WELCOME TO FURY INDUSTRIES

By Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner and Kim “Destroyer” Darmstadt

If you follow Kim and I on social media, you will have noticed a number of pictures and a new Facebook page featuring FURY INDUSTRIES. This has lead to the obvious question…

What the hell is Fury Industries?

First and foremost, it is not a gym and we have zero plans of opening one.

It’s quite the opposite really.

Fury Industries is a place for Kim and I to create, write, train, design, brainstorm, play, question and grow.

Fury Industries is also a place to hang out and lift with friends.

It is a place where the kids get to be a part of what we do.

Fury Industries is our safe place, our happy place.

It is our home.

Please keep an eye out for pictures, videos, blogs and apparel from Fury Industries. 

Thanks for the time. We appreciate it.

-Fury and Destroyer

Fury Industries

Brooklyn, NY.

MFF BLOG: YOU WILL BE TESTED

by Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner, MFF Ambassador of Glory, Master DVRT, Original Strength Instructor, Senior RKC

You will be challenged. You will be tested.

Fact.

Whether it’s financial, emotional, moral or physical… in some way shape or form we will all be challenged and tested. It’s inevitable.

Scary, right?

Or is it?

Our internal reactions to the idea of being challenged are largely based upon how we perceive the notion of challenge itself. Do you view the idea of being tested as a chance at failure? Or, do you view that idea as a means to succeed beyond expectations?

I don’t have the answer. That’s on you. Here’s the good news, I think both states of mind lead to ultimate glory.

What the heck am I talking about?

Resistance

I am big fan of author Steven Pressfield and his concept of resistance. Resistance is the force inside ourselves that tries to stop us from living to our utmost potential. Resistance tells us we can’t. Resistance scares us. Resistance holds us back. Resistance isn’t a figment of your imagination and it is stifling real.

Battling resistance sets us on the path to becoming superheroes. Nothing more. Nothing less.

Resistance can also be viewed as a compass. I believe that resistance is what generates our perception of fear when being tested. What if we learn to use that resistance induced fear as a compass for what we really want to do?

“Are you paralyzed with fear? That’s a good sign. Fear is good. Like self-doubt, fear is an indicator. Fear tells us what we have to do. Remember one rule of thumb: the more scared we are of a work or calling, the more sure we can be that we have to do it.” –Steve Pressfield

That quote from Pressfield’s The War of Art kicked me deep in the soul. Full disclosure time: I am scared more often than not. Whenever I teach or write, I fear failing. I don’t fear failing myself—I fear failing my family. I cringe at the thought of letting down the friend, peer or stranger that takes the time to read, learn, watch or listen to something I do. Your time and money are precious, and I value it greatly. Given how much I do write and teach and the fear it conjures up, I could take the easy road and stop typing right now.

But I can’t. I’m being challenged as I write this. Tested.

I will win.

As I open myself up to you, I walk head on into a firestorm of resistance that is telling me I’m that I’m exposing my weaknesses. Admitting to fear. Sharing too much. Yet, I will finish this piece. I accept this challenge. I will pass this test.

When this process gets easier, I will find something more personally frightening to write about.

If I can do this, so can you

Recognize and accept what scares you and drive directly into it. You will struggle and you will succeed in the long run. There are some battles we must face to achieve our greatest potential. That is why I’m putting this out there. I want to help you find your compass and embark on the journey of being your truest self, of living full out.

Find your calling

Stop letting resistance generating “what ifs” hold you back. Instead, start answering your own life questions, your calling. Some of these battles will be small and find quick victories while other challenges will be all out war. Both battlefronts are important. You must stay in the fight. Most of us have felt that deep calling inside our gut. All too few of us take the steps to listen to the call. The decision is yours.

You will be challenged. You will be tested.

You can only win if you try. We can only win if you try.

Thank you for your time.

-Fury

Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner’s superhero headquarters is Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC. Fury’s a Senior RKC, Master DVRT, and an Original Strength Instructor. He is available for classes, semi-privates and instructor training and programming at MFF. Follow Fury at:  coachfury.com, facebook.com/coachfury Instagram@iamcoachfury and Twitter @coachfury.

