Archive for January, 2007

Been a long time since we’ve had an update, and a boat load of changes t’boot!

Over the next couple of months i’m sure you will notice the work taking place around the gym.

Seems Sarah is adamant about a moderate re-furb that will allow for more classes and projects to develop.

A whisper on the wind (and a great pile of new bell and weight equipment) tells me that Stevie B’s is starting to develop yet another stage / level to his conditioning program, and due to the fact that he has little time to work with lots of individuals, he is preparing group sessions for classes.

Steve insists “there is still a gap in my total – fitness/ strength and conditioning program. I have had a few years to consider this problem and am satisfied that i can address what i consider to be a gap. I can only call this a gap because it is not a problem with my existing syllabus, just an area that needs to be added because it is completely missing. I have experimented with Sarah, but should know by now not to calculate and reason on her performances due to the fact that she is not a normal Human Being. However i do intend to start classwork after the Kids Club Combat Competition on March 3rd. So anybody interested in total body conditioning, contact Steve or leave your details for an interview”.

Which brings us to the Kids Open Club Combat Contest, to take place on Saturday 3rd of Marchat Stevie B’s gym. The contest will be covered by Martial Arts journalists as it is the first of its type as far as we are aware. Full rules are to be confirmed but it has been agreed that grapplers will only be allowed 45 seconds on the floor. For further details contact Sarah or Phil on 0121 707 9609.

Two new instructors will start the year 2007 will the Close Quarter Combat (CQC) class. This club was developed after work with World Champion Paddy Doyle in 2000, and has undergone many changes in order to produce the system taught today. The new instructors, Dom Osborne and Olly O’brien, are the first men to ever achieve an Academy I1 instructors grade after a gruelling ordeal which took place during most of 2006. Well done the guys!

Rachel Wheatley has got her Beret on! yep, Rach came out of retirement last year and took a fight at short notice. Rachel’s other half and coach, Barry Foley, is convince that Rachels first ever real loss may have been the best thing that couldn’t have happened. “Rachel had only been training for 3 weeks before accepting the match”. After the loss, although Rachel was disappointed she went straight back to work and within 6 weeks, competed in Barcelona and destroyed everybody sent against her. So stay tuned, because the “assassin” is in the best shape of her life and heading for the World biggest contest: The Abu Dabi.

By the way… didn’t i see Baz giving Stevie B a bashing the other day…! Now there’s a man on his game – no wonder Rachel’s cooking!

Still on combat, still World Champ Braulio “The Geezer” Estima has just started work with Steve for a set of top flight fights. First the geezer fights at the European Championships, followed by the Carlos Gracie Seminar, then on to March for the “£10,000 Open”, then to the Pan Ams to defend his title, and then onto the World Championships in July once again to defend his title. I asked Stevie B how main mans training was going, but got no answer. However, Sarah released and official statement about all contests: “Steve doesn’t wish to make a statement publicly because it is early days, and modesty is always something to aspire to – but privately, Steve predicts a win, a win, a win and …a win”.

I’ve also been informed that Sarah and Steve have been competing against each other again!

No, with strength?!

No, not in combat for a change…

It seems that during the summer, Steve and Sarah had a debate on their ability to get results from the subjects they were coaching. At the close of the year, apparently the quality of improvement could not be split, however the quantity in numbers saw Sarah come out well on top!

What about 2007 guys?

S’pose we’ll just have to see!