Warning:This is a hotly debated topic among the fitness world. Some people really swear and live by them, and some people say they are not needed or only certain supplements are needed.
When I first started my fitness journey, supplements seemed to be popping out of the wood work. I could look at a fitness article without there being at least three adds for what would help me with energy, recovery, and muscle building. Or do I want the best performance for the time I put into working out? If so then use this product!
My head was spinning and I was so leery of being scammed that I tried to do as much research as possible. Because who does not want to get the best out of their workout, and not waste their time doing their workout? I decided to just change one thing at a time. I just wanted to get my body moving, and find a workout that I did not hate. That was my goal. I focused on working out then on my diet, trying to get all the nutrients in that I need. Because I thought and still do, that you can get most of the nutrients you need out of the food you eat. So even though I did research I still sat on all my information and just ruminated on it.
Now I do take supplements but use them just as what they are supplements. I take them to supplement my nutrition. I do not rely on them however have found them to be helpful.
If you are just starting out, and or just working out 2 times a week, at a very moderate to light level. Then I really don’t think you need to take these supplements. If you tighten up your nutrition and can get your protein, carbs, and fats in through food. Stick to that.
However, if you are training hard, doing HIIT workouts, training more than twice a day, and more than 30 minutes at a time… then I have found for my body, the supplements actually have helped me. Again, all I can speak to is what has and is working for me at the time. Experimentation is the key. Find what works for you and your body. Also of note, I am not a great meat eater. As a matter of fact I prefer plants to meats. Just as something my body processes better. So for that reason these supplements actually help me.
Ok So my “stack” of supplements I take are as follows:
(note: I am not sponsored by any of these companies and I am not paid by anyone to say this)
Pre-workout – BCAA’s + Caffeine – I take ON BCAA’s
Post workout – Recovery after strenuous workout, contains BCAA’s, B vitamins, electrolytes, replenishes glycogen, and carbohydrates –I take Vega Sport Recovery
Nuun – is an electrolyte replacement for hydration, low calorie, and low sugar. (15 calories, 1 g sugar, 300 mg sodium, 150 mg potassium, 25 mg magnesium, 13 mg calcium
Every day – Multivitamin, vitamin D, Glucosamine and Chondroitin ( This was prescribed to me by my doctor after my herniated disk. But is a great addition to your supplements as you get older for joint and cartilage repair.)
What is a BCAA? There are 20 amino acids your body uses to synthesize proteins. Nine of the 20 are considered essential, and your body cannot make these you must ingest them. Three of the 9 essential amino acids are the branch chain amino acids or (BCAA). They are Valine, Leucine, and Isoleucine. As a primarily plant eater I have a hard time getting in quickly soluble proteins. When you take the right supplement, you get all the BCAA’s that your body needs to repair your muscles from a strenuous workout.
These are the 4 benefits of BCAA’s:
Decrease muscle soreness- BCAA’s decrease muscle breakdown that can lead to soreness, so you have DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) for a shorter period of time.
Builds muscle – BCAA’s leucine activates protein synthesis, to help build muscle
Prevents muscle wasting – When your body is low on BCAA’s it will break down your current muscle and re-synthesize its proteins for what it thinks you need. This breaking down and re-synthesizing is normal body process, and the BCAA’s help prevent that even if its just a little bit.
Reduce exercise fatigue – BCAA’s are used up when you exercise, and as the levels of BCAA’s decrease in your blood, your body releases tryptophan to your brain, which makes you brain think you are tired and fatigued. The theory is taking them before workout keeps the levels high in your blood and therefore you can work harder for longer.
You don’t need the BCAA’s before every workout, and you don’t need to drink the Vega Recovery after every workout. You want really want to take them only if you did or are going to do a hugely strenuous workout. Also you want to take time off taking the preworkouts that have added caffeine in them.
Here are some BCAA’ rich foods:
Greek Yogurt
Eggs
Chicken
Turkey
Tuna
Beef
Milk
Soy Powder/Milk
Whey powder
Why Are These Supplements Great For Me?
Here is why they are great for me. Over the holidays, I ran out of BCAA’s. I went for a month without them, and I was doing fine. However, I noticed that my muscle fatigue and soreness was sticking around a bit longer. I took it again last night and had a much better sleep this last night. I woke up not feeling like my muscles had been run over.
