About Us
Cinder & Sinew came about much in the way its name implies. Born from the fires of the crucible of experience, woven together from the tissue that was built upon the lessons learned.
The process has been a lifetime in the making, and the realization of its direction began with the forging of Savage Gentleman the brand. The initial concept was a result of recognizing that a man must fully embrace all aspects of himself to become whole.
After spending decades developing myself to be as savage as possible and pursuing a career as a professional fighter, it wasn’t until I started tapping into my more creative side that I realized the piece of myself that had been missing. Years and years of laser like focus towards becoming more destructive in the cage still left me seeking to fill a void no amount of victories could satisfy. The other side of the coin had been neglected, and it was in the art of creation that I began to find balance, and peace.
This revelation in myself made it possible to see it in others, and the mission of Savage Gentleman took shape first as a podcast and a series of writings, then grew into a brand — goods and apparel made as tokens and reminders not to live in a one dimensional box. Even as the retail side grew, the message remained the thread underneath it (the red stitching in our wallets and clothing represented the heart and core of what these items stood for). As opportunity allowed, we gathered small groups of men for adventures, sharing what we’d learned and guiding each other toward something better. Before long, I realized this was the next part of the journey and my true calling. Since then, men from all over the country and all walks of life have ventured to join what we affectionately have called the “Legion of Savage Gentlemen” and experience in person what happens in a space where they can challenge themselves physically, mentally, and spiritually in complete and total honesty.
Cinder & Sinew is the culmination of all of these lessons and the living, philosophical expression of helping men to remember who and what they truly are and have always been meant to be.
What You Can’t See From Where You’re Standing
You can’t see what’s beyond the darkness until you take the first step toward the light. We are born with an inherent fear of the unknown. For most men, uncertainty feels like death, and they will do anything to stay on whatever path feels most familiar. But following the road you have always taken will continue to bring you to the same destination. If we find ourselves in search of something new, we must eventually venture into the dark.
What we often forget is that night cannot persist indefinitely. Eventually, a new day will dawn. Another fire can be lit to illuminate the way. Sometimes, we can do this ourselves, but often we need the help of others. And regardless how bright our light shines, or how hot our fire burns, there will always be a shadow behind no matter where we stand. This is the blind spot that is only visible and made known to us through the eyes of another.
The fire we sit beside isn’t meant solely for us to be able to see. It is also for us to be seen. Fully, truly, in a way that is unknowable to us without an honest, outside perspective.
Five Pillars
Every event is built around at least one of the foundational pillars. Some lean rugged, some lean refined. The goal is to never let either side of the blade get too dull.
Capability isn’t found in comfort. It lies just beyond the point your body wants to quit, and something else has to take over.
Left alone, the mind manufactures problems that don’t exist. Give it something real to work on, and it remembers what it’s for.
Re-spire. Breathe again. Transcend the body, quiet the mind, and something underneath finally has room to speak.
A space to be heard by men who will tell you the truth, especially when you don’t want to hear it.
You are the expression of what’s been carried forward. What you pass on becomes someone else’s beginning.