New T-Shirts and Hoodies are now in stock!

Hoboken Winter Challenge Tomorrow

Below are the three workouts announced for the CrossFit Hoboken Winter Challenge. Team SBK will be sending 13 athletes to compete this weekend. What is everyone’s strategy and thoughts on the events?

Event 1:
A progressive Bear complex Ladder with Bars loaded from 75 to 295. Athletes will perform 1 bear complex every 45 seconds.  A bear complex consists of completing the following without dropping the bar:

Power Clean
Front Squat
Overhead Press
Back Squat
Overhead Press

Continue until failure

Event 2:
5 Minute Amrap:
100 Double Unders
20 Ball Slams (35/25)
Max Shoulder to Overhead (135/95)

Event 3:
In 10 Minutes:
Row 1000 Meters
60 Kettlbell Swings (2 pood/1.5 Pood)
Max Burpees in remaining time

SFX Youth Sports is now open for spring baseball registration!

We already have hundreds of kids signed up.  This league just continues to grow,  which is a testament to how great the experience has been for the kids, and their parents.

We have tee ball beginning at 4 years old, and the upper leagues are great.  (I cannot believe how much I get into these spring and early Summer Saturday games!)

This year, I’ll be coaching two teams again, but am also running the tee ball, pee wee, and pony divisions.  The following link has all of the details around the programs, age cutoffs, and details to register your children. 

http://www.sfxyouthsports.com/

David recently mentioned his experience with kids birthdays, and we all know how important it is for children to be active, have fun, and of course, learn all of the intangibles that go along with a team experience.  We value these virtues greatly.  SFX is a non-profit, 100% volunteer organization.  We are ALWAYS looking for assistant and head coaches!  (At times we have to turn away kids, because, as strange as this may sound, we can’t get enough volunteers from within the group of parents to step up.)

Shawn S.  broke the CFSBK seal this year and coached soccer with me.  He was a fantastic coach, and the 6 kids that were on our soccer team really benefitted from his care and coaching.  I’d love to see more like-minded folks from this community, so filled with volunteers, and folks dedicated to fitness and sport, get involved. 

jimryan(AT)sfxys.com

See you at the ballgames!
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Announcing The Ranch Big Bob Winter Challenge CrossFit Games
CrossFit Cribs: CrossFit Malibu Tour
We Tried This: Strong vs Skinny TIME
Three Critical Elements to Sustain Motivation Scientific American
The End Of Everything

In teams of 2 complete the following work:
1200m Row (Alternate at 600m)
120 Wall Ball Shots (alternate every 12)
120 Burpees (alternate every 12)
1 Mile Run (Run together)

Each work station will also be coupled with a very special “rest” station where your partner will need to maintain a position until you finish the work.

Post partner, time and Rx to comments.

Not your typical “CrossFit Pain Face” from Jude

HERONDALE FARM GRASS-FED MEAT CSA

SIGNUP DEADLINE DEC 15!

Ask any of the 43 people who were members of the meat CSA this year, and they’ll tell you that the value and selection offered in this program is unmatched. You simply cannot buy grass-fed meat at retail at this price and quality anywhere in New York. And with monthly delivery direct to the gym, the convenience is unmatched. 

The next share will be four months: Jan-April. If you like, however, you can sign up for 4, 8 or 12 months – all at once.

The Farm is offering two mixed meat (beef, pork and lamb) options:

• 15lbs/month plan: $600 if you pay in full, $650 on monthly payment plan

• 10lbs/month plan: $460 if you pay in full, $500 on monthly payment plan

Full plan details and lots of info about Herondale Farm is here.

Here’s how to sign up:

1. Returning members: You can re-up by emailing to info@herondalefarm dot com. They’ll take it from there.

2. New members: Download this PDF, fill it out, and return it to the farm via email.

QUESTIONS? Email me. WANT TO SPLIT A SHARE WITH SOMEONE? Email me. mignyc at gmail dot com.

The farm is looking for 60 members in 2013 – let’s make it happen!

Tough Titsday Spots Still Available!

There are still a few slots left for the third ever “Tough Titsday Powerlifting Meet” at CFSBK. If you’re on the fence about signing up, consider this your push! To learn more about the event, click here.

