The Human Path

Fernando "FerFAL" Aguirre's book is a Modern Survival Manual based on first hand experience of the 2001 Economic Collapse in Argentina. In it you will find a variety of subjects that I consider essential if a person wants to be prepared for tougher times: -How to prepare your family, yourself, your home and your vehicle, how to prepare your finances so that you don't suffer what millions in my country went through, how to prepare your supplies for food shortages and power failures, how to correctly fight with a chair, gun, knife, pen or choke with your bare hands if required; and most importantly, how to reach a good awareness level so that you can avoid having to do all that. These are just a few examples of what you will find in this book. It's about Attitude, and being a more capable person and get the politically correct wimp out of your system completely. Today's podcast continues to discuss how to cope with a societal/economic breakdown.  Fernando and Sam discuss: What are your options at the point that you want to pull away from mainstream society because of economic and social breakdown? The importance of attitude in survival and self defense The importance of physical conditioning for survival The sad truth about the mechanisms of control in the USA and every other society Listen to the first half of this podcast: Episode 050: Surviving The Economy Collapse This book can be purchased at Amazon

Fernando "FerFAL" Aguirre's book is a Modern Survival Manual based on first hand experience of the 2001 Economic Collapse in Argentina. In it you will find a variety of subjects that I consider essential if a person wants to be prepared for tougher times: -How to prepare your family, yourself, your home and your vehicle, how to prepare your finances so that you don't suffer what millions in my country went through, how to prepare your supplies for food shortages and power failures, how to correctly fight with a chair, gun, knife, pen or choke with your bare hands if required; and most importantly, how to reach a good awareness level so that you can avoid having to do all that. These are just a few examples of what you will find in this book. It's about Attitude, and being a more capable person and get the politically correct wimp out of your system completely. Fernando "FerFAL" Aguirre is a father, husband and survivalist who has lived through the Argentine socio-economic collapse of 2001, and the consequences such collapse had in the years that followed. He's the author of numerous articles found on line and is recognized among the survival and preparedness community for his personal experience and no-nonsense approach to survivalism. He's also the publisher and owner of "Surviving in Argentina", a blog he keep up with updated articles, posts as well as reports of the situation in Argentina. Sam Coffman and Fernando Aguirre discuss the collapse of the economy and society in Argentina in 2001. The reality of an economic collapse (it doesn't just happen overnight) What happened to the money and the banks in Argentina and how did that effect the country? The importance of preparedness for the basic necessities The importance of home and personal defense How realistic is it to hide away in a remote bunker? The 2nd part of this podcast will be released tomorrow and the discussion into one man's real-life survival of his country's economic collapse will continue.  Think you're prepared?  Perhaps what you're preparing for isn't what you think. This book can be purchased at Amazon

Jonathan Jacob Lifvendahl is a personal trainer and fitness/conditioning coach in the Seattle area.  He has an extensive background as a Professional Mixed Martial Artist, an MMA conditioning coach, a Muay Thai champion fighter and nutrition coach. His website is located at www.dragon-conditioning.com. In today's episode, Sam and Johnathon discuss the role that nutrition plays in fitness and health: eating for nutrition, not for calories: how to eat as many nutrient-dense foods as possible rather than just calorie counting juicing techniques with macro-nutrients a primal food diet and forest gardening as a source of dense nutrition how making our food our medicine is a step towards getting back to where we should be as healthy humans Listen to the first podcast with Johnathon, 'The Zen of Ass-Kicking'

Jonathan Jacob Lifvendahl is a personal trainer and fitness/conditioning coach in the Seattle area.  He has an extensive background as a Professional Mixed Martial Artist, an MMA conditioning coach, a Muay Thai champion fighter and nutrition coach. His website is located at www.dragon-conditioning.com. In today's episode, Sam Coffman and Jonathan discuss mixed martial arts and its effect on fitness: What movement and exercise are really all about How many people do not understand how to prepare the body for what its really intended to do Learning to be relaxed in combat vs. turning on intense bursts of energy How mixed martial arts has changed the way we look at training, sports and getting into shape Why cross-training is so important How emotion ties into combatitive situations Translating a training attitude into a real-life danger situation

In this episode, Sam and Nicole discuss Borago officinalis - Borage. Borage is a very powerful medicinal plant that is energetically cooling in nature.  Sam and Nicole discuss their different approaches to this herb around points such as: Is borage safe to take internally? What is an adaptogen? Does it have a different effect on females vs. males? Is it better as a simple, or as part of a formula? What are the energetic applications of borage? Listen to Part 1, herbology episode 044: Skullcap Listen to yesterday's Part 2, herbology episode 046: Algerito Check out our online blog on making algerito jam

In this episode, Sam Coffman and Nicole Telkes discuss Berberis trifoliolata (Mahonia trifoliolata) - Common names of Desert Barberry, Algerita, Agarito, Agorita and more. This plant is a remarkable medicinal plant found throughout the drier areas of TX and the southwest.  Aside from its edible berries, the stem, leaf and root are fantastic medicine.  Listen in as Sam and Nicole discuss topics such as: Is algerita the "Goldenseal of the hill country?" What are the extensive medicinal uses of algerita? Can it be used internally as well as externally? Is there any part of this plant that can't be used in some way for food or medicine? What parts are best to use medicinally, and how should they be prepared? Listen to Podcast episode 044: Skullcap. Check out an earlier blog entry about making jam with Algerito here. Tomorrow we will finish this series up with a discussion on Borage.

