Just like Rocky! Philadelphia 2009 RKC kettlebell Instructor certification workshop

The dream did come true.

One Day Kettlebell Certification in Chester County PA

Registration is now open.

Please entertain the following date:


Sunday 24 January
Dragon Gym [home of Brian Petty and Somnath Sikdar, both RKC]
267 S. Whitford Rd in Exton, PA

0730-600PM
Swing, goblet squat, and Get Up will be taught. Please read for course details.  There is a strength requirement as well as a skills and teaching test. 

One-day Kettlebell certification in NYC

Saturday, 5 December.

Hard Style Kettlebell Certification [valid for two years].

Hosted by Steven Milles RKC II & Academy Five Points, Soho.

Assisted by Phil Scarito, RKC II

Details here.  Be sure to read the requirements!

27 February in Virginia Beach also confirmed.
Hard Style Kettlebell Certification

Pulling for the future

The Warrior’s Code:  1775
ALPHA Company:  Circuit
Double Clean and Press x 5
Double Front Squat x 5
Alt. Renegade Row x 5
Rest 1:00, repeat for 3 sets
DO NOT TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE BELLS

BRAVO Company:
Snatches:  Fast 100
20L, 20R, 15L, 15R, 10L, 10R, 5L, 5R

Alternating Tactical Lunges:  Hard 100
10-15-20-10-15-20-10 resting 1:30 between each set, ACTIVE REST

CHARLIE Company: 
Pull Ups x 10 sets of 2 reps or 20 sets of 1 rep, resting :30 between
Push Ups x 20 sets of 5 reps resting :45 seconds
DARC Swing x 3 sets of 25 resting :45 between
Run for 10:00

The Warrior’s Code:  1775
ALPHA Company:  Circuit
Double Hang Clean and Press x 5
Double Front Squat x 5
Alt. Renegade Row x 5
Push Up x 5
Double Swing x 10
Rest 1:00, repeat for 3 sets
DO NOT TAKE YOUR HANDS OFF THE BELLS

BRAVO Company:
Snatches:  Fast 100
20L, 20R, 15L, 15R, 10L, 10R, 5L, 5R
Alternating Tactical Lunges:  Hard 100
10-15-20-10-15-20-10 resting 1:30 between each set, ACTIVE REST

CHARLIE Company: 
Pull Ups x 10 sets of 2 reps or 20 sets of 1 rep, resting :30 between
Push Ups x 20 sets of 5 reps resting :45 seconds
DARC Swing x 3 sets of 25 resting :45 between
Run for 10:00

Front Squat and Windmill progressions from Frederick, MD

A very special thank you to Don Berry and Sandy Sommer, both RKC, for facilitating the training in Maryland.  Mike Barbato RKC II, of Precision Kettlebells rolled with me to assist as he is certified to teach both front squat and windmill.

Much interest and discipline was shown by Don't students, and much kindness was shown by Don's family.

Marty Gallagher was in the house, with knowledge of squats and squats, some more.

Very cool day on a beautiful hill side in Maryland.

Front Squat progressions

• Primitive rolling [Gray Cook & Lee Burton]
• Amosov's moves [Super Joints]
  
• Back bending
  
• Partner assisted psoas activation, lying face up and creasing the hips, as in squatting  [More Russian Kettlebell Challenges]
• Face the wall squatting
• Hip prying from Goblet Squat bottom
• FTW return to prying
  
• Racking, breathing, loaded squatting. [More Russian Kettlebell Challenges]
  

Windmill [Prep from 1/2 Get Up]

•     1/2 kneeling rotations with single arm overhead, as in Get Up [O'Connor]
•     Descent (external hip rotation & ground ID proper) [O'Connor]
•     Foot-Hand alignment on rotation [Cheatham]
•     Thoracic mobility from an arm stack [cue Triangles and strength] 
•     Recommit to your breathing
•     Standing WM pattern
•     Foot alignment and freedom
•     Screwing, not fearing rotation internally
•     Shifting the weight through the heels

Squat and Windmill Clinic in Maryland

Frederick, Maryland: Saturday 7 November.
Hosted by:
Don Berry, Doctor of Chiropractic

Sandy Sommer of Charm City Kettlebells

We will cover the Goblet Squat and the Windmill, to include all drills which promote performance in the aforementioned exercises and several "oh my goodness' exercises that will make you sexy and strong.

Registration is now open through my PayPal, and by contacting either of the above listed RKC Instructors.

8 hours, 75.00 if you register here through my blog. You will be stronger and better looking with registration alone.

Sincerely,

The W2

Attend the Philly RKC workshop as a fan!

Dear Reader, This is John Du Cane from Dragon Door inviting you to be our guest and attend a complimentary kettlebell lesson at our kettlebell instructor certification on Sunday, October 11th, from 1:00 p.m to 2:30 p.m. at the United Sports Training Center in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Please arrive no earlier than 12:30 p.m. and no later than 1:00 p.m. Discover the magic of this “handheld gym” which: • Boosts power and strength, for all athletes and sports • Enhances endurance, for robust health • Improves physique, for a toned, finely-chiseled look • Burns bodyfat, at an unprecedented pace And as a special bonus and thanks for your participation, you’ll qualify to get a one-time 20% discount on all of Dragon Door’s products, including kettlebells! When you register below for this complimentary lesson you will receive an email confirmation and a link to download a PDF with full details of the event. If you have any problems with or questions about your registration, email support@dragondoor.com or call 651-487-2180. I look forward to seeing you there! When Sunday, October 11, 2009 1:00 PM - 2:30 PM Where United Sports Training Center 1426 Marshallton-Thorndale Road Downingtown, PA 19335 Attire Workout Clothing RSVP Saturday, October 10, 2009 Follow the link in the POST TITLE to RSVP. All images and text courtesy of Dragon Door Publications.

Announcing: First-ever Philadelphia RKC cert now open for registration

---

Well, it's been a long time coming and way overdue, but Dragon Door Publications and Tactical Strength, Inc. have finally organized the first-ever East Coast RKC certification workshop.

Here are the full details:

Note that you save $1,000.00 on your investment if you register by July 29.

Phil and Gary did most, if not all, of the legwork to get this cert off the ground.

In attendance will be Master RKCs Brett Jones and Mark Reifkind, myself, Thomas Phillips of Fit For Life Personal Training in Marlborough, NJ, as well as a host of local RKCs who will assist with the certification process. We anticipate this cert will sell out in less than two weeks.

Read the certification details here. More to follow.

Today's [7.17.2009] training:
3 RKCs and an RKC II for Pull Up experiments and a session with the Buckeye Smack talker who will soon be able to do a pull up despite her poor attitude towards bending!

Today's event [7-14-2009] No Trader Joe's. 7 sessions today, 2 FMS screens, 5 pull up sessions, 6 cups of coffee, one beautiful woman on my mind, and about 3 hours of reggae to get me feelin' it.

[7-12-09] Today's event? 2 x 45 minute Max V02 15:15 sessions with Students, Pull Ups with George Samuels, and then some summertime action.


7-11-2009 event: Kettlebell Training at Dragon Gym in Exton, PA.

The Dane of Pain and the Authentic Strength Trainer

Comrades team mates,
In speaking with Master RKC and author of Viking Warrior Conditioning, Kenneth Jay, I asked him if I could assist in his book planned for a 2010 release, detailing perfection of the pull up. He offered to make this a collaborative effort. meaning, Kenneth and I are writing a book together. I repeat, the Dane of Pain has given me the chance to work with him in a capacity that exploits my favorite exercise of all time. If you are willing to participate in the study I am conducting for this book, you will receive and unreal discount on the price of private lessons in packs of 10. Contact me if you would like to be part of this 3 months study.

