Coast Right with JJCREWGUY

ECWA Pro Wrestling March 5, 2010

2011-03-03T16:37:00.004-05:00

This Saturday March 5, 2011 JJ the Crew Guy will be back in the ECWA ring taking on two of my arch nemesis. To say I do not like the Miami dancing machine Da, Da Deserter Chance, or the ECWA Champion, if you can call him that, Mega would be an understatement. I have had an extensive history with both and an intense hatred has developed between us.

What does this mean? This means you will not see a technical masterpiece of a match, you will not see a 1001 holds, you will not see me or any of my Revolution members do a 450 splash, or even a moonsault this time around. You will see the brawl of the decade. A brawl that is going to leave both Chance, and Mega crippled and out of wrestling for some time.

This will not be pretty, this will not be a showcase for the Super 8 tournament or even future Super 8 consideration, but it will be entertaining and worthy of a main event on any wrestling companies’ card.

Bell time is 7:00 this time around, not 7:30. Doors open at 6pm with meet and greets then, and again at intermission.

http://ecwaprowrestling.com/East_Coast_Wrestling_Association_2011/HOME.html

See you there!

JJ the CrewGuy

Whey Protein

2011-02-24T18:23:00.002-05:00

This past weekend I took a client of mine to my secret shopping spots to help him with his diet. He has been in the iron game a long time and even competed in some bodybuilding contests.
To my pleasure they just started making this months cheese, and I was able to purchase some whey. Well to my amazement he had no clue what I was buying and that whey was not a powder. So I thought I would post a picture of what your whey protein starts out as before it has been filtered or whatever your brand does to process it.

This is whey as raw as you can get it and in this state they do not use it as a protein supplement, but as an antibiotic. I also found out that it has a long shelf life, in fact the Amish lady I bought it from has never heard of it going bad. It does need to be refrigerated. The taste.....well it is not offensive, and it is tolerable, but it is not your chocolate cookie dough either :D

The Agony of Defeat

2010-08-18T15:25:00.004-04:00

I want to thank all my fans and enemies that came out on Saturday to watch me compete.

The match was fast paced and brutal. I had a number of gnarly bruises and welts upon awakening Sunday, and thankfully the one client I had scheduled for personal training cancelled at the last minute allowing me a day of much needed recovery.

Though this was my first ever “chain match” I have to say that at around the five minute mark of what turned out to be a ten minute contest I felt comfortable and at home with using such a weapon in the ring. Unfortunately, the damage had already been done and my fate sealed by the master of “chain matches” Glenn “the Beast” Osborne within those first few minutes of learning the nuances of the chain in the ring. It pains me to admit this, call it lucky, call it skill, call it whatever you want, but on Saturday night “The Beast” was the better wrestler and won deservingly so.

While most wallow within the agony of defeat, I tend to flourish. Defeat, like injuries allows me to find weaknesses in my training and game. Coming into Saturday night my main points to be addressed were weaknesses I uncovered in the previous month; conditioning, and ankle stability. I am pleased to say my conditioning far exceeded expectations, and I easily could have gone 60 minutes. Ankle stability and flexibility was improved, but still not up to par. Already I have begun preparing for next months match by adjusting my training to focus more on ankle re-habilitation along with addressing strength issues within the shoulder and hips. I also need to add a little speed to my program and I believe a five pound drop in body weight may will accomplish this

Have no fear from the ashes of agony I will rise up and be victorious next month.

-JJ

Chain Match Saturday Aug.14, 2010 ECWA Wrestling

2010-08-09T14:37:00.003-04:00

Oh Yeah! This Saturday I will be taking part in a chain match with my long time adversary, Glenn “The Beast” Osbourne. I invite all to witness the end of “The Beast” as I plan to put him out of wrestling for good, with his own gimmick!
August 14, 2010 at the Boys and Girls Club, Bear, Delaware
Doors open 6:30, belltime 7:30pm

More info can be found here: http://ecwaprowrestling.com/

By: Josh Martin
You heard right! At the show on August 14 there will be a special 4 corners chain match featuring 2 Hall of Fame veterans, Glen Osbourne and J.J. The Crew Guy. Since The Crew Guy took it upon himself to use the unforgiving chain on Glen Osbourne at our last event, this promises to be a grueling and brutal match from the opening bell.
Osbourne who carries his signature chain with him to the ring did that when he entered the annual ECWA Summit on July 10. As usual he laid the chain on the apron and proceeded to enter the rumble style match. It is what happened next that left everyone shocked and left Osbourne almost out cold on the floor. As Osbourne was getting up slowly on the floor having just been eliminated, he was just getting his wits about him when he was victimized by his own chain at the hands of the sadistic man in the ECWA known as J.J. The Crew Guy. Osbourne never saw it coming.
This well orchestrated event by The Crew Guy has awakened "The Beast" in Osbourne. Many remember that Glen is a master of chain matches and now he will get his chance for revenge against the ever plotting Crew Guy at this next show on August 14. But one should never count J.J. The Crew Guy out of the picture. He is as ruthless as they come and he just may have something in store to defeat Osbourne on August 14.
Be there to see how it all unfolds!

Renegade Training’s July 2010 Certification Class

2010-08-04T12:43:00.001-04:00

Renegade Training’s July 2010 Certification Class

“I know nothing except the fact of my ignorance”

Socrates, Greek Philosopher (469BC-399BC)

As a Certified Sr. Renegade Trainer I am required to regularly attend certification classes, as well as maintain a number of CEU’s yearly. What does this meant to you, the client? It means that you are getting the very best, and up to date fitness training in the world. Like our clients, Renegade Trainers are constantly learning and perfecting the craft. This is not optional, as with other fitness certifications, but mandatory for our level of commitment. July’s 2010 Certification Program at the Fitness Edge in Fairfield, Connecticut was a perfect example. No matter how long we have been trainers, or involved in fitness, there is always something new to be learned. The July Cert provided me with the opportunity to further expand my knowledge into the latter levels of the Renegade exclusive DMC program. This was something that had to be experienced in person; learned by watching and by doing, it could not be translated onto paper or over the net.

The July 2010 Renegade Certification also allowed me an opportunity to discuss the rehabilitation and pre-habilitation benefits of the amazing RED2 system with a number of professionals. This was especially important and beneficial to me as both a trainer and an athlete that has used the RED2 system to rehabilitate a number of serious injuries. While the bulk of the two day, exhaustive, certification session was spent on the DMC/RED2 systems, all areas of training and business were covered. I spent time with a number of new faces and personalities at the session that all had a unique perspective to offer. Together we learn from each other, grow our knowledge base and bring back new techniques to incorporate into our programs. We always look forward to seeing each other at these sessions, to help each other learn and to grow ourselves as knowledgeable trainers ready to offer you the best, most up-to-date training program that we call “Renegade”.

-JJ

J. Johnston

Sr. Renegade Trainer

Founding DMC professional

Kettlebell Specialist

Sergeant of Arms for Renegade Training International

ECWA Showdown May 8: JJ vs Mozart

2010-05-04T13:40:00.001-04:00

By: Justin Ayers
At our last event in March, in front of the crowd, it was a dignified ceremony until one of the inductees J.J. The Crew Guy went too far and attacked a fan! Then he had the unmitigated nerve to insult another fellow Hall of Famer, Chick Magnet, Mozart Fontaine backstage which ignited a ruckus. Now the loud mouth Crew Guy has to put up or shut up and defend himself as the time has come when he cannot hide behind his words!
The backstage area was buzzing from the brutal attack that J.J. The Crew Guy delivered upon a long time fan Jon Stoklosa last show. Officials had finally gotten the embittered Crew Guy into a separate area and they were trying to restore calm backstage after he completely wrecked the Hall of Fame Ceremony. The show went on and things were running smoothly backstage until part of the way through the show. Another Hall of Famer, Mozart Fontaine was coming back down the aisle way of the backstage area after suffering a hard fought loss for the Heavyweight Championship. It was there in the hall way that he bumped into J.J. The Crew Guy. What happened next was typical Crew Guy!
J.J. The Crew Guy got right in the face of Mozart Fontaine and began to hurl insults at him. He called him old and washed up and a disgraced Hall of Famer. He told Fontaine that he should hang up his boots and trunks and that the Heavyweight Championship would never be his, and that he didn't deserve the contender's spot he just left, and that the opportunity should have went to a more deserving, like himself.
Mozart, someone still winded from his tough match, tried to ignore the insults, especially since he has known what the Crew Guy is like since their early days in the business when they broke in together over ten years ago. Then things got worse!
The more Fontaine tried to ignore The Crew Guy and walked away, the more insulting and physical J.J. The Crew Guy became. He then made the mistake of shoving the already heated Mozart Fontaine. The angry Chick Magnet could take no more and flew into the Crew Guy with both landing punches and hurling insults. The two had to be separated by several other wrestlers and officials in the locker room area
The Crew Guy challenged Fontaine to a match which happens on May 8. If the match in the ring on May 8 is anything like their confrontation last show backstage, it promises to be a blockbuster event that fans surely do not want to miss!

