We are hearing a lot about the benefits of deep breathing these days. And it’s funny to me how many people view deep breathing exercises as a “new thing.”

Farmer Burns wrote about the power of deep breathing exercises in his 1914 by-mail course, Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture.

But he didn’t teach deep breathing with the primary objective of helping you to relax, as is so often promoted today.

Relaxation is one of many deep breathing benefits, but this alone will not give you an enhanced experience of personal power.

When you watch a great athlete or martial artist, you are not watching someone who is 100 percent relaxed. When someone is totally relaxed, there’s no vigor or vitality. As Farmer Burns would put, you want “snap and ginger.”

Why do I say that relaxation alone is undesirable? I say it because when you’re too relaxed, there’s nothing holding your body together as one unit.

In order to demonstrate power, you want to move in a connected, animalistic manner. This means you need to have enough tension to hold your body together so you can move forcefully. Without some tension, you have nothing.

Students of modern approaches to deep breathing are often confused because they are not being told about the “in-between space” – the part where relaxation and tension co-exist and support each other.

Martial arts teachers often fail to explain this concept of relaxed-tension accurately. Much of the difficulty is a result of mistranslating the word “relax.” Let me assure you, in Asian cultures, their mental image for “relax” does not mean empty or totally soft, yet that is how the idea is communicated in the west. 

Being relaxed is a wonderful thing when you’re stressed and rattled. But when you want to exert strength, power, speed, agility, explosiveness, as well as flexibility, relaxation alone will get you nowhere. You must have a certain degree of tension within your relaxation – or a fair percentage of relaxation within your tension. It’s that yin and yang concept, all over again.

100 percent relaxation is an erroneous objective.

80 percent relaxation and 20 percent tension is a good place to start, if you want to think in terms of numbers.

But the truth is you will figure out how much tension and how much relaxation is ideal for you when you follow the exercises Farmer Burns laid out for you in Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture. 

As you do the exercises each day, you don’t need to think much about how much of one or the other. The answers will come to you. Your brain and body will tell you how much tension you need to use.

Within days of beginning the exercises, you’ll notice that you’re going about your day with much stronger feelings of personal power. These strong feelings will be supported by the appropriate level of physical and mental relaxation, for YOU.

In many cases, you will feel the changes taking place within you the first time you do the exercises.

You’ll feel vim and vigor, snap and ginger. And you’ll dig it.

Get the Farmer’s book NOW and begin experiencing the difference it will make in your life.

Matt Furey

P.S. Already have the Farmer’s book? Then you may be ready for the Farmer’s kick butt video course. 

One of the greatest triumphs and tragedies in the history of physical fitness, is the invention of weight training machines.

Machines have helped many people get stronger, but they also have tremendous limitations, foremost of which is the limitations they place upon your brain and body, as your focus in directed toward the wonders of the “thingamajig.”

Exercise equipment can be beneficial, especially for injury rehabilitation. But there is no way in the whirld that a machine can give you more athleticism, more functionality and more overall benefit than learning how to use your body in a naturalistic way.

The other day I was going through the Farmer Burns Course with a client, showing him how Mr. Burns has you moving your shoulders in every conceivable direction, to build strength, flexibility and athleticism, not to mention, helping you get out of pain. Here it was, a course put together in 1914, and yet it contains more answers and practical solutions to what “ails ya” than a gym filled with equipment.

The Farmer understood that your own body is a gym unto itself, whereas equipment has its detriments, foremost of which is the “locked-in” mentality it fosters.

What I mean by “locked-in” is the reality that one big piece of weight training equipment is generally used for one exercise. If you see a leg extension or leg curl apparatus in a gym, you’re probably not going to think of other functional exercises you could use it for, two of which would be pushing it around the place, or getting a few others in the gym to help you lift it off the floor and carry it. Now that would definitely cause some functional muscles to be activated, eh?

When you begin to see your own body as limitless in terms of movement patterns, a whole new world opens before your eyes.

This is why, if you want to gain strength in ways that machines cannot measure, make sure you take a gander at the calisthenics, stretches and self-resistance exercises in the One of the greatest triumphs and tragedies in the history of physical fitness, is the invention of weight training machines.

Machines have helped many people get stronger, but they also have tremendous limitations, foremost of which is the limitations they place upon your brain and body, as your focus in directed toward the wonders of the “thingamajig.”

