Christmas is nearly upon us once again, where does the time go? I don't know the answer to that question but its enough to know that time is rapidly passing and what are we doing with this precious commodity?
It has been another great year, hard at times but still great. I was reading a famous poets work the other day (that famous I cant remember his name) he said joy and woe are woven into all of our lives. I think this is true we do seem to have highs and lows but accepting this can make things easier, in so much as I know that both the highs and lows will end.
I have said this many times what you focus on will grow. At the moment most of the world seems to be focusing on recession and guess what the recession seems to be getting worse. Take a look at your own life for a moment, and ask what am I focusing on now and most of the time. I guarantee you that if you are feeling crap then you will be focusing on something crap and visa versa if you are feeling good then you are focusing on good things. You are your thoughts in other words you are what you think about all of the time.
This year has been amazing for me, another year a way from the security of a full time job I have found that freedom is the opposite to security. It is a great feeling but definitely scary at times but well worth the fear.
I have spent many hours teaching in Ireland with my good friend Aidan Carroll who I hold in very high regard not only as a martial artist but as a human being. I hope that the new year brings more of the same the people over there are fantastic and I have said before I think Aidan will be a big name in the world of self- protection. The master classes in Dublin are going really well and I can only see them going from strength to strength.
I have already been invited back up to Scotland next year to teach for my good friends Vincent maguire and Craig Pennman once again great people.
My self and Matty Evans have been talking about making our master classes bigger and hitting a wider audience. The master classes have exceeded all of our expectations in the way that they have affected peoples lives. I honestly believe and I don't mean to disrespect anyone else out there but what we have in these master classes is unique.
Matty is working on a grading syllabus and we will be grading all those that have attended these classes, and I must say a big thank you to them all. Every one who has attended these classes has been amazing and it is a real honour to have met you all.
My fear DVD will be launched within the next couple of weeks and I am very happy with it. I think it will have a very powerful effect on allot of people. It is not really a fighting DVD but I look at how normal every day people have tackled some very big fears. It will be controversial I talk to a very inspirational guy who lost the use of his legs as well as a fantastic guy who suffered sexual abuse as a child. There are some great people on the DVD.
That's it really for now I hope you all have a great Christmas. Thanks for your support, keep watching this space for new developments next year looks very exciting.
My kids used to sing these words in the school nativity play and I have never forgotten them
"Remember Christmas isn't Christmas until it happens in your heart and some where deep inside you is where Christmas really starts."
Friday, 19 December 2008
Friday, 21 November 2008
MASTER CLASS IRELAND DAY 2
Review of 2nd Master Class 1/11/08
Another great training day in the bag. Only the second session and everyone in the group is now striking with great accuracy and power. The group are now starting to look more relaxed, with many of their initial fears of signing up for the course having been dispelled. We looked at taking the aggression testing to a higher level, and all in attendance preformed really well. The main phase of the course dealt with impact development and restricted punching. I explained to the group the importance of correct body mechanics to develop maximum punching power, and after a few minutes of tuition – all were hitting with full bodyweight. We then progressed into restrictive punching, this was done from your back (ground fighting), from your back-side, from your knees and finally standing- with your back flat to the wall (which restricts your body mechanics), ultimately forcing you to use massive speed and power to create a knock-out shot. All students were asked to be extremely guttural during all impact development drills, when they triggered this mental state the power in the strikes was awesome.
For the next drill we took them out of their comfort zone with some realistic pressure testing drills. I took to the middle of the floor to play the role of the bad guy! Tony was making notes on the side-lines. Each student was then taken into a situation of being asked a series of brain engaging questions (a very common pre-cursor before attack) by me (playing the predator). Some drills where done with a very low level of aggression (to begin with) and then the aggression level was progressed, either very rapidly (exposing the student to adrenaline dump) or very slowly or intermittently. This exposed the students to the ‘Flight or Fight’ mindset.
Each drill presented a different problem, and solution. It was obvious to myself and Tony that some students still had a problem with controlling the situation and pre-emptive striking. However by the end of the session all in attendance were looking sharp.
During the session we invited two students - Deva and Ken to present short sections of the class, both lads have vast experience and their teaching skills and enthusiasm was very impressive. We now have 7 trainee instructors on the Hard Target instructor’s course and I am looking forward to them progressing through their grades in the New Year. Well done lads.
Our next master class is scheduled for December 6th. From this class on, all students will be asked to deliver a speech to the group on dealing with fear control, and how they themselves experience the negative and positives aspects of controlling fear.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank my great friend Tony Somers for helping me out recently. He took the time out of his busy schedule to help out on a government contract I am working at the moment. This contract covered 10 different counties, instructing over 300 government officials in various aspects of conflict resolution and hand to hand combat. Your help (and your friendship) – as always is very much appreciated mate.
Keep an eye on www.hardtargetselfdefence.com for new monthly work-shops and combat conditioning classes which will be starting very soon. Tony will also be releasing his second DVD titled ‘FEAR’ in the New Year; I highly recommend this film to everyone. We all have fears, and this new film from Tony will be invaluable to all us who want to lead an opulent, happy and healthy lifestyle.
This DVD will be available to buy from www.focusfitness.ie www.hardtargetselfdefence.com and from www.tonysomers.com
Until next month, train hard, rest well and remember, to achieve our dreams we must be relentless, there is no substitute for hard work. In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.
Stay safe
Aidan Carroll
Another great training day in the bag. Only the second session and everyone in the group is now striking with great accuracy and power. The group are now starting to look more relaxed, with many of their initial fears of signing up for the course having been dispelled. We looked at taking the aggression testing to a higher level, and all in attendance preformed really well. The main phase of the course dealt with impact development and restricted punching. I explained to the group the importance of correct body mechanics to develop maximum punching power, and after a few minutes of tuition – all were hitting with full bodyweight. We then progressed into restrictive punching, this was done from your back (ground fighting), from your back-side, from your knees and finally standing- with your back flat to the wall (which restricts your body mechanics), ultimately forcing you to use massive speed and power to create a knock-out shot. All students were asked to be extremely guttural during all impact development drills, when they triggered this mental state the power in the strikes was awesome.
For the next drill we took them out of their comfort zone with some realistic pressure testing drills. I took to the middle of the floor to play the role of the bad guy! Tony was making notes on the side-lines. Each student was then taken into a situation of being asked a series of brain engaging questions (a very common pre-cursor before attack) by me (playing the predator). Some drills where done with a very low level of aggression (to begin with) and then the aggression level was progressed, either very rapidly (exposing the student to adrenaline dump) or very slowly or intermittently. This exposed the students to the ‘Flight or Fight’ mindset.
Each drill presented a different problem, and solution. It was obvious to myself and Tony that some students still had a problem with controlling the situation and pre-emptive striking. However by the end of the session all in attendance were looking sharp.
During the session we invited two students - Deva and Ken to present short sections of the class, both lads have vast experience and their teaching skills and enthusiasm was very impressive. We now have 7 trainee instructors on the Hard Target instructor’s course and I am looking forward to them progressing through their grades in the New Year. Well done lads.
Our next master class is scheduled for December 6th. From this class on, all students will be asked to deliver a speech to the group on dealing with fear control, and how they themselves experience the negative and positives aspects of controlling fear.
I also want to take this opportunity to thank my great friend Tony Somers for helping me out recently. He took the time out of his busy schedule to help out on a government contract I am working at the moment. This contract covered 10 different counties, instructing over 300 government officials in various aspects of conflict resolution and hand to hand combat. Your help (and your friendship) – as always is very much appreciated mate.
Keep an eye on www.hardtargetselfdefence.com for new monthly work-shops and combat conditioning classes which will be starting very soon. Tony will also be releasing his second DVD titled ‘FEAR’ in the New Year; I highly recommend this film to everyone. We all have fears, and this new film from Tony will be invaluable to all us who want to lead an opulent, happy and healthy lifestyle.
This DVD will be available to buy from www.focusfitness.ie www.hardtargetselfdefence.com and from www.tonysomers.com
Until next month, train hard, rest well and remember, to achieve our dreams we must be relentless, there is no substitute for hard work. In absence of clearly defined goals, we become strangely loyal to performing daily acts of trivia.
Stay safe
Aidan Carroll
Monday, 17 November 2008
Review of Master Class with Aidan Carroll & Tony Somers: (Day 1)
We had a great turn out for our first ever master class (in Ireland) on 18/10/08. Over 20 students arrived at 9am for the first training day. We have people from 8 different counties and various martial art back-grounds, as well as some beginners on the course too.The day started with introductions from my good friend Tony and me.
