Archive for April, 2014

‘Sometimes… you cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing.”

Posted in Observation, Real Men, Statement of intention with tags , , , , , , , on April 26, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle

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“Where there’s discomfort there’s fear… in these very tough positions, you’re in a little piece of hell. And through this daily suffering you learn to survive in these situations. You have to find comfort in uncomfortable situations. You have to be able to live in your worst nightmare.

“Jiu Jitsu puts you completely in the moment where you must have complete focus on finding a solution to the problem. This trains the mind to build that focus, to increase your awareness, your capacity to solve problems. Sometimes, you don’t have to win. You cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing.”

– Rickson Gracie.

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Andrew ‘KO’ Keogh: Last Call

Posted in Journalism, Kickboxing with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 26, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle

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International Kickboxer Magazine, March/April 2014

Thai boxing is about adversity. It’s about stacking yourself up high enough in training to overcome the obstacles that come at you in the ring. For some though, the battles are just as tough outside of it. Andrew Keogh is one such fighter. Continue reading →

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A Jerry-Rig of Presumption and Dumb Will

Posted in Observation, Pretensions toward cultural theory, Reading, Real Men on April 22, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle

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“But who is that on the other side of you?”

-T.S. Eliot,

The Waste Land.

For seven of its eight episodes, the first season of True Detective was some of the best television I have seen to date. I prefer to forget the final episode because it was so shithouse, but that’s another story. The series really hits its straps at the end of episode 3 with Rustin Cohle’s monologue, visible here.

The show has the three features present in all ‘great’ films and t.v. shows; Continue reading →

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Steve McKinnon: Glory Bound

Posted in Journalism, Kickboxing with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle

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International Kickboxer Magazine, September/October, 2013

Steve McKinnon has just come through a difficult twelve months, but he’s feeling good. This year, Steve has had two fights on Glory World Series, the European promotion that has stepped in to fill the vacuum for world-class kickboxing since the demise of the Japanese K1. Continue reading →

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Sam Greco: True Elite

Posted in Journalism, Kickboxing with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 17, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle

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International Kickboxer Magazine, March/April 2014

Sam Greco is more than just a world champion full-contact karate fighter who became a world champion kickboxer during the glory days of the now-defunct K1 organisation: he is a legend. Continue reading →

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Things I Don’t Want to Know

Posted in Fiction, Reading, Real Men with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on April 13, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle

Deborah Levy

Things I Don’t Want To Know by Deborah Levy does not, judging from the blurb on the back, sound like the sort of book I’d like to read.

‘…it is feminist and political while being an inspiring act of writing.’

Whenever a book is ‘feminist and political’, it’s like being hit over the head with a length of dowel; irritating and painful, but not hard enough to knock you out – or into unconsciousness so you don’t have to listen anymore. Continue reading →

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Worshipping at the Temple of Squat

Posted in Fiction, Real Men, Statement of intention, Writing with tags , , on April 8, 2014 by Jarrod Boyle

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Greetings Dear Reader,

As you may have noticed, I have undergone a prolonged absence. It has not been because I have been doing other things; rather, an extraordinary occurrence overtook me a month ago and completely sapped me of the desire to write. It wasn’t negative, but so profound I haven’t been able to do much other than go to work. Nothing painful; just dazzling. I may write about it at a later stage.

I am getting back on the horse and starting to produce some essays and the like. In the meantime, I thought I’d post this chapter from the novel I’ve been working on for the last nine months. I’ll have it finished soon and will publish more of it accordingly. I thought to post this today because I went to the gym and engaged in one of my absolute favorite activities; squatting with a barbell across my back. Perhaps you share my enthusiasm. Otherwise, perhaps this piece will give you a doorway into it.

Enjoy. Continue reading →

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