The Raw Power Of Catch Wrestling: A Look At The Nebraska Tiger Man John Pesek

We live in an era where man chase the latest gadgets and trends. Apps that give you all sorts of info that can lead to shortcuts in Fitness. Sometimes, it's cool to look back at a time when men built their might the old school way. The grit, the farm work, roughhousing and a simplistic but no bullshit approach to wrestle or fight that tested their wills and every fiber in their being. One of these men was John Pesek aka the Nebraska Tiger Man stood tall as a legend in that type of era. 

Born in 1894 on the farm near Ravenna, Nebraska, John wasn't the type of athlete that stepped foot in some controlled air conditioned gym or practiced some off the wall program. The man wrestled because in that time, that was one of the main activities a boy had to do. Just like Dan Severn did decades later in Michigan. He got into scraps with cowboys in the harsh prairie lands under what was called Rafferty Rules. In other words, just fucking survive and be dominant.

You wouldn't find this guy playing the role of a strong motherfucker, he just was. Came up the ranks training with another legend in the Catch Game, Joe Stecher. John in a short amount of time, earned a reputation for being one of the deadliest hookers of his generation in Catch As Catch Can Wrestling. For those playing the home game and don't know what a hooker is, I'm telling you right now it's not a prostitute, giggalo or escort. These guys weren't flashy showmen that can put on a performance, they were the cream of the crop when it came to submissions. I'm talking ankle breakers, cranking joints, tearing ligaments and making grown men scream in agony with vicious holds that turned the mat into a damn torture chamber. These were the men you never wanted to test.

Pesek had those quick reflexes mixed with farm strength and power that made him the stuff of nightmares for opponents. Guys like this weren't the ones that separated Strength Training from Fighting or whatever form of Conditioning. With them, you got the total package bro. With John, he worked the land, took on anyone that dared to find out what he or the opponent were capable of and developed a physique for the time that can dish out and take a hell of a beating that would put most men even today in the hospital. He even had the distinct honor of being a "policeman" for Billy Sandow and Ed Lewis. A policeman was the guy who was more of a mercenary that was sent in to take care of challengers that didn't follow the script in worked matches. When it was called for a shoot (meaning the real thing), Pesek would deliver. He tore guys a part, put them in the ER and commanded respect the hard way. 

-Here's a fun tale of some old school wrestling that shows the legitimacy of John's abilities    

He had a real shoot against not just another incredible wrestler of the time, but a 1920 Olympic Silver Medal winner in the name of Nat Pendleton (although there's controversy surrounding the loss which several high level people believed he won the gold medal). Back in 1923, promoters wanted a legit contest to help settle some business. So, they opened up the cage and let the tiger loose. Not only did Pesek just dominate Pendleton with leg locks and full on control, he killed the match in just under 41 minutes within two straight falls. You have to remember now, Nat was a tough wrestler, tough as hell in his own right but even he was no match for the Nebraskan farm boy in the realm of Rough & Tumble style of wrestling. That's one of the beauties and dangerous forms of Catch, it rewarded men that could really go, not just look the part and play by the rules. 

Like many of those transitioning from the real contests to the crazed spectacle, Pesek was smacked right in the middle of it. He was one of those guys however that didn't love the way things shifted. He was a true hooker and shooter where he preferred the skills, raw strength and enduring pain that decided a winner. Crossed paths with Joe Stecher multiple times, even pulled a double cross that showed he wasn't into playing the game of the promoters. He wasn't called the Nebraskan Tiger Man for nothing, it wasn't just some off the wall nickname, it was real and like a Tiger, he couldn't be tamed. That, was what made him an icon of his generation. 

Later on in his life outside of the ring, he bred Greyhounds and wanted to live on his own terms. He passed on in 1978 but his spirit still carries a powerful entity in anyone with intensity and ferocity. He didn't need Social Media attention or have the perfect program, he had balls the size of grapefruits, heart of a mighty Tiger and skills that very few or arguably ever could match. It's something we should all learn. Get at it, be real and be amazingly awesome. Those old timers are watching.     

