Brief testimonials from a 1-day workshop in Gothenburg, Sweeden, August 2012:

• Fun day at MovNat in Gothenburg. The concept that stuck most firmly in my mind is “selective tension.” Thanks to all who were there and to Joseph, our instructor. -Howie Nordstrom
• Couldn’t agree more…awesome workshop, awesome concept and a real eye-opener to how immobile I really am. Thanks to Joseph and Liz as well as the rest of the group. Hope to see you again in the future! -David Heigis
• My kids love it when one of them get to pull on one arm that I try to let hang loose while another hangs from the one I keep tense. That’s selective tension training at my house. -Daniel Brandt
• +1 to having a great day in Gothenburg yesterday. Wooden legs today, had I two more I would make a great coffee table! Thanks to wonderful instructors, Joseph & Liz, and all the other participants! Looking forward to the next time! Cheers!! -Joel Hojvall
• Really enjoyed yesterday’s workshop in Göteborg. Legs totally blasted…just need to find someone to hurl rocks at/with now! Great bunch of people, and a special thanks to instructors, Joseph and Liz. -John Wedderburn

Joseph taught us the fundamentals of the method with simplicity, clarity, and calm. A real back to essentials of motion. It’s a real pleasure to follow his guidance.

This workout is really effective as this speaks to you, it’s literaly instinctive!
I found here a really effective and natural way to improve myself physically, mentally, and even spiritually.

Joseph added good explanations about all the implications of MovNat, as it’s not only a simple sport but  a way of life if you chose to follow the track that’s showed. And that’s an important message of this method. It’s not only about techniques for sport but, again, it’s truly techniques and ways of thinking for life in line with nature and well being.

I’m really happy about this workout and to have met people with an enough clear sight for leaving their shoes and wanting to rediscover their true nature, childhood freedom and free feet! That was so motivating, as I feel so close to all of this.

I’m really grateful to Joseph and to his friend Jan -  thank you, guys! Thanks to the trainees for the good mood and motivation!

See ya in the woods

This weekend, I attended 2-day MovNat Workshop in Paris with instructor Joseph Bartz. The forest of Fontaineblau is a very nice spot and the people were very nice and open minded. I enjoyed the workshop a lot, especially the jumping and climbing session (gosh, I was so sore the day after).

It was a very inspiring session. It’s nice to see there are so many other people who share the same values as you. I used to be referred as “that freak who runs and climbs half naked in the woods” before. Now, I’ve evolved from “that freak” to “one of those many freaks.”

Thanks to Joseph for the great advice and to the other movnatters for their good vibrations.

Two weeks ago, I attended the one-day MovNat workshop in Boston with instructor Kellen Milad. It was a great experience and I was sore for days afterwards (in a good way).

One of the many things I learned that day is that I suck at MovNat! This didn’t really come as a big surprise – I was never very athletic growing up. But it definitely drove the point home: Real fitness is about way more than just strength.

A couple of years ago, a friend of mine turned me on to the whole Primal/Paleo thing, and it was truly life-changing. Within months I dropped 60 lbs, and went from being a fat, sick, tired, and lazy couch potato to being slim, healthy, and more active than I’ve ever been in my life. I took up running (minimalist/barefoot), started hiking on a near-weekly basis, and eventually started going to the gym.

With a full time job, two small children, and a wife who works weekends, my free time is extremely scarce. My trips to the gym were always short and intense – doing a “Big 5″ workout from “Body by Science”. The “Big 5″ has been effective at building strength, but that’s all. And it’s not enough. A machine at the gym does not improve your posture, or balance, or coordination… and my lack of all these became startlingly apparent at the MovNat workshop.

Despite repeated attempts, for example, I failed to get myself above the horizontal bar. I was also unable to walk along the railing without leaning frequently on my spotters. Even when I knew what I was doing wrong, I still lacked the coordination and/or balance to do it right. Embarrassing as that might have been under other circumstances (especially with Kellen making everything look so deceptively easy), I found the whole MovNat concept so cool, I didn’t care that I sucked at it. I just came away more determined to suck at it less.

In the two weeks since the workshop, I’ve found ways to work MovNat into my time with the kids. While all the other parents at the playground are just standing (or sitting) around yacking, I’m down in the sand crawling and chasing after my kids (and making them giggle like crazy), and jumping and climbing around (and under) the play structures with them. I’ve also skipped the gym entirely, and instead turned my hikes into barefoot trail-running/tree-climbing/balancing/lifting sessions. I’ve got a few new bruises and scrapes, but I’m having way more fun. My balance has already improved dramatically. I haven’t tried the horizontal bar again yet, but I’m working up to it, and spending lots of time in the “active hang” position. If I ever get an opportunity to attend another workshop, I hopefully won’t make as much of an ass of myself.

So thanks to Kellen and all! This is a great community and I love seeing everyone’s photos and stories. It inspires me to keep at it.

And congratulations to all the recently certified trainers! One thing Kellen mentioned was that you can’t learn MovNat from watching videos on the internet, and I completely agree. We need all the quality trainers we can get!

Hi Joseph,

Thanks again for the workshop.I really liked the two days and I have discovered so many things about my movements and my weakness. Thanks in particular for the very clear explanations and as well for the fact that even the atmosphere was relaxed and we could laugh, at the same time we could work hard.
I hope to meet you again for a next workshop, maybe somewhere exotic like Thailand.
Cheers, Francesco