Wild Geese Martial Arts Blog

Fighting Back Rash Guard

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 20:08:00 +0000

Last year I launched the eBook Fighting Back, which has been very well received by more than just the BJJ crowd it is aimed at.
The cover art featured a torso made from ropes, to which I received several requests to turn into a Rash Guard print.

This then is that print.

The Fighting Back Rash Guard

The Rash Guard cost €40 each, and each purchase will include a pdf copy of the Fighting Back manual. Place your order using the form below, any posting and packaging will be added to the cost of the shirt.

Once the order is placed you will receive a download link for the eBook.
In the meantime, if you'd like to know more about the book, click this image:

Regards

Dave Hedges

www.wildgeesema.com
www.WG-Fit.com

Mind Over Metal T-Shirts supporting Mental Health

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 03 Feb 2014 22:11:00 +0000

This is the new Training T-shirt from Dave Hedges and his WG-Fit crew. The shirt is to support the HOPS (Hope & Peer Support) Centre for Mental Health which Dave has worked very closely with for several years.

The T-Shirts cost €20 each,Hoddies €50 of which €5 will go directly to the centre. Place your order using the form below, any posting and packaging will be added to the cost of the shirt.

T-Shirts:

Hoodies

The Art of Power

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 07:44:00 +0000

The weekend that just passed saw yet another great workshop at Wild Geese Martial Arts.
This time we had world renowned Self Protection expert Mick Coup in to teach a two day workshop on Power Generation.

Over two 4 hour workshops Mick presented his view on how to create a seriously powerful punch and kick.
Now this wasn't just his opinion, the information he teaches has been very carefully scrutinised, analysed and tested.
What Mick finds true, he teaches.

More so than that, Mick's goal isn't to show you a system or a style, rather it's to help you understand, as he does, the in's and outs of a particular movement. Or as he quipped, "I'm giving you the fishing rod, not just a fish."

Oddly enough for a 4 hour day, only a small portion of it was spent actually banging the pads. How can this be on a power generation workshop?
Simple.

Mick has the eye of an engineer. He takes apart movements and looks at the underlying principles and processes involved.
He then looks at which areas are most important and which need the most work to improve them.
He then re integrates the parts and tests.

Sound familiar? It's exactly what your mechanic does when you take your car to get fixed. He doesn't just get in it and drive it around, he takes it apart to find and fix the problem before driving it to ensure the fix is good.
This is the same way in which Mick Coup looks at his training and encourages you to look at your own.

This eliminates everything except logical, evidence based improvement. There's no blind loyalty to any one system, style or instructor. All that matters is the result.

So after 4 hours, with only a small portion of that actually punching the pads, every person in the room made significant improvements in striking power. How do we know this? Well, there is only one way to tell how powerful a strike is and that's to ask the target.
It was a unanimous decision amongst everyone who held pads that they were feeling the effects. It is this feedback from the pad man that tells you how effective your being, its not how much effort your using. Often when the guys were told to "not try" or to simply concentrate on their feet, or their hip rather than the target, they felt that they moved with far less effort yet the pad man always reported an increase in power. Or at least they did when they recovered their wind!

The second day reviewed some of the information from day 1 allowing the guys to ask questions, before moving into the "Low Line" strike aka low kick.

The same processes and principles were applied and the same results were seen.

As an aside to the technical information, Mick also gave out some training tips to develop the body. He's a advocate of hard physical training saying that we should look to the world of athletics for our inspiration. He showed methods for developing explosive power, starting strength structural strength. He talked about tricking the Central Nervous System into over delivering and recruiting more muscle fibres and therefore more power.

All in all the weekend was excellent. And I highly recommend you spend some time training with Mick Coup at some point, regardless of your style or system, he will improve what you do.

The next workshops/seminar to be held at WGMA will be:

Rapid Response Knife Defence Skills - Nov 4th with Dave Hedges
Tuhon Pat O'Malley, CQC and empty hand FMA street combatives - Nov 24 & 25
Iain Abernathy, date TBC, this is being run by Kevin Callan of Kyohushin Karate, WGMA are hosting.

Get in touch to get involved, simply email: info@WildGeeseMA.com or better still, join our Facebook page and sign up to receive our email newsletter here:

Regards

Wild Geese

A Mile of Kettlebell Swings for Charity

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 09:31:00 +0000

Wild Geese co founder and conditioning coach, Dave Hedges, is taking on a huge challenge.
Last year he, with the help of some of you, raised €5000 for Rehab Care by doing a mile of Walking Kettlebell Swings.
That's over 2000 repetitions with a 16kg bell.

