Im Yellow Vs Im Blue

[Titan]

Hey Guys,

I normally post in the Gripping section but I also Bend on ocassion. I am going to be hooking up with the Alaskan Gator aka: Gator Grip and at the moment I can only get a an IM Yellow if braced. I cannot bend it "unbraced" so I'm hoping Gator Grip can give me some technique tips. I still don't know if I'm a true DO or DU? I have read articles on this and body types geared for both styles, yet I'm not sure which way to direct my energy? I have been battling a cough/flu bug for over two weeks now and everytime I go to bend now adays I seem to be pushed further back into my flu like symptoms. I can only assume this is beacuse (as you all know better than me) that when I go to bend, it is an "all out effort". My main question is for those who have bent the Mello Yellow, how soon after were you able to get the Blue. The reason I ask is tah t the Blues diameter is the same as the yellow and that seems to me like that if one could harness their focus and mental energy into telling their brain that this is the same diameter (even though it is shorter) that the Blue might come quicker than I think. Any thoughts on this mental outlook would be appreciated. I am new to bending so I'm sure I'm naive as to how the length must make it alot harder to bend. Its hard for me to compare the White and green because i got them the first try along with about a 20 degree bend on the yellow on my first attempt. Boy, Pat toys with the Reds on his new DVD. I mean toys with em!!! Thanking Everyone In Advance Kurk

[burner]

Everyone is stronger overhand, read dave and greg's article on bending, check out bender's web page, buy some sledgehammers and destroy the steel!

Happy Bending,

Burner

[bencrush]

False. Not everyone is stronger overhand. I can't bend a Yellow Nail double overhand but I've bent a Grade 5 double underhand. I actually have a hard time bending easy timber ties double overhand.

I actually think that the first few times tying either will be enough to be able to decide whether you're a true double overhand or double underhand bender. I could tell the first time I tried DU that it fit my body type or strength level better. I occasionally try to bend something DO just to see if it feels any different. But I really don't see the need to fight it if it feels "right." Just do it.

[GatorGrip]

I have to say this to my friend and fellow Florida Boy -Titan but also to others trying to find their optimum bending style for their body structure. Just as steel varies so do people and the DO style may work great for some right off the bat or maybe even later once you become more flexible in the shoulders so you can get that high under the chin DO style down. On the other hand DU style can really open the doors for some because it helps them to harness their power and release it more effectively on the bar. Now I currently use both styles but I can say for sure that at the beginning I was stopped cold in my tracks when I approached the Yellow and Blue using the DO style. I was really discouraged thinking that if I can't even do this Yellow nail how will I ever even have a chance at bending a BIG RED!

I turned to an expert and friend for some mentorship as I was thinking this bending is not my bag at all. Eric Milfeld a truly strong man physically, mentally, emotionally and definitely spiritually told me to hang in there and read Clay Edgin’s article on bending for body types. Well I took Eric's advice and based on the article it basically said that I would be stronger DU style (although not always the case it seems true for the majority). I tired an experiment with a pair of Yellows and a Pair of Blues. 1 of each using the DO style and right after that I tried 1 of each using the DU style. Well for me the results spoke for themselves.

http://www.gripboard.com

Bottom Line is don't get discouraged it takes way to much energy that could be used for training.

Try the different bending styles to see what is more productive for you. Don't use the Double Overhand Style just because most of the big accomplished benders use the technique like Eric Milfeld, Gred Amidon, and Clay Edgin and many more but these 3 are certified Red Nail Benders so it must work for them well or they would have never reached that elite level. Just remember there is no magic in styles it is just the way someone gains the maximum leverage on a piece of steel which allows them to exert all their energy into the bar which must bend to your will eventually, it may take minutes as I found with the Yellow and Blue and as you progress to the harder, shorter, and thicker stuff the progress may slow down but you are building on what your body has already adapted to and if you can stay energy free (not necessarily pain free because bending objects that were not expected to be bent with human hands will put a hurtin on you for certain, but soreness, blisters, some minor strains are acceptable in your quest, but ligament or tendon tears or severe strains and taking large slabs of skin off your hands is not and for the most part is totally avoidable. The culprit that causes these injuries is not the metal it is the mental guy holding it that wants to get that next PR (personal record) at all costs. If you keep depositing your energy on a particular piece of steel, nail or bolt that you are not yet ready for either in strength or technique you will eventually be paid back with a injury. You will reap what you sow, so you must sow wisely. Try the Double Undererhand Style as there are accomplished guys who use this style as their primary bending technique like Big Steve McGranahan, James "Shrug" Smith and David Morton is also a very strong DU style bender and many more but these 3 are certified Red Nail Benders so it must work for them well or they would have never reached that elite level.

