The Yin & Yang of Kettlebells - What is real Power?

Russian Kettlebell training has always been seen as hardcore, as strong, as aggressive (or yang) in its movement. But there's a balance. There's a yin side to the training as well.

For those of you who follow the RKC's principles, tension = strength. If you can't generate tension, you can't demonstrate strength.

However, the equation is a little more complicated than it first appears. Power is evidenced by the change in tension per unit of time. So the greater the change in tension through the smaller the amount of time, the greater the power output.

THUS... if you're fairly stiff to begin with, and then you generate an MVC (Maximum Volitional Contraction) in say 0.5 seconds, the change in tension levels isn't going to be that impressive.

However, if you're able to relax your muscles to the point of almost total flaccidity and then generate the same MVC in the same 0.5 seconds, your power output is phenomenally better than if you were stiff.

This is where the concept of "intelligent mobility" comes in to play.

If you spend all day stretching and kneading your body until you're as pliable as Gumby, that's great as far as being able to tie yourself into postures that'll be the envy of everyone at yoga class. But it doesn't necessarily mean jack when it comes to having the power to punch through a car window or an attacker's larynx to save a life.

I first heard this principle from my Combat Shuai-Chiao master's elder son, Sifu James Lin, before I started training with kettlebells under Pavel Tsatsouline. The late Grandmaster Chang Tung-sheng believed that stretching too much can actually inhibit your strength and power. Thus, Master Lin said that it's not good for a fighter to be too flexible.

This is where the Turkish Get-Up & Viking Warrior Conditioning methods come in. The Turkish Get-Up, taught in the FMS-influenced manner, is one of the premier movement patterning exercises in the US today. Its slow, precise movement trains the body to use its musculoskeletal system in the most linked fashion possible, giving you strength and control while developing grace and coordination.

The RKC Hard Style snatch with the VO2 protocols developed by Kenneth Jay train the body like no other to load & explode like a cross between a cheetah and Michael Jordan. When combined with the Turkish Get-Up, these two exercises will help you maximize your human movement potential like few others can!

Who in their right mind wouldn't want to have a physical training regimen that gave them strength through a maximal range of motion?

Who doesn't like the idea of having both the POWER and COORDINATED CONTROL to both pull a child to safety in a crisis situation OR to comfortably handle an unruly person in a non-life-threatening situation?

Who doesn't have a few pounds that they'd like to shave off in the right places?

When Master RKC Kenneth Jay & I hit Irvine, CA to teach our Yin & Yang of Kettlebells workshop at Kettlebells Orange County, be ready for some of the most detail oriented training of your life.

The 4+ hours you spend training with us will leave your brain (and probably a few muscles) aching for more... more insights... more training... more fun... more mobility... and more POWER without bulk.

The available slots may already be sold out. But drop Kingston Heng, RKC, a line at www.kettlebellsorangecounty.com and see if he'll squeeze you in.

The Viking & I are looking forward to seeing you!

The UCLA, CK-FMS, SFMA de-brief

Finally... I know how overdue this is, but, man... what a month!

I think I've been using the excuse that I've been waiting for people to send me photos of me from UCLA & CK-FMS to procrastinate from writing this post, but I'm getting this done today, come hell or high water. (Addendum - the pic above is courtesy of Heidi Rothenberg, RKC, and just received on 8/25/08)

The UCLA-RKC
Most of you've already heard about the adventures that I took KJ on during his stay here in LA, so I'll leave those out of this post. I will, however, say that the UCLA RKC marked my domestic debut as a Team Leader, having made my international debut back in Budapest.

Just prior to the RKC, there were a few hours when Brett Jones, MRKC, KJ & I were sitting here in this dinky little home/office room of mine and powwowing just before the cert. I have to say that that was one of the cooler moments in memory. It's always a good thing when the guys you looked up to as untouchables become your friends & colleagues, but then once you know them, you respect them even more.

The KBLA crew fielded no shortage of personnel for the UCLA cert, and each one of them carried themselves stunningly. I've been hearing from someone almost every other day about how well my students did at UCLA, and I have to thank them for their hard work and their display of pride. With few exceptions and despite their fatigue following the weekend's strain and exhaustion, everyone associated with KBLA stayed after the RKC was concluded to help Dragon Door with cleanup and packing. That kind of team spirit is what makes KBLA so great to be at the helm of. Having people like that makes me want to give my all to them time & time again.