Buy American

2010-04-05T15:00:00.002-04:00

Recently I have had a number of friends become victim of this troubling economy. While I feel bad for them, in truth I do not feel that bad. Now this may sound harsh, but I ask you, as I asked them; “What did you expect?”
Right now you are responding; “What do you mean?”
Every single of my recently unemployed friends bought and owns a foreign car. Now don’t get me wrong I am not Japan, Korea, or Germany bashing, I appreciate a good Tuner as much as anyone. I have worked on them, drove them, even owned one, but face it this tuner does nothing to help the economy.
Did you know to build the typical American car, as many companies are outsourced for parts to use in building one of the big three’s cars as are used to build the Space Shuttle. Think about it, chances are YOUR job whether it is in finance, delivery, or plastics is somehow dependent on the auto industry, the US auto market to be specific.
Next time you are at a stoplight look around. Chances are you are going to be surrounded by a bunch of Tools driving Honda’s, Toyota’s, or Hyundai’s. All of them look the same, so I know you are not buying them based on looks. It is not that these cars are better than the American counterparts, they are just perceived better. Hang out in a garage, or be-friend a few mechanics and you will see what I mean.
If you own a foreign car, and you get laid off don’t look to me for a shoulder to cry on. Ask yourself; what did you do to help the economy. Just think about that question when shopping for a new auto, or pulling into a Walmart parking lot.

ECWA - Big show March 20, 2010 – Hall of Fame

2010-03-05T13:58:00.001-05:00

While I have not yet been notified about my opponent for the show, it is with great honor that I am to be inducted into the ECWA’s Hall of Fame on March 20.
Please accept this as my personal invitation to come on out and celebrate my first 13 years in the wrestling business first hand!

And to make it perfectly clear, this is in no way a retirement party. I easily have another 13 years of fight left in the tank!

More to come leading up to March 20, including a timeline of never before published –anywhere- look at my accomplishments to date in the ECWA!

Greater Newark Boys' & Girls' Club
109 Glasgow Drive
Rt. 40 & #1 Positive Place
Newark, DE 19702
Doors open: 6:30 p.m.
Showtime starts: 7:30 p.m.

For all show information, venue, tickets, directions
TICKETS AVAILABLE AT THE DOOR
For info and reserved seating call (302) 750-3803
or e-mail at: inquire@ecwaprowrestling.com

Child Obesity

2010-02-18T16:45:00.004-05:00

As a certified Renegade Trainer, and part of Renegade Training, we are working to tackle the problems of child obesity. Currently there is a great article on the subject posted by Renegade Training’s founder John Davies.
http://forums.prosource.net//viewtopic.php?f=34&t=16246
I urge you to read it, as it does offer specific solutions regarding the epidemic of obesity among the youth of today. The workout provided can be applied to children and adults of all ages. Feel free to join in the forum discussion and if you need help implementing the program just ask on the forum, or give me, or any other Renegade Trainer a shout.

JJ vs Special Olympics? Saturday Nov 14 2009

2009-11-09T15:42:00.005-05:00

Big match this Saturday November 14 I will be applying my Renegade wares at the Greater Newark Boys and Girls Club in Bear, Delaware. It is really shaping up to be a great card as it is the “night of unusual matches.” You can check out the rest of the card as well as get directions at http://ecwaprowrestling.com/main/index.html

Now, you may read the official write up and say to your self “come on JJ, one of your opponents is a Special Olympian.” Make no mistake Jon Stoklosa is a beast too. I have seen this guy in the gym and he tosses up 355 on the bench like most people would 135. He is such a talent that Sports Illustrated for Kids did a whole feature on him. And make no mistakes either in assuming I will show leniency on my opponents because one of them is a Special Olympian. I will give not only Jon, but Glenn the beat down they deserve and show that once again Renegade Training will reign Supreme!

Official Writeup By: Josh Martin

Months of insults & bad blood lead to this!
It's been a wild past few months in the ECWA which saw a wily veteran and his demented manager almost cause riots with certain fans every time they enter the arena. With all the bad blood and insults another wily veteran selects one of the angry fans to be his manager and the scenario has intensified!

For many years devoted fan, Jonathan Stoklosa has been sitting at ringside and enjoying the hours of matches he has witnessed here in the ECWA. Jonathan is a well respected Power Lifting Champion with the Delaware Special Olympics and he has went on to national notoriety over the years. Well respected on a national level and here at home, you wouldn't want to find a nicer and more talented individual. Over the years, Jon has struck up a great friendship with The Beast Glen Osbourne as he and Glen have spent many hours sitting and chatting about Power Lifting. But a few months ago something in Jon snapped that surprised everyone, including his longtime friend Osbourne!

Enter the master of mischief, manager Sebastian Night and his ego driven maniac, J.J. The Crew Guy. Several months ago they began taunting Jon and the other Special Olympics athletes sitting at ringside. What started out to be selective taunts, became full all out insults hurled from Crew Guy and his diabolical manager. And most of the slurs and insults were directed toward Jonathan! What they didn't bargain for was that Jon and his friends would stand up to them in nearly causing riots that had to be quelled by security. The loud mouth duo also got something else they never bargained for. . . The Beast Glen Osbourne would stand by his longtime friend Jonathan Stoklosa and would go on to let Jon accompany him to ringside.

This has infuriated J.J. Crew Guy and his manager, Sebastian Night. So much so that Night and his superstar have challenged Osbourne and his friend Stoklosa to a special tag team match at ECWA's Night of Unusual Matches! No doubt more mayhem will ensue, but just who will back up their war of words? We will find out on November 14 at the Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club.

JJ vs Special Olympics

2009-11-04T11:04:00.003-05:00

This just in from the ECWA Booking committee.....

By: Josh Martin
Months of insults & bad blood lead to this!
It's been a wild past few months in the ECWA which saw a wily veteran and his demented manager almost cause riots with certain fans every time they enter the arena. With all the bad blood and insults another wily veteran selects one of the angry fans to be his manager and the scenario has intensified!
For many years devoted fan, Jonathan Stoklosa has been sitting at ringside and enjoying the hours of matches he has witnessed here in the ECWA. Jonathan is a well respected Power Lifting Champion with the Delaware Special Olympics and he has went on to national notoriety over the years. Well respected on a national level and here at home, you wouldn't want to find a nicer and more talented individual. Over the years, Jon has struck up a great friendship with The Beast Glen Osbourne as he and Glen have spent many hours sitting and chatting about Power Lifting. But a few months ago something in Jon snapped that surprised everyone, including his longtime friend Osbourne!
Enter the master of mischief, manager Sebastian Night and his ego driven maniac, J.J. The Crew Guy. Several months ago they began taunting Jon and the other Special Olympics athletes sitting at ringside. What started out to be selective taunts, became full all out insults hurled from Crew Guy and his diabolical manager. And most of the slurs and insults were directed toward Jonathan! What they didn't bargain for was that Jon and his friends would stand up to them in nearly causing riots that had to be quelled by security. The loud mouth duo also got something else they never bargained for. . . The Beast Glen Osbourne would stand by his longtime friend Jonathan Stoklosa and would go on to let Jon accompany him to ringside.
This has infuriated J.J. Crew Guy and his manager, Sebastian Night. So much so that Night and his superstar have challenged Osbourne and his friend Stoklosa to a special tag team match at ECWA's Night of Unusual Matches! No doubt more mayhem will ensue, but just who will back up their war of words? We will find out on November 14 at the Greater Newark Boys & Girls Club.

Osborne vs JJ Saturday night!

2009-09-10T17:13:00.004-04:00

Ah Grasshopper, Big Match this weekend. You do not want to miss this one. I will unleash all my Renegade skills on my longtime adversary Glenn “The Beast” Osborne.
He will be lucky to wrestle ever again after I am done with him! And for all you front row Special Olympians watchout! You do not want to go face to face with me this time around! I am not in a good mood!

www.ecwaprowrestling.com

Write up by: Josh Martin
J. J. the Crew Guy vows to embarrass Osbourne in front of Special Olympics!
You heard right fans! J.J. The Crew Guy and his wily manager, mastermind, Sebastian Night have promised to make a fool out of Glen Osbourne in front of his Special Olympics fans! Insults towards The Beast and his fans have been flying out of the mouths of the Crew Guy and his manager, so September 12 will be a time to put up or shut up. No doubt the Special Olympics fans in the crowd will have a few choice words for the Crew Guy as well, as it is no secret that Glen Osbourne is one of their favorites.
J.J. The Crew Guy is egotistical and very antagonistic! Sometimes it takes him 10 minutes to enter the ring as he stops and argues profusely with the ringsiders, especially with the kids from the Special Olympics. Why he picks on them, no one knows, but he has had some verbal wars with them, and now he vows to make a fool out of one of the men they support the most! The Beast Glen Osbourne.
Osbourne a long time fan favorite has always had a tender spot in his heart for kids and has had a special bond with the Special Olympics over the years and this veteran star has told ecwaprowrestling.com that on September 12 he will be fighting not only for himself, but he wants to represent all the kids in the crowd and more especially the Special Olympics fans!
Aside from who they like and don't like, and who likes them and don't like them, no one can deny that the meeting between these two powerful legends will be a must see event on September 12.

