smirnoff Ice Raspberry #4
Miller Lite #5
Molson #6

Hard Liquor:
Black Haas, Yagermeister, Goldshlager

Observations: Liquor did not seem in vogue this year. Not too many shots as compared to past years despite having several designated drivers ready to spring into action. Could it be because I did not get an Ice Luge carved for this year? Nah, I think it was because everyone has to get up early for work and a few of my heavy drinkers were not feeling well. Maybe they should move the Superbowl to Saturday? Hey I am not complaining as I do not need to replenish my bar for next year. The Lite beer thing I just do not get. Why not drink water instead?
Smirnoff Ice? Well they are quite tasty, but the beverage of the “Crewguy” was Molson Canadian. Hey I could not make the Renegade Seminar in Canada so I brought a piece of Canada to me, plus its really good beer.
But hey look Water made it to number 3, a jump from last year. Perhaps it can rise to #2 and then #1…..yeah right and the Eagles may finally win a Superbowl. Oh and Grant, the Pabst Blue Ribbon remained untouched, it will be there for you next year.