MSI Press Blog

Reflections on Strategy, Gravity, and the Art of Falling at 75 I haven’t been back to the rock gym in a while—it’s thirty miles out, and other demands have crept in—but the wall is still in me. I think about climbing often: the problem-solving, the weight shifts, the quiet math of reach and momentum. What stays with me most, though, is this truth—climbing walls don’t care how old you are. They don’t care if your arms are short, your knees creaky, or your ID says you’ve been around for seven and a half decades. All a wall asks is: what’s your next move? 🦵 Planning Beats Reach I climb slow. Not out of hesitation, but precision. I have proportionally short arms for climbing, so getting high means using my legs as leverage—sometimes even when there’s no foothold. That’s where strategy takes over. I’ve learned that leg pressure can transform vertical surfaces into temporary holds. In biomechanical terms, it’s dynamic friction: your momentum temporarily overtakes gravity, letting the wa...

  Coming soon! Watch for it!  Grandma's Ninja Training Diary  (Leaver and Renz) Grandma’s Ninja Training Diary  is the inspiring true story of a 70-year-old grandmother who dares to dream big—by training for  American Ninja Warrior . Teaming up with coach and trainer Brittany Renz, she embarks on a three-year journey to build strength, resilience, flexibility, balance, and endurance—starting from scratch. Told in a dynamic mix of diary entries, coaching insights, and behind-the-scenes reflections, this book chronicles the ups and downs of late-in-life athletic training. From gym workouts to rock climbing, yoga to injury recovery, sleep to mindset—every aspect of the transformation is explored with honesty and humor. Grandma shares what she’s learning; Coach Brittany explains why she’s right—or wrong. Together, they offer a realistic, encouraging look at what it takes to pursue an extraordinary goal at any age. Part training manual, part motivational memoir,...

Entry: The Rebel Days Training like a ninja isn't just about grit—it's also about grace. And grace, my friends, includes rebellion. Every ten months or so, something inside me throws down the towel. Not the sweaty gym towel, mind you—that one I hang up neatly after a workout. No, this is a different kind of gesture. It’s the inner rebel saying: Enough of the schedule. Enough of the daily "gimnastika." Enough of the push. I go on strike. A quiet, stealthy strike. Sometimes the excuse is legitimate—kids sick, household on high alert, publishing deadlines stacked like pancakes. Sometimes it’s the more subtle voice that whispers, You don’t have to be heroic today. And I listen. I skip the gym. I ditch the floor routine. I play hooky. Sure, guilt tries to creep in. It likes to disguise itself as discipline. But over time, I’ve learned to spot it. That guilt isn't a truth-teller—it's just noise. Because here’s the real truth: rebellion is part of balance. Trai...

  Entry: On Finding a Gym When You Live in Small Town America Ninjas are supposed to disappear into the shadows. What they don’t mention is how hard it is to find a decent gym when you already live there. Training off the beaten path isn't just inconvenient — it's isolating. There were no ninja-specific trainers out here. No ninja gyms, either. Just regular workout spaces with fluorescent lighting and motivational posters that felt about as stealthy as a bullhorn. But I got lucky. I found Brittany. She gave me everything I needed — creativity, strength-building strategies, functional movement tailored to what I was preparing for. She took the ordinary equipment at our local Anytime Fitness and used it like a true ninja would: resourcefully, precisely, bravely. Later, I discovered a rock climbing gym in Santa Cruz that offered new challenges. Upper body strength, yes — absolutely vital. But the vibe there was all about wilderness treks and rugged outdoor life. I wasn’t tryi...