MACE & INDIAN CLUB WORKSHOP: April 22, 2023

The mace, gada, whatever you want to call this barbaric bludgeoning tool, and the Indian clubs, have deep roots in ancient Persian/Indian culture and are now gaining popularity in the mainstream fitness culture. As with all new fitness trends, there are always misunderstandings, misuse, and a certain amount of hype that comes with the territory. We will cut through the BS and help you understand the value and purpose of these great tools in your training.

John and Kelly Odden are StrongFirst instructors who have taught mace and circular training tools for over five years. They have conducted numerous workshops around the USA and Canada. They have adapted these tools from their unique backgrounds in the Scottish Highland Games and rehabilitation settings.

The primary goal of this workshop is to create a safe and solid foundation of basic and intermediate mace and club skills. When utilized efficiently, these tools become a valid extension of the body that simply feels amazing. We will prepare fitness professionals and general users to safely and effectively use mace and clubs through proper regressions and progressions.

Overview of Concepts/Skills to be Covered:

  • Priming the body for mace/club training by opening the lateral lines while also mobilizing the wrists, shoulders and thoracic spine

  • Value of the mace through the movement continuum from mobility, stability, strength and power.

  • Reflexive/reactive shoulder and core stability though tension and flow "pulsing patterns" of the mace and clubs

  • Specific mobility progressions and regressions from body weight, kettlebells, and the mace for added resistance in various positions

  • Injury precautions, skill limitations and safety concerns with individuals vs group training environments

  • Mace and club specific drills and skills to optimize the learning process and skill acquisition

  • The importance of rotation and frontal plane movement (getting out of the sagittal plane of typical “gym exercises”

  • Value of offset loading the body

  • Exercises specifics and value for sport or other activity carryover

  • Addressing imbalances in the body

  • Progressions and regressions of mace patterns to optimize effectiveness, safety, and skill

  • How the mace and clubs improve grip strength, posture, coordination, and other qualities

  • Programming for rehabilitation, injury prevention, skill acquisition, conditioning, and dynamic power training.

  • Explanations, demonstrations, and hands on opportunities to swing various maces and clubs made of different types of materials (bamboo, PVC, steel) and experience how lever length creates added torque.

Attendees will develop a rich knowledge of:

  • Basic indian club swing patterns

  • Infinity club swings

  • Intro to mills/inward outward "heart patterns"

  • Traditional 360s

  • "10-2s" Swings

  • Hand to hand switches

  • Single arm variations

  • Grave diggers

  • Press variations

  • Kneeling patterns

  • Walking/directional variations

  • How to combine exercises into complexes/flows (e.x. 360 into Front Squat with Press)

**All ability levels welcome to attend!

**We will also be offering the chance to preorder one of these rugged, handmade, loadable "Iron Gada" maces from Become Stronger. Please message me if interested AFTER signing up for this event. 10lb loadable mace $125, 15lb for $150.

Molly Kieland