TTDIII Roster:
Janelle Rooks
Cassie Xu
Worm Widman
Laura McElherne
Bethany Erskine
Mobina Hashmi
Jenna Jerman
Julie Barnard
Katie Mohrhauser
Hayley Gerkin
Jess Bailey
Lauren Borducci
Whitney Hubbard
Jen Stopka
Sarah La Rosa
Courtney Hart
Jude Geis
Marian Lai
Radhika Vaz
Shaye Lefkowitz
…you?!

Do you blog or contribute to any other websites? If so link them up in the comments with a description!
__________________
For Athletes, Risks From Ibuprofen Use NYT
I’m Truly Sorry For This, But You’re About To Hear All About The Last Marathon I Ran
Workout Routine Broken Down For Coworker

5 Rounds For Time of:
5 Front Squats 155/105
10 Chest-to-Bar Pull-Ups
20 Double Unders

Post time and Rx to comments.

Even Coach Melo can’t believe today is her birthday!

Sandy Relief with JB and NB

The power team of Noah Barth and Julie Barnard are heading to Far Rockaways on Thursday morning, December 6th, to volunteer with AmeriCorps and New York Cares, the two groups Team Rubicon has passed the volunteer baton to. Want to come along? Email Julie at julie.barnard(AT)gmail.com for the details. Get dirty, feel good.

Muck and gut jobs are fun! Look at the good time JB is having doing Hurricane Sandy relief with Team Rubicon.

Preparing to 1 Rep Max
By Coach Fox

        “What are you hoping to hit for the CrossFit Total?”. When your mate asks you this question you may exaggerate a bit but when it comes time to get under a bar you’d better have a plan. Here’s how.

1- Take it easy in the gym or rest completely for a day or two prior to doing a CFT. If you were going to total on a Saturday it would be a good idea to work at 70% or so effort on Thursday, rest completely on Friday (maybe some light mobility work or active recovery type stuff) and go for it on Saturday. Make sure your nutrition is in line with your goals. Do you want to perform well on the total? Do you think that boozing it up the night before and eating offensive (for you) foods will help, or hinder, that performance? If you take your training seriously and want to better yourself then act like it.

2- Have goals. Know what numbers you’d like to hit. You can take numbers that you’ve been working at recently and extrapolate 1RMs using a nifty 1 Rep Max Calculator. Preferably you will have some rep maxes in the 2-5 rep range since the further away you get from that the less reliable the predictions become. If you haven’t been training long and don’t yet have any 2-5 rep max then use the CF Total to establish those and wait until next time around to do 1RMs. There is still so much learning to do on the lifts and hence no sense hitting 1RMs with such little experience, ego be damned.

3- Have a plan. Map out your warm ups. Today is not the day to be doing a metric ton of warm up reps. Let’s take a hypothetical lifter with a previous 1RM of 355 hoping to establish a new 1RM on the squat of 365lbs, his or her time under the bar should look something like this.

45×5, 135×5, 185×5, 225×3, 275×3, 315×1, then

1st attempt – 335
2nd attempt – 355
3rd attempt – Set a new 1RM at 365

Establishing a new 1RM of 185 with a previous best of 177.5 might look like this.

45×5, 75×5, 105×5, 125×3, 145×1

1st attempt – 165
2nd attempt – 177.5
3rd attempt – 185

This is obviously subject to change depending on how the warm ups feel and how the 1st two attempts go. Maybe you have more in you than you and the 1RM calculator thought you did, but maybe you don’t. As Rip says “Don’t be pig-headed. If your first attempt tells you that you need to lower your second, do so, without a misplaced sense of diminished self-worth. It’s a test, and it’s designed to measure what’s there, not create something that’s not. That’s what training is for.” There is a world of difference between training and testing, but that is an entirely different topic. Just remember that today is a test day.

4- Realize that the press is a finicky lift. Gains made are often small and hard won. To go from a 1RM of 85 to 87 represents a 2.5% increase. If you have been training long enough you may (read should) be thankful for this type of increase. My point is to say that you should not be greedy with the press. Instead be frugal and take small rewards. Also, don’t overdo the warm ups as this lift fatigues quickly. Usings the example above of hoping to set a new 1RM of 87, here’s a possible warm up scheme.

33×5, 53×3, 63×2, 73×1, 77×1

1st attempt – 81
2nd attempt – 85
3rd attempt – 87

5- The deadlift will be largely warmed up by the squat and will not need a lot of warm up reps on it’s own. Here’s an example of the above 365 squatter hoping to establish a new 1RM of 405 with a previous best of 395

 135×5, 225×3, 315×1, 365×1

1st attempt – 385
2nd attempt – 405
3rd attempt – Go for it, it’s the last rep of the day!

