On Manliness

Becoming a Man isn't something that Nature takes care of for us anymore. These times it is still quite feasible for a 40-year old to live at home with his parents, never having fucked a real girl, with only his Playstation for company.

Although this is probably an extreme example, it is definitely relevant and I suspect many of the users of this board are still in their early 20s and not yet "manly" in a way that will have girls attracted to them on mere sight.

Becoming a Man is HARD and a lonely undertaking, but NOT optional, if you have a penis dangling between your legs. It is precisely the willingness to endure hardship that separates the Men from the boys. (Look at the ancient Spartans).

The following is a list of activities I personally have found extremely helpful in developing the MIND of a Man rather than nursing my inner child.

1. This one has been drilled into your skull (hopefully) but it's still so important I'll start my list with it:

Lift heavy weights. A muscular build is incredible "manly" and will aid in retaining your levels of testosterone as you grow out of adolescence. Do it. (Long distance running is also a superb way of developing mental endurance, but should always be a supplement to weight lifting, never a substitute.)

2. Learn a martial art. These skillsets were developed by people who survived actual life-and-death combat and the underlying philosophy should hopefully reflect this fact. I personally prefer the tried and tested methods of traditional Japanese martial art, Kobudo, but combat-tested styles exists everywhere in the world. Full contact sparring is definitely a necessity, though, so if your chosen style doesn't offer this, enter MMA-tournaments to learn what a fight with someone very good and hell-bent on hurting you feels like. Alternatively, train in all the different schools you can for a shorter period, learning the basics of each system. This will eventually give you a great overview and a good perspective of what works and what is just "mat-jockeying".

3. Heavy bag work. Get a heavy punching bag and hang it somewhere in your home. Use it to develop your ability to kick and punch HARD and to develop your own confidence in this ability. I don't really have to explain why knowing you can knock out most guys with a single hard punch to the jaw is "manly", do I?

4. Conditioning of your body weapons. In Okinawan Karate a tool called the "Makiwara" is used to achieve hard knuckles, edge of the hand, elbows and toes, etc. Drilling your hands into sand, punching and kicking rocks or tree trunks or stripping them of their bark with your fingers are other related methods, as is banging a wooden club or a heavy-duty bottle against your shins and forearms. This will get you accustomed to the sensation of pain and gradually desensitize
your mind to its effects.

5. Join the military. Learning the skills needed to survive on the battle field today is still the fastest route to becoming a Man. Just don't bitch about it being "too hard"... It's fucking SUPPOSED to be, remember?!

Good luck,

Dog.