Exercise equipment can be beneficial, especially for injury rehabilitation. But there is no way in the whirld that a machine can give you more athleticism, more functionality and more overall benefit than learning how to use your body in a naturalistic way.

The other day I was going through the Farmer Burns Course with a client, showing him how Mr. Burns has you moving your shoulders in every conceivable direction, to build strength, flexibility and athleticism, not to mention, helping you get out of pain. Here it was, a course put together in 1914, and yet it contains more answers and practical solutions to what “ails ya” than a gym filled with equipment.

The Farmer understood that your own body is a gym unto itself, whereas equipment has its detriments, foremost of which is the “locked-in” mentality it fosters.

What I mean by “locked-in” is the reality that one big piece of weight training equipment is generally used for one exercise. If you see a leg extension or leg curl apparatus in a gym, you’re probably not going to think of other functional exercises you could use it for, two of which would be pushing it around the place, or getting a few others in the gym to help you lift it off the floor and carry it. Now that would definitely cause some functional muscles to be activated, eh?

When you begin to see your own body as limitless in terms of movement patterns, a whole new world opens before your eyes.

This is why, if you want to gain strength in ways that machines cannot measure, make sure you take a gander at the calisthenics, stretches and self-resistance exercises in the One of the greatest triumphs and tragedies in the history of physical fitness, is the invention of weight training machines.

Machines have helped many people get stronger, but they also have tremendous limitations, foremost of which is the limitations they place upon your brain and body, as your focus in directed toward the wonders of the “thingamajig.”

Exercise equipment can be beneficial, especially for injury rehabilitation. But there is no way in the whirld that a machine can give you more athleticism, more functionality and more overall benefit than learning how to use your body in a naturalistic way.

The other day I was going through the Farmer Burns Course with a client, showing him how Mr. Burns has you moving your shoulders in every conceivable direction, to build strength, flexibility and athleticism, not to mention, helping you get out of pain. Here it was, a course put together in 1914, and yet it contains more answers and practical solutions to what “ails ya” than a gym filled with equipment.

The Farmer understood that your own body is a gym unto itself, whereas equipment has its detriments, foremost of which is the “locked-in” mentality it fosters.

What I mean by “locked-in” is the reality that one big piece of weight training equipment is generally used for one exercise. If you see a leg extension or leg curl apparatus in a gym, you’re probably not going to think of other functional exercises you could use it for, two of which would be pushing it around the place, or getting a few others in the gym to help you lift it off the floor and carry it. Now that would definitely cause some functional muscles to be activated, eh?

When you begin to see your own body as limitless in terms of movement patterns, a whole new world opens before your eyes.

This is why, if you want to gain strength in ways that machines cannot measure, make sure you take a gander at the calisthenics, stretches and self-resistance exercises in the Farmer Burns Course.

It still kicks azz in a major friggin way. Tis why I use it regularly, and cannot stop recommending it, especially for those suffering with shoulder pain.

Here endeth the lesson.

Matt Furey

P.S. If you dig my emails and want to be part of my monthly Zen Mastery Group, welcome aboard.

It still kicks azz in a major friggin way. Tis why I use it regularly, and cannot stop recommending it, especially for those suffering with shoulder pain.

Here endeth the lesson.

Matt Furey

P.S. If you dig my emails and want to be part of my monthly Zen Mastery Group, welcome aboard.

.

It still kicks azz in a major friggin way. Tis why I use it regularly, and cannot stop recommending it, especially for those suffering with shoulder pain.

Here endeth the lesson.

Matt Furey

P.S. If you dig my emails and want to be part of my monthly Zen Mastery Group, welcome aboard.

There’s a secret type of strength that you’ve probably never heard about before.

And if you did hear about it, no one ever revealed to you how it truly works.

“Breathing exercises alone, if done RIGHT, will make many a weak man strong and many a sick man well,” wrote Martin “Farmer” Burns in his 1914 by-mail course, Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture.

When I first read the Farmer’s words more than 20 years ago, I could relate to him because I had experienced it numerous times.

One of my deeply cherished experiences took place in 1992, when I was testing for an upgraded belt ranking in a Korean martial art.

At the beginning of each practice, the master would have us sit with our legs folded underneath us in the seiza position. As we sat, he directed us to inhale while holding our focus in the lower belly. Once the inhale was complete, we held onto the “air” for a few more seconds, then we exhaled.