RKC BLOG: NEW FURY. NEW RKC.

by STEVE "COACH FURY" HOLINER on NOVEMBER 4, 2015

I am not tactical. Though I’ve done some work with the Marines, I’ve never been in the Armed Forces. I’m not an operator. The closest I get to tactical are my 5.11 backpacks.

Do tactical pull-ups make me tactical? Nope.

Recently, I taught an RKC Workshop with Master RKC, Josh Henkin at Catalyst SPORT in NYC. The group bonded quickly and in a fantastic fashion. Early on, it was obvious that something special was happening at this certification but I couldn’t quite place it at first.

My first RKC was five years ago. That experience had an incredibly positive impact on my life, and it’s what got me here. I wouldn’t change it for anything. I loved it. But with all of that said, I wouldn’t do an old RKC again. Current day Coach Fury would have walked out the moment someone told me to take my kettlebell to the bathroom. Yes, that happened.

As a middle-aged father of two, what does carrying a kettlebell to the bathroom teach me? Punishment swings and carries? The polite version of what present-day Coach Fury would say about that is “No thanks!”

I can only imagine how actual present/former military personnel felt about these drill sergeant tactics. The RKC is a system of strength and education, so why were we trying to be some faux-military group? While I don’t have an answer to that, I fully admit to buying into it at the time. Fortunately, I’ve grown as a person—and so has the RKC.

Punishment swings, carries, and taking the kettlebells to the bathroom haven’t happened in years, and that’s a testament to the growth and evolution of the RKC. Due to the continued efforts of the entire RKC leadership team, we are purposefully blazing a new path. The NYC RKC is exactly the type of event I would want to attend. The new RKC community is exactly the type of group where I want to be a member.

Education comes first, not intimidation or fear. From a psychological standpoint, the former style of intimidation does bring a certain amount of respect to the material and the course. However, I think there are better ways to achieve the same effect.

The participants at the RKC workshop we held at Catalyst SPORT were an incredibly diverse and open-minded group. This group included local coaches, enthusiasts (like I was at my first RKC), a pack of DVRT instructors, and people who had previously certified with a different group who wanted to see what we were teaching. Josh Henkin and I quickly set the tone for the weekend. People came in nervous and scared. After all, we still have the snatch test, and we still work hard—we’re just not jerks about it! We do our best to get people to relax so they can focus on the material, instead of just thinking about the five minutes of snatches.

Our hosts and assistant instructors, Jason Kapnick, Joe Boffi and Kathy Dooley were stellar as well. All of us freely answered any questions and delivered tips, cues and suggestions without ego or intimidation. We used to wonder why people used to be afraid to ask questions… well the old days of 100-swing punishments may have had something to do with it! But, this RKC weekend was all about the candidates, not about us. In return, the attendees gave so much more back to us. There was so much heart in the room—it was honestly emotional!

I never assume myself to be the best coach in the room. And if I am the guy who knows more about kettlebellsin the room, that doesn’t make me better than anyone else. All the attendees registered, paid and spent their time to be there. So, I’m going to deliver a positive experience and do my best to show them why I love the RKC.

I know that I am not alone in this, the RKC is more than a system, more than an organization, and more than a team. We are a family.

We are the new RKC.

I’m very proud to be a part of this change. John Du Cane, the entire leadership team, and all the new RKCs are part of our progression. I want to thank everyone for their role in our growth. It’s exhilarating to see it happen. The RKC has evolved and so have I.

Sign up for a course near you.

I hope to see you there.

-Fury

***

Steve “Coach Fury” Holiner’s superhero headquarters is Mark Fisher Fitness in NYC. Fury’s a Senior RKC, a DVRT Master Chief, and an Original Strength Instructor. He is available for classes, semi-privates, instructor training and programming at MFF. Check out coachfury.com, facebook.com/coachfury Instagram@iamcoachfury and Twitter @coachfury for more info.