7/21/2013 RKC Leadership Meeting – Back row: Phil Ross, Fredrik Högström, Josh Henkin, Tim Spencer, Andrew Read, Cortez Hull / 2nd to last row: Angelo Gala, Mike Krivka, Robert Rimoczi, Max Shank / Ladies row: Keira Newton, Andrea DuCane, Laurel Blackburn, Beth Andrews / Front: Rolando Garcia / Photographer: Dennis Armstrong
I got back from the RKC Leadership meeting very late last night after a day of flight delays and barely missed connections, starting at a time zone 3 hours earlier than mine. If you travel, you know how it is.
I was exhausted when I got home and the only “meals” I had were the Delta trifecta, of nuts, pretzels and cookies, so on top of being exhausted, I was also starving and dehydrated due to my poor planning. I was so tired that my plan was to kiss the dogs, pet my husband and fall into bed.
I laid in bed and suddenly my mind started racing. First of all, I was in awe of how much effort it took for some of our leadership team to travel for this one weekend from Australia, Germany and Sweden. I started to feel like a wimp for being tired. Second of all and most importantly, I was wired with excitement.
This weekend solidified my faith, my commitment and dedication to the RKC and Dragon Door. The future of the RKC is alive and well my friends.
As a fairly new team leader, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. I thought maybe we’d be given a list of rules and regulations that we all had to follow to keep uniformity throughout the entire RKC all over the world. I was ready for a lot of handouts and note taking.
The meeting was just the opposite; John and Andrea DuCane were taking most of the notes, while we, the leadership team representing all parts of the US and the world shared OUR ideas, OUR feedback and OUR suggestions on how to make the RKC the world’s leading Kettlebell certification.
With a group so diverse, you can bet the ideas were just as diverse and nothing was shot down. Some of the ideas we as a group came up with are going to blow your mind, but may take some time to implement so be patient and enjoy the ride.
The primary importance was placed on putting out great, quality instructors, which I think is what we all would want. I personally want anyone attending any of my instructor certifications to go away with a certification that shows they have the knowledge and skills to consistently, safely and easily teach their clients how to use the tool we have all come to love and respect; the Kettlebell.
That being said, we spent a major part of our weekend going through the new manuals, practicing, coaching and teaching each other the basic Kettlebell exercises. Emphasis was placed on consistency. That way if you were lucky enough to travel to another country or another state for your HKC or RKC certification, you will be learning and get tested on the same set of standands.
I know in the past when I attended certifications as an assistant or participant, I was given mixed messages about what was expected of me. Even though I left certified, I was still confused about which way was right.
The RKC skills testing is a big part of your certification but it is going way beyond that. The goal is to turn out great quality instructors. We will make it our mission that you leave with the skills to take what you’ve learned and pass it on to your clients. Does that mean the RKC is going to be easy? That you can show up and pass? That would be a big, NO! You still need to show up prepared and with the conditioning to excel at three days of intense hands-on learning. People will still fail and that happens because they show up not having prepared.
You will spend time learning how to coach. What good is it to pass the skills for yourself if you can’t go out and teach those skills effectively? If you want to have a successful business, you need to be able to take those skills and apply them.
Another exciting element that you will be seeing is business support. I was fortunate enough to already have a thriving business when I took my first RKC in 2009. Many people are just starting out or have no idea how to parlay their skills into a successful business. That is one of the ways in which Dragon Door and the RKC are going to be there for you.
Not only will you hopefully be leaving your HKC or RKC with certificate in hand, but also we are going to help you succeed so that you have somewhere to hang it!
I can’t divulge everything that was discussed. It’s not that I’m trying to be coy, but many of the plans are still in the works as I write.
The take away is that if you are already an HKC, RKC or PCC instructor, you are in great, capable, caring, supportive hands. If you are on the fence about whether or not to pursue a certification with Dragon Door, I am letting you know now, that it is ok to jump.You are going to fall into the arms of some very incredible people who want nothing more than to see you succeed.
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Laurel Blackburn is an RKC Team Leader and owner of Boot Camp Fitness and Training and Tallahassee Kettlebells. Look for Laurel at www.bootcampstogo.com or www.tallahasseekettlebells.com.
At 52, she is out to prove that age is just a number. Her goal is to motivate and inspire people everywhere, both young and old that strength, flexibility and mobility can get better with age. Follow her adventures on her blog: www.SuperStrongNana.com.