I know I don’t represent everyone, but I know I am also not alone. For some people when life gets busy, the first thing that goes is their activity/workouts. When I am stressed, life gets in the way, or just upset the first thing that falls apart for me is nutrition. I can eat later right? Wrong… I run out of time, train my body not to be hungry. Its no good.
It looks a little like this for me: When I get stressed, busy, upset… I forget to eat. I put it off till I have, what I think is time to eat. This leaves me in a pickle. Because then when I surface for air, I realize I am hungry and if I have not planned I can make terrible decisions. I also find myself at the end of the day having not hit my macros.
Let me restate this about macros: I use macros as a tool. They are a tool to help me reach the nutritional numbers my body needs. Macros are a tool, but not to be focused on to much to be a detriment. Also your body works on averages. So if you did not eat enough protein in one day, if you make sure to eat enough the next day it will average out. That is why I focus on the averages.
I tend to default to carbs…they are easy and tasty!
So to combat this I am taking today to work on my eating schedule. Hopefully if I schedule it out it will happen more often.
This last week I was supposed to do just that, schedule out my food and keep to the schedule as best as I could. This last week I got busy… super busy, kids, work, workout/training… you name it. I did not make the schedule.
My schedule when I wake up alternates. So I don’t wake up the same time each day. That is my biggest problem. On days I work I get up at 4:30 am and tend not to eat till 9 or 10 am when I have a break in the day at work. I need to schedule eating my meals and snacks not at certain times, but at regular intervals that change based on when I get up, rise like the dead out of my bed.
So I am going to plan to do this:
wake up (4:30 am or 7:30 am)
Eat first meal: by 1 hour after waking 5:30 am or 8:30 am
Eat a snack: try 3 hours later 8:30 am or 11:30 am
Eat second meal: 3 hours later 11:30 am or 2:30 pm
Eat a snack: try 3 hours later 2:30 pm or 5:30 pm
Eat last meal: 3 hours later 5:30 pm or 8:30 pm
Hopefully this will work for me. I have made up meal plans, but it does me no good if it sits there and I don’t eat it. I have to do this for me. I have to break this cycle and make it a priority. This is the next step in my fitness journey. I have the training. Now is the time to hone in on my nutrition.
Schedule: This is a pretty typical week of training at least for the last 8 weeks (although now I am changing up my weight lifting program going forward because I just finished an 8 week program)
Monday 5/31/2021: Mile Run, and Weight Lifting 1 hour
Tuesday 6/01/2021: Muay Thai Training 1 hour
Wednesday 6/02/2021: scheduled rest day
Thursday 6/03/2021: Muay Thai Training 1 hour
Friday 6/04/2021 : scheduled rest day
Saturday 6/05/2021: 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training, Weight Lifting 55 minutes
On foot movement. Not only in our drills, but when I was sparring on Sunday I was getting lazy and crossing my feet when backing up. That is a no no. Will cause me to off balance and or fall.
On Teeping and knees to create distance. Using the right tool for the right time. Trying to teep when you are to close for instance is hard to pull off, but kneeing would might be better.
Drills for this week:
Knee
Muay Thai Training: class focus is on keeping our feet moving, and cover/block, and return strikes 1) jump rope
2) jab, cross, parry
3) jab, cross, hook, catch, parry, cover
4) cross, hook, cross, slip, bob and weave, parry
5) high hook to your left, high elbow cover, uppercut, hook, cross, High hook to your right, high elbow cover, uppercut, cross
6) incoming body hook to left, uppercut, hook, cross Incoming body hook to eight, uppercut, cross
7) feeder choice, hook to head or body
Teep
Muay Thai training: Knees and teeps
1) jump rope
2) jab, cross, Teep 3) held pads for H
4) jab, cross, knee 5) held pads for H
6) Teep, rear kick, hook, cross, rear kick 7) held pads for H
8 ) scoop Teep, kick leg, hook, cross, rear kick 9) held pads for H
10) lead kick, cross, hook, lead kick, lead teep 11) held pads for H
Kali- We worked on meeting the force in the strikes 1 – 12 We worked on going with the force in strikes 1 – 12 We worked witic to umbrella We worked half T We worked Full T
We also had cicadas that were super interested in Kali class too.