Sincerely,
Corporal Punishment

Big Willy's HARD STYLE VACATION on Big River

Holiday UPDATE! See you on the Eleventh of July at Dragon Gym!

Big Willy, the W2, brings you news. . .

Phil Scarito is now an RKC II and future Team Leader. Meaning, he has passed his advanced skill testing and will soon be teaching at Russian Kettlebell Challenge Certifications.

I ran 1.5 miles in my Vibram Five Fingers today, and then walked the same 1.5 miles back to the pool.

My foot is healing nicely.

My music on vacation:

Avenged Sevenfold WAKING THE FALLEN, for my aggressive needs.

Bjork VESPERTINE, for my passionate side.

Alexi Murdoch TIME WITHOUT CONSEQUENCE, for my thoughtful and repentant side.

And for the everyday, the two baddest cats to ever come out of Ohio. . . The Black Keys.

What I'm reading? Stephen King's THE TOMMYKNOCKERS. I can see the influence this book had on The X-Files' creator Chris Carter. It's one creepy freakin' story.

What I'm doing? Attended a KB workshop in downtown ATL with The Dane of Pain, The Iron Tamer, and Sister Strength, on Saturday and Sunday. Went to the pool today. Got tan, made some teenagers uncomfortable, and swam a bit.

I have woken up early every day so far.

I miss my woman.

My calves are already sore from the run today.

I bent my first nail yesterday! Thank you to David Whitley for forging an addiction. Phil, let's get together with Gary on this one, eh?

I have followed the Warrior Diet every day this holiday, and even today, where I plan to have myself a day of feasting and gorging descriptive only as 'a gluttonous indulgence', I will follow the rules, and order, of eating. But here is the catch: I am going to eat Japanese and drink beer until I'm blind. Then my aunt Donna and I watch a Stephen King movie.


Adam Glass
RKC Level II Instructor
World Class strong man
American Serviceman, USAF Tech Sergeant
Location: Minot AFB, ND. Raise in Detroit MI

"What goals are you working on?" he asks on the Dragon Door instructor forum. . . .
I am curious to see what kind of goals my fellow RKCs are working on. An email i got from a few put a weird thought in my head"Can you help your clients attain their goals when you fail to attain your own?" I say No. if you can't cook a good steak, you can't teach me to. If you do not know how to swim, you can help me. if you cannot add 5lbs to your lifts, why should your clients count on you to help them. So to me, it is critical to keep steaming rolling ahead. there are a thousands ways to progress- from strength, cardio, mobility etc. What are you in to as of late?Please discuss. I am curious what everyone is working on, what achievements you have had, what speed bumps you have hit etc.

My reply, on the forum, and to you all. . .
Hard Style on Holiday: W2 listens to his smarter Comrades
Kids,I haven't read anyone else's response. Do you know why? Because there are alot of them.After yesterday's workshop, and getting my first bend with a galvanized nail, I realized something. I can tackle my goals by working them indirectly. -Rehab my foot-Improve my pressing ability [the beast at 226lbs. BW is a true test for me]-Get 15 pull ups [tactical of course]-Make Phil Scarito proud [no sarcasm, I'm for real] to be associated with me in the Main Line School Night circle-Hold a workshop with Adam Glass in Philly in January-Continue to follow the Warrior Diet until I'm old-Perform a BW Pistol by RKC II in 2010-Run a Vibram 5 Finger 5k in less than 19 minutes at the 2010 Teal Ribbon [Ovarian Cancer research fund] in Philly-Inspire others to start a kettlebell training business [This has already been done 16 times over, as Phil Scarito, Mike Barbato, RKCs II, Dr. Dan kane, Christina Schueneman, Pamela Macelree {RKC former}, James Sjostrom, and TRUSTY RKC Justin Garfield have all begun careers thanks to Pavel and I {and you all, I guess}]-Make promises and keep them. Or, more clearly, only commit to ideals/events/people who I am sure that I will stay true to. Overextending myself and then flaking has been a common theme in my life.-Continue to defy the stereotypes-Influence the RKC curriculum in a way no one else has. Or can-See TOOL in three cities on their next tour [Nitro is down for this]-Sing Karaoke in front of Pavel-Write a book with Kenneth Jay-Press David Whitley-Dance at my wedding with Jeff O'Connor-Turn my roommate into a powerhouse after he recovers from shoulder surgery
What I'm doing?http://www.winepros.org/wine101/grap...chardonnay.htm
What I'm listening to?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7FeIu_pf-_E
Who I'm looking forward to working with again soon?http://www.dragondoor.com/instructor/529
Where will I be next Saturday?http://extonkettlebells.com/campleatherneckbenefit.aspx
__________________
Becoming,W2

With no time to do anything at all other than train clients, work at Trader Joe's, and cook food for me and my girl, I will spend less than two minutes with you here.

RKC Level II certification in St. Paul, MN was an eye opener. The Dane of Pain and The Redneck Ninja have stepped their game up to uncharted levels. I am proud to work with them.

I ran 5K barefooted yesterday and my foot feels OK.

See you all in a week!

Pavel has always given credit to his influences. He cites the authors who have written on similar strength theory, and he bibliographs the science he uses to ground the Hard Style in science. Brooks Kubick, Louie Simmons, Marty Gallagher. Mel Siff, Academician Amosov, Professor Verkoshansky, these are all names I have seen in more than one book. I have read and re-read Power To The People numerous times. I have Enter The Kettlebell nearly committed to memory. The words are alwys the same, as is the message, yet, when I return to Pavel's training conferences I find new means to explain, explore, and polish the movements we measure ourselves with. I have learned three separate means to improve a student's pull up instantly. My toolbox for teaching the swing is a big, salty, clunky sonofawhore, but I never pull out more than two or three enabling drills. I have taught the jerk to 10+ RKCs from the Philadelphia area, and each time I revert to the standards of jerk progression set forth from the 2007 Level II. Each time, discovering a smoother path to mastery. As a curriculum, the RKC has focused on the same material for 8 years now, yet we continuously add by subtracting, field stripping the drills and facilitating friendly introductions to the drills, followed by meticulous employment of a small set of corrections. As we march forward, in step, we develop new standards for competency in our strength, our staying power, and our ability to communicate the standard to others. I am with the RKC. I damn near exalt the name and declare praise. So my loyalty to the program is no joke.

If I chose to tell a story in jest, it would recant the day I saw a television advertisement for supplemental creatine monohydrate. The short ad displayed the transformation of a young man, starting with his frustration with the fruitless labor of weight training, and concluding with the lean mass he gained earning him the right to stand next to a hot girl. Likely blond, and busty. I was a senior in high school, and my last season of lacrosse was about to begin in less than two weeks. It was beautiful spring weather every day, and I lifted with the same 2 guys [Cliffy and Wood] and our track athlete pal Christina [who still had an incredible body until 5 years ago] for over a year. We were a tight crew, and of them, only two of us wanted to be big. So the creatine commercial appeared to me as a short-cut. An investment that would yield a big chest for me, and for the girls I would chase, as well! When I learned that a jug of creatine was 36 US Dollars, I bailed. Guys I knew from the football team were taking it to swell prior to any hope of playing college ball. I didn't begin to mix creatine with grape juice until 1999. That was '95, and my favorite drill was the bent over row.