Also during Thai Camp, I became desalinated. I took my BCAA’s in the morning and made sure I was drinking plenty of water. This is great for a normal workout but after about 4 hours of working out that day, water and pre BCAA’s was not enough. I got a major cramp in my calf, and needed magnesium, potassium, and salt replaced. It also took a massage therapist to help me calm the muscle down. I was facing another 3 to 4 hours of training that day, and I made sure I replaced what I lost in sweat, and what my body was burning through.
Again do your research, find something that will work for you. If you are vegan or vegetarian a great product I like and its called Vega. As with everything, look at the ingredients and make sure they source their ingredients from reputable places, and with good nutrition.
As always thanks for reading. My respects to you, and have a great day!
Muscle memory… in general I don’t think I know much. I mean when it comes to martial arts. I have been training for nearly two years in Muay Thai and Kali, with a smattering of JKD, Silate, and very little BJJ. I am often looking toward the next little thing to tweak. The next skill to learn. So when my instructor says, we are doing X, and I know exactly what to do I am amazed. Further more when my instructor says we are doing Y, and I am hazy about the terminology but I have done it so many times, in so many different configurations, that I have muscle memory, and my body just does what I need it to do.
I googled Muscle Memory and this is the first response that came up: “The ability to reproduce a particular movement without conscious thought, acquired as a result of frequent repetition of that movement.”typing relies heavily on muscle memory” “
Tuesday 9/10/2019 – 2 hours of training Muay Thai and Kali
Muay Thai – compliments on my movement, heck I am moving more.
The ability to reproduce a movement without thinking about it. Yup! This week I am noticing more muscle memory. Movement… I am moving more. By this I mean pivoting my feet correctly, getting in and out of the pocket, cutting corners, and in general just getting out and away from strikes.
I got a compliment on my movement. My instructor Kru Kristen is so happy to see me moving more. What I mean is my pivot is much better on my punches. My head movement is getting better. I am getting my head off the line. I am slipping the punches more. I am covering with windshield wiper more. I am in general upping my fight game. Yay!
Today we worked on: Countering jabs and returning strikes
Parry jab down and returning a jab right away. (This is great for taller people, or people taller than their opponent. )
Parry the jab slip and return a gut jab (This is better for the shorter people.
Scoop the jab, pulling in your opponent, and then returning a over hand. (This is good for almost all people)
We returned hook, or upper cut, cross, and then bob and weave a hook to head, then boogie out or step in and shoulder bump.
Kali – disarms and chokes
In Kali, today’s training muscle memory kicked in. Because when my instructor asked us if we remember the high box. My brain did not remember the term, but when we were working on the drills, my body kicked in. 15 strike, block strike incoming, strike 2 returned, block incoming strike.
We worked on disarms, inside deflect which is plus sign disarm, and vine disarm.
We worked on disarms, outside deflect which is equal sign disarm, and snake disarm.
We worked on kumbiata switch to triangle chokes
We worked on getting out of those chokes and returning a paper cutter choke.
Today was a great day of training.
Thrusday 9/12/2019 – 1.5 hours of training Muay Thai and Kali
Class was fantastic today. I love love love Muay Thai and Kali. I can’t put into words how much I love the martial arts styles. I will try here… I really believe it is because of my two great trainers/instructors, and because of the culture of the gym. Because of these two ladies their teaching style and encouragement, this is such a part of my life that I rearrange my other obligations and jobs so that I can continue and improve my skills with these ladies.
I am crazy enough that I am going to try to add in BJJ into the mix. I am going to try to see if I can at least attend one BJJ class a week, maybe two starting next week.
Muay Thai – Countering crosses and returning strikes
In Muay Thai now, I know how to do many things. I don’t know all the things mind you. I rely on my muscle memory to carry me through, and then I try to focus on the little tweaks I need to make. Like lifting my elbow to more horizontal to throw the hook correctly. Working on my foot work (meaning pivots, and getting in and out of the pocket). In general working on my form. I know the basic drills, now its time to tweak and improve my fight game.
Parry jab, and parry cross down, returning a cross to head(This is great for taller people, or people taller than their opponent. )
return hook, cross, then bob and weave to get out
Parry the jab, then parry the cross slip and return a chest cross (This is better for the shorter people.)
return hook, cross, then bob and weave to get out
Parry the jab, then parry the cross slip and return a gut cross (This is better for the shorter people.)
return body hook, head hook, cross, then bob and weave to get out
Then we worked on pop the leather. Where each two group person does a 4 count combination.
Kali – disarms
We worked on disarms and chokes as well again. Today I had to leave early to go and get H from the airport. He was coming back in from a business trip.
