Memories of Karl Gotch

Karl Gotch and MMA fighter Josh Barnett on the January,
2007 cover of Weekly Gong Pro-Wrestling Magazine
(Life is Movement, Movement is Catch)
It's 2:30 in the morning and I just got the news that Karl Gotch passed away just a few hours ago. It doesn't sound like it was unexpected nor that he was sick or suffered during his last days which is a good thing, although news of an unexpected death is never an easy thing to take.

I was fortunate to have met and trained with Karl back in June of 2001 when I went down to Tampa, Florida to train with Matt Furey.

Let me take this opportunity to say that some of the things that have been posted about Karl and Matt Furey are flat-out untrue. -- I would know, I was there and saw things as they were with my own eyes.

Now, however, is not the time to discuss that, but what I will do it tell you what it was like to train with Karl Gotch.

Let me back up a minute.

I had already been in Tampa for two days – and had already had three Workouts, when Matt told me be ready a few hours early today (a Sunday) because "we've got to pick up Karl first."

That's right, Sundays were the day when Karl would attend Matt's training sessions. Thing is, Karl lived at least 90 minutes away so if he was going to be there, we had to go get him – and take him back afterwards, obviously quite a commitment -- and very well worth it.

Anyhow, we made our way to pick up Karl at his apartment. As Karl approached I got out of the car and introduced myself. Aside from a cordial hello, Karl didn't say a word to me for the rest of the trip which was not a surprise as it took a while for Karl to warm up to anybody (if he ever did at all, which I guess wasn't often)

Many miles later, we arrived at the gym and met a few more of Matt's students who were there for the session.

The session itself was split up into two parts: first half was conditioning, second half was sparring/ submission work.

As we began, Karl, who had just had hip surgery, sat on a chair in the corner and watched everything going on like a hawk.

I was on the far side of the room working on my wall walking. I had only been bridging for less than two weeks at that point and still learning the ropes.

Karl came over to me and said, "Let me show you how to do that right." We started with basic wall walking which I was pretty good at and Karl seemed pleased.

Once that was finished, it was time to go unsupported at the bottom position. – This can be pretty scary when you aren't used to it, but fortunately I'm a fast learner and was able to get at least a passable grade. Then it was time to wall walk but walk while keeping my chest on the wall at the bottom.

The first few times I couldn't get it and Karl barked "you must master this step if you are going to learn bridging gymnastics"

He was right, if you can't get your chest out over your chin, it just wont work.

After some more tries, I could just about get it, although Karl helped out by pushing my chest against the wall and making me hold it for a few more counts than I would have been able to otherwise.

"That's how to do It," he said, "now let me see you fall into a bridge."

Fortunately about a week before I had learned to fall into a bridge, by using my hands as support. I did so.

"Good, now do it without using your hands"

Truthfully, I was scared to that I would break my neck if I did that and was hesitant. I kept not bending far enough and ending up flat on my back as most people do

Karl's solution was to grab my hands in order to slow the speed down and get me used to falling backwards. This helped quite a bit although I never did make it on my own that day. (I got a no-hands falling bridge about a week later)

"Now bridge," he announced as if the whole world should start doing it, Karl went off to correct a few other students there. When he got back to me he said, "let me see you kick over."

I hadn't quite mastered that either yet but could almost do it. Karl seemed pleased with what little I was able to do. "Here's how you work your neck," and he proceeded to do manual resistance in every direction while grabbing my head like a cantaloupe.

"I hope you don't have to drive anywhere tomorrow because you won't be able to turn and see the traffic light when I get done with you." (He was right)

The last exercises of the day were what he called half-moon pushups; performed on a small "board" I guess you would call it. (I dont know the correct name, but it was something from traditional Indian physical culture.)

This board allowed for a greater stretch for various kinds of pushups. In any case, instead of telling us how many to do, he said go until I say stop (which was about 10 beyond what anyone was able to do.)

I was the last in line so at least I knew what I was up for. As I was fighting for those last few impossible reps, Karl said "relax your face, you look like you're giving birth."

(How’s that for a line?)

"You must stay relaxed at all times, especially when giving maximum effort," was Karl's coaching point.

At this point, the conditioning period was done and it was time for sparring and submission practice. Understand, this was like taking a math lesson from Einstein or a singing lesson from Caruso.

In a word, amazing: Karl's ability to dissect each and every move was truly remarkable. He taught us the correct way to apply the front face lock – the chin lock, and how to pop a guys elbow out with the flick of a wrist. It was with good reason why he was known as "The God of Wrestling."

Bear in mind, I have yet to see this information demonstrated any where else, even to this day. Once the session was over, it was time to take Karl home.

We loaded up the car and I sat in the backseat as Karl and Matt talked.

About half way through the trip and halfway through a conversation with Matt when Karl turned back to me and said "John, you must lose the weight around your middle." I told him I would work on it. He said "good" and went back to his conversation with Matt.

We arrived back at Karl's apartment and said goodbyes. Karl said it was a pleasure working with me. Later Matt told me he rarely said that to anyone.

All in all, it was an honor to have trained with the man. His teachings directly and indirectly had a permanent affect on my training, something which I will always be grateful for.

Thank you Karl, I appreciate it. Rest in Peace.

John Wood

Secrets of Building 43

Most everybody knows that the headquarters for Google, the most well-known search engine on the 'net is located in Mountain View, California.

