From Barny's Desk

Success is a journey, not a destination.

Just learning defense techniques well enough to pass the belt test should not be enough. It takes time and practice to get to the point where you can respond effectively to a surprise attack without having to think. Pushing yourself over and over again in drills and realising that you can reactwith determination and ferocity is the only way to make sure you can survive a real altercation. It is always fun to learn new things, and reaching goals like passing belt tests can help you maintain your interest. However, making sure you have the skills to survive in today’s world should be just as important. Even those who train for many years still continue to refine their basic skills.

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Announcements and Events

Upcoming Belt Tests

Orange Belt: Saturday, May 20th

Yellow Belt: June 10th

Green Belt: June 17th, June 18th

Gym Facilities at KMSF

We are moving forward with plans to add an exercise equipment room to our facility. Here is the proposed layout of the space downstairs. The cost will be $25.00 per month.

Please sign up at the front desk by May 15 so that we can gauge the level of interest.

The opening of the weight room should be no later than June 15th and members will not pay until July 1st.

2nd Annual Elite Training Camp!

2 days of training include:
Advanced Combatives, Gun Defenses, Knife Defenses, Hostage Scenario, 3rd Party Protection, Defense against Bat/stick attacks, advanced self-defense, conditioning, enhanced scenario training.

Saturday May 6th, 1:00-5:30
Sunday May 7th, 2:00-6:00

Sign up by April 15th - only $99
After April 15th - $129
1 Day Only - $75

Women's Self Defense Seminar

Learn simple, easy to remember counter measures against common assaults against women. Participants will learn how to deal with both the psychological and physical aspects of a real attack or sexual assault. Learn verbal and physical defenses, environmental awareness, and put them into action in realistic drills and scenarios that will prepare you for a variety of possible confrontations.

This women's only seminar is a lot of fun, a terrific workout, and is a must for any woman. Women of all fitness levels, and at least 13 years old are welcome.

When:
Saturday and Sunday, May 13th and 14th
2-5 pm each day

Registration fee is $149

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Interview: Instructor Kathleen Flinnerty

"Yoga is the glue that holds me together."

Yoga and fitness instructor Kathleen Finnerty has been a lifelong athlete. "I was usually the only girl and the tallest person. I played whatever sport was in season, a power forward on the basketball court, on the net for volleyball, and first base on the softball team." Kat's athleticism was encouraged beginning at 5 when she started playing basketball. Later that athleticism was channeled into martial arts and then Yoga.

Kat grew up in Spokane, Washington, "which is a total basketball town and home of the mullet", she says with a laugh. Kat moved to San Francisco to attend USF, and following graduation in 1996 she moved on to London to pursue a career in television. She worked for a few different American Networks broadcasting in Europe, and it didn't take long to see that she needed to get out of the corporate world. These jobs required being behind a desk for many stress-filled hours a day. "I needed a physical outlet, that's how I started in martial arts. I wanted to punch and kick, to blow off steam." She realized that she enjoyed the discipline just as much, studying Lau Gar, a variety of Kung Fu,and then moving on to Jeet Kun Do at the Bob Breen Academy.

Kat got started in Yoga training after suffering a severe adductor injury. "I thought yoga was going to be a piece of cake, but it was the hardest thing I'd ever done." This sounds a lot like some of us who thought the same thing before walking into one of Kat's classes! Gradually Yoga grew into a daily practice. "The physical aspect was just one of the benefits. It also gave me a sense of clarity and focus that I'd only had moments of experiencing." I asked her, did she think it easier, or more possible to access that frame of mind with Yoga? "Yes!", she replied, "There are those moments where you are on fire, nothing has to make sense, you just "are". Yoga is like that for me, but consistently."

After leaving London, Kat came back to San Francisco and sought out teachers and seminars, looking for a mentor. "Yoga has become more fashionable over the last 10 years, but it has a long standing tradition in San Francisco. I met people here who been practicing longer than I've been alive!" Because of the large yoga community here, she felt it was the best place to start. She met a group of instructors who studied under Ana Forrest, a few of which were her senior teachers. "This was the piece of the puzzle that pulls it together, it was equally demanding on a mental, physical, and spiritual level." Eventually Kat was able to train with Ana in a month long intensive training session in 2004. "It taught me a lot about yoga, but also how to translate that into standing front of a group of people."

