In his original kettlebell book, Pavel Tsatsouline talks about a Program Maximum and a Program Minimum. For the younger people in the crowd (read: newer to kettlebells) some explanations may be needed. The Program Minimum has it roots with the Russian communist coup. Here is a little background. “The 1903 congress also adopted the party program, consisting of two parts:…
The Deep 6 Workout is a takeoff of the old Omelet, but is limited to the SFG core 6 lifts. The Deep 6 allows the trainee to practice and develop deep skill in all of the basic six SFG lifts, hence the name Deep 6. It consists of three different levels and is appropriate for Kettlebell practitioners of varying levels of conditioning. The Deep 6 will be great practice for people looking to gain muscular endurance such as fighters or for people who would just like to up their conditioning level to have an easier time at the SFG. It can also stress-proof the “getup” by practicing it in a pre-fatigued state.
On a recent trip to Vicenza Italy I found the perfect set of stairs for training. The stairs lead to the Church of St. Mary of Mount Berico. According to legend the Virgin Mary appeared twice to a peasant
worker in the years 1426 and 1428. She promised that if the people of Vicenza constructed a church on the top of the hill, she would save them from the plague. They did and she did. So as you see these stairs are quite literally the staircase to heaven. Find some stairs and enjoy the following.
The Ultimate Kettlebell Exercise for the Standup Fighter By Jon Engum, Master SFG Question asked the other day… What is the go to kettlebell exercise for martial conditioning? Well, pick your poison; you really couldn’t give a bad answer. Are Kettlebell swings good for the martial artist? Uh, Yah!! Or how could you argue against the Get-up? No not really,…
Jon Engum, StrongFirst Instructor. A sharp knife requires a steel to keep the edge in fine cutting condition. You may already know the term “steel” is a metal rod used to put a fine edge on knives. As a small boy watching my grandfather expertly wield his in a whirlwind of steel vs. knife he would, as a maestro conducting…
As a Taekwondo Master for more years than I care to recount, I am disgusted with the public’s seemingly well justified view of Martial Arts today. The proliferation of McDojos and six year-old black belts has given Martial Arts a black eye. With sub-par schools run by so-called experts with bellies so big their belts look more like bow ties,…
When I was a boy every Sunday afternoon one of the cable channels aired “Kung Fu Theater”. You may not remember it but as budding Martial Artists my friends and I never missed it. The Hero’s had to have some special style, a unique weapon or special power that was theirs alone. My favorites were the woman who fought using…
“Give me your strongest most powerful kicker and you’ll see the power of their kick improve by at least 15%”
Speaking to a room full of Martial Artists who were skeptical of kettlebell training I was there to convince them that they too, could improve their sport of choice with kettlebells.
I see said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw. What do you see? If three men were to describe an elephant without the benefit of sight one might feel only the elephants’ tail, he will describe the animal as snake like. Another may feel only the elephants’ trunk and say it is like a tree…
Jon Engum, Master SFG Instructor August 25, 2011 “Mother mother ocean I have heard your call…in your belly you hold the treasure few have ever saw”… Jimmy Buffet, A Pirate Looks at 40. Water is the giver of life. The sustainer of the earth, the primordial fluid our ancestors first crawled out of. The human being has always had a…
