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[Article] Firm and Fit
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Go Martin! More records to come and a more fufilling career experience. I've heard great things about PFI but you must have felt like the unnecessary third wheel (Mandy's hardly going to take your side in any argument/discussion when she is married to the boss).
I am just hoping you will make it down to the South Pacific some time so we can catch up. Any plans for courses in this area of the world?
Good Luck!
I am just hoping you will make it down to the South Pacific some time so we can catch up. Any plans for courses in this area of the world?
Good Luck!
It's a big shame Martin didn't choose to work with AIDA on Education. I have great respect for his views and what he is trying to do - but the world doesn't really need yet another training agency. Martin came to my talk about AIDA Education in Hurghada back in December and we had high hopes at that point that he'd come on board.
I agree with him entirely on the difficulties in a non profit association like AIDA trying to work with education. It was, and is a nightmare dealing with the profit/non profit ethose clash. I just wish I had the money to "buy" education from AIDA and run with it as a business - maybe someone else out there might do that.
any rich freedivers out there looking for a business opp?
Sam
I agree with him entirely on the difficulties in a non profit association like AIDA trying to work with education. It was, and is a nightmare dealing with the profit/non profit ethose clash. I just wish I had the money to "buy" education from AIDA and run with it as a business - maybe someone else out there might do that.
any rich freedivers out there looking for a business opp?
Sam
I do not see any reason why it would be a shame. Why would one want to have all freediving schools be part of the same organization and following the same rules? Even worse would be if they all tought from the same cook-books - that's where it would tend to lead to if all schools were part of AIDA. Thanks God he did not go that way and keeps his own opinions. He explicitly tells he respects AIDA, did all his competitions and records under AIDA rules, and will continue doing so, but I see no reason why he should teach under AIDA rules too. His role is teaching freediving, not "politics" or partisanship.
It is up to the course participants whether they want to join AIDA, or whatever else federation, or get certified by an AIDA instructor if they feel it is necessary. Martin did not create any federation or training organization competing with AIDA. All he did was opening a school for people who want to learn freediving or improving it.
A School or a system that starts in one school? I understand it's kind of an apnea academy system he's setting up, or am I wrong? A freediving education system that will be spread over multiple instructor/locations, starting with Martin himself.
I can totally understand with what Martin wants to do and I know he will do a great job teaching people regardless what the training agency is or is called. He will simply have the freedom to teach people the best he knows how. I don't see it as a shame at all that he isn't teaching along the AIDA education path. People should realize that Martin's new school, PFI and dozen's of other "Non AIDA" instructors already have bucket loads of AIDA knowledge. As far as knowledege of the rules, safety protocols etc. As Martin also pointed out there are more people wanting to learn to freedive compared to those that want to specifically compete.
In general I think any freediving instructor will have a different aproach as far as what is the best form of training and diving methods. As long as they are all teaching good buddy procedures/blackout rescues then it's good to have variety. If you look at other things such Martial arts people choose something that best suits them, it isn't that any one is the best. (Of course some would argue
As long as the safety aspect is covered then diversity is a good thing.
All the best Martin !
Cheers,
Wal
In general I think any freediving instructor will have a different aproach as far as what is the best form of training and diving methods. As long as they are all teaching good buddy procedures/blackout rescues then it's good to have variety. If you look at other things such Martial arts people choose something that best suits them, it isn't that any one is the best. (Of course some would argue
As long as the safety aspect is covered then diversity is a good thing.
All the best Martin !
Cheers,
Wal
First let me say my wife and I took a 2 day PFI beginner course that was taught only by Martin because Kirk and Mandy were gone on a movie shoot so I can say for sure he is a great insturctor and his new venture I am sure will contribute to free diving.
