Toledo

Davy K’s Joint was hopping when The Monk and his staff arrived. This group featured sixteen students from all parts of the country.

The first to address the group was the Reverend Michael Hewitt who shared a wonderful message of hope for a great pocket billiards experience. Michael talked about knowing where you are going and how to get there and the fact that you do not have to travel this journey alone.

The Monk began his special workshop on the Four Strokes of Pool. Mid way through the course, this group paused to hear a word from Monk Master Levi Reed who talked about how it is to follow a prescribed and specific training program. Levi spoke from experience, as he has attended workshops in Detroit, Chicago and Orlando before he became a Monk Master.

Then it was back to the tables for more stroke work. The Monk helped each student build the skills that will help them realize the personal goals they set out to achieve. After the Punch stroke, Draw strokes, Follow strokes, The Monk then introduced the Toledo audience to Monk Master Sam Howell. Sam drove down from Minneapolis to share his program with these fine students. Master Sam spoke for about thirty minutes on the how important The Pre Shot routine was and demonstrated how to develop a reliable Pre Shot Routine.

This group worked for six hours without a break. As is the custom at Monk workshops, a large group went out for supper and sharing. Then is was right back to Davy K’s Joint for another six hours on Sunday.

Davy K was a great host. His place in Toledo is a first class room where you will always find a friend. Don’t pass up his world famous Coney Dog’s. I tried three of them and each was better than the other.

Bonnie Edwards delivered her finest program to begin this busy Sunday workshop. She took each student through a special series of experiences so they could find freedom from what has been holding them back. “You can’t solve today’s problems with today’s way of thinking” she told her audience. Through a series of written responses she helped them identify the problems and get rid of them. I always enjoy her presentations. Bonnie is a dynamic force in this game.

Phoenix

“This is the best thing that has ever happened to me in pool” says Travis Kennedy. The Monk, Tom “Dr Cue” Rossman and Bonnie Edwards combined to light up the Phoenix area pool scene with a one of a kind Monk 101 workshop.

On Friday night the group got together for five hours which included a dynamic trick shot show by ESPN World Champion “Dr Cue”. He performed to a packed house at Maine Street Billiards. Bob and Kara Leonard, Monk Masters, came down from Calgary Canada to help out.

The workshop included a seminar on the diamonds systems by Tom Rossman. This unique system is found in The Monk 202 volumes one, two and three. Tom taught for three hours and help the students gain a complete understanding of how to kick and bank. “I will never get caught on three fouls again,” said Kara Leonard. Kara later showed up in Minneapolis.

Matt Edwards put on a nine ball break clinic that was worth the tuition price. In no time at all, the students were making a ball on the break and getting a shot at the one ball.

Jessica-Louise Salizar beamed when she shattered the rack, making two balls and looking straight at the one ball. This seventy four year old pool player told us she would torture those who lived in her community when she got back to California.

The Monk gave two inner game talks on the first day and took the students through the punch stroke series.

“I could not believe I could move that cue ball to where I wanted it with just a stroke” said Lance, an up and coming player from Phoenix.

All the students dove into the material with a thirst for knowledge that makes a student ready to learn.

On the second day, Bonnie Edwards did a Peak Performance workshop that helped the students understand where they are going and what it is that holds them back. Once the students realized they had no limits, the class went forward as if each student was an advanced player.

The next few hours were devoted to getting each player into a pure stroke mode. Bonnie told them, “You cannot solve your current problems with your current knowledge.” After the stroke work, each player possessed a dynamic powerful stroke. The Monk called them to the middle table and demonstrated a shot that none of them have ever shot before. “I would have never thought of that shot,” said Bart from Chicago. Bart showed up later in Toledo. Then they went to their table and delivered the same stroke The Monk just demonstrated. On and on The Monk pulled them to the center and showed them high level stroke shots and each time they pulled off shots and strokes they did not know they possessed. On one table, Jessica-Louise nailed a deadly pair. She slammed the object ball into the corner pocket, brought the cue ball to the long rail, forced it to the bottom rail, back to the long rail and down to the other end of the table for position on the nine ball. At the same time, 12 year old Alex was able to hit the same shot with the same results.

The Monk called everyone to the center twelve times and challenged them at every level. This was non stop advanced level stuff that each student had no idea they could perform.

“What blew my mind was when The Monk put the cue ball and the object balls almost together and back cut it into the side pocket” said Bob Leonard. After this demonstration, the students rushed back to their tables to repeat this effort.

In The Monk 101 workshop we mastered the four strokes, cue ball speed and spent many hours mastering self from the best selling author in pool. We mastered kicking and banking from the world champion Tom “Dr Cue” Rossman. We mastered self from the highest level Master Practitioner in New Zealand, Bonnie Edwards.

Matt Edwards, a premier Monk Master who is in level eight of the Masters of Art in Pocket Billiards program, sponsored by Schuler Cues, arrived in Phoenix for The Monk 101 Workshop. Matt does a nine ball break clinic. This clinic is worth the entire tuition price. During the week while the workshop was in progress this young New Zealander found time to enter a couple of open nine ball tournaments. In the first one, the only player who could beat him was world champion Scott Frost. Scott put Matt in the losers bracket and waited for him make it to the finals before Mr. Frost finally prevailed.

In his next open nine ball tournament, Matt was put in the losers bracket by one of the top WPBA players who managed to go through the field without a loss. Meanwhile, Matt worked his way through the losers bracket until he once again met up with a world beater. Young Monk Master Matt Edwards would not be denied. He needed to win twice to claim the first place prize.

All in all, Matt can say the only player to beat him was world champion Scott Frost. Matt was able to take a few sets from this Derby City champion before he left town for Philadelphia.