6- You need to rest between attempts (possibly 3-5 minutes) and if you are doing the CrossFit Total in a group class, you also have time constraints. During the warm ups is not the time to dilly-dally and wonder what you should load on the bar next. Having a plan allows you and your rack mates to move smoothly through the warm ups and into the reps and allows time to rest between attempts. If you don’t have a plan you will also cost your rack mates valuable time…don’t be that guy or gal.

The CrossFit Total should be a fun day where you get to move some heavy weight around but that doesn’t mean don’t take it serious, too. Approach each lift with intent, unrack each squat from the uprights with authority and readiness, set up with a BIG BREATH for all your att

empts today. And if you don’t 1RM but gave your all, then celebrate that as well and live to lift another day. You’re a TFBA for showing up regardless.

What are are your opening numbers for the CF Total? Even if you aren’t participating in this weekend’s total what is your perceived 1RM and how would you approach finding 1RMs in the three lifts?

____________________
How to Recover From a CrossFit Total

Barbell Warm-Ups

Suggested Viewing

How Clean Is Your Bathroom?
Coach Glassman (creator of CrossFit) talks about what be believes are the most important characteristics of a successful affiliate. What do you think?

Schedule Changes

Effective January 1 we’ll be adding 5 more Group Class hours per week. Our evening schedule will go to a half hour start and we’ll be adding a 1pm class on Saturdays.  Get Stoked.

Monday through Thursday
6am, 7am, 8am, 12pm
4:30pm, 5:30pm, 6:30pm, 7:30pm, 8:30pm

Saturday
8am, 9am, 10am, 11am, 12pm, 1pm

More information on to come.

Competition Weekend

Lots of testing going on this weekend for CFSBK’s athletes!

Saturday: Hoboken Winter Challenge
12 of CFSBK’s competative CrossFitters will be heading to Hoboken for the Winter Challenge. We’ve participated in this event the last few years and are gearing up for a great showing this Saturday.

Sunday: CrossFit Total
Coach Jeremy’s Strength Cyclers will wrap up their 8 week cycle this Sunday at 1:00pm. Over 20 lifters will be testing their 1RMs in the Back Squat, Press and Deadlift. All are welcome to come by and cheer on the lifters.

_________________
6 Tips For a CrossFit Newbie
Kevin James 70lbs Weight Loss
5 Steps To Find The Perfect CrossFit Gym
Kristen Clever Lifting at the USAW American Open

Five rounds for time of:
12 Deadlift 155/105
9 Hang Power Clean 155/105
6 Push Jerk 155/105

Post Rx and time to comments.
compare to 12.25.11

Remember, “DT” as Rx’d is now on the CFSBK leader boards!
See Jason Khalipa do this in 6:18

In honor of USAF SSgt Timothy P. Davis, 28, who was killed on Feburary, 20 2009 supporting operations in OEF when his vehicle was struck by an IED. Timothy is survived by his wife Megan and one-year old son T.J.

A Day In The Life of CFSBK

Yesterday I had the pleasure of working with a very diverse sample of our community. I thought I’d share with you all some of the highlights of my day in the hopes of you seeing CFSBK from my viewpoint for a day:

9:00am: Group Class
A diverse bunch of folks hitting Fran hard. Group class is the melting pot of CFSBK where seasoned veterans, sophomores and newbies come together to challenge themselves and those around them. Every single class is different, interesting and fun.

10:00am: Dr. Mike and  Dr. Judy
My “Platinum CrossFitters”. Two of the more senior folks I train who came in with really modest goals and have amazed me with their progress and commitment to strength and conditioning.  These guys are not only an inspiration but a wealth of knowledge and experience. Great additions to our community! We recently posted a video of Mike Squatting!

11:00am: Group Class
An even bigger bunch of folks crushing Fran. I jumped in to give Noah a second hand since we had a big turn out. Fran is a big day for lots of folks and I hoped that I could give someone that extra push or cue that leads them to a PR today.  I could have easily gone upstairs and relaxed, but it’s too damn fun to be around you people.

12:00pm: Comp Class
Some of CFSBK’s competitive heavy hitters. A great combination of VERY motivated folks with big engines and the time, capacity and interest to go the extra mile with their training.  Coaching at this level needs to be more refined and technical. After a warm-up we work some fine details of Snatch Pulls and Tall Snatches before getting after Fran competition style with judges.  Everyone in this class could run circles around me all day so I’m humbled to get to coach them.

