IN THIS ISSUE
1- Stay Sharp
2 - Kettlebell Basics Workshop with Dave Hedges
3- No Equipment, No Excuses – Bodyweight Training for Home, the Office or on the Road
4- Marcello Monteiro BJJ seminar - report
5- Every Cause But Our Own
6- On the Blog
7- Recommended Products (genuinely recommended, cos we think they’re great)

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1- STAY SHARP

Yet again the newspapers and bulletins have been talking about the rise in knife crime. There are several reports of stabbings and assaults with edged weapons.
The government response to this is the usual ban knives and impose heavy penalties on those that carry them.

And while this is by no means wrong, those carrying a knife without a genuine reason should be heavily penalised, it is not going to change a thing. It won’t take blades of the street and it won’t deter those who intend to cause harm.

Plus just how far can we go with a ban on knives?
The first to go are the martial arts weapons. This may be an inconvenience to us, but it’s not really a problem, after all, even as an eskrimador, why do I need to have dozens of live blades? I certainly never have to have them anywhere except for my home or at the club. So that’s ok, Ninja’s and Samurai will also have to get used to not having their beloved swords readily available at all times.
As a martial artist, I don’t have an issue with this. Ok, so I do have a collection of blades, and would like to add to that collection, they are for my personal enjoyment. When it comes to training, they are of little or no actual use.
We have trained with live blades from time to time, sessions have always been short and sweet, stopping as soon as one of us starts to bleed.
If we want to go hard, we use less dangerous tools, such as wood and rubber mock ups. When time comes to go full blast, we generally pick the rubber.

So martial arts weapons being banned is merely an inconvenience.
What about the folding pocket knife? While these are useful to have as a tool, who really needs one on their person all the time? Very few of us. Workmen usually have a Stanley in their tool kit, fire and police officers more will have them in there utility kit, the rest of us? Unless you need a blade as part of your job, why would you carry one?
So again, it’s no big deal no having them available.

The knife we would really struggle without is the trusty kitchen knife. Now not being able to cut up my Sunday roast would be a really spoil my day.

So unless the ole government can come up with an alternative solution for chopping veg, we will always have knives readily available for use out on the street.

But that’s not where it ends, just think of the amount of every day items that can be used for stabbing with. Your tool shed, hardware shop and hobby store is loaded with potentially lethal weapons. From chisels to knitting needles, in fact the British Police introduced the stab vest as standard issue soon after one of it’s female officers was nearly killed by a screwdriver.
Are they going to ban the sale of screw drivers?
I don’t think so.

So the ban on weapons is merely an inconvenience to the part of society that has genuine reason for having them. As for the penalties, while I am in agreement with having them, they won’t phase a man who intends to cause harm, or is in the process of breaking any number of other laws. After all, guns have never been legal in this country, yet people are still getting shot.

So by changing the law, I wouldn’t expect to see any significant decrease in knife crime. And since there seems to be such a marked rise in the number of knife related incidents, I believe it is time for us as individuals to look after our own safety.

What does this entail?
Firstly, we need to accept that people seem more prepared than ever before to cause serious injury. With or without a weapon. Once we understand this our job becomes simpler, do not get involved in any situation that could involve violence.
Back when I undertook the very first basic bodyguard training course, the instructor asked us a question. He said, “In a modern bodyguards arsenal, what do you think is his primary weapon?” I’m sure you can imaging some of the replies, but the answer the instructor was looking for was “the Brain”
It is our brain that will keep us out of trouble. It is the brain that filters all our senses and builds a picture of what goes on around us. I spoke of the senses in a previous article, but as a reminder I’ll list them here (in no particular order):
Sight, Hearing, Common, Taste, Touch and Smell
All are important, all serve a purpose, all help us gain information about our surroundings. Why then do feel like we have to block out one or more of them in order to walk down a street?

Your iPod cuts out your sense of hearing, you can no longer hear whats going on around you, behind you, behind the wall, you are effectively deaf.
Your phone focuses your vision on a point just in front of you, this is an ideal opportunity for an opportunistic assailant to walk right up to you, you wouldn’t see him until he was within arms reach. In other words, too late.

So the next time you are walking down the road listening to your favourite tunes texting your mate, you have eliminated two of your senses, no, three of them. If this description is you it is clear that the master sense is also switched off. Common Sense is the one thing that binds everything together, without it you are a sitting duck.

We also need to accet the fact that even the pro’s get into trouble. If a pro bodyguard or special forces operator can get ambushed, then you certainly can. What is it that the pro’s always say kicks in and gets them out of trouble?
Yup, their training.
Do you train? If not, why not?
We have a diverse range of classes and skills on offer at our Dublin venue, from full contact kickboxing to kettlebell lifting to traditional kung fu. We have something for everyone.
Any of the classes would help in getting you out of trouble, the relaxed mind of Iaiado to the deadly takedowns of Brazillian Jujitsu. The specialist weapon tactics of Eskrima to the sheer brute force and toughness developed by the kettlebells. Wild Geese offers some of the best training around.