This year he's upped the ante.

This time around he'll be using a 24kg bell.

Along side him will also be a handful of his Kettlebell Fitness regulars, most of whom will also be attempting the mile and a few who will be working as a relay team.

Here's a short video of an interview he gave where he talks about Wild Geese, Mental Health and the Mile Challenge:

Dave has set up an online fundraising page for those of you willing to sponsor him, the link to that is:
Sponsor Dave and his guys by CLICKING THIS LINK

You can also buy raffle tickets from Dave at the club.

The event will take place in Irishtown Stadium from 1pm, please come down and show your support, cheer the guys on and meet some of the people who use the Rehab Care centre and will benefit directly from this event.
Here's a map to the stadium:

View Larger Map

Imagine lifting 10 adult elephants!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 13:45:00 +0000

Imagine lifting 10 adult elephants!!!

That's the cumulative weight (50 metric tonnes) that Wild Geese fitness
coach Dave Hedges <http://www.wildgeesema.com/> will be lifting as part of
his latest kettlebell fundraising challenge for RehabCare's HOPS resource
centre in Dublin's Pearse Street.

The challenge will take place from 1pm on Saturday, 1st September at
Irishtown Stadium, Dublin and all are welcome to come and show their
support. It will be officially started by James Fennelly, Ireland's
Strongest Man and by Adrian O'Dwyer, National High Jump Record Holder and
Irish Olympian in 2004.

Highlights include:

*** Face Painting***

*** Raffle***

***Balloons***

***Ice Cream Truck***

Please come along and show your support to RehabCare HOPS whilst having a
great day out!!! Or alternatively if you can't come along, please show Dave
Hedges your support at his online fundraising page
<http://www.mycharity.ie/event/dave_hedgess_event/>

RehabCare
Registered as a company limited by guarantee;
Registered in Ireland;
Registration number:282889
Registered Office:
Roslyn Park, Sandymount, Dublin 4; Charity number: CHY12729

Explosive Calf Training for Martial Power

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 11:45:00 +0000

Calf Training

We all know that explosive calves are vital for combat sports, so I won't
bore you with the details of why. If you didn't already know that just
please take my word and I'll explain why in another post.

Some important things to remember are;

1. High density muscle groups such as the calf muscle must be trained very
intensively to get good results because they are used to virtually
continuous usage. In a combat sport where there will be a mix of hopping or
skipping lightly from foot to foot, maximal force explosion for strikes and
gradual resistance up to maximum strength contractions (as in wrestling or
clinch), there must be a corresponding mixture of exercises that will
reflect these needs.

2. This sort of training is a supplement to your combat class. You should
never pass up the chance to train with another fighter, padman or even just
practise in front of your coach, so only do these when all your other
training and sparring has been done. Alternatively, make time for some power
training when class isn't on.

How does it work?

Most of the strength gains come from the landing. Fast, negative loading
caused by the impact of landing triggers a muscle contraction which prevents
the leg from buckling. The corresponding resistance is what develops the
ability to generate great power in small timeframes. If you go too heavy you
won't maintain the fast tempo required to develop acceleration, which makes
it pointless.

Put all of your effort into height, not weight. Remember we are developing
power not beach bodies. Jump as high as you can but always remember to keep
the legs almost straight. Don't jump so high you can't handle the landing,
as the training is only useful at a pretty fast pace.

As athletes, it's usually necessary to remain at a certain weight so once
you get your weighted jumps to 25% of bodyweight don't add any more. You
will not gain more muscle than you are eating protein for, so unless your
calf training is linked to a sizeable increase in your protein intake, you
will remain at the same weight.

The Exercises

Bodyweight Jump Squat

Dip the legs and explode upwards, keeping the body vertical. Drive through
the balls of the feet, really pushing through the toes, making sure to keep
your legs almost straight when landing. Try to minimise the time between
reps for best effect.

Concentric- Only Jump Squat

As with all variations of the jump squat, allow your heels touch the floor
for the least amount of time, always go for max height, minimising quad
involvement. To get the most from this one make sure to keep your legs
almost straight when landing, do not let the legs bend and like the
weighted version, go for airtime with the heels barely kissing the ground
before the next rep.

Weighted Jump Squat

Place a weight across your back that represents 25% of your bodyweight. Your
options are basically; a barbell across the trapezius muscle (as in back
squat), a kettllebell held behind the head and resting on the flexed traps,
a sandbag or a rucksack filled with something heavy. Make sure you have the
rucksack well secured to your person so nothing heavy hits your spine. Stay
away from holding single weights in each hand as this might place
unnecessary stress on the shoulder, particularly the rotator cuff. Time in
the air is the only goal, so don't use weight that reduces that.

