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Progressive Calisthenics - The Official Blog for the PCC Community

Dragon Door Publications

STREET WORKOUT is Here!

June 14, 2016 By John Du Cane, CEO and founder, Dragon Door 48 Comments

Danny Kavadlo and Al Kavadlo

Life is mysterious. Small acts blaze up into wild firestorms. The glimmer of a slight desire transforms into an incandescent passion that seems to light the world. A single thought triggers a raging torrent of ideas. A casual encounter leads to the deepest of bonds. The force of creation sparks new patterns of beauty and insight. Webs of interconnection form beneath the surface of our understanding.

We wonder why we do what we do, from where we came and to where we go…

Of such stuff has been my friendship with two remarkable men, the brothers Al Kavadlo and Danny Kavadlo…

It was Paul Wade who nudged the Kavadlos into my consciousness for the first time. A couple of rangy, flamboyant, tat-drenched, muscular misfits who decked out Convict Conditioning 2 with their calisthenic stylings. Their Human Flag—set in the same Alcatraz rec yard once haunted by Al Capone and The Birdman—signaled that a new band had crashed the stage…

Convict Conditioning Vol 2

And it was Paul Wade again who made the next nudge—recommending Al’s writing to me and suggesting that I consider publishing him. So I checked Al out…

What I discovered was not just Al himself, but a whole nother world…

I discovered that Al was an artist whose preferred medium is his own body. Calisthenics means “beautiful movement” and Al re-creates himself daily, on that basis, as on ongoing artwork. Now, artworks need a setting in which to best display themselves—and that setting becomes an extension of the artwork. In his case, Al chooses to display himself against the gritty graffiti, scaffolding and distressed brick of down-and-dirty, “street” NYC. Al’s favorite workout spot? Tompkins Square Park—where the doors have been ripped off the toilets to cut down on the fix-traffic of local junkies…

As part of his art, Al cultivates a smiling, happy Zen-guy look—even when performing some of the toughest moves on the planet, like the one-arm pull-up or the front lever. Yet simmering beneath that Zen smile is a fierce will, a formidable drive and a fanatical commitment to doing things just right. As with almost all great performers, Al’s rust never sleeps…

That other world that Al is a portal to? That would be the culture and international network called “Street Workout”. If Al’s immediate setting is New York, his global context can be defined by those two words…He and his brother Danny represent the street workout ethos to the max. Their book, Street Workout, is not only a paean to this movement but is sure to become that movement’s Bible…

Street Workout Book Cover

As a publisher with a passion to share the best-of-the-best when it comes to the realm of physical cultivation, I like to work with authors who are the “complete package”. The author as “complete package” combines many, many attributes: they bring innovation and insight to the table. They are creative, thorough and inquisitive. They walk their talk and look the part. They are natural leaders. They are relentless and skilled self-promoters. Their writing style scintillates with their individual, distinct, differentiated voice. They have a strong and loyal following. They know their stuff inside out, but remain open to new ideas and input. They are passionate about every aspect of their craft and their physical practice. And finally, they are a joy to work with.

Rare to find? Yes. Very. Tall order? Yes. Very. Got some such “complete packages”? Why…yes, yes, I do…and Al Kavadlo is one of them…

So I both applaud myself and feel fortunate to have taken Paul’s hint and signed on Al as a Dragon Door author. Talk about small acts that blaze up into firestorms… We have gone on to publish a series of wonderful titles with Al: Raising the Bar, Pushing the Limits, Stretching Your Boundaries and Zen Mind, Strong Body. And now, the monumental Street Workout he has co-authored with brother Danny…

It’s not much of a surprise, then, that when Paul Wade and I were looking for a natural born leader for our Progressive Calisthenics Certification (PCC) program, we chose Al… who in turn recruited Danny to fellow-preach the new bodyweight exercise gospel.

Right from the get-go Al and Danny knocked the PCC ball out of the park. From its launch in June 2013, the PCC has become the undisputed gold standard for calisthenics training—nothing else comes close. And there is no question in my mind that it will remain THE place to go for the finest bodyweight exercise instruction, globally. Al and Danny’s deep passion, humility, care, graciousness, kindness, knowledge and skill have inspired hundreds upon hundreds of practitioners to go forth and spread the good word about the wonders of calisthenic cultivation. It’s a great thing to behold…

Al Kavadlo Pull-Up Demo UK PCC

Street Workout is saturated with the vibe and brilliant teachings I have experienced from Al and Danny at every workshop I have attended. And you’ll see phenomenal photographs taken in almost all the countries they’ve taught in, be it Italy, Germany, Sweden, Ireland, England, Australia, China, Holland or the USA… “Rich” doesn’t begin to describe the breadth and depth of the creative artistry of the illustrations—off the charts.

