I've participated in a quite a few inherently risky activities in my life. Obviously there's the training, sparring and competing in a variety of martial arts including BJJ, Judo, Muay Thai and full contact stickfighting. But in addition to the martial arts stuff I've also been a firefighter since 1999, hazardous materials responder, a whitewater kayaker and solo expedition canoeist, all of … [Read more...]
On Staying Calm When All Hell is Breaking Loose
Leadership is easy when things are going well,but is considerably more difficult when all hell is breaking loose and the s**t is hitting the fan. In this episode of The Strenuous Life Podcast we look at a common denominator of great leadership in difficult situations, the optimal state of arousal, and a few examples of good and bad leadership in the fire department. If you enjoyed this … [Read more...]
Podcast Episode 102: Ken Johnson on What He Learned in 34 Years of Firefighting
In this episode of The Strenuous Life Podcast I sat down with Ken Johnson, retired Battalion Chief of Training, to talk shop. We covered, Managing emergency scenes, Staying calm under pressure, Training for boxing and making sure that you're always in shape, Recent breakthroughs in firefighting tactics, How to do your best in difficult situations, The critical importance of … [Read more...]
The Combat Challenge Sprint Workout
Here’s a great workout for you: the Combat Challenge Sprint workout. This is the same sprint training protocol used by many of the best competitors in the Firefighter Combat Challenge, a sport that focuses on a viciously difficult obstacle course in which firefighters push themselves to their limits simulating foreground activities. This worker was a key component of my friend Jamie McGarva's … [Read more...]