When a Dragon Door customer or a www.dragondoor.com shopper views the HKC, they may feel the same way I did on that spring day. A shortcut! A financial break! A glitch, a loophole, a time portal. If they do feel that way, and they view the HKC as a quick cut to the front of the line, then they are as foolish as I was. They may even flake on the commitment as I did with nutrition after I was 17. Or they could view the value and relish it, taking the chance to train with a pack of strong instructors and get a skill set to make them better. The trouble is, perception is reality. It is their impression of it that may define the quality of the candidate who passes an HKC. To quote the great Jordan Vezina,
I predict this conversation:
"I'm an HKC."
"What's that?"
"It's another branch of the RKC."
"What's that?"

And when that last question is answered, the HKC will have it reputation.
"I'm an HKC."
"What's that?"
"I'm certified in kettlebell basics by the guys who are taking kettelbell training in a new direction."
Or. . .
"I'm an HKC."
"What's that?"
"I'm certified to teach kettelbells".

And there it is. The essence of it is how the kids represent themselves to the clients. Your client will have a cousin who trains with an HKC, and you will hear about how they are doing all these carzy moves and Crossfit workouts with kettlebells. You will have a client whose sister-in-law trains with an HKC and she has lost 20 pounds (!). You will hear of the c0-worker of your client who trained with an HKC that shredded his shoulders and now needs surgery. All of these things have been said about RKCs. Now, with the HKC Instructor having an ethical obligation to remain within thier limits, it will be easier to identify who is competent and who has extended themselves beyond their capability.

I train RKCs. I train George, Pat, Don, Jen, and I consult my students who have gone on to become RKC. I work with the populous that represents RKC to the masses on a weekly basis. They are both fit and weaker. Focused and scattered. Diligent and diverted. The talent pool will be the same in the HKC community. The level of fitness will likely be a degree less than what the RKC holds, yet the ability to grasp, exemplify, and communicate the kettlebell will be roughly the same in both tiers.

With regard to the integrity of the HKC ideal, that is my stance. There may be no need to mention this, but the HKC is an excellent business move. Feeding the RKC and simultaneously creating new business is excellent. The HKC will likely require less logistical support and few bells, and if the focus is on swings and get ups for one day, well then it lets our Top instructors develop, even further, the program we all agree is premier for physical strength. They will get better, we will get better, it is kaizen.

And now I find I will be attending the HKC as an observer/assistant.

RKC Level II weekend in 4 days. I can feel it. . .

Philadelphia Union

Yoga debrief:

Pranayama breathing: Took it easy, tried not to exhaust my deltoids.

Arda Chandrasana: Excellent. I killed it on second set. My half-moon bend was making people jealous.

Utkatasana: I still do not understand the torso positioning on this one. Extend your spine but suck your belly in from the 90 degree squat position? I have yet to nail this one. And, my hips.knees/ankles are officially F'd.

Garurasana: I can't lock my fingers together, nor can I wrap my foot around my calf. But I'm tryin', baby.

Dandayamana Janushirasana: I lose feeling in my hands and feet when I perform this. Also, I slip all over the room.

Tuladandasana: I phoned this one in.

Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Poschimotthanasana: I looked sexy and the movement may have unlocked my right scapula.

Dandayamana Bibhaktapada Janushirasana: Yes that is what it's called. And I had a nice chin tuck with some safe spinal flexion on this one, B+.

Trikanasana: This is my best pose so long as I am not dizzy or disorientated from elevated blood pressure and sweat. Some days I slip all over the mat and get angry, raising the blood pressure even further. But yesterday, My triangle was the prettiest in the room. It actually aroused me to see s guy with so much lean muscle [Me] crush this pose and make it look artful as well. A-.

Tadasana: Easy enough to never mess this one up.

Savasana: At rest, I thought of a woman.

Pavanamuktasana: First of the floor poses, or, the Spine Strengthening series. I figured somethign out while phoning this one in. I'll use it next time.

Bhujangasana: The cobra, which I do 100% correctly, sees me with limited ROM coming off the ground. When using only muscular activity and no press up from the ground, I barely move. But that is how it should be.

Salabhasana: I was tired and had sweat in my eye. I did not fly high in this pose. I just buzzed around the room, as with Poorna Salabhasana.

Dhanurasana: I kept my legs tight to each other and did not aggravate my knee, amazing.

Supta Varjasana: I bailed on this one due to my knee.

Arda Kurmasana: I tried something different here today. it may have worked, I woke up without a screaming back. Just my knee today!

Ustrasana: I had a nice camel. And it all makes sense now! Shifting the hips forward prior to leaning the head back.

Sasangasana: My most favorite of the positions I modify. I modify this one for the health of my neck, and the version I employ feels solid.

Janushirasana with Poschimottanasana: D+. I was tired and wanted to go home.

Ardha Mattsyendrasana: The 'spinal twist'. Half windmill, half Bretzel. What an excellent movement series to finish with. I will go off on this movement later.

Kapalbhati Breathing. The finishing fire. Getting better every time.

So what did I learn from Yoga yesterday?

My effort level is largely dependant on the instructor.

More people [women] attend this class in the summer months.

The room stays warmer in the summer.

Sometimes that room is unbearable in the summer.

I need to stop smoking cigars, as they are raising my blood pressure.

Every time I go into that room and place my mat in the back row, some bitch, yes, both times a young girl, places her mat directly in front of mine, so as to prevent me seeing my own reflection. Three times this has happened in the last month and all three times I let it go, and moved. The next person who places there mat in front of mine will get smacked. Verbally. Or maybe I'll just slap the bastard, who knows!

Staring me in the face. A calendar, a beast of steel, a phone call never returned. Six months away. Six weeks from today. Six hours. Training time lost to both injury and strategic rest. Pull ups a plenty and then a controlled break in the cycle. Greasing the groove to increase the proof.

35 pounds to lose.

20 dead hang pull ups.

Rifle Expert qualifications.

Quitting smokeless tobacco.

All goals I have met and conquered. Next week will measure me. In both size and depth. Yoga tonight, after a beautiful run of 6 days between sessions. What's gone on the past few days? You can certainly see it in my face. Next week they need to see it in my press.

In advance

Sit-rep, be advised.

Yoga has kept my heart from breaking this week, as a knee injury has surface and lunging from the right side has been troublesome.

I am under 230lbs and have taken a break from weight training. When I slip to 225, that will be a marker of time enough spent away from the pull up bar and the heavy presses. My neck is tender and I am straight up sweating the beast press.

Yoga tomorrow if my foot permits. I found a new instructor I like. Female, naturally. Had a massage from an RKC today. Go to Dragon Gym in Exton if you want a talented group of RKCs to school you, then heal you.

I never use a coffee machine anymore, I simply use the french press. Also, no milk or half and half in awhile.

I like hard boiled eggs and short women.

A day like any other, and a night like this

I am resting my bones and tissue from weightlifting and will be reporting to you on subject matter from Yoga to the weather. I went to the library today and withdrew my first Stephen King book of the season. Also, this caught my eye across the wire. Enjoy.

There was no triumphant return.

The studio did not welcome me like an' old friend and comfort me through the lightly tread path of the yoga.

I walked into a weapons silo and tripped the detonators on every mini nuke in the joint. I was unprepared, and too frackin' late.

6 of the 10 classes I purchased at Bikram Yoga Main Line had expired, and the 430pm class was packed.

The studio has been redecorated and appears more like a Yoga studio than a sterile, sweat box environment. The colors are easy and the words 'Concentration, Patience, Self Control, and Determination have been painted on the back wall. I was posited near concentration, and lost all my grip when a woman placed herself directly in front of me so as to disturb my reflection. I know this isn't very Yoga of me, but fahk off, bitch. In addition, I tasted the worst muscle cramps of my young life that day, due to the lack of Yoga practice in the previous 12 weeks, and an imbalance of nutrients, fluid, and residual tension in my skeletal muscle.