"Trusty" Justin Garfield, USMC, RKC helped KJ & I load, haul, and unload an obscene number of kettlebells from UCLA to my apartment. This place looked like Fort Hard Style for a few days afterward.

In the aftermath of UCLA, I felt completely drained. The blazing sun overhead, the expectations from this being the first RKC cert in Los Angeles AND at my alma mater, and just being on point for 3 non-stop days took its toll, and the Viking & I just crashed out hard afterwards.

Reflecting back, there were several high points along the way.
- Listening to Coach Dan John speak on training methods and high goblet squat presentation. The importance and value of so much of what he taught sailed over the heads of most people there. I know I only caught a modicum of what he was trying to share with us.
- Co-presenting the NGU/TGU with Rif
- Working with Steve Belanger, RKC & Michelle Kilikauskas, RKC II as my assistants. I have NOTHING but high praise for them!
- Sharing the field with other Team Leaders, Seniors, & Masters that I respect and admire
- Meeting so many highly motivated and disciplined RKC candidates and working with them as they developed into RKCs!

One point of discussion was the quality of certain assistants.
The RKC is not a place to strut, to sit around, or to be aloof for assistant RKCs.

It's a place and occasion to do the following, in the following order:
1. to recertify and demonstrate your technical proficiency in all of the RKC I requirements,
2. to demonstrate your ability to teach those skills to others as an assistant to your Team Leader, and
3. to pick up on all the fine points that you missed in your previous excursion through the RKC as a student.

Rest damn assured that KBLA's going to make sure that each & every RKC that we field as an assistant is more than ready to do all of those. Anton Summers, RKC did us all proud at UCLA. There's MUCH more to come from many more waiting in the wings.

And now that we've got representatives in the O.C., we're branching out as Kettlebells Orange County too!

The Certified Kettlebell - Functional Movement Screen (CK-FMS) workshop
What a reunion!

KJ, Doug Nepodal & I were on the same flight out of LAX, and we got the red carpet welcome from Matt Johnson, RKC. Matt took time out of his day to scoop up the Three Amigos from MSP and bring us to the hotel. Big thanks to Com. Matt for such hospitality!

The first moments as KJ, Doug & I rolled out, getting into the Holiday Inn was like being back at the reunion you always wished your reunions were like. We got our rooms and met up in The Liffey (the in-house restaurant) later that evening, and you'd swear you've never seen so much warmth and happiness in one place. That kind of camaraderie left a lasting impression on us all, no doubt.

The CK-FMS workshop itself was a thing of absolute beauty. I'd originally signed up just for the sheer pleasure of being a student, but that was prior to having a couple of meetings with Gray Cook & Dr. Lee Burton, who honored me with an invitation to assist. I'd originally been exposed to the Functional Movement Screen directly by Gray a couple of years ago when he gave Pavel & I an in-depth introduction to it at the Beckham Academy. I'd been practicing it on my own as well, studying bits & pieces here & there, along with the "Secrets of..." series. I met up with Gray & Lee in Long Beach for their Perform Better workshops earlier this year, and then flew out to Indy to go through the full FMS course itself, where I ended up assisting (much to my shock & surprise). When Gray told me that he wanted me to assist at the CK-FMS, I was speechless.

Despite studying the reference materials, I was amazed at how many little fine points I'd missed or overlooked as the workshop progressed. Throughout the weekend, as much as I thought I'd prepared to assist Gray & Brett, I felt like I was just struggling to stay abreast of the knowledge that the two of them were doling out. Danielle Cook, RKC II, Gray's wife and a well-practiced FMS instructor, put me a bit more at ease when she commented that a lot of this material she'd never seen either, as it was the first time Gray & Brett were presenting it together. As the two of them were teaching, I felt like I had my lips on a firehose that was on full-blast. I had to keep checking my skull every few hours to see if there was an exit wound yet.

With even the massive amounts of experience and learning that a high-level coach like Rif has, he too was remarking well before the end of the day, "My brain hurts!"

It wasn't until the last day when Brett confessed that he was taken off guard and blown away by something Gray explained or presented that I started to feel a little more consolation. You can rest assured that for the coming months, I'll be hip deep in the Gray [Cook] Matter.

The Takeaway... Hard Style and the RKC System is an incredible body of knowledge that prepares the human body for ideal movement and true strength. It fits in with the FMS like a hand in a glove, and I'm just more inspired to learn and practice more of both.

