The irony of this just dawned on me. The July RT to Cathe's falls on just about the identical dates of prior RT, one taken about two years ago to Sherman Oaks, California, in the hopes of becoming TaeBo certified. I am 100% confident of a different, and better, outcome with Cathe's trip. Allow me to explain...
A few years back, I was a Community Leader on the Billy Blanks Club website. I had the opportunity to work out with Billy at QVC studios outside of Philadelphia on two occasions, and a 3rd time at an outdoor fitness festival, again outside of Philly, and found Billy to be the same person we all see on the videos...a down-to-earth, yet in-your-face fitness instructor who only wants everything you've got, which is what I need, and why I am with Cathe today.
I had a chance to witness first hand what fitness can do for our mental outlook, and my own background as a depression sufferer and survivor, made me want to be able to pass these benefits along to others, so I decided to become certified, and enrolled with several other Billy Blanks Club members for the July 2006 RT for certification.
We were given fair notice by prior camp members that Billy would be far more serious than we saw on the videos. I was cool with that, I have a serious side as well, as does everyone, there's a time to get down to business for us all.
To continue, I must backtrack to the final QVC taping I did with Billy. After the taping, a couple of us students approached Billy and asked if he'd like to join us for dinner. Just then one of his certified instructors stepped in and stated they were going to a certain steakhouse, and we could tag along if we wanted to. As we were getting cleaned up, Billy and instructors took off in the limo that was provided for them by QVC, pretty much leaving us in the dust. I gave Billy the benefit of the doubt...nah, he wouldn't do that to us, but DW, who came along, was 100% sure we were snubbed, I argued with her...who do you think turned out right?? Stay tuned..
I proceeded to gat into incredible (for me) shape for the camp, I spent 3 months before the event basically going to work, coming home, and working out, adding about 250 daily pushups to an hour of TaeBo almost every day, pretty much shutting my wife, and everyone else out of my life at that time. This was my time to show the world I was good enough for Billy Blanks!!
July 2006 finally rolled around, and I was more than ready, DW and I headed to California, where we met several forum members for dinner the night before camp started. Then I noticed it....DW was right...some of the instructors decided to join us for dinner, and they sat at one end, us at the other, there was a definite clique, and I hate cliques!! Then the first day of camp rolled around...
I experienced the most inhuman experience of my life...
Billy's studio had no air, and it was 105 degrees
We were told up front to expect people to pass out and have to be taken to the hospital, happens all the time, almost like they were proud of it.
We could not receive a new bottle of water from the camp assistants unless we wrote our name on the bottle, and returned the empties, despite the $500 camp fee and the heat.
We had to take a written exam immediately after a 90 minute workout, with no chairs, had to sit on the very floor we had just spilled buckets of sweat on, one person suffered an illness and swears it is from this.
The bathrooms hadn't been cleaned in what seemed like years.
The worst of it was Billy Blanks himself....he belittled us every chance he got, saying we could all leave, he doesn't need any of us, he has enough teachers, he could care less about us. I understand all about getting down to business, but I still expect to be treated somewhat human, I train people yearly where I work, I wonder how they'd feel if I said to them...hmmmmm, I don't need any more clerks, you can leave.
Billy gave me a load of #$@! because I was struggling to learn a kick we had never see before. I wanted to walk out, the fact that I didn't remains a highlight of my life in fitness.
3 10 hour days, leading up to a practical exam on the final day, and I couldn't even walk, at that point, all I wanted to do was to take my wife and go to Disney Land, but I got through it, with the knowledge I had no shot at getting certified, which I didn't, and which was just fine because there was no way I would have accepted certification, I can't represent an organization where there is an alomost class distinction between teacher and student, one of Billy's people from the videos got right up in my face and told me I dare I waste her time!!
I posted this on Billy's site when I returned, knowing full well what was in store. Students and instructors alike dumped on me, so I left, it was the worst period of my fitness life.
A few months later, I got KB certified through another organization, will be teaching this winter, and discovered an instructor by the name of Cathe Friedrich..some of you may know her....
So, as you can see, I am looking a little more forward to this RT, than my last one. Heather, if you read this, your RT novel is what a RT should be, about a group of people coming together to laugh, work, and play, and to be treated like humans, I can't wait to experience it!!