I was acting as a single parent for 4 days of the week. Let me say those single parents out there my hats off to you. I was happy to see my husband, but I was also so happy to have my partner and fellow parent here to help with the kiddos.
This week I only made it to two of my martial arts 5 training days. Wednesday baby girl was sniffling and had a runny nose, and I was on my own so I decided to let her rest. On Friday I had my husband home and we got a much needed date night away from the kiddos. Today we decided to just rest and let everyone recoup. Life happens and I feel like I have grown realizing that not all the time will the schedule work.
I have a new martial arts class to look forward to this next week. Brazilian Jui Jitsu, I am hoping it will be ok for my back. All I can do is try it out and see.
Keep working to make yourself the best you can be, and thank you for reading. As always please let me know if you have any questions. My respects for you all.
Tired of the boring tuna salads. Try this one it is got great flavor, awesome texture, and loads of crunch.
I had to make lunch for myself and my husband. I had tuna, I thought I had pickles but alas my kids ate them all. But good thing they did remove the old empty jar out of the refrigerator. So instead I used Giardiniera. Giardiniera is a pickled vegetable mix. It is hot/spicy and tart. I added onion, tomato, and some mayonnaise. On the one rice cake I put sliced avocado, with some lime juice, and topped it with the tuna salad mixture. On the other rice cake I put sliced of cucumber then topped it with the tuna mixture. I added no other salt. The salt from the Giardiniera and the tuna itself was plenty.
My husband loved the avocado one better, but he liked both of them. I loved both of them.
If you are looking for a lunch version without extra carbohydrates, I like to put my salad a half of an avocado and just eat it that way. You lose the nice crunch of the rice cake but it is still equally tasty.
2.5 oz of Tuna (I used Tuna Creations this one is herb and garlic, you can use a canned tuna as well. I would add some powdered garlic)
10 cherry tomatoes cut into quarters
2 tbs or 20 g of onion diced
2 tbs or 20 g of Giardiniera diced
1.5 tbs or 21 g or mayonnaise
4 rice cakes
1/2 avocado
20 sliced of cucumber
Directions:
Cut veggies. Mix together Giardiniera, onion, tuna, tomato, and mayonnaise. Arrange rice cakes, layer veggies on the rice cakes, and then add your tuna mixture to the cakes. Serve and enjoy.
Stats/Calories for 1 serving or 2 rice cakes
Caloires 368, Fat 19.1 g, Fiber 9 g, Carbs 41.2 g, Sodium 475 mg, Protein 13 g.
Stats/Calories for the entire recipe or 4 rice cakes
Tips: you can add pickles instead of the Giardiniera. You can omit the mayonnaise, but I would add something like mustard to give it a binding ingredient. If you are going to omit pickles or pickled veggies, I would add the juice of a lime to give you some acidity.
My scoliosis pain is so bad this month. When one vertebrae goes out sometimes it causes a chain reaction of vertebrae and joints out of place. That is what has happened this month. I am trying to get ahead of it. I am still working out, but it hurts… the old me would not do anything when I hurt. If I stopped doing anything when my back hurt, I would have to stop everything I do and lay here like a lump on a log.
Workout:
15 minute elliptical trainer (instead of run, to minimize impact on my back)
Bulgarian split squats reps – 15 R, 15 L, 13 R, 13 L, 13 R, 13 L
with a resistance band around lower legs/above ankles, feet shoulder width apart, squat and walk forward keeping knees over toes not to go over toes, keep a straight back and staying in a squat for entire exercise. Walk backwards when you get to end of the gym.
3 minute Banded Sideways walk – this exercise burns the gluteus medius
with a resistance band around lower legs/above ankles, feet shoulder width apart, squat and take small steps keeping squat all the time.
3 minute leg lifts/ kick backs – this works the glutes, and vastas lateralis
with the resistance band around lower legs/above angles, 1 minute of right hand lateral leg lifts, 1 minute of left handed lateral leg lifts, 1 minute of rear kick backs
found this image on pinterest
So today I focused only on the legs and glutes. I avoided high impact workout, and worked around my neck.
I went to my chiropractor today and found I had my C1 and C2 were subluxated. Those vertebrae are also known as the atlas and axis respectively. They are at the top of the spine right under skull.
Keep working on what you can work on. Take the time you need, and sometimes pushing through is all you can do. Thank you for reading. My respects to you.
