There are two major projects I have been allocating time and effort to lately. One, developing projects I can conduct locally and work with local assets, two developing a lesson plan for Mega Prime Day 0?
Mega Prime is the 10 year anniversary, and we are pulling out all the stops! Day 0 is always something a little extra special. So here I am 11 months out trying to figure out how to make Mega Prime Day 0 a LOT extra special
Today’s blog sprang from a couple of recent conversations I've had with Kelly [Codename: Starbuck]
and Tammy as I worked on those projects. I figured the thought process would be worth sharing.
I like the idea of software before hardware. Education over physical skills. One, because they have the most bang for their buck. Learning to recognize danger and avoid it, or run from it, or talk your way out of it, will serve you far better than solely being able to fight your way out of danger.
Two, hardware stuff is fairly easy, anyone can find physical activities they enjoy and do them everyday. Something simple as walking 15 minutes a day makes you harder to kill.
So… the dilemma then, is how could we provide daily type activities that improve the software?
Like a WOD (workout of the day) but for mental preparedness. Brain burpees?
As Kelly and I were bouncing ideas back and forth I mentioned that we have access to this group attached to the Violence Dynamics page that is not really used for anything
ODIN
The Violence Dynamics Page has a purpose. The Viotribe group has a purpose. The Life Dynamics group has a purpose. The ODIN group is just kind of there. Held with a push pin to be used later. We could set up the software exercises as special missions and use the ODIN group for the purpose of organizing the missions.
Kelly joined the ODIN group then replied
Depending on the demographic we are trying to reach, I'm not sure the ODIN page will work for "new" women.
That's my struggle...how do I find the balance between rainbows and butterflies and firearms and muscles
The women I KNOW need this info the worst are scared of Mace
That's also why I've been adding more of the "carrying yourself with confidence" helps at work and against attackers. It seems to be working
It's all in the delivery right? 🙂
Exactly all in the delivery.
Not everyone was a 10 year old boy in 1984 and wants to play G.I Joes all the time. Doing “special missions” might not appeal to people that need this information the most.
At Violence Dynamics we often discuss affordances. The quality or property of an object that defines its possible uses or makes clear how it can or should be used. For example it is fairly obvious to sit on a chair. Less so to stand on it to change a light bulb, or break off a leg and use the upholstery to make a splint, or to use it as a blunt weapon.
In rock climbing you can never use a hand hold you don’t see
Over the last 10 years of Violence Dynamics, the product has been constantly evolving. An exponential leap occurred when the affordance of - we are not our clients - was acknowledged.
Like that rock climbing hand hold. once we "saw" it we could use it. That changed the way we approached everything.
I feel we are in the process of making another leap. Yes, we are not our clients. However, our clients are not all the same. Our clients are very different from each other. A day 0 that would attract some clients would terrify others.
Myself for example, even though I need these skills for work, this is fun for me. Some people golf or hunt, I fight as an entertainment activity.
What is fun for me is a trauma trigger for others.
Some people (Tammy for example) will do fight stuff that is daunting, for the adrenaline dump, even if it doesn't look like 'fun' to her.
Our clients are not all the same. Our clients are very different from each other. Reminds me of a quote for the television series “Burn Notice” about a spy named Michael Westen, that Randy uses in some of his presentations.
Madeline (Michael’s Mom):
It was my choice not to leave Frank [Madeline’s abusive husband]. And that choice made Michael strong and capable, while it left poor Nate just... How did two brothers turn out so different?
Tom Card (The man that trained Michael):
Imagine that you're holding on to two bottles, and they drop on the floor. What happens? They both break. But it's how they break that's important. Because you see, while one bottle crumples into a pile of glass, the other shatters into a jagged-edged weapon. You see, the exact same environment that forged older brother into a warrior, crushed baby brother. People just don't all break the same, Mrs. Westen. Just don't.
People just don't all break the same. Our clients are not all the same.
Now I can see that. Now I know, and...
How can Violence Dynamics help different demographics?
Violence Dynamics is run by TYR LLC. Seems like anything I am involved with has to have acronyms, and when I am extra clever they will always have more than one meaning.
TYR
Training
Yourself in
Resiliency
This gives us a name to use when the term violence in unacceptable. When we were in the UK we could not reserve the facility for Violence Dynamics because of the word Violence - I shit you not. We could reserve it under Krav Maga Global Presents: a weekend of cock kicking but don’t say violence because violence is bad and only bad people use violence (you can’t use a handhold you can’t see) but I digress...
TYR also just happens to be the god of war and justice in Norse mythology.
I remember Rory saying - We are all small gods, we have just been conditioned to forget our own strength.
Part of the Violence Dynamics Mission Statement is - We believe that stronger people are more fun to be around so we’re on a quest to find them. And if we can’t find enough strong people then it’s our responsibility to make them.
TYR (pronounced tear like, tear drop) Manufacturing - we make people cry [It's not a Viody until we all cry]
TYR Manufacturing - we build strong people.
More accurately we are a forge. Clients come to us with different base materials in different states of refinement.
Some people just need their edge sharpened / polished.
Some people are putting their parts back together to be stronger / more beautiful than the original source material - like Damascus Steel.
Some folks have to remove the impurities / clean up the source material so that the process of reforging is more likely to be successful.
One category is not superior to any other category, nor are they static states.
Our forge has to offer equipment for all of these people to work on their blades
How will Mega Prime Day 0 be a LOT extra special? How will I develop local projects?
Honestly, I am not sure yet. However, whatever I chose to do, it will have multiple tracks. Providing multiple tools for people to forge themselves into something stronger.
Violence Dynamics has a surprisingly high "recidivism" rate. As fun as it is to find strong people to play with, the most rewarding aspect of Violence Dynamics over the last 10 years for me has been watching people that return to Violence Dynamics help new people forge their swords.
A child enters Valhalla
A small child enters Valhalla. The battle they lost was “hiding from an alcoholic father.” Odin sees the flinch when he slams the cup and refrains from doing it again. He hears the child’s pain; no glorious battle this, but one of fear and wretched survival.
He invites the child to sit with him, offers the choicest mead and instructs his men to bring a sword and shield, a bow and arrow, of the very best materials and appropriate size. “Here,” he says, “you will find no man who dares to harm you. But so you will know your own strength, and be happy all your days in Valhalla, I will teach you to use these weapons.”
The sad day comes when another child enters the hall. Odin does not slam his cup; he simply beams with pride as the first child approaches the newcomer, and holds out her bow and quiver, and says “nobody here will hurt you. Everyone will be so proud you did your best, and I’ll teach you to use these, so you always know how strong you are.”
Train hard, train smart, be safe.
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