In this podcast, Sam Coffman discusses preparedness for a fire.  A fire can destroy everything you own in literally a matter of minutes.  Preparing for a disaster like this is a little different than preparing for a social or economic breakdown, but there is a lot of overlap. In this episode, Sam talks about: The different timelines to prep for and how they differ What are you going to have to do, post-fire to get your life back together and what will it involve that you can prepare for now? Ways to backup and secure your personal documents What do you need to consider in regards to your fire-insurance? The purpose of inventory What personal disaster preparedness steps can you take in your own home? How can you maximize the prepping you are already doing, to include prepping for a personal disaster like a fire?

This podcast is the first part of several discussions between Human Path instructor Sam Coffman and local herbalist Nicole Telkes on herbology. Today, in their podcast about specific herbs, Nicole and Sam discuss skullcap, Scutellaria laterifolia: a discussion of the properties of skullcap -- it is a cooling and calming herb that gives a very focused relaxation effect, helps with physical addiction and mental clarity among other things skullcap contains baicalin, which is very effective in hampering harmful bacteria growth different species and regional varieties may not contain the same constituents or taste the same skullcap is an effective pain reliever when used within a formula getting to know skullcap well is a lifetime of work online database of botanical and chemical research for herbs: Dr Duke's Phytochemical and Ethnobotanical Database Previous Herbology Podcast Series: Community Gardening and Bringing Medicine to the people Herbal Medicine in a Trauma Setting/Western Medicine integrating with herbalism Wildcrafting and Weedcrafting About Nicole Telkes: - Nicole is a Practicing Registered Herbalist and Licensed Massage Therapist in Austin, TX. - Her school, Wildflower School of Botanical Medicine is also located in the Austin area and offers a number of different educational programs and classes in plant medicine. - - - - Nicole's blog can be found here.

Jereme Sanders has been training in the discipline of parkour for seven years. He also has experience in Jujitsu, grappling, and other martial arts. "I saw parkour for the first time on Ripley's Believe It Or Not. It was the group called the Yamakasi. They were one of the first groups to show parkour movements on TV. It was amazing. I immediately grabbed my friend Vinnie and said 'let's try this' or 'we can do that'. Now, seven years later, I have the honor of teaching people those movements, what we learned on the streets." In today's podcast, Sam and Jereme talk about how a new parkour workout is going to be integrated into this fall's scouting program at the Human Path.  They talk about: Basic parkour techniques: footwork, balance, jumping, precision and foot placement How the fitness level of anyone will determine where on the ladder you start with parkour How parkour will look unique to each person that does it and is not limited to a certain body type or age Progress on the new parkour park planned in the Live Oak area of San Antonio About the programs offered through the ParkourSA school Upcoming scouting classes that will use parkour and movement techniques this fall ParkourSA.com website Check out one of the ParlourSA videos on YouTube

Jereme Sanders has been training in the discipline of parkour for seven years. He also has experience in Jujitsu, grappling, and other martial arts. "I saw parkour for the first time on Ripley's Believe It Or Not. It was the group called the Yamakasi. They were one of the first groups to show parkour movements on TV. It was amazing. I immediately grabbed my friend Vinnie and said 'let's try this' or 'we can do that'. Now, seven years later, I have the honor of teaching people those movements, what we learned on the streets." By practicing parkour and through research online, Jereme met some of the more experienced traceurs - practitioners of parkour - in other countries. They began instructing him in the basics of the discipline until he learned the safest way to train and teach. He became advance enough to become a member of The Tribe, American Parkour's international performance team. "What I first learned through trial and error, I can now pass on more safely and teach progressions into the difficult movements. It's great to train and work what you love." Jereme guides kids and adults, men and women, in strength building and becoming sure of themselves and their bodies. He is one of the most successful trainers of parkour in America and teaches some of the most amazing human movements possible. In today's podcast, Sam and Jereme talk about how a new parkour workout is going to be integrated into this fall's scouting program at the Human Path.  They talk about: Parkour basics and the fundamental concepts of parkour and movement The safer way to practice parkour without injury The 3 parts of parkour: physical, mental and technical components that stem from physical conditioning How many ways a person can move, based off their body type and background to create a very unique expression of movement Interesting upcoming challenges of moving a city-based parkour workout into nature with the unpredictability of the landscape and using a scouting mindset How a parkour obstacle course will totally change any existing workout by pushing the body's boundaries differently ParkourSA.com website Check out one of the ParlourSA videos on YouTube