Now, one of the best things that has happened in my life is to count Mister Danny Kavadlo as a good friend—and to watch the rise and rise of this great man within the Dragon Door community. And how remarkable is it to have two brothers who can both live up to my “complete package” descriptor? Because Danny is most certainly also the “complete package”.

A perfect foil for Grandmaster Al, Danny’s menacing scowl, bristling musculature, stacked intensity and punkoid posturing belie a heart of gold and a deep-felt love for his fellow humans. When Danny does smile, he lights up the room. When Danny’s booming cadence penetrates the room with his urgent inflections, it’s an outright delight to watch the fire of his passion ignite his students. So good…so good…

And like brother Al, what a coach! Danny celebrates every achievement of every student with an infectious, ecstatic roar that rings with authentic excitement and happiness for their accomplishment. Like Al, Danny squeezes greatness from his clients with his care-infused observations and skillful cueing. No one interacts with Danny without leaving enriched…

Danny Kavadlo Teaching At PCC

Yes, Danny has his demons—don’t we all—but he is the ultimate celebrator of life. I have joked that Danny would see the worst situation as a “glass one-tenth full”—but mostly his glass appears to be more like “nine-tenths full”. Love it!

Danny is also a multifaceted artist, a creator, an instigator of transformation and a very literate gentleman. All three of his previous titles with Dragon Door, Everybody Needs Training, Diamond-Cut Abs and Strength Rules have shone with his distinct, flamboyant creativity. Danny knows how to plunge to the nitty-gritty of what’s really real in the fraud-filled fitness biz. He savages the flimflam of the supplement and packaged foods industry, in a way that is to-the-point, convincing and simultaneously amusing. He nails what you really need to do in your workouts to get real, lasting results—and keep on getting them.

And talk about “walking the walk”… Danny is a striding billboard for what the physical cultivation artist can achieve with calisthenics alone. Danny’s a specimen all right—but he radiates “hard-earned”. Brutally honest about all the training and diet follies he’s fallen for in his earlier years, Danny’s own body is his own best proof he’s got this training thing figured out finally!

Many years in gestation and many years in the making, Street Workout is the brothers’ first collaboration in print. The two of them are a rock star act at the PCC workshops. But a book is a whole nother kettle of fish… Each brother has their very distinct personality, writing style and presentation method. To successfully merge two great artistic talents into one cohesive text is a major feat.

Well, I’m here to report that the brothers have pulled it off…

Street Workout is one of those landmark titles that define a genre—the treasured lodestone and must-have reference for hardcore fans and raw beginners alike. The brothers bring it—and then some. I can tell that their trenchwork teaching at the dozens of worldwide PCCs, their previous experience authoring Dragon Door titles, their consistent engagement through blogs and articles with their constituency, and their constant absorption of new perspectives has elevated both their games to dizzying heights.

Al and Danny have listened well and grown accordingly. They have given and given so much—and have received back in equal measure. Street Workout is the fruit of that splendid dynamic.

Whether it be the section on foundational progressions for push, pull, squat, flex and bridge… Whether it be the section on the skills and “tricks” you need to achieve floor holds, bar moves and the human flag… Whether it be the section on programming that covers assessments, street workout and training templates…—all is systematically revealed, with a mix of clarity, precision, intelligence, creativity, humor and pizzazz that have become the brothers’ hallmark.

Congratulations on your masterpiece, Al and Danny—and thank you for being in my life…

John Du Cane
Founder and CEO, Dragon Door Publications

Street Workout Book Announcement

Filed Under: Progressive Calisthenics Tagged With: Al Kavadlo, book release announcement, Danny Kaavadlo, Dragon Door Publications, John Du Cane, Kavadlo bros, Kavadlo brothers, street workout, Street Workout Book announcement

A Meeting of Minds and Muscle—The Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference

August 25, 2015 By Al Kavadlo 9 Comments

Al Kavadlo Presenting at Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference 2015

Earlier this month, I had the privilege of presenting at Dragon Door’s first-ever Health and Strength Conference. The event took place over two full days, consisting of lectures, Q&A sessions, and networking opportunities with heavy hitters from various corners of the fitness world.

Nearly 100 coaches, trainers and exercise enthusiasts gathered to listen, discuss and share their varied experiences with one another. Plus there were some pull-up bars, kettlebells and other strength training implements on hand for anyone who had the urge to get some reps in before and after the various presentations.

My brother Danny and I each gave our own separate speeches; Danny spoke about achieving a chiseled set of Diamond Cut Abs, while I lectured on the topic of Zen and how it relates to calisthenics.

