Chris Riddell

I had the good fortune to meet Chris Riddell at my Indian Clubs Basic and Intensive Mace Workshop that was hosted by Kelly Manzone at Wilton Sports and Fitness held in Wilton CT last September 2018. Since attending the workshop, Chris Riddell has taken up swinging Indian Clubs and Mace with a passion. Read her story…

What sparked your interest in Indian Clubs and Mace (gada) swinging?

Chris Riddell:- It wasn’t a choice of mine to begin swinging a Mace, but I’m grateful that it was put into my hands and then incorporated into my training. In the beginning, I was very bad at it, questioned whether it was something I would ever learn and nearly gave up out of frustration.

I was then shown an Instagram video of a very strong woman one arm swinging a Gada (I had only seen steel maces until then) and everything changed. Since then I’ve connected with many amazing and strong mace swinging women who inspire me daily, but Kelly Manzone comes to mind first when I think of how my interest was sparked.

Can you explain why you enjoy Indian Clubs and Mace (gada) exercise?

Chris Riddell:- I thrive on challenges and had been doing conventional exercises in a conventional gym for far too long. It takes lots of patience to learn Mace and Indian Clubs, but the process really is part of the fun and I find it easy to commit myself to do either one or the other daily. Exercise is therapy for me, so I’m feeling better than ever with my daily practice. 

When did you start swinging the Indian Clubs and Mace (gada)?

Chris Riddell:- I started Mace in March of 2018 and Indian Clubs in November, so I’m new at both.  

Who is your Indian Clubs and Mace (gada) teacher when you first started or did you learn from YouTube?

Chris Riddell:- I’ve been training with Kevin Rail for the last 4 months and I’m extremely happy with the progress I’ve made since then. It honestly feels like an unfair advantage and although we live in different cities, it surprises me how well training over Skype works. 

Considering your personal experience in swinging the Indian Clubs and Mace (gada), would you recommend it to other women?

Chris Riddell:- Absolutely!! And I think women, in particular, should be encouraged to swing a Mace. It was once used as a weapon, so there’s a real feeling of empowerment when you successfully swing a Mace that you just don’t get with a set of dumbbells. 

In your opinion, what are the benefits of Indian Clubs and Mace (gada) swinging for women?

1. Physically
2. Mentally

Chris Riddell:- When I’m doing my own workouts I love to pair Mace swinging with Indian Clubs. The Mace is the physical challenge, and an amazing upper body workout while the Indian Clubs do wonders for loosening my very tight shoulders. Building muscle is often overlooked by women, but I love that I can get stronger without having to lift anything all that heavy. 

Chris Riddell:- Both are mentally challenging and both have an almost meditative like effect on me, but for Indian Clubs, I really need to focus, which completely shuts out any other thoughts. I have a very busy mind and I’ve never been able to learn to meditate, but I feel very relaxed after a workout. Since women suffer from anxiety at higher rates than men, this kind of exercise is particularly beneficial. I just love how Indian Clubs calm me down.

Do you think women are likely to encourage their family and children to swing clubs?

Chris Riddell:- Yes! I have two teenage daughters and I regularly encourage them to try one or the other. I haven’t had any luck yet, but I think it’s fantastic for them to see an adult try something new and then embrace it. Regardless, I’m pretty sure they understand the importance of exercise for well being and my hope is that they become lifelong learners as well. 

Can you describe the features of your favourite Indian Clubs and Mace (gada)? 

Chris Riddell:- I’m very new at all this, but I can tell you with 100% certainty that I will always be a Gada person. I love the warmth of a wood handle and the added challenge of how unstable the light handles makes it feel. Right now I’m exclusively using a beautiful electric blue Gada that Tom Billinge made for me that I’ve completely fallen in love with. It weighs in at just over 13 lbs., which is probably close to the heaviest I will ever use, with a length of 48 inches from head to toe. I had a very rough start at the beginning with over gripping and pain, and I’ve found that pommels do crowd my hands, so at least for now, I’m avoiding them. Regarding Indian Clubs, I recently invested in my first real pair of wooden clubs from Rosewater Kinetics and I love them. 

Can you give an outline of your Indian Clubs and Mace (gada) training? Or do you mix Mace training with other disciplines like kettlebells etc?

Chris Riddell:- I’m in a really great place now with my training and have committed myself to exercise daily, but I also work with my coach twice a week. Other than Indian Clubs and Mace, we primarily focus on kettlebells and callisthenics, as I love being able to handle my own body weight well. I have significant limitations from a severe compound ankle fracture and unfortunately suffer from chronic pain.

Beginning to train with Mace and Indian Clubs was a catalyst for re-evaluating how I train, and I’m amazed at how a more holistic approach has really worked wonders for my injury. I’m now functioning better with less pain, I’m still getting stronger, and my quality of life has improved tremendously. I credit the coaching more than anything for this. 

Can you share your thoughts, approach and indicate the length of time needed to achieve this for a beginner?

Chris Riddell:- I had a very rough start with the Mace, and for about the first 6 months the instruction I received resulted in some horrible technique with over gripping and injury. My advice to anyone starting out is to find a qualified instructor who has lots of experience teaching. All of my breakthrough moments came when I received one-on-one training, either through a workshop or a training session. And now that I have a very qualified teacher training me twice a week, it almost feels like I’m cheating!!

How would you describe Indian Clubs and Mace exercises to a friend who has no idea how Indian Clubs and Mace (gada) are used, or what they are for?

Chris Riddell:- I get this question on a regular basis, so I usually first tell them about what I know about the origins and history of both, but then mention the most important benefits of both Mace and Indian Clubs to me. Exercise is now far more exciting as I know no matter how long I do this there will always be a new skill to learn. It’s more accessible making daily movement “therapy” easier for me to get accomplished since it can be done anywhere with equipment that’s neither expensive nor difficult to store. Most importantly, it’s really fun. 

Is there anything else you would like to share?

Chris Riddell:- I’m very honoured to be asked to do this interview since I haven’t been doing either Indian Clubs or Mace for very long, but I hope sharing my experience so far will be of help to someone. Also, I’m on Facebook and Instagram and love connecting with other enthusiasts, so I’ve included the links below.

https://www.facebook.com/chrism.riddell

https://www.instagram.com/chrismrid