Isometric Power Contraction

Stand facing a solid, exterior wall with your hands flat against it like you
mean to push it over. Then lean in at as low an angle as you can manage,
with one leg forward for balance and the other leg behind you to push from
the calf. Now push the wall over, it should take about 10 seconds. If you
can't push the house down, swap legs and try for another 10 seconds. Both
legs count as one rep!

The Workout

Below I'll outline an 8 week program for developing explosive power in the
calves. Workouts should take about 10-15 minutes, four times a week. Do a
maximum of two days in a row. For ease of explanation, I have used the
example of Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday.

First two weeks

Monday and Thursday

Weighted Jump squats 5 x 12 reps around 20% of fighting weight (FW). 2 mins
rest between sets.

Tuesday and Friday

10 minutes of skipping followed by 3 x 3 Isometric Power Contraction

Second two weeks

Monday and Thursday

Weighted Jump Squats 5 x 6 (25% FW) superset with concentric- only jump
squats. 2 mins rest.

Tuesday and Friday

12 minutes of skipping followed by 6 x 2 Isometric Power Contraction

Third two weeks

Monday and Thursday

Weighted Jump Squats 3 x 6 (25% FW), 2 x 4, 2x2, 2x1 (as reps go down,
weight goes up) 2 mins rest

Tuesday and Friday

15 minutes of skipping followed by 4 x 4 Isometric Power Contraction

Fourth two weeks

Monday and Thursday

Weighted Jump Squats 3 x 6 (25% FW), 2 x 4, 2x2, 2x1 after each set, do 4
deep jump squats. 2 Mins

Tuesday and Friday

Set a timer (or look at a clock) and perform 20 seconds of skipping with 10
seconds of double jumps. 4 rounds of 3 minutes with a 30 second break. This
one is mega-tough!

Additional training

Other exercises that can help develop power from the calves include; hill
sprints (particularly on sand), tire pulling, harness pulling and prowler
pushing. If your gym has any of these consider yourself lucky and take full
advantage by adding some to your calf workout, when you are ready for a
greater challenge.

As a final word, I should warn you to avoid body building exercises like
standing or seated calf raises as there is nothing to be gained by a combat
athlete but unwanted weight.

Regards

Dave Gordon
Wild Geese Muay Thai
Dave teaches Muay Thai during the afternoons at WGMA, check out our
timetable for more details.
www.wildgeesema.com <http://www.wildgeesema.com/>
www.wg-fit.com <http://www.wg-fit.com/>

It's An Attitude

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:33:00 +0000

Just a quick word of praise for our Wild Geese fighters, specifically for the attitude shown by them.

As always the kids Judo lead the way with young Dasha picking up a “Fighter of the Day” award at a recent competition. All boys in her category? No Problem, bring it on! Then, straight home to bed as she was running a temperature.

I went to see our Muay Thai fighters compete a couple of weeks ago. With their opponents weighing in overweight our lads could have made them suffer by insisting they lose the weight before the fight, but again the attitude was Bring It On.

Great to see that Mick, the Muay Thai coach, insisted on performing the traditional ceremonies before the fight. We don’t wear uniforms, belts or titles but we are traditionalists in the sense that training was a matter of life and death for warriors, we train to emulate that.

Among our BJJ fighters, Seb competes as an amateur but has the most professional attitude to training I have ever seen.
After each competition he comes back to Dave, his conditioning coach, with a list of points he would like to improve on so Dave can write a program to achieve this.

But the old dogs still lead the way. Mick took a fight while holidaying in Thailand (and won) and has now taken on a fight here next month. I am off to the World Eskrima Championships next week (any excuse for a trip to the Philippines) and Donal, our Judo coach, well we’re running out of space to hang his medals.

Not all Wild Geese members fight in competition. Dave’s girls recently competed in a Kettlebell Lifting competition and if smiling as you come to the end of 10 minutes of Clean and Jerk isn’t giving it attitude, then I don’t know what is! Phil Roche also took part in the Kettlebell competition, his first time out with the 24kg bells, where his refusal to quit saw him secure a place representing Ireland in future international competitions.

Attitude is what we are all about.

WGMA isn’t a style, it’s an attitude.

--
Regards

Paul Cox
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com
+353 87 672 6090

Dan Brennan Sports Massage & Injury Therapy

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:32:00 +0000

My name is Dan Brennan I have been doing sports massage and injury therapy since 2006.

