"oficially" getting started

[Paul Keith]

Hi;
I am new to posting on the forums, but not new to clubbells. I have been using them since april, and following coach Sonnons material (mostly ross. related) for about a year, my goals at this time are to clean the slate and develop increased gpp.
I have many martial arts related injuries, witch have led me to being very sporadic in getting through many of the programs I have attempted in the past (I tend to get going on a program and then I aggravate an injury and take a training break wich makes me loose momentum with said program and then I start the program over, and the cycle starts anew).
About the only thing I have had success at staying consistant with, is warrior welness. I have been doing the ww. excersises since dec. of last year and am on the intermediate tape.
As far as resourses; I have 2 -10# clubbells ww. tapes be breathed, body flow book, clubbell book & vid, and the running tape from z-health. ross related-3dpp book, complete fisticuffs, the grapplers toolbox, and iouf, on a side note I also have 16& 24kg kettle bells, not that it matters.
My injuries include in chronological order- right shhoulder (impact injury @ 30 mph on right side), left hamstring ( I think it"s a soft tissue problem but it makes my muscle feel very stiff and sore). Left ankle- sprain. right wrist- from joint lock.right knee- (from kneebar taken @ an outsike angle It is kind of loose, it goes sideways a bit) left ankle again- sprain from outside heel -hook. left hip- (chiropracter says I have receeding cartilage , with adjustments and warrior welness it is Better but not compleetly optimal),right ankle- sprain last summer. also on a side note, I have been experiencing heel spurs in my left foot, and the last two weeks my gripping muscles in my right arm/hand, have been very sore even into my elbo.
I would apriciate any and all advice.
thanks.

[Coach Tran]

Greetings and good health, Paul. You are my senior in CB and I have been working with Coach's material for about three months now. I have started by CST journey on July 4, 2004. I have only been working with CB not very specifically within three months because of my own addiction to working with Pavel's methodology such as PTP and NW. However I have been very consisted in Warrior Wellness and Be Breathe and Frolov breathing. After communicating with Coach I will seriously focus on my CB training and start cleaning my slate by doing the Density program starting today (Sept 6) as well as focus more attention to BodyFlow on a daily basis. I own both the book and video on BF. I would highly advise getting the video because it helps you to perform BF better by seeing Coach do it himself. I'm still waiting to get "The Beyond Cross Training" Course and to help me prepare myself for the upcomming Softwork seminar.

I have read you had many martial arts related injuries and I do hope that isnt a problem for you now. You have been working with Warrior Wellness. How is WW helping you and what martial arts did you practiced when you injuried yourself? I have read that you own many materials by Coach and hope you will be discipline enough to apply all of it for your best health and performance.

From the list of your injuries I hope you have gone to see a medical professional. In my non expert opinion, I bet you do not have optimal posture and from reading your past injuries I would suggest improving your posture first before doing anything to make it worst. I would recommend checking out Swiss Ball training by Paul Chek to improve your posture and core strength. He has helped me to improve my core
stability and my understanding of optimal posture in relation to performance. I think BodyFlow would do wonders for you as well. Maybe you should focus your attention at BF for now?

Coach explained in BF's videos there is a cross diagonal relationship in all kinetic movements. The best simple example of this is walking. For example, your RIGHT shhoulder injury will effect your left diagonal side (your LEFT hamstring injuries which feels very stiff and sore). You have to release RIGHT shoulder's tension or correct it for your LEFT hamstring to recover. I wish you the best and may your mind heal you from your present conditions. I have to get going now. My CB is calling me.

Your Friend in CST,
Bao

[Scott Sonnon]

Paul,

How long have you been consistently performing Warrior Wellness daily, and which course (I, II or III)?

Can you go into more detail on the original right shoulder impact injury?

[Paul Keith]

Coach;
I am on II and I have been doing that for 9 mo.
The injury was a very stupid failed stunt on my part when I was 16, I was "car surfing" and I fell off the car shoulder first, the injury kept me from lifting my arm above waist level for about 2-3 weeks. I felt improvement at the time so I did not seek treatment for it, until a couple of years later, when I had a relapse of the loss of motion/strength (although not as bad), the doctor I saw found nothing on an x-ray, and the chiropractic care I have recieved for it has been mildly successful, acording to the chiropractors, I have scar tissue built up. Since I have been doing warrior wellness, and clubbells however, the weakness seems to have subsided, but I sense a distinct difference in the way it feels compared to my other shoulder, no pain mind you but, just ....different.
Bao;
I also enjoy kettelbells, although I am wholy addicted to clubbells due to the similarity to ma. related movements, so my kb's have been sitting in a corner since I got the clubbells.
A good freind of mine has the body flow tapes, and I am going to borrow them soon.
My injuries are not criippling or anything, but they are annoying in the extreme, and the ma.styles I was injured in were bjj, and submission grappling.
I have been told I have pretty good posture, but that by far was not an expert observation.