Recently, we've heard a lot about disasters, like Hurricane Irene, the flooding going on throughout the country, earthquakes and more.  When the power goes out, what do you do?  Today's Quick And Prepared podcast is a very brief overview on power needs, by Human Path instructor Sam Coffman on the most important things to do first in the event of a disaster. What do you do when the power goes out?  4 Important Power Needs to Consider: Light.  We briefly cover the lowest wattage options that are quick and simple to have on hand or grab in a 5-minute grocery store run. Communication: an essential during an emergency.  By having simple portable battery, solar-powered batteries, solar chargers or one-way radios, you can keep smaller items like laptops and phones charged heat things up: cooking.  As simple as a camp stove or a barbeque grill, tips on how to use your energy source best and how to cook most efficiently cool things down: essential for keeping your food from spoiling. Tips on how to rotate power sources to accomplish this. Basic emergency preparation will help you to address needs from a natural disaster to a power outage caused by environmental or system breakdowns.  Knowing how to react can keep your family more comfortable and safe. Episode 040: Basic Emergency Preparedness  

Recently, we've heard a lot about disasters, like Hurricane Irene, the flooding going on throughout the country, earthquakes and more.  When the power go out, what do you do? Today's Quick And Prepared podcast is a very brief overview by Human Path instructor Sam Coffman on the most important things to do first in the event of a disaster. What can you do when there is an emergency? water: your most important essential. Each person needs at least one gallon, per day. How to procure 50 - 80 gallons of water from your own home food rationing: the best foods to have on-hand in both your pantry and in your refrigerator a store run: be prepared by knowing exactly what you need to get if you only had 5 minutes in a grocery store during a rush This is one segment of several we will be posting as a quick resource for knowing what to do in the event of a natural disaster.

In today’s episode, Sam Coffman finishes a discussion on earth-based concepts with one of The Human Path instructors:  Scott Schoner.  Scott Schoner has 12 years of both enlisted and commissioned military service, ranging from combat engineer to the majority of experience in airborne and light infantry units.  Scott has studied several forms of martial arts over several decades, and holds a black belt in Aikido. He has spent years training in outdoor skills and has attended numerous nature awareness and survival courses at a wide variety of schools, most notably Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School. He is certified in Wilderness First Aid, PADI Rescue Diving.Scott also teaches an amazing “Energetics and Spirit” series at The Human Path which focuses on helping people organize their lives on a deeper level than simply physical – regardless of their religious or spiritual views.In this episode, Scott and Sam discuss: the importance of support on your chosen spiritual path intent: making the decision to help a community is vital in establishing a connection with both your self and the planet and living things. The Scout: a quick overview of scout skills How listening and deeper awareness on an energetic level is a crucial part of the scout role How the energetic and spiritual increased intuition works in tandem with being the physical eyes and ears for the team as a scout How the scout refines and uses their sesnes to analyze a situation that may not 'feel' quite right to help avoid negative situation. Scouting courses will be starting this fall through The Human Path.  To get information on the dates and requirements, please sign up for details here!

In today’s episode, Sam Coffman discusses earth-based concepts with one of The Human Path instructors:  Scott Schoner.Scott Schoner has 12 years of both enlisted and commissioned military service, ranging from combat engineer to the majority of experience in airborne and light infantry units.  Scott has studied several forms of martial arts over several decades, and holds a black belt in Aikido. He has spent years training in outdoor skills and has attended numerous nature awareness and survival courses at a wide variety of schools, most notably Tom Brown Jr.'s Tracker School. He is certified in Wilderness First Aid, PADI Rescue Diving. Scott also teaches an amazing “Energetics and Spirit” series at The Human Path which focuses on helping people organize their lives on a deeper level than simply physical – regardless of their religious or spiritual views.In this episode, Scott and Sam discuss: Our connection between our human bodies and needs, and the connection we actually all have with the planet whether we acknowledge it or not The Pragmatic vs. the Philosophical sides to a study or way of life How we define who we are How to take steps to improve your life on whatever level is most important to you The importance of practicing physical skills in tandem with the philosophical and community aspects Scott will be teaching the 'Energetics and Spirit' class on August 26 - 28th at our Austin outdoor classroom. For information, please check out the class details online.

Joshua Hamlin teaches and practices primitive skills and wilderness survival consistently.  Aside from teaching for various US schools, he also is an instructor at the annual Bios d'Arc Primitive Skills and Knap In every fall in Missouri - http://www.boisdarc.info/.Joshua's YouTube channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/WildPrimitiveSkills - is filled with educational videos on various primitive skills that you might not find in other places on YouTube. In this episode, Sam Coffman and Joshua Hamlin finish discussing Joshua's experiences when he put himself to the test and lived off the land for 2 years using only primitive tools.  They talk about the mistakes he made and what he learned from them.  They discuss the importance of making mistakes in a "safer" environment because of what can be learned by those valuable experiences.