As a pro Muay Thai boxer myself I understand how important each training session is to an athlete and if you get an injury how quick recovery is essential. I have been helping various individuals from people who train for fun or health and fitness to world champion boxer Katie Taylor and Olympic silver medallist in boxing Kenneth Egan to achieve maximum benefits from their training sessions.

Even people who do not train can pick up injuries for example weather you work in an office job or on a building site you will be all too aware of repetitive strain injuries, back injuries or neck and shoulder pain. All of these situations can be resolved with specific treatments.

For the past year I have been working in the Wild Geese Martial Arts Club and helping their clients from various disciplines like Muay Thai, BBJ, Eskrima, Kenpo Kickboxing, Judo and competitors in strength and conditioning.

I am also preparing for my finals in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture which is also furthering my knowledge for health and well-being.

If you would like to make an appointment with me don't hesitate to call me on 086 0464641

--
Regards

Dan Brennan
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com
+353 87 672 6090

Fighter of the Month

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 19:30:00 +0000

And this months fighter of the month goes to....

Ever trained with someone twice your size?
What if everyone in the class is twice your size?

This is what Kharem, the smallest member of our kids judo class faces every day. He is so small that the other kids who can be 3 or 4 times bigger than him don't see him when they are running around. It always ends with Kharem getting hurt.

The other day after getting hurt for the second time his mother gave him a face saving way out by telling him that if the others kept hurting him he could go home if he wanted to if his leg was sore.

Without hesitation Kharem jumped up, “I'm here before them, I'm not leaving!” and jumped back on the mat to get stuck in again.

This kids got the Wild Geese attitude and he doesn't even know it yet.

--
Regards

Paul Cox
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com
+353 87 672 6090

Power Generation Workshops with Mick Coup

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 07:32:00 +0000

Mick Coup, founder of www.corecombatives.com, will be back at Wild Geese for a third time.

The first time he gave an overview of his system. We were so impressed we discussed his return to run the 4 day foundation course (read my review here: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=79048172#post79048172)
This time we're keeping it simple.

Day 1 - October 6th 2012 - Highline Power Development
Day 2 - October 7th 2012 -Lowline Power Development

Day 1 - HIGHLINE POWER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Aim
To develop the ability to generate more usable force within the confines of a generic ‘highline’ punch technique that can be found within most martial arts, combat sports, etc.

Content
A very subject-specific workshop, looking at progressively addressing the issue of optimal ‘impact’ and the processes best used to deliver it, including:
- Universal Body Mechanics & Dynamic Alignment Principles
- Sequential Torque & Kinetic Chain Concepts
- Kinetic Energy Transfer Methods
- Explosive Power Training & Maximal Force Development
- Plyometric and Isometric Loading Practices

Scope
This practical 4-hour workshop is designed to introduce and explore proven principles of dynamic force generation, delivery and target transfer, utilising a variety of methods and techniques specific to common punching-style techniques.
The material presented will enable the individual to dramatically increase impact power, and the concepts can be universally applied to any striking system or method.

Dates & Times
6th October 2012
10am - 2pm

Venue
Wild Geese Martial Arts & Fitness
14 Magennis Place, Pearse St, D2 Dublin, Ireland

Booking Details
email: c2seminardublin@gmail.com
Costs: €50 per person

Day 2 - LOWLINE POWER DEVELOPMENT WORKSHOP

Aim
To develop the ability to generate more usable force within the confines of a generic ‘lowline’ round kick technique that can be found within most martial arts, combat sports, etc.

Content
A very subject-specific workshop, looking at progressively addressing the issue of optimal ‘impact’ and the processes best used to deliver it, including:
- Universal Body Mechanics & Dynamic Alignment Principles
- Sequential Torque & Kinetic Chain Concepts
- Kinetic Energy Transfer Methods
- Explosive Power Training & Maximal Force Development
- Plyometric and Isometric Loading Practices

Scope
This practical 4-hour workshop is designed to introduce and explore proven principles of dynamic force generation, delivery and target transfer, utilising a variety of methods and techniques specific to common kicking techniques.
The material presented will enable the individual to dramatically increase impact power, and the concepts can be universally applied to any striking system or method.

Dates & Times
7th October 2012
10am - 2pm

Venue
Wild Geese Martial Arts & Fitness
14 Magennis Place, Pearse St, D2 Dublin, Ireland

Booking Details
email: c2seminardublin@gmail.com
costs: €50 per person

Book both days for a discounted price of €75
To avail of the discount you must confirm your place with a minimum 25% non refundable deposit paid by Sept 17th.

