Purposeful Primitive
Mike Davis DPT, ART
It was February 11, 1990, in Tokyo, Japan. By some accounts, a 42-1 underdog named James “Buster” Douglas shocked the world by knocking out the undisputed heavyweight champion of the world, “Iron” Mike Tyson. What was supposed to be another easy notch in Tyson’s belt, turned out to be the visible start to the down side of Tyson’s career. I say “visible” because in hind sight this monumental “upset” was approximately two years in the making.
Mike Tyson met Cus D’Amato when he was 13 years old. A misguided misfit to say the least, it was Cus D’Amato who was able to infuse some discipline into this young man from the age of 13 to 19 years old. He stripped, then molded Tyson into a fundamentally sound fighter, both mentally and physically. Tyson’s style was primitively effective following three rules: 1) elusivity with head movement, 2) quickness, power, and accuracy with punches, and 3) conditioning. D’Amato worked Tyson daily on the fundamentals of the fight game. No flashiness, no gimmicks, just good, old fashioned basic training to build and hone Tyson’s emotional, mental, and physical attributes, and thus his fundamental fighting base.
Tyson turned pro at the age of 18 in 1985. During that year, “Team Tyson” had put together a string of 11 knock outs before Cus D’Amato’s death. Kevin Rooney, who was already a part of Team Tyson, assumed the role of trainer and they won 16 more fights comprising a record of 27 – 0 at the time of their first title shot in 1986. Team Tyson won that fight, making Tyson the youngest heavyweight champion of all time. Rooney, whom was also groomed by D’Amato, was showing that he was qualified to continue D’Amato’s work. Team Tyson was training hard and drilling the three rules five days a week. It was all about constant discipline and repetition. Team Tyson fought 4 times in 1987, unifying the heavyweight championship.
In July of 1988, having fought 3 times that year, Tyson parted ways with his original management team and fired Rooney as his trainer. His first fight with his new team came against Frank Bruno in February of 1989. Bruno was able to buckle Tyson early in the fight as Tyson was not being elusive with head movement. Tyson was not displaying the first of the three rules. Fortunately for Tyson, his speed, power and intimidation carried him to a 5th round TKO, but to the keen eye, this was not the Tyson of “Team Tyson”. Tyson won his next fight by way of knock out in the 1st round against an intimidated Carl Williams. Unfortunately, this victory just enabled Tyson’s ego, allowing him to turn a blind eye to the fact that, without his original core unit, he was losing his discipline.
On February 11, 1990, Tyson entered the ring to face “Buster” Douglas. Mentally focused and in good physical condition, Douglas utilized his skill set to expose a lost Tyson. Douglas fought an excellent fight, displaying the importance of preparation and focus. Even in defeat, Tyson continued to neglect the discipline necessary for success. Had Tyson forgotten what got him to the championship? All the training, film work, and mental focus, etc. day in and day out? He hadn’t forgotten these things, but he no longer had the people around him to make him accountable, keep him focused, and he was not being purposeful about maintaining his fundamental/primitive attributes.
Most of us have a story that reflects Tyson’s in some way. We don’t forget all about the primitive things that we use to do, such as rolling, pushing up off of the floor, squatting , dead lifting objects from the floor, and/or lifting objects overhead, but we are no longer purposeful about maintaining these skills. Most in our society view these activities as boring. Our society has a way of wanting the “next best thing” or something new. We don’t want to waste our time with the fundamentals, we want the flashy, exciting, and sexy stuff- and we want it yesterday. We want maximal results with little effort. Many do not realize that it takes the average child 5-6 months to be able to intentionally roll from their back to their stomach, 8-9 months to crawl and begin verticalization, 10-12 months to walk, 14-16 months to stand up in space and walk, 3 years to stand on one leg, and 6 years to complete fine motor development.
In the process of acquiring these milestones, a child undergoes countless repetitions of basic motor skills to build a base to enable the next set of skills. It is through constant discipline and repetition that these skills are acquired. As we become more advanced, we start to neglect these skills. We no longer roll, crawl, get up from the floor, squat, dead lift object from the floor, etc as a part of our daily routine because we don’t find these activities “necessary”. This is unfortunate because these “boring,” neglected activities are the fundamentals that form the base of our movement. And “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do (Psalm 11:3)?” Similar to the child, it took D’Amato 5-6 years to develop Tyson (2-3 years of Rooney’s maintenance and honing), but once the goal of the championship was reached, the fundamentals were lost and Tyson’s reign ended. As a developing child, you were innately motivated to acquire the next skill, as the next skill improved your accessibility to the world. But once the goal was achieved, like Tyson, most started to neglect the fundamentals. My question to you is, “How long until your reign ends?”
The key to extending your “reign” lies in the honing and maintenance of your fundamental skills such as pushing up, squatting, dead lifting, reaching overhead, etc. Because these activities may not be the most exciting, one MUST be purposefully disciplined in the repetitious execution of these activities. This is where my friend, Marty Gallagher comes in. Marty’s “Purposeful Primitive” concept is truly about the re-acquisition, honing, and maintenance of these “primitive” movements. Marty’s track record in the strength game in the United States is unparalleled. A simple search though the power lifting archives will reveal that Marty himself is a national and world champion in addition to coaching multiple individual and team national/world championships.
