Choose Your Teacher Wisely
I have been working on leveraging sledgehammers for the past couple of weeks, easing into the volume. For the rest of this month, I plan to focus on the feat with a little more fervor, so I have gone back and studied the technique of the Father of Sledgehammer levering and the undisputed KING of the leverage lift, Sim the Hammer Man Farman. (thanks to John Wood for this picture)
Legitimate BADASS Strength
You see, you need someone to teach, lead and coach you. Someone who has experience and success doing what you want to do, achieving the thing you want to achieve. For example when I chose to learn to lift and teach ketlebells, it was obvious that Pavel and the RKC were the way go. Why? It is the source from which ALL the other kettlebell stuff you see on the market today comes.
When I decided I wanted to lever a sledgehammer, I asked Dennis Rogers, who learned the feat from Slim the Hammerman. To try to figure it out by yourself is making things harder than they need to be which is a clear violation of my Rule Number One: Don’t Be Stupid.
To act like you invented it yourself is not only stupid, but arrogant.
The Legacy Continues
On the Nashville Kettlebell Blog this week I talked about how if you aim at nothing and you’ll hit it. Similarly if you follow a fool don’t be surprised if there is a less than desirable outcome. Follow the advice of a fool and what do you have? Foolish advice.
Find the best teacher you can find, learn all you can and practice with focused intent. Honor your teacher by taking what you learned beyond where you recieved it, and earn the right to call it your own.
Please share your thoughts…..
This is exactly why I decided to spend my first year as an RKC working through 101 KB Workouts. What didn’t come directly from you came from other experts in our field. My foundation gets stronger every day. Every training session is a lesson. Thanks for keeping it simple!
This sums up why I sought out your guidance. Learn from the best…you know the rest. Great post.
As with everything else, it’s garbage in garbage out. If you study with the best, you have a much better chance of success. I study Yoga-Tai Chi under a master who has been teaching for over 20 years. I never miss a session unless I am out of town. He knows what he is talking about, is humble about his accomplishments, and guides you into proper alignment and technique. He teaches my grandson karate, and he is great with the “Little Dragons”. Having him as an instructor motivates and encourages you. I’d love to find someone here in Memphis like you are in Nashville for kettlebells.
Dave, You are so right. When my marriage is struggling I don’t go to someone who’s divorced for advice I go to a couple whose marriage is thriving and ask them how they accomplish that. In the same way if you get a chance could you watch and critique the workout I developed called the “Max Heart Rate Special” over at my blog ( http://www.thatguykp.blogspot.com )? You are the expert and I’m just a student. Thanks, Keith Putnam
“Success is as dangerous as failure.
Hope is as hollow as fear.
What does it mean that success is a dangerous as failure?
Whether you go up the ladder or down it,
you position is shaky.
When you stand with your two feet on the ground,
you will always keep your balance.
What does it mean that hope is as hollow as fear?
Hope and fear are both phantoms
that arise from thinking of the self.
When we don’t see the self as self,
what do we have to fear?
See the world as your self.
Have faith in the way things are.
Love the world as your self;
then you can care for all things.” – Lao Tzu -