Each student was then given a piece of paper and a pen and was asked to write a few words on any fears they may have on their first day of training. They were then asked to put their piece of paper in a circle on the mats. Tony and I also wrote down our fears. We also asked the students not to sign the paper; this was an excellent exercise that Tony introduced. It has two real advantages- one is that it allows each student the opportunity to address their own fears, and the other advantage is that we also get each student to individually read out someone else words (introducing the student to public speaking).
This anonymity allows the student to be more open about how he or she may be feeling.Some of the feed-back was amazing. Many had feelings of not being fit enough, not being qualified enough and many had a massive feeling of fear - just walking through the door to the training area.One gentleman who spoke to the group told us how he had trouble finding the venue, and was just about to turn back for home. He then went on to say how he knew in his heart that he was just not looking hard enough, and in actual fact was (by his own admission) reaching into the depths of his mind for any excuse not to turn up for training. He did make it to the venue and had a fantastic days training.
This gentleman, like all of us will consciously or subconsciously put up barriers or excuses when we know what lies ahead will take us out of our comfort zones.On the drive from my house to the venue Tony also spoke about the adrenaline he was feeling, knowing that this is his first (but certainly not his last) time to present a master class in Ireland, I knew exactly what he was going through.Over the years both myself and Tony have tested ourselves to the max (mentally & physically) and continue to step out of our comforts zones on a regular basis.We know (as I am sure many of you who read this article) the fear never leaves us, but we continue to test ourselves on a regular basis, because we understand (without any doubt) that there is growth in the discomfort.
The students were then put into two groups and lined up at opposite ends of the room. They were then asked to approach their training partner and be as aggressive (verbally & animated) as possible.This is what is known as the ‘situational control’ drill from the Hard Target syllabus. Some students found it hard to access this aggressive state of mind, others found it very easy.We then demonstrated how to control the aggressor with a FENCE. We wanted to see how many remained switched on after we showed the correct way to set up your fence and line-up the aggressor.
The next drill done showed Tony and myself how many students got completely caught up with the aggressor’s dialogue - brain engaging/aggressive posturing. We explained we always assume there may be another attacker/attackers involved and also always to assume that the aggressor/s may be carrying or concealing a weapon.We then armed half of the group with training blades and asked them to deploy the blade at the point when they had accessed massive aggression. Almost all of the opponents were stabbed, thus proving that “Action beats Reaction” every time.This then lead us nicely into the controversial subject of pre-emptive striking. After a brief discussion throughout the group regarding self defence and the law with regard to pre-emption, it was obvious that all in attendance where realists, and within a few minutes all where hitting the pads with massive amounts of controlled aggression.A small number had some problems with accessing a combative mind-set.
Tony and I lead the way by falling into our Oscar winning roles (very convincible!) as crazed predators. Some seemed a little shocked by our display. I think the word ‘shocked’ is the best description, because when I asked did anyone have any questions or comments, one gentleman asked for a change of underpants -but I think they got the idea!It wasn’t long before Tony and I would be looking for a fresh pair of shorts - after a few drills all in the group looked like extras from the Sopranos!Over the last 20 years of cross training, I have worked with some amazing instructors from all over the world, but I have to say Tony Somers is in a class of his own.
It is a complete pleasure to work with Tony and I am very honoured to have him as great friend. I believe we are all blessed with a handful of people who come into our lives and change it for the better. Some people are blessed with this great energy, and Tony has it by the bucketful!I am really looking forward to the next 5 months on the master class.
I will keep you posted as it happens.Until next month, train hard, rest well, eat clean, tell someone you love that you love them everyday, take one hour out of each day chasing your dreams, and above all show respect to others, and your karma will be good to you.
Stay safeAidan Carroll
Each student was then given a piece of paper and a pen and was asked to write a few words on any fears they may have on their first day of training. They were then asked to put their piece of paper in a circle on the mats. Tony and I also wrote down our fears. We also asked the students not to sign the paper; this was an excellent exercise that Tony introduced. It has two real advantages- one is that it allows each student the opportunity to address their own fears, and the other advantage is that we also get each student to individually read out someone else words (introducing the student to public speaking).
This anonymity allows the student to be more open about how he or she may be feeling.Some of the feed-back was amazing. Many had feelings of not being fit enough, not being qualified enough and many had a massive feeling of fear - just walking through the door to the training area.One gentleman who spoke to the group told us how he had trouble finding the venue, and was just about to turn back for home. He then went on to say how he knew in his heart that he was just not looking hard enough, and in actual fact was (by his own admission) reaching into the depths of his mind for any excuse not to turn up for training. He did make it to the venue and had a fantastic days training.
This gentleman, like all of us will consciously or subconsciously put up barriers or excuses when we know what lies ahead will take us out of our comfort zones.On the drive from my house to the venue Tony also spoke about the adrenaline he was feeling, knowing that this is his first (but certainly not his last) time to present a master class in Ireland, I knew exactly what he was going through.Over the years both myself and Tony have tested ourselves to the max (mentally & physically) and continue to step out of our comforts zones on a regular basis.We know (as I am sure many of you who read this article) the fear never leaves us, but we continue to test ourselves on a regular basis, because we understand (without any doubt) that there is growth in the discomfort.
The students were then put into two groups and lined up at opposite ends of the room. They were then asked to approach their training partner and be as aggressive (verbally & animated) as possible.This is what is known as the ‘situational control’ drill from the Hard Target syllabus. Some students found it hard to access this aggressive state of mind, others found it very easy.We then demonstrated how to control the aggressor with a FENCE. We wanted to see how many remained switched on after we showed the correct way to set up your fence and line-up the aggressor.
The next drill done showed Tony and myself how many students got completely caught up with the aggressor’s dialogue - brain engaging/aggressive posturing. We explained we always assume there may be another attacker/attackers involved and also always to assume that the aggressor/s may be carrying or concealing a weapon.We then armed half of the group with training blades and asked them to deploy the blade at the point when they had accessed massive aggression. Almost all of the opponents were stabbed, thus proving that “Action beats Reaction” every time.This then lead us nicely into the controversial subject of pre-emptive striking. After a brief discussion throughout the group regarding self defence and the law with regard to pre-emption, it was obvious that all in attendance where realists, and within a few minutes all where hitting the pads with massive amounts of controlled aggression.A small number had some problems with accessing a combative mind-set.
Tony and I lead the way by falling into our Oscar winning roles (very convincible!) as crazed predators. Some seemed a little shocked by our display. I think the word ‘shocked’ is the best description, because when I asked did anyone have any questions or comments, one gentleman asked for a change of underpants -but I think they got the idea!It wasn’t long before Tony and I would be looking for a fresh pair of shorts - after a few drills all in the group looked like extras from the Sopranos!Over the last 20 years of cross training, I have worked with some amazing instructors from all over the world, but I have to say Tony Somers is in a class of his own.
It is a complete pleasure to work with Tony and I am very honoured to have him as great friend. I believe we are all blessed with a handful of people who come into our lives and change it for the better. Some people are blessed with this great energy, and Tony has it by the bucketful!I am really looking forward to the next 5 months on the master class.
I will keep you posted as it happens.Until next month, train hard, rest well, eat clean, tell someone you love that you love them everyday, take one hour out of each day chasing your dreams, and above all show respect to others, and your karma will be good to you.
Stay safeAidan Carroll
HUMILITY
Looking around the martial art world or in particular the world of self defence one thing seems to be missing in a big way at the moment and that is humility.
My own journey through the arts started with me as an angry insecure young man however I would like to think that as my self confidence has grown so has my humility. And yet I see people who are undoubtedly very tough and very good bragging about their physical powers and slating everyone else at the same time.I cant help thinking that they have missed the point here!!
Surely as you grow you lose the need to brag and tell the world how great you are but then maybe that is the answer, have they grown? or underneath their bulging biceps are they still the little man with low self worth?Life is a journey and it is a never ending journey of self development and personal growth, if you are at the point in your life where you feel you have learnt it all, weather that be in any area including relationships, martial arts etc, then you have missed the point. There is always something new to learn and everyone you meet is both teacher and pupil.The old martial arts masters by all accounts were the most humble people you could ever meet, not for them the bulging biceps and LOOK AT ME MENTALITY!! remember David Carradine Kung Fu?
Now I know he was only a TV character but what a character. Great political and religious leaders are all humble. Look at George Bush, is he humble? No, Does he have a swagger? Just a bit! But will he be remembered as a great leader? I don't think so!As your inner confidence grows then so should your humility and if you think that is a sign of weakness then respectfully I suggest you go back to the drawing board and start again.I have just finished another master class In Ireland with my good friend Aidan Carroll once again it was a fantastic class full of great people.