What you may not know is that there is a secret area of the Google compound known as Building 43, where behind closed doors an army of techies are constantly tweaking and refining the Search Engine algorithm for Google.com.

Each day hundreds of Google engineers are hard at work trying to "balance the equation" to make sure people actually find what they are looking for...

But like something right out of The Matrix, thousands of Search Engine Optimization experts around the world are working just as hard to "unbalance the equation" and to "beat Google" in order to get their pages ranked higher.

Here's the interesting thing:

No matter how complex Google makes their algorithm, the majority of how it works will still be based on a few simple concepts... and if you understand those concepts and apply then in your website, you'll get the high rankings or be infinitely "findable" without a whole lot of effort.

Of course, you still have to know what those things "are" and how to apply them -- and then do so. I was fortunate enough to find someone who was willing to teach these things to me.

Thing is, once I learned what to do, I was quite surprised, the "secrets" of Google are very simple, anyone can get high rankings -- it doensn't take as much trouble as people would have you believe -- and what needs to be done should, quite frankly, be so obvious that everyone could use it to their advantage.

But like most "secrets" it often gets ignored by just about everyone.

How am I so sure that I know what I'm talking about? -- Take a look at the last six months of search engine searches per-day for my two most recent websites:

Daily Stats for www.bodyweightbasics.com - Live Since March 2007

Daily Stats for www.oldtimestrongman.com - Live since October 2006
Amazing isn't it? -- And it's no accident either. Needless to say, everyone with a website woulkd benefit greatly from this info. -- perhaps I'll go into that at a later date.

Now, the reason I bring this up is that essentially the same concepts that allow me to control Google are the same concepts that make my training (or anyone's training) work -- just a different application.

-- a few simple things, (that most people downplay or ignore) done correctly over time.

A graph of my training progress would look remarkably similar to the diagrams pictured above. – the graph just keeps going up.

The "Secret" to Success in anything is right there -- far more obvious that most people realize.

Sun Tzu understood it, so did Miyamoto Musashi, so did George S. Patton, so did Bear Bryant -- and all of the other great strategic minds in history... And it's wide open for you too if you open your eyes to what should be obvious.

Training-wise, here's some nudges in the right direction:

Dinosaur Training by Brooks Kubik

The New Bodybuilding for Old-School Results by Ellington Darden, Ph.D.

Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey

Train Hard,

John Wood

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Why I Still Read Muscle Magazines

I was in a bookstore recently and thought I would mosey on over to check out the latest muscle mags. The cover of one of them claimed that by following the workout on page 72 I could "put 2 inches of muscle on my arms overnight!"

"Wow, overnight!" How sweet is that?

So I turned my brain off and flipped through it for a laugh. Among 500 pages of supplement ads and bikini babes, I found my article which recommended over a hundred sets per workout with multiple workouts per day.

It might even be funny if they were kidding - but they weren't.

Somewhere out there are many people turning to that magazine for advice on how to get stronger. They believe what it says and, attempting to actually do the suggested workout, end up with nothing in the way of meaningful results.

Why? – because no one could do that workout, its a figment of some writers imagination.

But, believe it or not, I still read muscle magazines because it's my job to know the kinds of information people are getting, both good and bad.(mostly bad)

The truth is, everyone can get substantially stronger than they are right now. Yes, some have more potential for size and strength than othersbut again EVERYONE, can improve (and a lot more than they think)

Instead, let's look at the facts:

1. You have about an hour of productive training time per day (maybe less)This is defined by your other time commitments, your ability to focus on your training without becoming bored and the level of stress of everyday life

2. You can (and should) train every day, just not the same way every day

3. Proper nutrition (and not supplements) is all that is necessary. That's right, actual good food.

4. You must allow proper recovery to take place. The physiological adaptations of training (ie muscle growth etc) can only happen outside of the weightroom as your entire system recovers.

5. Strength training will undoubtedly enable you to become a better athlete but keep in mind that strength is only developed in the weight room. That strength must then be applied correctly on the field through proper practice.

6. With all other factors taken into account – progressive resistance training, in all its forms, manifestations and techniques, is what makes workouts work.

7. Passion and enthusiasm are as much a part of training success as sets and reps.

8. If you do end up quitting, it will be the result of two things: boredom or injury. You have control over both of these factors

9. Some training techniques, pieces of equipment and workout styles are better than others. What makes them better is that they accomplish the job either more efficiently or more effectively (sometimes both)

10. You will not start to see real results unless you stick with it and improve over a sustained amount of time.

11. Theres a difference between "getting stronger" and building strength.

12. The possibilities of intense, proper training, are greater than most people can even dream about.

13. Training will work amd it will work well, but there are definite rules as to how to do it right.

Like it or not, these are the realities of your training.

Whew! Good thing I know all this stuff, a week from now I wouldn't have wanted to follow that program and had to shell out the dough for a new wardrobe to fit my 27" arms.

Anyhow, if you are interested in getting strong, and I mean really strong, here are a few books that you need to read:

1. Dinosaur Training

2. The New Bodybuilding for Old-School Results by Ellington Darden

3. Super Strength by Alan Calvert

4. The Key to Might and Muscle by George Jowett

5. Combat Conditioning by Matt Furey

Train hard,
John Wood