The Aftermath... After spending the weekend with people I love & respect like Toomey, the Blifferts, Engum, Whitley, O'Connor, Pavel, KJ, Rif, and the like, leaving was a serious downer. If the Iron Tamer himself hadn't called me and asked if I was back home & bummed out too, I'd have thought someone put a downer in my Cheerios. There's really something to be said for the kind of family that's come out of The School of Strength!

Oh yeah... and if you have pics of me or Courtney, please e-mail them to me!!!

---

OK... sorry about the prior incompleteness. Had to run down to the Inosanto Academy to train the man himself.

SFMA debrief
At Gray Cook's encouragement, I signed up for the Selective Functional Movement Assessment Course, taught by Dr. Kyle Kiesel. This course focused more on diagnostic tools for physicians, while still operating on the same paradigm as the FMS.

There are still basic tests that are scored, and the focus for treatment is refined down to a very formulaic means. Courtney & I had dinner with Dr. Kiesel after the course and both of us gave him the same feedback:

As medical professionals (east & west), we were both taught plenty of diagnostic tests and how to use plenty of diagnostic tools, from pulses to MRIs to serum glucose tests. No matter what branch of medicine you're in, if you're learning from a top-notch mentor and a really skilled clinician, you're taught to go for the keystone, the central point of dysfunction or disease. When you treat that effectively, all the other secondary symptoms will usually improve.

The SFMA & FMS technologies give everyone involved in human performance a means of identifying dysfunction, aiming us toward the key problem, and rectifying it with either corrective exercise, intervention, or referral. This is the essence of being a useful participant in another person's true wellness.

As I said this morning at the Inosanto Academy, I'm so blessed to have access to good people like these with knowledge so deep. Life's good.

Oh yeah... and send me pics from UCLA or CK-FMS if you've got 'em!

KBLA rocks the house Hard Styyyyyyyyyyyle!!!

The UCLA Russian Kettlebell Challenge Instructor Certification saw 11 members of KBLA join the exalted ranks of the RKC instructor consortium! By the end of this month, that number'll be 12. By any stretch of the imagination, no matter how you measure it, regardless of how you slice it, dice it, or crush it...

We came...

We saw...

We kicked some serious A$$!!!!!!!

Through the zillion & one overspeed swings, the RKC snatch tests, the VO2Max training, and the sheer brutality of the overhead sun, you guys represented me and the clan in truly incredible fashion.

My houseguest, the Dane of Pain himself, Kenneth Jay, received his promotion to Master RKC on Sunday. He and many other Team Leaders, Sr. RKCs, and Assistant RKCs commented to me on several occasions about how well the KBLA crew was prepared, how well they carried themselves, and how well they represented.

For those of you who stayed for the post-RKC cleanup effort, your attendance at all subsequent KBLA Sunday classes is completely free-of-charge for the month of August.

Also, I've made some modifications to the KBLA website, but there are a LOT of updates that need to occur as far as listing the new RKCs. Please send me your bio info and a digital photo of you in KBLA gear as soon as possible for inclusion. We're raising the bar for the entire RKC community, people, and as a result, we're raising the bar for ourselves as well. ANY and EVERY RKC instructor under the KBLA mantle will be expected to train directly with me either once a month in the Sunday group class or once every other month privately. Among the higher-ups, we've had plenty of conversations about how to enforce stricter quality control, even among the Team Leader ranks, and I'm starting with every man and woman in my own house... KBLA.

Also, a special congratulations to Guro John Spezzano for becoming the first in-house RKC-certified instructor at the Inosanto Academy of Martial Arts! Guro John is my martial arts tutor, my dear friend, and one of my finest kettlebell students. We're pictured above right after he was granted his RKC certification.

Another special congratulations goes out to newly minted Master RKC Mark Reifkind. As many of you know, Rif is a very, very dear friend to me, like an older brother, and his promotion and the minutes we got to spend together will be priceless memories to me.

Let's get back to work!!!!!! The CK-FMS is this coming weekend!!!

The European Tour - Part 1

Danish Get-Up

I could easily call the span of time from April 24 - May 12th the RKC Trifecta Tour. St. Paul, Copenhagen, and Budapest in 3 successive weekends is making for quite an experience.