Might As Well Jump

 

Every now and then, it's good to just jump and play. Work the fast twitch muscle fibers and make a game out of it. Being explosive has its perks regardless of age. I mean, come on, many of us grew up watching Tigger bounce around since he's the embodiment of someone with ADHD. He made jumping fun. In reality, things like frog jumps, jumping rope, explosive pushups and even burpees had their ways of making a person worn down but have a solid feeling afterwards. Some took these to extremes to the point where they wrecked themselves but if you learned how to balance out what's possible, being able to jump can reap certain benefits.

I don't do a ton of explosive stuff and for specific reasons but when I do play around with them especially when it comes to animal movement, it shoots levels of endorphins and hormone entities that help keep you vital and strong. Sometimes jumping like a frog, hopping like a rabbit or bouncing off the ground like a Kangaroo makes things interesting and when you see and hear things in your imagination, it can make a workout really goofy or stupid serious. Either way, you're getting something in.

Not all explosive movements are created equal, there are some things that aren't meant for certain people. Not because it isn't cool, some just don't have the capacity or the strength to do certain aspects of Explosive Training and it is ok. We all have our strengths and weaknesses. 

Take into account what is possible and build from there. There are some athletes that are just fucking nuts when it comes to things that shoot off like a damn rocket. Some of those old time Russian Wrestlers were insane with the stuff they did and when you look at someone like a Alexander Karelin, you will find out what made guys like that incredibly tough to beat. For other reasons to jump around, it can just be doing a few reps of certain movements just to warm yourself up or cooldown from a crazy workout. Just doing a few jumps per exercise can have an impact on how you work things and find the creative side of training.

Be playful and have fun with it if possible. It's not mandatory and you don't HAVE to do any of these if you don't want to. If you choose to do them, make them work for you and keep it as basic as possible. Training is meant to be adventurous and discovering what your capabilities are. 

Be amazingly awesome, be playful and get to it. It's never too late to explore yourself. 

A Beacon Of Light That Will Be The Hand On Our Shoulders

You were the embodiment of what it means to be strong.

You were a guide, a teacher, a therapist, a hard worker and our Beav.

As individuals, we had our own struggles and battles. They were real, they were powerful and they were even dark at times; yet you fought them along with us because you didn't want us to be alone and comforted us when we needed it the most. You picked us up out of the darkness using you love, your light and your hand.

You fed us whether we liked it or not but you didn't do it for reasons most would think. You didn't want us going hungry and you made it your mission to make sure we ate.

A tradition that went on forever (especially during your birthday, mother's day and Christmas) was to get you to cry for even a brief moment so we can see the joy on your face as you shed a tear. At one time or another, I believe all of us made that happen but we never knew when it would happen.

You were there before I could speak and fought for me when some thought I wouldn't make it. You were there when I was literally broken. You were there to see me play and grow and you taught me more than I can say.

You loved us even when we struggled to love ourselves.

You put your hand on our shoulders and hugged us when we cried or to just hold us because you just needed someone to hold.

The world won't be the same without you.

Your smile, your laugh and your love will never fade as we carry those memories throughout our journeys now. 

The beacon of light on our shoulders will be you continuing to guide us as we carry on what you created.

Rest well and thank you for everything.

I love you grandma. RIP

Building The Biceps Through Suspension Training

 Bodyweight Training can be very interesting when it comes to certain aspects of it. The pushing, pulling, squatting and all its variations can have an impact on how you apply things in everyday life. It's really one of the GOATs of Exercise you can do anytime and anywhere next to Isometrics. 

A solid form of doing Bodyweight work is through Suspension Training or Suspension Calisthenics where you can hook or hang a strap and do many more exercises than if it was just you alone. It opens a gateway to another realm of fitness and conditioning. For Strength Training purposes, its important to note that like with weight training, Suspension work is most effective when you can control the movement and utilize tension or in other words Muscle Control to target certain muscles. Because it's bodyweight, you're the true engine and driver as opposed to moving a inanimate object like a Barbell or Dumbbell.

