1lbs Indian Clubs:
Are they created equal?
Which Indian Clubs are best?
When looking at Indian clubs from different brands, you will find: they are made of different materials; have different dimensions; and slightly vary in their acceptable weight deviation (ie the +/-% amount of their stated weight vs. their true weight).
With all of these variables, how can 1llbs Indian Clubs be compared between brands?
The comparison here - in our opinion - is a milestone in examining unconventional training tools. We hold this opinion because a method of evaluation is created with the intention of being fair and versatile enough so it can be used for future comparisons.
It was an awesome surprise for us to receive the YouTube Notification telling us that Zack Yanyk (aka Frankenlegs ) dropped a surprise Youtube video review of our Indian Clubs. This was exciting and nerve racking at the same time for a number reasons. Who is Zack Yanyk? We will tell you more in a moment.
Zack bought these clubs himself and he is one of the top instructors in the world and practitioners with Indian Clubs. Although we thought long and hard about the design and details of our 1lbs wooden Indian Clubs, an expert was giving his opinion.
We knew he would be fair and honest; however, did we disappoint and miss the mark? Did we miss something in the design process due to failed consideration?
You will soon see!
What we have provided here is an abridged and annotated transcription of his review. We did not remove any criticism but focused on providing his opinions in an easy-to-read format. We took some creative liberties in reorganizing some of the material he presented so it suited a written a work.
Who is Zack Yanyk?
Zack Yanyk is a Canadian Indian Club and Steel Mace Instructor based in Regina, Saskatchewan. We have included many links below where you can find out more him - and we definitely encourage you to do so.
Zack's Youtube Channel is highly recommended and worth subscribing to because of his genuine enthusiasm toward his practice and coaching in Indian Clubs, Maces, Gadas and much more. He is a passionate and dedicated teacher and instructor at the North America’s only Steel Mace training facility, Warrior Flow Fitness - which is his training facility.
Zack has a fantastic online course for Indian Club Training (link below) and we have witnessed his teaching and instruction first hand when we invited him and his coaches to Winnipeg in February 2020. You will learn and you will love the process driven methodology that fuels his instruction which make learning fun, accessible and memorable.
Where can you find Zack Yanyk and his training?
Online Indian Club Training Course: https://warrior-flow.mykajabi.com/ .
On Youtube: Frankenlegs
His Training Facility: https://warriorflowfitness.com/
Instagram: @frankenlegs
The annotated summary below was transcribed by DJ Guzda (1-5 August 2020). All errors and omissions in this BLOG are his, This summary has been reproduced with the permission of the creator, Zack Yanyk.
The writing style is conversational as it was transcribed from his video.
Hello "Fraken Fam" !
I'm going to be talking a little bit more about the White Lion Athletics' 1lbs Wooden Indian clubs today! Why?! Because I said I would drop a review of my thoughts on them and I want talk a little bit about them.
I ordered the 1lbs Indian Clubs from White Lion Athletics not long ago (July 2020) and I've been having some fun with them. I feel confident now in talking about their differences as well as what they help with (Give) and what they take away (Take) from (in terms of using them for movements with Indian Clubs).
THE SPECS: Material, Dimensions and Weight
First, let's talk about the specs though.
So these are 18 inch 1lbs Indian Clubs, they are made of pine and they weigh one pound.
Now, Indian Clubs, generally, when they say they weigh one pound - they weigh around one pound, especially the wooden Indian Clubs.
Polyurethane Indian Clubs, as they're mass produced in a mold, come out one pound more often than not. With wooden Indian Clubs, individual weight in a set of Indian Clubs vary.
Sometimes it's a little bit less and sometimes it's a little bit more. I've seen pairs, advertised as one pound that ended up being like 1.5lbs that could be fairly significant. But these clubs floored me.
I always weigh my clubs when I first get them. When I weighed these ones on my food scale, they came out to 461 grams, each exactly 461 grams each.
That is the only time I've ever seen that. The closest range I've seen before is about 10 grams. I have a set of clubs that are 2002 grams and 1992 grams respectively. So, there's only a 10 gram difference there. That was amazing to me.
These wooden Indian Clubs are exactly the same weight - to the gram. So, I'm absolutely floored on that; but I shouldn't be because, of course, DJ and Stuart out of White Lion Athletics made sure that they were pairing the clubs as close to each other as possible and the manufacturing the hand craftsmanship of these clubs was so top quality that they caught it down to gram. How amazing is that?
Their Shape: How do they move ?
As far as the actual shape and design of the club, every club moves a little bit differently: the shape and the design of the club cause them to move a little bit differently. How they're finished causes them to be a little bit different. So, let's talk about that.
The White Lion Athletics Indian Clubs club, when compared to the polyurethane Indian Clubs have a fairly thick handle.
Now at this point, I just want to note that because all Indian Clubs move differently, it's kind of hard to review Indian Clubs.
They all do something a little bit different. It's tough.
What I decided to do is not compare them against Indian Clubs of different designs, but to just compare them against the polyurethane Indian Clubs
The reason for this is that the 1lbs polyurethane Indian Club has kind of become the standard in the world right now. They're the easiest to get ahold and they're the ones that most people begin with, so I think it would be best to compare the wooden Indian Clubs to polyurethane Indian Clubs.
Now, I intend to make Indian Club comparisons such as this in the future and I will do my best to hold to that standard or come up with a new standard that works even better.
