Travelers sometimes find it difficult to exercise due to a lack of gym facilities, communication issues in foreign countries, or being forced to sign up for expensive gym contracts. Any of these situations can be very frustrating but there is a solution for for people on the road to stay fit and in shape … the Human Trainer Suspension Gym.

Suspension gyms always seem to be incorporated into popular workouts in some way or another. They are used by elite athletes to increase their all-round flexibility, agility and core. They also give you a great full body workout. They are portable, fun and easy to use.

The Human Trainer offers you a way to work out that is highly efficient, works your whole body, adapts to any fitness level and is actually fun.

Instead of using bulky weights, plates, or pulleys, The Human Trainer uses the human body for resistance. The dynamic resistance principal allows you to instantly adjust the amount of your body weight you are lifting by simply shifting your angle. You can lift as little or as much as you can by simply changing the angle of your body.

It allows you to switch from one exercise to another without consuming a lot of your workout time. With a simple adjustment of the detachable handle to any one of the five rings on the main strap and you’re on to the next exercise. With it’s unique dual strap design you can even do dips, chin-ups and pull-ups.

Engage you core and stabilizer muscles like never before. The multiple clipping positions mean that you can quickly adapt The Human Trainer to do a any number of exercises including:

• pull ups

• dips

• rows

• chest press

• ab crunches

• assisted squats

• tricep press

• and dozens more

The Human Trainer Essential Kit comes with …

• Two main straps

• Two hand handles

• Two foot cradles

• Two door stoppers

• User manual

• Door hanger

The doorstoppers are very handy when traveling and you don’t have a place to stabilize your suspension gym. You can even continue using the door with doorstoppers in place. The user manual gives you an all-round overview of the product and also includes instructions and even some illustrated exercises. The door hanger is comes in handy when you want to warn other door users that a workout is in session.

If you prefer to add on all the available accessories, you can consider the Full Potential Complete Kit. These extras include …

• Ceiling mounts

• Versatility anchors

• Extra hand handles

• Ab straps

The versatility anchors comes in handy when you are training outdoors and need to make use of trees or jungle gyms.

What we appreciate about the Human Trainer Suspension Gym is that it doesn’t take up a lot of room. It’s lightweight and portable so you can travel with it. It also has an attachment so it can be used outdoors.

If you want to enjoy a nice summers day, but also feel the need for a workout, no problem. Just pack your Human Trainer in a bag, find a suitable area at the beach, the park (jungle gyms or trees) and enjoy the best of both worlds.

You can check the Human Trainer out here.

The Busan Bandits RFC and Laochra Busan GAA in association with the Wolfhound Irish Pub & Restaurant and the Busan British Society hosted a friendly Beach Cricket event on Haeundae Beach, Busan.

The event took place on Sunday, May 5th and all participants met up at 12 noon in front of Palez de Cz, Haeundae Beach.

For future reference, check out the Google Map for directions.

With summer looming, it turned out to be a nice sunny day. The Bandits, with friends and family, showed up in full force and introduced beach cricket to Busan and Haeundae Beach. For many, it was their first taste of cricket and fun was had by all. The match naturally attracted a lot of local attention. Many people out to enjoy the warm sunny weather were curiously watching on and taking pictures.

After the match there was a lot of tired and sun-kissed bodies. Many of whom will feel the pain the day after. The Wolfhound Pub & Restaurant offered drink specials after proceedings on the beach and the ‘refreshment station’ was well attended.

Due to its success , more such beach events will be staged during the summer months. Watch this page for updates on upcoming events or Contact Us for more information.

Bring your family, friends or team, and join in on the fun. If you’re not sure what beach cricket is all about, scroll down to read more about the game.

AND, it is always a good idea to bring your own beach gear and refreshments for the duration of the event. 

Right, so …

Beach cricket is a casual version of the game played on the beach and includes just about anyone that wishes to play. Every player is free to participate in the making of the rules before, or as the game progresses. This makes it an ideal game for families, friends, wannabe cricketers and just about anybody who has never wielded the willow before.

While there are some serious competitions and tournaments happening on beaches around the world, each of which have their own guidelines and variations, we’ll make an effort to provide you with some of the basics. These basics covers most of beach cricket variations … all of which are loosely based on the conventional regulations of the gentleman’s game.