One style that you don’t often see used is the Reverse Style, which I believe is David Horne’s specialty. So even these greats do not just use a style because so an so uses it they use what works for them most optimally and they experimented to find their groove. So if these elite benders and strong men gave them a chance so should you.

So Again don’t get discouraged if that metal has begun to bend yet just give an honest effort using each of the different bending styles and whatever one you gain the best results from deserves you utmost attention to refine your technique using it, but on the other side of the coin do not dismiss a particular style forever because it is way to early in the game to get yourself set in stone.

Good Luck to all but LUCK is really when PREPARATION meets OPPORTUNITY

Your Bending Buddy and Fellow Grip Fanatic GatorGrip

[jomcgui]

I bent the blue roughly 3 weeks after the my first yellow. Did it DO. Seems to work for me especially the momentum from the high under the chin start. From what i can tell the gap from the yellow to the blue is not as big as a green to a yellow. I think what helped me was bending 3/16 square. I think that I must have bought som CRS square stock as it was much more difficult than the home depot variety. Also i cut it down to green nail length. Some days it is still a struggle to get that square bent might even be gharder than the blue that I have. But keep at it and try backing off a bit too might help .

[rolf]

I can't remember how long it took me to advance from the yellow to the blue. As I like to take things slowly with bending, I'd have to say months.

I progressed by cutting the yellow shorter. Being a metric guy, I first bent them with .5 cm (~1/5") cut off. Once that got easy, I progressed to 1 cm cut off, etc. When I once had my GF time my bends (a good way to measure progress, IMO) and bent a yellow with 1 cm cut off in 10 seconds, I decided to give the blue a go. Took 20 seconds.

Rolle

[FrankyBoy]

Up to now everyone I taught in bending was stronger DO than DU or reverse style.

For some guys it just took a couple of sessions to get their form down.

For quite a while I was stronger with DU (G5 yes) than DO (Yellow no) also, but after another session with Greg and Dave on webcam I suddenly got this technique and could get the G8 down immediately.

DO is much more technically challenging when first encountered and it seems a bit more difficult when using larger stock (Yellow vs Blue eg) especially for 'smaller' guys.

False.  Not everyone is stronger overhand.  I can't bend a Yellow Nail double overhand but I've bent a Grade 5 double underhand.  I actually have a hard time bending easy timber ties double overhand. 

I actually think that the first few times tying either will be enough to be able to decide whether you're a true double overhand or double underhand bender.  I could tell the first time I tried DU that it fit my body type or strength level better.  I occasionally try to bend something DO just to see if it feels any different.  But I really don't see the need to fight it if it feels "right."  Just do it.

←

[kerbjr]

If you can physically get into the position, then DO is the most efficient way to bend period. It does take some work to figure out, and someone in person helping you is best. I began my bending life with DU, and actually bent the blue first try, but progression from there was slow. I have seen some relatively weak men get hard 60d nails first time bending using DO, with instruction and demo. It is also a lot less painfull for the wrists, with Du I was very close to getting grade 8's, but it was taking up to 3 weeks to recover from bending cause my wrists hurt so dang bad......Look at the list of Red benders, most of those guys certed with DO because..................... ......Brett

[Lyle]

for the record, still kink DU but only need about 5d bend before I can flip and finish DO.

[rolf]

I just remembered I have my first yellow and blue nails stored and tagged with dates. Doh! Yellow: January 2nd; Blue: February 26th. So, quicker than I thought.

Rolle

[Titan]

I can't remember how long it took me to advance from the yellow to the blue. As I like to take things slowly with bending, I'd have to say months.

