And George's Summer camp is almost here

[Van Canna]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68QTr3oBkCw

[gmattson]

Don't want anyone to forget about the GrandDaddy of all Camps. . .

SummerFest

This year promises to be a really good one. Most of the regulars will be there and quite a few newcomers and. . . a couple of surprise participants!

Click here for the on-line application and register today:

http://store.fastcommerce.com/EasternArts/summerfest-ff808181178d26e001178f62886b7f27-c.html

See you all on the beach at 6:30AM, July 30th!

[f.Channell]

Just noticed the old rowing pictures Van. My youngest daughter "little tiger" not so little anymore, is on the high school team. Lot of hard training on the rowing machines. Hands covered in blisters, but she loves it.
F.

[Van Canna]

I am proud of her...rowing is an elite sport and you need the heart of a lion to get selected for a racing crew...a rowing machine is a good start...however...if she wants to develop and ingrain the right technique and breathing patterns of rowing...she will need a good coach...or she will program very bad habits...

The blisters will become hard and calloused...and become something of self pride as she matures...

I still have callouses in my hands from my rowing days...they stay with you all your life.



Here I am at age 16 rowing at the 'two position' not counting the cockswain...the Oar to my left...

And these are the famous abbagnale brothers from my same club...Olympic and world champions....




Look at them here winning the Seul 88 gold medal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Y8UsE9j ... re=related

Look at the stroke technique of the rowers...and how they attack in the last 250 meters of the 2000 meters race.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCcXM0js ... re=related

And here you see my rowing club's training facilities....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=My5yWxhp ... re=related

Notice the 'Club's motto' at the top of the you tube video...

"Canottieri fino alla morte "

It translates "Rowers until death" and many times it felt like we were going to die...our hearts exploding...and no oxygen available

[Van Canna]

Achievements:

Olympic Medals: 3 Gold

World Championship Medals: 2 Gold and 2 Silver.

Thomas Keller Medal Awarded in 2006 for an outstanding career in international rowing.

[edit] Olympic Games

2000 - Gold, Quadruple Scull

1996 - Gold, Double Scull

1988 - Gold, Quadruple Sculls

[edit] World Championships

2002 - Silver, Double Scull

1999 - 7th, Quadruple Scull

1998 - Gold, Quadruple Scull

1997 - Gold, Quadruple Scull

1995 - 13th, Double Scull

1987 - 11th, Quadruple Scull

1985 - Silver, Eight

~~

[f.Channell]

Today they train on concept 2 machines 5 days a week in preparation and off days.
http://www.concept2.com/us/default.asp

Side by side with their numbers clearly visible they challenge each other to higher levels of performance.

Being the first to finish her laps at running she went back around for extra laps to encourage her teammates and was honored as rower of the week.

Her love of competiton developed in the Karate tournaments of the early 200's now driving her in other pursuits. Although she still trains in Uechi as well.

Weekend after next is her last race of this season, looking forward to it.

F.

[Van Canna]

The 'concept 2' machines are excellent a a start...

She will become an outstanding rower, I just know, her past experience in Uechi and judo competition always told me she is a 'top flight' athlete....not an average Uechi student.

Let me know when she will start to row the 'shells' in a rowing club...I want to come and watch her.

If she lived in my Home Town ....I know she would be picked for the 'Esordienti crew' [Rookies] to compete in the famous Pattison cup in the Bay of Naples that draws thousands of spectators.

When I competed ...the coach required to get up to 44 strokes per minute and keep it up for the entire 1000 meters sprint, if possible.

It just explodes your heart for the 3.5 minutes or so of the race.

[Van Canna]

Giuseppe (6'2", 196 pounds), the stroke, and Carmine (6'1", 191) give several inches and several dozen pounds each to rivals.

But the Abbagnales are imposing all the same: thighs thick as Ionic columns, practically square torsos, the unblinking stares of heavyweight champs.

"They start like animals, with whole abandon," says Kris Korzeniowski, the U.S. crew coach.

"Like it's the last race in their life." By the halfway point in most races, they have dominated the field.

In victory they sit somber and unspeaking, while Di Capua does a jig in the bow.

"In the beginning, we maybe laughed once or twice," says Giuseppe, or Peppe, as he is called. "But we control ourselves. It is a matter of character."

[Van Canna]

And now look at this particular dramatic finish where they get edged out by the Searle brothers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9Ave90kGpQ

2000 meters heartbreak in 6:49...

[f.Channell]

She rowed last weekend in a race and her boat took 6th out of 7.
They were a freshman boat going against varsity rowers.

I was proud, she was mad she didn't win!


F.

[Van Canna]

That's a good start...where does she row?

What kind or race was it?

Next race I want to be there...there is nothing as the flavor of crewing crowds and European Futbol crowds...

[f.Channell]

This race was in Lowell Mass. The other recent one was on Cape Cod. I need to find out where the next one is weekend after this one.
I've seen her train but not race yet.

F.

[Van Canna]

Van,
You always have my permission to invite anyone you wish to attend SummerFest. The whole purpose for camp is to interact with other martial artist and to gauge our own ability and progress measured by the interaction of the group.

We always have a good time and as long as people leave their ego at home, there is no reason they can’t have a good time.

Amen, George.

[Van Canna]

George,

Can you highlight Summerfest events for this year?

Lat year the proposed Soccer 'Uechi World cup' fell thru...because Uechi has 'no kickers'

So what's new for this year?

[gmattson]

Susan waiting to get the final prices from Mass Maritime so we can began encouraging people to register. During my weekend in New Hampshire, quite a few students and teachers said they were attending and most everyone was aware of the event.

Rory Miller has threatened to attend and I'm hoping both he and his wife will be there.

Roy Bedard will be there and of course most of the "regulars" will be there and teaching. Jimmy Maloney was at Buzz Durkin's event and he promised to be there with Bridget.

As usual, I keep my fingers crossed and hope for the best. Usually lots of last minute action makes SummerFest the activity of the year for Uechi practitioners.

Feel free to post here that you are coming.