Versatile, simple tools and supplies are essential in camping. I was reminded of the value of a having just a handful of good tools on a camping trip last weekend. I found myself using the same versatile tool for dozens of tasks, and leaving a much less versatile tool completely untouched out of the sheer inconvenience and non-necessity of it. When you’re limited on space and resources, there’s no time or space for frivolous uni-taskers. A pocket knife that can be easily carried and used to cut, stir, open, etc. is of much greater utility and convenience than lugging around a chef’s knife, a stirrer, a butter knife, a bottle opener, and sheers. And while there may be some on-to-go improvising that comes with the territory of relying on only a few multipurpose tools as opposed to a wide array of task-specific tools, a good quality tool in the right hands will always be sufficient.

In our movement practice, we have this same need for a few good tools. In this case, our tools are a handful of movement patterns that, properly applied, can be used to provide a solution to just about any movement problem. A mastery of our 8 foundational movement patterns: squat, hinge, push, pull, gait (walk, run, sprint), lunge/step, carry, and rotation gives us all the resources we need to solve whatever movement task or problem we may encounter. These basic movement patterns can be used in isolation or in conjunction with another. They may be directly applied to a straightforward task, such as the application of the pull pattern in performing dumbbell row, or they may be used in a more improvisational way such as in using the pull pattern in manipulating an opponent in jiu-jitsu. The idea with these basic tools is the same idea that applies to selecting a good toolset for a camping trip: with the right set of a few good tools, you will be prepared to handle both the expected and unexpected. It’s not a matter of having the most fancy or complex tools; it’s about simplicity, functionality, and utility. Focus your movement practice on the development and mastery of this handful of foundational movement patterns, and your movement toolbox will be filled and ready for anything.

- PS

7/5/17

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  Sumo deadlift - 5,5,5

  
  

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  With a continuously running clock, 3 rounds for reps of:

  
  




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  1 min max cal bike

  
  


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  1 min max pull-ups

  
  


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  1 min max wall balls (20/14)

  
  


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  1 min max burpees