Woo this month in Muay Thai we are focusing on boxing. For the more advanced students Kry Kristen is focusing on the more technical side of boxing. She mentioned when she started Muay Thai she would throw noise punches out there that did not do anything just to get to kicks, however, when she figured out how to pivot and move her feet properly to get power into her punch it changed her game entirely. Anyway this week I completed 6.75 hours of training.
Tuesday 9/03/2019 – 2 hours of training Muay Thai and Kali
So I know people learn in one of 4 ways. When I was a child they tested me and found I learn all 4 ways equally. This is… wait, I just read an article stating that the learning styles are not exactly accurate… however, when I was a little girl… Hrm… that makes me sound really old. But non the less… when I was little, they tested me and I learned all 4 ways equally. What are the 4 ways you ask? (Memorization, Visual, Auditory, and Doing/manual manipulation) Apparently your preferred method of learning changes based on what you are doing. You don’t learn math just verbally, and you can’t learn language very well just by seeing pictures. So what I was going to say goes out the window.
However, that all being said, and my verbose description aside, for me and martial arts visual seeing it done, verbal, and writing it down is really helping me. So I am going to make another chart for boxing ranges and High/Mid/Low lines shots. Here is the chart below.
For today’s class, Kru Kristen was explaining the different areas for strikes in boxing. How if your opponent goes for the high line, you drop your level and hit say a hook to mid section of your opponent and get the mid line etc. If the go low, you guy high, or mid line. She did not want to be to esoteric but thinking of the opponents body in terms of shapes and areas in those shapes to strike are helpful she said. For me this description is very helpful. I love the thought of this. I am an artist and I think and see shapes all the time. I see the way things are made up, so thinking of my opponent in shapes and how they are made up, to see where to hit in response to something just made a light go on. (see doll above, for shapes and strike areas)
Training:
1 x 3 minute round jump rope warm up
1 x 3 minute round plus sign range management drill
1 x 3 minute round plus sign range management drill with 1/4 turns
The goal of this drill is to focus on pivot, and foot placement on the punches, the head movement and the deep step, then the shoulder check to close range. You are going to be in the inner mid line with the hook before you bob and shoulder check.
Jab
Cross
Hook
Cross
Bob
Deep step in to right side of opponent and shoulder check
Either get out, or continue to press the strikes
Cross to Hook burn out drill
The goal of this drill is the same, pivot, foot placement, and range management, also adding change in level of strikes.
Jab
Cross
Hook to body
Hook to head
Bob
Deep step in to the right side, and shoulder check
Either get out, or continue to press the strikes
Body hook, Head Hook, Cross burn out drill
Windshield wiper shoulder bump drill
Windshield wiper = Lead hand covers belly, rear hand covers side of face usually on lead side face. Reverse when bobbing other side, rear hand covers belly, lead hand covers face.
Foot work, is female triangle, or rear step out to side of opponent.
Bob with lead shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders
Bring feet back together, and hands up covering face
Step with lead foot to lead foot to side of opponent
Bob with rear shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders
Windshield wiper shoulder bump drillwith hook, or uppercut
Foot work, is female triangle, or rear step out to side of opponent.
Bob with lead shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders Bring, throw a hook/upper cut to opponents head (for drill shoulder so you don’t hurt your opponent)
Step with lead foot to lead foot to side of opponent
Bob with rear shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders throw a hook/upper cut to opponents head (for drill shoulder so you don’t hurt your opponent)
Kali – 6 count drills
In Kali today we covered the basic 6 count drills. It was nice to work on something we have done before and we have the muscle memory for it already. Some days its nice not having to tax you brain. Muay Thai did that for us today already, so tonight was nice. I turned off my brain and just went through the movement. I tried to make my movements more smooth. Tried being the operative word there.
Wednesday 9/04/2019 – 1 hours of training Muay Thai
We worked on the same things we did yesterday, however, today we added one more drill. Also I worked with a girl who is brand new and because of that I went slower, tried to help teach her how to hold pads, and just made sure she was comfortable. While I go slower, I work on my form. Today I worked on my pivot and the escapes.
Escapes we worked on:
Lateral step in and bump with shoulder to mid section, then bump with other shoulder to create space.
