Meditations on God

Flavor Themes: Spicy, Pungent, and Acidic
In his interview with Andrew Zimmern of Bizarre Foods fame, Tim Ferriss asked of Zimmern, “[I]f you had to choose (I was going to say for the rest of your life) for the next year, three herbs or spices to cook with, to experiment with (and you can modify the question), what would you choose?”

Zimmern replied, “I can’t exist without hot chilies, shallots, and citrus…lemon. I’ll pick lemon… the first three things I would want to have with me are hot chilies, shallots or some kind of onion (I happen to prefer shallots of all the Allium), and citrus (I generically choose lemon above the others). With those things, I can do everything.

Sure, I can pick cumin or cilantro or basil or things like that, but they have fairly limited use. With the lemon, chilies, and an Allium or shallot, I can do anything. I can do ceaseless variations on them. The variety of flavor combinations and techniques that I can use with those give me the most variety so I wouldn’t be so bored.”

The exploration of creativity through reductionism is an absolutely fascinating subject. It forces us to start with the essence of things and to maximize each thing’s potential, through different uses, in different contexts, and in different combinations. By limiting ourselves to those things that matter mostc we can explore the full depth and breadth of those things.

Pictured are chicken wings with, amongh other things, a chili, an allium, and an acid, in this case Thai bird chilis, green onions, and lime juice.

-Robert Van Valkenburgh teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Kogen Dojo
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February 24, 2019

andrew zimmern, bizarre foods, cooking, food, podcast, tim ferriss, tim ferriss show
To Half Guard or Not To Half Guard
The choices we make are a direct reflection of our values.

Choices are exclusionary. By deciding to do one thing and taking action toward that end, all other options in that moment no longer exist. Each choice we make says a lot about who we are, how we think, and what we value. This is especially true under pressure and stress. How we react under the weight of difficult circumstances is the essence of our character. The beauty of martial art training is that it can be a sort of choose-your-own-adventure of personal development, in regards to both skill and character.

Take the half-guard position in Brazilian jiu-jitsu for example. When a person finds his or herself in the bottom half-guard position, he or she must make some choices. One person might choose to defend and to wait for the opportunity to sweep his or her opponent. Another person might attempt to recover full guard. Someone else might choose to fight from bottom half guard, locking the top person into the position. Another option would be to fully commit to the position, diving into deep half guard and going for broke. These are all good choices relative to one’s individual particular goals, whether they be immediate or longterm, for sport, self defense, or just to have fun.

In the example shown here, Billy teaches Donny how to use the so-called coyote guard option popularized by BJJ black belt world champion in both gi and nogi, Lucas Leite. The coyote guard is a powerful bottom half-guard position that works well against both smaller and larger opponents by setting up a variety of sweeps to gain top position or escapes to get back to the feet. The coyote guard is especially effective for a person who does not want to stay on the bottom and who wants to get out of danger quickly and safely. In order to accomplish this, the practitioner must consciously abandon all other options and commit to this path, accepting the results of that decision come what may.

-Robert Van Valkenburgh teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Kogen Dojo

39.073857 -76.547111
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February 23, 2019

bjj, brazilian jiu-jitsu, gracie jiu-jitsu, half guard, japanese martial arts, kogen dojo, Martial Arts, submission grappling, taikyoku budo
Necessarily Brief
Seth Godin publishes a blog post every single day and has for many years. He claims that this practice helps him to be a better observer of the world around him and that it helps him to organize and clarify his thoughts. His blog posts vary greatly in length, from only a few sentences to multiple pages long. In an interview, he was asked how he determined the length of a particular blog post. How did he know that he had written all that needed to be said about that subject in that moment? His reply was something like, “Each post should be as short as possible, but no shorter.”

-Robert Van Valkenburgh teaches Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Kogen Dojo
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February 22, 2019

blog post, blogging, brevity, daily blog, seth godin, writing
Healthy Variety
“Eat like a vegan… and eat meat.” -Kelly Starrett

Some people seem to be able to eat, drink, and smoke whatever they want with no ill effects. I am not and have never been one of those people. My metabolism had always been slow. I have always gained weight easily and found difficulty keeping it off once lost. Frankly, I like food and I enjoy variety. Unfortunately, this comes at a cost in how I feel, look, and move.

There is a lot of advice out there in terms of diet, exercise, and what is or is not healthy. I am sure that not everyone is the same with regards to these matters, but I also know when I feel my best and when I feel my worst.

Simply put, I feel my best when I eat a diet high in non-starchy vegetables and protein, with a decent amount of healthy fat in the mix. Some nuts and occasionally some berries are okay, but I have a great capacity for over-consumption, so none is often better than too much.

Conversely, I feel my worst when I eat starchy foods (rice, breads, pasta, potatoes, etc.), fruit, and anything sugary or ‘snacky.’ Processed food and fast food are just plain bad.

While I crave variety, I need simplicity and structure, so I am always looking for a balance of what looks good, tastes good, has different textures and colors, but which also fits within the constraints that best serve my attempt to be the best version of myself.

Pictured here is stir-fried Thai and Chinese eggplant with king oyster mushrooms and green onions in a spicy chili and fermented bean sauce. It was served with slices of crispy pork belly (not pictured).

-Robert Van Valkenburgh is a practitioner of Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Kogen Dojo
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February 20, 2019

cooking, eating healthy, eating well, food, kelly starrett, vegan
Grappling With Purpose
It is all a matter of context.

Two equally skilled grapplers, competing for submissions, can roll for long periods of time, ten, fifteen, even thirty plus minutes before one gets tired and makes a mistake, resulting in him or her getting submitted. Add to this equation some MMA gloves and punches, and a clear winner is usually decided in only a few minutes, with both grapplers being significantly more tired during the altercation. Put a knife in the mix and thirty seconds feels like an eternity and not only are both grapplers likely winded, but one is (symbolically) dead.

The higher the stakes, the more intense the altercation, the more quickly and one-sidedly it ends. With more on the line, even in training, our focus concentres on the more immediate and dangerous threat. Every movement, every potential mistake or opening, means the difference between life and death. This level of intensity, like the difference between sprinting and long distance running, is not sustainable for long periods of time. It is not meant to be. That’s not how we are wired.

Different types of training with varying focuses are important in a well-rounded martial art curriculum, but it is also good to specialize. It is difficult to be an expert generalist. Still, it is important to go outside of one’s normal training routine and parameters to know what limitations one is working within in a given system. Limitations are a good thing, after all, because they add definition and clarity of focus to what one is doing and trying to achieve.

-Robert Van Valkenburgh is a practitioner of Taikyoku Budo and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at Kogen Dojo

39.073857 -76.547111
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February 20, 2019

bjj, brazilian jiu-jitsu, gracie jiu-jitsu, grappling for survival, grappling with weapons, japanese martial arts, kogen dojo, Martial Arts, submission grappling, taikyoku budo

Flavor Themes: Spicy, Pungent, and Acidic

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To Half Guard or Not To Half Guard

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Necessarily Brief

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Healthy Variety

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Grappling With Purpose

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