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EXCERPT FROM THE BOOK:
VINCE'S GYM
Harry Decides To Give Juan A lesson In Self Defense
The next day at the gym, Harry decides to give Juan advice on
lifting weights. Juan listened politely as he continued to
workout. Juan would usually use only 125 lbs. for 25 repetitions
on the bench and 200 lbs for 25 repetitions on the squat and the
same with the dead lift. He would use only 50 lbs. for 25
repetitions and so on with other exercises. He only did one set
or 25 reppers and then he would do just one other set with 10 or
20 pounds per exercise for 10 repetitions
The point is he used weights that were not just light for a guy
his size, but much lighter than many of the very average people
in the gym. He was often ribbed that some of the women were
using almost as much weight as him. While he was compulsively
stretching, (Like a cat) -- something he did all the time, -- at
least ten times more than lifting of weights, Harry was watching
Juan stretch and go thru his many odd yoga postures.
Harry lectures
Juan that he is wasting his time in the gym. Juan told Harry
that he was trying to stay flexible, fit and just wanted to
maintain what he had. Harry persisted by telling Juan that he
had practiced yoga for years and marital arts and that he knew
what he was talking when he suggested to Juan the need to really
push the weights.
Juan always took this
type of advice in good humor.
This day
however, Harry was trying to bait and humiliate Juan.
Harry loudly is using
this lecture to have his podium for the benefit of showing off
and bragging about his martial art skills and his tri-state Kung
Fu championship. Mike voices his doubts as to Harry’s alleged
skills.
Harry says,
“I’ll show you some tricks.” He rushed to his apartment down the
street and then he came back holding a rubber knife.
He says Juan,
(Not his real name), I need your help. Harry says, “I want you
to come at me with this knife.”
Juan says, “I
don’t know, I’m not very good at stuff like this mate.”
Harry says,
“Don’t worry, the knife is only rubber and I promise not to hurt
you.”
Juan says,
“Okee doekee.”
Harry shows
Juan how to hold the knife, and exactly how to attack him with
it. Harry demonstrates a stiff armed over head downward movement
towards Juan’s chest. By this time everyone in the gym was
watching to see the “martial arts seminar.”
Harry says,
“Come at me as fast as you can, don’t worry about hurting me,
I’m a trained professional.” Juan takes the knife and comes down
with less than average speed. Harry makes a big show with making
showy movements that were in actuality Tae Kwon Do with a lot of
theatrics, and he yells out an imitation of Bruce Lee’s famous
cat yowl as he makes an upward block.
Juan’s arm is
blocked as anyone could predict, but Harry’s smug look on his
vaporized as Juan’s arm quickly bent at the elbow in a weird way
and stabbed Harry in the chest.
Juan’s
unexpected movement and the look of surprise on Harry’s face
immediately cause everyone in the gym to laugh at Harry and this
caused his face to become scarlet with embarrassment.
Juan says in a
cartoon voice of a contrite child, “Ohh…I done a bad thing.” It
sounded a lot like Costello as a child.
God he had us
all in tears.
Harry is
pissed, and he says, “No!” “You did it wrong!” “Let me show you
how to come at me.”
He shows Juan how to
come out him again.
He said, “As an
assailant you want to keep your arm stiff so you can come down
with more force, -- bending your arm takes out all of your
potential power.” “Now try again.”
Juan came at him
again, but slower as if he was trying to be careful to “do it
right”, - his face looked screwed up in concentration. Harry
does his show again, yell and all. As Harry snaps his arm with
greater force to block Juan’s arm, (The force used would have
hurt most people but did not seem to have fazed Juan). When the
block snapped against Juan’s arm, his arm bent around again and
stabbed Harry again.
This caused a
few catcalls, “Hey Harry, It looks like he buried the knife into
your chest with out using his potential power.” More snickers.
Harry angrily
said “Since you can’t get that right, let’s see if you can try
other attack method properly.”
Looking
contrite Juan said, “Okee doekee.”
To make a long story
shorter, Harry demonstrates one attack after another and Juan
somehow moves his arm weirdly or his body clumsily so that the
knife finds it mark “accidentally” each and every time. As I was
watching, it was occurring to me that there seemed to be
constantly more to Juan than what he tried to portray.
Harry’s anger was
growing, and the catcalls from the peanut gallery didn’t help.
Harry said, “No
one in their right mind would ever attack like that in a real
life situation.
I couldn’t
resist, so I said, “It looks like they should.”
Without warning Harry
tried to get Juan in a grappling hold, and Juan “clumsily” slid
and fell so that Harry tumbled around and fell on his pratt.
This got a lot of laughs from everyone in the gym now.
Juan said using
another cartoon voice, “Rut row!”
Harry jumps
quickly his face even redder, and he screams out, “You did that
on purpose!”
Harry starts
punching and swinging at Juan. Juan simply stumbles about
clumsily and to most people it looked like he was only by
providence avoiding kicks and strikes and seemed to by chance
slide out of Harry’s grasps a few times. Harry stumbled and fell
and was frustrated with every punch and kick until he laid
propped over a piece of gym equipment sucking wind. Everyone was
stunned that Harry had resorted so quickly to violence.
Juan said, “Hey
mate, I’m sorry, I’m not very savvy with the chop suey stuff.”
He said, “No hard feelings mate?”
He held out his
hand to show Harry that he wanted to shake hands as an overture
of friendship. Harry ignored the hand and strides quickly out of
the gym without a word. This incident was just another example
that there was more to Juan than met the eye.
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(GENESIS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(EXODUS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(REVELATIONS)
MOST PEOPLE TALK BULLSHIT:
One Primate's Search For Intelligent Life
(JUDGMENT DAY)
ADVENTURES IN MARINE BIOLOGY
THE MARINES: GOD'S CHOSEN
WARRIORS
CONVERSATIONS WITH NEO
NEO TEACHES ME THE ART OF WAR
& PEACE;
His Version of The Matrix
MEMORIES OF MY FATHERS
ZEN & THE ART OF RESISTANCE
TRAINING:
A Yogic & Scientific Approach To Weight
Lifting
ZEN & THE BIOLOGY OF
TRANSCENDENCE:
The First Matrix of Psychic
Phenomena
ZEN & THE ART OF KINESIOLOGY:
The Yogic & Scientific
Approach To Movement
ZEN & YOUR ENERGY SYSTEMS
ZEN & VARIOUS ASPECTS OF
TRAINING
HOMEPAGE TO VINCE'S GYM
HOMEPAGE |
