Feb. 13, 2010
Dan John
Alex and I went to Morgan's CrossFit Tacoma today and spent the day with Dan John. If you don't know Dan John...well, you should. He is a strength coach at a Catholic HS in Utah (yes, they have Catholic HS's in Utah) and is a world class discus thrower and Highland Games competitor. He has some impressive Olympic lifts as well but none of those things were what are truly impressive about Dan. His greatest contribution to the world is not how far he can throw a heavy frisbee...ohh no, it's how well he can teach you how to do that or to snatch or to clean and jerk...whatever. It is his talent as a teacher that is is true calling. He is always teaching. He taught us all day and when we were having lunch he taught some more and then at the Hub where a few of us went to dinner he taught us some more there. His website is www.danjohn.net. Go there. Read. Do what he says and you will become stronger. You'll note in the photos above that there are some consequences for bad behavior in a Dan John seminar. One of the guys had some hip flexor issues so Dan got some guys together and they shoved him face first through the floor. It didn't help his hip flexors but he stopped bugging Dan about them. Dan showed us a movement he calls VENTS (Very Exciting New Tailbone Stretch)...now wait, that's not it...anyway it really helps stretch the toes and achilles tendons and if you do it right it's as if heat vents (oh, that's what it is) up through your achilles as if coming up through a steam grate. You should massage the bottom of your feet with a golf ball, it will really help your feet. Not just the arch but thorugh the ball of your foot too. It will make noise.