Boogie out ( a way to get out of the corner, or cut a corner)
Quarter turned out and side shuffle out
Warm Up:
Monster walks with resistance band forward and backward across the mat
Side lounges across the mat with resistance band down and back across the mat
Contra Lateral Movement, bear crawls, side ways across the mat and forward and backward across the mat
Agility Ladder drill – Ali Shuffle x 3 minute round
Found the Agility Ladder drill on youtube so you can see it:
New combo we worked on today:
Jab
Cross
Lead upper cut
Cross
Quarter turn and side shuffle out
Today was a good day. Kru Kristen complimented me on my form and movement. She said the more I get into boxing stance. The more I move properly. I am using my body for my strikes and moving my head. That is great news, because when I spar I tend to feel very stationary. I need to learn to move and keep my movement dynamic.
Thursday 9/05/2019 – Took today off, scoliosis was hurting me and causing headaches all day.
Friday 9/06/2019 – 1.75 hours of training Muay Thai – Balance is king, and making your Thai pretty
I love working with Tony, he has a different perspective and he has points of view I had not thought of. When you train with a instructor in Muay Thai, and you go out there in the world, you are representing your trainer/instructor. Muay Thai practitioners really believe, that you represent all of your instructors. (I to believe this, and try to show respect in all things, and only do what would make my instructors proud.) I have mentioned it before, but when you learn from a instructor, when they take you under their wing and decide to teach you, they are taking you into their family. They are taking you into their lineage.
I am lucky and honored to have Tony, Kru Kristen, and Khun Kru Krysta instructing me.
Today while we were training he talked with us about making our Thai pretty. We are representing him out there in the world and he loves it when people recognize his families art as pretty. He emphasized taking the power out of the kicks and the knees. He wants us to put them out there, make them pretty, work on our balance and then the power comes later. He really likes us to feel our bodies and how they work. You can see this in the warm ups we do. I really love the differences between my instructors. I get the best of so many worlds.
I started my workout 30 minutes before class started.
Training:
5 minutes of stretching
5 minutes walking knees across the mat
10 minutes bag work for, working on kicks, teeps to kicks, and closing the distance for knees
10 minutes of windshield wiper bump drill first on bag, then with partner
Training in class:
10 minutes of jumping rope
1 round of easy walking kicks to shields, using both orthodox and south paw stance.
(He wanted us to losen up our hips, get our body moving, and feel how our hips move. Because all to often we are tight we are holding our hands up to cover our faces which is good, but then we tighten everything else.)
1 round of rear driving knees
20 push ups
1 round of pad holding for your partners rear driving knees.
(Tony emphasized that the pad holders responsibility is to hold well for your partner. If they are shorter you should lower your stance and hold it lower for them. His contention is that yes a shorter person can kick higher, but that is a different motion and different kick, than say a torso kick at the shorter person level.)
20 push ups
1 round of lead teep, to switch step to lead knee.
(The key here is balance. You want to be able to teep a person to stop them from coming forward, but not eject them. You then want to have your shield up for the second before you switch step into a driving knee.)
20 push ups
1 round of holding pads for your partner
(The key here is that he wants the pad holder to not move back on the teep, and to get enough resistance and push back that the knee-er knee is pushed back down and then can get back into stance again. We need to be good pad holders so that our partner can work the drill correctly too. )
20 push ups
2 rounds of sets of 50 machine gun kicks.
( We worked both sides. after about the 200th kick I was gassing. He wanted the power taken out of it and for us to feel the movement and get the speed in. We ended up doing about 250 kicks per round)
Today was a great day of class. I loved it. I am glad I took the day yesterday. I could have pushed through but the way I was feeling was not conducive to a great training day. Some days I just have to take it off. I am slowly coming to grips with that.
Also today I was working on putting more weight on my back leg, and less on my front leg. I have a habit of leaning forward in my stance and that is not good. I makes me slower and less able to react quickly and reduces my power. Tony wants us to feel our bodies and how they move. I noticed my driving knees were so much more powerful when I just leaned back more on my rear leg. This was a light bulb moment for me. We are told to do just that lean back more, but it is hard to feel/see what they are talking about till you drill it out and figure it out on your own body.
Saturday 9/07/2019 – 2 hours of training Muay Thai and Staff – waking up on the wrong side of the bed
Today was one of those days where when you wake up and all the little things that irritate you or upset you through the day add up, you wish you just had not gotten out of bed. Yeah… today was that day. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed as I heard my elders say when I was a wee little girl.
I won’t list all the things that made it bad, or annoying, or sad, just that it was, and so it colored my day. It also made me doubt myself and have to cut out of staff class just to go check that I had unplugged a waffle iron. I wanted to make sure I did not burn the house down. So I missed a good half of staff class.