But we’re not alone in the world, look around your area, is there a school near you? I’m sure there is. Check it out, watch a class, or better yet join in one. Keep an eye out for workshops and seminars happening in your area, notable instructors often travel and even complete beginners can benefit from these workshops.

Once you accept that this may happen to you, or your family, preparing for it gets easier. As I said, your brain is your primary weapon, use the bodyguard mantra of Avoid, Escape, Confront, only ever use your fists if you really have no option.
But if you do, go all out. If this bozo is armed, you want to put him down as fast as humanly possible and make sure he won’t get up until you’ve hot footed it far, far away.

 

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2 – Kettlebell Basics Workshop

Dear Kettlebell Enthusiast

Coach Dave Hedges will be running a Kettlebell Basics Workshop on Saturday 27th of this month.

Basics does not necessarily mean beginner. So everyone is welcome to attend from first time lifters to experienced Gireviks.

Over the course of 3 hours we hope to cover:
- Warming up
- Safe Lifting
- The Swing
- The Snatch
- The Clean
- The Jerk
If we have time we will also look at the assisitance and supplementary exercises as well as training protocols for success in these lifts.

Who will benefit?
- The Beginner – For those of you who are thinking of taking up the kettlebell for the first time, this is the perfect opportunity to receive professional instruction in the correct use and safe practice us kettlebell lifting before you get to work at home building the physique an fitness you always dreamed of.
- The Experienced Kettlebeller – Even thise who have been using kettlebells for some time will benefit from having a critical eye look over their form. Kettlebell lifting is as much an art form as a training protocol, this is you opportunity to clean upyour technique and maybe learn a few tips and tricks to become even more efficient.
- The Athlete – If you already train, regardless of whether you are a fighter, runner, lifter or fitness enthusiast, you can benefit from adding the kettlebell into your routine. After you have learned the basics you will have the opportunity to ask questions on how best to utilise this tool to improve your performance at your chosen sport.

If you are interested drop me an email to info@wildgeesema.com as soon as possible as places will be strictly limited to ensure quality instruction.

Date: Sat 27th June
Time: 1300 - 1600
Location: Wild Geese Martial Arts & Fitness (map on www.wildgeesema.com)

See you there

We have confirmation that Kettlebell master, Mr Steve Cotter, is definitely coming over sept 12th & 13th this year for a IKFF certification course. I’m still awaiting final confirmation of the price for the weekend, but please feel free to contact us (info@wildgeesema.com) or get in touch with Steve (www.ikff.net) to register or to get more info.
This will be a weekend NOT to be missed!

 

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3- No Equipment, No Excuses – Bodyweight Training for Home, the Office or on the Road.

Wow, that’s a mouthful!

But it does sum up what the book is about.
After all the information in it was learned and used by the author in the times where he was training at home, during quiet spells during long hours at work and during his extensive travels.

It is a fact that many simply do not like weight training, hate group classes, despise the gym or simply can’t get time due to various commitments to do what the magazines and infomercials say they must do. Speaking of infomercials, have you seen some of them, they peddle so many lies it’s not funny, yet good folk lap it up in the hope that spending $x on y machine will make them happy? That is simply not moral.
So here’s this little volume. It says "no equipment", but it lies, you’ll need a door, towel, table and maybe a couple of chairs to perform some of the exercises. That’s nothing compared to the lies told by all the other marketing and sales hype in the world today.
What Wild Geese instructor and Fitness Coach, Dave Hedges, has done is simply collect some of the finest bodyweight only exercises together into a single volume. There is no fluff, no filler, no wasted space, no false promises of six pack heaven or getting the chicks. Just plain, simple advice and instruction with around 200 or so illustrations to accompany the detailed text. Showing drills and exercises for each part of the body, with progressions for more advanced trainees.

At the back of the book there are dozens of examples of how to put together various workouts. Some to suit weight loss, some for strength, some for the time starved. But non of them are of the slightest bit of use unless you actually use them.
There is no magic pill here, you gotta do some work, Dave just shows you the right way to work, it’s up to you to do it.

Up until the 1st June, the eBook is on special offer, €8, after that it goes back to it’s advertised price of €15. That’s still a damn site cheaper than the Mega Super Ab stepup doohickey with extra back support and sideways motion that some fitness guru is trying to flog you via a 20 min infomercial brain drain.

You get to choose, simple, no bull, real exercises you can do anywhere, or some machine you’ll only end up drying clothes on in a months time.
Plus we’ve also set up a new blog to accompany the book. It’s called (wait for it) www.noequipment.blogspot.com. You’ll get hints, tips, story’s and anecdotes here, plus you’re invited to hit the comment button and tell your own stories and ask your own questions. Dave will answer them personally.