Areas I need to work on:
I need to work on my entries in sparring. I am short and will forever be out of range if I don’t work my entries
I need to work on my tells. I have a tell where I cock my shoulder back before I jab.
Problems/solutions:
I am going to work on footwork drills 2 minutes before every run, and 2 minutes after every run. Per my Kru’s suggestion.
Training focus: Weight Lifting and Running
Currently for running I am just using it as my cardio. Gonna add in some footwork for my martial arts before and after.
Weight Lifting, I have been on an 8 week training program. 3 day split. This was the end of week 8. So now:
I have chosen my next 8 week program, a shred weight lifting program
This coming week will be a de-loading week for me.
Nutrition:
This week because of how busy I was I went a little over on carbs. Its easy to pick up a carb full snack when you go to the store. This week I got much closer to my protein needs. Next week is a new week and I will keep trying.
I have notice that my recovery time has decreased since eating more of what my body needs. When D.O.M.S. (delayed onset muscle soreness) sets in I noticed it last for less time, and I recover faster.
MACRO AVERAGES
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Average
Goal
Difference
Protein
124
108
105
202
104
128
116
126.714286
173
46.28571429
Carbs
284
210
213
245
212
220
282
238
201
-37
Fat
77
105
96
155
109
89
74
100.714286
90
-10.71428571
Calories
2325
2217
2136
3183
2245
2193
2258
2365.28571
2306
-59.28571429
06/31/2021 – 07/06/2021
Well that is it for my last week. I finished up my 8 week weight lifting program. I am proud of finishing up. I have gained muscle , toned up, and have improved on my Muay Thai and Kali practices. All around it has been a good week
I have noted where I have a problem with my nutrition intake, and I am actively working to fix it.
What is the first thing that goes when you are stressed out, busy, or just don’t have time?
Thank you for reading. I have had positive feedback from my blog changes. If you liked this please hit the like button. If you want to comment please feel free to drop me a line. If you want to follow along on my adventures and musings, please subscribe.
You can catch my daily shenanigans on instagram @sharpcupcake. More photos, more just day to day stuff.
As always remember, Don’t Photo Edit, Just Go Get It!
I got busy with family and forgot to write up my post yesterday. I was thinking as I lay there in my bed willing myself to sleep because I had an early 4 am morning work day to get to. It is time to change up my blog.
As martial artists we look to better ourselves and change. I am constantly changing and learning in my art, in my training, and in my fitness. So too this blog is changing.
I have many readers. Some readers come for the healthy recipes I post. (Hey recipe lovers there is another recipe post coming soon. I promise!) Some readers are here for my martial arts posts. Some readers read my posts for the workouts. I don’t know what you like, but my training has significantly changed such that Muay Thai is consistent. It does not have tons of new drills. I am making minor tweaks, that I work on for days/weeks/months. So my training is looking similar day to day, week to week.
So… I will put my main focus for the week here in the blog. I won’t have the nitty gritty day to day stuff here. If you want to see that you can always go to my Instagram account @sharpcupcake. Along with what I am focusing on, will be the drills we used to focus on that for that week.
Outline of what my blog posts will look like maybe: (I reserve the right to change it cause I am mercurial like that)
Schedule: (for those who would like to see how I plan my training)
List of days and workouts/training done.
My Martial Art Focus:
Any drills I did that week to work on that focus (if repetitive over multiple days I will only post the drill once here per week)
Areas I need to work on
Problems/solutions I found
My Training Focus:
Weight lifting
Running
Rowing
What ever I am doing at that point in my workout adventure
Nutrition:
Macros
What ever I am trying out now
I started out this blog posting ever time I was working out. That was nearly every day, and that got tedious real fast. Then I switched to this current format.
Now I switch again. I am hoping this will be more streamlined, and helpful to you my readers. You can just skip to the parts you like or want to read.
On with the blog…
Schedule:
Monday 6/24/2021: Mile Run, and Weight Lifting 1 hour
Sunday 6/30/2021: extra rest day because inertia got ahold of me after my work meeting
This was a pretty light schedule for me. There are two days of Muay Thai that did not happen due to holiday, that is 3 hours missing, 1 hour of Kali missing no class, and I was lazy on Sunday so no run or weight lifting.
Martial Art Focus:
This last couple of weeks I have been focusing on keeping my hands up, not flaring my elbows, and punching from my face. The last focus I mean not dropping my hands down to my chest for example before I hit the cross.
