J.H. Myers Jr.
11-24-2003, 08:49 PM
Hello Everyone:
I would like to invite everyone who was at the CST Gamma to post about the experience here. Just a few words from the shy ones, and if you get the inspiration, say even more. Just please share your feelings here so others can get some perspective.
For my part, here goes.
The CST met on Friday and we worked on some mobility drills, and we had a great introduction to some concepts from Coach Sonnon. We all also got to say hi to each other and get settled in for the weekend. Day one was not to intense, but it was excellent food for thought and it set the tone for the how, what and why to come on days two and three. We also got the new CST manual, which is a complete rewrite of the BETA CST Manual. I read a great deal of this one in my room and on the plane bound for home. Again, this manual, (both) are worth the price of the seminar, they are excellent stuff. I love the manuals. We wrapped up on time and well informed. Coach Sonnon was available without limit afterwards for conversation as well. Very nice touch.
Day Two was all about using that CB from the ground up. From the smallest detail, to the most gross motor skill, we covered it from all three of the very important angles that make CST what it is, at its core. We had rest periods, a lunch break with EXCELLENT Catering, and everything was precisely on time. It was very nice. CST Beta was, for me, an excellent test of physical skill and endurance coupled with the need to think critically in CST Terms. This CST Gamma took it to the next level for me by including the emotional and physical assessment of myself and learning how to do this same thing to others. I can't stress enough how amazing the assessment of self and others was was "instructed" here. They could do a whole seminar on just this stuff, it would rock! The day ended exactly on time, not that, that is important to me, (I simply stay until they say done, and enjoy it) but the sense of organization at Gamma was highly exacting and professional as was the wonderfully refined level of CB use instruction.
If BETA tested you to your mental/physical limits, GAMA was now promising to test your Emotional/Physical/Critical Assessment abilities to new limits.
Day Three we learned more on the CBs, evaluating each other as with day two, learn, lift, eval, over and over with every lift. Then we learned something truly and utterly astounding about assessment of personal and customer needs. I am not sure if this process has a name, but Coach Sonnon in particular have developed a way of questioning a client that lays out everything you might want to know to detail a CST training bloc that meets "Their" needs. I was floored by this, it hit me to the core and I was reeling all day from the deeper implications of what this technique could mean and do. When and if you can do this "assessment" on a "non-vocal" plane, you would be or are a force to be reckoned with. So as a group we worked on it, I got to be a test example and my old shoulder injury got me benched pretty quick, but before that, what a learning experience. Very eye opening. When the next example went to completion it was a valuable lesson in just how this process makes them tell you, just what they need. Very cool stuff.
On the final day we also did Dougs ABC 45lb CB training and all I can say is this. GET A DAMN 45lb CB ASAP and buy his book and get to it! This was nothing but fun, and a pure challenge. It was one of the highlights of the Seminar. Coach Sonnon and Coach Szolek work very well together and the addition of a new way to use the "Bruiser" was a great and challenging addition!
We all also did an Olympic CB Sport Competition Unit as well. So we learned all the ins and outs of the OCS Swipe and Mill and then we did non stop Swipe and then later Mills for five minute blocks. Holy cow, my hands have never hurt like that before. The drills we learned to make this pain go away were nearly instantaneous, which again is one of the amazing things about Coach Sonnons seminars. They are full huge amazing concepts, and small wonderful things like how to abate pain in seconds and get right back to the hard work. Everyone got very good numbers on the OCS and thus, all passed the eval for CST Cert too. Congrats guys.
As I said, Scott and Doug work really well together and the learning and information intake was constant and enlightening. The fact that I had attended CST Beta in no way impacted CST Gamma's value, as I learned constantly. What I got ultimately was just as much learning and input as I had in Beta, some of it brand new, and some of it a much needed expert refinement of what I already knew. I value that refinement of existing know how as much as the new stuff.
CST Gamma gets an A + on all counts from me. It is the best seminar of its kind and well worth your time tribe. I hope we meet at the next one. Until then, keep swinging!
Sincerely.