• Standard equipment includes a bat, ball (generally a tennis ball – it hurts less and tends to bounce more than any other kind of ball) as well as two sets of stumps (more than often a beer cooler at opposite ends will do the trick).

• If only one set of stumps (or none) is readily available, the non-strikers end can be marked by anything and everything. Just use your imagination. The strikers-end usually has a wicket-keeper, but again, pretty much anything can be used to try and stop the ball if missed by the batsman.

• There are generally no limitations or hard and fast rules as to the number of players allowed. Pretty much anyone and his (or her) dog can play. Teams may also vary from one (1) to a hundred (100) or even more per side! Whatever makes you happy on the day will suffice.

• Even the number of fielders depend on the rules that have been made up for the game. Often than not, everyone involved in the game can field until all the batsmen are out or retired. Simply decide what works best for you.

• Often the individual getting the batter out, gets to bat next. This will largely depend on whether you are playing as teams or as individuals.

• Matches could be made up of any number of overs per side (6 balls being one over). If time allows, more innings can be added in between the all-important lunch, drink and adult refreshment breaks.

• If there is a limited number of players, each player can keep their own scores or team up in twos, threes etc. This usually leads to any number of disagreements and controversy, but it’s all part of the fun.

• Wides and no-balls normally do not exist in beach cricket and the ‘leg before wicket’ (lbw) rule is optional at best – simply because there are no umpires involved.

• Batsmen can be out via any one of the usual methods such as being caught, run out, or bowled. More rules to get a batsman out can be made up – ANYTHING GOES.

• A ball hit directly (without a bounce) into the sea, is generally declared a six (6), but the responsible batsman is given out and has to collect the ball – no exceptions! Furthermore, if a batsman hits the ball into a group of unsuspecting (and pissed off) beachgoers, he or she needs to man up (or woman up) and personally collect the ball. Again, no exceptions!

• A one-handed catch frequently implies that the innings in play has come to a sudden halt (is over). Also, the batsman may be obliged to run when his or her bat touches the ball when attempting playing a shot. This rule is negotiable.

• If the ball is lost in the sand, or someone’s dog ran off with it, the batsman who played the shot may continue to run between the wickets until the ball has been retrieved. This kind of (rare) situation could lead to a record number of runs and possibly a mention in the Guiness Book of Records.

• Batters are allowed to keep their own score and must it call out at the end of each run. Cheaters are usually dealt with (harshly) after the match(es).

• Batters are generally expected to “declare” after reaching a 100 not out. This is to prevent the game from running out of daylight, boredom setting in, or even more concerning … running out of beers. These concerns could happen in any particular order.

• A match should never (ever) be stopped because of rain. A tsunami or cyclone, hurricane and typhoon (depending on where in the world and what beach you are playing) could well be an exception. Other than a possible (aforementioned) disaster, only an empty cooler may halt proceedings. SUCH irresponsible and atrocious planning is considered bad sportsmanship and is usually dealt with in any number of appropriate manners .

• Beach cricket rules are made to be stretched to the point of … well, you know what we mean. Just see what you can get away with on the day.

• Any participant found guilty of annoying calls, comments, cheating, backchatting and sledging are allowed to be (unceremoniously) dunked in the sea – or dealt with in any other manner deemed proper.

There you have it folks. Beach cricket is an improvised free-for-all game where anything goes. You can expect (almost bet the family farm on) fluke catches, demolished sandcastles, regular ‘adult refreshment’ breaks, idiots that hogg the batting, frequent tantrums and bitching as well as relationship breakups.

Watch the video below to get more of an idea of what it is about …

If you intend doing some more research into the game, you could possibly take a look at the rules employed in the Beach Cricket Tri-nations series which was contested in the past by former cricketing greats from Australia, England, New Zealand and South Africa.

Rules include eight overs in an innings, the use of ‘Captain’s Choice’ overs when the captains are allowed to field the batsmen and bowlers of their own choosing.

Also, when a batsman is dismissed, he or she keeps batting but loses runs. This means that, if a team is really bad, it is possible to make a negative score.

All seriousness aside, beach cricket is far more fun if you just relax and make up the rules as you go along.

It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get back up

… and that is exactly what the Bandits have in mind for the rest of the Korean Expatriate Rugby Association (KERA) season.

