james.macneil
First Post
Where do I start.... Last year I weighed 330 lbs and had absolutely no strength. I decided I couldn't let myself get any bigger. I had loved watching MMA since the early UFC days and always had wanted to give it a shot but thought I had to lose weight in order to get into it. I had joined a 24 hr fitness and started try and exercise but found myself lost in a foreign land. Thinking I got a good workout after 20 min of sitting on a curl machine, I would hit the closest Jack in the Box on the way home and celebrate my "effort". Out of curiosity I yelped a few local fight gyms and found one that gave a 2 week free trial and dropped by. Walking into the gym was intimidating to say the least but something caught me. Everyone was having so much fun. I decided to give it a shot and I fell in love immediately!! I learned to box and grapple and took Krav Maga as well, but I still couldn't even do a pushup. Then my coach and now close friend approached me and gave me the opportunity of a lifetime. "Have you ever heard of Kettlebells?" From that moment my life changed. He taught me how to swing told me about this crazy eastern bloc guy who made rad videos and had a website dedicated to feats of strength. Needless to say I was hooked. Although MY friend isn't an RKC, he lit a fire in me and I craved fuel to keep the flame burning. I went out and bought Pavels books and read articles and came across a success story of a woman in my area by the name of Tracy Reifkind. It just so happens that the week I discovered her, she was doing her signing for The Swing. My wife and I met her and started training with her and she brought up the idea of me training for the RKC. This is where I'm at now, however I heard that Pavel was jumping ship and setting sail to new horizons so I came here and now I am training for the SF lvl. 1. I'm now 265 and stronger than I have ever been. I still have a ways to go but I absolutely love this journey and couldn't imagine my life without it!
Thank you Jeff Quinlan, Academy of Self Defense Santa Clara, Mark and Tracy Reifkind for all the inspiration, knowledge and assistance you have given me over the last year. I love you all dearly and am looking forward to what the future has to offer.
Does anyone feel like sharing a success story? Currently I'm a full time admin and would love to eventually shift into being a full time KB instructor/fight instructor. Has anyone else made that kind of shift? I'd be very interested to hear how you went about it.
Thank you Jeff Quinlan, Academy of Self Defense Santa Clara, Mark and Tracy Reifkind for all the inspiration, knowledge and assistance you have given me over the last year. I love you all dearly and am looking forward to what the future has to offer.
Does anyone feel like sharing a success story? Currently I'm a full time admin and would love to eventually shift into being a full time KB instructor/fight instructor. Has anyone else made that kind of shift? I'd be very interested to hear how you went about it.