What to do?

Limit Max v02 training [which I just resumed this month], minimize swings and bent pressing. Reduce the plan to pull ups and Pressing.

Walking to work 2.8 miles and back may also add to some lingering pain in the right knee and left foot. I can always, however, think happy thoughts.

Now, my left foot-poop foot is bothering me again and in order to return to the class I must purchase another package. My Level II RKC trip is paid for, and I have enough to cover the rent.

Every day I'm hustlin'.

Nothing exciting to report.

Only the good die young

Bruce Lee
Bob Marley
Bill Hicks
Hilleel Slovak
Keith Moon
John Bonham
Elliot Smith
RFK
Jimi Hendrix
JFK
Pele Lindbergh
and on, and on.

'8 Reps'
Tuesday May 5th, 40 sets MAX V02 16kg, 20 right, 20 left.
Today May 10th, 40 sets MAX V02 16kg, 20 left, 20 right.

D-Day Invasion 65 years later, a 200 Snatch Salute.

Comrades,
Keystone Hardstyle is proud to offer you the third in what may be a series of many training sessions involving the Russian Kettlebell and a theme-orientated workout.

This is not for the uninitiated. If you are not on a first name basis with the snatch, unpack your lunch and hang tight. This is Varsity Kettlebell competition.

50 [25 l,r] Snatches followed by a 400m run, Four series of this. 200 snatches and a mile shuffle. Can you hang?

I am going to load my USMC patrol pack with 10kg of extra gear, and make this shuffle worthwhile. I'll be snatching a 20kg in an attempt to spare my neck and traps a lasting degree of pain for the following days. A pack with gear may not be the soundest idea for a touchy neck, but I will risk it to make those four laps around a dusty, gravel track worthy of an OOH RAH.

If you are a Marine, I would hope that you will see us there.

Gary Berenbroick, Phil Scarito, Jennifer Morey and myself will aid in pressing the day's events to our fellow RKCs. A chance to set up the Live 8 of kettlebell training events. Not quite as grand, but on 3 continents? Something tells me Europe and Japan may not be as jazzed about the date as we are. . . . . . . . .

Saturday 6 June, completed before NOON, local time.
25 Snatches left & right, 400m lap
25 LR Snatches, 400m lap
25 LR Snatches, 400m lap
25 LR Snatches, 400m lap

200 Snatches, and a mile.

Craig J Sjostrom RKC/CAS has posted a time of 14:19 with a 16kg kettlebell, can you beat 15 minutes?

For residents of southeastern PA, NJ, and DE.
General Wayne Elemenatry, Malvern PA. Time TBD.

View Larger Map

I just hammered out 25l, 25r x 4 sets with a 16kg. Begin training now!
Marine Corps!

Debrief for Art Museum Training

26 bodies, instructors and students, attended and this class. Phil and Gary held the bottom of the stairs, and introduced kids to bells. Jennifer Morey RKC 2 x 12kg and your narrator 2 x 20kg hit the stairs, and rolled up the whammy.

Double Jerk 10/Stairs
Double Jerk 15/Stairs
Double Jerk 20/Suicide Stairs

Snatch 10rl/Stairs
Snatch 15rl/Stairs
Snatch 20rl/Suicide Stairs

Swing 10rl/Stairs
Double Jerk 15/Stairs
Snatch 20rl/Suicide Stairs

My time 28:45

Nancy & Audrey McKenna clocked a miscued version of the workout in 25:19, and hung at the final 3 flights of my final suicide shuttle, and motivated my final flights with their own gracious speed. These two girls and Mother Daughter, righteously fit, and know how a team works. Thank you Nancy that last twist of the night was raw. Slainte!

Jennifer Morey RKC 2 x 12kg kettlebells finished between the McKillers, and myself.

Phil Scarito of DV8 Fitness and Gary Berenbroick, of High Level Fitness in Bryn Mawr, had excellent showings from their students, and Mike Barbato RKC of Precision Kettlebells sent one young buck our way. Many thanks to all, and to High Level Fitness and DV8 Fitness for supplying kettlebells. The pair of 3rd generation Dragon Door black beauties felt nice on the snatches.

Your narrator, after finding his bike at the trolley station, still secure yet with two flat tires, has decided to stay home tonight, in order to set a goal of staying sane, and beginning to save money for a trip to Atlanta, involving a Danish guy, a Southern gentleman, and a Jaguar R Series over the Independence Day weekend.

Do not adjust your monitor, the evolution will soon be televised.

Oscar Uniform Tango
Whiskey

ALERT

Team,
I regret to inform you all that you are required to attend the Art Museum Training event next Thursday, 30 April, at 730PM. This will be the final PM Old 97 workout until late July. Here is what you need to know.

The parking attendant was not there last time, parking was free. If he is there, pay 8.00. If you choose, pull in front of the museum, dump your bells, drive around the circle again and attempt to find a spot on a side street.

If you do not know the back roads, you can meet me at my house and follow us. . .

You must BYO Bells if you have them. Phil, Gary, and I will supply as many bells as we can, however we need your help. Ladies a pair of 12kg bells and gents a pair of 16kg bells or heavier. We will be hitting push jerks and snatches in between the stairs.

The workout will begin after a Jerk/Snatch Tutorial. If you do not yet know these moves, you will default to the King of drills, The Swing. . .

Here is the workout. Practice if you dare.

Full Stairs
10 double jerks
Full Stairs
15 Double Jerks
Suicide Stairs
20 Double jerks

Full Stairs
10 Snatches each arm
Full Stairs
15 Snatches L,R
Suicide Stairs
20 Snatches R,L

Full Stairs
15 snatches each arm
Full Stairs
20 Double Jerks
Suicide Stairs
20 Snatches each arm

Time this workout if you choose. 35 minutes is an excellent time.

The 'full stairs' no longer includes a trip to the East Door, you must simply reach the top of the stairs and step over the grate with both feet.

I am looking forward to this. . .

W2
--
Will Williams
Senior Russian Kettlebell Challenge Instructor
National Strength and Conditioning Association CPT
http://www.dragondoor.com/?apid=0311

Post Script [my practice]
Friday 24 April
Pull Ups 3,5
40kg loaded cleans x 2,2,2
Single leg dead-lift 40kg x 3r,l
Pull Ups x 5 sets of 1, high.

60 minutes later
24kg bottoms up presses and cleans.

Main Line School Night
Session 2, lesson 4 of 5.

Single Leg Deadlifts, Get Ups, abdominal 'bracing' [breathing exercise], swings, pull ups, alternating military press.

SLDL- 1 kb, contra lateral, sets of 3 and 5.
Had the kids approach the bell with a suitcase deadlift negative, followed by extension of the free leg in the air behind them. From that position, they tightened up and pulled to a single leg lockout, from there, a set of 5.

Get Ups? 3 naked left and right. 3 each arm with a light bell. After two sets of SLDL, they hit a set of 2 each arm to develop a lat, to bridge the space between the shoulder and hip.

SWINGS: double swings for some, heavy one arm swings for most. On line, the class rotated between two squads of 8 bodies, from the swings to the pull up bar. Sets of 1 and 2 pull ups were fired off after four rounds of swinging.

Static Position Stepping Swings. You just had to be there for this one, I can't even put it in type, it was beautiful. 9 minutes of glorious glute-ification.

