Coach Lochlainn's Story

Why I First Picked Up the Steel Mace

In 2017, my shoulders hurt. Every day, I was lucky to get away from the dull ache in both of my shoulders that seemed permanent. Each night, I couldn't ignore it because sleeping on my side always brought that dull pain back to center focus.

I felt tired of the pain, tired of feeling weak and vulnerable in my shoulders, and frustrated that nothing seemed to change even with strength training.

I knew how to train with barbells and dumbbells, so I did that. Long warmups followed by structured repetitions of Pull Ups, Presses, Rows, and everything else I could think of. I just wanted to rebuild my shoulders from the endless repetitions of strokes I did in the lap pool.

I injured my shoulders while training to become All American in high school competitive swimming. To our credit, we did succeed and even set a new school record in the 4x100 Freestyle Relay! (fun fact: the fastest guy on our relay team went on to swim for Harvard.)

But my shoulders were wrecked for years afterwards. Nothing changed that until I picked up the Steel Mace.

My New Shoulders

Boom! About 4 months into training regularly with the Steel Mace, I had new shoulders. I could reach where I never could before, I felt strong while lifting overhead, I felt flexible, and I felt safe to use my shoulders in any way I wanted to every day.

No more pain, no more dull ache, no more doubt.

What's more is that I felt powerful. Doing my 360s and Mills with the mace made me feel like an honorable warrior. I felt a far deeper degree of purpose to my training, and I owed it all to this new and "weird" training tool.

Flow, You Must

In March 2020, Covid shut down the university gym I visited daily. But I had my 20 lb Steel Mace and a grassy park nearby, so I got to work.

I knew how to swing the mace, but I'd never learned how to flow. I'd seen a handful of people online try it out, and I'd learned the Prayer Switch. That was all I knew.

So I fell back on my old Tang Soo Do forms. I started with the White Belt footwork to guide me. Step forward, step backward. Step out to one side, then step out to the other. I added a Prayer Switch between each, and that was my first ever flow!

I was determined to explore on my own, to do what felt natural and powerful. They were simple flows, just basic switches, a few swings, and lots of lunges.

But it was the most fun I'd ever had while strength training.

Mace Flow Mastery

Through years of trial and error, I slowly learned more about flows. I learned new landmarks, new transitions, new grips, new swings, and began to integrate them together.

While it was a deeply rewarding journey, it was not easy. I would often get stuck in a rut for months at a time, not knowing exactly how to move forward. I wouldn't know what new technique to practice next or how to use it in my flows. It was frustrating and confusing.

But the experience of breaking out of each rut and successfully adding a new move into my flows was incredible. As the flows clicked, I felt more and more inspired and fulfilled.

I dropped into deeper and deeper Flow States that had profound impacts on the rest of my life. I learned how to find joy in movement, how to release control, how to work with momentum, and how to still myself.

I found purpose, vitality, and power in Mace Flow.

Certified with Honors

As the inner sense of joy and passion surpassed an invisible threshold, I decided to become a teacher so that I may share this treasure trove with others.

I enrolled in the Steel Mace Flow Level 1 Certification with the world renowned Coach Frankenlegs, studied hard for months, and successfully tested out with honors. 

Flow Made Simple

I began teaching classes at Boulder Colorado's MUV Chiropractic & Yoga in January of 2022. Each class saw new students pick up a mace for the first time and enjoy the most unique strength training workout of their life. I taught two classes per week at MUV for 3 consecutive years. I am most proud that several students from my first classes also attended my final class at the end of 2024.

Classes lead to creating YouTube videos, which lead to creating the structured online 8 Week Course, which lead to creating the Mace Flow Mastery Fellowship.

The purpose of Flow Made Simple is to provide the clearest path forward for all fitness enthusiasts who want to experience Mace Flow.

Mace Flow changed my life and I wish this transformation for all who want it. Flow can be an incredibly difficult thing to understand because it breaks all rules of conventional training.

Flow Made Simple exists to bring students into the pure experience of Mace Flow without the years that it took me to do it.

I've helped thousands of students, and can help you experience the joy, creativity, and power of Mace Flow too.

If you are reading this want to have the life-changing experience of Mace Flow, begin by downloading my free Steel Mace Essentials eBook below. You'll have an incredible 14 day course to guide you, and I'll reach out to you to talk about your #1 goal.