Comparing the White Lion Athletics 1lbs wooden Indian Clubs to the 1lbs polyurethane Indian club is how we're going to progress in this review.
The Handle: Moulinettes, Inside Wrist Rolls & Circles
The handle is a fair bit thicker on the White Lion Athletics Indian Clubs compared to the polyurethane Indian Clubs.
The pommel’s a fair bit larger as well.
Now the very, very first thing I noticed with these Indian Clubs is they're tough to move in the Forward Wrist Roll that most people call either Moulinettes or “forward flicks”.
Moulinettes
With polyurethane Indian Clubs - the thinner handle big pommel - I'm able to get a decent turn. Some Indian Club design help "The Turn" a little bit and some clubs take away from The Turn a little bit.
I do hate to say that these clubs, I think, take away from the movement a little bit for a couple of reasons.
Now, reason number one is the thickness of the handle. It is a very, very thick handle, which makes it so I can't really get a great grasp on this club. Now because of that, it makes the turn a little bit weird and I'd be worried for someone with a bit of a smaller hand.
Obviously, Give-and-Take on that (or just a Take on that), but the Give is because of that handle diameter and the size of the pommel the Inside Wrist Roll is easier.
So there's a little bit of Take in the Moulinette, it's not as smooth in the more than that because of the handle design; however, there's a little bit of Give because the Inside Wrist Roll is a lot smoother (a lot easier) because of the size of that handle. Also, the size of the pommel the transition makes it a lot easier because of how hand has to move. So big ups on that point: comparing them to the polyurethane 1lbs Indian Clubs.
Now that's just a very small motion and it is a very small part of some people's practice, so please bear that in mind.
Circles
The next thing I would say that they add to is that these clubs are probably the best clubs I've used for is circles: they are good for outward front circles or inward front circles because of the weight distribution.
That big pommel makes the Inward Circle (outward parallel or, whatever sagittal the smoothest I've ever swore they float. When you do Circles, it's a beautiful thing. I absolutely love them.
They feel weightless on the top and you get a little bit of pull on the bottom and it's a beautiful thing the club just moves fantastic when it comes to circles, I love that.
Weight distribution in a Club changes the way that an Indian Club will move and feel while it is swung in different patterns. These clubs have the weight fairly far back (toward the pommel) - it's deep. As far as club goes, it has a lot of space on the end, that makes it so that those circles feel super nice that plus the pommel make it to those circles feel super nice. That's "The Give".
Heart Shapes
The takeaway, unfortunately, is you don't get as much pull in your Heart Shapes. Swinging the club in a heart shape, you're not going to get the same kind of pull, you might with other clubs.
However, swinging the Heart Shape with the polyurethane Indian Clubs doesn't give you the torque either due to the length of them.
So, does it (the 1lbs White Lion Athletics' Indian Clubs) really take away? Is there a really takeaway into comparison to the polyurethane Indian Clubs?
No, there's no takeaway there. If we're comparing them to a different design of club, yes, there might be but compared to the polyurethanes and they feel the same for Heart Shapes.
Another takeaway is the weight distribution (in the 1lbs White Lion Athletics' wooden Indian Clubs) is so far back (toward the pommel) that it makes doing the Heart Shapes almost too easy. You don't get the same pull you would with other clubs but again, we are comparing to the polyurethane 1lbs Indian Clubs here. In comparing these two clubs: there is no Give to Take when doing Heart Shapes
Snakes
Now another place the White Lion Athletics Indian Clubs Give is the Snake. The large pommel, provides for a good secure grip on the handle compared to the grip than I might find with a smaller pommel.
The handle of course aids to that as well.
Now the weight distribution: because the weight is so far back - it makes pinning the club to the arm (during the snake) a dream. You barely have to do anything to pin it to the arm. It is awesome for pinning; however, the length of the White Lion Athletics' Clubs - compared to the polyurethane - is a little tricky to get used to, for some people, especially of a smaller stature less of a wingspan.
I still feel the length doesn't take away. The only place where there might be a little takeaway is in the Flick (during the snake) , and again, that just being the weight distribution, but compared to the polyurethane, I don't think there is a takeaway there.
Again, I think they swing just like the polyurethanes in The Flick during Snakes, but they have a smoother pin (to the arm) and a smoother transition around the arm.
Now another reason I would say these are superior in Snakes compared to the polyurethane is the polyurethanes are a plastic.
If it (the polyurethane club) gets rubbing around your arm sometimes it builds up a tonne of static. I know for me – personally- my forearm hairs start to stick up a little bit a little uncomfortable. I'm not a huge fan but the wood clubs, either varnish or oil do not do that. So these 1lbs wooden Indian Clubs (and every wood club) would you be Give on that front (meaning no static build-up during snakes).
The Varnish Finish
Another thing that makes the more than that tricky is this varnish, I prefer oil on Indian Clubs because I do a lot of Wrist Rolls in different ways and an oil on the Indian club just makes it feel like wood.
The varnish can get slick as you start to get sweaty or if you have anything else on your hands. I went to swing these clubs the other day having just eaten something and the club went shooting across the room.
Obviously, part of that is my fault: I should have cleaned my hands before I went for the swing; but later that day, too - after like 10 minutes - into swinging them in the humidity, my hands are a little slippery and I'm sending them a little bit while doing rest rules.
*******
The full and complete review can be found in video form HERE.