I progressed by cutting the yellow shorter. Being a metric guy, I first bent them with .5 cm (~1/5") cut off. Once that got easy, I progressed to 1 cm cut off, etc. When I once had my GF time my bends (a good way to measure progress, IMO) and bent a yellow with 1 cm cut off in 10 seconds, I decided to give the blue a go. Took 20 seconds.

Rolle

←

Great idea. I never thought to keep cuttin my Yellow alittl shorter. However, one of my problems is getting the Yellow unbraced. I can only bend it braced at the moment. I would think mentally it helps a bender to know that the next lever (ex blue) is the same diameter as the Yellow but just shorter, so I would think that would be a mental boost knowing you have already bent something of the same diameter. As we all know the next level is a HUGE jump in diameter. Good Advice. Titan

[GatorGrip]

Great idea.  I never thought to keep cuttin my Yellow alittl shorter.  However, one of my problems is getting the Yellow unbraced.  I can only bend it braced at the moment.  I would think mentally it helps a bender to know that the next lever (ex blue) is the same diameter as the Yellow but just shorter, so I would think that would be a mental boost knowing you have already bent something of the same diameter.  As we all know the next level is a HUGE jump in diameter.  Good Advice.      Titan

This is all but a memory now since Titan bent his first IM Yellow nail on 26 May 05 un-braced the first time he tried the DU (double underhand) style I showed him. He also turned right around and took an IM Blue nail well past the kink stage and actually entering into the sweep good. This again was his first Blue nail try so I think he did excellent seeing how he had never even tried DU and was running on less than a handful of hours of sleep with jet lag due to flying from south Florida to Alaska then driving 7 plus hours to meet me in Fairbanks. He never said this or even complained but for me I know he was not on his game but still set his first big bending PR. So moral of the story is try the different bending styles to see which one suit your body mechanics and you may be amazed at the results you receive. I know I was I could barely kink a Yellow & Blue DO (actually a bad version of DO) but on a suggestion I tried the DU style and wham Yellow was

V-shaped in seconds so I picked up a Blue and Bam it to was warped into the

V-shape so experiment and tweak your hand and arm positions a little until you find that SWEET SPOT that gives you the results you desire.

Now GO GET BENT!

Congats again TITAN on a job well done and I expect to see some great progress from you in the future my friend.

[Left Side]

Great job Titan, you'll get the blue in no time.

[DAN PRAYDIS]

Everyone is stronger overhand, read dave and greg's article on bending, check out bender's web page, buy some sledgehammers and destroy the steel!

Happy Bending,

Burner

←

burner i have real strong wrists and i know i'm stronger under bending than over and i just started doing both i now have to get strong enough to bend a red du to cert this way so wish me luck

[Oldtime]

Hey Guys,

I normally post in the Gripping section but I also Bend on ocassion.  I am going to be hooking up with the Alaskan Gator  aka: Gator Grip and at the moment I can only get a an IM Yellow if braced.  I cannot bend it "unbraced"

How tall are you? How long are your arms?

Im 6'1 and from figner tip to finger tip is 6'4 i struggle with a green a little double under hand and can bend yellows and 6.5's fairly easy.

Heres somthing you can try.

Get a green bend it double underhand with no bracing.

Then double overhand tucked up under your chin or fairly close to it.

Get someone to time those bends which ever one is faster you are better at, now of coarse if its only a second off this doesn't really mean anything.

I find that once i am bending about 6.25 yellows fairly easy im ready for a blue.

[Titan]

Hey Guys,

I normally post in the Gripping section but I also Bend on ocassion.  I am going to be hooking up with the Alaskan Gator  aka: Gator Grip and at the moment I can only get a an IM Yellow if braced.  I cannot bend it "unbraced"

How tall are you? How long are your arms?

Im 6'1 and from figner tip to finger tip is 6'4 i struggle with a green a little double under hand and can bend yellows and 6.5's fairly easy.

Heres somthing you can try.

Get a green bend it double underhand with no bracing.

Then double overhand tucked up under your chin or fairly close to it.

Get someone to time those bends which ever one is faster you are better at, now of coarse if its only a second off this doesn't really mean anything.

I find that once i am bending about 6.25 yellows fairly easy im ready for a blue.

←

Thanks. I will definitly try that. We (my wife and I) just got in late last night from the 2005 AOBS in NJ. Wow, what a great time we had. Later Titan