You are a role model

2009-08-11T13:50:00.001-04:00

Ah Grasshopper, my sincere apologies on slacking with my blog entries and your lessons.
Your lesson this week:
If you do things, you are a role model.Remember this always.
For in a society of followers and couch potatoes someone is always “looking up to you.” Conduct yourselves appropriately.

ECWA Fan Fest this Saturday July 18

2009-07-15T13:42:00.001-04:00

Ever wonder what it is like inside a wrestling steel cage?
Want to see?
Want you picture taken inside the cage as proof for the disbelieving millions?
Better yet want you picture taken with the most feared and hated villains of ECWA, JJCrewGuy and Sebastion Night?
Saturday night is your big chance. Bring the camera and come to the 2nd annual “ECWA Fan Fest” show.

It's a fan fest prior to the event where fans can play games, visit our wrestling exhibits with all the wrestlers including getting your picture taken in a real steel cage, not to mention fans can play against the wrestlers in the "Wrestling Feud" game, try out to be announcers, etc. It's a great night for all the fans.
Doors open: 6:15 p.m.
Fan Interaction Program starts: 6:30 p.m.
Showtime starts: 7:30 p.m.
http://ecwaprowrestling.com/main/index.html
Boys and Girls club of Bear Delaware

And after fan fest see JJCrewGuy in action, and pray you are not the one luck fan that walks out to ringside, because I will be gunning for you!
Here is the write up:
By: Justin Ayers
A dream match that has it all !!!!
In an ongoing effort to bring the ECWA the very best match ups, officials have out done themselves in signing this match!
One lucky fan can be involved as part of the fan interaction part of the evening by leading the team of Chambers, Nastty and Osbourne to the ring!
But getting back to the match, it has all the elements of going down in history as one of the all time classics . . . just look at all the contestants . . .
One side of the ring you have three of the most hated men in the ECWA.
Prince Nana is noted to be the most hated man in the ECWA, but this perennial top performer can go toe to toe with the best of them in the squared circle, despite the hatred he garners from the good fans of the ECWA. His partner, J.J. Crew Guy, is right up there when it comes to the fans hating him. He seems to relish that fans despise him, and to put it mildly, this seasoned veteran hates the fans as well. When he is performing, he has the fans in a frenzy, especially one particular section of the audience. He may have running arguments with the fans but make no mistake, he knows what he is doing every second he is in that ring performing. Bazooka Joe rounds out the trio and this new comer to the ECWA has been making a name for himself. He has the strength and power to rival anyone in the promotion and he is particularly looking forward to proving him self against the top talent standing on the other side of the ring in this blockbuster.
The one man that can challenge the size and strength of Bazooka Joe is The Beast, Glen Osbourne. Glen brings to the ring years of experience that coupled with his power makes him almost unbeatable and his ECWA record shows that.
Standing with Osbourne on this occasion is the daredevil of the ECWA, Aden Chambers. The former Super 8 winner had held many titles in the promotion and he brings the element of speed and technical wrestling to his team.
And what can one say about their partner, ECWA's resident rebel, Freak Nastty?
Nastty was infuriated last show when Andrew Ryker caused his girlfriend to get hurt. Nastty wanted a match with Ryker this show, but officials deemed it not a good time to pair the two together since things are so heated. But speaking of heated . . . Freak Nastty adds the extra element of surprise, strength and off the wall heat to this six man tag match that will probably send it over the edge as going down as an all time ECWA classic!

Allergies

2009-06-30T16:42:00.001-04:00

As a Renegade Trainer I am often posed questions about supplements. Aside from the standard “what will make me big and strong,” or “what will help me lose weight” these questions about herbs and medicines are often posed after a condition worsens and begins to affect our training sessions. The most common, rehabilitating, condition I see is allergies. My recommendation, as it was recommended to me in the past, is raw honey.
Raw honey is no secret among the Renegade ranks. I would dare to say most everyone involved in Renegade Training starts their morning off with a tonic comprised of a spoonful of raw honey and a lemon in hot water. I can tell you for a fact this tonic eliminated my allergies completely. Unfortunately most ignore this remedy and reach for the quick fix in the form of a pill. They do this because raw honey does take time to perform its miracles, or they just think it is another snake oil. For me the tonic took about six months to notice significant reduction with my allergies, and a year to completely be rid of them. Don’t just take my word for it, Google and decide for your self. A good place to start is honeygardens.com.
Now go buy some honey and drink your tonic every morning!

Injuries

2009-04-28T18:14:00.000-04:00

Unfortunately getting injured is something that happens to just about everyone. It is how you deal with it that separates the winners from the losers. Do you turn this negative into a positive? Or do you add two negatives together and hope for a positive? We all know the saying “Winners never quit”, and this saying is certainly true for those who happened to get injured. Though being injured certainly is unfortunate and trying, especially for an athlete, it can offer unique insights in how your body works. It can also provide great data during re-habilitation on how certain exercises affect areas you may not have previously considered. Ask yourself with an open mind is this a negative or positive? Ask yourself if your training can be modified to strengthen any weaknesses. Take a step back, examine your training, examine your posture, examine your methods of recovery and see if anything can be improved.

ECWA Tag Title Rematch set April 18

2009-04-16T12:39:00.000-04:00

By: Josh Martin

TICK TOCK ! TICK TOCK ! WHO CAN BEAT THE CLOCK?
A 3 way Tag Team Championship Match under special rules has the entire ECWA anxiously awaiting the match scheduled for April 18 in Newark, DE

It sounds simple and really is, but it's not so simple for the teams involved!
It's a DOUBLE JEOPARDY duel edge sword, especially for the Tag Team Champions, Cha Cha Chance and 400 lb. Mega.

Here is how it will work.
3 teams compete in the 3 way tag contest.
A clock will be set to run a specified time on the giant ECWA-Tron screen in the arena.

The Tag Team Champions really face Double Jeopardy in beating the clock. They could lose even before the clock runs out and be eliminated, leaving the other teams to battle for the Tag Titles. The other part of the Double Jeopardy for the Tag Team Champions happens if the time runs out before they defeat the opposition, then they will forfeit the titles on the spot and the two remaining teams still can wrestle each other for the titles. So it's do or die so to speak for the popular Champions, Mega and Cha Cha. They will have to be on their toes for this one, and I don't mean on their toes dancing!

The other two No 1 contender tag teams for this match face a Double Jeopardy as well.
They will only have a certain time to beat the clock to defeat the Champions, yet they have to watch out for each other in the process. If they eliminate the Champions early on, then they will remain and face each other for the titles. But if they are eliminated, their night is over and they will be forced out of tag team title contention for a long time to come. Both teams of Leather N Lace and The Heavyweights have an interesting story. Leather N Lace lost the titles to Cha Cha & Mega, but only after they soundly defeated the Heavyweights to get the titles to begin with. The Heavyweights rebounded last show with a big win over two top opponents to place themselves back in the number 1 contenders spot. If they are unsuccessful in their bid for the titles on April 18, it would be a while before they would be considered for tag team title contention.

A history between three teams, 1 set of tag team titles and a giant clock that will determine the future of one team. Who will beat the clock and who will fall victim to the sands of time? We find out on April 18.

WRESTLEMANIA 25

2009-04-09T16:26:00.002-04:00

Every year there is a small party in Crewguy cabana come Wrestlemania. This small grouping is made of strictly wrestling fans of which many are still “in the business”.
This year was no different, and though I thought the pageantry was lackluster as compared to years past the matches were all solid.
Normally I do not “mark out” (wrestling term), however one match above all others put itself in the Crewguy’s Wrestlemania moments of all time. As expected the HBK vs Undertaker match was nothing short of perfect. It was a match that every wrestler, or wrestler wannabe dreams of having. When you can keep a group of wrestlers on the edge of their seats and hooting and hollering you did something special. If you have not seen it yet, make sure you do.

Keep in mind as you watch the match both these athletes are in their 40’s and wrestled hard for what had to be 40 minutes plus. So, the next time you are getting ready to utter that famous quote “I’m to old” think twice. Just because it may be hard does not mean its not possible!

Insanity?

2009-03-05T12:17:00.001-05:00

Albert Einstein once said “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over...” So then why is Leather and Lace being forced to wrestle the team of Mega and Cha Cha Chance again?
What kind of corruption is this within the ECWA wrestling commission?
Did Leather and Lace not win the last contest?
How is it then that Mega and Cha Cha get another shot?
How is it that they are still ranked as the #1 contender?

Yeah, I read all the emails, all the MySpace comments, the review on ECWAPROWRESTLING.COM claiming we cheated. I read how the ref actually declared Mega and Cha Cha winners, blah, blah, blah. Let me ask you this; whose hand did the referee ORIGINALLY assigned to the match raise? All right then.

With that being said let me tell all you loudmouthed fans how the match on March 7, a cane on a pole match, is going to go down.