Hard part of all this is… remembering all of that when sparring, and trying to avoid being hit. Focusing on this during drills when you are tired is hard, not letting all of that fly out the window when sparring is so much harder.
Currently I only remember these things I am focusing on at most half the time. Which is an improvement to when I started sparring and everything I learned just flew the coop. Hahah
Muay ThaiTraining: 1) jump rope 2) jab, cross, rear kick to leg 3) jab, cross, rear kick to body
4) cross, body hook, cross, lead kick 5) he’d pads for H
6) (high) rear elbow cover, uppercut, cross (High) lead elbow cover, uppercut, hook, cross 7) held pads for H
8 ) (low) rear body cover, uppercut, cross (low) lead body cover, uppercut, hook, cross 9) held pads for H
10) feeders choice ( we did random order) 11) held pads for H
Training focus: Weight Lifting and Running
Currently for running I am just using it as my cardio. I am not training for a marathon, however I have noticed my times have been slowly improving.
Weight Lifting, I have been on an 8 week training program. 3 day split. This week was upper body, lower body, lower body. This week was week 7.
My partner has noticed and commented that I have toned up
I Have upped my weights that I can lift by 10 lbs for both dumbbells and barbells
3 supersets below: do all exercises in a set before taking a break
Superset 1: do this set x4 1) standing dumbbell upright row- 12, 12, 12, 12 2) dumbbell back fly – 12, 12, 12, 12
Superset 2: do this set x3 1) seated tricep overhead extensions – 12, 12, 12 2) overhead resistance band tricep extensions – 12, 12, 12
Superset 3: do this set x3 1) crunch into side to side crunches – 20, 20, 20 2) sit ups into twists – 20, 20, 20 3) upper crunches – 20, 20, 20
Weightlifting: lower body quads and glutes
1) dumbbell squat – reps- 20, 20, 20, 20
2) standing leg extensions- reps each leg- 12, 12, 12,
Superset: do all exercises once before rest 1) barbell hip thrust – reps – 12, 12, 12, 12 2) floor glute bridges with weight plate on hips – reps- 12, 12, 12, 12
Superset: do all exercises once before resting 1) resistance band abductor – reps- 15, 15, 15 2) dumbbell sumo squats – reps – 15, 15, 15
Nutrition:
Macros for the week of 6/24/2021
Ok sooo this week… was first week back on cut, cutting week, but I was not able to keep up the protein. I think I am going to have to start timing food and planning better, shakes etc to make sure I eat on time.
OH but carbs are my go to when I have not planned properly. Carbs are not bad just not an all the time food. lol
MACRO AVERAGES
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Average
Goal
Difference
Protein
115
157
131
142
79
102
89
116.428571
173
56.57142857
Carbs
207
223
162
296
151
273
259
224.428571
201
-23.42857143
Fat
56
103
126
106
124
71
94
97.1428571
90
-7.142857143
Calories
1792
2447
2306
2706
2036
2139
2238
2237.71429
2306
68.28571429
6/24/2021 – 6/31/2021
Well there you have it. The new format. Let me know what you think.
Here is your chance to chime in. Tell me what you like to see, what would be helpful in this blog. I of course will take these things into consideration.
Thank you all for reading. Please hit the like button if you liked this post. Subscribe if you want to see my posts as they come out.
What am I working on right now? What am I tweaking to be just that much better at Muay Thai?
I have gotten used to the boxing gloves, and the Thai pads. Both of which are large, bulky, and fluffy. You may be thinking what boxing gloves are large? Well yes they are, we use 12 oz to 16 oz boxing gloves to train with. If you have ever had boxing gloves on you will know that they look like balloons on your hands. When you put on a pair of MMA gloves, whoo boy your hands profile gets a lot smaller.
What happens when your hands profile gets a lot smaller?
Your guard area is smaller, the bulky gloves protect a lot of your face. Not so with MMA gloves. You have to remember to move, parry, catch, slip, and bob and weave. Boxing gloves you can pillar up and it will save help you out.
Your elbows can flare out with boxing gloves leaving a channel up your body for a great upper cut from your opponent. So when our hands profile gets smaller you elbows can come down and you have a tighter profile.
Your hands are less protected so you can’t be lazy about your hooks. When you get lazy with less protection, you can break your hands, or your wrists and that is no fun.