Thanks for reading, nap time's over!
A few years back, I was a Community Leader on the Billy Blanks Club website. I had the opportunity to work out with Billy at QVC studios outside of Philadelphia on two occasions, and a 3rd time at an outdoor fitness festival, again outside of Philly, and found Billy to be the same person we all see on the videos...a down-to-earth, yet in-your-face fitness instructor who only wants everything you've got, which is what I need, and why I am with Cathe today.
I had a chance to witness first hand what fitness can do for our mental outlook, and my own background as a depression sufferer and survivor, made me want to be able to pass these benefits along to others, so I decided to become certified, and enrolled with several other Billy Blanks Club members for the July 2006 RT for certification.
We were given fair notice by prior camp members that Billy would be far more serious than we saw on the videos. I was cool with that, I have a serious side as well, as does everyone, there's a time to get down to business for us all.
To continue, I must backtrack to the final QVC taping I did with Billy. After the taping, a couple of us students approached Billy and asked if he'd like to join us for dinner. Just then one of his certified instructors stepped in and stated they were going to a certain steakhouse, and we could tag along if we wanted to. As we were getting cleaned up, Billy and instructors took off in the limo that was provided for them by QVC, pretty much leaving us in the dust. I gave Billy the benefit of the doubt...nah, he wouldn't do that to us, but DW, who came along, was 100% sure we were snubbed, I argued with her...who do you think turned out right?? Stay tuned..
I proceeded to gat into incredible (for me) shape for the camp, I spent 3 months before the event basically going to work, coming home, and working out, adding about 250 daily pushups to an hour of TaeBo almost every day, pretty much shutting my wife, and everyone else out of my life at that time. This was my time to show the world I was good enough for Billy Blanks!!
July 2006 finally rolled around, and I was more than ready, DW and I headed to California, where we met several forum members for dinner the night before camp started. Then I noticed it....DW was right...some of the instructors decided to join us for dinner, and they sat at one end, us at the other, there was a definite clique, and I hate cliques!! Then the first day of camp rolled around...
I experienced the most inhuman experience of my life...
Billy's studio had no air, and it was 105 degrees
We were told up front to expect people to pass out and have to be taken to the hospital, happens all the time, almost like they were proud of it.
We could not receive a new bottle of water from the camp assistants unless we wrote our name on the bottle, and returned the empties, despite the $500 camp fee and the heat.
We had to take a written exam immediately after a 90 minute workout, with no chairs, had to sit on the very floor we had just spilled buckets of sweat on, one person suffered an illness and swears it is from this.
The bathrooms hadn't been cleaned in what seemed like years.
The worst of it was Billy Blanks himself....he belittled us every chance he got, saying we could all leave, he doesn't need any of us, he has enough teachers, he could care less about us. I understand all about getting down to business, but I still expect to be treated somewhat human, I train people yearly where I work, I wonder how they'd feel if I said to them...hmmmmm, I don't need any more clerks, you can leave.
Billy gave me a load of #$@! because I was struggling to learn a kick we had never see before. I wanted to walk out, the fact that I didn't remains a highlight of my life in fitness.
3 10 hour days, leading up to a practical exam on the final day, and I couldn't even walk, at that point, all I wanted to do was to take my wife and go to Disney Land, but I got through it, with the knowledge I had no shot at getting certified, which I didn't, and which was just fine because there was no way I would have accepted certification, I can't represent an organization where there is an alomost class distinction between teacher and student, one of Billy's people from the videos got right up in my face and told me I dare I waste her time!!
I posted this on Billy's site when I returned, knowing full well what was in store. Students and instructors alike dumped on me, so I left, it was the worst period of my fitness life.
A few months later, I got KB certified through another organization, will be teaching this winter, and discovered an instructor by the name of Cathe Friedrich..some of you may know her....
So, as you can see, I am looking a little more forward to this RT, than my last one. Heather, if you read this, your RT novel is what a RT should be, about a group of people coming together to laugh, work, and play, and to be treated like humans, I can't wait to experience it!!
Thanks for reading, nap time's over!