1st Hot Shot Mike Reed is going to beat Mega senseless in the middle of the ring. I can confidently say he will body slam that freak so many times all Mega is going to be good for after this match is being affixed on the back some losers mini van at the show. Don’t worry Mega we’ll be sure to put you next to those idiotic dancing bears, be sure to wear something colorful Mega.

2nd I am going to take Cha Cha Chance by the boot laces drag him over to the corner of the ring, climb the turnbuckle, replace the cane with Cha Cha Chance and then Sebastian and I are going to break that fiesta dancing fool like piñata.

3rd Once more Leather and Lace’s hands will be raised in victory. Total time of the match….under 2 minutes so don’t get up for popcorn.

Over Rated? I don’t think so!
See me in action, defending the ECWA Tag Team Championship

This Saturday March 7, 2009 7:00pm
Greater Boys and Girls Club
Rt.40 Bear, Delaware
Visit ECWAPROWRESTLING.COM for more info

Cane on a Pole? No DQ?

2009-02-27T12:40:00.001-05:00

Big Match Next Saturday March 7
Here is the "Official" write up. I will post my comments next week.

By: Josh Martin
Sebastian Night’s Tag Team Champions, Leather N Lace (J.J. Crew Guy and Hot Shot Mike Reed) have had a lot of success over the past year, on their climb to the titles and since winning the coveted Tag Championship. No one can deny that success, but many do question the methods they employ to defeat their opponents. Perhaps it all catches up to them on Saturday, March 7 in a special rematch against the two popular challengers of Cha Cha Chance and Mega, who have been hot on their heels for months.
At our last event, the Champions good luck took a turn for the worse when they caught the eye of Commissioner Naegele who just happened to be sitting in the arena during the controversial ending. Mega was preparing to hit Mike Reed with a Splash in the corner wand when he went to do so, Reed pulled the ref in between them, causing Mega to splash the referee instead. Diabolical manager Sebastian saw the referee go down and took his cane and tossed it to J.J. Crew Guy to use it on Mega. However, Mega’s partner, Cha Cha Chance tackled Crew Guy and they tumbled to the outside of the ring. Mega then grabbed the dazed Mike Reed by the throat and choke slammed him. Mega covered Reed for the pin and a fresh referee, Mike Bennet ran in and counted three. The crowd went crazy. Bennett declared Mega and Cha Cha Chance the NEW Tag Team Champions and everyone was excited. But it was short lived.
The mastermind of injustice in the ECWA, known as Sebastian Night, protested to the original referee Mario Zuto about the finish of the match and Zuto had to agree. It was popular Mega who did indeed strike the original referee and Zuto after getting his wits about him, immediately disqualified Mega and Cha Cha, and gave the titles back to Leather N Lace due to a DISQUALIFICATION. Needless to say it as not a popular decision. The unhappiness of the crowd prompted Commissioner Neagele to enter the ring and because of Reed actually pulling the ref in the way of the charging Mega, Naegele stated the referee’s decision would stand, but he was ordering a rematch.
This time, since the dreaded cane plays so much into the matches of the Tag Champions, he decided to even the playing field in the rematch. This time the cane will be placed on a pole and the first team to gain control of can use it as a weapon in the match!
Will the Tag Team Champions own tool of past success be used against them?Can 400 lb. Mega and his bottom heavy partner Cha Cha climb the pole?Will the shifty mind of Sebastian Night enter new strategy in favor of the Champs?Will crowd favorites Mega & Cha Cha finally win their 1st gold in the ECWA?Or will the Tag Team Champions pull another victory out of their crafty pockets???It all remains to be seen, so join us on March 7 to see what happens!

Business Lesson: "Don't judge a book by its cover."

2009-02-16T18:54:00.002-05:00

In my last blog we learned that “Free has no value” when it comes to business. Let me be perfectly clear, this is from a business standpoint and not a friendship/family standpoint.
For some reason the growing consensus of people now days believe that they deserve a service and should not have to pay for it. I guess they think I have a money tree, my own dairy farm, and a produce stand in addition to an electrical plant all in my back yard. If you do not charge for your service, for whatever reason, then the customer does not value it as much as if they had to pay for it. Had I made “Joe” pay for his training session, then I could guarantee he would have been there Tuesday night ready to train.
This brings me to your next business lesson; do not judge a book by its cover. I know a little cliché but oh so true. This particular observation all started in my first business venture of owning a landscape business. I noticed that the customers who had money and by all rights could pay their monthly bill often defaulted. Whether right or wrong I choose to run my businesses on the honor system. I generally charge at the end of the month for services rendered, not pending. Not to stereo-type but nearly all of these problem clients had really nice houses, your typical oversized suv, a nice car, and usually (I guess this one is relevent to the eyes of the beholder) the “trophy wife" and half the time a boat. In contrast those who had little money and were living off Social Security, or a passed love one’s pension always paid promptly and were very, very appreciative of my services. Unfortunately, the same pattern seems to be emerging in the training industry too and looks to force me into charging for services pending and not rendered, at least to one half of my potential clientele. It is a sad day when the honor system is bled of honor.

On a positive note, our trainee “Joe” did eventually show up, but did things go as we hoped? Was Joe appreciative? Doe’s Joe have heart? Is Joe going to make the team?
Stay tuned! Same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel.

Business Lesson: "Free has no Value."

2009-02-12T16:53:00.002-05:00

A couple months back I had a young man approach me with questions about training. He wants to play varsity baseball after a several year layoff from the game. This is nothing new. I get approached all the time. We will call this one Joe. I have seen Joe in the gym often, he practically lives there. He is your typical gym rat stuck on a bodybuilding routine and a diet of protein shakes, chicken and stuff from the restaurant across the street in an effort to get “big” and “strong”. Very little, if any, of the work he does currently is going to translate to being competitive on the field (lots of machine/isolation movements combined with slow heavy poundage work with improper form.)
Joe appears too sincere and I tell him I can train him and this is my rate. Of course Joe balks and says he is broke, that he is only a student and can’t afford such a rate. Before you think me evil, I know for a fact his parents are well off and they more than just give him a small allowance for making his bed in the morning, but I play along and let him coerce me into training alongside instead of working up an individual training and nutritional program and all that jazz just for him.
“How bout Tuesday? You can workout with me, do what I do and figure it out from there.” Joe enthusiastically agrees but I still have that wait and see attitude. I have made similar offers to different people probably a 100+ times over, and it is usually ends the same every time. If he shows and up and has the right attitude and work ethic then I will of course do everything in my power to see he makes the team. I love mentoring young athletes, and I am quite good at it.
Well guess what, Tuesday’s Gone (how bout that Skynyrd reference?) and no Joe. Sure glad I did not wait before starting my workout. “Free has no Value!”

Before I became a Renegade Trainer, I owned and operated a Landscape business. During the five years of operation one lesson above all others seemed to keep recurring; “Free has no value.” Now that I have switched businesses one lesson above others seems to be recurring, now more than ever, “Free has no value.”
Never mind that I have been trained by the best.
Never mind that I have access to the knowledge base of the best.
Never mind that I have the backing of the WORLDS best trainers, Renegade Trainers.
If it is free, somehow it seems to be without value to the general public.
Perhaps I need to pose this riddle to Frank Gorshin?
I am sure Adam West could figure it out easily.
Aren’t the best things in life free?

More on Joe in my next blog, stay tuned.

The Impossible Sit Up

2009-01-15T12:17:00.001-05:00

I love the New Year as it instills fresh blood into the gym, albeit short term, but still some of what you see is quite entertaining. Yesterday I was treated to “The Impossible Sit-Up.” And for the record I did not fall for it, almost though. I did laugh my butt off.
Here is what you need to do:
Find your resident gym-guru, you know the guy who knows it all, and issue a challenge for the Impossible Sit-Up. Be sure to build up the mystique, tell him so and so could not do it, and neither could you. Tell him it is just plain impossible, the laws of physics and human equilibrium will not allow it and such….
When he is ripe for the picking, have him close his eyes while still standing and then tell him to spin clockwise ten times. Really build it up, tell him he needs to do it fast while you are counting. When he reaches ten, with his eyes still closed, have him drop to the ground and perform a sit up with his eyes still closed (very important). As he is getting into position, straddle his chest and position your butt so when he performs a perfect sit up it crashes right into your hind side. If he does not crash into the first time tell him he is not getting enough height on the sit-ups and is failing. He is sure to put in the extra effort.

Yeah, I know childish and immature, and I really do not know why I made a blog out of it except to remind everyone that while training should be intense and productive it should also be fun.
Ps
Make sure you can run faster than the sucker you just pulled the Tom-Foolery on.

The Cousin Ralph

2008-11-17T15:33:00.000-05:00

While attending a private training session for Renegade only trainers over the weekend in Nyack, New York I stumbled upon several great experiences worthy of putting to pen. Yes, a few of them involve actual training. And yes I will write about them later in the week, but for those familiar with Renegade know it is not at all about the weight room but about style. Now style can be construed as what you wear, how you walk, how you talk, but also in how you eat. You will be hard pressed to find an out of shape, obese, Renegade practitioner, but unlike most “in shape” members of the gym we do not exist on “Engineered Protein Shakes” or cans of tuna, we know how to eat and that is where The Cousin Ralph comes in.