Well, somewhere along the timeline, when I was learning this art, I experimented with sending the “buzz” I felt in my abdomen into my hands and feet. I was amazed at how I could direct a breath this way, and when it came time for the board-breaking portion of the exam, before executing a spinning back kick, I inhaled, held it, then pushed my inhale into my kicking foot.

The next thing I was aware of was NOT my foot shattering the board; nor was it pain from kicking it barefoot.

It was a strange moment in time because I felt as though I didn’t even hit the board – at all. I felt no pain, nor any impact whatsoever. And yet, the board was broken.

In previous exams, when I did a certain board break, I felt the impact. On one occasion, I definitely felt pain. But this time, I might as well have been kicking air, because that’s all I felt as my foot zoomed out in front of me.

When I first began reading Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture, I had direct experience of this secret strength Farmer Burns was rapping about. Since then, however, by following his advice, which was some good ole rural American advice, not something from a foreign land, it has caused me to marvel at how similar the methods are, and how they are different.

You may not currently believe that deep breathing exercises will make a difference in your life. But you WILL after you read the Farmer’s words and put his advice into ACTION.

Kick ass – take names!

Matt Furey

Back in the 1970’s, many people referred to a great set of abdominal muscles as “washboard abs.” Today, because so many people have never seen a washboard, and cannot conceive of what it is, a muscular and defined midsection is known by most as a “six-pack.”

When I met Jack LaLanne in 1990, I heard him preach that you should keep your abdominal muscles under constant tension, all day long. LaLanne’s suggestion proved that he was a fitness guy, not a fighter. 

A fighter doesn’t keep his abs flexed all day long. He knows when to flex ’em and went to release ’em. There is a constant ebb and flow from relaxation to tension, over and over again. Muscles that are continually held in a state of tension are more susceptible to damage. 

This is where Farmer Burns comes into play. The dude knew what he was rapping about in his 1914 by-mail course, Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture, when he stated that his belly was soft when relaxed but turned hard as a rock at his command. He wrote that someone punching him in the belly would end up getting hurt from his own blow. 

Those who are trained in the “iron wrapped in cotton” martial arts methods know that the Farmer nailed the truth. 

And that is only one of dozens of reasons I have been encouraging people to get the Farmer Burns course for more than 20 years. 

Farmer Burns abdominal exercises alone will give you a set of abs that are functional, not just aesthetically pleasing. With diligent practice, after a couple months, chances are excellent that you could have your friends punch you in the guts and you won’t feel pain. 

The exercises you will learn in the Farmer Burns course do NOT have you lying on the ground to slightly curl or crunch your body upward. All the abdominal exercises the Farmer teachers are done standing on your feet. All of them incorporate deep breathing as well as properly timed muscular contractions, followed by appropriate relaxation. 

Do your Farmer Burns exercises along with what I teach in Combat Conditioning, and you’ll get an intuitive flash as to why you don’t need to lift weights or invest in expensive equipment in order to kick ass. 

Get these courses NOW – and experience the difference you are making.

Matt Furey

My brother was having shoulder pain “issues.”

The pain lingered for months, sometimes keeping him awake at night.

He was told to hang from a bar each day in order to fix his pain, but this exercise only gave him partial relief.

Hanging from a bar can definitely help alleviate shoulder pain, but the most thorough shoulder-pain relief method I have ever seen or used, comes from the series of bodyweight calisthenics and isometrics that Farmer Burns taught in his 1914 by-mail course, Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture.

In fact, the exercises the Farmer taught are so freakin good that my brother focused on only three of them, and his shoulder pain went away… quickly.

Have someone in mind who could benefit from the shoulder exercises in the Farmer Burns course?

If so, I suggest you get that person a copy.

You can tell him or her to ignore all the lessons on wrestling in the course for NOW (unless there is an interest). Instead, emphasize the lessons that have to do with Physical Culture, physical fitness and health.

The Farmer Burns course will do your friend a great deal of good. That’s what my brother says and I agree with him.

With Farmer Burns, you have a treasure trove of powerful exercises, at your fingertips, calling out your name.

Without these exercises, life just isn’t the same. Not even close.

Get out of pain, simply.

NOW.

And keep in mind the daily mantra…

Kick ass – take names,

Matt Furey

I received an email yesterday from a man who thanked me for keeping him out of jail. 