--
Regards

Dave Hedges
www.wg-fit.com
www.wildgeesema.com

Yoga Classes Starting at WGMA

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 16:46:00 +0000

Wild Geese are pleased to announce the addition of a new class to our already packed schedule.

As of Saturday 5th November you have the opportunity to train under Anne Dempsey, a long time friend of the Wild Geese.
Anne teaches Yoga, Somatics and Pilates which she blends together seamlessly into a fantastic method for opening the joints, loosening the muscles and strengthening the core. Unlike many Yoga teachers, Anne has little time for the wishy washy nonsense that often goes alongside her art and instead sticks plainly and simply to the stuff that works.

For more information give Anne a call on 087 979 9921

Core Combatives Seminar with Mick Coup at Wild Geese

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:02:00 +0000

Hi all-

Some final details on securing attendance at the Mick Coup seminar, along with a brief outline of what will be covered.

DATES, TIMES, LOCATION

The course dates are Saturday, November 26 and Sunday, November 27.
Training will run from 10am to 4pm with a 30 minute break for lunch and smaller breaks as required.

The location remains as previously indicated: Wild Geese Martial Arts,
14-16 Magennis Place, Pearse Street, D2.

COURSE CONTENT

Mick wishes to highlight that this will be a chance to gain an overview of the topics below. Due to time constraints and the nature of this event it will not constitute the in-depth and subject-specific type of training which he provides through other, longer course formats such as the Foundation Course.

Day One

Introduction to the C2 system-method-concept and training structure

Combat Management - the emergency 'in-fight' action option

Contact Management - the preferable 'pre-fight' assessment option

Day Two

Threat Management - the preferred 'no-fight' awareness option

Subject Management - the security-role apprehend & arrest option

Obviously a great deal of offshoot-topics will be addressed in brief, and lots of Q&A throughout.

EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS

Both days will require mouth and groin protection - for live drills and for the force-on-force drills during subject management.

PAYMENT OPTIONS AND SECURING ATTENDANCE

Payment will officially open tomorrow.

If you wish to confirm your attendance then advance payment is recommended.

To pay in advance (at the rate of 80 euros for both days):-

*E-mail me to this account indicating that you are ready to pay via PayPal.
* PayPal payment details will be provided.
*When your transaction has been completed your place on the course is reserved, and not before.

There are space constraints and although it may be possible to attend and pay on the day (at the higher rate of 100 euros), this cannot be guaranteed. I will attempt to highlight via the Facebook page for this event if we are approaching capacity, but I would encourage anyone who wants to make sure they do not miss out to pay early. Should the course fill up I will open a waiting list in the event that a place becomes available via cancellations.

regards

Ruairi Quinn

Strength Training & Injury Prevention Seminar

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Thu, 18 Aug 2011 22:19:00 +0000

Mixed Martial Arts is the fastest growing sport in the world, it's popularity has spawned hundreds of MMA clubs, each churning out potential fighters.

But are these fighters really ready?

Training for MMA is a new art, few coaches really have the answers. This is reflected in the rate of injury we see amongst the more experienced MMA athletes.
Knees, shoulders, backs, all damaged. Need this be the case?

Is this the future for all who take up this excellent sport?
Are all MMA fighters destined to be crippled with injury?

We believe this does not have to be the case. Fighters and coaches just need the right tools in their tool box to help prepare bodies to become resistant and resilient to the rigours of the sport. And on September 24th, we aim to provide these tools.

Wild Geese Martial Arts have lined up 4 great coaches, each with an excellent knowledge of the body and it's workings to help provide some of this information.
We have:

Paul Cox
Paul is the founder of Wild Geese, a martial artist and world champion in his own right. He currently defies the odds as he continues to train and make improvements despite a seriously arthritic hip. His doctors are befuddled at how he is able to walk, never mind Squat heavy barbells, kick heavy bags and practice takedowns in Judo.
Paul says much of his success comes from the use of kettlebells. He will show how to keep the body strong and resilient, regardless of what happens to it.
Dave Hedges
Co founder of Wild Geese, also a life long martial artist who has had his fair share of injuries. Dave has a huge knowledge of strength and conditioning techniques and hopes to show the difference between the Body Building style of training common in our gyms and an effective strength program for athletes.
He'll also teach some of the most effective bodyweight drills that can be used anywhere, without equipment, to forge a lean and powerful body.
Mark Sexton
Mark is a Physiotherapist, Acupuncturist, Martial Artists and friend of Wild Geese. His insight into martial arts along with his insatiable thirst for knowledge has lead to Mark becoming one of the leading Physio's in Ireland.
He's the first person we recommend when any of our members gets hurt.
Mark will be talking about the body and how best to prevent and recuperate from injuries.
Anne Dempsey
Strength and flexibility are two sides of the same coin, you can't have one without the other and remain an athletic and an effective fighter.
Anne is a yoga instructor with a unique teaching style. She blends Somatics, which are excellent for prehab and rehab, Pilates for core strength and Yoga for flexibility, all which she teaches and demonstrates without any of the wishy washy nonsense usually associated with the art.