Alternating Military Press: The kids had never gone over the press, nor the clean, but with Getting Up a priority these days, they went from locked out to racked efficiently, and without catasrophe on the clean. So they drilled 3-4-5 as squads, and took two pulls on the chinning bar between Presses. To finish, they grabbed a set of 5 double military presses.

As I blog this, I am listening to the ultimate rainy day CD, 'Dirt' from Alice In Chains. From the city where rain became fame, AIC were the grunge metal premier. I have hauled "Frank"

up to my room and have been pressing him 1-2-3 times and then pulling for 5 on the TAPS rig out back. I slept most of the afternoon and woke up to a gorgeous, sunny 630pm. I rode 3 miles on my bike to the class, and when I emerged from the large intestine of Lower Merion High School the clouds had waged war upon us and there was a 45 minute thunder storm that made my ride home even more of a treat. So I'm pressing inside, pulling out, and letting the spring rain do it's thing. I hope you all had as groovy a holiday as mine.

Only to return,
W

Post Script

Today I set up the TAPS rig in the backyard of the Stud Hut. Vinnie jetted to O.C.. MD. I ratcheted it up and began pulling. High. Higher than ever on that bar. I dusted the bar with baby powder and pulled with my Precision Kettlebells black tee. Observe the height of my bodyweight tactical pull up.

Debrief abstract

Sunday 04052009
Mobility training

Tuesday 04072009
5k shuffle

Friday 04102009
32kg Press ladders to 5, twice.

Pull ups are hot right now.

I have averaged 3-5 sets of chinning variations every day at the Joe. Variations means alternating my grip. Previously I hung from the steel arch. Now, there is a pipe, roughly 1" in diameter, which I insert perpendicular to the double steel arches. The 'pavilion', or the smokers corner behind the store, is where I do my work. My grip strength is onboard, so stepping onto the top of a picninc table, and then reaching up to assume the bar, and hang with my feet over 48 inches clear of the curb, is not as dangerous as it looks. Soon there will be oven mitts and other means of toughening my grip in play. The reps all feel blessed upon my shoulders, and my elbows have not bothered me after 20 or more sets each week. When I began hitting many sets on my TAPS rig in September, my elbows bothered me within two weeks. The chins with a supinated, or 'palms in' grip, must balance out the straight pull ups. All reps are from a dead-hang, and I clear the bar to my collar bone 90% of the time. When I can't kiss the bar with my neck, I dismount. Only solid reps count, and only reps that count will get Daddy paid.
Sets of 8 reps with supinated grip and sets of 3-5 pronated have boosted my shifts at work and the muscularity of my arms, shoulders and back. Verily, 'tis chinning a bar that still defines my measure as a man after years removed from the Corps!

Injury: Downtime: Two bodywork sessions between Friday the tenth and today. Today I trained for the 1st time in 6 days.

Art Museum Stairs
Full stairs
20kg Double Kettlebell Jerk x 15 reps
Stairs
DBL Jerk x 10
Suicide Stairs
DBL Jerk x 20

Stairs
Snatch x 10 LR
Stairs
Snatch x 10 RL
Suicide Stairs
DBL Clean and Press x 5

Stairs
DBL Press x 5
Stairs
Alternating Press x 10 each arm
Suicide Stairs
Snatch 10 RL

Gruesome workout. Lots of people staring and asking questions. The reality check of this workout is that Double overhead drills rather than high-rep swings are the perfect compliment to the Stairs. All 97 of them.

Main Line School Night session II.

As opposed to bringing 6 of 6 core RKC drills into the mix, Phil and I have decided to scrap the Clean and Snatch, and focus on Swing, Get Up, Press, and Squat. Pull Ups, Squat Thrusts, and Deck Squats are also on the menu.

5 x 90 minute sessions is enough to cover the 6 drills, yet 'covering' them is not enough. Phil and I were concerned that the kids would feel that they did not get their money's worth if they only prac app'd 4 KB drills, however, when we learned how much clock was ate up in attempts to teach the first class the clean, we reduced our vision. And by doing that, we expanded our ability.

I did not write this.

The Science of undereating

by Ori Hofmekler

Generally speaking, scientists and science have shown clearly that when you undereat, the brain exercises exactly like a muscle exercises. Brain-derived growth factors are triggered and new brain cells are produced by stem cells. Tissue recycling - a controversial issue - occurs. Nonetheless, scientific thinking is dogmatic.

They postulate:
"If this is the Prediction then let us start isolating

diet elements. Let us isolate the calorie intake alone. Let us then analyze the
exercise element alone. Then let us combine the overall diet element and the
overall calorie intake element. After that, let us examine the exercise
elements and see how the two - exercise and diet - interact."

I contend that these sub-elements cannot and should not be separated. For example, a person adhering to the principle of intermittent fasting, as outlined in the Warrior Diet, should under-eat during the day followed by night eating. After a period of time they will find that appetite and food consumption, their choice of foods, even their taste preferences, will change.

This usually manifests within five to six weeks. If you follow this eating
cycle for a protracted period, you will eat differently and crave different
foods. You will naturally develop a taste for foods at the bottom of the food
chain. Your appetite and preferences will morph and become different. You
literally will undergo a transformation in habits and tastes.

According to Dr. Mark Mattson, a leading researcher on intermittent fasting, participants who follow a one meal per day cycle have shown a natural tendency to reach a full sense of satiety on a lower calorie intake than the fixed calorie intake requirements imposed in studies. This skews results: instead of letting the participants follow their natural instinct, to eat less and feel full faster rather than observe how a one-meal-per-day approach naturally morphs caloric intake downward, participants are force-fed. They had to keep eating, against their will, to comply with the study's fixed calorie intake terms and precepts. With all due respect, it will take years before researchers realize how things really work in real life. There are so many variable and complexities, various elements are intertwined. There is the feeding cycle element, the food/fuel element, the calorie intake element, the exercise element - there are changes in food availability, and don't forget the gender element! It will take scientists, using classical analysis, forever to analyze and dissect these findings. Perhaps in the distant future science will come to the conclusions what we already know to be true! We already have so much empirical evidence, so much real life experiences, that one can only hope that science will eventually catch up.

Claim back your body!

With David Whitley in town. . .

RKCs Jennifer Morey, Gary Berenbroick, Phil Scarito
Senior RKCs David Whitely and Will Williams

Co-starring
Brian Shane, Joshua Holmes, Jackie Murphy, Nancy McKenna, Audie McKenna, Mike Krahling, Dave Arey, John Nguyen, Deb D'Ginto, Hubaki, Ryan 'The Ripper' Tobin, Alison 'Daly Mouse' Tobin.

Joint Mobility, instruction, work. 730PM. . .

The Wreck Of The Old 97'
Philadelphia Museum of Art

5 Heavy Swings
5 overhead reps [double or single press or push press]
Full Stairs

10 Swings
5 overhead reps
Full Stairs

20 Swings
5 Overhead reps
Suicide Stairs

Suicide stairs are the 6 flights of 10-12 stairs run in shuttle format.

My workout

40kg swings x 5
32kg jerk x 5 left
stairs

40 x 10
32 x 5 left
stairs

40 x 20
32 x 5 left
suicide

40 x 5
32 x 5 right
stairs

40 x 10
32 x 5 right
stairs

40 x 20
32 x 5 right
suicide

40 x 5
21kg double jerk x 5
stairs

40 x 10
24 DBL x 5
stairs

40 x 20
24 dbl x 5
suicide

My time was less than 33 minutes. Some girl and her daughter did it in under 30.

Sick.

