Catch-As-Catch-Can Rising
1) Josh Barnett fought in Japan's DREAM early Monday morning on HDNet!
ATTACKING THE GUARD
PUNISHING RIDES
2) The Extended Neil Melanson Interview Regarding the New Xtreme Couture/Scientific Wrestling Connection
3) COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU: Upcoming Scientific Wrestling Trainings
4) GREAT Macebell Review I found this great primer on Macebells on the Macebell Page Facebook by Bill Argersinger: "hi folks, i have the original 10kg macebell from scientificwresting / torque athletic and i love it. Instead of buying a couple lighter versions i sought out to make my own. Here are some of the materials i considered welding to a 1.5 in. steel/iron pipe and why they worked / didn't work: 1. CAST IRON SHOTPUTS - these come in a variety of weights, 6 lb, 8 lb, 12 lb, and 16 lb. Cast iron is roughly $16 per shot...but cast iron is problematic to weld...too high of carbon content, so you have to use an expensive nickel rod and even then the weld is not as strong as one would like. I didn't actually try to get it welded...the welding rods by themselves were like $30 EACH. all for a 'maybe will work' solution. Didn't have access to a way to drill a hole and tap...like with a 3/4 in. bit...and then screwing in something...that's a possibility. Overall, cast iron would work and would be very inexpensive if you could find a way to drill a 3/4 in. hole into it and tap it. 2. STEEL SHOTPUT - there are stainless steel and non-stainless available. MUCH more expensive than cast iron (5-6x). Other issue is that they are not solid steel...they are filled with lead...and the steel shell is thin...so when you try to weld it to a steel pipe...if you get it too hot, the lead inside melts BEFORE the steel...and you can put a hole through the steel shell. if you do this, molten lead flies out like a mini volcano! seriously. this happened to me but it was a small holel... but it's ROCK SOLID. The welder said i can break down a mountain with this if i wanted. stainless steel 1.5 in 316L pipe ($19), ss 16 lb shotput ($26, ebay), welding fees and materials ($20)...works great. end of the pole is also open...so i can increase weight if i like by filling with sand or something else. Overall weight ~20 lb...slightly smaller than the 10kg macebell...one stainless steel macebell...~$65 3. STEEL DUMBELL - cut them in half...you can probably find some of these at 'play it again sports' or some other type store...same problem with cast iron vs steel...most of the hexagonal style barbells are cast iron...hard to find steel dumbells...i found a SINGLE steel dumbell that i had the welder put a pipe on. Overall, the 30 lb dumbell was $15, pipe n fittings $20, and welding fees of $30. Two 4 ft macebells for ~$70...but HARD to find a steel dumbell that unSCREWs apart (3/4 in threaded). i got lucky. but need to powdercoat/paint...more $$$ 4. BOWLING BALL - i didn't try this because I think it's tacky. There are other places on the web where this is detailed...involves a 1 in drill bit...and heating up the pole and simply jamming it in there. BB are plastic and often with a cork interior, so it all just burns away...then you hammer it home until it's tight. 16 lb...creates a roughly 4 ft long macebell...but somewhat kluggy looking. macebelling demands some viking style...i just couldn't go here personally. more power too you if you did. also i'm not interested in a bowling ball flying off the pole in my neighborhood. 5. CONCRETE - i've seen people pour up concrete in a plant pot around a pole with some holes drilled into the end...this works, is cheap...but again...sort of funky looking to me. 6. OLD WEIGHTS (like 2.5 lb / 5 lb) simply screwed onto an old barbell...with one end cut off. cheap, kluggy, but certainly works. watch out for the back of your calves...ouch. 7. WOOD / BIG LATHE...big thick piece of hickory...like the iranian meels or indian clubs...but 3+ ft long. trouble is finding a lathe long enough...and the hickory is NOT cheap...but these would be beautiful. i will do one of these eventually. I will post pictures of what i built when i can. It took a LONG time (10 hrs?) to find the stuff and make them work...all to cut the costs in half of what TORQUE ATHLETIC and others already offer...is it worth my time to do that all over again? NO. Their product is indestructible. lots of great products out there. As for other manufacturers of these workout toys...I rank them below: 1. TORQUE ATHLETIC MACEBELL- rock solid, indestructible, can be used as a hammer, can be thrown, rubberized at end. $$$$ 2. MONSTER MACE from stagger strength. Awesome looking product. about the same price as Torque but gets you several different weights in one. starts at 20 lb, add 10, add 5 more...gets you three maces...but all heavy! Probably not one you can "hammer" tires with...but a GREAT product. I only rank this product behind Torque because I really like hammering tires. no better core workout. $$$$ 3. STRONGERGRIP MACES - these are 'loadable' so present the user with a LOT of variability in weight. it's not like these are 'noisy' either...you fill them to the brim...but you use different stuff...like water, sand, steel shot...etc. depending on what you fill with, different weight. Great product...but can't hammer. Also georgeous finish. They used to offer longer ones and some crazy sizes / weights...now all that's up on their website are a subset of their old offering. $$$ I'm not going to get into clubbells, indian clubs, or persian meels here...but these are great tools too to consider. enjoy...and again, if you think you can make a workout mace...consider what your time is worth...and then just pay the guys that make them professionally, you won't regret it." Remember, you can hammer AND throw the Macebell too...
