S&S+, Judo, Kendo, Historical & Modern Fencing, Walking.

[Kozushi]

I think I've got my hand skin toughened up and I'm able to do several sets of snatches now with the 24kg bell. This is encouraging. My movements are still a bit too big, but I'll make them more elegant in time, then I'll crush the snatch test and get certified as a proud Strong First instructor.

 

[Kozushi]

My normal/heavy S&S today, all with the 32kg bell (actually 2 different 32kg bells - I prefer the short grip for swings and the long grip for TGUs.) For warmups I did 30 24kg snatches each arm instead of the squats. I'll likely keep up this routine as I want to get my SFG1 certification and meet some cool people while getting it!

 

[masa]

This means it is not just of historical importance but is an all-time classic.

Yep! You nailed it.

I want to get my SFG1 certification and meet some cool people while getting it!

I wish you luck on the cert!

 

[Kozushi]

Developing a bit of a blister-callous on my left hand. Still did my daily 100 snatches with the 24kg followed by 10 TGUs and 10 1 handed swings (just to make sure I'm maintaining the move) with the 32kg.

Since I'm trying to develop healthy callouses and not blisters that pop leaving me with no callous at the end, I might have to lay off the snatches and 1 handed swings for a bit and switch to heavy-ish 40kg 2 handed swings and 28 or 32kg military presses to compensate, of course keeping the TGUs happening.

 

[masa]

My hands did get used to it slowly, even that I used lighter weight than you. It helped a bit, when I tried not to squeeze the handle too much and used the hook grip. I still get callouses, but not blisters thank Gods.

 

[Kozushi]

My hands did get used to it slowly, even that I used lighter weight than you. It helped a bit, when I tried not to squeeze the handle too much and used the hook grip. I still get callouses, but not blisters thank Gods.

The Kalavela has arrived. When I have finished the Heimskringla, I'll read it. It looks amazing!

The Heimskringla has turned out to be the best Viking-Age book I have ever read. It is enormous at nearly 900 pages long and written by an Icelandic Chieftain from oral and written records about Norse kings in the Viking Age. It would seem to me that if someone were to have only one book on the Viking Age, it would clearly have to be this one. The author is generally considered to be the best historian of the Middle Ages. His culture was the most literate in Europe at the time, so this makes sense to me. The first 100 pages or so mainly deal with the distant past, so there was less remembered, so it's mostly about the location of battles, but at around page 100 it's clear that more details were remembered, so the stories become more interesting and more detailed. Finns definitely are part of the stories. This book is making sense of the entire Viking Age to me. I don't feel like it's a "Lost Age" any longer. There is a huge amount of information here, from a very reliable source. The author was the lawspeaker of Iceland and was involved in the politics of the Norwegian royalty. In a twisted way, I think it reinforces his credibility as a "Viking" historian that he was slain (at 65 years old) in a Viking raid on his hall by an army sent by the Norwegian king.

I really appreciate your recommendation of the Kalavela to me. This is promising to be a very important spiritual-literary read. Just like any great work of literature, it's a miracle that one man took it upon himself to record, arrange and edit that body of traditional poetry into a coherent epic. Cannot wait!!!

 

[masa]

I’m glad you’re excited about Kalevala. I’m super interested in Heimskringla. That looks fantastic according to your review. It’s definitely in my bucket list. Thank you for your log update. Keep on writing, because this is interesting, my friend.

 

[Kozushi]

I’m glad you’re excited about Kalevala. I’m super interested in Heimskringla. That looks fantastic according to your review. It’s definitely in my bucket list. Thank you for your log update. Keep on writing, because this is interesting, my friend.

You can expect a flood of words after I read the Kalavela.
My discovery of the Heimskringla is a big relief for me, since the English sources for the period in question are basically crap. Apparently English literacy rates were terrible at the time, which was one problem. We know it was a problem because one king tried a national literacy strategy, which I don't think really had much of an effect. The Icelanders were highly literate, on the other hand.
Still, the big irony is that Beowulf, a magnificent English Iron Age epic exists, which is extremely good! What genius wrote it, no one knows. It's basically a big mystery. It actually seems like someone was trying to do with Northern legends something like what the author of the Kalavela was trying to do and the author of the Heimskringla, which was to unify a number of different traditional legends together into a unified whole.
Actually, the Heimskringla is helping me make a lot more sense of Beowulf. Beowulf covers an earlier period of history in the Iron Age whereas the Heimskringla gets into significant detail starting with the Viking Age proper.
And, Finns are always somewhere in the stories! Because of you when Finns pop up on the pages, I pay especial attention!

 

[masa]

You can expect a flood of words after I read the Kalavela.
My discovery of the Heimskringla is a big relief for me, since the English sources for the period in question are basically crap. Apparently English literacy rates were terrible at the time, which was one problem. We know it was a problem because one king tried a national literacy strategy, which I don't think really had much of an effect. The Icelanders were highly literate, on the other hand.
Still, the big irony is that Beowulf, a magnificent English Iron Age epic exists, which is extremely good! What genius wrote it, no one knows. It's basically a big mystery. It actually seems like someone was trying to do with Northern legends something like what the author of the Kalavela was trying to do and the author of the Heimskringla, which was to unify a number of different traditional legends together into a unified whole.
Actually, the Heimskringla is helping me make a lot more sense of Beowulf. Beowulf covers an earlier period of history in the Iron Age whereas the Heimskringla gets into significant detail starting with the Viking Age proper.
And, Finns are always somewhere in the stories! Because of you when Finns pop up on the pages, I pay especial attention!

