Comments for Seven Breaths

Comment on Plastic surgery for cut-prone pro MMA fighters by Dennis

Dennis — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 21:15:09 +0000

I hope someday to be barred from UFC competition because my elbows are too pointy.

Comment on How a minor injury better focused my training by Bronson

Bronson — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 07:25:31 +0000

Hey Evan,

Thanks for the kind words! Good luck with your shoulder.

-Bronson

Comment on How a minor injury better focused my training by Evan

Evan — Tue, 28 Jul 2009 04:46:48 +0000

What’s up, I ran into your blog here on accident…I was actually looking for info on what damage I might have done to my shoulder the other day while in an arm triangle…it hurts in certain spots and I’m trying to find out what I can online. Anyways I liked your post and just wanted to let you know I got some good info out of it.

thank you

Comment on Ditch the girlfriend by april

april — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:58:53 +0000

I disagree as well. What about all of us women who have the same wistful look as we walk past the dojo? I’ve been doing martial arts since I was 4, and I just recently tore my left ACL, making it virtually impossible to train right now. I am now one of the wistful wishers. Every time I take my son to the dojo, I feel like crying because I’m unable to get out on the mat.

Perhaps you should try to find a partner who shares some of your most important interests, instead of one who has a huge chest and no brains. Good luck guys.

Comment on Ditch the girlfriend by Bronson

Bronson — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 18:12:09 +0000

Thanks to both of you for your well-reasoned comments. Looking back, I wrote that post in the most obnoxious way possible, which is how I hear you’re supposed to do it if you want to become a big-time blogger!

I should have better separated the different points I was trying to make. I agree with both of you that is possible to work through these issues with your partner. But in practice, we find time and again that people feel like they need to choose between training and pursuing a relationship.

I think it takes an unusually understanding person to tolerate his or her partner putting in more time and energy into their hobby than they do into the relationship – especially at the amateur level, where there’s no money in it.

I should have better emphasized how I think it’s important to be very clear about your priorities in the first place. That’s communication, and that’s what’s going to make a relationship sink or swim.

Finally, the story about the family was just too depressing and resonant for me not to write about it somewhere!

Comment on Ditch the girlfriend by Adam Myerson

Adam Myerson — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 17:02:10 +0000

I was going to make the same point as Erin. If you’re straight, you date women, so your relationship experience is with women, and that’s who you’ll point the finger at as the “other.” If you dated men, you’d likely find yourself making the same mistake, but singling “men” as the problem. The issue is with partners and the nature of partnership, not with gender. It’s an easy trap to confuse the two, and I can see you’re trying not to fall into it here.

I’m a professional in a similarly all-consuming sport. I have a supportive partner, but I still recognize the sacrifices I make to balance training, competition, and my relationship. For me it’s currently worth it because of the support I get, but it still requires work, planning, and compromise.

Comment on Ditch the girlfriend by Erin

Erin — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 14:17:42 +0000

I disagree. This is an argument against having an overbearing significant other (which is always a good argument to make). There are lots of human females that can have hobbies and an existence away from their partners. Really, it’s just confirmation bias — you never notice guys who have supportive-and-totally-sane partners, because those couples just don’t stick out so much.

I’m not prepared to defend the whole “having kids means you can never have fun ever again” thing, since that’s a belief I do hold.

Comment on Bollard story is online! by Bob Bruce

Bob Bruce — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:50:12 +0000

Bronson,

Great writing in the MMA piece! It takes balls to open up like that. Keep up the good work.

Comment on Bollard story is online! by Bronson

Bronson — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:26:02 +0000

No problem dude. The editor’s changes were all actually really good! Chris Busby is a gentleman and a scholar.

See you soon!

Comment on Bollard story is online! by Fred Fridman

Fred Fridman — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 22:51:49 +0000

John,
Sorry I didn’t say much about the piece yesterday – I was just letting it soak in.

I really enjoyed the writing. I know you had mentioned that the editor had forced you to make some changes but from what was published I was impressed.
It was nice meeting you – maybe we’ll have some more drinks before I have to go back to school.