Setting; Main Street Nyack, New York.
Old School Italian Deli (the kind that has been purged from my neck of the woods by Subway, and only broken English is spoken)

The Sandwich aka The Cousin Ralph: Prosciutto Ham, Broccoli Rabe, Eggplant, Provolone, on Ciabatta, heated.

The Desert: Giant chocolate chip cookie with a hint of cinnamon.

Now that is eating folks!
Does your training/trainer have style? Maybe he or she should. Close to Delaware? Need training? I got style

Sport or Spoiled?

2008-11-10T15:18:00.002-05:00

So there I am watching Sunday Night Football in the presence of all females. Blessing or Curse, I ask? I would not necessarily say either. I would, however, say it was a test of patience, my patience, which is now exhausted. Throughout the night I was inundated with questions. Why this, why that. Rules and plays I just take for granted were constantly questioned. Now these women have all watched football before, most have even been to games, but without the presence of other men it was open season.
Keep in mind this the Giants vs. the Eagles so you know it is going to be a crazy game and the observations of the female looked to be equally as crazy. Aside from the typical questions such as; if time runs out while the runner is running down the field and he scores what happens with the extra point? Why would they wear white while playing on grass? there were some very fascinating points.
Here we go with some highlights…..
The camera zooms in on the quarterback. He is wearing these enormous glove/mittens.
“What are they for?” Try explaining that when the temperature is 50 degrees.
The camera zooms in on a defensive lineman. He has two sets of gloves and enough athletic tape to stock any sporting goods store for a year. Just imagine the comments on that one.
It gets really good when the camera shows the quarterback warming up, and he has a trainer next to him catching the ball. “He has someone catch the ball for him? Why?” They ask.
A timeout is called and the cameral shows the crew running out and then the players cleaning their cleats with a cleat cleaner. Now I am starting to laugh along too.
A camera shot showing the water boy making his rounds. “You mean they have someone bringing the Gatorade? Can’t they get it themselves? He is right next to the table.”
“You mean even the bench they are sitting on is heated?”
“They have headsets in their helmets? Who are they talking too? Why?”
“He makes how much? For this?”
This list goes on, and one. I do not think any of the women were overly impressed and I heard the word spoiled mentioned far too often. It kind of makes you wonder, even drugs and criminal activities aside; is your sport still sporting?

In the spotlight

2008-06-30T16:34:00.003-04:00

"If you are what you say you are, a superstar
Then have no fear, the crowd is here
And the lights are on
And they wanna show oh oh oh oh, yeah."

Shame-less plug here. Check it out I made this month's superstar spotlight. Yes you heard it right, I am now a superstar, lol.

Forgive the picture and the lyrics.

http://ecwaprowrestling.com/

or
http://ecwaprowrestling.com/main/superspotlight/ss-jjcrewguy-06-2008.html

JJ's Law

2008-06-10T15:14:00.003-04:00

JJ’s Law

You’ve heard of Murphy’s Law, well JJ’s Law states that if JJ plan’s to re-roof his house one of two things is going to happen.
Rain
Excessive heat wave
Luckily we had no rain, but a Bermuda High came screaming in just after I already ordered my materials and set up a delivery date. I can not remember when we had such intense humidity and heat in the month of June, but in a way I welcomed it. Look, you are talking about a guy who started laying blacktop at 15 in 100 degree weather. Yeah, I am sick and twisted in that respect.
Roofing in high humidity 90 degree + heat would be a good test of my conditioning and of my Renegade training to date. Here we have GPP, weighted GPP, strength work, flexibility, speed work and just plain will power all wrapped in a single workout atop an unstable environment.
You want a functional workout, try roofing.
What did I learn?
Bundles of shingles are far heavier than any loaded barbell.
Bundles up a ladder will waste your legs far better than squats.
Nail guns are awesome as are shingle rippers.
Use staples to affix tar paper, not roofing nails as did the builder in this case.
Cotton Shirts rule, blends suck!
My friend Dave is a true friend, those that did not show have been bumped to acquaintance status.
I am a machine and have no equal when it comes to work ethic in my neighborhood!
My neighbor is a wuss. He cuts his grass at 7 am and then flees inside an air conditioned house for the rest of the day.
Having a broken ac in the house after roofing all day sucks big time. I almost pulled an Al Bundy and camped out in the supermarket freezer section.
Roofing is not hard, just labor intensive.
Did I mention Cotton Shirts rule, blends suck?
Wear sneakers, not boots during the day.
I really wish I owned a pool!
I can’t be killed!

Art of Balance

2008-05-14T16:36:00.003-04:00

I see you have returned Grasshopper. I have given you extra time to complete your assignment. How did you do?
Find any negative patterns?
What weaknesses did you uncover?
What have you done to correct your imbalances?

For myself I have uncovered a few weaknesses in the kinetic chain that need to be addressed. Luckily, or unluckily depending on your view, my active participation in sports, both contact and non contact, combined with the ballistic nature of Renegade workouts allow weakness to be readily apparent. Starting today I have turned my focus in strengthening the T-8, T-9 region of the back (middle, upper) along with a need to address areas around the first rib and transition points of the neck. To strengthen these areas I will add in a few isolation exercises to compliment my compound movements. For example: on days that I do not include jump shrugs in my workouts I will include another version of shrugs done at a prehab rep range of 12. I also plan on doing isometric neck movements daily with plans to slowly incorporate weighted flexion movements. To target the upper/middle back region I will insure my workouts include one or more of the following: pull-ups, chin-ups, rope climbing, heavy bag work, and/or bent over rows. All work will of course be done with Perfect Posture. As with any weakness or injury I am prepared for a minor set back now and then. Look at re-habing or strengthening your weaknesses like walking. Two steps forward, one back. Three steps forward, one back. Four steps forward….you get the point. Don’t get discouraged or expect an overnight miracle. Just keep a positive attitude and keep at it and your Art of Balance shall proceed stroke by stroke.
Easy, right Grasshopper? Now what is your excuse?

Ahh Grasshopper, are you ready for step 3 towards the Ultimate Handstand?
I knew you were. Lets pick up at the end of step 2 and resume the wall balance handstand position. This time I want you to ease your legs back so only your toes are in contact with the wall. Feel it in the arms and hands? Look at those wrists working, beautiful. Now take one foot completely off the wall, but be sure to keep the knee locked and outstretched. Got it? Can you take the other foot away from the wall now too? Practice this Art of Balance daily and I will return next week for step 4.

Perfect Posture

2008-05-01T16:45:00.006-04:00

Perfect Posture, it is a term you hear often in Renegade Training. So important is this component to training and everyday life that it is included within the coveted Renegade Concepts of Training. Next time you are walking around the park, or in the gym take a hard look at the people around you. Are they performing their target activities and tasks with perfect posture? Is that buff dude in front of the mirror curling a bar with 45’s doing it the way it was meant too? Is that lady with weights in her hands as she does laps around the track slouching?
Yeah, big deal you might say. Well it is a big deal and I am going to tell you why. What happens when you do not adhere to perfect posture is you develop negative patterns. These negative patterns work, over time, to erode your natural patterns of movement. When this happens injury is just a movement away.

Now by reading some of my blogs and seeing I am a Sr. Renegade Trainer you may believe I am infallible. Well let me assure you I am not infallible nor am I immortal. Like most successful people I continue to learn and evolve with every passing day. Every so often I get a not so gentle reminder on the lessons of Perfect Posture, and the need for Balance. (By balance, I do not mean standing atop a swiss ball or a surfboard, but rather a balance among musculature.)
Several years ago I was involved in quite a devastating car wreck that saw injuries to my back and neck. I have spent five years thus far re-habilitating these injuries and will no doubt spend the rest of my life addressing these concerns. The problem is, because of the injury, I have several imbalances. Many of the imbalances I have corrected in my training, yet a few are being very stubborn. I am fully aware of these imbalances which affect my posture. I address them regularly, but every so often the body reminds me that these imbalances need to be addressed a little more attentively than other areas. Unfortunately I see in my business many of these imbalances or negative patterns arising due to poor posture and not necessarily a car wreck or other unavoidable injury. This must not be allowed!

So listen up Grasshopper, we will return to the “Ultimate Handstand” next week. For this week I want you to join me in re-evaluating your training and look for possible imbalances, negative patterns, or poor posture. To Excel you must adhere to the following:
1. You must not allow imbalances or negative patterns to form.
2. You must have perfect posture at all times.
3. You must continually set aside your ego and search for any imbalances no matter your skill level.
4. Continually work to perfect your posture in all areas of life.
5. Address any weaknesses, imbalances, or postural concerns IMMEDIATELY!
6. If by chance you do get injured; seek professional help, relax, take a step back and search for the cause. Pretend you are a detective and find the culprit, or culprits. Work to eliminate the apparent weakness.
7. Most importantly, and this is the hardest, be patient! Correcting any imbalances, postural concerns, or recovering from injury may take days, months, or even years. But it must be done.
8. Don’t ever quit or surrender.

Jump to it Grasshopper.

