Ok guys, here's my review of the DC bootcamp that took place from July 22, 2011 to July 24, 2011:
Background:
I recently got out of a 7-8 year on again/off again relationship with a girl whom I thought I was going to marry. We always had ups and downs and while we were off again, I would go on dates with other girls and such but always with the knowledge/assumption that me and her would end up getting married. However, life is pretty funny and suffice it to say that we finally ended it. I wasn't particularly devastated or despondent as some part of me realized that we were growing apart towards the last year or so. Now my ex was a legitimate HB9 and I have no idea how I ended up with her in the first place but when we finally broke up, I realized that I had no idea how to date or game anyone. To top it off, I had crippling approach anxiety and when I did overcome that anxiety (basically the few weeks leading up to the bootcamp), I had very poor time of keeping girls interested or engaged. So basically, I was floundering in the club/bar/dating scene and I was coming home depressed and drunk a lot. Finally, I figured I'd give the bootcamp a shot and see what happened. After all, the definition of insanity is trying the same thing over and over but expecting different results.
So on to the bootcamp:
Day 1:
Day 1 started out with introductions and then we jumped into lecture. Gareth Jones was the lead instructor for the DC bootcamp and while I was skeptical at first about how a "white guy" could possibly understand the Asian "situation" he quickly dispelled any doubts I had within the first hour. Like many others have said, the sheer breadth and volume of information is staggering but 99% of it is relevant, useful, and insightful. Gareth is an absolutely great lecturer and he does a great job keeping you focused whilst being entertaining at the same time. Also, my fellow DC bootcampers were great and we really seemed to get along well with each other. I felt like we had a tightly knit group and that feeling of people who understand what you're going through and who have your back really made the night/field sessions a lot of fun.
We went to some place in DC called Cities during Day 1's field session and it was an absolute blast. Both Gareth and Ben were great infield instructors and Ben was a good motivator who helped give me an extra push when I was about to chicken out of an approach as well as giving me tips to keep me going. One epiphany that I had during the first night was the sheer amount of limiting beliefs I had and how those excuses to procrastinate/not approach have cost me in the past.
Day 2:
Day 2 started with more lecture and we delved into more complex subjects. We broke up into groups like in Day 1 to work on specific skills that we'd need for Day 2's field session. Once again, I was pretty burned out by the end of lecture on Day 2 but I was looking forward to going out that night. I probably learned more in Day 2's field session than Day 1 purely due to the number of failures I had. Failures in the field happen to everyone and learning how to enjoy the process, learn from one's mistakes, and to not take things personally is a bit of personal growth that I'm particularly proud of. The venue wasn't that great during Day 2 through no fault of the instructors but sometimes sh*t happens. It was still pretty fun and me and entropy did well with this 2 set of blondes (HB 8 and 9) but we ejected early because we took their "oh we have to go to the bathroom, we'll be back" as an indication that they were ready to bail. Little did we know that they did come back and were looking for us but by then it was too late. Dammit!
Day 3:
Day 3 started with an optional lecture on iGame. I'll be the first to say that it was definitely worth waking up early to take that extra session! The iGame lecture was very well structured and that was huge for me. I know a lot of my Asian bros are very analytical - I know I am. If that's the case, then you'll love iGame. Gareth did an awesome job with it and I would gladly trade *all* of my Asian rice mats and my Maserati
for similar lectures in the future. After iGame, we wrapped up day 3 with more lecture and went through the other phases of the ABCs not covered in Day 1 and 2. I was pretty fried at this point and I know a lot of the other guys were fried as well.
Overall, the bootcamp was a GREAT experience and I'm glad I took it. I was VERY skeptical at first but now I can confidently say that I plan on taking another bootcamp in the future just to hone my as of yet nascent skill-set some more. The bootcamp isn't some 3 day cure all but it gives you the tools to change your life if you're committed and serious about wanting to change. Not everyone is committed and one guy left halfway through day 2's field session because he didn't think it was for him. Personally, I know that I was sick of being frustrated, nervous, and disappointed all the time when it came to girls. Now I feel energized and this extends to my profession and everything else I do. Rather than being intimidated by girls, I'm enjoying the whole process of approaching and chatting a lot more and I don't rely on alcohol as such a crutch anymore. I also made some great friends along the way and I know that I'll be hanging out with them more in the future. I'm just very pleased that I finally did something about my situation rather than hoping that it'd get better on its own. And if nothing else, JT, Gareth, and Ben are just fucking cool guys to hang out with.