John H. Myers Jr. CST, RKC.
I would like to invite everyone who was at the CST Gamma to post about the experience here. Just a few words from the shy ones, and if you get the inspiration, say even more. Just please share your feelings here so others can get some perspective.
For my part, here goes.
The CST met on Friday and we worked on some mobility drills, and we had a great introduction to some concepts from Coach Sonnon. We all also got to say hi to each other and get settled in for the weekend. Day one was not to intense, but it was excellent food for thought and it set the tone for the how, what and why to come on days two and three. We also got the new CST manual, which is a complete rewrite of the BETA CST Manual. I read a great deal of this one in my room and on the plane bound for home. Again, this manual, (both) are worth the price of the seminar, they are excellent stuff. I love the manuals. We wrapped up on time and well informed. Coach Sonnon was available without limit afterwards for conversation as well. Very nice touch.
Day Two was all about using that CB from the ground up. From the smallest detail, to the most gross motor skill, we covered it from all three of the very important angles that make CST what it is, at its core. We had rest periods, a lunch break with EXCELLENT Catering, and everything was precisely on time. It was very nice. CST Beta was, for me, an excellent test of physical skill and endurance coupled with the need to think critically in CST Terms. This CST Gamma took it to the next level for me by including the emotional and physical assessment of myself and learning how to do this same thing to others. I can't stress enough how amazing the assessment of self and others was was "instructed" here. They could do a whole seminar on just this stuff, it would rock! The day ended exactly on time, not that, that is important to me, (I simply stay until they say done, and enjoy it) but the sense of organization at Gamma was highly exacting and professional as was the wonderfully refined level of CB use instruction.
If BETA tested you to your mental/physical limits, GAMA was now promising to test your Emotional/Physical/Critical Assessment abilities to new limits.
Day Three we learned more on the CBs, evaluating each other as with day two, learn, lift, eval, over and over with every lift. Then we learned something truly and utterly astounding about assessment of personal and customer needs. I am not sure if this process has a name, but Coach Sonnon in particular have developed a way of questioning a client that lays out everything you might want to know to detail a CST training bloc that meets "Their" needs. I was floored by this, it hit me to the core and I was reeling all day from the deeper implications of what this technique could mean and do. When and if you can do this "assessment" on a "non-vocal" plane, you would be or are a force to be reckoned with. So as a group we worked on it, I got to be a test example and my old shoulder injury got me benched pretty quick, but before that, what a learning experience. Very eye opening. When the next example went to completion it was a valuable lesson in just how this process makes them tell you, just what they need. Very cool stuff.
On the final day we also did Dougs ABC 45lb CB training and all I can say is this. GET A DAMN 45lb CB ASAP and buy his book and get to it! This was nothing but fun, and a pure challenge. It was one of the highlights of the Seminar. Coach Sonnon and Coach Szolek work very well together and the addition of a new way to use the "Bruiser" was a great and challenging addition!
We all also did an Olympic CB Sport Competition Unit as well. So we learned all the ins and outs of the OCS Swipe and Mill and then we did non stop Swipe and then later Mills for five minute blocks. Holy cow, my hands have never hurt like that before. The drills we learned to make this pain go away were nearly instantaneous, which again is one of the amazing things about Coach Sonnons seminars. They are full huge amazing concepts, and small wonderful things like how to abate pain in seconds and get right back to the hard work. Everyone got very good numbers on the OCS and thus, all passed the eval for CST Cert too. Congrats guys.
As I said, Scott and Doug work really well together and the learning and information intake was constant and enlightening. The fact that I had attended CST Beta in no way impacted CST Gamma's value, as I learned constantly. What I got ultimately was just as much learning and input as I had in Beta, some of it brand new, and some of it a much needed expert refinement of what I already knew. I value that refinement of existing know how as much as the new stuff.
CST Gamma gets an A + on all counts from me. It is the best seminar of its kind and well worth your time tribe. I hope we meet at the next one. Until then, keep swinging!
Sincerely.
John H. Myers Jr. CST, RKC.