It’s great to hear that Finns pop up often. I can’t wait to read more. Iron age and Viking age are the most appealing to me. Have a nice weekend!

 

[Kozushi]

It’s great to hear that Finns pop up often. I can’t wait to read more. Iron age and Viking age are the most appealing to me. Have a nice weekend!

Beowulf is set in the 5th Century, in Scandinavia, so this is in the Iron Age. It was written anywhere between 680 and 800 AD, so still probably a bit before the Viking Age starts. Who wrote the epic, when, where and why are still big mysteries! Nothing else quite like it survives from the entire Anglo-Saxon period.

 

[Kozushi]

It’s great to hear that Finns pop up often. I can’t wait to read more. Iron age and Viking age are the most appealing to me. Have a nice weekend!

Don't know if Native American spirituality interests you at all, but there is a nice site about it sponsored by the Canadian government, with some nice animations and such:

Home - Fourdirectionsteachings.com

They have some pretty interesting and I think insightful perspectives on things.

 

[masa]

Beowulf is set in the 5th Century, in Scandinavia, so this is in the Iron Age. It was written anywhere between 680 and 800 AD, so still probably a bit before the Viking Age starts. Who wrote the epic, when, where and why are still big mysteries! Nothing else quite like it survives from the entire Anglo-Saxon period.

Well, basically Viking age was ”going on” at that time of period.

Don't know if Native American spirituality interests you at all, but there is a nice site about it sponsored by the Canadian government, with some nice animations and such:

Home - Fourdirectionsteachings.com

They have some pretty interesting and I think insightful perspectives on things.

It’s interesting. I’m also interest of viking visitations in Vinland (Newfoundland). They’ve must been in touch with the Native Americans.

 

[Kozushi]

Well, basically Viking age was ”going on” at that time of period.

It’s interesting. I’m also interest of viking visitations in Vinland (Newfoundland). They’ve must been in touch with the Native Americans.

Yes, they were in touch, probably over several hundred years until the Greenland settlement died out in the 15th Century. Interestingly, Columbus visited Iceland before making his trip Westward. They might have told him things then.

Heimskringla is just getting better and better as I'm reading it bit by bit. It mixes prose and poetry, which makes it super-expressive and meaningful! Snorri the author did a tremendous job! I'd like to read it all in Old Norse eventually.

 

[masa]

Yes, they were in touch, probably over several hundred years until the Greenland settlement died out in the 15th Century. Interestingly, Columbus visited Iceland before making his trip Westward. They might have told him things then.

Columbus was a funny case. He took credits for many things that he didn't do. He started 500 years later than vikings and went to wrong places multiple times. LOL!

Heimskringla is just getting better and better as I'm reading it bit by bit. It mixes prose and poetry, which makes it super-expressive and meaningful! Snorri the author did a tremendous job! I'd like to read it all in Old Norse eventually.

Reading bit by bit is enjoyable. I've read many books like that. Most of them many times.

 

[Kozushi]

The 100 snatches yesterday with the 24kg made my palm skin a bit sore so I didn't do any more today. I did 100 1h swings with the 24 in sets of 20 with very little rest between, then my regular 32kg TGUs and some presses with the 24kg. I'll do another set of 100 swings with the 32kg this evening.

The snatch is a great move with lots of movement, but it sure is darn annoying for the hand skin!

 

[pet']

Hello @Kozushi

You already were fairly well conditioned. Did you notice an improvement in your conditioning since you do snatches alongside S&S ?

By the way, a while ago you mentioned improvement in body composition. How is it going ?

Kind regards,

Pet'

 

[Kozushi]

Hello @Kozushi

You already were fairly well conditioned. Did you notice an improvement in your conditioning since you do snatches alongside S&S ?

By the way, a while ago you mentioned improvement in body composition. How is it going ?

Kind regards,

Pet'

Yes and yes. I am better conditioned and leaner. I know I am better conditioned because the 32kg swings are now quite easy, and leaner by looking in the mirror. I am the same weight though. So, this proves that snatches are excellent. The problem though is that they are hard on the palm skin and a bit hard on the shoulders.

 

[Kozushi]

I'm switching over to Red Zone now. I need the press move to develop what I need for the snatch test.
The routine will be 28kg for the presses and either 24, 28 or 32 for the swings depending on my energy levels.

 

[Kozushi]

I did 50 presses and then 100 swings today all with the 28kg.
We'll see what happens. I'm banking on this programme to build up my body to handle the snatch test in terms of strength and stability. The TGU is insufficient training in regards to the snatch test - it is too different a move. I don't need it for now. I couldn't still train the snatches or snatch variants yet today because my right hand palm skin is getting bunched up every snatch and threatening to eventually tear! Haha!

 

[Kozushi]

I'm getting into the routine with the 50 presses and 100 1 arm swings. My next step is to add the TGUs back into the daily workout, so it's all basically an amplified S&S. It's S&S with presses. I'm coming to realize that you have to get past "Simple". You can't just stay there. I want a leaner upper body physique, and the presses are doing this for me. They are also I believe, getting my body ready for the snatch test.