kblifter
07-25-2006, 06:22 AM
Flowfighting is beyond description, it must be experienced. You must also realize to those who were not in attendance, we were only exposed to a taste of its totality. Anyone who feels the internal struggle of your true self versus the overwhelming standard of mediocrity, will want to attend this seminar.
The head coaches emphasized core principles that tied together all the delivery systems. What was refreshing is all your time invested in CST training applied to Flowfighting. It gave us a common language to communicate in. For example, after performing a takedown, I had trouble not getting tangled by my partner's leg. Ryan, my Theta brother, reminded me to simply Scorpion after the takedown and viola, I was clear. This is coming from someone who does not have much ground grappling experience. My CST personal practice helped me in an area I am not famliar with.
Preparation: ABT (Always Be Training) folks, that is what deepening your daily practice will help you with. If you feel you should have run more, hit the bag more, don't...simply deepen your daily practice as your foundation. I am not saying conditioning is not essential. I am saying conditions are not always ideal. For example, prior to Flowfighting I was stressed with personal issues, got a really bad ear infection, and got busier at work. The last several weeks prior, for work I would start anywhere between 4:30am and 6am, which meant I had to wake up between 2am and 3:30am to perform my daily practice. I would then have a few hours after 1pm to eat and perform some basic Prasara to compensate for tension, then work till some days 6 or 7pm and do it all over. In that situation, I doubt hitting the heavy bag for X amount of rounds would have helped as much as Intu-Flow and Prasara.
Performance: The morning of I arrived and everyone was gearing and ready to go. I went into the bathroom and reminded myself that all I had was NOW...tomorrow never comes. I actually opened the door and was embarassed as someone was waiting and I think I was talking out loud to myself. My volume control was off due to the ear infection, which has been chronic my whole life. My GP and ENT can't explain it, they just prescribe anti-biotics and tell me to wear plugs swimming, no q-tips, drink lots of water, don't be stressed. It gets so bad that my left ear drum punctures at times. If you have ever had swimmer's ear, it amplifies muffled sounds inside your head. Within the first hour, while running around doing drills, I was feeling queezy and threw up in my mouth, for a split second I glanced at the bathroom door and had an executive decision to make, break rank and bolt or swallow, discpline my breath and proceed...nothing tastes as good as liquid with pieces of raw almonds the second time around. Whenever my heart would beat hard, it was amplified because of the ear infection. I actually used it to monitor my tension and arousal level, working on compressing, re-aligning my structure, vibrating, and regulating it. Having fluid in one ear made it difficult to hear the coaches, which caused my attentiveness and focus to be sharper, I had to listen that much harder to catch the instruction. I gave it my all and it gave back with interest.
The head coaches started by awarding the new generation of coaches their certificates. They all were distinguished by their character. All weekend the coaches coached, by reminding me to take things incrementally, while they were performing as athletes under pressure (incredible if you ask me). The head coaches were active, open, adaptive, and responsive. The participants were supportive and left all trace of ego at the door. I am doing my best not to point out anyone in particular, because I feel everyone contributed in their own way and it would be unfair to those not mentioned or to people whose name I cannot recall.
If you are someone who complains about mediocrity in society, products, service, government, etc., then make a commitment to attend Flowfighting. Honor your commitment to the part of you that is frustrated by your daily grind. What scared me most was not getting through the weekend...time passes it is an inevitability...just grin and bear it or space out (not at Flowfighting). What I feared most was what would happen after, that like a bug I would be infected and want to come back actively to train in martial arts. All my ego needed was one excuse to not start up that huge mountain of work ahead of me. Flowfighting seminar is a beginning not an end.
Coach Sonnen ended the seminar stating the more he learned the more he realized he knew nothing. It reflects something I told a client once, and it shocked me...I have no idea where it came from so I will take credit for it, quick, Nikolay trademark, copyright, RMax powered -- "The more I learn, the more I realize I know nothing. The more I explore the depths of nothingness, the more I have access to everything."
A quick shout out to Nikolay, the Godfather of Rmax. I don't think people realize how hard it is to keep things running so smoothly, successfully, and with ethics. I have seen a few business from behind the scenes and none have been run as well as Rmax Productions. Kudos to Nikolay, to all the sacrifices and foibles we will never know. I do have one request. When is the DVD coming out where Nikolay throws Coach Sonnen around? I would buy that, wear t-shirts, and hats.