Philadelphia Museum of Art

Tonight, Thursday the 2nd, 715PM.

Guest Instructor David Whitley.

10.00/student
5.00/BYO Bell

Call me for details
610.883.7455

Sunday with Dr. Don Berry and Sandy Sommer RKC.

In Maryland.

16kg, 8 reps, 60 sets of mV02 15:15.

And a Semper Fi to you too, kids.

W

Main Line School Night Session 2_09

The crew from Session One



What you may expect from this 5 week, 7.5 hour progressive course.

The success of this training evolution is reliant upon the user’s grasp of breathing and muscular tension applications for strength training with regard to the kettlebell as premier tool. The awkward initial handling of the bell and the intimidation it brings to potential users may be neutralized by keeping the battery of exercises simple and ferociously effective. We maintain that the two classes of kettlebell drills, both Grinds and Ballistics, carry their own checklists, however multiple principles visit both lists. Griping the bell maximally tight while swinging or Getting Up is non-negotiable. Breathing for a squat and Dead lift are both a biomechanical match. Science aside, your heart rate and muscle recognition will both accelerate with simple breathing and tension applications.

The kettlebell was popularized on the world wide web and in print with Muscle Media magazine, finding it’s way to Will’s eyes in 2000, and into Phils’ face in 2007. You are receiving a dose of instruction from two pioneers in the perception and reality of body mechanics. When attending the Russian Kettlebell Challenge, candidates accept the RKC Code of Conduct, a written and verbally delivered precept of the curriculum. Noting that those who pass the three days of training must also conduct themselves as curt messengers of the bell’s story, for they will often be the first person to properly instruct many people with use of the kettlebell. Will and Phil take this endeavor as serious as they would a direct order from the Company Commander. Cosmetic bonus’ overflow from the training covered and the Mission 5 template will guide you through, at the very least, the next open door in your training career.


Mission 5: The memorable device for performance, progression, and tangible growth of skeletal muscle and strength training proficiency. We will use 5 Kettlebell drills to exact the RKC code and curriculum on you, and feed the factor tree of those Drills with 5 Points of Proficiency and various enabling drills. The 5 Sessions for Strength and 5 ‘Fat-Free’ Sessions will keep your body busy refining the constants of the basics and allowing for regular variety in the menus for your training. The principles that hallmark each drill will often overlap, so mark the similarities in all drills and use that recognition to fuel growth in your additional physical endeavors. Golfers get hip mojo and runners get a strong reconfiguration of their hip and lower back neutrality. Enjoy this preview as you would a guide to a textbook or a short story reporting the travels of many who open an avenue of old repute but eternal wealth. The principles of health and strength should be ready for your consumption. Everything these two men have learned about kettlebells comes from Pavel Tsatsouline and the RKC.

Phil and Will wish you the best in the self administered practice of this ancient and reborn fitness art.
Enjoy!

two day debrief

Wednesday 3_25_09
'Hashmarks'

Walk/jog 1 mile to the track, on my way there I hit pull ups in two separate parks, using a variety of grip positions.

My high school's pleasant, well lit, and rubberized track. I rock body-weight drills behind the straightaway starting line.

10 Squat Thrusts, 1/2 lap
10 squat thrusts, 1/2 lap
Rest :45
10 SQTH + push ups, 1/2 lap,
10 SQTH + push ups, 1/2 lap,
Rest :45
10 rolling deck squats, 1/2 lap,
10 rolling deck squats, 1/2 lap.
Rest :30
1 full 400m lap.
Walk 1 mile home.


Tuesday 3_24_09 'Graduation'
Main Line School Night 5 week session completion package. Phil Scarito made the students grab heavy bells. As a co-instructor, I joined the kids.

40kg
x 5 jerks RL [Students pressed]
x 20 swings, x 10 swings LR, x 10 swings RL
All swing sets alternated with five 24kg presses each arm.

32kg
x Get Up Ladder 1RL_2RL_3RL.

40kg
x 30 swings.

Pull Ups, forever tactical. 3 sets of 3-5 reps.

'From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea'

Wednesday 1545 Hours

Heavy Bag x 1:00
40kg swing x 10
rest :30

Ten rounds. 8 hours at The Joe tonight. A friend's birthday in Atlantic City this weekend. I'm pacing myself. I will do 4 sets of 5 pull ups at work tonight.

I watched a movie titled 'My Dog Skip' the other day, and it fractured me. I cried for an hour after the movie was over. Skip looks quite a bit like our dog Scratch. And behaves exactly the same way. I walked it out, I'm aiight.

'Exit Wound'

40kg two handed swing. Barefoot, while watching the Flyers beat the Rangers.

5 reps, 7 reps, 8 reps, 10 reps, 20 reps, repeat for two series totaling 100 swings.
5 sets of 20 swings resting less than :30 between.
200 swings.
HR never climbed above 165BPM.

In sound physical condition, but I have gained weight since I moved back to PA.

I purchased organic hemp protein powder from Trader Joe's yesterday. I will be mixing this with what is left of my Soy Protein isolate and then I will move onto other forms of vegetable protein isolate. I am not a vegan, but I am phasing out leather and dairy.

I eat cage free organic eggs everyday.

My boy from the store gave me a data disk with over 100 songs written and performed by John Frusciante. I had no clue he had a solo career, nor did I have any idea of the vocal range he possessed. Dare I say I enjoy this man's work nearly as much as I enjoy the Chili Peppers.

CK-FMS round 2.5 is coming. It will be here in 11 weeks. I am excited to meet new people and review the revised training package.

Level II RKC is coming. I am scared. Though I have reached a higher rank than I ever thought possible in this system, I chose to attend the cert and meet the new requirements to prove that I am aas good as the troops. As strong as they need me to be, and willing to commit to the training required to call myself a Level II, thrice certified instructor.

I found a place to perform dead hang pull ups outside of Trader Joe's. There is a smoker's corner outside that I never visited before. Above this corner is a steel overhang. The ledge is akin to that of an I beam. I hang, with feet clear of the picnic bench by 5 inches, and perform finger tip dead hang chins. This is important to me as the night shifts I work involve more than 100 squats, deadlifts, cleans, and lunges, as well as repeated and prolonged periods of flexion involving the shoulders, elbows, and wrists.

Three sets of 5 dead hang pull ups every night, Fri Sat Sun Mon should help balance me out. When the weather breaks I will set up the TAPS unit in my driveway and have my way with it.

I apologize for the skeletal nature of this post. I am focused yet uninspired, with no desire to dress these topics up with my usual spicy verbage.

What I can tell you is that I am done waiting/looking/pining for a girl. Like Romeo, I fell in love with love, for a brief bit, and simply miss the feeling of coming home to someone. Crawling into bed with someone. Waking up to a beautiful face and then living a day with them. She'll come. She exists.

Tomorrow? Trail hike in my new sneakers.

Today's workout was on par with Tuesday's workout. Both worthy of an update.

Tuesday 3.10.09 1630 hours
Art Museum Stairs
24kg swings x 5LR + full steps
10 swings + full steps
15 swings + full steps
10 swings LR + Suicide Steps
Repeat for three rounds.

Friday the 13th
Gymboss
Heavy Bag x :20 + 5 x 32kg swings [in bag gloves, freaky], rest :20.
Repeat for 10 minutes.

Heavy Bag x :40 + 5-10 x 32kg swings, rest :20
Repeat for 10 rounds.

Snatch Right arm x :20, rest :40
Swing Left arm x :20, rest :40
Repeat this cycle 5 times for 10 minutes.