Kat started integrating Yoga with other modes of training by designing a football regimen for her brother, finding that Yoga exercises translated into significant improvement on the field. Kat continued developing other sport specific programs. She finds yoga to be the perfect complement to martial arts. "Fighters are always thinking, what can I do to get better? They have a very open and progressive attitude towards learning and training. I get to teach the best of both worlds, I get to fuse the hard with the soft."

People come to Kat now with a variety of different questions and goals, "from getting married and wanting to look good for the wedding, to someone with a back injury and wants to work in a way that's pain free, and people who just want to be in kick-ass shape." Working with people individually, she is able to design a program tailored to them that gets results. "Private training is an effective way to take it to the next level, whatever that may be for you." Kat is available for private training now, and draws from a huge reservoir of styles and methods. She's worked extensively with injuries, and has helped to rehabilitate athletes at all levels. "Yoga plus conditioning equals amazing results! I teach people how to optimize and be more efficient with their training, so they can come back and train again tomorrow."

About the San Francisco Training Center , Kat says "I love the dedication that people have here, instructors and students. It really melds with how I approach my practice. Everyone is very open. I have the freedom to teach exactly how I like to teach." Considering Kat's experience, and her focus on blending aspects of health and fitness that are complementary to martial arts, we're lucky to have her. Kat's group classes include a 30/30 minute combination of Yoga and TRX strength training on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 7:00 am, and other full hour Yoga, conditioning, and TRX strength training classes in the evenings and on weekends. Private training is available by appointment.

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Integrated Training - Conditioning Training plus Level 1 or Level 2 Training

In the last segment (April news), I made recommendations on incorporating strength training into your Level 1 or Level 2 training. This month, I incorporate conditioning training.

Here are two suggested routines: one for taking Krav Maga classes Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and another one for taking classes on Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday.

Usually, it is the legs that take the most punishment with this kind of routine. When your legs need a break, do some low intensity stretching to stay loose, or substitute Yoga for any one of the faster paced conditioning day workouts suggested in the schedule below. If you are extremely sore and tight, take some time off and stretch, and don't continue to train until you are recovering.

Never compromise your posture or the safety of the affected muscles and joints while training. Fast-paced conditioning training can carry just as many risks as weight training. The movements can be explosive and/or complex, and if your legs are tired, you risk injury by going too fast for tired muscles to support joints like the knees, ankles and hips.

 

Classes: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Classes: Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday

Monday: Level 1/2 at 6:30 am Level 1 at 12:15, 4:45 or 7:00 pm Level 2 at 6:00 pm or Level 2/3 at 8:00 pm Tuesday: TRX + Yoga at 7:00 am TRX Strength Training at 5:30 pm Yoga at 6:00 pm KM Conditioning at 7:00 pm Wednesday: Level 1/2 at 6:30 am Level 1 at 12:15, 4:45 or 6:00 pm Level 2 at 7:00 pm or Level 2/3 at 8:00 pm Thursday: TRX + Yoga at 7:00 am TRX Strength Training at 5:30 pm Yoga at 6:00 pm KM Conditioning at 7:00 pm Yoga at 6:00 pm Friday: Level 1 at 12:15, 4:45 or Level 1/2 at 6:00 pm Saturday: KM Conditioning at 10:00 am Yoga at 11:00 am Sunday: Rest

Monday: KO Bag at 7:00 pm (if level 2) Strike and Fight at 8:00 pm Tuesday: Level 1 at 6:00 or 8:00 pm Level 2 at 12:15, 4:45, or 7:00 pm Wednesday: TRX Strength Training at 7:00 pm Yoga at 8:00 pm Thursday: Level 1 at 8:00 pm Level 2 at 4:45 pm, Level 2/3 at 12:15 pm Friday: KO Bag at 7:00 pm Running, biking, swimming Saturday: Rest Sunday: Level 1 at 1:00 pm Level 2: Fight at 11:00 am Grappling at 12:00 pm or 1:00 pm

If any of you have questions, ideas or comments on the suggested training, please feel free to e-mail me. I know many of you have a variety of training experiences, and possibly other concerns such as injuries or working on specific areas.