All my best to all who attended Flowfighting, safe return home, and to their family who supports them in their sacrifice -- thank you Carol.
The head coaches emphasized core principles that tied together all the delivery systems. What was refreshing is all your time invested in CST training applied to Flowfighting. It gave us a common language to communicate in. For example, after performing a takedown, I had trouble not getting tangled by my partner's leg. Ryan, my Theta brother, reminded me to simply Scorpion after the takedown and viola, I was clear. This is coming from someone who does not have much ground grappling experience. My CST personal practice helped me in an area I am not famliar with.
Preparation: ABT (Always Be Training) folks, that is what deepening your daily practice will help you with. If you feel you should have run more, hit the bag more, don't...simply deepen your daily practice as your foundation. I am not saying conditioning is not essential. I am saying conditions are not always ideal. For example, prior to Flowfighting I was stressed with personal issues, got a really bad ear infection, and got busier at work. The last several weeks prior, for work I would start anywhere between 4:30am and 6am, which meant I had to wake up between 2am and 3:30am to perform my daily practice. I would then have a few hours after 1pm to eat and perform some basic Prasara to compensate for tension, then work till some days 6 or 7pm and do it all over. In that situation, I doubt hitting the heavy bag for X amount of rounds would have helped as much as Intu-Flow and Prasara.
Performance: The morning of I arrived and everyone was gearing and ready to go. I went into the bathroom and reminded myself that all I had was NOW...tomorrow never comes. I actually opened the door and was embarassed as someone was waiting and I think I was talking out loud to myself. My volume control was off due to the ear infection, which has been chronic my whole life. My GP and ENT can't explain it, they just prescribe anti-biotics and tell me to wear plugs swimming, no q-tips, drink lots of water, don't be stressed. It gets so bad that my left ear drum punctures at times. If you have ever had swimmer's ear, it amplifies muffled sounds inside your head. Within the first hour, while running around doing drills, I was feeling queezy and threw up in my mouth, for a split second I glanced at the bathroom door and had an executive decision to make, break rank and bolt or swallow, discpline my breath and proceed...nothing tastes as good as liquid with pieces of raw almonds the second time around. Whenever my heart would beat hard, it was amplified because of the ear infection. I actually used it to monitor my tension and arousal level, working on compressing, re-aligning my structure, vibrating, and regulating it. Having fluid in one ear made it difficult to hear the coaches, which caused my attentiveness and focus to be sharper, I had to listen that much harder to catch the instruction. I gave it my all and it gave back with interest.
The head coaches started by awarding the new generation of coaches their certificates. They all were distinguished by their character. All weekend the coaches coached, by reminding me to take things incrementally, while they were performing as athletes under pressure (incredible if you ask me). The head coaches were active, open, adaptive, and responsive. The participants were supportive and left all trace of ego at the door. I am doing my best not to point out anyone in particular, because I feel everyone contributed in their own way and it would be unfair to those not mentioned or to people whose name I cannot recall.
If you are someone who complains about mediocrity in society, products, service, government, etc., then make a commitment to attend Flowfighting. Honor your commitment to the part of you that is frustrated by your daily grind. What scared me most was not getting through the weekend...time passes it is an inevitability...just grin and bear it or space out (not at Flowfighting). What I feared most was what would happen after, that like a bug I would be infected and want to come back actively to train in martial arts. All my ego needed was one excuse to not start up that huge mountain of work ahead of me. Flowfighting seminar is a beginning not an end.
Coach Sonnen ended the seminar stating the more he learned the more he realized he knew nothing. It reflects something I told a client once, and it shocked me...I have no idea where it came from so I will take credit for it, quick, Nikolay trademark, copyright, RMax powered -- "The more I learn, the more I realize I know nothing. The more I explore the depths of nothingness, the more I have access to everything."
A quick shout out to Nikolay, the Godfather of Rmax. I don't think people realize how hard it is to keep things running so smoothly, successfully, and with ethics. I have seen a few business from behind the scenes and none have been run as well as Rmax Productions. Kudos to Nikolay, to all the sacrifices and foibles we will never know. I do have one request. When is the DVD coming out where Nikolay throws Coach Sonnen around? I would buy that, wear t-shirts, and hats.
All my best to all who attended Flowfighting, safe return home, and to their family who supports them in their sacrifice -- thank you Carol.