Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Spring training and competitions!

Kettlebell Private Training in Boulder @ Body Balance Gym, 2747 Iris Ave.:*
Personal Training Schedule:
Monday times available after 3:30 pm
Wednesday times available after 3:30 pm
Sunday times between 10 am and 4 pm
Contact me to reserve your times! mindbodyenergetics@gmail.com

Kettlebell Fitness (for whatever your level is): $75/hour
$350/pack of 5 training sessions

Girevoy Sport (for people already familiar with kettlebells): $60/hour, trainers pay $40/hour
$280/pack of 5 training sessions, trainers pay $185/pack of 5 training sessions
(trainers = personal trainers and CKTs)

*Special prices for Body Balance gym members and Body Balance trainers! 
Check the link below to pre-pay for great deals.

**Competition reminders and new KBSport competition announcements!**
Local Competition
Sunday May 26th, BOLT Standard, Denver, CO
$25 to compete in up to 4 10-Minute events!

Competitions in US
Saturday, April 6th IKSFA NY Open KB Sport Championships, Long Island City, NY
$85. Registration closes March 24th.

Saturday, April 27th IKSFA Northwest KB Open Spring Invitational, Sumner, WA
Registration cost dependent on the number of events performed.
Traditional and Additional KB events available. Check the links below for your event!
http://nwkbspringinvitational.brownpapertickets.com/
Link to registration

Saturday, May 18th KettleBell Classic Pro/Am, Dayton, OH
Registration: Single Event $25, Multiple Events $45, Relay Only $15
Biathlon, Long Cycle and 3-Person Relay
http://thedirtygym.com/2013-kettlebell-classic
Link to registration

Saturday, June 1st Mid-Michigan Open KB Sport Competition, Spring Arbor, MI
Early Registration: $55, goes up (April 2 to May 1) to $65, late registration $85
Grand Opening event of the official IKSFA training facility in the US!
https://clients.mindbodyonline.com/ASP/home.asp?studioid=14487
Link to registration

Saturday, June 8th IKFF Chicago Kettlebell Classic, Chicago, IL
Early Registration: $50, goes up (March 17 to April 20) to $60, late registration $70
http://www.chicagokettlebellclassic.com/Event_Info.html
Link to registration

Contact me for more information, if you are ready to train kettlebell fitness or GS with me, or have comments/questions:
mindbodyenergetics@gmail.com

Best wishes for safe, strong training!
Christian

Saturday, March 9, 2013

Look Straight at the Fire

Ceremony has been the most awakening experience of my life.

Before half of my readers click away, allow me to define ceremony: a set ritual or routine that has a beginning, middle and end with results that are (mostly) predictable; also the act of collecting certain elements/objects to complete an event.
Everyday ceremonies include breakfast, meetings at work, classes, and the bedtime routine. And of course preparing for a Kettlebell Sport training session. These ceremonies become like habits to us, thus requiring a low-level of awareness to complete. However, certain elements (including people) can determine the experience we have. For example, at the gym you find that the socks didn't make it into your bag. Or there is a group that usually isn't there during your gym time, and they are using your equipment. The absence or presence of key elements will affect your training.

High-level ceremonies include rites-of-passage, weddings, graduations, etc. And of course, GS competitions. I can say with complete confidence that the person leading these ceremonies has a big responsibility on his/her shoulders. Rituals of this nature are rich with meaning on multiple levels. In highly focused ceremonies people are offered a look at their role in the bigger picture. When the person leading a high-level event is well-suite to his/her position, all the participants bring or do something that contributes to the ceremony, emerge awakened to their role in the community and are loaded with wisdom to integrate into everyday life. Here is one example of said wisdom:

Don't look right, don't look left, just look straight at the Fire.

Fire is a dual element of Inspiration/Light and also Purification/Refinement. It is a metaphor for the Creative Spark in the heart of humanity. And and extremely appropriate representation of the effort required of a Kettlebell Sport athlete.

I've been training for Kettlebell Sport only three years now, but I am clear about my training sessions being a ritual. I arrive with a gym bag full of gear. As with any ceremony, not everything comes out of the bag, but some things cannot be managed without. In the past three years almost every variable has arisen to test my determination to complete a training program. It's clear to me that I'm supposed to compete.

When regular gym folks pick up ProGrade kettlebells it's obvious to me within the first 10 minutes if GS is a fit. When it's right for them, people want to continue to struggle with it, learn it and let it change them. A relationship is created that people will give into. It occupies their workouts, they want more training, more efficiency and good equipment. Soon after learning the main lifts they may look at their chances of achieving ranks, and if they are naturally competitive learn what it takes to win in their weight class.

Those folks who aren't right for Kettlebell Sport do what I did when offered Olympic Weightlifting, look at the effort, skills and time required to begin to be good at it and then take a seat with the other spectators. When we know we are not for a sport, we stand aside with respect to the athletes who are drawn to it.

Those of us who are at home in athletics know what it is to find a challenge that must be achieved. It's the thing that rivets our focus to the exclusion of everything else. Like my teacher said, there is no use looking at what other people do or what they think of you doing your thing; the Spark is very personalized between the lifter and the Fire. When the challenge has you, nothing else exists anyway. No one else gets it, but might have an idea what a privilege it is to witness. A coach understands the importance of it to the lifter and can watch your progress from across the gym.

Best wishes to you for efficient, effective and safe training.
mindbodyenergetics@gmail.com