Serving as the USA National Sambo Team Coach and Champion (the official martial art style of Russia) and the 3rd style of international wrestling recognized by FILA, Scott Sonnon was awarded the Honorable Master of Sport for his contributions to his sport. First exposed to kettlebell lifting in Russia in 1996 for sport-specific applications in Sambo, and combat-applications with the Russian Special Forces (Spetsnaz), Scott began rigorous study and application in professional sports and the real world of military and martial art fighting. Scott studied with the two most well-known coaches in kettlebell lifting: Valery Fedorenko and Pavel Tsatsouline.
Due to his array of childhood physical and learning disabilities, Scott developed a unique coaching style based upon teaching motor development in a universally successful manner that all people can benefit, not just the elite 2% who can learn just be copying a technique. The name Coach Sonnon as he is known to his students, has become synonymous with Health-First Fitness in that Scott s approach has become a guaranteed method of improving one s fitness in a pain and injury free manner, one that bolsters immuno-function (a fortress strong immune system), enhances proprioceptive awareness (our bodymind ) and improves the over-all essential synergy of the myofascial matrix (the origami like net of connective tissue which gives us grace, poise and mobility.)
In 2007, he became the Combat Advisor for the World Kettlebell Club (WKC), and designed The Official Kettlebell Warm-up and Cool-down Programs for the WKC which he now teaches internationally with Kettlebell World Champion Record Holder, Valery Fedorenko. In 2008, Fedorenko appointed Scott as his first "Master Coach" due to his educational contributions to kettlebell lifting. Scott now travels the world teaching his famous Circular Strength Training System, with his patented Clubbell and with the Kettlebell Foundation techniques you will learn herein.
The Official Kettlebell Foundation DVD Series provides you with all of the basics that you will need to successfully apply kettlebell lifting to your fitness needs including:
The Official Breathing Techniques: Preparatory Energy, Recovery, Survival and Performance Breathing.
The Official Kettlebell Lifting Techniques - 12 Techniques
The Official Kettlebell Foundation Training Program
The Official Joint Mobility Warm-up Program 29 Techniques
The Official Compensatory Cool-down Program 24 Techniques
Review
Scott Sonnon has a winner here! If I was a complete stranger to the CST system and protocol, if I never had heard or read about Scott Sonnon before or kettlebells, this DVD series would not only be a great place to start, but also a definitive guide to this unique, evolutionary Circular Strength Training system of health and physical fitness.
In a previous review (Prasara Instructional DVD), I stated that Coach Sonnon s teaching/coaching method reminds me of bicycle chain, of how every single link of the chain is connected to the one preceding to the next one and for the chain to move the bike, all the links must work in unison. His instruction is that detailed but without dulling repetitiveness. Placing myself in a beginner s mind of frame (the mind works best when the cup is emptied ), I learned and understood this Foundation Series. Afterwards of previewing, then perusing, then watching intently, I attempted and followed each DVD in sequence. I felt that all details, cautions, the how and why explanations gave me a great foundation to explore and learn this remarkable exercise tool, too (thus, the series is aptly named Kettlebell FOUNDATION ).
So, this very well-done Kettlebell Foundation DVD series has brought me full-circle. --Kevin Lee Dougherty
This is the first program I've come across that spells out a sequence specifically for compensatory cool-down. It follows the same logic as Intu-Flow, start from the head down and the center out, but instead of priming each joint, you're releasing residual tension. The best part is once you learn the sequence it only takes 5 minutes at the end of your session. Releasing the residual tension I built up has been a huge issue for me so I'm glad to finally know how to deal with it.
The other great thing about it is that the joint mobility hits some areas that the Intu-Flow DVDs don't and will help me unlock some more tension and restore my mobility. At the same time the yoga poses provide some real basics that will improve my Prasara practice. Having done Iyengar Hatha yoga for years, I was able to jump right into CST's Prasara, but I always wondered if I would have been able to do it if I was approaching it for the first time. This isn't the case with this program. The poses are not only good for someone doing this for a while, but also would be a nice introductory point for a new practitioner.
I can be a real wind-bag at times and I haven't even mentioned the kettlebell techniques. Let's just say I thought I knew how to lift them before. My RKC coach even complemented me on my technique, but now I have a whole host of things to work on to improve my efficiency and effectiveness. --Conor Alexander
