Phil Scarito RKC - The DV8Fitness Kettlebell Training Blog

Phil Scarito Blog

Well, the summer of frustration, hard work and countless hours of instruction all paid off in the end.  Brian Shane has officially become a Certified Russian Kettlebell instructor, RKC.  Brian came to me about 1 year ago, with the hope of learning something new.  He could not even get into a 90 degree squat, let alone a rock bottom one.  I never met anyone who kept such detailed notes of every one of my classes. Brian is unique in that he absorbs every piece of information and drill that I showed him.

Determination, Hard work and persistance got Brian through RKC.  I gave him the tools and he used all of them to get him where he is today. Check out Brian's testimonial on my home page DV8Fitness.com

Brian Shane, RKC

Well done my friend.

Sara Cheatham, Senior RKC wrote this on the private forum for all those who are assisting at the RKC's. I felt it was a great Thread and needed to be posted on my blog. Read it carefully.


1)
If you want to re-cert, then be ready to pass the snatch test.
PS. Given the opportunity, you should always choose to re-cert.

2) You will be critiqued on the basic six RKC drills
(more than likely all the assistants will line up and perform the drills at once and together):
-Swing, Clean, Press, FS (Front Squat), Snatch, High-bridge Get-up.
-Be prepared to do all of them as doubles (with a bell in each hand) except for the get-up & snatch, of course.
-Be prepared to do the get-up on each side with a VERY high bridge

3) There are no hard and fast guidelines for being an assistant.
-Your duties are dependant on your Team Leader's style.
-Have sunscreen, water, the chalk bag, and be hands-on with the attendees.
-Know what your group's special duty of the day is (group meaning your TL and their assistants). Usually a group is in charge or trash detail one day, the pull-up bar another day, and sound system stuff another.
-Have someone in mind to volunteer as a "victim" as you go through the practice drills.
Say you're practicing the lying hip bridge on the swing and you notice someone in your group is having a hard time getting that full extension. Pavel will ask, "is there anyone having a hard time getting their hips high" or something of the like. That's your cue to tap your student on the shoulder, raise your hand to get Pavel's attention, and have them run to the center. Be looking for flawed technique during the intermittent practices and mentally choose someone to volunteer.
-Think back to your RKC and what you liked (or would have liked more out) of the assistant or even TL in your group and do that.
-You will have debriefs with Pavel. This includes the TLs and assistants.
Take notes of what you like and don't like about the goings-on of the day. It can be everything from flow of drills to disruptive groups, to how you're set-up in the field, etc.
Pavel, John, and Dennis want to know these things so they can a) keep things the same b) change things c) make modifications where and when necessary.
Do not be afraid to speak up. As long as you present your peace in an objective manner, it will be taken seriously. Do not NOT say something because you think you will hurt someones feelings. Their reaction is out of self-preservation and has nothing to do with you.
Remember we are an organic system and we only get better by knowing what we can improve upon.
-Do not get silly drunk in the evenings. This is not favorable.
-Dennis has probably already told you what to wear.
Try wearing a black shirt and olive or tan (khaki) pants. This looks most uniform. Also be conservative with the other things your choose to wear while assisting. Bright colors will not get you the attention you want. If you choose to wear a hat, scarf, or whatever, make it black. And limit your jewelry to only a wedding band if you have one.

Comrades,

My good friend and client, Brian Shane is getting ready to make his trip to San Diego for the RKC.  I met Brian about a year ago.  To say the least, he needed a shit load of work.  So, we started with the basics, Deadlifts and swings.  Brian had the classic big guy issues. A rounded back, no mobility and did not know how to use his hips, it was all about the upper body.

I would say after about 1 month, Brian made huge progress.  I never met a client who took as many notes on what I said during class and PT sessions. I mean this guy really payed attention, that's what I love about him.  Once day he took out a book and flipped through all the pages. I asked him what all this, he replied, "it's everything you have taught me since I started."

After 6 months, Brian was really getting all 6 basic movements down pretty well and he was getting stronger really fast.  Not only was he getting stronger and mastering his technique, he was dropping tons of weight.  Brian will tell you that Kettlebells have changed his life completely.  He has a great passion for learning and always gives 100% in every class.

I want to wish Brian the best of luck next week in San Diego.  I told him that RKC is probably one of the most physically challenging things he will ever do in his life.  This is a goal that he has set for himself and I respect that very much.   Enjoy the 3 days, it will change your life. You will make great friends and learn so much.

As Pavel says, Enjoy

my friend.

I never thought the day would come, when I would have 4 clients heading to RKC  this August and October.  Who are these clients? Well, 2 of them started under the great instruction of Senior Will Williams.  Will built a solid base for me to build upon. These 2 clients have been using Kettlebels for over 4 years.  The other two clients started with me, one has about a year under his belt and the other only 6months!

Each of them share a great passion for learning as much about Kettlebells as they can.  I have confidance that they will all pass and I know that they will all learn a great deal over the 3 days they are at RKC.

I'm looking forward to the first ever East Coast Russian Kettlebell challange.  Philly Hardstyle will represent this October!!

This past Saturday, I spent 6 hours working with the only Female Senior RKC instructor in the "World."  Sara Cheatham of RedStar Athletics drove up from North Carolina to host my first ever Z-Health/Kettlebell workshop.  For me, just having the opportunity to teach with Sara was an honor.  Was i nervous?? Hell yeah.  Also, to add to my nerves, Senior RKC Will Williams was there as well.

Initially, we both thought 6 hours on a Saturday would be too much time and everyone would get bored fast, Not this workshop. The 6 hours flew by.  Everyone in attendance was blown away by Sara's introduction to What Z-Health is all about and how it will improve the way you move.  We did drills that each of them can apply to themselves on a daily basis. Everyone saw improvement in the way they move.

The kettlebell portion was geared towards RKC prep for October.  Sara and I worked on the basic drills that RKC will nail down during the 3 days.  We even got in some Vo2 to finish the workshop.  I want to thank Sara and Mike for making the trek up to Philly and braving the DC traffic to host my first ever workshop.

Sara and I will be hosting many more workshops in the future. Stay tuned.

Sara Cheatham describes Z-Health and what you will learn at the DV8Fitness 2009 Workshop

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