I'm typing this just outside of Budapest right now, at the home of Peter Lakatos, head of RKC Hungary and Krav Maga Hungary. Today's been quite restful. And yesterday as well. Spending hours & hours vegging out in CPH and waiting for Brussels Air to post the gate information turned out to be one of the most needed down-time experiences I've had in a long time. Today's essentially more of the same, but in the comfort of a beautifully built home and an ancient city.

-----
RKC St. Paul, MN

St. Paul was awesome. A long overdue reunion with the man who coined the pronunciation Hard Styyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyle was a joyous thing. Sr RKC Dave Whitley and I got to do some long overdue catching up. RKC TL & TKD master Jon Engum was also there, and we got to steal a few minutes here & there during lunch breaks to trade Taekwondo kicking combos and Shuai-Chiao takedowns/throws.

I got to meet a few people that I'd seen on the forum a bunch of times, including Abdul Mujib and Prof. Amy Jurrens. It was also my first time serving as an assistant under Master RKC Andrea Du Cane. I'd been with her at several RKCs, but never served with her as an assistant. This time, it was very educational to hear the details of her thoughts on the technical proficiency of each candidate. There are certain technical variations that are well within acceptable limits, and the Masters and Seniors have varying insights into what is acceptable and what isn't. While that sort of individuation can lead to mild confusion, Pavel issued a renewed direction to teach "by the book"... in this case, the RKC Manual.

For the newbie, the absence of a well-defined Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) creates stress and potentially danger. Understanding that, Pavel has reminded the Seniors & Team Leaders to remember that and maximize clarity. Just as in martial arts, there's a tendency towards individual expression and personal styles, there has to be a baseline of primary skills and execution methods that are SOP. As the School of Strength grows and evolves, each and every member needs to remember that the School's founder has the last say on toeing the line.

Pavel also promoted Sara Cheatham to the highly exalted rank of Senior RKC. Sara blogged on her promotion by citing the RKC Code of Conduct. And Pavel reminded me of that Code in St. Paul when a couple of students were evidently upset about seeing an instructor drinking during off-hours. When all is said and done, Pavel IS the RKC, and as RKCs, we are a reflection of him, his high standards, and his rock-solid values. It's an honor to be part of his team, to be a member of the select group that he founded, and part of our membership revolves around our ability to "recertify" on a daily basis through his RKC Code of Conduct.

After the cert wrapped up, Master Engum took me to dinner with his family before heading to the airport. We found what might've been 1 of 3 Korean restuarants in all of Minnesota. Seeing him with his son, Victor, and a Korean family with a baby sitting next to us, I had such painful pangs of longing for my own son. Thank God I got to spend some time with him back in LA after St. Paul, even if just for 48 hours before flying off to Copenhagen.

Whitley, Engum, & I might be touring Asia for an RKC prep course. More on that coming up...

-----
RKC Copenhagen, Denmark

Rannoch Donald RKC was right. Denmark is the MOST expensive place I've ever been to. The US dollar isn't worth beans, and my lunch at CPH airport on my departure date cost me about USD $50... for just a small piece of lasagna and 2 cokes!!! BLIMEY!!!

The RKC itself, however, was perhaps the BEST cert I've been to. The Europeans were far more disciplined and prepared than most of the US RKCs that I've been to, and they showed serious motivation to succeed. As Cpl. "Big Willie" Williams RKC Team Leader said, "The whinyness factor here in Europe is 1/10th of what it'd be stateside, and the candidates are far more prepared." Perhaps something to take to heart, eh?

Also, serving Sr RKC Mark Reifkind again as one of his assistants, I was back in familiar and enjoyable territory. Rif & I have a wonderful synergy, and it's a high listening to him teach and lecture. One of these days, Rif might actually get off his arse and put his "What is the RKC System" lecture on his blog. The first time I heard it a few years ago, it gave me goosebumps. Just like in St. Paul, the RKC cert evolved, and so have Rif's already formidable presentation skills.