The acquisition of strength is a highly misunderstood thing. Many would have you to believe that to get strong, one has to lift heavy. While this has some truth to it, it is important to understand that in many ways, strength is a skill, and as with most skills, there is an element of accuracy that must be considered. Marty’s “Five Phases to Mastery” is about just that. One must have a sound movement base to ensure an efficiently successful, thus, safe execution of a particular lift. When lacking the essentials, proper development and safety are compromised. Marty will infuse you with the fundamentals to improve your movement, and as a result, extend your “reign” .
At roughly 170lbs, I have “Tamed the Beast”, squatted and dead lifted over 3 times my bodyweight, benched over 2.5 times my bodyweight, and jerked over 1.85 times my bodyweight. I am able to perform these lifts at greater than or equal to 90% of those totals without having to “train” up to it. As a result, people often ask me how I am able to achieve and maintain these good levels of strength. The answer is simple- I am blessed me with the ability and wisdom to be purposefully primitive with my training. I still perform the rudimentary skills on a regular basis, and these things remain foundational for all my other activities. My “Beast Tamer” accomplishment occurred in August of 2008. When I decided to go for this goal (April/May of 2008), I had never laid eyes on a 106lb kettlebell and when I tried, I could hardly perform a pistol with a 26lb kettlebell. I wondered if I would I be able to go from having trouble with the pistol with a 26lb KB to cleanly performing it with 106lbs in 3-4 months.
To achieve this goal, I needed to find my weak link. I felt that I was strong enough, but I also felt like I couldn’t access that strength. So I took a step back and thought about the basic components of the pistol such as foot/ankle and hip mobility/controlled mobility, functional leg strength, pillar strength, etc. I found that I was lacking in the foot/ankle mobility/controlled mobility department. Mobility and controlled mobility are two of the four pillars (mobility, stability, controlled mobility, and skill) that I believe are paramount to efficient movement/motor acquisition. To improve my ankle mobility, I performed self ankle mobilizations and assisted deep bilateral squats frequently throughout the day, every day. As my ankle range of motion improved, I addressed the controlled mobility deficit by performing single legged stance with contra-lateral leg/foot reaches in all planes of motion (SLS with clock reaching). I performed one to three sets of five of the SLS with clock reaching one to three times daily. Once a week, I had a “pistol” session that consisted of three to five sets of one to five repetitions with the heaviest weight that I could maintain perfect form. Note that I didn’t say the heaviest weight that I could do. Perfect form was a non-negotiable at this juncture.
In one month, I went from struggling to pistol a 26lb kettlebell to performing sets of two to four reps with a 79lb kettlebell (the heaviest I had). I had no doubt in my mind that I would be ready by August. By dissecting this movement into its primitive attributes I was able uncover the path to completion. It is my belief that I should be able to perform The Beast Tamer Challenge (BTC) within no more than one week’s notice, preferably at a moment’s notice without having to perform the BTC frequently throughout the year. I accomplish this by honing and maintaining the basics that make these movements possible. Four to six times per week I perform ankle mobilizations, assisted and unassisted deep bodyweight squats, posterior scapular exercises, plank variations, and going down to and getting up from the floor via various patterns. When I tamed the beast, I didn’t own a beast and it wasn’t until fourteen months later (10/2009) that I would see one again.
In October of 2009, the RKC held its first certification on the east coast in PA. I traveled from Northern VA to show my support. While there I was asked to perform the BTC. I hadn’t touched a beast in over a year but because I am purposeful with maintaining and honing primitive attributes, I was up for the challenge. I performed the BTC without a warm-up (not something that I recommend as I know better) and though I wasn’t happy with my performance, I was able to execute all three lifts. My disappointment was rooted in the fact that I didn’t warm up which was reflected in the performance of the pistol as I had some issues with maintaining balance which prompted me to hop around a bit. I was able to redeem myself as I purchased a beast and performed a Beast Tamer Medley (C & P right, transfer with a swing, C & P left, catch it by the horns, pistol left, pistol right, set it down and link to a belt, pull-up) in less than 12 days after the PA performance. It is of utmost importance that you understand that it was the persistent disciplined execution of the basics that laid the foundation of this performance.
I have used the Mike Tyson’s story, childhood developmental stages, and my Beast Tamer quest to illustrate the importance of acquiring, sharpening, and maintaining the basics. Marty Gallaghar’s seminar "5 Phases to Mastery" outlines the necessity of a ‘back-to-basic’ training program that is often neglected. Marty has spent decades in the trenches developing this program in the pursuit of mastery of these essential movements. We are fortunate that Marty is more than willing to share his work, as it is his mission to spread this truth to assist our society and hopefully the world in the rediscovery and preservation of these primal movement skills. It will be to your benefit to take advantage of this opportunity to learn and spend some time with one of the great minds in the realm of physical culture.
Respect & Honor!
Mike that was really Beautiful, thanks for sharing.
Posted by: Don Berry | February 17, 2011 at 03:36 PM