#biglargehuge

Read Learning 101: Things I have learned about fighting

I am a man learning to defend myself. Let's see what else life and trainers have taught me.

  Sparring helmets do little. And also a lot

I have taken quite a few solid shots to the noggin with a sparring helmet on. I am sure the damage is lessened but hell man. That's my freakin' head. You definitely come out rattled. Especially when folks think that head gear absorbs everything. In actuality, your head adsorbs everything. The gear just sort of caresses your head and says "It'll be ok". Kinda comforting. Kinda not.

  Professional fighters humble you greatly

Nothing is more humbling than sparring with someone who fights for a living. No matter how good you think you are, this guy or woman is way, way, way better.  After grappling a few seconds with my instructor, thinking I had certain things down and others completely set, I was thrown over and put into a rear naked choke, effortlessly. I was quickly reminded that I was dealing with a man who defeated Anderson Silva, arguably the greatest mixed martial arts fighter on earth today. This guy beat the greatest fighter on earth. Why in the double fuck did I think I was doing well. Humble pie eaten. Humble pie devoured.

  Angry = sloppy

Not that I have gotten angry, but watching other fellas take shots personally and then using that anger in the spar, however slight, makes the technique shit. If you aren't focusing on your technique, you are slowly losing. Unless you are Kratos and anger just sort of fuels you. Then by all means.

  Gym buddies are invaluable

For me, gyms are a strange place. Being an anti-social mess doesn't help either. Gym buddies help quell that little imp inside you screaming to run for the hills. They help sparring as well, they are less likely to take out the days aggression if the face underneath the head gear is familiar and not hated.

  Compression shorts are a smart buy

Go get kicked in the nuts. Then go buy compression shorts with a cup. Then come back and read this.

...

Right? I know...

  I don't like fighting

The more I do it, the less I dig it. I have no desire to punch another human in the head, guts or genitals. I would hate for it to happen to me so why would I take pleasure in doing it. Watching some poor bastard get rocked in the jaw is definitely more my speed. I suppose, you can't truly laugh at a man getting knocked on his ass until it has happened to you. So go out and get the shit kicked out of you at least once. Then you have carte blanche to laugh and snicker at anyone who takes a beating. If anyone asks just say "I am the only one who truly understand him/her".

It was a Friday in September in 1998 at my childhood home at 5pm that I experienced a JRPG for the first time. That JRPG was Final Fantasy VII. When I say I didn't sleep for 10+ hours while playing that game, all my FF7 fans know I am serious. That isn't even the most time people have spent on a single play-through of that game. Our own Darren E. knows what extreme dedication to that game is. Needless to say, we are huge fans of Final Fantasy VII, so when a remake was rumored all those years ago, we were naturally ecstatic. Then when the PS3 was announced and the FFVII tech demo was shown, fanboys erupted in a chorus of "YES". But since then the remake has been hearsay and conjecture. It has been contested by Square Enix and has been dangled in front of us for a very long time. It has come to the point where I don't even know if we need it.

Games under the FFVII banner have been produced. The PSP game Crisis Core is a great addition to the universe and explains a lot of back story. It also gives us a glimpse into what an updated FF7 would look like.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Via IGN[/caption]

It has been 15 years since FFVII came out and blew our minds. Could a remake recapture that magic? It remains to be seen. The reason we all look back so fondly on that game is the same reason we love amusement parks or certain shitty cartoons *cough Thundercats *. The memories we attach to those things is what makes it awesome. That is not to say that FF7 isn't awesome on its own merits. I think it still holds up today as a great gaming experience, but I am one man who loves that game. Would a young kid today, spoiled by the Gears of War's and Uncharted's of today, be able to play through the relic that is Final Fantasy VII?

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="640"] What a beautiful relic[/caption]

Perhaps not. In that case, a remake could be used to introduce that wonderful game to a new generation. But is that necessary? I don't hear kids clamoring for a remake. Its the guys and gals who grew up with it that want it. This generation has Final Fantasy 13 and the like, they are making their memories with the current games already.

Expectations would be extremely high for such a game. Truth is, there is nothing Square could do that would satisfy everyone's FFVII love. I, personally, would not want a newer, glossier version of one of my favorite RPG's. I wouldn't mind, but I am not beating down doors for it.  I would like to leave that experience where it is. To me, the game is near perfect, in terms of fun and engagement. Updating it wouldn't really make the game any better to me. But again, it's just one guys opinion.

  Memory attached to Final Fantasy VII: The smell of Eucalyptus and the stress-less wonder of grammar school

  What memories have you attached to FFVII? Share in the comments below.

