NYI: Trial by Mud

Mud champs: L-R, Snipe, Zero, Short Cut after the sparring session.

ALSO- CALIFORNIA INITIATIVE OPENS AS THIRD INITIATIVE BRANCH

New York Initiative members Zero, Short Cut, Snipe, Lock, Adro and Thre3 had a sparring session slated recently and rather than let the rain deter them, they drew a circle in the mud and began to spar.

Towards the end of the four hour session, after they "had beaten the tar out of each other," says Zero, and Snipe caught some photos of the grappling challenge.

Lock, left, and Short Cut throw down

"It poured all day, it was incredible," says Zero."The pictures don't even do this day justice- the smell of the rain, the white, foggy atmosphere, the feel of the mud between our toes."

The NYI was featured in the recently aired HBO documentary Superheroes and since then has had a mass number of people asking to sign onto the team. Zero explained to Heroes in the Night that the team is in the process of interviewing these prospects. "We're being extremely selective and imposing some specific rules for recruitment, plus a preliminary evaluation," He says.

Zero, left, grapples with Adro

It was also revealed that the third branch of the Initiative, the California Initiative (CAI) is now open and being ran by Bay area couple Night Bug and Rock N Roll. Heroes in the Night got a chance to meet these two at HOPE 2011. We also previously reported on Virginia Initiative(VAI)operated by Death's Head Moth and Ira Ui'Raghallaigh HERE.

All three groups are working on recruitment and training.

Night Bug (far left) and Rock N. Roll (far right) of the CAI with Good Samaritan, a RLSH from the LA area

Rock N. Roll in action leading a free women's self defense class