I had the pleasure of working with my trainer/instructor Khun Kru Krysta and I got to see all of my Thai family and my Kali family. That was nice. I shown up, and I tried to put the work in. As my friend said to me today, “even if you only put in 25% while you are here, you are here and you tried. You did not give up when you had a bad day!” So yeah I did that.
Training today was all things we have done and have been studying. This is good. This is great, because I did not have to over think what I was doing. I could just let for the most part muscle memory take over. Even though I felt like the kicks I was putting in were terrible. I was putting them in, and correcting as I was going.
Staff – We worked on various redondos and backhands.
Striking/Muay Thai Class – we worked on catch, parry, and returning 4 counts to opponent, teeping them and then getting out.
This is a video of me working on some of the drills we did in class. As you can see I am working on my technique. I am just not 100% today.
Well I hate ending on a down note. Wait a second it is not a down note. I went to class I worked things out. I did not let the little things stop me. I might have had a moment here and there that got me down, but I worked through it.
Thank you all for reading. If you have any questions feel free to ask. My respect to you and I hope you follow your dreams to become the best you that you can be.
6.5 hours of training this week. Its been another great week of training. I had some hiccups in my week. Work, and life got in the way, so I missed my weight lifting workout, and got some needed chiropractic adjustments. This is a holiday week for us in the U.S. so there is no class on Saturday.
Tuesday 8/27/2019 – 2.5 hours of training Muay Thai and Kali
Muay Thai – Pra Jiad test prep
In Muay Thai today we practiced the fundamentals. We worked only on the Full 4 counts. The Thai 4 counts that he added to and developed by Guro Dan Innosanto. He took original Thai 4 counts and added 4 more. Starting with the Jab, and Cross.
Thai 4 counts are:
Left to Right –
left kick
right cross
left hook
right kick
Right to Left –
right kick
left hook
right cross
left kick
Left to Left-
Left kick
Right cross
Left hook
Left kick
Right to Right
Right kick
Left hook
Right cross
Right kick
The added combinations are:
Jab, cross, left to right
Jab
Cross
Left kick (walking kick)
Right kick (walking kick)
Jab, cross, right to left
Jab
Cross
Right kick (walking kick)
Left kick (walking kick)
Jab, cross, left to left
Jab
Cross
Double left kick (speed kick)
Jab, cross, right to right
Jab
Cross
Double right kick (speed kick)
We then worked on pop the leather where our partner got to do a 4 count then we got to do a 4 count.
A lot of power in Muay Thai comes from the hips. So when you throw a punch you are throwing your body and hip as well. Sometimes pivoting sometimes not but surely using your hips. Its all in the hips.
Kali – Saint Uriel
Woo in Kali we worked on a new running saint, Saint Uriel. But I am getting ahead of myself.
We worked on:
umbrella 6
Umbrella 8
Umbrella 7 (which always takes a minute to get used to)
Umbrella 18 (two sets of umbrella 7, with a transition)
Saint Uriel
I had a blast. My brain kinda bent, but was not melted today. After a Thai class I love having Kali. Its a great way to wind down the physical and get your mind going then I pass out when I get home and showered.
Wednesday 8/28/2019 – 1 hour of training Muay Thai
Today we trained for 1 hour. We worked on basics. Knees to kicks, working on range management (whether to do a leg kick, torso kick, hop kick, or stutter kick). When we go back to basics we get to work on our form and foot work. Which is supper important.
Warm up:
1 x 3 minute round of jump rope
1 x 3 minute round of shadow boxing
Training: (manage your range, and choose leg kick if you are two close, torso kick if you moved them a little with your knee, and if you moved them a lot do a hop kick)
Rear knee to Lead kick
Lead knee to Rear kick
Lead knee to Lead kick (focus on stutter step, to decrease time between strikes)
Rear knee to Rear kick (focus on stutter step, to decrease time between strikes)
30 sit ups
50 Russian twists
Stretching
That is all for today. I got a good sweat in, but it was not super taxing. I had fun, and I worked on form.
Thursday 8/29/2019 – 1.5 hours of training Muay Thai – Pra Jiad Test!
I was awarded my blue pra jiad! Woot!
Today was the pra jiad test. I was so excited. We get to see just how much we have learned, and how many skills we have picked up. Also today my left elbow is giving me hell. It hurts and I was annoyed it hurt. But this is part of Thai Boxing. Injuries will happen, its how you treat them, deal with them and train around them that matters. So I just did not throw the punches in with my left hand full force, and I made sure that my form was perfect as can be on my holding pads. One last thing I did was make sure my partner knew my elbow was being a bum and that I was going to not hit hard with that arm.