ADAPTATION

2008-04-17T16:05:00.003-04:00

“Adapting is knowing when to act and when to rest.
It is a peaceful, accepting frame of mind willing to adjust to the existing circumstances.” I Ching #17

Adaptation is necessary both in training and in life. This is an important lesson Grasshopper so pay attention! Most individuals fear change. I admit I hate change. However if you were paying close attention Grasshopper, I said “hate” not “fear” the difference is quite obvious. As we have seen throughout history those that fail to adapt perish, or worse return to levels far below even mediocrity.
From an exercise standpoint all too often I will run across a former competitor, friend, or just plain acquaintances. While in days past they appeared to flourish and excel above others, somehow they have allowed themselves to be pushed off the proverbial mountain top. Amusingly they still strive for their excellence of the past in familiar redundant and repetitive manners. Put simply, they refuse to change. I do not have enough fingers to count the number of acquaintances in the gym that have developed repetitive stress injuries or extremely poor posture because of an unwillingness to change. Instead of heeding my advice and developing an exercise routine that is more organic in nature they often chose a darker path or simply quit the game altogether. They perish.
In wrestling adaptation is a must if you wish to have any longevity or success. At any given performance you must be able to make adjustments in your strategy, approach, execution, and even attitude. You MUST be able and willing to adapt because of the unpredictable dynamics of the sport. Though knowing this many wrestlers still fail to adapt and thus perish.
In life one must continually adapt to the ever constant changes of society. You need to continually learn new skills, open yourself to advancements in technology, and adjust to the economics of the day. If something out of the ordinary happens at work, school, or play, become flexible and quietly adapt. Consider this an opportunity to climb a little higher towards the mountain top.
Adaptation is why I am a winner. It is why I succeed in whatever endeavors I choose. Adaptation is what allowed me to return to wrestling. Adaptation is why I can compete with athletes of any age. Adaption is what brought me to writing this blog. A good example of adaption in life came the other week when I released the JJcrewguy School Cool Van back into the wild. You can not find a cooler van, short wheel base, full time 4x4, 1-ton, windowless, old school 1979 Dodge van, what more could you want? This is the ultimate surfing rig and the ultimate in cool. This machine had Crewguy written all over it as I went through great pains to find it and spent a lot of time and money to restore it. However, with the price of gas skyrocketing along with insurance premiums, and vehicle registration fees I saw the writing on the wall. Though I hated to part with it I recognized the need to adapt and change with the times. I did not fear change.
Now I know what your asking yourself; “JJ with oil being a finite commodity does this mean you are also going to release the Jeep back in the wild?” For that answer you have to stay tuned for deliberate and slow cultivation, Grasshopper, is the path to success and good fortune. And well lets just say I still have some adapting to do.

Fair well Old School Cool, you will be missed.

Am I not supposed to cheat?

2008-04-08T16:13:00.007-04:00

Did the NFL commissioner reverse any of the Patriot’s victories after discovering their cheating ways?
Did Baseball reverse any of the games won by infected blood?
Did Warner Bros make Cecil Turtle give back the $10 he won beating bugs under questionable circumstances?

Of course not!
Should I go on? Do you really want me too? It is rather depressing. Golf, swimming, Nascar, MMA, Boxing, Roadrunner & Wile E…….
I will stop there as I am depressing myself.
My question for this blog is if the Idols of millions can get away with cheating why can’t I? After all I am a professional athlete.
Doesn’t this mean I am obligated to cheat?
Doesn’t it mean I have a free pass to cheat?
So why then did my recent victory in the ring get reversed well after the referee made his decision and rose my hand?
By being a professional athlete are my cheating ways restricted to drugs, sex scandals, gambling problems, or skeletons released from a closet somewhere?
Obviously it appears so.
I guess I thought cheating, well any kind of cheating was acceptable. I guess I thought wrong. And yes, one time I thought I farted and actually...well you know the rest.
Here is the scenario, you tell me:
For ten minutes my partner and I battled the team of the Heavyweights. Clearly we had the upper hand and were dominating this team comprised of one pencil necked geek and an undersized string bean (thanks Magnum). Wanting to put an end to the match I grasp all 120lbs of String Bean in a Fisherman’s Suplex (also called Perfectplex) and drive him into the mat. Still holding onto to what little frame a string bean has I bridge up for the pin. One, two…. Wham! “What the,,,,?”
Pencil Neck is on top of me driving fists into my stomach, successfully breaking up the count.
Obviously, I suppose, if you are pretty boy this type of cheating is acceptable. The ref thinks so. Of course I insist that he gets back to the corner so I can try pinning String Bean again. The next thing I know someone throws a cane in the ring and it lands in my hands. The ref turns and sees me with the cane, which I am just holding as I am a little confused as to how it got their. I give the cane to ref quite freely and return to pinning String Bean. One, two, three. (Yes my suplexes are that deadly.)
“The winners by pin fall Leather and Lace” the ref announces. Done, another victory, another notch upwards to a title shot.
“Hold it, hold it!” Shouts the new owner of ECWA as he approaches the ring. Here he has spotted someone in the crowd with a video camera and asks to borrow it. On the big screen he shows the cane in my hands, the ref taking it away, and this is where it gets weird. Somehow that video guy photo shopped the image of my partner climbing in the ring and another cane being thrown in the ring. It also shows my partner, Hot Shot Mike Reed, whacking the skull of String Bean with it. Of course the owner reverses the decision as I am not one of those pretty boys.
Even if this was not a doctored video, come on! My team loses on account of a this? Our title shot delayed because of this? How is this not biased? Is this not acceptable behavior in professional sports?
Politics, bah!
I can not wait to make it to the Big Leagues where this type of travesty would never happen. It would be accepted and I made into a hero! I would probably even get a contract extension and bonus out of it too.

Our loss to the Heavyweights is comparable only to Bugs Bunny being robbed of his victory against Cecil Turtle.

Ah Grasshopper you have returned. Sadly, no training for you! I am too upset from this weekend’s events. Comeback tomorrow when I return to my place of tranquility.

Heavyweights? Please.....

2008-04-02T15:58:00.003-04:00

The Heavyweights, I repeat, The Heavyweights?
Give me a break! This “feared” tandem is maybe, I repeat, maybe weighs a combined 250lbs soaking wet.
How is this even a competition?
How can I take this match seriously?
Are we supposed to wrestle these guys with one arm tied behind are backs?
Perhaps on our knees?
While the last match had me thinking of moves to do on such a wide variety of opponents ranging from 180 to 400 pounds, now I am thinking of moves not to do. I see myself pretty much doing whatever I please during this match. The only obstacle will be keeping it interesting to my fans for longer than thirty seconds, which I will certainly find a way.

Let us see how wrestling columnist Justin Ayers see’s this “Tag Team Attraction.”
“Two teams as different as you can get, will be pitted against each other on April 5.The young Heavyweights (Sean Royal & Dan Eckos) are very much looking forward to the opportunity to collide with Leather N Lace (J. J. Crew Guy & Hot Shot Mike Reed).At our last event, The Heavyweights had a devastating loss at the hands of the 848 pound Nigerian Nightmares. It was lucky they made it out of the arena alive. But on April 5, the Heavyweights face another team who are considerably smaller that the Nigerians, but they are still a lot larger than the youngsters and a whole lot stronger and more experienced. The Heavyweights need this win over Leather N Lace to redeem themselves after their recent loss. Hot Shot Mike Reed and J. J. Crew Guy where brought together a few months ago and have been on a roll ever since. They have size, power and most of all experience, which makes them a great tag team combination. They have a sadistic attitude and the brains of manager Sebastian Night guiding them, which makes them DANGEROUS!In looking at this match scheduled for April 5, it could be quite entertaining. Leather N Lace have one thing on their mind….that is…..a PATH TO THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS…..The Heavyweights want to regain the status they once held in the ECWA and their minds are set on a PATH TO THE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS.One team brings all the attributes that it takes to dominate in this match, but the other much smaller team brings DETERMINATION and HEART.The Heavyweights have fought all the odds before and pulled out many surprise victories in the past and they will be looking to do so on April 5. Standing in their way is the larger and more experienced team of Leather N Lace. Will size, power and experience pull it all together again for the Crew Guy N The Hot Shot, or will the speed and agility of The Heavyweights cause Leather N Lace to try and keep up the pace?”

Determination and Heart? Give me a break. Not a chance. That heart will be broken, stomped on and slung upon the entire front row before the night is out.
Take this one to the bank Leather and Lace fans, we can keep up the pace.
Six rounds of GPP with some rope work and sprints will definitely see to that.
See you all there for the slaughter!
http://ecwaprowrestling.com/main/index.html

Ahh Grasshopper you have returned.
The Crouch Balance Mastered you say?
Good, we shall move you to the weeping meadows for step two towards the “Ultimate Handstand”
Best to find a tree. Place hands about a foot and a half from the trunk. Splay them fingers like I instructed last week. Keep all your fingers slightly bent. Left leg should be straight, right leg bent under (knee under stomach).
Raise your head as far as possible and move shoulders forward so the weight is taken from your legs and transferred over the arms.
Note: Head position is very important.
Push yourself forward with the left legs, raising both legs in the air. Do so with enough speed so they will fall forward against the tree trunk. A pillow should be placed just forward of your head in case you lose balance.
Do several dozen times throughout the day grasshopper, but do not over do. Patience, Grasshopper, patience

One Handed Handstand, Old School Style

2008-03-26T16:13:00.007-04:00

How cool is the one handed handstand?
How much cooler would it be to curl up, dip the chest slowly till it touches the floor then slowly, with control, press up into a two handed handstand? After holding the two handed handstand for a spell, shift your weight to one side and raise the opposing limb upwards so you are poised on a single arm?
Pretty damn cool I would dare say.

