Youth and strength beat age and skill, or vice versa

[mmc45414]

I think there is a ying/yang. I am shooting better than I ever have, I think because I have more trigger time, and mentally I am calmer, but there are some things my eyes just aint gonna do anymore.

I think a benefit on the mental side is that these days I also have the gear I “think” I needed. When I was young (like in my profile pic) I always felt like I was competing against guys that had the financial wherewithal to have superior gear (back then the gas in the truck to get to the match was taken into consideration…) and seemed to try and force my speed and performance to compensate. Turns out when you calm down and not give a shit you can focus on things that matter. Backing away mostly from matches and doing more informal peer group practice and competition probably also helped.

But my eyes are gonna be sixty in a few years, and there is just no way around that. I am lucky in the fact that I have had surgery for cataracts in both eyes, and it is really awesome. Synthetic lenses that I had setup for mono vision (read with my left, drive with my right), and I specifically asked for a little less than perfect distance correction in my right eye so I would be better able to see pistol sights. This has also helped my cross dominance a bit.

I had been setting up all my pistols with the 10-8 plain .140 rear and the (IMO phenomenal) HiViz over molded green front. It seems as if HiViz abandoned the over molded sights for the M&P for an interchangeable lite pipe that you can flick loose with a fingernail so I went looking for an alternative. Tried one of the Ameriglo big square green things and I am really pleased with it. But gee, then I was all concerned about the front being a square post and the rear being a rounded notch and was just not sure how that was going to work out. Then while dry practicing in the basement I had a moment of clarity, my eyes have no idea what the bottom of that notch is shaped like…

[GAP]

Nothing has opened up my eyes like competing in MMA.

10+ years ago I looked in a phone book for a local BJJ academy to join because I wanted to learn how to defend myself. I was smallish, but athletic, and willing to learn. I went 4-5 times per week, started a powerlifting routine and off I went. At my peak I walked around 6'1 195lbs. Deadlifting over 500 lbs. I won just about every BJJ tournament I entered, but now I wanted more. It wasn't good enough, now I wanted to dominate MMA.

I messed around a little with Muay Thai but gravitated towards boxing. I started training with the boxing team and got my ass kicked all over again. But, it didn't take long before I was keeping up with the best pure boxer in the place.

I had my first MMA fight.. Nervous as hell, saw the guy and asked myself, "what the hell am I doing!?" The fight lasted all of 42 seconds.. I won by rear naked choke in the first round. The next 5-6 fights came easily to me, working my way up the local ranks.

Eventually you run into dudes who are YOU but 10 years younger, 6" taller and are a hungry lion looking to prove a point.

Every.. Single.. fight in the pros was hard. You lose, you get your face stitched up. You win, you get your face stitched up. I lost the love to train. I made it a job. I wanted return on my investment.

I know even now, years later I can compete and still do well. But why? What do I have left to prove? My focus has gone from dominate the world to, "be good in various walks of life." Be well rounded, a good husband and have plenty of life skills to teach your future children.

Oddly enough, I'd do it all over again. I feel like I've gained more positives from it than the negative of no longer competing. I am confident, strong, respectful and compassionate because of my training.

My new (last 2 years or so) love is firearms shooting/training. This is the fun and exciting time for me. Every range session I improve, I haven't come close to my plateau yet and it's exciting! I've thought about IDPA and such, but it'll lead me down the same path and I'm having way too much damn fun doing my own thing to ruin it.

Age and skill or youth and strength? It depends on how extreme the AGE or STRENGTH is on either side of the coin.

[Robert Mitchum]

UFC 199 Results: 45-year Dan Henderson Knocks Out Hector Lombard in Round 2

[GAP]

Dan has always had a sledgehammer of a right hand. Also God given, just like being able to throw a fastball 90 MPH.

[Digiroc]

And an old guy who will cheat....

Somehow I'm reminded of this clip from Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid:



Sort of a magic trick of misdirection us old guys will suck you in with. Being big and strong is no match for wise and willing.

Digiroc