Intelligence Gathering 101: Making Contact
I’ve been out running each morning this week, and as so often happens when I’m a sweaty bag of mess, my thoughts have tended to drift on to a wide variety of topics that I write about. I haven’t...
View ArticleDiversity of Thought
By Jon F. Merz Three things have happened this week that have led me to write this blog post. On Monday, I was honored to once again be a guest on the Provocative Thoughts and Positive Vibes radio show...
View ArticleGORUCK Challenge
By Jon F. Merz Yesterday, I registered for something I’ve had my eye on for a while: the GORUCK Challenge. This is something different from races like Tough Mudder and others. According to the GORUCK...
View ArticlePity Parties
By Jon F. Merz Ever been to one of these? It’s where something doesn’t go right and someone decides that the universe is against them and gets all “woe-is-me, my life totally sucks.” Usually, this is...
View ArticleNew England Warrior Camp 2012
It’s over. As I sit here and write this, I’ve had a long hot shower and a shave. I’m back home, waiting for my wife to get back from my in-laws so we can go out with my boys and get a great dinner. I’m...
View ArticleBadassery
By Jon F. Merz Over this past weekend at the 15th and final New England Warrior Camp, I had the chance to talk to a lot of folks. Some of them I’ve known for many years and some are recent...
View ArticleEvolution vs. Dogma in Martial Arts
By Jon F. Merz I’ve been fortunate to train for over twenty years with Mark Davis of the Boston Martial Arts Center in Allston, MA. Back when I started training, there were only a handful of folks in...
View Article9 Tips for Would-Be Warriors
I write a lot of these posts for my sons – that’s the simple truth of this blog. Especially when it comes to martial arts and various other unorthodox subject matter. The thing I love about the...
View ArticleWho Do You Learn From?
2013 has been an interesting year of exploration so far. It marks my 22nd year of training in Togakure-ryu Ninjutsu under Mark Davis at the Boston Martial Arts Center, and my roughly 30th year of...
View ArticleWork on a Weakness
Yesterday at Reebok CrossFit Medfield, the warm-up for the day was “work on a weakness.” The idea behind this was to pick something that you weren’t good at and work on it to make it better. Luis, who...
View ArticleThe CrossFit Paranoia
I am, by no means, an expert on CrossFit. Let’s get that out of the way, first and foremost. I started training in CrossFit in January 2013 when Reebok CrossFit Medfield opened its doors in my...
View ArticleIntentional Adversity
Yesterday afternoon, I went back to CrossFit as I normally do with my wife, who takes the 5:30pm class. Usually, I work on my Strength Program while she takes the class. The Strength Training Program...
View Article10 Ways to Make Your 2014 Better Than 2013
So, yes, I know we’re almost a week into the New Year. And yes, I know everyone has pretty much already come out with their suggestions on how to be better. I’m late, what can I say? Seriously, though,...
View ArticleOne Year at Reebok CrossFit Medfield
Exactly one year ago, I walked into Reebok CrossFit Medfield and took my first class with two of the most amazing people I’ve been fortunate to meet, Spencer Hendel and Luis Alvarez. I remember the day...
View ArticleBurpees for Breakfast: 50 Burpees Every Single Day in 2014
If you read my post on 10 Ways to Make Your 2014 Better, you know that helping others is always a big part of any new year plans. It’s something I firmly believe in; you generate all sorts of good...
View ArticleBurpees for Breakfast: 50 Burpees Every Single Day in 2014
If you read my post on 10 Ways to Make Your 2014 Better, you know that helping others is always a big part of any new year plans. It’s something I firmly believe in; you generate all sorts of good...
View ArticleThe Sydney Siege & Self-Protection
NOTE: I originally wrote this up over on Facebook, but a good friend of mine, Jim Cobb, requested that I turn it into a blog post. So here it is. My newsfeed is filled with a staggering amount of...
View Article7 Ways To Not Suck At 2015
The new year is upon us, and with it, a non-stop avalanche of blog posts about how to make the best of your new year. And here’s one more. As I did last year, when I offered up some tips to improve...
View ArticleThere’s No Shame In Coming In Last: NEVER QUIT
I read a blog yesterday written by a wanna-be fitness coach who is entering her first CrossFit competition soon. One of her stated goals for this competition is to “not come in last.” Sigh. Here’s what...
View ArticleTurn Off Your Automatic Excuse Generator
A couple of weeks ago I was riding shotgun in my friend’s car. As we took a turn, he nearly sideswiped a mailbox. When I mentioned it to him, he shrugged it off. “Yeah, this car is a little wide.”...
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