Want to know how? Read on Grasshopper.

Want to know what brought this on? Answer: MTV.
While I am not a big fan of MTV, I do have to say I am quite entertained with the show “America’s Best Dance Crew.” If you get a chance you would do well to check it out, especially the JabbaWockeez hip hop timeline. While the “Ultimate Handstand” is not performed as I described above it can be seen often in the form of “Freeze’s.”
This Thursday marks the finals for this season, but it was last weeks “battles” you really want to check out. They are re-running it several times through the day leading up to the finals as this is one of those text your vote deals and they certainly want to elicit as many votes as possible.
Even if you are not a fan of hip-hop or dancing the flexibility, agility, and athleticism exhibited are quite remarkable. I am still in awe at the head spin done in the last battle leading up to the finals. Mind blowing!
Check it out, it gets the JJCrewguy seal of approval.
Who knows next season we may even see Renegade Training’s own Grant lead a crew into competition. Hmmm….. I wonder if Jory or Moody can break dance? What about you Doyle? Coach? Did Grant instruct you in the fine arts?

Ahh Grasshopper you wish to rise to the Mountain’s Summit?
A one handed handstand you say? A Freeze? The Ultimate?
Walk through cut grass before you fly over the meadow young cricket-san. Implement the Crouch Balance daily.

Return only when mastered:

The Crouch Balance:
This training maneuver will help strengthen the wrists and arms. Only when these are properly strengthened can you hope to support and then adjust your bodyweight cricket-san. Only then will you be powerful enough…..
Crouch down, place hands flat on floor (about a foot in front of knees), splay fingers out with index pointing straight ahead. Brace inner thighs against elbows and slowly lean forward putting your full weight on the wrists and hands. Head position should be forward and upward. The maneuver will resemble a tripod, but knees are outside elbows not on top and head is off the ground not on.
Practice till perfect. Return then.

Warning: Do not try this at Home!

2008-03-18T16:24:00.004-04:00

Ice chills my neck.
Ice chills my knee.
Heat warms my back.
Fresh popped popcorn delights my mouth.
The television says channel 105.
The Dolby Surround Sound is cranked and my subwoofer is rocking the house.
The phone is not going to get answered and the world could be aflame, but I really don’t care. I am exactly where I want to be in the universe on a Monday. In my basement.

Pop Quiz Hot Shot. What is on the tube?

Yep, you guessed it. Wrestling.
Yeah, you might have guessed Wrestling was on, but I can guarantee you can not guess where this blog is heading. Go ahead, try.
Times up Hot Shot, you failed.

One more chance, one more pop quiz.
Which of the following should carry a “WARNING” sticker?
Taco Bell or Skateboarding?

I have seen it a hundred times, perhaps two hundred. I am sure you have seen it too, you know that pesky Taco Bell commercial where everyone has big long strings of cheese coming out of their mouths. They play it continuously on the few shows I choose to watch (yeah, I know we'll talk about my viewing pleasures later). Well despite having seen this commercial a hundred plus times I just noticed something last night I never seen before. In the scene where there is an older guy (looks like a magistrate of some sort) sitting on stairs with a kid holding a skateboard, both eating tacos, a small warning flashes on the bottom of the screen. “Warning: Professional Skateboarders, do not attempt.” I am paraphrasing of coarse as the warning was only their for a blink and the commercial is definitely not tape worthy. At first I could not believe what I saw, but when the commercial was re-run it was their again. Blink, and it was gone. I really had trouble figuring out why the warning was there. In the back ground there were two kids riding skate boards, and one did perform a miniscule ollie in the brief one second blip, but come on. Is that really warning worthy? What kind of Nancy boys have we become? A warning for riding a skateboard on flat ground with full safety gear? Even the kid eating the taco had his safety gear on! Be for real folks!
What I want to know, Hot Shot, is why were their no other warnings?
Warning: Fast Food is bad for your heart.
Warning: Fast Food has not nutritional value, none, zero, zip, zilch.
Warning: Fast Food is bad for the body, mind and soul.
Warning: Probably contains one or more of the following: Estradiol, Progesterone,
Testosterone, Zeranol, Trenbolone acetate, Melengesterol. (ooh the guys at my gym are reading that line again.)
Warning: Contains multiple Antibiotics. (sorry kiddies won't prevent acne, or keep you from getting sick)
Warning: The following has been Irraditated.(Yes radiation, Homer.)
Warning: May cause Cancer.

I could go on, but you get the point. Oooh, let me re-phrase that. If your Renegade you get the point and the point of this blog.

Ah Grasshopper here is your advice for the day in case the above was too cryptic: Skinned flesh and broken bones heal easier than cancer, and tell a much better tale.

Eat good wholesome food. Eat grass fed beef, limit those grains, and eliminate that soda.

If you heed my advice you just may be able to stick that ollie a little higher than the rest and possibly keep up with me.

The Black Knight

2008-03-12T16:28:00.004-04:00

How do you handle injury?

Do you "overcome adversity?"

Do you cower and quit under duress?

Do you continually find lame excuses?

My Question for you is:

Are you Black Knight worthy?

Read on and then ask yourself again.

Through the narrow slit of the Green Knight’s helm a sword is driven sending blood spaying. Upon the hilt the Black Knight grasps and pulls his sword free. Blood starts to form a lake at his feet.
“You fight with the strength of many men, sir knight.” Another knight asks.
The Black Knight says nothing.
“I am Arthur, king of the Britons.”
Silence blankets the land.
“I seek the finest and the bravest knights in the land to join me at my
court at Camelot.”
Silence again.
“You have proved yourself worthy. Will you join me?”
Silence yet again.
“You make me sad. So be it! Come, Patsy!”

“None shall pass!” The Black Knight finally bellows.
“What?”
“None shall pass!” The Black Knight repeats.
“I have no quarrel with you, good sir knight, but I must cross
this bridge.”
“Then you shall die!” says the Black Knight.
“I command you, as king of the Britons, to stand aside.”
“I move for no man!” The Black Knight taunts.
“So be it!”

The two battle in a heated duel with Arthur eventually landing a shot that severs the Black Knight’s arm off. Blood spays quite profusely. (Unfortunately the Black Knight had not been training Renegade. His movements are quite slow. Was Hammer Strength or Nautliss in the gyms back then?)

“Now stand aside, worthy adversary.” Arthur the apparent victor speaks looking at the severed arm.
“Tis but a scratch.” The Black Knight responds.
“A Scratch. Your arm's off!”
“No it isn't!” The Black Knight counters
“Well what's that then?” Arthur points to the arm on the ground.
“I've had worse.” The Black Knight responds.
“You Liar!” Arthur yells.
“Come on, you pansy!” The Black Knight taunts.

Another battle ensues and the Black Knight loses his other arm. Really should have logged on to Renegade Training.com

Arthur kneels to the ground,
“Victory is mine! We thank thee Lord, that in thy mercy—“
The Black Knight kicks Arthur on his side.
“Come on, then!” He yells kicking Arthur again.
“What?!?”
“Have at you!” the Black Knight continues kicking.
“You are indeed brave, sir knight, but the fight
is mine!”
“Ohhh, had enough, eh?” The Black Knight continues.
“Look, you stupid bastard, you've got no arms left!”
“Yes I have!”
“Look!”
“Just a flesh wound!” The Black Knight responds kicking at Arthur again.
“Look, stop that!“Chicken! Chicken!” The Black Knight taunts.
“Look, I'll have your leg!”
The Black Knight does not quit.
“Right!” Arthur yells chopping off the Black Knight’s leg.
“Right! I'll do you for that!” The Black Knight yells hopping on one leg.
“You'll What?”
“Come 'ere!” the Black Knight tells Arthur.
“What're you going to do, bleed on me?”
“I’m invincible!” The Black Knight yells.
“You're a looney....”
“The Black Knight Always Triumphs! Have at you!” The Black Knight yells hopping around as he attempts to kick Arthur.
With a shrug and swing of his long sword Arthur severs the Black Knights remaining limb. On the ground the Black Knight realizes he can’t move.
“Okay, we'll call it a draw.” He says in fairness.
“Come, Pasty!” Arthur rides off.
“Oh! Had enough, eh? Come back and take what's coming to you, you yellow bastards!! Come back here and take what's coming to you! I'll bite your legs off!”