The level two classes here are now well under way and are going very well. Stephen Smith a member of the class has written a great review which I have sent to MAI and will be on this site very soon. I have also posted some of the filming he has done on to you tube, so have a look.Matty and myself are running a training day on November 29Th just for people who have been on our master classes it will be very good.New master classes, level one and two will be starting in January we will keep you posted for the dates.I am working on a new fear DVD at the moment which is looking really good, it should be ready for release in the next two to three weeks.
It is not a fighting DVD but has some very powerful content including an interview with the man himself Geoff Thompson.Take care and my warmest Regards to you and remember to be confident but HUMBLE!
My own journey through the arts started with me as an angry insecure young man however I would like to think that as my self confidence has grown so has my humility. And yet I see people who are undoubtedly very tough and very good bragging about their physical powers and slating everyone else at the same time.I cant help thinking that they have missed the point here!!
Surely as you grow you lose the need to brag and tell the world how great you are but then maybe that is the answer, have they grown? or underneath their bulging biceps are they still the little man with low self worth?Life is a journey and it is a never ending journey of self development and personal growth, if you are at the point in your life where you feel you have learnt it all, weather that be in any area including relationships, martial arts etc, then you have missed the point. There is always something new to learn and everyone you meet is both teacher and pupil.The old martial arts masters by all accounts were the most humble people you could ever meet, not for them the bulging biceps and LOOK AT ME MENTALITY!! remember David Carradine Kung Fu?
Now I know he was only a TV character but what a character. Great political and religious leaders are all humble. Look at George Bush, is he humble? No, Does he have a swagger? Just a bit! But will he be remembered as a great leader? I don't think so!As your inner confidence grows then so should your humility and if you think that is a sign of weakness then respectfully I suggest you go back to the drawing board and start again.I have just finished another master class In Ireland with my good friend Aidan Carroll once again it was a fantastic class full of great people.
The level two classes here are now well under way and are going very well. Stephen Smith a member of the class has written a great review which I have sent to MAI and will be on this site very soon. I have also posted some of the filming he has done on to you tube, so have a look.Matty and myself are running a training day on November 29Th just for people who have been on our master classes it will be very good.New master classes, level one and two will be starting in January we will keep you posted for the dates.I am working on a new fear DVD at the moment which is looking really good, it should be ready for release in the next two to three weeks.
It is not a fighting DVD but has some very powerful content including an interview with the man himself Geoff Thompson.Take care and my warmest Regards to you and remember to be confident but HUMBLE!
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
ARE YOU WORTH IT?
Last weekend I was teaching in Scotland which once again was a fantastic experience, thanks to all of the lads and lassies up there especially Vinnie and Craig.
In a couple of weeks 18th October I am off to Dublin to start a master class with Aidan Carroll a top guy www.hardtargetselfdefence.com.
Matty Evans and myself still have a level one and level two master class going on at the moment. The next date for all of you on the level two is 19th October.
A new venture for me is courses based around facing our fears, I have run a few of these at the Red Corner gym for business men and woman who really enjoyed them. With this in mind we have decided to open them out to the public. The first one will be at the Red Corner gym on 26th October, places will be strictly limited to 10 people on a first come first served basis. Contact either Glen at the Red Corner or myself for more information on what we are sure will be something big.
Something that came back into my life recently was an old fear that I thought I had said goodbye to along time ago. It was all around setting goals and reaching for new horizons. I was given the lesson (for the umpteenth time) that whats important is how you really see yourself at a deep level. For example if deep down you see yourself as working class and worth a certain amount of money and that is your lot then that is what you will aim for subconsciously. Now there is nothing wrong with this but change will not take place until at a deep level you realise that you can change and that you are worthy of achieving your new goals. So many times we set goals and fail and I think this is why because at a certain level we feel that we are not worthy of achieving our dreams and until we change these deep seated beliefs we wont be able to change anything
So my question to you is are you good enough to achieve your goals and ambitions? Do you deserve more out of life? Are you living the life you are meant to live? or are you living the life that someone else said you should live?
Take care warmest Regards
Tony
In a couple of weeks 18th October I am off to Dublin to start a master class with Aidan Carroll a top guy www.hardtargetselfdefence.com.
Matty Evans and myself still have a level one and level two master class going on at the moment. The next date for all of you on the level two is 19th October.
A new venture for me is courses based around facing our fears, I have run a few of these at the Red Corner gym for business men and woman who really enjoyed them. With this in mind we have decided to open them out to the public. The first one will be at the Red Corner gym on 26th October, places will be strictly limited to 10 people on a first come first served basis. Contact either Glen at the Red Corner or myself for more information on what we are sure will be something big.
Something that came back into my life recently was an old fear that I thought I had said goodbye to along time ago. It was all around setting goals and reaching for new horizons. I was given the lesson (for the umpteenth time) that whats important is how you really see yourself at a deep level. For example if deep down you see yourself as working class and worth a certain amount of money and that is your lot then that is what you will aim for subconsciously. Now there is nothing wrong with this but change will not take place until at a deep level you realise that you can change and that you are worthy of achieving your new goals. So many times we set goals and fail and I think this is why because at a certain level we feel that we are not worthy of achieving our dreams and until we change these deep seated beliefs we wont be able to change anything
So my question to you is are you good enough to achieve your goals and ambitions? Do you deserve more out of life? Are you living the life you are meant to live? or are you living the life that someone else said you should live?
Take care warmest Regards
Tony
Monday, 8 September 2008
FOCUS
Our latest master class ended on Sunday and once again it was a very powerful last session. The people on the course were all amazing, so much so that at times I forget who is teaching who. Then again I have said many times that we are all teachers and students. Everyone who sat in our little grappling room or torture room as some people call it had a fantastic talent, they were all great people.
It is often the case that other people can see our skills and talents and yet we cant. Maybe we don't want to see how good we really are because then we will have to do something about it and that's scary. Or maybe we have been put down so many times in the past that it is hard to accept that we do indeed have talent. I think if you tell someone they are stupid or useless enough times then they will believe that fact. But what if its not true? What if they were wrong? What if they were the stupid useless ones and not you? Once again I have said this many times, what you focus on you will get and I believe that with all of my heart. If you are not happy then ask yourself "what have I been focusing on?" you will see that it has been negative so why not change it? Now I know this sounds very simplistic and wishy washy but its true!! If you focus on not being good enough and believe what you were told, only God knows how many years ago, then guess what? You will feel stupid and useless and you wont even know why. What have you got to lose by taking my advice and changing your focus? This may take time and you may find yourself slipping back into old ways but if you persevere then you WILL change your life.
Once again thanks to those brilliant people on the last master class.
Take care
Warmest Regards
Tony
It is often the case that other people can see our skills and talents and yet we cant. Maybe we don't want to see how good we really are because then we will have to do something about it and that's scary. Or maybe we have been put down so many times in the past that it is hard to accept that we do indeed have talent. I think if you tell someone they are stupid or useless enough times then they will believe that fact. But what if its not true? What if they were wrong? What if they were the stupid useless ones and not you? Once again I have said this many times, what you focus on you will get and I believe that with all of my heart. If you are not happy then ask yourself "what have I been focusing on?" you will see that it has been negative so why not change it? Now I know this sounds very simplistic and wishy washy but its true!! If you focus on not being good enough and believe what you were told, only God knows how many years ago, then guess what? You will feel stupid and useless and you wont even know why. What have you got to lose by taking my advice and changing your focus? This may take time and you may find yourself slipping back into old ways but if you persevere then you WILL change your life.
Once again thanks to those brilliant people on the last master class.
Take care
Warmest Regards
Tony
Sunday, 10 August 2008
CATCH UP
Our latest master class started on the 26Th of July, I trying to be clever over booked it as it is not unusual for at least one person to pay and then not turn up. Those old pre-fight nerves can get the better of most of us at one time or another. However on this class everyone turned up which was great but just a little bit crowded but like I have said many times before I always feel very honoured that people travel from all over the country to listen to what I have to say and teach. We will be starting a new level one class on September 21st and a level two class starts on September 14Th which is filling up very quickly. I am doing a seminar in Scotland on September 27Th which is a great place full of great people and I love going up there. On October 18Th I start my new master classes with my good friend Aidan Carrol in Dublin which once again I am sure will be fantastic. So at the moment it is all go I have written over 25000 words towards my book and hope to get that finished within the next few months.