Danny Kavadlo Presenting at the 2015 Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference

Including the Kavadlo brothers, there were a total of 13 presenters, each with their own unique stories and experiences. Knowledge was spread, insights were shared and thoughts were provoked. Though the presenters came from various backgrounds and areas of expertise, the similarities and common themes present throughout the weekend were hard to ignore.

Almost everyone spoke about the importance of consistency, while many speakers also stressed spending a good deal of one’s training time developing strong fundamental movement patterns. Whether it was powerlifting legend Marty Gallagher stressing the importance of the squat, deadlift and bench press, or Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner extolling the strength and conditioning benefits of DVRT training exercises like the sandbag clean and press, using your body’s musculature as one cohesive unit was a theme that came up again and again. This concept should also be familiar to anyone who’s practiced progressive calisthenics. Regardless of what modality you prefer or which system you find most effective for your goals, the basic movement patterns (squat, hinge, push, pull, etc.) remain the same.

The business of personal training was also a hot topic at the conference. Equinox’s top manager Rolando Garcia gave a wonderful presentation on the fitness industry, focusing on all the crucial components of success in the personal training industry, other than the actual training itself. Rolando got into some of the least talked about, yet most important topics for fitness professionals.

Other presenters included Dr. Chris Hardy, Max Shank, Zach Even-Esh, Andrea Du Cane, Jon Bruney, Phil Ross, Logan Christopher and Mike Gillette. Though these presenters spoke on a wide variety of topics, including everything from training senior citizens to training for a professional cage fight, similar ideas about cycling intensity, managing stress levels, and staying in tune with the body kept coming up.

As the weekend went on, we came to see that whether our roots are in strongman training, calisthenics, or any other discipline, we all have the same vision to become a better version of ourselves each day.

Surrounding yourself with others who pursue excellence can be a wonderful source of inspiration. The energy (and synergy) of the group was undeniable. We all walked away from the weekend buzzing with new ideas and ready for the challenges ahead.

Dragon Door Health and Strength Conference Group Photo 2015

Hope to see YOU at next year’s conference!

****

Al Kavadlo is the lead instructor for Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification. Recognized worldwide for his amazing bodyweight feats of strength as well as his unique coaching style, Al is the author of five books, including Raising The Bar: The Definitive Guide to Pull-up Bar Calisthenics and Pushing The Limits! Total Body Strength With No Equipment. Read more about Al on his website:www.AlKavadlo.com.

Filed Under: Motivation and Goals, Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Al Kavadlo, Dragon Door Authors, Dragon Door Publications, Health and Strength Conference, motivation, strength training

Vibrancy, Athletic Skill and Diversity: The Hallmarks of Dragon Door’s PCC Candidate

September 3, 2013 By John Du Cane, CEO and founder, Dragon Door 25 Comments

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Al Kavaldo, Danny Kavadlo, Adrienne Harvey and I were remarking appreciatively to each other about the extraordinary athleticism and the great diversity of the candidates at our second PCC workshop (and the first PCC, for that matter).

The athletic skill level was often off the charts. And yet even the most skillful of the candidates found themselves busting out PRs and discovering new challenges to inspire them forward in their ongoing quest for physical development.

Korean dip

In what other workshop of 21 participants would you encounter this number of Personal Records?:

First Clutch Flag—13

First Full Human Flag—5

First Muscle Up—4

First Full Back Bridge—5

First Back Lever—8

First Elbow Lever—7

First 1-Arm Elbow Lever—1

First 1-Arm Push Up—3

First 1-Arm, 1-Leg Push Up—3

First Freestanding Handstand—2

First Stand-to-Stand Bridge—1

First Wall-Assisted 1-Arm Handstand—3

First Wall-Assisted, No-Arm Headstand—9

First clutch flag attempt

How can this be?

Well, to my mind, this is how:

  • The candidates came VERY prepared.
  • The candidates often had extensive backgrounds in related disciplines like Martial Arts, Yoga, and RKC.
  • The PCC system of careful progressions and cueing allowed surprising breakthroughs in physical achievement, almost as a matter of course.
  • The candidates themselves were encouraged to share their own strength-skill secrets with the group—and often advance each other’s progress exponentially.
  • The teachers taught from an immense experiential knowledge base—allowing them to convey the absolute nitty-gritty of what works to get results.
  • The fun, easy, supportive team-feeling of the event enhanced the learning experience immeasurably.
  • The 600-page-plus manual contained a goldmine of extra tips to leapfrog your athletic progress—It’s the best work of its kind ever put in print, no question.

