TAS - Day 1

So... I got into my descriptions of what I did... all the exciting facts and stories...

But I really don't want to share too much. Alot of it is ultra private and most of it is 'priveladged' information that you really need to take the course to learn. Here are the overviews and some 'special' snapshots of what I went through. (all in the name of personal development) .... oh yeah, and a pushup/situp/crunches tally for those who care.

Day 1 -
To get us warmed up for the week, simple 20 pushups (2x10), 60 situps (3x20), 60 crunches and some misc excercises and a 24 minute - 2 mile jog.

Activities -
Canoeing, archery, beginning knife throwing, misc lectures and first body relaxation excercises (ie. meditation)

Day 2 -
Well... after the cherry was popped yesterday with some lite PT (personal training); time for us to keep it lite but... happy.

150 pushups (pyramid up to 25 and back down again with other excercises inside)
75 crunches and 75 situps.

Activities -
My favorite -- the blind folded "find the mess hall" game. First off... people don't walk straight. No matter what you say or think, unless trained specifically; you will never walk straight. We focus on a goal and walk towards it... thats it. So I was blindfolded for an hour or so and had to move 50 meters to find the door to a wonderous food-containing building; I just didn't do it.

Found another 3 buildings and a firepit, but not the building in question. (Crap!)

General takedowns (center of balance and from behind) and how to break a man's neck. (got my neck popped pretty good from that one. A chiropractor would charge money for that... I got it for free!)

Some knife template work; a small knife throwing competition.
Crawling and advanced 'stalking' (sneaking) ending with a practice 'drum stalk'.

Let me tell you about a drum stalk.

Its like "marco pollo" but with a drum and bushes. (you put a blindfold on and try to 'sneak' up on the guy hitting it every 10 secconds. Its totally amazing... after a while, you can see with the sound and feel whats around you.)

So we get to the evening; time to do the 'real' drum stalk. The last time I did this, there were a few guys going 'minimalist' on this... as in less clothes = more fun. So I got into the spirit (pressured alot of other guys to get into the spirit as well) and decided to jump into the forrest in my underwear. Thats it. +8 outside, slightly raining and 10 guys are blindfolded in a forrest trying to find a drum. *laugh* Well... the instructor decided to change the location to be in the middle of a clearing... surrounded by rose bushes. Actually; there were lots of roses throughout the forrest. What a wonderous feeling.

I was cold, I was in pain, kept loosing my balance and I was cold. The frustration set in; soon to be followed by fear. And nothing makes a man afraid like Vulnerability.

But I pressed on... and fought myself every step of the way. you learn something when that happens... and that one night made the course worth it. It wasn't fun then, wasn't really even fun thinking about it for a few days... but right now I see soo much benefit from that... if you ever get the chance; jump on board.

Find your animal and trampse through the bush. (try to wear a shirt though... it might make it a little more fun)

Day 3 -

Started with a nice Chakra meditation. (we were up late the night before... don't want to push things too hard)

Did some left handed knife work (blah!) and some partner knife throwing stuff.

Partner Blindfold work (where you get somewhere with a partner in tow, switch and go somewhere else... both blindfolded for the duration of the excercise)

and a very nice little whip demonstration. (the bull whip is frickin amazing! I've never heard a snap like that in my life... just the power to be able to do such a thing! So of course we all tried, and half the class could do it by the end of the week too.)

Did a 'primal self' meditation... getting to know your animal then talked about different perspectives from different people on the same thing not necessarily being wrong.

and then YEAH!!! PT!

12 sets of 10 pushups, 50 situps, 100 crunches and then you hear "everybody strip down! we're going into the lake!"

and we swam a half kilometer or so... I describe in in my journal thusly -
"Big fucking cold swim, crawl onto the slimy ass beach; wade through cattails and nettles. walk back"

some more lecture (about the Power of Now!) and a closing Chakra meditation.

anyways... thats the first 3 days... we did alot more (a heack of alot more) but I'm not feeling very descriptive or artistic tonight. *smile*

Lemmie do a quick tally - Ran 4 Miles, swam a half kilo, 290 pushups, 185 situps, 235 crunches for our first 3 "lite" days. *laugh* I should have been in better shape walking into this. No force; just do your best... but still... crap.