One of my clients is a Gracie Jujitsu black belt under Pedro Sauer and tonight he taught a self-defense class using techniques from Gracie JJ. Gracie Jujitsu is not the same as Brazilian Jujitsu even though the both came from Brazil. The Gracie system was designed first and foremost as a real word self-defense system whereas BJJ is primarily a sport.

It was very well done, we spent three hours covering about 15 techniques. Some were new to me, some were very similar to what I have done in the past. There was no ground-fighting but several techniques ended in throws. 

Obviously you can't really learn self-defense in 3 hours, this was a beginners course designed to show some basic principles and give the participants something to go home and practice and as such it did what it set out to do.

 For myself, as a 5th degree black belt in Shaolin Do KungFu, it let me see some new ways of doing things, a different perspective on protecting oneself using some different concepts than what I'm used to, and applying them.

It's always good to see someone else's approach to any type of movement and it is good to learn to move outside your normal parameters. It was also good for me to get a chance to practice with strangers, especially those that come from a different MA background. You get so used to training with the same people all the time. You get used to their little idiosyncrasies, so playing with new people makes you better.

Of course I still think Shaolin Do is better , this gave me a better understanding of Gracie Jujitsu.

 So thanks to Allan Manganello of Louisville Martial Arts Academy , it was a very good workshop!

Here's a video of the workout yesterday. It's my first attempt so it's not the best but you get the idea

Well, I discovered Facebook over the weekend, so now I have another way to waste time on the InterWebs!!

 For those of you in the technological dark ages, Facebook is a Social Network (An association of people drawn together by family, work or hobby. The term was first coined by professor J. A. Barnes in the 1950s, who defined the size of a social network as a group of about 100 to 150 people. On the Web, social networking sites have millions of members), a place for people to stay in touch with friends and make new ones. By joining and filling out a profile of interests you can find people who share those interests anywhere in the world. You can engage in conversations, post notes, videos and photos. You can also track down lost friends.

 The cool thing about Facebook is that as your circle of friends grows you establish interconnections to all sorts of other people and you find that you have links to their friends and they to yours.

I signed up and found the daughter of one of my clients who had recommended kettlebells to him! As I write this one of my other clients just found me. It's amazing how many people are on Facebook and all of our interpersonal connections.

Check it out at www.facebook.com and yes, it is safe and secure and free 

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"Comrade, if you liked More Russian Kettlebell Challenges, you will enjoy Full Body Kettlebell Power: Beyond the Basics by David Whitley, Senior RKC. A strong presentation of advanced kettlebell exercises, which seamlessly blends strength, conditioning and flexibility. The 'Hold My Beer and Watch This' section alone is worth the price of admission. Dave's truck-like strength and size blends with a kid-like flexibility that is rare and inspiring."
—Pavel Tsatsouline, author of The Russian Kettlebell Challenge

One of my more advanced clients was talking with a noob last night after class and brought up an excellent point concerning goals. He said he looks at each class as an opportunity to improve upon the last class rather than looking at that far-off goal. He tries to do one more rep than the last time, or to go up in weight on one or more exercises. He doesn't sweat the long-term goal. 

Setting and reaching these little PRs each class is the best way to keep yourself motivated and on-track. Many people set grandiose expectations for themselves then, because those goals are so broad in scope or totally unrealistic, they take a few steps towards reaching that goal and then give up.

 It's ok to set a lofty goal for yourself, just make sure it is very defined, such as "I will lose 10lbs by Labor Day" and not "I want to get thin". Be specific, then create and follow the steps necessary to make it happen. Each day is step closer to realizing your goals if you make a plan and follow it.

We have helped hundreds of people get on the road towards a healthier lifestyle, come and see what we can do for you!

I've been having problems with my snatches so I went back and watched Cotter's segment on the snatch on the  "The Boys are back in town DVD ". I realized I have been shorting my backswing and while my grip was ok, the hand placement wasn't. I was gripping more towards the center of the handle rather than the corner. It made a world of difference.

The other day I attempted 10 mins (5mins each arm with 1 hand switch) and got 3min  R & L @15rpm, then 2mins L&R @ 15rpms and it was hard. Today I did 5mins R @12 rpm and 4mins L @ 12 rpm. The last minute my hands started getting very oily (I don't chalk when I snatch) and so I wond up setting it down twice, but I still did 12 rpms during that time. It was fairly easy, Rate of Perceived Exertion (RPE) on a scale from 1 to 10 it was about a 4.

It's amazing what a slight change in techinque has on results!

Here's the workout we did yesterday (6/14) & the 1st class today (6/15)

2h swings 40/30/20/10 light/medium/heavier/heaviest

2kb Front squat 15 light 10/9/8/.../1 up the weight as the reps go down

pushup + RR 10/8/6/4/2

snatches 3x3-5 /arm HEAVY

Congratulations to Jerry & Jason who both snatched the 32k for 5 reps on each arm!!

Congratulations to Aaron who snatched 28k for 5+5 and to Don who snatched the 24k 5x on R & 3 L

All records for them.

The ladies yesterday didn't tell me what the got. I know Marguerite got 16k for 4 or reps per arm.

Ok I agree with most of this, but Zach is a bit more extreme than I am. But if you start showing up late consistently or missing a lot of classes while giving me various excuses, it tells me you really don't want to get the results you said you wanted. There is no magic pill, only hard work.

No Respect? Go to the Basement!

By Zach Even-Esh

For www.EliteFTS.com

I have had some interesting conversations with Jim Wendler. One in particular struck a chord with me quite heavily. In fact, it has helped mold a process I use at my gym when training new athletes.

Jim and I spoke about the lack of respect for the weights nowadays, specifically by those who spend too much time on the internet and at these fancy gyms. I see how kids casually skip workouts that their parents pay for without a care in the world. I see how countless high school athletes don’t work jobs because they are full-time high school students who are “too busy” to work.

I see how incoming clients want to get started immediately on the same program as the experienced wrecking crew on their very first training session, completely dismissing the amount of blood, sweat, and tears it took to be able to follow such a program. I see how high school athletes think squatting half-way down actually means “squatting.” I see how way too many people have no fucking clue what it means to be committed, intense, and passionate about something, especially getting strong!

I have turned down prospective clients many times. I have also fired clients due to their lack of effort or their overbearing parents who think smashing their son to the ground during every workout is what it’s all about.

Chances are, if you’ve been training intensely for any length of time, you’ve sustained at least one injury at some point. The causes of sports- and workout-related injuries are numerous and include overtraining, sloppy form, and lifestyle choices (i.e. bad diet and sleep habits). The good news is that injuries are not inevitable, and in fact most are completely preventable if proper precautions are taken.

It seems as though these days everyone takes some kind of dietary supplement. Whether it’s a multivitamin or creatine, supplementation has become so commonplace as to be taken for granted. This article will address a common concern about this confusing and misunderstood topic: Should I take supplements? If so, what kind?

First of all, supplements aren’t magic. Any supplement will only work as much as you work with it. Supplements are meant to supplement – that is,