On the AIDA education issue which is clearly separate and interesting I am not sure how AIDA organizes the classes or courses. I did just take an AIDA judging course to become an AIDA judge so I am familiar with how AIDA handles the competitions. It is my understanding that AIDA DOES NOT ORGANIZE ANY COMPETITIONS, NOR TELL THE COMPETITION ORGANIZERS WHAT TO DO. This may seem a bit strange and contrary to facts though I am sure that AIDA does something different. AIDA SANCTIONS THE COMPETITIONS WHICH ARE ORGANIZED BY OTHER GROUPS. What AIDA does, mainly thru the judges at competitions, is to give the competition organizers minimum guidelines for safety and a set of rules that cover how the disciplines work. If the organizers chose not to follow for example the suggested minimum safety guidelines the judges would say, well we judges are leaving and you can do whatever you want for your competition though you cannot say its an AIDA competition nor will it count for any AIDA rankings. Also for example if the organizers wanted to change only one discipline like dynamic to start with a diving start like in swimming then the AIDA judges would say, of course you can do that, it is safe as long as the pool is deep enough, though your dynamic discipline won't count toward AIDA rankings as this is not how AIDA does dynamic. It would seem that AIDA could do the same for freediving training and courses, they could provide minimum guidelines for course organizers to follow and tell the course organizers if you follow these minimum guidelines than you can call this an AIDA freediving course. The way in which you teach the minimum course content and any other things you do in your course are totally up to you and it wouldn't matter to AIDA if the course was organized by a profit or non-profit group or even a regular government body. Cheers Wes Lapp
On the AIDA education issue which is clearly separate and interesting I am not sure how AIDA organizes the classes or courses. I did just take an AIDA judging course to become an AIDA judge so I am familiar with how AIDA handles the competitions. It is my understanding that AIDA DOES NOT ORGANIZE ANY COMPETITIONS, NOR TELL THE COMPETITION ORGANIZERS WHAT TO DO. This may seem a bit strange and contrary to facts though I am sure that AIDA does something different. AIDA SANCTIONS THE COMPETITIONS WHICH ARE ORGANIZED BY OTHER GROUPS. What AIDA does, mainly thru the judges at competitions, is to give the competition organizers minimum guidelines for safety and a set of rules that cover how the disciplines work. If the organizers chose not to follow for example the suggested minimum safety guidelines the judges would say, well we judges are leaving and you can do whatever you want for your competition though you cannot say its an AIDA competition nor will it count for any AIDA rankings. Also for example if the organizers wanted to change only one discipline like dynamic to start with a diving start like in swimming then the AIDA judges would say, of course you can do that, it is safe as long as the pool is deep enough, though your dynamic discipline won't count toward AIDA rankings as this is not how AIDA does dynamic. It would seem that AIDA could do the same for freediving training and courses, they could provide minimum guidelines for course organizers to follow and tell the course organizers if you follow these minimum guidelines than you can call this an AIDA freediving course. The way in which you teach the minimum course content and any other things you do in your course are totally up to you and it wouldn't matter to AIDA if the course was organized by a profit or non-profit group or even a regular government body. Cheers Wes Lapp
Quality freediving courses, irrespective of affiliation, are not easy to come by at the moment. It's a fact and as long as freediving community does not make an effort to provide reliable training programmes, under AIDA or businesses such as FIT, PFI, AA or a network of them all, the development of recreational and competitive freediving will likely suffer.
I know there are out there people who think freediving should stay small, let it be a niche sport/past time activity, no need for thousends or millions of practitioners. Well, i would argue with that though i also like the cozy feeling of a small community. For our sport to become safer primarely, i think there is a need for many more enthusiasts to create the critical mass to atract companies to invest in production of new equipment such as long awaited safety vest for freediving/spearos. Yet, that's another story, i would return back to FIT and I am also very happy to see a new initiative which i hope it i will spread around as now Miami has two of the best freediving training centers in the world!
One word on AIDA training programme, i would like to see another thread on this one in fact. As i took already one course and my goal is to eventually be able to teach others freediving, i found the current system rather complex where it should be simple, little differences between the levels (e.g AIDA ** and AIDA ***) demotivating people, me included, to take, at a handsome expense in the end, all the levels if i want to be an AIDA trainer eventually. So, i already consider other options such as AA or now FIT.
I think AIDA can do much better in promoting the development of freediving through training
serge
I know there are out there people who think freediving should stay small, let it be a niche sport/past time activity, no need for thousends or millions of practitioners. Well, i would argue with that though i also like the cozy feeling of a small community. For our sport to become safer primarely, i think there is a need for many more enthusiasts to create the critical mass to atract companies to invest in production of new equipment such as long awaited safety vest for freediving/spearos. Yet, that's another story, i would return back to FIT and I am also very happy to see a new initiative which i hope it i will spread around as now Miami has two of the best freediving training centers in the world!
One word on AIDA training programme, i would like to see another thread on this one in fact. As i took already one course and my goal is to eventually be able to teach others freediving, i found the current system rather complex where it should be simple, little differences between the levels (e.g AIDA ** and AIDA ***) demotivating people, me included, to take, at a handsome expense in the end, all the levels if i want to be an AIDA trainer eventually. So, i already consider other options such as AA or now FIT.