On Saturday, April 20th, Stars and Stripes (Korea) hosted a successful KERA 19-2 at the Paengseong Stadium, Arena and Sports Park, in Pyeongtaek.

The tournament saw the lads come up against some quality opposition in the form of the Ulsan Goblins and Stars & Stripes (Korea) teams, as well as the well-oiled Seoul Survivors machine.

As per the tournament structure the Bandits played three matches. First up was the Ulsan Goblins, who are also building a new team, and the Bandits came away with a decent win, scoring 3 tries to none.

Great day out for the boys yesterday. Some hard games with low numbers, but the team showed great heart and came away with improved results. Well done to our man of the match and Rugby debutante Brandon Augustin. A special thanks to Stars & Stripes Military Rugby Korea and Seoul Survivors Rugby Football Club for helping out with numbers. A lot to work on but massive improvement shown. Rest and heal up. Go Goblins!

Ulsan Goblins Rugby Club 울산럭비

In their second match of the day the lads came up against a rampant Survivors team who crossed the whitewash five times without reply from the Bandits. They stood up to the challenge however, and put together some decent plays. It was also a case of “welcome to the school of hard knocks” you might say and a steep learning curve for a number of lads who, until a few weeks ago, have never touched a rugby ball.

Great day of rugby in Pyeongtaek with the boys coming away with 3 wins against quality opposition.

Seoul Survivors Rugby Football Club

The third match was lost against an up-and-coming Stars team, who are playing some good rugby in 2019. The final score was four tries to none in favour of Stars & Stripes, making it a one from three outing for the Bandits.

The boys put in another solid days work on Saturday and posted some BIG wins to officially take second place in the KERA league standings. We are growing by leaps and bounds every tournament and have shown that we are not a team to be taken lightly.

Stars and Stripes Korea

After two successful years, taking the Joe Day Cup in 2017 and then keeping it in Busan in 2018, the Busan Bandits are in a rebuilding phase. It is nonetheless exciting times for a group of new players learning the basics of rugby. They are eager to improve their skills and make it count on the field. The training and match day turnouts are proof of that eagerness.

Most importantly, they are a group of lads who are embracing the spirit of the Bandits and enjoying themselves to boot.

The moment Erol realized he needed longer studs!

Message from coach Adriaan:

A huge thanks for everyone who came out yesterday. Proud of each and everyone. We asked for a bit more commitment on defence, and our tackling was much better. We created plenty of chances but they unfortunately didn’t come off.

There is plenty to be positive about. We will keep on improving and things will come together.

Big Ben had a great first tournament, we had the Goblin show his gas and had old hand Agar back in the mix too. Gary crushed some poor bastards with some big hits (including Gert-friendly fire).

Rest up lads and please clear the first weekend of June, as we will head up to Seoul and have a great night on the piss in Itaweon … right after we take some numbers on the pitch.

Some of you guys pitched up and played with injuries. Big shout out to you. Tough as hell.

Congratulations Jesse Farrelly for being selected as Busan Bandits Player of the Day!

Bandits for Life!

The KERA (Korean Expatriate Rugby Association) League moves on to Pyeongtaek, Gyeongi Province, this weekend.

On April 20th, the Stars and Stripes Korea team will host the 2nd tournament of the 2019 season and all the matches will be played at the 팽성레포츠공원입구. Kick-off is at 2pm and the tournament starts with the hosts playing Seoul Survivors.

Here is the match day schedule (kick-off times are subject to change):

• Stars & Stripes vs Seoul Survivors (2:00pm-2:30pm)
• Busan Bandits vs Ulsan Goblins (2:30pm-3:00pm)
• Stars & Stripes vs Busan Bandits (3:00pm-3:30pm)
• Seoul Survivors vs Ulsan Goblins (3:30pm-4:00pm)
• Seoul Survivors vs Busan Bandits (4:00pm-4:30pm)
• Stars & Stripes vs Ulsan Goblins (4:30pm-5:00pm)

After all the matches have been concluded, the teams will move on to the Tailgate Tavern for the prize-giving ceremony and social.

Please note that that the starting time for proceedings at the Tailgate Tavern will depend on any changes to the match schedule.

Click on the image for directions to Tailgate Tavern.