30 minute horror movie. First time I touched a heavy bag since before abdominal surgery last July.

Today is the one year mark from the day I smashed my face into the concrete in California. Trusty and Curls were in Hawaii then, as they are now. But now they live there.

I saw Watchmen on Tuesday with my buddy Boogie The Body Worker. We agreed it rates a second showing.

Sarah made me another excellent CD. I hung out with our dog all day yesterday.

Main Line School Night is running smoothly. My dental tech tried to set me up with a cute girl, I declined. I think I'm going to hit the bag frequently. I remembered all the knowledge Coach Trusty gave to me last spring. It all makes sense. My lead hand is slow. If the bag were an opponent I would get smacked up every time.

Oscar Uniform Tango.

Main Line School Night

What you may expect from this 5 week, 7.5 hour progressive course.

The success of this training evolution is reliant upon the user’s grasp of breathing and muscular tension applications for strength training with regard to the kettlebell as premier tool. The awkward initial handling of the bell and the intimidation it brings to potential users may be neutralized by keeping the battery of exercises simple and ferociously effective. We maintain that the two classes of kettlebell drills, both Grinds and Ballistics, carry their own checklists, however multiple principles visit both lists. Griping the bell maximally tight while swinging or Getting Up is non-negotiable. Breathing for a squat and Dead lift are both a biomechanical match. Science aside, your heart rate and muscle recognition will both accelerate with simple breathing and tension applications.

The kettlebell was popularized on the world wide web and in print with Muscle Media magazine, finding it’s way to Will’s eyes in 2000, and into Phils’ face in 2007. You are receiving a dose of instruction from two pioneers in the perception and reality of body mechanics. When attending the Russian Kettlebell Challenge, candidates accept the RKC Code of Conduct, a written and verbally delivered precept of the curriculum. Noting that those who pass the three days of training must also conduct themselves as curt messengers of the bell’s story, for they will often be the first person to properly instruct many people with use of the kettlebell. Will and Phil take this endeavor as serious as they would a direct order from the Company Commander. Cosmetic bonus’ overflow from the training covered and the Mission 5 template will guide you through, at the very least, the next open door in your training career.


Mission 5: The memorable device for performance, progression, and tangible growth of skeletal muscle and strength training proficiency. We will use 5 Kettlebell drills to exact the RKC code and curriculum on you, and feed the factor tree of those Drills with 5 Points of Proficiency and various enabling drills. The 5 Sessions for Strength and 5 ‘Fat-Free’ Sessions will keep your body busy refining the constants of the basics and allowing for regular variety in the menus for your training. The principles that hallmark each drill will often overlap, so mark the similarities in all drills and use that recognition to fuel growth in your additional physical endeavors. Golfers get hip mojo and runners get a strong reconfiguration of their hip and lower back neutrality. Enjoy this preview as you would a guide to a textbook or a short story reporting the travels of many who open an avenue of old repute but eternal wealth. The principles of health and strength should be ready for your consumption. Everything these two men have learned about kettlebells comes from Pavel Tsatsouline and the RKC.

Phil and Will wish you the best in the self administered practice of this ancient and reborn fitness art.
Enjoy!

From Certified Kettlebell Functional Movement Specialist seminar

Phil Scarito, Certified Instructor, snatches 24kg in August 2008.

Training Update

1st MLSN Session has been sold out. Register for the 2nd Session:
3.31.09
Tuesday, 730PM
Lower Merion High School.

Phil Scarito of DV8 Fitness and I begin teaching a progressive course through Main Line School Night, the following is taken from their on-line 'About' page.

Mission:

Main Line School Night is committed to enhancing community life by providing adults with opportunities to pursue lifelong learning through a wide selection of affordable, stimulating classes and programs that contribute to personal growth and enrichment.

School Night at a Glance

• Main Line School Night-the area's largest adult education program attracts thousands annually with a choice of over 500 weekday, weeknight and weekend non-credit courses.
• Timely, trendy and familiar courses include Creative Arts, Cooking, Computers, Hobbies, Languages, Music, Writing and Travel.
• To meet the changing interests and desires of the community nearly one-third of School Night classes are new each term.
• A competent teaching staff of inspiring instructors, many from nearby colleges, keeps classes lively and congenial.
• From one-day workshops to 2-week and 5-week classes up to 10-week study programs, courses are planned to fit into busy schedules.

The course will be split into two 5 Week courses, held once a week, on Tuesday evenings at 730pm. Sessions are 90 minutes, and priced fairer than any personal training or group instruction you will find that provides training of this caliber.

If you attend both 5 Week courses, you will be progressed from one set of KB applications to another. If you choose to register for the second ha;f only, you will not be alone, and will receive proper training on the initial battery of Kettlebell Drills.

Each 5 week session is 65.00.

Contact the MLSN office or the instructors for registration or kettlebell theory.

Phil Scarito phil@dv8fitness.com

Will Williams kettlebelltrainer@gmail.com

Course 1 beginning February 24 [ends 3.24.09, waiting list only]
Course 2 beginning March 31 [ends 4.28.09]

Main Line School Night

Contact Information

Hours of Operation

Monday-Thursday: 9 am – 4 pm
Friday: 9 am – 2 pm

By Phone

610-687-8201

By Email

info@mainlineschoolnight.org

In Person

Main Line School Night
260 Gulph Creek Road
Radnor, PA 19087

Read 'zero sum' while this blog plays host to a shamelss advertisement.

2009.01.19

Dice values assigned to 32kg kettlebell for today's special.

1 Get Up, each side
2 GU, each side
3 GU, each side
4 2 GU each side
5 Swings, either arm
6 = 5 swings each arm

"Create, Control"
Rolled: 4, 5, 5, 2, 2, 1, 1, 1
Finished with 10 swings each arm. Watched The X-Files all day, going to The Joe now. Yoga and clients tomorrow.

Over-

Directly from the web site which honors Sailor Jerry. The Original Sailor Jerry. All the 'cool' trendy types with their Ed Hardy belts and ball caps and whatever else they adorn themselves with, should read every word on this site and study the art. The art, my friends.

Sailor Jerry's Work
(Including a rationale for Buxoms)

As with the work of any great artist, every one of Sailor Jerry's designs reflects an extra level of depth, some detail that communicates more than the content would indicate. In one surprisingly beautiful design, a sailing ship crosses ocean over the word "HOMEWARD"- the shading is meticulous, the lines are perfect, but it's a burst of bright red coming from behind the boat that makes it extraordinary, depicting the romance and optimism necessary to sustain a life at sea.

The biggest thing missing from such a life, of course, is breasts- and the individuals behind them. Buxom maidens are a centerpiece of old-school tattooing, and they were Sailor Jerry's specialty. Jerry's girls are not waifs, they are zaftig creations, with luscious thighs, shapely calves and highly pert boobs. Yet its their eyes that stand out above everything- eyes that are playful, knowing and aware. Even when they're shut, you can feel the presence behind them. It's easy to see how they can get under a man's skin. They're alluring enough to look at everyday, until death do you part, leaving them behind to spark lively conversations at your wake. "That was the last one old Joe got before he settled down. Word is she still lives on the islands, raised two kids. She's a sweetie, she is."

One masterpiece has a woman standing with legs spread, holding a large cobra. The snake's head arches over her shoulder its midsection wraps around her waist. It's tail is in her hand and she's holding it a hair's breath below her crotch, as though she's been assigned to push a man to the edge of temptation his whole life long.