The buzz word that is around for me at the moment is perseverance I know that from my own experience I have often felt like giving up and going backwards but by just keeping going and having faith 99 times out of a hundred things work out fine. My heroes are people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King so when I talk about perseverance they had it by the bucket load. I guess they must have felt like giving in many times but just look at what they achieved by persevering we definitely give in to easily often as soon as things start to get hard we want to be em up out of there.
It was my dads anniversary on the 8Th of this month , while I was thinking about him I remembered the words from an old Paul McCartney song which said "drink to me drink to my health you know I cant drink anymore" my dad liked a drink!! It made me think about all those people that have died and cant do the things that we take for granted every day. I am not saying that we have to go out and drink all we have to do is live because there are millions upon millions of people who have died and cant do what we can do any more so lets do it for them!!
Take care, remember those who think they can and those who think they cant are both right,
Warmest Regards
Tony
The buzz word that is around for me at the moment is perseverance I know that from my own experience I have often felt like giving up and going backwards but by just keeping going and having faith 99 times out of a hundred things work out fine. My heroes are people like Gandhi and Martin Luther King so when I talk about perseverance they had it by the bucket load. I guess they must have felt like giving in many times but just look at what they achieved by persevering we definitely give in to easily often as soon as things start to get hard we want to be em up out of there.
It was my dads anniversary on the 8Th of this month , while I was thinking about him I remembered the words from an old Paul McCartney song which said "drink to me drink to my health you know I cant drink anymore" my dad liked a drink!! It made me think about all those people that have died and cant do the things that we take for granted every day. I am not saying that we have to go out and drink all we have to do is live because there are millions upon millions of people who have died and cant do what we can do any more so lets do it for them!!
Take care, remember those who think they can and those who think they cant are both right,
Warmest Regards
Tony
Sunday, 6 July 2008
REAL LIFE SELF PROTECTION
Yet another master class comes to an end and what an ending it was. Myself and Matty always feel a little sad when these classes end as we get to know the people on them very well. Saturdays group were fantastic and a big thank you to them all Alex, Gary, Craig, Robby, Mark, Michael, Ryan and Tom. It is great to watch people change over the six sessions of the master class and see how their confidence levels rise. On the last session all of the participants have to teach for between ten and fifteen minutes and they all have something different to offer which makes the whole occasion fascinating.
At the moment Matty has a knee injury and cant train but although this frustrates him he is using the time to develop new ideas. Or should I say old ideas that we meant to do ages ago!! Never mind we are looking at this as a new opportunity to grow our own products such as the master class. It is my own belief that what we have developed through these classes is unique. I know there are lots of master classes out there but I think what we have is a bit special. The blend of cutting edge self protection techniques and also the ability to help people look at their personal development issues.
One of the things matty has been looking at is getting our own self protection system in place in which we can grade people. We are both 4th Dans in the BCA so we will be setting up training days for people who have completed the master classes and we will be grading them accordingly in our own Real Life Self Protection system. This is a big step for us (a long over due one) but we are really excited and look forward to having some top quality students on board in what we are determined will be a top notch system.
Our next level one master class starts on July 26th and we have one place left. The next level two will be starting on September the 14th so please book on now if you are interested like I say it will count towards a grading if you wish it to do so.
Take care, remember those who think they can and those who think they cant are both right.
Warmest Regards
Tony Somers
At the moment Matty has a knee injury and cant train but although this frustrates him he is using the time to develop new ideas. Or should I say old ideas that we meant to do ages ago!! Never mind we are looking at this as a new opportunity to grow our own products such as the master class. It is my own belief that what we have developed through these classes is unique. I know there are lots of master classes out there but I think what we have is a bit special. The blend of cutting edge self protection techniques and also the ability to help people look at their personal development issues.
One of the things matty has been looking at is getting our own self protection system in place in which we can grade people. We are both 4th Dans in the BCA so we will be setting up training days for people who have completed the master classes and we will be grading them accordingly in our own Real Life Self Protection system. This is a big step for us (a long over due one) but we are really excited and look forward to having some top quality students on board in what we are determined will be a top notch system.
Our next level one master class starts on July 26th and we have one place left. The next level two will be starting on September the 14th so please book on now if you are interested like I say it will count towards a grading if you wish it to do so.
Take care, remember those who think they can and those who think they cant are both right.
Warmest Regards
Tony Somers
Monday, 23 June 2008
BELIEF !!!
Once again sorry for the delay in updating this blog and its the same old excuse I am just snowed under. Since the last entry I have given a talk to some business people at the red corner gym on fear. It was a three hour talk which was very well received, the end result being they have booked two more for later in the year. Myself and Glen smith spoke for three hours and I must admit to being very nervous beforehand. Allot of the nerves were around them being business people and me being from a very working class background. It tapped into my own limiting beliefs around not being clever enough or good enough to mix with these type of people. To be fair they were really nice, had the same fears as the rest of us and some actually had worked their way up from working class backgrounds so that was a lesson about pre-judging people. But yet again I faced another fear and was really proud of myself for doing so and yet again once I faced the fear I found that it wasn't that scary at all as is the case with most fears. I have found that once I step into my fears they start to melt away, it can take time but they always go.
I also gave a talk to the Fire service on conflict resolution which was also nerve wracking as I knew allot of them from my time in the job. The talk was on a Saturday afternoon which until recently was their free time. So as you can imagine they were not to happy about being there. Once again to be fair after a bit of banter which I was expecting (and thought would have been allot worse) everything went well. Out of around thirty five people we got one negative feedback form (the is always one) which was great.
I am still buzzing from my good friend Steve Bendalls English title win on the Amir Khan bill this Saturday just gone. Steve was up against Paul Smith who had done really well on the American contender series. Indeed Sugar Ray Leonard a hero of mine was raving about him. He had an American trainer in his corner who had trained two world champions at different weights. Just to add to this he is viewed as a very hot prospect having won all of his previous twenty fights. Steve was the under dog in every ones eyes except his own and he only went and tore up the bloody script! winning a points decision after ten toe to toe rounds what a star!!! I have spoken about this word before but Steve had it in abundance on Saturday and it really paid of. The word is BELIEF!!!
Up and coming events a new master class is staring on the 26th of July. Matty is working on a grading system for people who have done the master classes. I have just had a week away in Spain to work on a book that should help people based around belief and fear. So watch this space.
So keep believing stay focused on the positive and go for it.
Take care
Warmest Regards
Tony
I also gave a talk to the Fire service on conflict resolution which was also nerve wracking as I knew allot of them from my time in the job. The talk was on a Saturday afternoon which until recently was their free time. So as you can imagine they were not to happy about being there. Once again to be fair after a bit of banter which I was expecting (and thought would have been allot worse) everything went well. Out of around thirty five people we got one negative feedback form (the is always one) which was great.
I am still buzzing from my good friend Steve Bendalls English title win on the Amir Khan bill this Saturday just gone. Steve was up against Paul Smith who had done really well on the American contender series. Indeed Sugar Ray Leonard a hero of mine was raving about him. He had an American trainer in his corner who had trained two world champions at different weights. Just to add to this he is viewed as a very hot prospect having won all of his previous twenty fights. Steve was the under dog in every ones eyes except his own and he only went and tore up the bloody script! winning a points decision after ten toe to toe rounds what a star!!! I have spoken about this word before but Steve had it in abundance on Saturday and it really paid of. The word is BELIEF!!!
Up and coming events a new master class is staring on the 26th of July. Matty is working on a grading system for people who have done the master classes. I have just had a week away in Spain to work on a book that should help people based around belief and fear. So watch this space.
So keep believing stay focused on the positive and go for it.
Take care
Warmest Regards
Tony
Monday, 5 May 2008
Think Big
Dream what you want to dream. Go where you want to go. Be what you want to be.
Because you have only one life and one chance to do all of the things that you want to do.
When you were born you were crying and everyone else was smiling. Live your life so that at the end of it you are the one who is smiling and everyone else is crying.
I have just had an e-mail from my daughter who is trekking some where in the Malaysian jungle. She is definitely making the most of this great opportunity we have all been given and I am really proud of her she is living life to the full. Last year I went to les Vegas and was sitting in a rotating restaurant 107 floors up above the ground and I just sat there and thought about the conversation the guy who came up with this idea must have had. It probably went something like this. " Hey Joe Ive just had this great idea I am going to build a restaurant 107 floors above the ground with the fastest elevator in the world to take people up to it and whats more I'm going to put some roller coasters on top of it!!!" Joes on the floor pissing himself at this point along with half a dozen by standers who over heard the conversation. But I sat in that restaurant and had one of the nicest meals I have ever tasted in my life. That's what I took from Vegas its a place that proves dreams can come true, the Grand Canyon, Hoover damn, out of this world casinos and hotels and its all in the middle of the desert and I was there, a kid from wood end top nobbing it in Viva Les Vegas.