1:15pm: Teaser Class
9 folks who have never done CrossFit before. I take them through the name game, some DROMs, Squats, hollow holds then a WOD which consists of a couplet of Rowing and Burpees. Afterwards we discuss what’s important in a fitness program (Diversity of movement and time domains, chasing concrete performance markers and something mentally and socially stimulating). Some folks sign up on the spot, others never come back, I hope I’ve made a positive impact on them regardless.

4:00pm: CrossFit Birthday Party
Twelve 7 year old boys get put through a two hour birthday party, CrossFit Style. We play the following games:

CrossFit Tag Team Bowling:
Think of a bowling relay race where three teams try to earn max points by sprinting to knock down pins (Foam Rollers) with medicine balls. Once they make their throw they’ve got to pick up their pins and run the ball back to the start line so the next kid can start. We’re trying to build comradery, speed and accuracy.

Zombie Apocalypse
Part 1: Outbreak
A virus is spreading turning kids into zombies. 3 Zombies start within city boundaries and try to rip flags off the humans. If you get your flag ripped off you need to do 5 burpees after which you’re reborn as a zombie and can start hunting.  Each game is about 2 minutes and we see how many survivors are left at the end round. Hiding in the big tire is very popular..

Part 2: Aftermath
2 Camps of survivors are left on earth and supplies are few and far between. I hide an axe (a great Zombie defense tool) in the abandoned city (a bunch of mats, boxes, the big tire, kegs etc strewn about) and call out 1-2 members from each team to find it as fast as they can and bring it back to their camp. (think, steal the bacon meets 28 days later)

The CrossFit South Brooklyn Infantry Obstacle Course
An Obstacles course with lava rocks, balance beams, handstand walks, a crawl through and ends with each kid swinging off a platform on a ring and knocking down a wall to escape. This is the “slowest” game but requires the most accuracy and control in movement.

My goal is to have the kids connect physical activity with a positive experience. Also- let kids be kids and have some down and dirty fun.

21-15-9 Rep rounds for time of:
Thrusters, 95/65
Pull-Ups

Post time and Rx to comments.
compare to 9.10.11 or 7.27.11

Weird POV Squats with Coach Nick

Congrats to Coach C Fox

Benchmark by Dan Betz

I’ve been a member of CFSBK for 2 years now and I’ve always been frustrated with the lame WOD-tracking apps out there. I know it’s come up a few times in the comments on the blog so some of you definitely feel my pain. Workout journals, the gym whiteboard, and the gym leaderboard are all great ways to track your progress and compete with your fellow CFSBKers, but I wanted a more personalized way to compete with a focused group of my friends. Since I couldn’t find one, I built one with a couple of my friends.

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Kipping Pull-Up Series CrossFit
2012 CrossFit Games – Men’s Final: Fran, Heat 1, 2 & 3
2012 CrossFit Games – Women’s Final: Fran, Heat 1, 2 & 3
Human Turkish Get Up

Fitness: 3×5 Across
Add 2.5-5lbs from your last exposure.
Linear e12/12

Performance: Work up to a 5RM
Intensity e5/6

Post loads to coments
__________________

Spend 20 minutes working up to a heavy triple Turkish Get Up

Post loads and implement to comments.

Chris Fox Laftin Wates

This is the event I’m doing today. Just me lifting from SBK but thankfully J is coming along. USA POWERLIFTING NORTHEASTERN USA REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

My openers are:
355 Squat
235 Bench
475 Dead

Hoping to hit:
385 Squat
255 Bench
525 Dead

Wish me luck!

Why compete?

By Chris Fox

As a youth I was not very involved in competitive sports, so I can’t speak to that angle on why competition is a healthy aspect of training as an adult. Sure, I’ve played some pick up football, basketball, rugby, baseball, etc…but the consequences were only week to week, never having long lasting meaning to me. As an adult I have found new meaning in what training and testing mean to me. I’ve trained with intention and set performance goals for more than a decade and found Crossfit within the past 6 years. Crossfit was the first time that I had ever really tested my performance in a competition setting. The beauty of Crossfit, and the related fitness sports that go along with it like powerlifting, olympic lifting, strongman/women, adventure races, etc… is that while you are ‘competing’ with the people you’re sharing floor/track/trail/platform space with, you must also compare your performance to your own previous performances. Sometimes the goal may be to only finish an event. First time out? Just get through it with success. Other times it may be to best your previous years placement or possibly to achieve a top place in an event. In my case the goal is to get better as an athlete and to not slip backward as the competitive environment gets more and more, well, competitive.