It's interesting that with a Suspension, you can switch from one exercise to the next by placing your feet in a certain position or lean back a bit more to make certain exercises harder or easier depending on what you're shooting for. For instance, targeting the biceps and forearms in this format would be to lean back enough to where you can have a good grip on the handles, turn the palms towards your face and Curl the arms until the full movement reaches eye level like so here.

Working the arms this way gives off different vibes of control and technique despite it being a low-skilled movement. Within your control, put the tension into the biceps as you move and feel as you pull into the handles. curl your wrists as well which can also target the forearms as well. Now remember, although you're specifically targeting a body part, you still need to stabilize yourself within your foot placement, keeping your core and back tight and bring the hips within alignment in order to make the movement as bad ass as possible. 

Will this movement give you cannonball 24 inch pythons? Most likely not but you can build some solid natural strength and muscle doing this particular move. Because of movements like these along with rows and pull-ups, you can have some powerful arms that are not only functional but can keep your joints, tendons and ligaments strong as well. You don't even need to do a ton of reps to get results. As a matter of fact, don't focus so much on the number of reps themselves unless you have a specific goal in mind, focus on the tension you put into it and work the technique. Don't even go to failure, once you hit a certain point where you may have 2-3 reps left in you, hold the top of the movement in an isometric fashion for a few seconds to end a good set. 1-2 sets is more than enough. Train to stimulate, not annihilate.  

Strength comes in many forms and when you can control your strength, you can control other aspects of your being. Have fun with these, check out Suspension Calisthenics and be amazingly awesome. May your journey bring you much success and keep killing it. Have a great Sunday.  

Finding Things Of Value That Really Matter

Yesterday as I made my way through my workouts that included O2 Training, Joint Loosening, Neck Training, a 1000 Rep Dopa Band Circuit in 36:26 and Isometrics, there are things I continue to learn that hold dear. As the world struggles, we continue to persevere and through those struggles, we learn to value things that are important to us. 

It's one thing to overcome another person who has made attempts to discredit you or do just about anything to destroy your spirit and humanity, it's another to overcome yourself. We battle things everyday nobody will ever know or understand unless they've been around you long enough to know your true nature. When you overcome yourself, you find what your true values are and to the people that matter. 

We may have enemies whether in our own minds or those that feel the need to be an enemy while they pretend to be some superior being. They're not, they're just another flash in the pan, flesh that isn't worthy of your energy or time and sure as hell don't deserve to be in the company of anyone that might catch their disease of narcissism, racism or psychotic ruthlessness that shows a hopeless and jealous little boy that thinks he's a man. 

There are people out there that matter to us and not put them so much on a pedestal, but to honor who they were/are and remember what they mean to us from our memories, the good times, the little moments in time and living the best way to can so we can continue our own journey. 

It's high time that you stop putting your energy into those that are of no value to you. Focus on the people that matter, not the ones that tear you down or have become obsessed with you. Let them live in their own hell. For they have stopped being human and became the slime of humanity. 

You'll never win to try to change anyone. Only they can change themselves and when they display distasteful bullshit in order to bully and mock others while playing the victim, it opens up new doors to what their true colors are. 

They have no moral compass, no honor, no honesty and they live a trash existence while pretending to be some superior entity. Boys trapped in a man's body thinking he's got some power over people when in reality, he is weak, pathetic and unoriginal. 

Your energy shouldn't be wasted. It's to preserve and used to encourage others without tearing their spirit apart. The slime will eventually die while those who persevere leave a legacy that gives others hope to rise above and know that assholes don't deserve a legacy and will go on to be destroyed by their own vanity and other dark entities. 

Time to let go and time to make something worthwhile while the slime gets cast out sealing their fate into an oblivion. You have value and those that matter to you have value as well. Cherish them, because when they're gone, the only things left is the memories and the stories to tell for generations to come. Keep the slime away that holds no merit to your life and hold onto the precious and pricelessness of those that have lived and still here that give you new found perspective to what your journey evolves into. 

Be amazingly awesome and remember that you have great abilities to become something or someone that is valued, loved and can do incredible things in this world, don't let those who want to see you broken win, they've already lost the moment you open the door and walk through it like a fucking boss.