First Muscle-up

So, you might be asking yourself—“Do I belong in the PCC?”

You belong, in my opinion, if you possess any of the following:

  • A burning passion to excel athletically.
  • A willingness to work hard AND skillfully at your physical practice.
  • The capacity to enjoy the company of other like-minded bodyweight exercise enthusiasts for three fun-filled days.
  • The humility and wisdom of a Beginner’s Mind and the willingness to drop your ego at the front door.
  • The physical preparedness to pass The Century test.

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Yes, many of the PCC candidates exhibit eye-popping strength and flexibility skills. Terrific. However the PCC is built to sustain YOUR individual quest for physical development—at whatever level you enter. It’s your body and your life—and the PCC is here to help you make it the BEST body and the BEST life…for YOU.

Interested? We look forward to welcoming you into what we consider the most vibrant new movement of physical culture on the planet. See you soon, we hope… 🙂

Yours in strength,

 

John Du Cane, CEO

Dragon Door Publications, Inc.

First Back Lever

Filed Under: Workshop Experiences Tagged With: athletic skill, Century Test, diversity, Dragon Door Publications, John Du Cane, PCC instructors, PCC Workshop, personal trainers, teachers

Exceeding All Expectations—The Power of the PCC

June 12, 2013 By John Du Cane, CEO and founder, Dragon Door 19 Comments

DSC_5718

Exceeding All Expectations—The Power of the PCC

One day in the late summer of 2008, a massive manuscript thumped down on my desk. Out of nowhere. By a complete unknown. Unheralded, no introductions, no referrals, nothing to go on. Just raw text…And a title that leaped up from the desk, grabbed me by the throat and wouldn’t let go:

Convict Conditioning…

By a certain Paul “Coach” Wade, who had scrabbled to freedom—he claimed—after severe stretches in joy palaces like San Quentin, Angola and Marion.

What made Paul the Unknown so different, however, was the programmatic payload of strength survival secrets he had mastered while doing his time. Or so he said…

I coulda tossed it in the trash right there.  But I didn’t, I was intrigued and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to “taste” a few pages…

Aahhh…I was doomed within a couple of deft paragraphs—and I know a good doom when I see it, trust me…

DSC_4740
I pride myself on being “the facilitator of greatness”—a guy with the magic eye for spotting outrageous talent and promoting it to a hungry world.

Paul held me with his glittering eye and riveted me to the spot. I was hooked as his redemptive message began to pulse through me with a heroin-like rush. I was up half the night, enthralled and deeply excited.

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For Convict Conditioning was that rare thing, a genuinely original, definitively special masterwork that laid out an inspirational program for physical transformation—using bodyweight exercise only. The perfect fit for Dragon Door—and then some: authentic, visceral, gritty, practical, down-to-earth, laden with truth. Built for results.

When Convict Conditioning launched in December, 2009 it quickly established itself as Dragon Door’s all-time most popular title. Thrilled readers have already posted over 400 reviews on the Dragon Door site alone, testifying to CC’s enduring capability to get you formidable results not just short term but over the long haul (which is what separates the men from the boys.)

Fast forward to an email from Paul Wade to me in late 2011, suggesting that I might just want to publish a title called Raising the Bar, by Al Kavadlo, who had appeared with brother Danny in Convict Conditioning 2…

DSC_5782

Another magical and momentous publishing event resulted in Al Kavadlo joining Dragon Door’s dream team of bodyweight exercise authorities. The result: two more works of high art, the second being Pushing the Limits!

And the stage was set to “go global” with the Wade-Kavadlo wisdom. Create a worldwide network of certified progressive calisthenics instructors that could help change the fitness landscape, just as Dragon Door had done with the introduction of kettlebells in 2001.

Dragon Door’s highly anticipated program, the PCC, launched this past weekend in St. Paul, Minnesota.

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Frankly, I was anxious as all hell about how the PCC was going to pan out. Yes, Paul Wade had delivered an astounding 600-page bible of a manual, yes the curriculum was to die for, and yes, the instructors were world-class.

But how were the elite bodyweight athletes and many of Dragon Door’s elite RKC leaders going to actually respond to the training? Dragon Door’s standards are well known to be the most rigorous worldwide. Would the PCC meet expectations?

Well, as Shannon Scullin exclaimed to me about the PCC team’s instruction: “They knocked it out of the park!”

I have read all the evals and the response has been nothing short of ecstatic.

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The atmosphere for almost all the time was electric yet relaxed. Astonishing feats of strength reeled off by both candidates and instructors alike, PRs busting out all over the shop. There was a JOY in the air, a PASSION, a camaraderie that exceed any workshop that Dragon Door has put on over the last 20 years.

