TwinkiesIn Zombieland survival, like martial arts training, there’s a lot of work. It’s easy to forget the little things along the way that make the rest worthwhile.

Today’s Zombieland rule is all about rewarding all of that effort and hard work.

Zombieland Rule #32: Enjoy the Little Things

In Zombieland, all Tallahassee wants is a Twinkie. Just one damn Twinkie before they pass the expiration date and the last of the little vanilla cream cakes ceases to exist.

So what’s your Twinkie? Martial artists deal with push ups, running, stretching, skill training, sparring.

Work, work, work. But do you ever stop to appreciate what you’ve gained through training?

Some little things to consider:

  • Benchmarks – Doing 20 or 50 reps of an exercise for the first time
  • Your waist drops an inch, or your biceps get a little bigger
  • You can stretch further than before

The benfits of training don’t always need to apply to martial arts either:

  • You can run around with your kids
  • You don’t cringe when they ask for a piggyback
  • You look awesome in your summer gear

Training doesn’t always have to be ultra-serious, and it doesn’t need to always be about fighting, either.

What’s your twinkie?

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Of all the Zombieland rules, I think today’s is the most literal. No philosophy, no grasping at straws.

Take this rule to heart, never forget it, and do it.

Zombieland Rule #31: Check the Back Seat

Zombieland Rule 31: check the back seat

You don't want this to be you.

Because you use your car every day, it, like your home, feels like a safe and secure place. And it mostly is.

Hell, it’s got locks.

But guess what, kids? Locks can be picked. Also, locks don’t do any good if you don’t use them.

Do you lock your doors when you:

  • Run into the station to pay for your gas?
  • Go into the convenience store
  • Drop off a movie

There are times we leave our cars unattended for a moment of two. But, it doesn’t take long for the undead to jump into the back of the car when you’re not looking. It’s much, much easier than we’d like to believe.

I forgot to check the back seat, now what?

What do you do if you happen to find someone in your back seat after it’s too late? Well, that’s when you remember good ol’ Zombieland Rule #4: Seat belts.

Chances are, the schmuck in the back seat didn’t remember his.

Keep your doors locked and check your back seat before getting into the car. A second-long glance could save your life.

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The Zombieland Guide to Self-Defense – Rule #29: The Buddy System

Life is a team sport; there’s never reason to go it alone. Going solo can be stupid, and having a kickass partner is important.
So important that it gets a second Zombieland rule:
Zombieland Rule #29: The Buddy System
I don’t know about you, but if I’m living day to day worrying about face-eaters, I wouldn’t mind seeing [...]

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The Zombieland Guide to Self-Defense – Rule #22: When in Doubt, Know Your Way Out

photo credit: Marco Gomes
You know what’s worse than getting stuck in a building full of zombies? Getting stuck in a building full of zombies and not having a way out.
Preperation’s everything, people. We’ve got evolved brains for a reason. ‘Fight or flight’’s all well and good, today’s Zombieland rule is all about not hanging [...]

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To Do List 2.0

A while back I decided that I was over-thinking everything and made a modified, simple to-do list into my desktop background. Recently, it’s come to my intention that I’ve really been slacking off on my workouts.
I know this, because YTV told me.
My kids love the show iCarly. Alright, I like it too. If you don’t [...]

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The Zombieland Guide to Self-Defense – Rule #21: Avoid Strip Clubs

When you’re getting hunted down by zombies, you’ll want somewhere safe to lay low. For some of us, maybe that’s a strip club.Cheap food, booze and the women are paid to be nice to you. What’s not to like?

You know, besides the venereal disease and shame.

But you know what’s not hot? Half naked zombies. Unless you’re into that, creepy guy in the back. You can leave.

Zombieland Rule #21: Avoid Strip Clubs

Alright Dan, just how in the hell are you going to tie strip clubs to self-defense?

I’m glad you asked, voice-in-my-head!

You see, every once in a while you might get the bright idea to date someone in your martial arts class. You’re working out together, joking around, and you think it’s going to be awesome.

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The Zombieland Guide to Self-Defense – Rule #18: Limber Up

What’s worse than running from a horde of zombies? Running away from a horde of zombies with a cramp in your leg.

When not fighting the undead, martial artists put their bodies through all sorts of things that it doesn’t naturally do, all in the name of toughening up.

Striking hard surfaces, kicking well above their head, dropping into exaggerated stances and popping right back up again.

All of these things make martial artists agile and strong, but if done wrong, they can do more harm than good. Today’s Zombieland rule is something most ‘tough guys’ take for granted.

Zombieland Rule #18: Limber Up

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You Know You’re a Canadian Martial Artist When…

A few of my friends have made “You know you’ve been practicing martial arts too long when…” posts at Innervision Kung Fu and Richard Northwood’s Tai Chi blog (check them out), and I thought I’d throw in my own version for Canadians. Canucks represent!

photo credit: Steve Keys
You know you’re a Canadian martial artist when:

You [...]

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Are you Observing or Just Seeing? The Sherlock Holmes Guide to Kicking Ass

I present to you, the first ever guest post on Martial Media, submitted by Spark from Spark’s Budo World. If you would like to guest post on Martial Media, send me a message on the contact page or on Twitter: @DanCosgrove. I’ll reciprocate by writing up an article for your website as well.
After a while, [...]

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The Zombieland Guide to Self-Defense – Rule #17: Don’t be a Hero

Life isn’t a movie. It’s also not a video game.

Life is messy, and sometimes the nice guys get hurt and the jerks of the world get to soak up the rewards of our hard work.

As much as we’d like karma to be a concrete rule, letting well-meaning citizens some kind of tangible benefit, it doesn’t always work that way.

Our hero Columbus knows this well. Being a hero in Zombieland can get you killed. That being said, here’s today’s Zombieland rule of Survival:

Zombieland Rule #17: Don’t be a Hero

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