Every thing starts with a thought and what I am constantly telling myself at the moment is to think big!
As usual I am snowed under at thew moment but loving it, I trained with my very good friend Justin Gray yesterday. He was there all the way through the animal days and is one of the nicest but toughest people I ever met, it was great to be back on the mat with him. On Saturday and Sunday we had master classes which went really well and are full of fantastic people. What an honour it is to be in the same room as these people I know that I learn so much from them and I am supposed to be the teacher!!
I am off to Dublin in the morning to meet up with another top guy Aidan Carrol with a view to teeming up with him and teaching in Ireland again fantastic people I love it!!
Take care until next time and remember it all starts with a thought so be careful what you think about.
Love Tony
Because you have only one life and one chance to do all of the things that you want to do.
When you were born you were crying and everyone else was smiling. Live your life so that at the end of it you are the one who is smiling and everyone else is crying.
I have just had an e-mail from my daughter who is trekking some where in the Malaysian jungle. She is definitely making the most of this great opportunity we have all been given and I am really proud of her she is living life to the full. Last year I went to les Vegas and was sitting in a rotating restaurant 107 floors up above the ground and I just sat there and thought about the conversation the guy who came up with this idea must have had. It probably went something like this. " Hey Joe Ive just had this great idea I am going to build a restaurant 107 floors above the ground with the fastest elevator in the world to take people up to it and whats more I'm going to put some roller coasters on top of it!!!" Joes on the floor pissing himself at this point along with half a dozen by standers who over heard the conversation. But I sat in that restaurant and had one of the nicest meals I have ever tasted in my life. That's what I took from Vegas its a place that proves dreams can come true, the Grand Canyon, Hoover damn, out of this world casinos and hotels and its all in the middle of the desert and I was there, a kid from wood end top nobbing it in Viva Les Vegas.
Every thing starts with a thought and what I am constantly telling myself at the moment is to think big!
As usual I am snowed under at thew moment but loving it, I trained with my very good friend Justin Gray yesterday. He was there all the way through the animal days and is one of the nicest but toughest people I ever met, it was great to be back on the mat with him. On Saturday and Sunday we had master classes which went really well and are full of fantastic people. What an honour it is to be in the same room as these people I know that I learn so much from them and I am supposed to be the teacher!!
I am off to Dublin in the morning to meet up with another top guy Aidan Carrol with a view to teeming up with him and teaching in Ireland again fantastic people I love it!!
Take care until next time and remember it all starts with a thought so be careful what you think about.
Love Tony
Sunday, 20 April 2008
LOOK IN FIRST
We started a new master class last Sunday and once again we had eight great people on it. As usual everyone was nervous to start with. I always remind them that this is a good thing. The fact that they are nervous but still turn up is a credit to them and they should be proud of that fact. One of the things I like about grappling is that it forces me to do the very things that are unnatural to me. For example there are certain positions where I am naturally tempted to turn away from my opponent to escape. However in doing this I will be playing right into my opponents hands. What I need to do is to go against the grain and turn into my opponent. This is so true of life to get the answers we have to go in. While we look out and blame everybody else nothing will ever change. We have to go in and take responsibility for our own actions. I always say to my self how did I allow this situation to happen, how did I cause it? The only thing I can control is my own attitude and I choose to be happy and to live and love my life and if I have to go against the grain and turn in then so be it. A friend sent me this saying from Carl Jung last week.
Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens.
I was talking to my mum yesterday, she is one of my idols, I know I am by est but she is a fantastic human being. She said to its a pity the university cant give you more work (I work two days a week there as a counsellor). I said mum they offered me a full time job and I turned it down. She was absolutely gob smacked and asked me why I did that. I laughed and said mum I am living the life that I was put here to do and its fantastic. She just smiled and nodded in agreement. I have turned away from the traditional get a job mentality but to do this I really did have to turn in and go very deep for all of the resources I needed to go against the grain.
People have been giving me great credit recently for my one to one counselling/coaching work which is really nice. But I believe everyone has the answers to their own problems within themselves and this in a way makes it easy for me to help them Because they already know the answers they just don't know that they know yet! So look in first, take responsibility and then look out at others with humility and compassion because after all we are all trying to make a path through this life.
Don't forget to buy a copy of mine and Matty's DVD Real Life self protection we are getting great reviews from everyone who has watched it so far. The details are on my Webb site.
Take care for now, warmest Regards Tony
Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart. Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens.
I was talking to my mum yesterday, she is one of my idols, I know I am by est but she is a fantastic human being. She said to its a pity the university cant give you more work (I work two days a week there as a counsellor). I said mum they offered me a full time job and I turned it down. She was absolutely gob smacked and asked me why I did that. I laughed and said mum I am living the life that I was put here to do and its fantastic. She just smiled and nodded in agreement. I have turned away from the traditional get a job mentality but to do this I really did have to turn in and go very deep for all of the resources I needed to go against the grain.
People have been giving me great credit recently for my one to one counselling/coaching work which is really nice. But I believe everyone has the answers to their own problems within themselves and this in a way makes it easy for me to help them Because they already know the answers they just don't know that they know yet! So look in first, take responsibility and then look out at others with humility and compassion because after all we are all trying to make a path through this life.
Don't forget to buy a copy of mine and Matty's DVD Real Life self protection we are getting great reviews from everyone who has watched it so far. The details are on my Webb site.
Take care for now, warmest Regards Tony
Sunday, 6 April 2008
It Can Pay To Be Soft
Once again I find myself starting this blog with an apology to all of you who take the time to read it and the apology is for the delay in updating it, but here goes. Once again I have been very busy doing conflict resolution courses in the NHS amongst other things. I am on a break from my counselling at Coventry University as it is still the Easter holidays. I have started to do some counselling work for the psychiatric unit at a local hospital which involves working with the families of people who have lost someone through suicide and all I can say is that this is the equivalent of animal day but in counselling. It is very distressing and very hard work, my hat goes of to any one working in this area and my heart goes out to everyone who has ever been touched by such loss.
At the moment we have two master classes up and running with another about to start. One class has in fact just finished. Today was their final session in which they all had to give a talk or demonstrate a technique and they were all excellent. I hate endings as I really bond with the people on the class and it is a privilege to watch them grow and to share in their journeys. They were all nervous about this last session and two even dropped out which is not unusual but those that completed the course loved it and the general opinion was that they had all grown in confidence and want to do the level two course starting in September.
Yesterday we had a class which were on their third session once again a great group of people and a privilege to teach. One of the areas that came up over the two days was about being soft and relaxed in the face of aggression. This is really hard to do but has great benefits. Far more power is generated in a technique that is relaxed rather than tense. It is often beneficial as taught in allot of martial arts to deflect a persons attack and use their own force against them. This is also true in life, I had an instance this week where someone was very under hand in a business sense and tried to step on my toes. Some of my Friends gave me advice like "give him a slap" but I decided to stand back (which was hard) and see what happened. In this instance other people could see what he was doing and stepped in on my behalf which in this situation was ok. As it turned out the guy made himself look really bad and made me look good. My good friend Geoff Thompson always told me that competition was good. His reasoning being that the competition will either force you to up your game or make you look good. In this case both points were true for me so a big thanks to my under hand friend.
I remember hearing a story about Mother Theresa in which she was asked to march against war and she said no but if you have a march for peace I will be there. Sometimes we need to be careful with our energy if I had responded in an aggressive way to the guy who was doing the dirty on me I would have just been giving him energy but by ignoring him I gave him nothing. I gained by not wasting my energy and he gained nothing. So the moral of this story is be very careful what you put or focus your energy on because like I have said before it will grow. Don't let other peoples negative energy drag you down because they will if you let them but you do have a choice as to whether you let them or not. Sometimes we need to rise above other peoples negative expectations of us!
Until next time take care, warmest Regards
Tony
At the moment we have two master classes up and running with another about to start. One class has in fact just finished. Today was their final session in which they all had to give a talk or demonstrate a technique and they were all excellent. I hate endings as I really bond with the people on the class and it is a privilege to watch them grow and to share in their journeys. They were all nervous about this last session and two even dropped out which is not unusual but those that completed the course loved it and the general opinion was that they had all grown in confidence and want to do the level two course starting in September.