2) The Extended Neil Melanson Interview Regarding the New Xtreme Couture/Scientific Wrestling Connection
3) COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU: Upcoming Scientific Wrestling Trainings
4) GREAT Macebell Review I found this great primer on Macebells on the Macebell Page Facebook by Bill Argersinger: "hi folks, i have the original 10kg macebell from scientificwresting / torque athletic and i love it. Instead of buying a couple lighter versions i sought out to make my own. Here are some of the materials i considered welding to a 1.5 in. steel/iron pipe and why they worked / didn't work: 1. CAST IRON SHOTPUTS - these come in a variety of weights, 6 lb, 8 lb, 12 lb, and 16 lb. Cast iron is roughly $16 per shot...but cast iron is problematic to weld...too high of carbon content, so you have to use an expensive nickel rod and even then the weld is not as strong as one would like. I didn't actually try to get it welded...the welding rods by themselves were like $30 EACH. all for a 'maybe will work' solution. Didn't have access to a way to drill a hole and tap...like with a 3/4 in. bit...and then screwing in something...that's a possibility. Overall, cast iron would work and would be very inexpensive if you could find a way to drill a 3/4 in. hole into it and tap it. 2. STEEL SHOTPUT - there are stainless steel and non-stainless available. MUCH more expensive than cast iron (5-6x). Other issue is that they are not solid steel...they are filled with lead...and the steel shell is thin...so when you try to weld it to a steel pipe...if you get it too hot, the lead inside melts BEFORE the steel...and you can put a hole through the steel shell. if you do this, molten lead flies out like a mini volcano! seriously. this happened to me but it was a small holel... but it's ROCK SOLID. The welder said i can break down a mountain with this if i wanted. stainless steel 1.5 in 316L pipe ($19), ss 16 lb shotput ($26, ebay), welding fees and materials ($20)...works great. end of the pole is also open...so i can increase weight if i like by filling with sand or something else. Overall weight ~20 lb...slightly smaller than the 10kg macebell...one stainless steel macebell...~$65 3. STEEL DUMBELL - cut them in half...you can probably find some of these at 'play it again sports' or some other type store...same problem with cast iron vs steel...most of the hexagonal style barbells are cast iron...hard to find steel dumbells...i found a SINGLE steel dumbell that i had the welder put a pipe on. Overall, the 30 lb dumbell was $15, pipe n fittings $20, and welding fees of $30. Two 4 ft macebells for ~$70...but HARD to find a steel dumbell that unSCREWs apart (3/4 in threaded). i got lucky. but need to powdercoat/paint...more $$$ 4. BOWLING BALL - i didn't try this because I think it's tacky. There are other places on the web where this is detailed...involves a 1 in drill bit...and heating up the pole and simply jamming it in there. BB are plastic and often with a cork interior, so it all just burns away...then you hammer it home until it's tight. 16 lb...creates a roughly 4 ft long macebell...but somewhat kluggy looking. macebelling demands some viking style...i just couldn't go here personally. more power too you if you did. also i'm not interested in a bowling ball flying off the pole in my neighborhood. 5. CONCRETE - i've seen people pour up concrete in a plant pot around a pole with some holes drilled into the end...this works, is cheap...but again...sort of funky looking to me. 6. OLD WEIGHTS (like 2.5 lb / 5 lb) simply screwed onto an old barbell...with one end cut off. cheap, kluggy, but certainly works. watch out for the back of your calves...ouch. 7. WOOD / BIG LATHE...big thick piece of hickory...like the iranian meels or indian clubs...but 3+ ft long. trouble is finding a lathe long enough...and the hickory is NOT cheap...but these would be beautiful. i will do one of these eventually. I will post pictures of what i built when i can. It took a LONG time (10 hrs?) to find the stuff and make them work...all to cut the costs in half of what TORQUE ATHLETIC and others already offer...is it worth my time to do that all over again? NO. Their product is indestructible. lots of great products out there. As for other manufacturers of these workout toys...I rank them below: 1. TORQUE ATHLETIC MACEBELL- rock solid, indestructible, can be used as a hammer, can be thrown, rubberized at end. $$$$ 2. MONSTER MACE from stagger strength. Awesome looking product. about the same price as Torque but gets you several different weights in one. starts at 20 lb, add 10, add 5 more...gets you three maces...but all heavy! Probably not one you can "hammer" tires with...but a GREAT product. I only rank this product behind Torque because I really like hammering tires. no better core workout. $$$$ 3. STRONGERGRIP MACES - these are 'loadable' so present the user with a LOT of variability in weight. it's not like these are 'noisy' either...you fill them to the brim...but you use different stuff...like water, sand, steel shot...etc. depending on what you fill with, different weight. Great product...but can't hammer. Also georgeous finish. They used to offer longer ones and some crazy sizes / weights...now all that's up on their website are a subset of their old offering. $$$ I'm not going to get into clubbells, indian clubs, or persian meels here...but these are great tools too to consider. enjoy...and again, if you think you can make a workout mace...consider what your time is worth...and then just pay the guys that make them professionally, you won't regret it." Remember, you can hammer AND throw the Macebell too...