Have a look on the shop page for your chance to pick up a cheap copy, before it goes back to it’s advertised price.

 

 

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4- Marcello Monteiro BJJ seminar - report

Good technique always looks nice but just because something looks nice doesn’t make it good technique. How can two men rolling on the ground seem like a work of art? Well if one of them is Marcello Monteiro then what is being performed is a work of art.

I watched about two hours of Marcello’s seminar at the club last Sunday, I didn’t know what to expect as I don’t do bjj and I don’t believe in watching seminars. wild geese rule no.34 para.5 states that seminars are to be done not watched, para 6states that if the body is not black and blue at the end it wasn’t a good seminar.

For nearly 2 hours Marcello lay on his back and invited everyone to roll with him over and over again effortlessly tapping them out, and I do mean effortlessly. He seemed to be moving in slow motion so you could clearly see what he was doing. What I thought was fascinating was that every time he did something you could see that it was logical obvious and simple, the advantage of hindsight, I am now officially an armchair expert Every week Marius (why do east Europeans have such cool names)brings some great wrestlers and jujitsu players to the club and no disrespect to Marius, Bobo and Yanosik (see, more cool names) but Marcello just went through them all without trying.

Two or three times he seemed to drop a gear and seconds later would come the inevitable tap out. I was reminded of my Philippine masters,who, just when you think you can match them start laughing, say something like" Ah, yes now you are starting to get it" and then put you back in your box , still laughing Marcello’s effortless style almost made BJJ seem like an internal art.

This was a BJJ seminar not MMA and without striking his style appeared at times to be very gentle until a sudden tap out reminded everyone how dangerous going to ground is against somebody like him, dangerous and foolish. At one point having gone through some of the more advanced students Marcello pointed to one of the beginners for a turn, Marius immediately jumped in to tell him that this guy was just a beginner so to be very careful with him reminding all present that however beautiful a master like Marcello’s style is it is first and foremost an incredibly devastating fighting style.

As Marcello wasn’t leaving until Tuesday he came along to Mondays bjj class. Marius made it quite clear at the start that after giving two days seminars Marcello was tired and would not be teaching as he needed to rest, ten minutes later he was changed and rolling around the floor teaching.

You can contact Marcello through his homepage www.bjjcoach.com

Mariousz teaches an incredible Brazilian Jujitsu class at the Wild Geese HQ every Monday and Wednesday at 6.30pm, he is also out in Maynooth teaching. If you are interested in learning real Brazilian Jujitsu or just improving your ground game for MMA, you please contact him at info@wildgeesema.com
Mariousz is the only man in Europe to represent Marcello Monteiro, come to his class or book him for private lessons and workshops to find out exactly why!

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5- Every cause But Our Own

If you follow our blogs (here & here) or are a facebook friend of Dave Hedges, you will have noticed a “Just Giving” box in the side bar.
This was because Dave’s sister has finally gotten of her backside and decided to get fit. To help her motivate herself she chose to raise cash for charity. As we often cite the line “every cause but our own” taken from “With the Wild Geese” by Lucy Lawless, we felt we had to help.
Now the event has passed, Kez managed to complete the 5k circuit in 39 minutes. Not bad considering the most she’d done previously is walk to the train station! In doing so she has raised money for Cancer Research. While the event has passed I’m going to leave the box up on the blogs just in case anybody is feeling generous.
If your not how about this, she is now planning a 50mile cycle, for the blind.
You can follow her progress as she prepares for the biggest physical challenge she’s ever faced by visiting her new blog aptly titled Spokes And Strings

6 - On The Blogs

?  Unorthodox Doctors Advice - Funny

?  Knife Defence - Whats The Point?

?  BJJ / MMA Seminar this weekend

If you have questions or comments on any of the blog posts, or even if you’d like to suggest a topic of your own hit the comments button under the post or drop us a line on info@wildgeesema.com.

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8 - RECOMMENDED LINKS & PRODUCTS                                                   

www.liftstrong.com

All Proceeds go to the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society

This CD contains articles from the leading fitness specialists of our day including:

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We originally intended to publish this collection as a book. However - at over 800 pages - costs were prohibitive and we went with the CD option to maximize our contribution.

Minimalist Strength Training without bulk or fancy equipment

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A pretentious title but a truly fantastic book. Goes into great detail on how to perform the Deadlift safely and how to progress to massive amounts of strength without bulking up or wasting hours in the gym. I personally put 20kg’s onto my deadlift in only a few months of using the programme.

Check it out for your self Here: http://tinyurl.com/deadlift

All the best

The Wild Geese

Doce Pares Ireland / Kenpo Karate / Self Protection / Security Training

www.wildgeesema.com / wildgeesema.blogspot.com

info@wildgeesema.com

+353 87 672 6090