All four instructors will be open for questions through the day.

What: Strength Training & Injury Prevention for MMA
Where: Wild Geese Martial Arts, Pearse St, Dublin2
When: Sat, September 24th. Time TBC
How Much: Prices to announced shortly
How to book: email info@wildgeesema.com, but do it soon, priority will be given to all who actively fight under the Wild Geese name, limited space is available for outside interest.

Regards
Wild Geese
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com

Paul Cox - World Champion

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Fri, 05 Aug 2011 09:28:00 +0000

Paul is just back from the Philippines where he took Gold in the Heavy Weight division of the World Doce Pares Eskrima Championships.

He's back now teaching his regular classes, so drop in any Tuesday and Thursday to train under a genuine world champion.

Conditioning Coach Dave Hedges also did well recently at the Irish Kettlebell Sports Championships where he came third overall.
Dave will be teaching his Level 1 kettlebell lifting workshop on the 21st August, contact us to book a spot.
The course runs from 11am till 1pm and covers the Press, the Squat and the Swing in great detail. Cost for th workshop is €35 and includes a PDF Manual.

Both instructors will also be leading a Strength Training & Injury Prevention for MMA seminar with guest instructors. The date and line up for this full day event will be confirmed very soon, watch this space.

Strength & Injury Prevention for MMA & BJJ

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 10:24:00 +0000

Right you lot, we're looking for interest here:

We've been watching the JuJitsu guys train for the last while and seen them become a force to be reckoned with inn the Irish MMA scene. We've also seen the kinds of injuries they regularly pick up and the grumbling injuries their instructors live with on a daily basis.
There is no doubt the the "Gentle Art" of JuJitsu is hard on the body.

So we have decided to get together a crack team of experts to run a 1 day seminar on all things injury related in the hope that we can put out enough information for each attendee to take home and apply in their training.

The line up will include, but not limited to:

Paul Cox - Joint Mobility, Strength Training
Dave Hedges - Structural Integrity, Power Development, Injury prevention.
Anne Dempsey - Yoga stretches and sequences for opening the hip and shoulder girdles, spinal health. Recovery practices
Mark Sexton (possibly) - Mark has a wealth of experience as a martial artists and physiotherapist, he always brings good info.

The line up may change depending on instructor availability and of course the level of interest.
This will most likely run in August, so please get in touch by this time next week (Monday 18th) so that we can start the ball rolling.

Till then, here's some motivation:

Wild Geese

P.S. - All classes this Saturday and Sunday are cancelled due to Strength & Conditioning Expert Steve Cotter holding a two day seminar, if you need more info, contact Dave H.

Fighters, Injury Proof your wrists

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 21:28:00 +0000

Anyone who has spent time hitting hard, be they Boxers, karate-ka or MMA athlete will at some point have hurt their wrist.
It's a complex joint designed for mobility which leaves it prone to damage during the impact of a heavy strike.

Here, Wild Geese Conditioning Coach, Dave Hedges (www.wg-fit.com) shares a few of his tips that will keep your wrists safe and protected from injury.
Watch the video, take note and then apply some of these methods to your own training and instantly elongate your career.

Regards

Wild Geese
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com

Workshop cancelled - but we got a good excuse!

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Tue, 24 May 2011 14:24:00 +0000

A quick heads up,

The Level 1 and 2 Kettlebell Lifting workshops scheduled for this weekend are cancelled.
Dave's wife is fast approaching the end of her pregnancy, so will not be holding any workshops for the next few weeks.

Saying that, the eBooks that you would have received by attending are available from the Shop page ata reduced rate of €5.99 each. They contain the exact content taught, with the same level of detail. Each lift is broken down into maneagable chunks and illustrated with some excellent photography.
Check them out here:

Level 1 - The Basics - Swing / Squat / Snatch

Foundation level lifting ideal for Beginners and those working with beginners.

Click the image for more details.

Level 2 - The Core - Turkish Get Up / Clean / Push Press

Building on the foundation with more detail on the Swing and introducing the finest core training drill you'll ever come across, the Turkish Get Up

Click the image for more details.