Kru Kristen had us separate in three rows of people. She had us start with a technique demo. To give you an partial example we did the following:
Boxing stance
Kicking stance
Elbows #1, #2, #3, #4, #9
Knees
Some kicks
Then she had us break into pairs and drill the following: (not in this order)
Trigg 10
Boxing 20
Full 4 counts
Four boxing hits and out
2 x 3 minute conditioning rounds (three kicks hard one side, three kicks hard other side, then clench and 5 knees)
Pop the leather
It was fantastic. It was hard, and the last two conditioning rounds had me gassed at the end. I love working that hard. I loved testing to see where I was. I made mistakes and I could see them, but I kept going.
So yeah I got my blue pra jiad. I could not be happier and or more proud. Woot!
Friday 8/30/2019 – 1.5 hours of Muay Thai Training, with Tony – Body Hooks
Today we got to work with Tony. He is an amazing instructor and has ring experience. He wanted us to focus on body shots today, and getting in for the jab cross and laying in the power with the body shots.
I look forward to Tony’s classes cause I know he is going to work us hard. His classes tend to be more conditioning, with an equal amount of skills training.
Before we started class I was working on the boxing 20, trying to make my flow better and keep my strikes coming in time, and keep moving. I also noticed after looking at the video among other things I need to bring my elbow up for my hooks. Sigh… but I am learning and hopefully getting better.
The combo is:
Jab
Cross
Hook
Cross
Bob and weave
Cross
Hook
Bob and weave
Hook
Cross
Cover incoming right body hook
Left Upper Cut
Cross
Cover incoming left body hook
Right Upper Cut
Hook
Cross
Slip the incoming Supper Man Overhand punch
Either should into opponents mid section, or deliver a right body hook
Left hook
Overhand Cross
Here is the video.
Training:
1/4 mile run
1 x 3 minute round of jumping low hurdles with both feet sprinting to the end and jogging back
Jab, cross, body hook
Jab, cross, body hook, head hook, cross
Left horizontal elbow, clear pad or hand, to throw right horizontal elbow.
1 x 3 minute round of conditioning kicking. 5 rapid/machine gun kicks, on the left and right hand side.
1 x 3 minute round of jumping rope
It was a fantastic class. I had a great time, and I definitely got my conditioning in. I get to work with a great group of people.
Thanks for reading. I hope you all had a great week. I sure did. I passed my pra jiad test or “powered up” as my daughter described it. I had a blast and got to work with my team mates my extended family. My respects to you all. Keep working to be the best you that you can be.
This picture was sent to me courtesy of Niki. She is an awesome lady and she was a great friend made at Thai Camp.
Friday Day 3 at camp 7/26/2019
These are the stats that my Fitbit recorded during this day: 35,136 steps 5500 calories 300 active minutes
I don’t know that I have to say much more than that above. Just the shear amount of steps, calories burned, and active minutes should give you a good indication of how that day went, and what it was like.
However, I want to catalog this adventure and save it so I can look back at it. As I mentioned in the last Thai Camp post, day 2, I was told day 2 was the worst. I think however, day 3 was the worst day. My body was exhausted, my feet hurt, my muscles were so tired I felt I had to jump start them with a Dopio (double shot of espresso).
I was excited, and tired, and worried I would not make it through the day. I was happy to see the people I had met and made friends with.
I am sure almost everyone has heard this saying. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger. Or something similar. There may be something accurate about that saying.
What doesn’t kill us may make us stronger as a group, according to findings from new research published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. The research suggests that, despite its unpleasantness, pain may actually have positive social consequences, acting as a sort of “social glue” that fosters cohesion and solidarity within groups: “Our findings show that pain is a particularly powerful ingredient in producing bonding and cooperation between those who share painful experiences,” says psychological scientist and lead researcher Brock Bastian of the University of New South Wales in Australia. “The findings shed light on why camaraderie may develop between soldiers or others who share difficult and painful experiences.”
I am not saying my camp mates and I went through the hell of war. But we all did push our bodies to the limit. We worked hard, and we tried hard. We all were hurting by this point, and we pushed through. We helped each other. We propped each other up and tried to keep each other going.