I think AIDA can do much better in promoting the development of freediving through training
serge
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My best wishes and kudos go to Martin.
As for the question if we need another dive school, I think it's always the thing with variety is good vs. reinventing the wheel.
My experience in this comes from the free software world, where there's lots of variety and lots of reinventing the wheel. Although those are entirely unrelated fields, the systematics are comparable: What are people going to use? What's going to be common grounds? What approach will prove successful?
I'd like to suggest thinking of this as an evolutionary process where variety will spring up (Go Martin, Go!), some threads will find (back?) together (PFIDA? PFIT? PIFDAT? :t ) and the not so successful variants will fade out or find their niche eventually. Let's see what Martin is up to and find out if good things come out of it.
As for the question if we need another dive school, I think it's always the thing with variety is good vs. reinventing the wheel.
My experience in this comes from the free software world, where there's lots of variety and lots of reinventing the wheel. Although those are entirely unrelated fields, the systematics are comparable: What are people going to use? What's going to be common grounds? What approach will prove successful?
I'd like to suggest thinking of this as an evolutionary process where variety will spring up (Go Martin, Go!), some threads will find (back?) together (PFIDA? PFIT? PIFDAT? :t ) and the not so successful variants will fade out or find their niche eventually. Let's see what Martin is up to and find out if good things come out of it.
Sam
Competition is healthy, I believe that Martin has got balls of steel to go out there and start his own business in freediving and apply his own philosophy. I take my hat off to him and if I had a couple of dirhams to my name I would take you up on the above
Freedivers must always be able to choose where to go to be taught AND who they will go to, to learn from. Martin can offer something unique and alternative to Aida. He has only the restraints of his imagination, sense and desires of his students to fulfill. He has self imposed boundaries and is not subject to a ruling body. Put it this way, if you want to learn to use the monofin, will you choose a) A Russian champion to teach you or b) your local Aida mate up the road who has just taken a coaching course and gives you a certificate afterwards.
If you chose a) you will have something unique. If you chose b) you will have received templated coaching the same as everyone else.
The whole deal is that you can choose both.
If you chose a) you will have something unique. If you chose b) you will have received templated coaching the same as everyone else.
The whole deal is that you can choose both.
Personally I think standards agencies should set standards. Teachers or coaches should devise their own curriculum to teach those standards.
I've been to a lot of different training seminars- though only one sport seminar. When I went to the PFI class last year I expected Kirk to present the material and Martin to be the silent model. Instead- partly due to Kirk losing his voice- Martin did a great deal of the presentations. He was one of the best teachers/coaches I've been priveledged to sit in front of.
I've been to a lot of different training seminars- though only one sport seminar. When I went to the PFI class last year I expected Kirk to present the material and Martin to be the silent model. Instead- partly due to Kirk losing his voice- Martin did a great deal of the presentations. He was one of the best teachers/coaches I've been priveledged to sit in front of.
Last Sept, I took PFI's Intermediate course in Miami. It was pretty much jointly taught by Kirk, Martin, and Mandy. Last month, I took PFI's Advanced course in Grand Cayman (and got to be on Mandy's safety crew during her world record dive). Next month, I'm going to take one of Martin's FIT courses. I really like and respect all three of them, and I refuse to "take sides". The way I see it, this way, now I'll get to see and learn from Martin again while experiencing his personal style of teaching, and I'll get in some more serious depth training, which I just don't get in Ohio. The main point, though; in general, there are now more options out there for ALL freedivers!
Todd
Todd
I agree Divertodd, there are no sides that need taking. I have never heard anything negative about Kirk, Mandy, or Martin.
In Freediving as is life we all have our special talents and ways of doing things. It is like someone trying to learn how to ride a bike - Mum says do it this way and Dad says this way. You have no idea what either of them are talking about. Then Uncle Todd come over and says to try it this way and you 'get it'. What I am trying to say is that the more high quality teachers like these people that we have around, the better the worldwide learning environment will be.
I am doing a course with 'No Bubbles' (AIDA) here in NZ this weekend. Then I hope to do an AA course early next year, and then.......
In Freediving as is life we all have our special talents and ways of doing things. It is like someone trying to learn how to ride a bike - Mum says do it this way and Dad says this way. You have no idea what either of them are talking about. Then Uncle Todd come over and says to try it this way and you 'get it'. What I am trying to say is that the more high quality teachers like these people that we have around, the better the worldwide learning environment will be.
I am doing a course with 'No Bubbles' (AIDA) here in NZ this weekend. Then I hope to do an AA course early next year, and then.......