Kettlebell workshops, Levels 3 and 4 - Sun 8th

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 20:45:00 +0000

Wild Geese conditioning coach and kettlebell instructor, Dave Hedges will be running his Kettlebell workshops, levels 3 & 4 on Sunday 8th April.

These workshops are not suitable for beginners, but are ideal for those with some experience of kettlebell lifting but want to take their training to the next level. The workshops are also proving to be popular with those who have realised that their weekend instructor certification has left them ill prepared to actually teach the kettlebell lifts.

In these workshops we will cover:

Level 3 - The Classical Lifts: Snatch & Jerk
These are the most technical and the most effective exercises possible. These two lifts form the kettlebell biathlon seen in the sport of kettlebell lifting.
Outside of the sport, these can and should be incorporated into anyone’s program. The snatch develops the entire posterior chain and develops serious hip power. The jerk teaches you to transfer power from the ground to over head, it is a must for any combat athlete as well as an incredible full body conditioner for everyone else.
Here's what the Clean & Jerk looks like:

Level 4 - Double Kettlebell Lifting: Long cycle and more
Working with a single bell is great, but for real results we have to double up. this workshop is very much a review of the previous three. Each lift that was learned along the way is revisited but this time with a pair of kettles.
Extra attention is given to the third lift found in Kettlebell sports, and possibly the ultimate training drill, the Long Cycle or Double Kettlebell Clean & Jerk

Participants of the workshops will receive a follow up manual covering all the same information found in the workshops. These will be sent out via email afterwards.
The Levels 1 and 2 manuals are currently available on our shop page at a special offer price of €5.99 (normal price €12.99)
Click here to get yours.

Book early for the workshops to guarantee your place.

Regards

Wild Geese

NEW - Kettlebell manuals available

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 08:44:00 +0000

Did you know that Wild Geese is home to one of Ireland's top kettlebell instructors?

Did you know that other instructors travel to Wild Geese to learn how to properly use and teach kettlebells.

Dave Hedges has carved a reputation for high quality hard training and top notch instruction in both his classes and workshops that he runs out of Wild Gees HQ.
Well now he has finally gotten round to writing his Kettlebell Manuals.

The manuals are a series of eBooks that cover the same information as taught in the Level 1 to 4 workshops.
Dave has just launched the Level 1 and Level 2 manuals, with 3 and 4 to follow soon.
The manuals are direct, to the point, detailed and completely free from BS and propaganda. This is about learning to lift and to train in the safest and most efficient manner possible.

In Level 1 you will learn:

Anatomy of a Kettlebell
Basic Joint Mobility
Deadlift & Romanian Deadlift
The Swing
Squatting with a Kettlebell
The Military Press
And More..

In Level 2 you will learn:

Refining the Swing
Breathing techniques
The Clean
The Push Press
The Turkish Get Up
and More..

If you've recently attended one of Dave's workshops you will already have received a copy free of charge, but for those of you unable to attend the workshops, they are a fantastic alternative.

Here's what Roseanne said:

"....The detailed manual handed out at the end was worth the price of the workshop (€30) by itself...."

For a limited time the eBooks will be available for €5.99 each, after that they will go up to the full price of €12.99.

For more info visit the shop page:

http://wildgeesema.com/trainingebooks.html

Regards

Wild Geese

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Fri, 08 Apr 2011 14:19:00 +0000

It give me great pleasure to give the following announcement. You may know that we are big fans of real food, we're not the kind of gym that touts expensive supplements and crap onto people, and we know most of our guys train with us partly because of our beleif that natural, real food, movement and martial arts are the way forward.

So we have just secured a deal with a great new company called Caveman Supersnacks (http://www.cavemansupersnacks.ie/) so we can supply their goods.
They just dropped of a few 50g bags of Biltong (dried beef) and Chillie Bites (Biltong with Chilli). You'll see them as soon as you turn up for training tonight... you can have one for €2

This is the nutritional breakdown for Biltong, I've coped and pasted it directly from their other website, http://www.biltong.ie/ :

Nutrition information – Soft Biltong

Quantity per 100g:
Energy 1245Kj
Protein 55g
Fat, total 7g
Fat, saturated 2g
Carbohydrate, total 3g
Sodium 1700mg
Iron 8.8mg

It is a pure power food. Check out his websites for the other stock as well as a few recipies, and don't forget to get yourself a bag on your way home from training!

Regards
Wild Geese
http://www.wildgeesema.com/
http://www.wg-fit.com/

Wild Geese Coaches Leading from the Front

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 06:03:00 +0000

Wild Geese coaches are some of the best around.
Of course every gym says that about their coaches, it's be insane if they didn't, yet how much truth is in the statement, what actions are there to back it up?

