Happy 4th

Half Dome Stone Lift

A great day marred by Tragic news

Yesterday I climbed Half Dome with some clients.

We heard this tragic news later:

Another Death on Half Dome

There were people still going up long after we were on the trail down. I know they close the cables off if it gets to dangerous but I don't know why they didn't do it on this day. It had all the signs of bad weather as well as they had closed it the day before. I know that ultimately it is your call but this seems totally messed up to me.

When we were coming down the cables there were two guys(I assume Rangers) looking for the pole with the missing cap used to hold the cables to the pole. It started to sprinkle when we got to the bottom of the cables. Surely they should have stopped people then and there.

They also had to escort another 30 people down.

I hope that the park does whatever they can and should do to make the hike safer for those doing it.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the family.

OKC at the Arnolds

This past weekend I was at the Arnolds in Columbus, Ohio. I had a great time catching up with old friends and meeting new ones.

First and foremost thanks to all that organized and helped to run the event smoothly:Lorraine, Matt, Andrew Durniat, the AKC , the IKFF, IronworksFE, and the judges. I know I will have forgotten some but thanks all the same.

There were some inspiring efforts put forth by the competitors. One of which fellow OKC Instructor Nazo put an amazing 101 reps in LC with the 12kg! She is one tough competitor.

John was doing his trademark picking up people as well as other crazy feats! It is hard to be the short ugly one in the pic;)

It was great to see Catherine Imes. Needless to say that it was poetry in motion watching her technique!

I didn't wander round too much but there was a lot of freaky looking peoples there.

The results are on the IKFF page here: IKFF

I was thinking back to the last comp I had done in San Diego (2005?) with Catherine and Steve Cotter(Mike Mahler counted my reps!) The sport has grown ten fold since then and I feel very lucky to be a part of it. Some things never change and it was good to see so many people cheering on and giving advice to others so freely. It is very exciting to be a part of and I look forward to watch the continued improvement of all involved and the advancement of the sport in general.

I put my pics up here:

http://gallery.me.com/othersideofstrength#100046

A Good Cause

I received this in an email from my Mum(A Survivor) today:

The Breast Cancer site is having trouble getting enough people to click on their site daily to meet their quota of donating at least one free mammogram a day to an underprivileged woman. It takes less than a minute to go to their site and click on 'click here to give' --- 'donating a mammogram' for free (pink window in the middle).

This doesn't cost you a thing. Their corporate sponsors/advertisers use the number of daily visits to donate mammogram in exchange for advertising.

Here's the web site: 

http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/

Please pass it along to people you know.

Orange Kettlebell Club Seminar

On February 28, 2009 The Orange Kettlebell Club will be conducting a beginner Kettlebell Workshop at Breakaway Performnce Center in San Francisco California. This workshop is designed to teach beginners the fundamentals of Kettlebell lifting as well as to help more experienced lifters master their technique.

Your OKC Instructors Will Be:

John Wild Buckley CSCS

John Wild Buckley CSCS is a competitive Kettlebell Lifter and a certified Kettlebell Instructor with The AKC, RKC, and IKFF. He is a Kettlebell instructor with Kettlebell Concepts, Kettlebell Athletics, Full Kontact Kettlebell and is the Founder of the Orange Kettlebell Club. He has studied under Honored Master of Sport (and several time world record holder) Valery Fedorenko, Steve Cotter, Ken Blackburn, Mike Mahler, Master of Sport (and American world record holder) Cate Imes, Pavel Tsatsouline, and others.

And me:)

The last seminar we did together was in Japan. It was the first kettlebell seminar of its kind in Japan and a great success. 

John's strength is insane!! Check out this recent video if him lifting Steve Cotter:

Here is the link for more information on the seminar! 

http://www.orangekettlebellclub.com

Don't miss out it will be an awesome day!

You Am I - Berlin Chair

A great Aussie band.

Happy New Year

It is always easier to follow others blindly than it is to think or walk your own. It takes guts and determination to make your own path. 

Be open to listening to others but keep a level head when doing so.  

Don't be scared of falling down or failing. 

It is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.

No matter what you do forge your own path in 2009. 

It is yours for the taking.

You can see the rock better in this pic.

Volcanic rock is jagged! LOL

Fuji san

Mount Fuji is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). An active volcano that last erupted in 1707–08, Mount Fuji straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures just west of Tokyo, from which it can be seen on a clear day.

This pic was taken on top of Mount Fuji. Most people just go to enjoy the view but I had other ideas. Find rock, lift rock!

Back in town

After 2 months studying in Japan I am finally back home. Always interesting to visit different countries but you just don't get the same feel for them on a holiday. Japan is a beautiful country with a rich heritage and it is always enlightening to spend time there.

Also held two kettlebell seminars in Tokyo while there. Big thanks to Taikei for without him none would have been possible. He's leading the kettlebell charge in Japan. Good to see some familiar faces and meet new enthusiasts. (kObA without wig on the right!)

