Some of you know I've been working on this for a few years now. I'm incredibly happy to finally share that we're officially launching Swansea Academy of Syrcas!!!
Looking forward to be teaching and directing.
Please go follow @swanseasyrcas and share the news! Also for the Swansea followers if you are interested in circus arts please go and fill out the form on our website, link in bio. More news coming soon.
#swanseasyrcas #swanseafitness #aerialist
If you guys saw my last post about my Jump to "planche" 15 years ago and now, here is the first tutorial for this trick.
When you are doing these push ups, keep them controlled and with power. In the last ones of the sets hold as long as you can.
Everyone is at different levels so I will not write “do this amount of sets and repetitions”. It depends on the individual. I am currently doing 2-3 sets of 4-8 and holding the last one as long as I can. Also I am already not doing all of these at the moment as I progressed. (I will show in the next video the progressions).
Training at @swanseasyrcas Calisthenics classes on Monday's.
#calisthenics #swanseasyrcas #swanseacircus
I'm revisiting a trick I used to perform in my acts. The audience's reaction was always great, especially in intimate venues. Some fun comments too...
The video I posted was my third attempt after a long break from proper training. I'm curious to see if I can reclaim my skills...time will tell.
If you're interested in learning, I have exercises to share, let me know in the comments.
Training at @swanseasyrcas
#calisthenics #swanseasyrcas #swanseacircus
"You don’t become consistent after you get good..."
The things I expected to transfer from circus training… did, but only halfway.
Mobility helped. Awareness helped. Strength helped.
But none of that replaces technique.
And technique has its own timeline, one that doesn’t care about how long you’ve been moving, performing, or teaching.
Being in BJJ again showed me something I had forgotten:
when you do gymnastics from age 7, then train and perform circus for years, the discipline becomes so normal that you almost forget what it actually costs to build it.
You forget the doubt, the clumsy phase, the frustration, the constant repetition.
You forget the feeling of being completely uncoordinated when everything is new.
But beginners feel that every single time they start.
BJJ made me face that reality again, not as a coach or performer, but as a student who has no foundation yet. Someone who reacts wrong, breathes wrong, moves wrong, and has to keep showing up anyway.
It reminded me that consistency isn’t motivation.
It isn’t discipline that magically appears.
It’s a behavior you practice, especially when you're not good yet.
Showing up when your technique is clean is easy.
Showing up when it feels foreign, when you don’t trust your body, when the ego gets loud, that’s where the learning actually happens.
And thinking about my students, I realized:
they enter my classes feeling exactly like that.
Not because they’re weak or “unathletic,” but because they’re stepping into something unfamiliar, something my body has known for decades.
So the connection between circus and BJJ became clearer:
You don’t become consistent after you improve.
You improve because you stayed consistent while you were still struggling.
That’s the part we often forget.
And the part beginners experience every day.
That's the part us coaches need to keep it in mind.
#circustraining #circuscoach
What being a beginner again taught me about my own body.
I’ve been physically active all my life. Gymnastics since I was 7, then circus training, handstands, straps, acrobatics, lots of circus disciplines, all of it taught me how to use my body in ways most people never need to.
So when I walked into a BJJ class, I thought I would at least “move well.”
But being a beginner again has a strange way of rewriting the rules.
My strength didn’t translate the way I expected. My flexibility didn’t save me. And the awareness I have in the air didn’t automatically exist on the ground. The moment someone put pressure on me, all of that disappeared and I reacted like anyone who’s new: tense, confused, and burning energy for nothing.
The hardest part wasn’t physical.
It was my ego, the part of me that’s used to being competent, used to understanding movement, used to having a foundation. Suddenly I was at zero again.
And that experience reminded me of something important:
Most people who come to my classes feel this every single time they start something new. Not because they’re weak or unathletic… but because they’re beginners. Because they’re stepping into the unknown. Because their body doesn’t yet understand the environment.
We forget how brave that is.
Getting smashed on the mats gave me a much sharper sense of what my students feel when they fail a skill, freeze in a position, or feel overwhelmed by something I consider “basic.”
It’s not basic for them. Just like BJJ isn’t basic for me.
Being humbled isn’t fun.
But it’s honest.
And honesty is a good place to learn from.
#circustraining #coachthoughts
Okay…I’m back again here.
Sharing what this account will be about from now. I want to share what training actually feels like: the process, fear/frustration, setbacks, and progress that takes time, not just highlights, perfect tricks and tutorials without context.
Looking to try something new this January? Join us at Swansea Academy of Syrcas.
For bookings click on our bio and check our website for all of our classes.
#swanseasyrcas #swanseacircus
As our incredible year of training and development at Swansea Academy of Syrcas concludes, we extend our gratitude to every student, every parent who supported their journey, and our dedicated staff whose dedication empowers our community.
This year marked a significant milestone as we officially opened our doors as Swansea Academy of Syrcas, a dedicated space for aerial and acrobatic arts.
Secure your spot for upcoming classes and continue your aerial, acrobatic and pole journey with us. Explore our full schedule and book conveniently via the link in our bio or our dedicated app.
We look forward to another year of development, creativity, and shared success.
#swanseasyrcas #swanseacircus
CONDITIONING CLASS | Building Strength, Step by Step
Yes, these exercises might look hard for some of you!
But here's the thing, everyone starts somewhere.
These aren't genetic gifts or superhuman abilities. This is what happens when you show up, push yourself, and have consistency.
I work with small progressions, consistent effort ends up with big results.
Everybody is different. Every journey is unique.
Join our conditioning class!
(Also available for 121's)
#swanseasyrcas #swanseacircus #ringstraining