Yesterday we had a class which were on their third session once again a great group of people and a privilege to teach. One of the areas that came up over the two days was about being soft and relaxed in the face of aggression. This is really hard to do but has great benefits. Far more power is generated in a technique that is relaxed rather than tense. It is often beneficial as taught in allot of martial arts to deflect a persons attack and use their own force against them. This is also true in life, I had an instance this week where someone was very under hand in a business sense and tried to step on my toes. Some of my Friends gave me advice like "give him a slap" but I decided to stand back (which was hard) and see what happened. In this instance other people could see what he was doing and stepped in on my behalf which in this situation was ok. As it turned out the guy made himself look really bad and made me look good. My good friend Geoff Thompson always told me that competition was good. His reasoning being that the competition will either force you to up your game or make you look good. In this case both points were true for me so a big thanks to my under hand friend.
I remember hearing a story about Mother Theresa in which she was asked to march against war and she said no but if you have a march for peace I will be there. Sometimes we need to be careful with our energy if I had responded in an aggressive way to the guy who was doing the dirty on me I would have just been giving him energy but by ignoring him I gave him nothing. I gained by not wasting my energy and he gained nothing. So the moral of this story is be very careful what you put or focus your energy on because like I have said before it will grow. Don't let other peoples negative energy drag you down because they will if you let them but you do have a choice as to whether you let them or not. Sometimes we need to rise above other peoples negative expectations of us!
Until next time take care, warmest Regards
Tony
Sunday, 23 March 2008
A Fresh Start
I am writing this on Easter Sunday afternoon. I'm not a religious person although I do believe in God and that bigger things than us are at work in our universe. Thinking about Easter Sunday and its relevance to me, I have decided to look at today as a chance to make a fresh start. Now I do believe that every day is a chance to make a fresh start, in fact every second of every day is indeed a chance to make a fresh start. But there are certain days that seem more significant than others for example new years eve and like I say today. If as the bible tells us Jesus rose from the dead to save mankind and give us hope, then why cant we use today to start over again. Let us metaphorically speaking rise up and start over again. Put the past to bed because after all it is gone and lets create a new future. You can do it! the choices you have made so far have gotten you to where you are now and the choices you make today will decide where you are going to end up in the future. And its not as if you have to go through Crucifixion like he did to start again all you have to do is change your thoughts and then your life will also change. Any way enough of my ranting I am just stepping off my soap box.
I am feeling slightly sluggish at the moment the reason being I am just getting over a heavy cold (man flu)I haven't been able to train and I really miss not training.
Counselling wise I am busier than ever especially in the area of bereavement which is always sad. Some body once said to me life is about loss, I'm not so sure but there is certainly allot of loss in all our life's. Nothing stays still and things and people come in and out of our life's sometimes at an alarming pace.
We did another master class last week it was their 5th session and went really well, they are now in training for their last session which will involve them teaching for at least ten minutes. We do this deliberately to put them under pressure, and the students usually do find this the hardest part of the course. Public speaking is one of the biggest fears in the world.
My good friend Aidan Carrol who is based in Dublin is about to launch the biggest reality based training club in Ireland. I really like this guy and rate him very highly his Webb site is www.hardtargetselfdefence.com check it out!
The next level one master class starts on the 13th of April and we still have a couple of places so please get in touch if you are interested as they will undoubtedly go very quickly. I also had an article in this months Martial Arts Illustrated with Geoff Thompson on restricted punching and will be doing another one with him in the next couple of days.
Take care, be lucky warmest Regards Tony Somers
I am feeling slightly sluggish at the moment the reason being I am just getting over a heavy cold (man flu)I haven't been able to train and I really miss not training.
Counselling wise I am busier than ever especially in the area of bereavement which is always sad. Some body once said to me life is about loss, I'm not so sure but there is certainly allot of loss in all our life's. Nothing stays still and things and people come in and out of our life's sometimes at an alarming pace.
We did another master class last week it was their 5th session and went really well, they are now in training for their last session which will involve them teaching for at least ten minutes. We do this deliberately to put them under pressure, and the students usually do find this the hardest part of the course. Public speaking is one of the biggest fears in the world.
My good friend Aidan Carrol who is based in Dublin is about to launch the biggest reality based training club in Ireland. I really like this guy and rate him very highly his Webb site is www.hardtargetselfdefence.com check it out!
The next level one master class starts on the 13th of April and we still have a couple of places so please get in touch if you are interested as they will undoubtedly go very quickly. I also had an article in this months Martial Arts Illustrated with Geoff Thompson on restricted punching and will be doing another one with him in the next couple of days.
Take care, be lucky warmest Regards Tony Somers
Monday, 10 March 2008
Keep Going
My Intentions of updating this blog once a week are like many of my good intentions falling by the way side, so it might now be a case of when I can get the time but I will keep going.
I have been having lots of doubts recently as to the direction of my life. There are a few doors open to me and the tempting ones are the easy ones, which makes sense. How ever on my good days I know the road less travelled is the one for me. My doubts I have come to realise are the old parts of me. The parts that are scared to change, the parts that tell me I will fail, but they are the old parts and I have to let them go. But they are not going down with out a fight that's for sure. The answer is to KEEP GOING and that's certainly what I am doing.
In my counselling work I see so many talented people being held back by their old self's or for want of a better word, their past. I have come to realise that our beliefs can be empowering but equally and more than likely the case dis empowering. It is important to remember that they are just beliefs one of my favourite sayings is that those who belief they can and those who belief they cant are both right. So why not choose to belief that you can? What have you got to lose?
On Saturday 8Th Feb we did a master class which was the groups second class. Like all the groups so far this one is full of great people some of whom have travelled along way to attend the sessions. We worked on things like the line up and then got them to tap into their own aggression. This is scary to see but vital that people do in a self defence situation. When you get attacked it is not going to be nice and cosy like in the do Jo. You are going to be scared, tired and you will need to switch on in order to survive and this is what this part of the course is all about.
This coming Sunday we have another master class and this is this groups 5Th class another great group of people.
All in all things are going from strength to strength and like I say new doors are opening all the time but to get to the doors you will have to keep going!!!
Take care, warmest Regards
Tony
I have been having lots of doubts recently as to the direction of my life. There are a few doors open to me and the tempting ones are the easy ones, which makes sense. How ever on my good days I know the road less travelled is the one for me. My doubts I have come to realise are the old parts of me. The parts that are scared to change, the parts that tell me I will fail, but they are the old parts and I have to let them go. But they are not going down with out a fight that's for sure. The answer is to KEEP GOING and that's certainly what I am doing.
In my counselling work I see so many talented people being held back by their old self's or for want of a better word, their past. I have come to realise that our beliefs can be empowering but equally and more than likely the case dis empowering. It is important to remember that they are just beliefs one of my favourite sayings is that those who belief they can and those who belief they cant are both right. So why not choose to belief that you can? What have you got to lose?
On Saturday 8Th Feb we did a master class which was the groups second class. Like all the groups so far this one is full of great people some of whom have travelled along way to attend the sessions. We worked on things like the line up and then got them to tap into their own aggression. This is scary to see but vital that people do in a self defence situation. When you get attacked it is not going to be nice and cosy like in the do Jo. You are going to be scared, tired and you will need to switch on in order to survive and this is what this part of the course is all about.
This coming Sunday we have another master class and this is this groups 5Th class another great group of people.
All in all things are going from strength to strength and like I say new doors are opening all the time but to get to the doors you will have to keep going!!!
Take care, warmest Regards
Tony
Monday, 25 February 2008
CHAMPIONS
Yet again its been a very hectic few days, the time just seems to fly by. Last Saturday 16th Feb we had our final session of the level two master class. On this session which everyone finds very tough we get all the guys and girls to talk about themselves. It was pretty powerful stuff, I wont go into peoples private stuff but it is my belief that everyone has a story to tell and it certainly showed in this class, there were some powerful stories and some people have managed to overcome some very hard times. I just want to say a big thank you to everyone in the level two class they were a fantastic group of people who I am sure will go onto bigger and better things , they are all champions.
On Monday the 18th Feb Glen Smith and myself went down to Tony Terranovas club in Cheltnham to do a seminar on boxing. It was Glens first seminar out side of the Red Corner and he was understandably nervous. I started the class with an introduction and Glen took over, Tony T and Alan run a great club full of really nice people and they loved Glen. His knowledge of boxing is just amazing and he was a big success.