Another seductress is a kind of honky tonk Eve, staring naked for behind a pint bottle with her right hand gesturing toward a cherry. Below in Sailor Jerry's signature all-caps style, it read "MY RUIN". Other women are subtler, seductively shielding themselves with peacock feathers or, in some cases, the peacocks themselves.

Where there are women, there's disappointment. The Sailor Jerry oeuvre also includes hearts broken in two, the words "BUSTED!" printed in the gap between the jagged halves. Another heart is gashed through with a torpedo. There are whole hearts as well, with banners customized for girlfriends, mothers, and fathers. Even these have something that makes them stand out. A banner "in memory of my father" is centers around a cross set in two hearts. The shading on the cross and the lines around it make it shimmer, conveying a sense of honor that could only exist between a father and a son.

The Man you should know.

"But laughing out loud Makes the pain pass by "

I am out of alignment.

I have spoken of cycles that run for a month. And here I am, recognizig one. Up, down, level, repeat. I am an aeroplane. Taxi for takeoff, ascent, leveling off, cruising altitude, losing altitude, crash landing.

Use your heavy pain-body as a flotation device, my son.

Miles from my favorite mountain and years removed from the bluest ocean, I lay soaked in an ancient pain. Yesterday I returned to the reading of a book given to me by one of my more free spirited friends. I shelved the book I was reading, due the extremely bitter tone of the author and, in search of draping myself in some new colors, I picked up A New Earth for the first time since September. In the chapter I left off, the author speaks of pain-bodies, both universal and organic to the individual. This is a subject I have never scoffed at, surely a matter of pain is present everywhere and in no way do I deny the existence of collective pain and the near visibility of certain pain when shone in the appropriate light. This time, this day, it is a time for me to not only observe, recognize, and reflect, but to act. I must act, as some pain is heavy on me now. My hands are sore, my stomach feels distended and full with a black mass. My feet, my primary carriage, are weathered and weak. My sleep has disappeared. I am once again, a city of night. No man is an island? Are you sure?

The suit I am in is not strange to me, but like the writer said in a fashion that was extraordinarily potent to me, 'There is nothing you can do about the fact that at this moment this is what you feel'.

There is nothing I can do about the fact that Wednesday was a day of weakness.

Despite a successful mission to avoid caffeine after my first two morning cups for the last two weeks, and a drop-dead time of Noon regardelss of what time I wake up [if I wake up past noon I will not drink any caffeine], my sleep patterns are back to the irregular wave that has defined my daily rhythm since I was a child.

No caffeine? Check.
Chewable melatonin when I need it? Check.
Mint teas, no television watching in the bedroom, good books on the night stand, silken and velvet blindfold to wear when trying to fall asleep. Check check gosh darn check.

So where am I?
Awake at 0030 hours.

Who am I?
Gregor Samsa with an incomplete night's sleep. Half insect, half man, lamenting the rainy skies. Boo-hoo, my progression was interrupted, excuse my appearance, would you please close the window?

I revisited the PSC tonight, which I resigned from 4 weeks ago [a subject not covered here] to retrieve my TAPS rig. I then went to Whole Foods and had dinner: Baby spinach and field greens with EVOO and balsamic vinegar, vegan Mexican coleslaw, three vegan Indian Dal burgers made of peas, lentils, potatoes, onions, carrots, and almond meal, and some tasty vegan Newman O's, which are dairy/egg/wheat free chocolate and cream sandwich cookies [vegan Oreos]. I drank water, I took my multi-vitamin, and I laundered my yoga gear. I set both alarms, drank another glass of water, and was excited to slumber for a scheduled 7 hours and then attend another Bikram Yoga class at 0530. Thinking that rest and recovery would come with the night, I find myself again in the suit that is just oh-so fitting of one Will Williams. Awake in the middle of the curse word night, with no one else around - the solitary foot soldier doing battle with his own chemistry, environment, and lack of foresight. The steps taken must be completed. Lighter colors in my head, theraputic music, reduction, addition by subtraction, slow conversion to vegan living, more balance, and less aggression.

But will I complete the path? Do you beleive in me? Do you know me beyond my web log? Have you any idea the failures I have impressed upon myslef by making bad decisions while exercising ZERO precaution?

Will W2 continue to listen to The Dave Matthews Band when relaxation is in order?
Does he stop acting recklessly?
Will the reduction plan become the norm?
Does antithesis meet the homeostatic, and will synthesis bring homeostasis to a new level, a new plane?
Is it all just . . .lunacy?

I make this bed, I sleep in it. Rather, I make this bed, I lay in it for an hour with my eyes closed, and then stand up wide awake less than two hours into the night. I refuse to be angry. I refuse to sit here and act bitter as I think that while typing this I have figured out what suit I am in presently.

Sounding a wee bit altruistic here, but I think [hope] I have absorbed someone else's pain.

'That's all I have to say about that'.

Forward march,
Will

ADDENDUM
No less than one half hour after this post was published, a knock at the door. A friend who I have known since our junior year of high school came in search of solace. Partied up out of his mind and lost in his own dark space, he needed to get off the road. He was driving UI and in fear of arrest came to the stud hut. I sat with him while he unloaded 20 years worth of tragic circumstance and offered what I could. I conversed with another friend way before all of this and said a modified prayer to absorb some of that pain. And as I posted of my own weaknesses and pined for sleep normality, my friend arrived beaten and broken by life, chemicals, and the weight of a life lived for everyone but himself. 80% of what he told me I did not know about him. He was highly intoxicated and still in possession of his 'meds'. I sat there in the very presence of poison and abstained from it's bite. I ask now that while he tries to sleep this one off in the basement, I can absorb the toxins as a means of relieving him, not to entertain myself.

This was one of the weirdest nights I have ever had. And no, I did not go to yoga. To leave him for yoga would have been tantamount to ending our friendship and the trust he placed in me to hear his weeping out loud. I will be goshdarned if I did not just pass some sort of test.

Wow
W2

Protection with fire

On January 6th 2008 I hopped a flight to California thinking that I was going to move there and stay there for the rest of my life. That day was one year ago. I am back, not only in Pennsylvania, but living in the town I grew up in. As a wise young woman once said to me:

'You can check out anytime, but you can never leave'.

Shortly after this post, I returned to Bikram Yoga Main Line. I have not taken a class there since before the break up that inspired, well, a near loss of sanity. presently a t a body weight below 230, the poses were more accessible and I nailed toe stand like I was being paid for it. Yesterday was a day where all things in my vision [and of course beyond] screamed for me to return to the yoga. My close friend [and ex-girlfriend, former roommate, RKC 2007] Sarah Bennett turned 30 years of age. Another close friend, and 'fellow traveler' from my days in north Georgia also had a birthday, 31 years of age. I visited Whole Foods Market and had some vegan delights for lunch. I downgraded my storage facility and cell phone plan to save over 100.00 USD each month. Went to the dentist to have x-rays taken IOT plan a course of action for fixing my teeth, damaged something awful in my spectacular bike wreck last March 14th, and, I have successfully undertaken the latest nutrition/spiritual nourishment mission: No caffeine after my first two morning cups. So with all this pro-active behavior on my part, and the 2009 Alex Grey calender which details the oil-on-linen work from 1987 'Holy Fire Panel 3' with this quote, accompanying the birth month of myself as well as a few special people in my life, January.

'The hero is now renewed and comes down from the mountain to address the people. The people are aspects of himself - reflecting all moods from anger and doubt to elation and epiphany. The hero has taken the whole Earth into his heart as his devotional center. The New Man speaks and acts out of a new alignment and balance as heaven and Earth in order to heal the people and the planet'

Weird. . . . . . . . . .