It's good to be home:)

Medal of Honor Recipient

Recieved this in an email from client:

PO2 (EOD2) Mike Monsoor, a Navy EOD Technician, was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously for jumping on a grenade in Iraq , giving his life to save his fellow Seals.

During Mike Monsoor's funeral in San Diego, as his coffin was being moved from the hearse to the grave site at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery, Seals were lined up on both sides of the pallbearers route forming a column of two's, with the coffin moving up the center. As Mike's coffin passed, each SEAL, having removed his gold Trident from his uniform, slapped it down embedding the Trident in the wooden coffin.



The slaps were audible from across the cemetery; by the time the coffin arrived grave side, it looked as though it had a gold inlay from all the Tridents pinned to it. This was a fitting send-off for a warrior hero.



This should be front-page news instead of the garbage about the military that we see every day in the media.



Since the media won't air this news, I choose to by forwarding it onto you guys. I am PROUD of our military. If you are proud too, please pass this on. If not then rest assured that these fine men and women of our military will continue to serve and protect.

Seperated at birth?

          Dee Snyder

                                  kObA from Japan

More Pics

Some pics from Tokyo Seminar

Japan Rocks!

   

Lost in Translation

Participants from Kettlebell Seminar

held in Tokyo on 7th July.

First and foremost I want to thank Taikei for all his hard work in organizing this Seminar. It was an amazing experience . Also special thanks to Nazo.

The day before John Wild(OKC) held a kettlebell demonstration. It was a great day and John did an excellent job of introducing the participants to kettlebell sport.  

That night Taikei took me to watch his kettlebell class at his martial arts school. Seeing how far he has come since we first met about two years ago was amazing. He has really progressed a long way since then. 

The next day was my seminar. Thanks John you were a great assistant. Translating for the 21 people attending it was a huge task! Taikei and Nazo did an amazing job. The seminar went so smoothly and there was a lot of positive feedback from the participants. 

I want to thank all those involved as this was by far my favorite seminar. Maybe it was the coffee bar  beforehand;)

Dinner afterwards was a great way to wind down and get to know the attendees. 

Looking forward to doing another one soon. I'll post some more pics soon.

Sledge levering in Japan

I recieved this picture in an email from Mr. Katsutoshi Kobayashi. There was also one of him bottom up cleaning the beast(48kg kettlebell). Stong stuff!

Pennywise - Free to the People

Pennywise formed in 1988 in the south bay of Los Angeles in the same small coastal community of Hermosa Beach that produced three of the most infamous hardcore punk bands of all time, Black Flag, the Circle Jerks and the Descendents. The four band members, guitarist Fletcher Dragge, original bass player Jason Thirsk, drummer Byron McMackin and vocalist Jim Lindberg, began playing local backyard keg parties to increasing crowds, and with the help of friend Marc Theodore of Theologian Records, recorded a five song E.P. A Word from the Wise. A college radio DJ liked what he heard and gave it to Brett Gurewitz, guitarist and songwriter for L.A. punk legends Bad Religion, who was also starting his own label, Epitaph Records. Epitaph was already putting out Bad Religion albums as well as those of hardcore acts NOFX, Insted, and Down By Law. The band gave Brett a ghetto blaster recording of some new songs and he signed them to their first record deal. The result was their heralded, eponymous 1991 self-titled debut which immediately struck a chord with hardcore fans and action sports enthusiasts alike. In defiance of grunge, the disc helped to define the then-emerging West Coast punk movement. Astoundingly, 1993's Unknown Road sold a few hundred thousand copies and rather typically at the height of the punk resurgence of 1994 the major labels came calling. But the four-piece elected to stay put and released another Epitaph smash with 1995s About Time. When the tragic death of Thirsk the next year put the future of the collective in serious doubt, they rallied and regrouped with new bassist Randy Bradbury for Full Circle. The popularity of Pennywise continued to swell as the 20th Century ended, first with the success of 1999's Straight Ahead, followed by the riotous 2000 concert disc Live at the Key Club and the groups highly praised 2001 disc Land of the Free? An ensuing tour was highlighted by a sell-out gig at the 14,000-seat Long Beach Arena. After taking a year off for introspection, the group reemerged stronger than ever in 2003 as evidenced by the glowing accolades From The Ashes received. In early 2005, as Epitaph reissued remastered, content enhanced versions of the groups first four albums, the band reconvened to craft what would ultimately become The Fuse. After performing the more shows worldwide than they’ve played in recent years to support The Fuse, including a string of sold out House of Blues shows in L.A. and Orange County, the band again headlined the Vans Warped Tour in 2007, an entity they and a handful of other influential artists help turn into the longest running and one of the most successful American Music Festivals. As of now the band is hard at work on their yet to be titled next album, scheduled for a march 2008 release.

New additions

Atlas Stones 16" #182











18"#238










A lot of room for improvement. Still have to make a lifting platform.
Good times!