[Scott Sonnon]

Paul,

Start by lifting your Clubbell overhead to Torch Position with your right arm. Scale your strength from 1-10.

Take your left foot and find the painful point between your big toe and your 2nd toe, slightly behind the first knuckle. Drive your thumb in and perform very small, high pressure circles on the painful point. As you can take it, increase the pressure. Do this for 20 minutes straight.

Then, move on to the same place but between your "pinky" toe and your 2nd last toe. Same protocol.

Repeat the Torch lift, and scale your strength again.

Neither an MD nor a Chiro without appropriate training are going to be able to detect the stored trauma in the myofascia. The good news is that 'binding' is reversible.

[Paul Keith]

ok;
the first time i did torch test I rated my strength at a 7 (compared to the ease of lift and stability in my left arm) I did the pressure point stim between the toes, and came out on a solid 10 in the second test, no wavering of balance or odd feelings in the sticking points of the press . thank you coach, and is this someting that I should repeat? :D

[Scott Sonnon]

Paul,

Keep it up daily in the morning and in the evening for a few days to a week. I suspect that your strength will be back permanently, and your other compensatory injuries will start to heal.

Just keep up the daily Warrior Wellness. It'll be very important now.

Drink extra water for a few days, too.

[Paul Keith]

thank you .

[Paul Keith]

Coach;
I was wondering which injuries do you feel are compensatory, and which ones should I adress separatly?

[Scott Sonnon]

Only time in diligent daily personal practice will tell. It's impossible for me to determine with certainty over the internet. Best bet is 'first causality' - the 1st injury.

[Paul Keith]

cool, then I wiil keep working and report back in about a week.
and again thank you.

[Paul Keith]

It has been a little over a week now, and I can say that my shoulder is as solid as it has ever been. With the shoulder, my ham string is also 100% (although I really won't know until I start a program that is a little more intense). My left hip also seems much better not 100% but noticeibly better.
I had a wierd experience during this week, my right hip (wich I have no problems with) clunked so loudly while I was sleeping that it woke both me & my girlfriend up, since then it has felt very loose (in a good way).
My only complaint is the blisters I had between my toes, from jamming my thumb in between them (although in retrospect if a few blisters is all I have to trade for increased mobility then I really have no complaint at all).
Now if anyone has any Ideas for heel spurs,or my right fore-arm/elbo I am all ears.

[Scott Sonnon]

Paul,

The clunk was probably the decompression or release from beginning to heal your original trauma - your shoulder. Good things. Congratulations. You could have gone for years trying to fix various symptoms arising from that first causal issue.

Regarding heel spurs:

Your heel is like an "arrow" and the muscles running down your calf and around underneath your foot are the "bow." Your bow is too tight from pushing your heel up and out. I suspect you're either a ball of foot runner/walker and/or a grappler/wrestler (who tend to have "forward pressure" stances.)

The golf ball if you can take it for heel spurs. While sitting, roll your foot around on it. Then, knead your calf deeply. It will hurt. Do this for 10 minutes. Follow it by extending and holding your toes pulled back. Massage again while holding your toes back for 1 minute. Then relax them completely. Soak in very hot water for 15 minutes.

After a week or so, you should be back to tip-top shape.

Re: your elbow/forearm

Take a week of Active Recovery ONLY (Warrior Wellness.) You should be fine afterwards. It's more than likely an overuse injury from kb and Clubbell training.

[Paul Keith]

yes I am a grappler (12 years), and I used to be a ball of foot runner (an old boxing coach of mine was fond of saying "that to be light on your feet you have to do roadwork on your toes") but since I developed heel spurs I really haven't been running much. I purchased slavyanskiy byeg in an effort to change my gait, but until I adress the problem I don't think any running is going to be happening.
so as before thank you coach and I will report back in a week with my progress.

[Scott Sonnon]

I'm not surprised. It all makes sense. Assessing someone's injuries is like observing a crime scene. The story is all there if you listen to the clues and evidence.

Work on the "trot" of Effortless Running Gait - concentrate on mid-foot planting. It should also help relax the "bow."

[Paul Keith]

ok so it hasn't been a week but I have some questions and an odd observation, first off how long should I roll the golf ball under my foot? the first session ,I just finished, I did 10 min with the golf ball.
second, on the toe point; am I pointing my foot then pulling my toes backward (like a tma ball of the foot kick) or am I trying to touch my toes to my shin?
third , an observation; I found not quite an ache (like a...forgive my description a ghost of an ache) in my ailing schoulder and ham string after the massage while i was soaking.
over all, I found after I arose from the sofa from soaking, I had almost no pain from the heel spurs, I cant wait til this week is over (a couple weeks ago I would have promised my first born for a cure) :D

[Scott Sonnon]

5-10 minutes on the golf ball.

Work to touch your toes to your shin.

Do Warrior Wellness on your shoulder if you feel 'wonkiness' afterwards.

You're welcome, my friend. Just pay it forward by introducing the System to others.

[JasonE]

Too cool! 8) 8) 8) 8)