Then last Friday the 22nd Feb I went to London to get Steve Bendall ready for his shot at the middle weight commonwealth boxing title against Darren Barker. Myself Glen Smith and Paul Hudson spent the day with Steve. He was in great condition both physically and psychologically for the fight. Unfortunately Steve got off to a bad start being knocked down in the first round but he is a very tough guy and slowly but surely edged his way back into the fight. Unfortunately there was a clash of heads in the 7th round and Steve sustained a really bad cut to his left eye which required two layers of stitches and led to the referee stopping the fight. We were all gutted Steve is a top guy and we really thought he would get his just rewards and win the title but it wasn't to be. All I can say it was a pleasure to work with Steve and be a part of his team the fight was on sky TV and was a big step up for us all. Steve will always be a champion in my eyes to stay at the top of a sport like boxing for so long is a great achievement.
In between all of these events I have been doing my private lessons and still counselling at Coventry university which is also a great experience. The next master class is now due to start on the 13Th of April we have three places left so hurry if you want to book on.
Until next time take care, best Regards
Tony Somers
On Monday the 18th Feb Glen Smith and myself went down to Tony Terranovas club in Cheltnham to do a seminar on boxing. It was Glens first seminar out side of the Red Corner and he was understandably nervous. I started the class with an introduction and Glen took over, Tony T and Alan run a great club full of really nice people and they loved Glen. His knowledge of boxing is just amazing and he was a big success.
Then last Friday the 22nd Feb I went to London to get Steve Bendall ready for his shot at the middle weight commonwealth boxing title against Darren Barker. Myself Glen Smith and Paul Hudson spent the day with Steve. He was in great condition both physically and psychologically for the fight. Unfortunately Steve got off to a bad start being knocked down in the first round but he is a very tough guy and slowly but surely edged his way back into the fight. Unfortunately there was a clash of heads in the 7th round and Steve sustained a really bad cut to his left eye which required two layers of stitches and led to the referee stopping the fight. We were all gutted Steve is a top guy and we really thought he would get his just rewards and win the title but it wasn't to be. All I can say it was a pleasure to work with Steve and be a part of his team the fight was on sky TV and was a big step up for us all. Steve will always be a champion in my eyes to stay at the top of a sport like boxing for so long is a great achievement.
In between all of these events I have been doing my private lessons and still counselling at Coventry university which is also a great experience. The next master class is now due to start on the 13Th of April we have three places left so hurry if you want to book on.
Until next time take care, best Regards
Tony Somers
Thursday, 14 February 2008
High Energy
The last few weeks have been my busiest yet. Last Saturday we started a new master class which was full and could have been filled twice over. Because so many people were disappointed we are now running a new master class which will start on the 2nd of March at the moment we have two places left so if any one is interested I suggest that you book now as we do expect this class to sell out as well. Then on the Sunday we had a master class in which the group were on their fourth session as usual it was a great class some of these guys had travelled from as far as Shefield and Bristol to attend. They are now punching like steam trains and lov`ing every minute of the class.
On Monday I was running a conflict resolution class in the NHS which went really well. This really is the area in which alot more people should be focusing as most conflicts could definetly be avoided with just a little bit more thought. Most of it is common sense but unfortunatly common sense is not always common practice. After the course which was in Cannock it was drive home quick cup of tea, banana and of to the Red Corner for my private lessons, this was then repeated on Tuesday. Wednesday I was counselling at Coventry university and from next week I will be there two days a week.
Thursday was an unexpected day off which was most welcome. I managed to meet up with my good friend Paul Browning who has just released a book on his time in the police force, it is a great read by a great guy. Pauls work ethic is fantastic and he has got some bottle, the book is called THE GOOD GUYS WEAR BLUE he is doing a book signing at Borders book store, Coventry on saturday 1st March 12.pm 2.00pm for more information go to http://www.goodguyswearblue.com/
I also had a great session with Steve Bendall who is boxing at Bethnal Green next Friday 22nd Feb for the middle weight Common wealth title. I have been working with Steve on the mental side of his game and he is in a great place and I am sure he will be the Red Corners first profesional champion which will be fantastic. I will be spending a few hours with Steve just before the fight which is being shown on Sky.
The topic of the week for me so far is energy David Hawkins in his book POWER VERSUS FORCE talks about vibrating at a high energy levels I have been practicing this and it is just fantastic. Its definetly true that when we get ourselves right every thing becomes right around us, yes its true we really are that powerful, give it a go! See good in everything and everyone but first of all see it in yourself and watch what happens. I see it in my counselling all of the time, you can actually sense it when people are feeling low, they give of very low or even negative energy. I usually do some reframing with them and I can actually see them change in front of my eyes as their energy levels increase, they perk up, get a bit of colour in their cheeks, their whole physiology changes its great to see, they actually become energised. I suppose its really a choice as indeed every thing is, so you can either choose to feel energised or choose to feel flat. Not much of a choice really but hey dont let me sway you. Make your own choices!!!
Take care and remember those who think they can and those who think they cant are both right.
On Monday I was running a conflict resolution class in the NHS which went really well. This really is the area in which alot more people should be focusing as most conflicts could definetly be avoided with just a little bit more thought. Most of it is common sense but unfortunatly common sense is not always common practice. After the course which was in Cannock it was drive home quick cup of tea, banana and of to the Red Corner for my private lessons, this was then repeated on Tuesday. Wednesday I was counselling at Coventry university and from next week I will be there two days a week.
Thursday was an unexpected day off which was most welcome. I managed to meet up with my good friend Paul Browning who has just released a book on his time in the police force, it is a great read by a great guy. Pauls work ethic is fantastic and he has got some bottle, the book is called THE GOOD GUYS WEAR BLUE he is doing a book signing at Borders book store, Coventry on saturday 1st March 12.pm 2.00pm for more information go to http://www.goodguyswearblue.com/
I also had a great session with Steve Bendall who is boxing at Bethnal Green next Friday 22nd Feb for the middle weight Common wealth title. I have been working with Steve on the mental side of his game and he is in a great place and I am sure he will be the Red Corners first profesional champion which will be fantastic. I will be spending a few hours with Steve just before the fight which is being shown on Sky.
The topic of the week for me so far is energy David Hawkins in his book POWER VERSUS FORCE talks about vibrating at a high energy levels I have been practicing this and it is just fantastic. Its definetly true that when we get ourselves right every thing becomes right around us, yes its true we really are that powerful, give it a go! See good in everything and everyone but first of all see it in yourself and watch what happens. I see it in my counselling all of the time, you can actually sense it when people are feeling low, they give of very low or even negative energy. I usually do some reframing with them and I can actually see them change in front of my eyes as their energy levels increase, they perk up, get a bit of colour in their cheeks, their whole physiology changes its great to see, they actually become energised. I suppose its really a choice as indeed every thing is, so you can either choose to feel energised or choose to feel flat. Not much of a choice really but hey dont let me sway you. Make your own choices!!!
Take care and remember those who think they can and those who think they cant are both right.
Sunday, 3 February 2008
Dont Sabotage yourself
Another week is over, where does the time go? My goal of just doing my teaching on a Monday and Friday certainly hasnt worked. I am just geting busier and busier and am having to teach on other days as well, which is a good thing really. I am making time for my own training which is really important as I found that at times last year because I was so busy I didnt train as much as I would have liked. I actually started to feel a bit sluggish and put on about a stone in weight. My diet is spot on at the moment and I am training quite hard and feeling so much better and lighter!
Its my belief that excersie and diet are vital to our well being. I have noticed when working with people who are depressed that nine times out of ten their diets and excersise regimes are abysmal. Its really important to get these basics right, because if you dont you are really giving yourself a big handicap to contend with as well as every thing else that life throws at you. We need to be physically and mentally strong and diet and excersise are a good starting point.
Its strange but true that in my counselling work people tend to come to me with similar problems at certain times, I am talking about random people here who have never met each other but have similar problems. Recently I have been amazed at how many people are sabotaging themselves. These people have so much going for them and maybe about to achieve some great fete and then they sabotage themselves. They will often blame other people or certain circumstances for their sudden demise, but it doesent take us long to work out that they are doing it to themselves. The most common reason I have found for this is that they have either experienced failure in the past or been ridiculed for trying something new, so as a way of protecting themselves or staying safe they sabotage themselves normally subconciously just as they are about to have a go. I have heard it said that fear of failure is the biggest fear in the world. But is failure real? Can you really fail? Something for you to think about.
Next weekend 9th we start a new level 1 master class and still have one place left if any one is interested please let myself 07708273376 or Matty Evans 0789002091 know as soon as possible, the courses are fantastic you wont be disapointed. We are also starting a new level two class in March so all of this week has been spend contacting those people who have completed the level one class. Vitually evcrery one I have spoken to wants to attend which is fantastic.