If you have not seen Monty Python and the Holy Grail you owe to yourself to see this “Classic” if only for this one scene.
http://www.intriguing.com/mp/holygrail.asp

Here is where I copied the script from before adding my flair.
http://www.intriguing.com/mp/_scripts/knight.asp

Remember the Black Knight when you flee to the couch because your toe hurts or the doctor just prescribed you some drug you don’t really need to handle some minor discomfort.
Remember the Black Knight when you bail out of one of my training sessions to go smoke pot and get suspended from school.
Remember the Black Knight when you cry to me you want to be the best on the Soccer field this season and bail after two rounds of GPP because you were out partying the night before.
Remember the Black Knight when you stick that needle in your butt in an effort to fix an imbalance that could be fixed through sweat and dedication.
Remember I am Renegade, I am not in it for the money. I am not in it to waste my time.
I am in it to “improve the quality of your life.”

Riddle me this... Why do I wrestle? pt.2

2008-03-06T16:22:00.004-05:00

“Wham!”
“Oomph!”
“Pow!”
“Kaboom!”
Darkness momentarily settles atop the brilliant flashes light.
No, Adam West is not about to appear and save the day. Neither is his sidekick Burt Ward. This is not the 60’s but rather Saturday March 1, 2008 and I am laying on my back seeing stars. While I do have a nifty Goth like belt holding up my leather pants it is certainly no “Utility Belt” and most definitely does not hold any “Anti-Mega Spray” or “Anti Shark Repellant.” This unfortunately is what happens when an angry 6’8” 400lb man nails you with a size 15 boot. You see stars and think your in some wacky episode of the original Batman. You also think “this was not in the plan.”
Checking my jaw to make sure it is not broken I craw to the ropes, it is the only way I am going to get back to my feet and make a tag. I pull myself up and “Wham!”
A fist greets my chin. Off I go into the ropes opposite. The ropes stretch and then I am shot like a marble leaving a wrist rocket into the waiting boot of Mega, yet again. This time I go down hard and think “Eccentric, Concentric” for some odd reason. Don’t know what I am talking about? Your not Renegade then.
It is just a matter of breaths before all 400lbs comes crashing upon my chest. I like my ribs, I really do. By some miracle, my manager Sebastian Night is up on the ring apron. Now he looks like he just came out of an episode of Batman, some sort of genetic mutation of the Joker, Penguin and the Riddler all in one. And yes the Riddler was the coolest!
Mega sees him and promptly forgets about breaking some ribs. I sure as hell am not going anywhere. As Mega grabs Sebastian and delivers a drawn out thunderous punch a cane magically slides before me. I grab the cane and struggle to my feet with its aid. The behemoth turns….
“Wham!” Into his gut I drive the cane with all I got. By my side Burt Ward appears and motions for the neck. Around the neck I wrap my arm. “Go,” he shouts and into the canvas we both drive Mega’s head.
“Who sucks now?” I yell to the crowd before hi-fiving my partner. The crowd most definately thinks I still do. I turn for the cover, and…..”Splat!” The Beast clotheslines both me and my sidekick at a dead run. He is pissed!
We just spent a good 5 minutes beating him down with an arsenal of offensive maneuvers and he is making up for all of it in one move. Over the top rope and onto the hard gym floor I crash nearly atop my fallen manager. A breath later, the Beast is falling atop me having been dumped by the team of Trouble, and Robere.
One, two, three! Our Victory, our number one contender slot, our chance at gold, stolen in a heartbeat by a pair of 150 lb wimps! A victory so cheesy, so unbelievable, it could only be an episode of the original Batman! No, not the movie kiddies! The TV show!
This is why I wrestle.

Ah Grasshopper riddle me this from 1966:
“What is always coming, but never arrives?
Quickly, Quickly!”

“........Tomorrow. For when it arrives it is today, and today my dear rodents, should prove to be most memorable!” The Riddler, Frank Goshin, 1966?

Ah much too easy Grasshopper. Try another.

“There were three men in a boat with four cigarettes and no matches. How did they manage to smoke?” Asks the Riddler.
“They threw the cigarette overboard and made the boat a CIGARETTE LIGHTER!” Come on Grasshopper, if Robin got it in 1966 you should have too!

Is this the end of the riddles? Will our hero ever get the titles? Did you have to cheat? Do you know what eccentric and concentric mean now?
Answers tomorrow…same Bat time….same Bat channel.

Why I Wrestle pt.1

2008-03-03T16:31:00.006-05:00

The announcer, Josh “Buffer”, is talking, but I am not listening. I am just staring into a curtain of darkness holding RX pos #1 in an effort to keep the hips loose, they are.
“Okay, now.” Sebastion says. I had not even realized our music had been cued but I am through the curtain and yelling “I got the skill, who can match me? No-one! You ain’t got skill you noodle armed choirboy!” I yell at the group of kids that had run up to guardrail. I recognize them from last month and lay into them with a few other lines before spotting my some new prey for this month.
There on the opposite side of the ring, near were the “pretty boys” come out, I see exactly what I am looking for, all wearing their shirts from a recent “Special Olympic” competition. With purpose I stride across the gym floor my eyes fixed.
“You say something punk? What? Oh you think you got skill? Let’s see what you chumps got. I will take you, you and you, yeah you in the wheelchair trying to slither away, on! Right now! Come on Nancy Boy, unlock that brake and wheel it on around. In the ring now! C’mon punks, those Olympic medals don’t mean squat here!” Three more kids rush up in defense, all wearing yellow shirts too. I move right up to the guardrail and stick my forehead against their leader who is turning red as he yells furiously and gives me a push.

This is why I wrestle.

Normally any physical contact on either side of the guardrail is forbidden, but I made an exception in this case. “Did you see that! Hot Shot get over here!” I scream. My partner Hot Shot Mike Reed is sharing the same look as some of the parents in the other sections of the gym have plastered upon their faces. Rookies, I think to myself.
Reluctantly my partner comes over and I get him involved in the tirade. This is where my former partner, a master in this area of wrestling J.R.Ryder excelled. Hot Shot still has not got it yet.
In the background I can see the kid’s dad laughing his ass off as he takes picture after picture. Perfect, just as I planned. The crowd is really getting upset at this point.

This is why I wrestle.

Security comes over because it looks to be a breath away from becoming out of control.
“JJ sucks! Over rated!” I can hear the chants starting. A few posters saying such appear. Even better. I snatch them out of hands yelling whatever comes to mind.
“Aimed at you were the cowboys from hell.

Deed is done again, weve won

Aint talking no tall tales friend

cause high noon, your doom

Comin for you were the cowboys from hell”
Pantera is blasting over the speakers and I realize it is well into the song and I need to get in the ring. As I make a quick stroll along the outside of the ring an older guy races out of the bleachers getting right in my face, one leg through the guardrail. Despite having spent too much time already yelling at fans I still feel obligated. I see three more older guys a few seats down. They are sitting with arms crossed, looking bored. Though unrelated to the first I start unleashing my fury upon them. No one will ever be bored in one of my matches! One even has a sleeveless shirt on, heh, heh, heh, why not send me an invitation next time. I make some reference to zits and his biceps before realizing the song is over and I really need to get in the ring. Believe it or not I actually have some wrestling to do.

This my friends is why I wrestle.

Tune-age of the day: Cowboys from Hell, Pantera

Ah Grasshopper, More training I see is in order. Ponder the following:
“You will find as you look back upon your life that the moments that stand out, the moments when you have really lived, are the moments when you have done things in the spirit of love.” – Henry Drummond

McKenna's GPP

2008-02-28T17:21:00.004-05:00

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

2008-02-27T17:56:00.004-05:00

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?

2008-02-26T18:10:00.004-05:00

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

2008-02-25T21:45:00.007-05:00

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!

2008-02-22T21:20:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-19T15:23:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-13T22:51:00.003-05:00

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

2008-02-08T21:41:00.000-05:00

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

2008-02-04T22:21:00.000-05:00

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.

"A Beginning"

2008-01-30T22:35:00.000-05:00

Many things roll around in this big head of mine, but seldom do any make it to print. Why?
Lack of Confidence? Nah.
Aging Brain? Nah.
Busy schedule? Warm.
Purging of old ideas for new? Warmer.
Just plain lazy? Ooh, red hot. Yeah, that is probably the best answer I can give.

So what do Renegade Training followers do about laziness and weakness? We attack and destroy such negativity. We turn weakness into strength. This pertains to the mind as well as the body.
The JJCREWGUY blog will be my attack upon laziness of the brain, my brain to be exact. I won’t guarantee a daily entry, but will do my best to make a couple entries a week. Who knows were this blog will take us. All great stories have a beginning. Since my beginning has long been set in motion this, as Robert Jordan would have said, is “A beginning.”

No worries we’ll piece the other beginning as we roll, as well as my trips to “The Farm”, “The Market”, the latest characters at the gym, my adventures in Pro Wrestling past and present, my current book project, surfing expeditions, skating mishaps, as well as promoting my personal training business (hey I got to eat too.)
Buckle up for a wild ride.

Thought of the day Grasshopper.
“In the Natural Law some lose and in this way profit.” Tao Te Ching #42