I’ve no illusions of winning any powerlifting meets, olympic meets, the Crossfit Games, or even any of the local throwdown style events. Does that mean that my participation is silly? Hell NO! I get to hang with some cool folks, push my limits, and measure where I lay not only in comparison to my fellow athletes but also in relation to my previous self. As a (very) soon to be 40 year old male, society would have me believe that my best days are behind me. I respond with a resounding “NOT” and strive year after year to be a bit better that the me from the year before. I enjoy the process, the goal setting, and the satisfaction of knowing that I prepared for an event as best as I could. Or, in learning what I might do differently  the next go around.

We test ourselves day in, day out at CFSBK. There are metrics to be recorded for sure, and you should be tracking them regularly. I encourage you all however to step outside of your comfort zone once in awhile and and test your performance in those not so cozy places where the others are. You might find out that you hate it, but you might also find out that it inspires you to be better or at least have some outside of the box fun. At the very least you’ll have learned something about yourself.

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50 Ways To Achieve Greatness In Your Life
The 2013 CrossFit Open is announced!
CrossFit Games History 2007-2012

 
Homebrew To The Rescue

Fine drinkers! The victims of Sandy need you to guzzle loads of beer. It’s the charitable thing to do—at least, it will be on December 15.

Please join us when 10 of New York City’s finest homebrewers take over CrossFit South Brooklyn for a one-of-a-kind charity event to support organizations doing real, on-the-ground work for victims of Sandy. (That does not mean you, Red Cross.)

In addition to unlimited samples of some of the city’s best homebrewed beer, you’ll be treated to meats, cheeses and other tasty, top-secret snacks. There will be a raffle with killer prizes from Sycamore Bar & Flowershop, Four & Twenty Blackbirds, Brooklyn Homebrew and CrossFit South Brooklyn just to name a few!

You can get tipsy, stuff your gut and help New Yorkers who need it most? It’s a win-win for everyone. Today, let your liver do the heavy lifting.

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Olympian Fails To Break World Record In Beer Mile USAToday
An Alternate Hypothesis for the Problems with Shoes Matt Metzgar
Why We Love Weightlifting
Klokov Snatches 205kgs

Fitness: 3×5 Across
Add 2.5-5 lbs to last exposure

Performance: Try and establish a new 5RM today

Post loads to comments.
Press e6/6
_____________________

As Many Rounds As Possible In 5 Minutes Of:
10 Push Press 115/75
10 Burpees

Scale the Push Press weight such that it’s more or less balanced with the burpees.

Post rounds completed and Rx to comments.

CFSBK Family Portrait: Greg and Erica Nofi and their baby strongman, Reid. (holding a 100lb Dumbbell)

Hoboken Winter Challenge Sound Off

Are you doing the CrossFit Hoboken Winter Challenge?? Please email David(at)CrossFitSouthBrooklyn so we can get a headcount on everyone who’s going and organize transportation. 

Sandy Relief with lululemon athletica Brooklyn

The lululemon athletica stores in NYC have come together to create a volunteer event over the next few weekends to assist with Hurricane Sandy Relief in various areas of the city. We are partnering with volunteer organizations and foundations out in hard-hit areas to provide our support. All are welcome — we have a bus that seats 55 people heading out every Saturday and Sunday for the next few weeks and would love to get our friends and community out there with us.

We have a lot of space on the bus, so the more the merrier!

Philadelphia Winter Warmer Challenge

Philadelphia Winter Warmer
_____________________
550lb PAUSED Front Squat
Check out CrossFit South Brooklyn’s review on CrossFit Drop In

Fitness: 3×5 Across
Add 2.5-5 lbs to last exposure.

Performance: 2×5 Across Followed by a rep out capped at 10
Fight to get at least 5 on your rep out, if not more.

Post loads to comments.
LBBSQ Wednesday e 6/6
___________________

5 Rounds, Each for time of:
Row 250m

Rest about 2:1 between attempts. All out efforts on each.