[audio: http://www.biglargehuge.com/podcasts/blh_gameify_ep04.mp3]

Undead Labs rolled in a few weeks ago and talked up their upcoming game Class 3 and the zombie apocalypse in general (listen to the interview above). We were told to sit tight and wait for PAX, where UL would unleash their own zombie virus on the world. Well someone spilled the vial early as the masses now get a full on trailer of Undead Labs new game. What was once Class3 is now State of Decay. Check out the trailer below.

[youtube http://youtu.be/U8yvLrjnGdU]

  Seeing human characters that are so capable is refreshing in a zombie game. Dropkicks, donuts, I saw a flashlight at some point. Needless to say BLH will be sticking close to this game and its survivors. Head on over to Undead Labs for the full rundown and stick with us for our ongoing coverage of State of Decay.

With Metal Gear Solid 4 back in the spotlight after receiving trophy support after 4 years, I thought it would be a good time to release anotehr Great Moments in Gaming.  Solid Snake, come on down!

SPOILERS!! If you haven't yet experienced the insanity that is Metal Gear Solid 4, and have been living under a rock for the past 4 years, maybe skip this vid. Maybe.

[youtube http://youtu.be/TbrDqd7-HXY?t=6m3s]

Yea, that was intense. MGS4 has quite a few notable moments that will make fans of the series perk up and feel something. One in particular comes to mind that I won't spoil (in this post) but I felt as though this event had a bit more weight.

Solid Snake is old and dying. The man has little left in the tank and he knows it. So when the opportunity comes to do something reckless and stupid, he jumps at the chance to be a badass mother****er one more time. I don't know about you but I never tapped a button so hard in my whole got-dern life. Wore a bit of the triangle off the damn controller after that scene. I couldn't watch snake defeat Metal Gears, ninjas and a quick-draw villain who was "possessed" by the arm of his dead clone brother, to be killed by a very large kitchen appliance. No sir. Not in this life.

SNAAAAAAAAAAAAAKE!

[caption id="attachment_2319" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Shoulder kicks. Devastating.[/caption]

Chael Sonnen got me thinking. What a difference vanity managers could make for the UFC. The reason hype is so hard to come by in the sport of MMA is that the fighters have very little reason to dislike one another. It usually comes down to "I respect the guy but I am going to go in there and try to take his head off" instead of "He fucked my wife, so I am going to take my divorce out on his face". That being said, managers could work wonders to manufacture hype for a fight. I am sure this is a ridiculous idea but it's an idea. Or maybe we should classify it as a strange stream of consciousness. I don't see you coming up with any ideas ya jerk. I'm sorry, you're not a jerk. What was I talking about?

Oh yes, Chael Sonnen has proven to the masses that the man knows how to work a mic. He single handled turned UFC 148 into a Wrestlemania-like event. It was a spectacle. It pitted Brazil vs the US for toaster's sake! That's big. Sonnen did it alone, all alone. He grabbed a mic at every chance he got and hyped the shit out of his eventual rematch with Anderson Silva. He said he hated Silva, said Brazil wasn't shit. Talked about Silva's wife, claimed he would retire if he lost, called Silva a fake champ, and on and on and more and more until July 7th came and Las Vegas erupted.

Recently, Uncle Chael has has created his own weight class and begun his buttery smooth hype locomotive all over again. Check out this tweet from Facebook

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="515"] Via MiddleEasy[/caption]

Could you imagine if Sonnen used his evil powers for the good of MMA? Hyping fights across the organization. What a glorious time that would be. I am sure Sonnen alienates a lot of fans but you still listen to him. Whether you hate him or love him you listen. Now imagine that there were multiple versions of Chael, out there managing different fighters. Engaging with other Chael like entities to hype up fights. I think my head would implode from all the excitement every month.

Side note: Could you imagine an imploded head? Everyone always mentions a head exploding, but imploding? That just seems worse. I guess you still end up headless in the end. Whatever.

I would love to see Chael Sonnen in a suit, accompanying another fighter to the cage. Perhaps engaging the crowd, maybe he has a megaphone. A purple suit? I am spit balling here people.

  Also, if you are too young to know who Bobby "The Brain" Heenan is, take a look at this

[youtube http://youtu.be/-LMiYq9DC-0]

  And that isn't even at the man's best. He had swagger, he made you listen, he made you care. Just sayin', there is a connection.

[caption id="attachment_2323" align="aligncenter" width="615"] Anyone who stood next to Macho Man had to be a great man[/caption]