“The Day I Discovered the Legendary 1914 Farmer Burns Course… and Why His Old School Exercises Will Get You Fit Fast”
In 1914, Farmer Burns, a world champion catch-wrestler, physical conditioning expert and the teacher of Frank Gotch (another world champion), put out a by-mail course entitled, Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture. This butt-kicking course, divided into 12 power-packed, timeless and classical lessons; six on physical conditioning and health and six on catch-wrestling, is a literal gold mine of information. I looked for the course for years and no one I knew had it.
Then one day, in the fall of 1998, after giving a submission wrestling clinic back in my home state of Iowa, I was browsing through a bookstore in a museum, and literally felt the pulse of something on the bottom shelf jumping out at me. I looked down, squinted, then moved closer.
Are you kidding me? I thought. Is this for real? Could this actually be the course I’ve been searching for?
Yes. There it was, a solo copy of the Farmer Burns course, sitting there, calling my name. When I took my copy to the cashier, I could barely contain my excitement.
Later that evening, when I was back home visiting my parents, I took the course out of the wrapper and began reading it. Within minutes I was saying to myself, “This information is amazing. It’s too good to be lost. I’ve got to help make it available to those who really want it. They are going to be blown away at how profound and ‘right on’ these teachings still are.”
Farmer Burns, the man with a 20-inch neck at a bodyweight of 165-175 pounds; the man who could do a six-foot hangman’s drop and remain unharmed, was legendary for his wisdom on physical conditioning and catch-wrestling. His ability to teach via the spoken or written word was inspiring, and this gained him students from all over the country.
While in his 70’s, Farmer Burns was still a major force to be reckoned with.
His instructions on deep breathing, self-resistance exercises and calisthenics predated any other by-mail course that I am aware of in American history, including those of the great Charles Atlas.
Historically, many of Farmer Burns students were thrilled and content to get his course just for his conditioning exercises alone. If the student also had an interest in catch-wrestling or jiu-jutsu, he benefited even more. But mark my words, if you never venture beyond the physical culture and deep breathing exercises in Lesson One, you will be elated. Yes, they are that good!
As for those of you who are into collegiate style wrestling or submission grappling, you’ll love seeing the proper applications the Farmer showed for the Nelson series, including the 1/2-Nelson, ¾-Nelson, 1/4-Nelson and Full-Nelson. Then, for good measure, the Farmer shows you the proper way to do the hammer lock, various toeholds, neck cranks, wrist locks and other submission techniques.
Believe me, even if you already think you know how to do these holds, get this course because you are most likely missing several crucial details. And I better caution you to warn your training partner BEFORE practice begins. Why? Because these holds are so sophisticated, your partner’s neck, shoulders, arms and ankles may be super sore after you learn to apply them properly. We’re talking MAJOR cranking power.
The holds mentioned above, when done the way the Farmer taught, are in and off themselves (and the same goes for the conditioning techniques) well worth the price of the entire course. Most modern-day wrestlers are not taught these holds the proper way; if they are even taught them at all.
Conditioning Exercises that Keep on Giving
High school and college wrestlers I have trained have been shocked at how incredibly fast the conditioning methods alone give you strength in areas that always felt weak. As for various aches you may have in your knees, back, shoulders, arms and neck, you may be stunned with how well the Farmer’s exercises work for.
Yes, I’ve heard positive reviews from men and women, some of whom are beyond 60 years of age, raving about how they regained feelings of strength, vitality, mobility and youthfulness. I’ll always remember a woman in her fifties, who suffered from urinary incontinence, who called to tell me the breathing exercises in the course were the only thing she ever did that worked to alleviate her symptoms. Similar comments have come my way in regard to the possibility of positive effects the breathing and self-resistance exercises have had on E.D.
I, myself, am currently 58 years of age. I regularly practice the Farmer Burns exercises, and the benefits feel as though they are infinite. They keep giving and giving and giving.
How Much Knowledge did Farmer Burns Have?
You only need to read a couple pages of Farmer Burns 1914 mail order course, Lessons in Wrestling and Physical Culture to realize that we know far less than the old-timers. Not only that, if you are a person who can see the connection between Asian martial arts and the combat arts of the west, you’ll find plenty of beef in Farmer Burns course.
Although Farmer Burns didn’t call his deep breathing exercises “chi kung” – if the course were translated into Chinese, that’s what it would be called.
For example, here is a direct quote from the course: “Breathing exercises alone, if done RIGHT, will make many a weak man strong and many a sick man well.”
The Farmer also talks about other benefits of deep breathing, namely, the tonefying of internal organs and strengthening of the abdominal muscles that surround them.
Look at the quote below and tell me if it doesn’t resemble the teachings of Iron Shirt Chi Kung (the ability to take a strike to almost any part of the body and not feel pain).
“My own abdominal muscles are soft enough when relaxed, but when I ‘set’ them the muscles are as hard and rigid as the muscles of my arms or legs. In fact you might strike me with all your force on the stomach with your clinched fist and not cause the least pain. Many have done this and suffered more pain from the blow than I, for my ‘stomach’ muscles have been trained and developed just as carefully as all other parts of my body.
“I want every one of my students to ‘make good,’ and to develop an all-around physique, so be sure to take daily exercises for the development of the abdominal muscles. There is nothing better for this than my methods of DEEP BREATHING …”
Did you see that? Nothing better for abdominal development than deep breathing. Sounds like Farmer Burns was also connected to the same river of knowledge that the top martial arts masters throughout all of Asia practiced.
Let me tell you: I can’t recommend Farmer Burns course strongly enough.
In 1914, when this course came out, it cost people a fortune ($35.00). In fact, in today’s dollars, based on inflation, that would be $955.51.
That’s a lot of money, don’t you think?
But the truth is, the course would be worth every penny, even today, if the fee were $955.51.
The greatest news ever, though, is that, even with inflation, you don’t have to pay anything close to $955.51 to get a copy of this sensational life-changing course.
How much is it, then?
107-Year Anniversary Special
In order to put the Farmer Burns course into your hands without cheapening the immense value it delivers, you can now order it for the ridiculously low amount of $35.00.
This anniversary special is time-sensitive. I may pull it at any moment.
So, jump on this opportunity NOW. Get your copy of the Farmer Burns course for only $35.00 plus S&H (or via digital download without S&H).
Again, the course is divided into 12 lessons.
It contains instructions on deep breathing, stretching, isometric and isotonic exercises, dumbbell training, bodyweight calisthenics, self-defense, as well as a killer arsenal of catch wrestling holds (including submissions such as the dreaded toe hold and head chancery).
Well-illustrated, easy to follow … and now with a foreword by “yours truly” – as well as a glossy cover to help you preserve it.
On top of that, I’ve also thrown in a couple bonus surprises at the end of the course, that I believe you’re going to love.
Again, only $35.00 when you order NOW, while this 107-Year Anniversary Special lasts.
Click the order button right now to place your order for the legendary Farmer Burns course. Or download the digital copy and receive it straight away.
Click one of the buttons NOW to place your order:
P.S. If you’re interested in the 12 DVDS I created to go along with this course (also available as a digital download), you can find out more here…