At Wild Geese we expect as much from th coaches as we do the students, it's no good us standing in front of a class insisting tha they bust their balls day in day out if from time to time we don't throw them a little piece of inspiration.

So here's some of the latest from the coaches locker room:

Judo - Another awesome haul for our judo coach. Under 66 kilos senior men-silver medal, Masters under 66 kilos gold medal and masters under 81 kilos silver medal. Truly Donal Tannam is a man worth listening to!

Kettlebells - Dave Hedges also hit it hard down in Kilkenny performing 62 reps with the 24kg kettlebells in the EGSA Long Cycle competition. This is only four weeks after performing 1 Mile of Walking Kettlebell Swings and raising €4700 for RehabCare.

Eskrima - Paul Cox has just booked his flights to head over to the Doce Pares World Championships, where he is to defend his title. Rumour has it that his instructor, Danny Guba, has also put him forward for a formal grading!

Next time you're down at your gym, ask the coach what they have done this year.
If they lead from the front, good. If not, maybe rethink your training there.

Regards

Wild Geese

Be Nice

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 09:20:00 +0000

Wild Geese founders Paul Cox and Dave Hedges have both spent many years working the Door. Now they run Wild Geese and offer control and restraint training specifically for Doormen and other members of the security industry.

The following lecture covers just about everything a good Doorman needs to know. In fact, Paul Cox has styled his whole persona on Dalton!

To find out more about the Control and Restraint course and regular training, drop us an email to info@wildgeesema.com or give us a call on 0876726090.

Regards
Wild Geese
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com

Wild Geese Judo Coach Does it Again

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:53:00 +0000

Once again our intrepid Judo coach has been away representing Ireland, this time in Austria.
While I'm waiting on more details, here's a clip of Donal scoring yet another perfect Ippon.
The man truly is a softly spoken warrior:

For more info on Donal have a look at his profile page: CLICK HERE.
Also check the home page for an up to date schedule of classes.

Regards

Wild Geese
www.wildgeesema.com
www.wg-fit.com

Kettlebell Workshop this weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 08:44:00 +0000

The first of this years Kettlebell Lifting Workshops takes place on Sunday 20th Feb, I’ll be running both the Level 1 and 2 workshops back to back.

Level 1 from 11am till 1pm
This covers warming up, Squats, Presses, Swings and the concept of power breathing.

Level 2 from 1.30pm till 4pm.
This covers the Clean, Push Press and Turkish Get Up, as well as improving on technique covered in level one.

Each workshop will cost €30 (wild geese members and repeats are discounted), or €50 if you attend them both.

Attending this one day will give you the knowledge necessary to train safely at home or anywhere you have access to weights, not just kettlebells.
The information taught is principle based so you will be able to take it away and apply it to whatever training you usually do.

While the workshops are about learning good technique, we will work up a sweat as we also look at styles of training and will perform a short workout using the information just learned.

Please book as soon as possible to guarantee a place,
contact us on:
info@wil;dgeesema.com
0876726090

Regards

Wild Geese
http://www.wildgeesema.com/
http://www.wg-fit.com/

1 Mile Walking Kettlebell Swings - Feb 26th

noreply@blogger.com (Wild Geese) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 22:35:00 +0000

Wild Geese and RehabCare have been working together for several months now, their clients have been coming to us for Self Defence courses and fitness training.
Their budget was cutback recently, so we’ve volunteered to aid in their fundraising efforts.

Please watch this video, then dig deep into your pockets and help us help those who need it:

The challenge we are undertaking, while physical, will be extremely mentally taxing. For us it’s a few hours of struggling to keep going, take one more step and get to the end of the course, for the people we are trying to help, an hour of struggling would be a luxury, they face these challenges every day of their lives.
RehabCare goes to great lengths to help these people, to aid them and help them live normal lives and rejoin normal society. Since their budget was cut back their options have been severly restricted. We are going to do out utmost to raise as much cash as possible, please come down to Sandymount Strand at 12noon, Saturday 26^th February 2011 and either join in with the challenge or simple shout and cheer form the side lines. Either way, make sure you’ve collected some sponsorship or brought a donation.

This next clip shows some the Walking Kettlebell Swing in a few of it’s many variations.

Regards

Dave
www.wg-fit.com

PS:
Next Boot Camp starts Monday 31^st Jan, get in touch ASAP to guarantee your place

The new Kettle AM sessions will kick off on Tues 1^st Feb, start the day with your RDA of Iron supplementation!