METTLE MAKER #518: bobcat power

“Strikes are grabs and grabs are strikes.” (Mark Hatmaker).

This is number two on our List of 10 Rough ‘n’ Tumble Aphorisms (see below). What’s it mean? Ask yourself: what makes a bobcat dangerous? Claws. Its strikes are grabs and its grabs are strikes. So slap on your wrestling holds rather than simply placing them on. Apply them with snap as you would a strike. Brace and cram by banging in a staccato rhythm rather than merely pushing them. When the recipe calls for it, bring back a piece of shirt, a hank of hair, or an ear when you retract a strike.

Be careful with partners, but wreck your heavy bags, punish your floor bags, and wear out your grappling dummies!

Watch the video for details.

Now, lest you say you got too little fodder on which to chew, try this little constitutional and see how you fare. This was the 2022 Mettlecraft Month challenge (be on the lookout for this year’s challenge coming in November!). It’s a great go-to martial fitness routine you can knock out any time if you want to promote fighting fitness. If you don’t know the exercises, here’s a video presented by me and granddaughter.

Constitutional #86

Wrestler’s Bridge (25)
Bear Walks (100 yards)
10-Count Bodybuilders (25)
Shots (25)
Clocks (25)
Get-ups (25)
Drop Duck-unders (25)

The 10 aphorisms of Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble

An aphorism is a concise expression of a deep truth or wise principle that is also stylistically memorable, after the fashion of great sages down the centuries from Plato to Ben Franklin. The following aphorisms are central to Heritage Rough ‘n’ Tumble.

1. “It’s not what you do but how you do it.” This deeply philosophical statement applies not just to Rough ‘n’ Tumble but to life, work, and spiritual development. Whether you are a plumber, a painter, or a CPA, what matters most is that you genuinely pursue excellence. Whether you volunteer to assist a charity or donate money to your church, what matters most is that you do so with a heart full of genuine charity. In a similar way, what makes Rough ‘n’ Tumble unique is not a list of specific techniques, but in how they are interpreted, viewed, and applied. The difference, for example, between a Rough ‘n’ Tumble Top Wristlock, a BJJ Americana, a Judo ude-garami, and a Silat Branch Lock may not show up in a still photo.

2. “Strikes are grabs and grabs are strikes.” (Mark Hatmaker). What makes a tiger or a bobcat dangerous? The claws. Its strikes are grabs and its grabs are strikes. Slap on your wrestling holds rather than simply placing them on. Apply them with snap as you would a strike. When the recipe calls for it, retract a strike with a handful of shirt, a hank of hair, or an ear. Brace and cram by banging in a staccato rhythm rather than merely pushing them. Be careful with partners, but wreck your heavy bags, punish your floor bags, and wear out your grappling dummies!

3. “Pain changes the game.” (Dave Durch). As much as possible, everywhere you touch an attacker should cause him pain. This is a kindness, not a cruelty. Injury is long-lasting and death is permanent, but discomfort is temporary. Pain can cause an attacker to break off the attack and thus save two lives.

4. “Hit while you move and move while you hit.” What makes a military tank scary isn’t its cannon – the treads and turret are the problem. You can run from a stationary cannon. But a tank can chase you around the battlefield, cut you off, outflank you, pin you down, and blow you to smithereens. A tank is a cannon that moves while it hits, and hits while it moves! Combine slips with punches, use falling steps, employ foot work to encroach and destroy, etc.

5. “The best defense is a strong offense.” This adage is ubiquitous. It has been attributed to figures factual and fictional, from Sun Tzu to Captain Kirk. Why? Because it’s absolutely correct. But if it’s true, why do folks so often hang back? Why do we languish in bad relationships instead of fixing them or ending them? Why do we keep selling the same product, watching the profits slowly dwindle year after year until the business goes belly up? Why do so many people who survive acts of violence report that they had a chance to take an action that could’ve stopped their attacker but didn’t? Because the mass of us are all talk and no action. Don’t just stand there and bleed – do something.

6. “Shield, intercept, attack, or crash – but do not block.” Blocking is a form of defense that occupies your weapons and prevents them from causing pain to your attacker. Shielding at least keeps your hands in ready position, prepared to strike. Intercepting, cuffing, and crashing (more on these later) cause discomfort, disruption, and damage. Move in, move in, move in. Once the fight starts, press the attack until the threat is neutralized.

7. “Keep your head down and your hands up.” Bend your knees to the extent necessary to keep your head lower than your attacker and keep your hands up to protect your head and face. This will keep your center of gravity low. Standing tall and swinging wide looping attacks is a bad plan.

8. “If your attacker is armed, arm yourself.” Weapons evolved for a reason. They are force multipliers. Don’t be squeamish or stupid. Fighting off an armed attacker without a weapon is like trying to dig a hole without a shovel. You might be able to do it with your bare hands, but why would you want to?

9. “The fitness is the fighting.” Constitutionals and other old-school fitness work supports martial arts training – it improves strength, promotes health, prevents injury, and helps preserve your body for the long haul. If your martial training is on point, you don’t need to add junk volume. You needn’t spend hours running, jogging, competing in triathlons, jumping rope, powerlifting, and so forth. If you want to be more fit for Rough ‘n’ Tumble, either do more martial arts or engage in more outdoor activities, like yard work, walking, hiking, camping, and so on.

10. “Yowl like a bobcat!” With every attack, yell like a commando, linebacker, or an unhinged maniac. This will help focus your intent, take your attacker off guard, and make bystanders aware of how serious the situation is.

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