The instruction was impeccable, delivered with a gracious confidence and solid expertise. The PCC team of Al Kavadlo, Danny Kavadlo, Adrienne Harvey and Steven Low walked their talk from first frame to last frame.

I just got a Facebook message from Senior RKC and Superwoman, Beth Andrews, which perfectly sums up the event:

“The PCC weekend/cert was EPIC!!! It was refreshing, ‘vibrant’, progressive and FUN! Danny and Al are amazing! I loved their spirit and energy. They have an incredible ability to connect with people and after all, that IS what it’s all about as a community. Can’t wait to be a part of it in August!”

In other words, the PCC exceeded all of our expectations—WAY exceeded them!

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Next week we will be posting several hundred photographs from the event (edited down from the thousands we took), but we grabbed some good ones to give you a flavor, right here.

The Dragon Door TV team of Amanda Salas and Spencer O’Hara—who also filmed the brilliant Convict Conditioning videos on Alcatraz—recorded the whole PCC and are hard at work preparing a series of videos immortalizing this special time… Can’t wait!

And, when you read the participants’ praise next week, there will be no doubt left at all in your mind about the quality of the instruction and the power of the PCC to transform the world of fitness.

A deep, deep thank you to all who contributed to making this a magnificent first PCC!

But a very special shout out to the “complete unknown” who sent me that addictive manuscript back in the day and got me hooked on the good stuff:

Paul Wade, without you, our world would be the smaller and the poorer. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for your courage and indomitable spirit in bringing us the glory of your redemptive message! Thank you…

Yours in Strength,

John Du Cane, CEO
Dragon Door Publications, Inc.

Filed Under: Workshop Experiences Tagged With: Dragon Door Publications, John Du Cane, Paul Wade, PCC, Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop

Welcome to the launch of Dragon Door’s official blog for Progressive Calisthenics!

January 17, 2013 By John Du Cane, CEO and founder, Dragon Door 14 Comments

What are the two most remarkable events in the history of Dragon Door?

The first event was Dragon Door’s launch of the modern kettlebell movement and in particular the world’s first-ever kettlebell instructor certification program, the RKC in 2001. The impact worldwide has been astonishing and a joy to behold.

However, another event occurred in 2009 that may prove to have an equivalent impact on world fitness to Dragon Door’s championing of the kettlebell.

And that would be the launch of Paul Wade’s Convict Conditioning bodyweight exercise program. Convict Conditioning stormed to #1 bestseller status and has become Dragon Door’s most successful title of all time.

Why?

Why has Convict Conditioning become THE Bible for serious bodyweight exercise practitioners?

More than anything, it is because of Paul Wade’s brilliant system of progressions, based around six core exercises for supreme survival strength: pushups, pullups, squats, hanging leg raises, bridges and handstand pushups. With Paul’s progressions, you can begin with minimal ability and realistically, safely stack strength on strength—until you are as functionally strong as you could ever want to be. And then some…

The fitness world took notice—and history is being made as we speak.

Now, Dragon Door and Paul Wade are presenting an opportunity for trainers and bodyweight exercise enthusiasts worldwide to plunge deeper into the Convict Conditioning programs, with the Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop—to both master the progressions personally and be qualified to teach them to others.

If there is a white-hot trend in fitness right now, it’s bodyweight strength training. Athletes of all kinds are looking to the toughest, most brutally productive calisthenics techniques to spice up their workouts. We’re talking one-arm push-ups, pistols, pull-ups, handstands and hanging levers…

Sadly, there has been no international industry standard for bodyweight strength training instruction. Until now, with Dragon Door’s Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop.

To ensure that the bodyweight exercise community worldwide has a go-to educational resource to support their interest, Dragon Door is establishing the Progressive Calisthenics Blog. We intend this to become THE blog for high-level, practical, cutting edge articles and videos on all things bodyweight.

Besides regular contributions from Dragon authors Paul Wade and Al Kavadlo, expect to see some of the top names in bodyweight contribute their expertise.

The sky will be limit and we invite you to join the ride…

All the best in your training,

John Du Cane, CEO of Dragon Door Publications

Filed Under: Progressive Calisthenics Tagged With: blog introduction, calisthenics, Dragon Door Publications, John Du Cane, PCC, PCC Workshop, Progressive Calisthenics Certification Workshop

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Dragon Door Publications / The author(s) and publisher of this material are not responsible in any manner whatsoever for any injury that may occur through following the instructions or opinions contained in this material. The activities, physical and otherwise, described herein for informational purposes only, may be too strenuous or dangerous for some people, and the reader(s) should consult a physician before engaging in them.