To say I feel a kinship with these people is so true. They are my extended and chosen family. They truly have mine and our friends health and well-being at the forefront of their thoughts. I have never felt so loved and accepted from the first step into an event. No one was “to good” to answer questions, and even my introverted tenancies at times, I loved just talking and getting to know these people. I cannot say enough how awesome all of the people in Thai Camp were. When my instructor/teacher says we are all family. I know partly where she is getting it from. Ajarn Chai himself says we are his kids, his family, we all belong to his family. It was amazing and beautiful. This is also true cause Thai Boxing/Muay Thai, is and has been passed down through family, and each style is indicative of what family you learned it from.
Training for the day: (notes: credit Khun Kru Krysta S, and Kru Caro, I have also added to it from my notes.)
Jab
Rear kick to body
Partner presses forward
Side step and Quarter turn then curved left knee
Partner feeds cross
Scoop cross
Return right elbow #8
Partner throws hook
Inside cover hook
Spinning right backward downward elbow
Spinning left back upward elbow
Return elbow #6
Grab and full plumb
Partner feeds cross
Step 45 to outside
Lead hand on forehand
Rear hand just above elbow Left #8 or Tach Mala elbow
Partner feeds lead hook
You High cover and grab neck
Right #4 elbow
Partner fees rear kick
Check / shin up block
Rear hand goes on top of head
Lead hand checks partner’s right arm
Pull into rear curved knee
Partner feeds lead upper cut
Fade back (same as if for kick) or step back and lean to avoid upper cut.
Rear curved knee with high guard (may not be able to reach head this time)
Long foot jab/teep to move partner away
Or if too close for foot jab/teep, follow with left #8 elbow then right #6 elbow, and then grab for clinch
From Left to Right: Ajarn Chai, Ajarn Trigg, Khun Kru Krysta, Ajarn/Coach Greg Nelson, then me in the front.
I am going to break out of the drills we did for a second, to talk about a person I never thought I would meet. His name is Ajarn Trigg. He is an amazing boxer, and in our school we do several of his drills. Namely the Trigg 10 as we called it.
This man is amazing. He is the one that is the tallest individual in the picture here. So I don’t normally respond in a fan girl sort of way. I have met other celebrities, and that is great. But the inner little girl in me was squeeing the entire time. When I met all these people that my instructors/Kru love and talked about all the time. These people who are the best of the best in this martial art were there to teach us. I could sometimes only barely hold it together.
Ajarn Trigg held pads for me, and worked with me on my stance. It was all I could do to keep myself together, focus and work hard to make him, and my kru happy. When we were done with the drill though I shook his hand, and wai’d at him and thanked him. Then I ran off hopping and skipping and saying I got to meet Ajarn Trigg and I got to work with him. Squee!!! I am still amazed and it has been weeks.
We started with what my gym and Kru called the Trigg 10. We all lined up, we counted off, and were separated into lines. Ajarn Trigg would call out a number say #3 and we would triple jab. Each number or corresponds with a strike. I was next to a girl I met that was from Luisiana. I love her she is amazing and so sweet. She was looking a little lost, and when he would call out a number like #7 I would say, “jab, cross.” I would call out the strikes you had to do. She looked over at me and said, “bless you, and thank you.” She was so grateful that I was calling out the shots so she could do it with us. We talked later and she asked me if my instructors had us doing it. She said she had never heard this drill before. I was happy to help her.
I digress though. Let me get back to the training we did with Ajarn Trigg.
Training with Trigg for the day: (notes: credit Khun Kru Krysta S, and Kru Caro, I have also added to it from my notes.)
Partner jabs
You jab
You Jab
Partner Jab, Cross
Partner Jab
You Jab Cross
Hook
Return Cross, Jab, Cross
Back up jab 3x
Forward jab 3x
Circle L jab 3x
Circle R jab 3x
Quarter turn right cross
Wipe right
Shovel hook
Overhand hook
Cross
Wipe left
Shovel hook
Overhand cross
Wipe outsid
Jab rib
Wipe inside
Cross
Body hook
Wipe outside
Overhand right
10 count straight punch drill1 or as we call it Trig 10
Jab
Double jab
Triple jab
Straight right
Double straight right
Triple straight right
Jab Cross or JR
Cross Jab or RJ
Double jab, straight right
Double straight right, jab
I have to say this day was amazing. I was so excited and proud of myself for finishing and completing day 3. There were times where I was so tired, I did not think I could make it. I pulled through and did it though. I got to meet some of the greatest martial artists and I got to work with them. I got to make deeper connections with people and grow my chosen family. I love the people we shared a house with, and I can’t wait to see them all again.
Thank you for reading. I have one more post for Thai Camp complete with dropping my trousers story, and Thai Kru tests. My respect for you all.
