How this all started: A few months ago I was standing behind the gun counter listening to some fat asshole brag to another fat asshole about how badass he was. He was a police officer, a pistol instructor and a black belt in karate. The whole time I am thinking: Ok, fatty, what the fuck are you gonna do when all shit gets real and you punch/ karate chop yourself in 15 seconds? all while I smiled, nodded and said, "that's cool, sir." It really doesn't matter if you're a black belt in anything, if all you can do is fight for 30 seconds before you're double over and winded.
I started thinking about the human body and how important is is to train it to withstand chaos and stress. You know, those two things that will make up a small percentage of our life, but most likely mean life or death? I mean, what good is going to do you if you go to the range, stand in one position and shoot paper. You could be a world class pistol shot standing still at 7, 15,25 or even a 100 yards, but what is gonna happen when your adrenaline is pumping, you're tired and your eyes are bugging out of your head? You're gonna die, fatty. It's kind of like the whole Level of Training thing I discussed a month ago.
You can shoot a golf ball at a gajillion yards with an ar-15? Too bad you can't see your toes. I don't feel safe with either of these guys protecting me.
Why do you think Navy SEALS, Green Berets and Delta force operators are in such badass shape? Because they acknowledge that just like their carbine their bodies are weapon systems as well. It would not be easy to swim a few miles onto a beach undetected, kill a bunch of shit and swim away quickly as a Navy SEAL if you were out of shape. HELL, it would not be easy to do so when you are in shape.
The Spartans knew how to do it (besides the whole sleeping with men and young boys thing). From a young age they conditioned their bodies and their minds. Were they really better fighters than most? Sure. Did the fact that they were physically hardcore-as-fuck help them outlast all opponents and have a higher Kill:Death ratio than Samson? you bet your ass.
Which brings me to another rant-point: Fat cops. It is known to many that I want to be a police officer. And I take this vow to them, and now publicly: I will never be a fat cop. I want to serve and protect my community and my state and I don't feel I can do that as a fatass. I don't even think criminals are afraid of fat cops. Maybe of their guns, but that's about it. I hold the belief that soldiers/police should be in a physical and mental condition to meet and excel in the most extreme conditions.
Of course there is the rare specimen that is fat and athletic as hell (see: Roy Nelson). But these people are very rare. There is not much excuse to be fat now-a-days. The average American is fat. I caught myself thinking that, "Hey, I'm in better shape than the average American!" Fuck that. Truth is, the average American is a piece of shit. Being stronger/in better shape than the average American is like being richer than your average McDonald's burger-slinger.
Of course, your technical/tactical training is important as well. You shouldn't neglect that to make yourself physically better. I wouldn't want to fight alongside a person who can't shoot anymore than I would with someone with a size 46 waist. Range work and study is just as important. That's all I can really say on the subject.
Christ Costa is a believer in the Body-Weapon concept. In this picture Chris Costa is about .2 seconds away from shooting you in the nut sack.
Final Word: Whether you are a soldier, police officer or Average Joe make you're body a weapon. Train hard and train often. You're technical training will only get you so far if you are gassed halfway through a mission, foot pursuit or call. As always...Go workout. Stronger people are harder to kill.
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