Turns out he got so freakin angry when he discovered someone messing with his young daughter, that he wanted to wipe the guy off the face of the earth. Before acting out his feelings, though, he went outdoors and followed the stepping pattern I teach in my Dao Zou walking meditation program. 

As he walked, he also began to pray out loud and recite passages from the Bible. This helped him calm down before calling the police. 

Although I didn’t teach the reciting of scriptures as part of Dao Zou, I’m definitely in favor of it.

Something as simple as, “This too shall pass,” can work wonders for your emotional state, especially because you are physically passing through time and space as you move. 

Yesterday I covered the physical benefits of Dao Zou; how it helps eliminate pain and strengthen the weak links.

But the spiritual and psychological benefits of Dao Zou are just as valuable, if not more so.

If you’re in a funk, or angry as hell, you can count on this program showing you that better days are here for you NOW, even in the midst of turmoil.

It only takes a few minutes for you to realize just how powerful these walking patterns are.

Get your copy of Dao Zou NOW and you’ll have a tool you can take with you anywhere. 

Matt Furey

It’s been said that a boxer never loses his punching power.

And that should be a scary thing when you’re dealing with someone as ferocious as Mike Tyson.

Nevertheless, it appears a fellow passenger on a plane recently decided to push his luck with ole Iron Mike. And he received a few loving whacks for doing so.

After the so-called altercation, the passenger posed to show the marks on his face – which tells me that Tyson hit the man with love in his heart.

What?

Yes, you heard me correctly.

Tyson gave the guy a knuckle here and a funny bone there, but if he had truly hit him with malice aforethought, the passenger wouldn’t be around to rap about it. I’m pretty friggin sure Mike Tyson can still deliver a knockout blow if he wants, even on a plane.

Minding your own business is still a good rule to follow. If Mike Tyson is sitting anywhere near you, show a little common sense. Leave him alone.

Here endeth the lesson.

Matt Furey

P.S. Combat Conditioning and Combat Stretching will help you maintain your power, strength and flexibility as you age. Make sure you have them in your library.

You have plenty of options when it comes to brain fog.

One is to sit in a chair and be listless all day long. Another is to watch television and look at your mobile devices as you eat.

But all the options mentioned above are likely to increase your brain fog.

Even most types of meditation will increase brain fog because the body is not engaged in a way that stimulates and activates the peripheral nervous system while increasing neurogenesis. This can be readily observed as so many long-time meditators will openly tell you how they are “losing their words,” which they view as a good thing. It’s not.

As soon as your feet hit the floor in the morning, you have an entire day to stimulate your brain and body so that fogginess has no place to perch upon.

But the first order of business is engaging your feet before they hit the floor.

“Wiggle your big toe,” is not just a great line in a movie (Kill Bill). It’s one of the unsung keys to seeing how well your brain is connected to your body.

More than 25 years ago, I remember asking a husband and wife I trained if they could feel their big toes. Both of them reached for their toes to wiggle them.

“That’s not what I mean,” I mentioned. “Can you feel your big toe enough to wiggle it without touching it?”

Neither of them could do it. At the time I wondered how they got so “out of touch.” Nowadays, not having conscious control of your big toe is the norm – and don’t get me started on the other toes.

Your hands and your feet are four of the biggest keys to waking up the brain. Then its your eyes and ears. And your neck.

What are you doing with your eyes and ears while you’re moving your hands and feet?

Everyday I enjoy walking outdoors, backwards. It’s a practice I learned nearly 20 years ago, called Dao Zou.

Dao Zou is one of the greatest brain builders of all times. Unlike so many forms of seated meditation, it doesn’t cause brain fog or brain rot. It lights up your brain and nervous system almost beyond belief. As a result your memory improves.

Additionally, Dao Zou improves the health of your ankles, knees, hips and lower back. It also makes your feet come ALIVE. As your feet come alive – so does your noggin, and with that, your ability to remember better. This means you’ll never catch yourself saying that you’re “losing your words,” and that this is somehow a good thing.  

In my Dao Zou program you will uncover many different walking patterns that change the way you feel, almost instantly.

It’s amazing how some people can go outside, walk three miles forward and still have brain fog, or still fell down in the dumps.

But after following just one of the many patterns I teach in Dao Zou, people rave about how they feel. They are recharged and vibrating at a much higher level, oftentimes within one hundred meters.

Brain fog begone. NOW.

Take your first step in this direction today by reading about Dao Zou.

Kick ass – take names!

Matt Furey