Rif's Best Stuff

One of Rif's best moments was when he was explaining neuro-muscular inhibition. If you are a fan of Rif's, you'd have jumped for joy hearing him talk about this. He said that if you're uncertain or uncommitted to lifting a weight or applying a force or doing something, just step away from it because you're destined to fail. Even if you get the weight moving, the odds are that you're doing it incorrectly... using muscles and compensation patterns that you don't need to use. I was thinking about all the times I've said something along those lines to my students, and how many times some of them still manage to defend their weakness instead of attacking it by themselves. Pray that Rif blogs on this more in depth, or pester him to death about it! :)

Pavel also improved his teaching methods for the Squat portion, cutting out a few "extraneous" things to fast track the learning process. Again, this is why I keep saying that the RKC system is CONSTANTLY evolving and improving. Pavel is not dogmatic in his approach to the kettlebells, and he gladly researches any means of imparting knowledge and ability with an eye toward safety. Thanks to that open-mindedness, even if you go to 4 RKCs per year, you learn more & more each time! It's not a stale, dead system, but rather one that requires constant involvement and study to stay current.

RKC Jacob Sondergaard, Kenneth Jay's right hand Dane, represented his mentor with serious Hard Styyyyyyle. His sharp eye kept the candidates in line and training properly, while his serious strength kept inspiring them to push harder. He's my new Danish brother.



Inspiration was the key word of the weekend, and I started off doing my usual psyche 'em up routine... this time by yelling out an impromptu "Spartans! What is your profession?" and hearing the "A-wooooo!! A-wooooo!! A-WOOOOOO!!!" in reply. By the end of the weekend, it was "Team Rif! What is your profession?" And the last reply of the weekend became "A-WOOOO!!! A-WOOOOO!!! RKC!!!!!"

All that aside, nobody can take the place of my brother, Dr. Vadim Kolganov, Master of Sport in Sambo, who was my roommate this past weekend in Denmark. I've blogged on his background before, but now he can add 3 more letters after his name.... RKC!



He rocked all the way through the weekend, and his meeting with Pavel was a Russian Reunion in Hard Styyyyyyyyle. Vadim shared his memories of training with Dr. Valentin Dikul, one of Pavel's heroes, as well as his experiences and insights on the value of Hard Style kettlebell training. Look for an interview with him to come out soon in an upcoming issue of Hard Style Magazine!

The day after the cert, I caught a ride to the airport with Rif, Vadim, & Dr. Ricardo Nieves RKC, who graciously drove us. Nicole & John Du Cane rolled in not too long afterwards, so I got a chance to sit down and have a long chat with Nicole while we were waiting for our flights. What a well-spoken, broad-minded, and down-to-earth person she is!

All that social stuff aside, the last 2 RKCs renewed my interest in the Press. Sr RKC Kenneth Jay had some great explanations of the Seesaw Press, and Rif & I had some ideas about the footwork. This will be on my plate when I get back to LA! That and overspeed ecentrics...

From the last 2 RKCs (Denmark & St. Paul), I got a better idea of how many people are reading my blog and watching the Youtube vids. Folks that were there both as RKC Candidates & victims came up to me and told me how much they enjoy this blog, mail some of the posts to their friends, and use the vids in their classes. I really appreciate the kind of heartfelt, personal positive feedback I got from those of you who stepped up to share your thoughts with me. It made me appreciate what a global influence KBLA has and reminded me of my responsibility to all of you.

Foodwise, Denmark was quite an eye opener. At first, it seemed like the blandest food I'd ever eaten, until I was chatting with my Mom via IM. She made a comment that the food only tasted bland because Americans wildly oversalt their food. I have to agree. Maybe that's the solution to the American obesity issue... charge $50 USD for a tiny portion of lasagna and 2 cokes.

-----
Budapest, Hungary

The RKC is still a couple of days off, but I've had my first chance in Europe (in my 5 trips) to go into a Catholic church (that was founded in the 1300's) and pray. Budapest is a chill place so far, and the RKC organizer, Peter Lakatos is a first class host and a very impressive man. While I almost thought I'd be roaming around Budapest lost for the first few days of my arrival, he turned all my worries inside out.

At his beautiful home in St. Andrea, just outside of Budapest, I've been able to chill out, catch up a bit on returning e-mails, sleep in late, and hang out with his wonderful family. This soft-spoken, gentle-mannered guy is a hard-ass, though. The chief instructor for Krav Maga Hungary and Hungary's top RKC, he's NO joke.



This afternoon, Peter took me to walk along the Danube, where I spied these ducks swimming along. My son would've been thrilled about them, so I post these "Ducks on the Danube" here in the hope that my wife will show them to him before I return.




The next few days are going to be interesting. Tomorrow, I meet the legendary Gabi of the Hungarian Courage Corner blog!

If you have pics of me from the last couple weeks, please e-mail them to me. Thanks!!!