Post each interval to comments.
compare to 2.5.12

CFSBK Athlete of the Month

David Turnbull

        If it seems like this is long overdue, it’s because it is. The guy has been over on the platforms pushing and pulling iron with the Strength cyclers for so long that I hadn’t really realized how long he’d been an SBKer. I was very pleased to sit down with David and find out more about him. So pleased, in fact, that I lost my interview notes on purpose and asked him to meet with me a second time. Ok, so that statement is only partly true. SBK, I give you the man known (by David at least) as D-Turn.

Fox – So tell me, again. How and when did you wind up at Crossfit South Brooklyn?

DT – Well I guess that it’s coming up on about three years now, I believe I was in the first Foundations class in the new space at Degraw street in February 2010. It was David and Laurel who coached it. I’d read an article in the New York Times on the Paleo lifestyle and was intrigued. I already was eating kind of that way and believed it made sense and remember thinking that I should also learn how to train my body in a more sensical manner. Crossfit seemed to make evolutionary sense. So an internet search led me to David, and the gym was right nearby. After a few email exchanges with him I signed up for Foundations.

Fox – What had you been doing before Crossfit, fitness-wise, and why did you stay with us?

DT – I’d done Shotokan Karate for a long time and attained a brown belt, but sustained a back injury that made me re-think what I was doing there and why I was getting bruised up on a regular basis. The back injury probably wasn’t from Karate alone. I was travelling a lot for work and had pretty poor posture, but it gave me pause. After that I became a gym regular for a long time. I imagine I was kind of like a farm animal in there, moving from station to station without any feeling about it and no real reason or purpose. Nothing bad was happening but nothing good was happening either. I eventually hit rock bottom when I did Bikram Yoga for a year. It was my year in the fitness wilderness. Not that yoga can’t be great, but it was not good for me as my only fitness routine. I lost any strength I’d had and needed something new. I knew when I signed up for Foundations that I would begin training this way. What I found was technically sound instruction, and a community of generally solid people. That’s worth staying.

Fox – You did classes for a year and then landed in Strength with Coach Jeremy. How’s that process been?

DT – It’s been really amazing. Barbell training makes sense to me. It’s the right tool to use and I have the right coach to teach it. I really enjoy the process, that it’s difficult, and that I get to learn new aspects of the lifts all the time. I did my first cycle in September of 2011 and I remember having struggled with 95 pounds on a back squat not too long before that. My most recent CFTotal I hit a 380 lb squat, a 150 lb press (PR is 165), and a 420 lb deadlift for a 955 lb total.  My goal for 2013 is a 1000 lb total. I think that there is virtue in being strong and physically prepared. Obviously I have a strength bias in my physical preparedness but I am happy with the thought that I could protect a loved one by virtue of being strong. I remember a  sensei said to me that if someone tried to pick a fight with you take three steps to end it. One, you try to talk your way out of it. Two, you run away. Three, if the person runs after you, you annihilate them because if they’re crazy enough to still keep coming they need to be dealt with. Another part of my goal for 2013 is to incorporate prowler and erg work in my training to develop my conditioning so I don’t have to go from ‘talk’ to ‘annihilate’.

Fox – Virtue in strength. I like that. Tell me a bit about you outside the gym.

DT – I work for the Nielsen Company as a research consultant. Basically I help companies connect data to their needs. I’ve been with them for 9+ years now and find value in my work. In my personal time outside the gym and work, I enjoy traveling with my wife Tracy. We recently visited Ireland which was an amazing trip. Among the highlights was visiting the monument Newgrange and also seeing the imagery throughout the country. Berlin, where I lived for a period in the early 90’s, is next on the list. I want to show Tracy my Berlin. Aside from that I also practice Tibetan buddhist meditation. I work with a group called Nalandabodhi here in New York.

Fox – I haven’t noticed you squatting in orange and red robes. How did you come to meditation and Tibetan buddhism in particular?

DT -After 9/11, I like many, was looking for something. I’m not a native New Yorker, I’m from Oregon, but I felt that event in a profound way. It seemed like there was this great spiritual panic where we all looked for something to turn to. I had read Zen in college and found myself having conversations about it once again and eventually found the writings of Choygum Trungpa.  Our group is mostly a bunch of regular folks in practicing together, hence, no robes.

Fox – Alright D-Turn, last question. What should we look for in a future AOM?

DT – I’ve thought about this. I think we should appreciate people who care about themselves and the community at large. Someone who cares about bettering themselves in multiple ways and also does what they can to help others is worth the honor of AOM.

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Shotokan: The Art Of War