Untill next week take care and good luck to you all,
Best wishes
Tony
Its my belief that excersie and diet are vital to our well being. I have noticed when working with people who are depressed that nine times out of ten their diets and excersise regimes are abysmal. Its really important to get these basics right, because if you dont you are really giving yourself a big handicap to contend with as well as every thing else that life throws at you. We need to be physically and mentally strong and diet and excersise are a good starting point.
Its strange but true that in my counselling work people tend to come to me with similar problems at certain times, I am talking about random people here who have never met each other but have similar problems. Recently I have been amazed at how many people are sabotaging themselves. These people have so much going for them and maybe about to achieve some great fete and then they sabotage themselves. They will often blame other people or certain circumstances for their sudden demise, but it doesent take us long to work out that they are doing it to themselves. The most common reason I have found for this is that they have either experienced failure in the past or been ridiculed for trying something new, so as a way of protecting themselves or staying safe they sabotage themselves normally subconciously just as they are about to have a go. I have heard it said that fear of failure is the biggest fear in the world. But is failure real? Can you really fail? Something for you to think about.
Next weekend 9th we start a new level 1 master class and still have one place left if any one is interested please let myself 07708273376 or Matty Evans 0789002091 know as soon as possible, the courses are fantastic you wont be disapointed. We are also starting a new level two class in March so all of this week has been spend contacting those people who have completed the level one class. Vitually evcrery one I have spoken to wants to attend which is fantastic.
Untill next week take care and good luck to you all,
Best wishes
Tony
Tuesday, 22 January 2008
The beginning
Its been a year now since I left the fire service and what an adventure I have had. Giving up a good job with decent pay, good pension and health benefits was one of the hardest if not the hardest decision I have ever had to make. In my martial arts career and indeed as a fire fighter I have experienced lots of fear which as we all know is accompanied by our old friend adrenalin. Leading up to my departure date I experienced lots of adrenalin usually in the early hours of the morning, I would wake up heart pounding and drenched in sweat, a slow release of my old friend the dreaded A.
Like I say its been a year since then and much has happened, its with out doubt been very scary and I have experienced massive self doubt and fear but also massive personal growth. I started running Master classes with my old friend Matty Evans and they have exceeded my wildest expectations. The idea was to put a course together that would stretch people both physically and psychologically and boy have we succeeded. We hold the classes at the Red Corner gym in Coventry. The feedback has been fantastic, these courses are changing peoples life's. To see the change in some of the participants has been fantastic, Some people credit the course with saving their relationships some people have left bad relationships and jobs. We even had to run a level two course because the demand was so high from people completing level one. We have had students travel from all over the country to attend and I thank you all for your fantastic support. Our intention for this year is to make the master classes even better and get them out to more people. The next level one class starts on the 9th of February and we have two places left. To book a place go to paypal on my site or give me a call on 07708273376.
During the year I have done seminars all over the country including Scotland, Dublin, London and many more. In Dublin I met a fantastic guy Aidan Carrol who runs a KravMaga club this guy is going to be a big name. In Scotland I met and an old friend Vinncent Mcguire and Craig who run a fantastic club in a place called Denny again brilliant people. Its surreal to get on a plane fly to the other end of the country do what I love to do, which is teach lovely people, get paid and fly home again. I also met up with another great friend Tony Terranova who along with Alan Macdonald are running a club called Fighting Fit Martial Arts in Cheltanham. They invited me to do a two hour session at their club which once again went very well and I got some really nice feed back from those that attended. The great thing for me is that they have all invited me back!!! On February the 18th Glenn Smith who runs the amazing Red Corner gym and myself are doing a boxing class for Tony and Alan at their club in Cheltanham all the details can be found by following the links to the club on my Web site.
I have met some great people in the world of martial arts. As always I am fortunate enough to meet up with Geoff Thompson on a regular basis who I class as not only my mentor but close friend. I also met John B Will a Ju Jitsu legend in Australia and had a roll on the Matt with him and Matty Evans at the Red Corner. John did a seminar at my good friend Richard Yeomans Combat and exercise gym in Nuneaton and then stayed at my house what an amazing guy we talked about martial arts and life well into the early hours. I have met Jeff Monson a UFC heavy weight fighter, several times at the Red Corner. I have spent many hours with my old friend Bob Spour a remarkable guy talking about training and NLP, I even did a slot on Ker rang radio with Bob.
Ive also done a DVD with Matty Evans which we are both really pleased with, you can also order this of my Web site.
My one to one sessions at the Red Corner are going really well, I have been teaching grappling, striking and all round self defence. Due to time restraints I am now only teaching on a Friday and Monday. The Red Corner is a real credit to Glenn Smith it must be the friendliest gym in Britain with out doubt.
My counselling is also going very well and I am now doing one day a week at Coventry University which is great. The counselling team there are fantastic and I love working with the students they have great energy. I have also stumbled into the world of sports psychology using mainly my NLP skills. I have worked with professional boxers, speedway riders, rugby players and have got fantastic results. I will go more into this in future blogs, but I must mention Troy James, Jacob Vagg and Joe Sherriff all young boxers at the Red Corner. I have worked in the area of strengthening the mind with all of them and they are all brilliant and have great careers in front of them.
This week I got back on the matt with my old friend Justin Gray but I will talk more about my training in next weeks blogg watch this space. Take care warmest regards Tony.
Like I say its been a year since then and much has happened, its with out doubt been very scary and I have experienced massive self doubt and fear but also massive personal growth. I started running Master classes with my old friend Matty Evans and they have exceeded my wildest expectations. The idea was to put a course together that would stretch people both physically and psychologically and boy have we succeeded. We hold the classes at the Red Corner gym in Coventry. The feedback has been fantastic, these courses are changing peoples life's. To see the change in some of the participants has been fantastic, Some people credit the course with saving their relationships some people have left bad relationships and jobs. We even had to run a level two course because the demand was so high from people completing level one. We have had students travel from all over the country to attend and I thank you all for your fantastic support. Our intention for this year is to make the master classes even better and get them out to more people. The next level one class starts on the 9th of February and we have two places left. To book a place go to paypal on my site or give me a call on 07708273376.
During the year I have done seminars all over the country including Scotland, Dublin, London and many more. In Dublin I met a fantastic guy Aidan Carrol who runs a KravMaga club this guy is going to be a big name. In Scotland I met and an old friend Vinncent Mcguire and Craig who run a fantastic club in a place called Denny again brilliant people. Its surreal to get on a plane fly to the other end of the country do what I love to do, which is teach lovely people, get paid and fly home again. I also met up with another great friend Tony Terranova who along with Alan Macdonald are running a club called Fighting Fit Martial Arts in Cheltanham. They invited me to do a two hour session at their club which once again went very well and I got some really nice feed back from those that attended. The great thing for me is that they have all invited me back!!! On February the 18th Glenn Smith who runs the amazing Red Corner gym and myself are doing a boxing class for Tony and Alan at their club in Cheltanham all the details can be found by following the links to the club on my Web site.
I have met some great people in the world of martial arts. As always I am fortunate enough to meet up with Geoff Thompson on a regular basis who I class as not only my mentor but close friend. I also met John B Will a Ju Jitsu legend in Australia and had a roll on the Matt with him and Matty Evans at the Red Corner. John did a seminar at my good friend Richard Yeomans Combat and exercise gym in Nuneaton and then stayed at my house what an amazing guy we talked about martial arts and life well into the early hours. I have met Jeff Monson a UFC heavy weight fighter, several times at the Red Corner. I have spent many hours with my old friend Bob Spour a remarkable guy talking about training and NLP, I even did a slot on Ker rang radio with Bob.
Ive also done a DVD with Matty Evans which we are both really pleased with, you can also order this of my Web site.
My one to one sessions at the Red Corner are going really well, I have been teaching grappling, striking and all round self defence. Due to time restraints I am now only teaching on a Friday and Monday. The Red Corner is a real credit to Glenn Smith it must be the friendliest gym in Britain with out doubt.
My counselling is also going very well and I am now doing one day a week at Coventry University which is great. The counselling team there are fantastic and I love working with the students they have great energy. I have also stumbled into the world of sports psychology using mainly my NLP skills. I have worked with professional boxers, speedway riders, rugby players and have got fantastic results. I will go more into this in future blogs, but I must mention Troy James, Jacob Vagg and Joe Sherriff all young boxers at the Red Corner. I have worked in the area of strengthening the mind with all of them and they are all brilliant and have great careers in front of them.
This week I got back on the matt with my old friend Justin Gray but I will talk more about my training in next weeks blogg watch this space. Take care warmest regards Tony.
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