The Sunday morning Kettlebells Los Angeles classes are BACK!!!

You asked, you waited, you encouraged, you reminded me gently, you expressed your support, and now you're getting your wish...

THE SUNDAY AM KBLA CLASS IS BACK!!!

Starting on January 25, 2015, the Sunday AM class will be back in full swing (pun intended) at 360 Krav Maga in Westwood thanks to the generous hosting of Alan Predolin. 

360 Krav Maga

1365 Westwood Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Sundays from 8 - 9:30am as listed on the KBLA Facebook page

For those of you who remember the good ol' days when I used to start teaching at 7am outdoors to weed out the un-serious, you can cherish those memories. With the kind of schedule I'll be trying to keep in 2015, there's no way I'll be showered up & halfway out the door at 6:30am, so classes will start at 8am SHARP and go until 9:30-ish. 

If you think my classes are going to be nothing but Turkish Get-Ups, you're sadly mistaken.

There WILL be some dates when classes will NOT be held, so it's up to YOU to check the KBLA Facebook page for the dates when classes will not be held. When Doc is out of town, no classes will be held at this point. The Kettlebells LA website has not yet been updated as of 12/29/14, but it should be updated by late January 2015 in time for the start of the first class. 

If you have your own kettlebells to bring to class, that would be encouraged, as it's almost always best for you to be learning on the same equipment that you'll be training with at home. The downside to that is that since we're on the 2nd floor of a building with steps, bringing your KB up & down the steps without incident will also be a test of your attentiveness and skill.

A few new rules.....(which are subject to change)

1) EVERYONE WILL BE REQUIRED TO SIGN A WAIVER indemnifying our hosts, instructors, and the property. If you get hurt from training with the kettlebell in the KBLA classes, 99.99% of the time, it's because you didn't listen to instructions & didn't check yourself when I or one of my assistants told you to.

2) NO KIDS ALLOWED without adult supervision. The space we'll be using isn't vast & doesn't have a lounge for kids to play in safely unsupervised. While I wish we had a situation where there was a licensed childcare professional on hand to keep kids in check, the logistics at this location preclude that option. The class is only 90 minutes. If you can arrange for coverage, great. If not, there are some great babysitters who are looking for work and who'll keep an eye on your child while you train. With the briefness of this class, we need to minimize distraction & get as much done as we can. If your child is capable of sitting quietly and containing himself/herself without disruption for 90 minutes, he/she can sit in the lobby during class and either observe or hang out quietly.

3) CLASSES ARE BY DONATION: Suggested donation is a minimum of $20 cash/class. No checks or credit cards will be accepted. This may change in the future, but this is how we're going to run it for the time being. Anyone abusing the system will be asked to leave and not return. I want to develop this into something that's sustainable for the host, for me, for the future assistants/interns, and for you. If you think things run purely off non-monetary charity in a sustainable manner, then show your charity and find us a biga$$ed location with lots of parking, matted floors, licensed daycare, and reasonable rent.

4) SAFETY IS FIRST AND FOREMOST ALL THE TIME. Anyone caught clowning around, acting stupid, being a showoff, or otherwise being reckless will be asked to leave. A warning is a courtesy, not a right.

5) SUNDAY CLASSES ARE NOT PRIVATE TRAINING SESSIONS OR MEDICAL CONSULTS. If you come with a medical problem that interferes with your ability to perform the lifts safely, you will be asked to sit on the sidelines and observe until you have medical clearance to participate. If I tell you that you have a medical condition prohibiting you from a certain exercise or lift and you continue to perform it in spite of my advice, you will be asked to leave. If you try to monopolize class time by asking me questions about your particular condition, you will be asked to make an appointment with me in the clinic or asked to seek out care from a qualified & well-trained medical professional. At most classes, there will be SFG & RKC certified instructors learning alongside you. If you would like to pursue private training outside of class, any arrangements you make with those instructors is at your own risk & with your own discretion. Those instructors are not necessarily endorsed by me or anyone affiliated with me.

Don't try asking for a fitness solution to a medical problem.

6) FOLLOW DIRECTIONS OR LEAVE. Let's face it.... Training with any object in a ballistic fashion is a higher-risk activity. If you're going to participate in my class, then you're telling me that you're there to learn things in the way that I'm teaching them. If you'd like to experiment on your own and do your own individual thing, there's nothing at all wrong with that....as long as you do it on your own time and at your own place. All my patience these days is taken up already by my kids. If you feel like testing mine, you can either pay a sh!tload of money to train with me privately, or you will leave.

7) YOU WILL PAY IN FULL TO COMPLETELY REPLACE ANYTHING YOU DAMAGE. We're guests. And guests who are conscientious (and not entitled, worthless leeches) will make sure that any inconvenience they cause their hosts is made up for. For example, if you drop a kettlebell and it damages a mat, you've just agreed to buy the host (in this case, 360 Krav Maga) a brand-new mat to replace the damaged one.

Carelessness is the #1 cause of non-contact kettlebell-related injuries that I've seen. So if you've got financial skin in the game, I'm more than happy to use that as a motivator for you to be extra mindful and to develop the control you need to become a better girevik (kettlebell user).

Ego is the #2 cause of non-contact kettlebell-related injuries that I've seen. So if I tell you to put a weight down, to stop a set, or to make sure that each & every kettlebell hits the deck silently, please refer back to rule #6 [Follow directions or LEAVE].

CHALK: If you're one of those people who likes to use chalk when you lift, that's fine. Just make sure you bring an extra towel to clean up any & all chalk from the mats.

Jeez, Doc! Why so intense & mean?

Precision is your salvation.

If you have to ask questions like that or you have that feeling already, please save yourself the hassle of coming to Westwood to train with me. I stopped teaching group classes a couple of years ago when Mika was born because I no longer had the energy to put up with adults who really need to be in daycare instead of in my class. When I don't have to explain the fundamental philosophy of how I teach and I'm surrounded by the kind of respectful, diligent people who are fun to teach, then the class is LOTS of fun for everyone. So that's why I'm setting the ground rules firmly now... from the get-go.

I'm doing this again because there are professionals in the strength & conditioning community, the amateur & pro sports communities, the clinical rehab community, the martial arts community, and the fitness community that have been exceptionally polite & supportive of me restarting this group class. I'm NOT doing this just to add more to my already overflowing plate.

If you're down to be part of that select group, it'll be my honor to teach you. If you want to come to just test your physical limits & get a grueling workout in, go somewhere else. These classes are about attention to detail, precision, and high awareness. If that doesn't sound appealing to you, there are plenty of places that will pander to your desires.

For the rest of you who are down to do serious work, I look forward to seeing you on January 25th in Westwood!