Your hands are smaller, so they can split the gloves, or your opponents guard much easier.
The major minor fixes that I am working on lately are:
Using smaller gloves, to work making my guard tighter
Using smaller gloves reminds me of my real area/distance for attack and defend
Using smaller gloves, to work on me turning my hand raising my elbow so I hit the hook correctly.
when you use MMA gloves you feel it, and you know if you hit right
Punching from guard at my face, instead of dropping my hand, and cocking back to punch.
when I drop my hand even a little bit and cock back,
I am giving a tell to my opponent I am about to hit – they will then hit me
I am losing seconds to hit.
I am losing the surprise
Remembering to bring my hand back to my face instead of back to chest level.
when I bring it back to chest level I am
losing time (seconds really but it maters)
I am leaving my guard open till I get my hand back to my face
Those are the minor things I have been working on fixing. What did I work on before. My foot work, or getting off the line. Will I have to tweak those again? Yeah I am sure I will. This art takes a lifetime of learning, I will always have something else I can make better. But right now this is what I am doing, time in training, and drilling will make me better.
At this point in my training, the drills are not new, the moves are things I have done a thousand thousand times.
I am making those minor tweaks. Just like in swimming, to take off seconds in timing. Those tiny tells/things that give away my intentions to strike.
Just like training for nationals in swim team, shaving off seconds in my 500 freestyle time took months of work. Months of tweaking:
when I breath
just how I turned
my jump start
how much water I pulled
breath management
Muay Thai is no different in that regard. Fixing minor things, helped with my overall performance. Well there is one thing that is greatly you get punched and kicked a lot more in Muay Thai then at swim team. lol
Cutting Macros for the Week
Lets see… I did get closer to my protein levels on average. I have made sure to get my protein shakes in, and protein bars when I could not eat lunch at work right away. I can cut carbs and fat, ay
Went over on my carbs and my fats a little this week. But over all felt good. My training was good, and I am getting closer to being on point with my protein intake.
MACRO AVERAGES
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Average
Goal
Difference
Protein
123
120
91
154
89
145
108
118.571429
173
54.42857143
Carbs
290
165
193
276
180
203
257
223.428571
201
-22.42857143
Fat
95
83
92
125
71
117
174
108.142857
90
-18.14285714
Calories
2507
1887
1964
2845
1715
2445
3026
2341.28571
2306
-35.28571429
Training Monday 5/17/2021: 45 minute run and weight lifting leg day
Today started out with a walk with my partner.
Then I went for a mile run after digesting breakfast.
Then it was on to first day of this weeks weight lifting workout. Which happens to be leg day again. Weee!
We can do anything we put our minds to. Anyone telling us we can’t are just showing us their limitations not yours!
Leg day with an emphasis on Quads and Glutes: 1) dumbbell squat – reps – 20, 20, 20, 20 2) standing leg extensions- reps – 12, 12, 12
Superset: do all exercises once through before rest 1) barbell hip thrust -reps – 12, 12, 12, 12 2) body weight floor glute bridges -reps – 12, 12, 12, 12
Superset: do all exercises once through before rest 1) resistance band abductor -reps- 15, 15, 15 2) dumbbell sumo squats -reps- 15, 15, 15
Training Tuesday 5/18/2021: 1 hour of Muay Thai
Some days you eat the kick to the ribs because you missed the subtle change in you opponents movement and then since they were nice enough to put their leg up there on your ribs you catch it to off balance them. Making lemonade out of lemons is helpful in my training.
Look I am not… I am still learning and have a lot to learn. But I have been noticing subtle changes in how I perceive my opponent.
I frankly see more now. Reaction time I am working on. 😂 lol
5) respond to the jab cross hook, return a hook, cross, lead kick 6) fed pads for H
7) respond to jab cross hook, high elbow cover and return a jab/strike, cross, hook, rear kick 8 ) fed pads for H
9) respond to jab cross hook, you bob and weave on the hook, return a hook to torso, cross, lead knee 10) fed pads for H
11) pop the leather where we responded to the jab cross hook 12) same as previous round
Training Thursday 5/20/2021: 1 hour of Muay Thai
Who has two thumbs and had a long day at work? Yup that’s me. But I powered through my training. I did for a little bit contemplate just resting today, but I threw on my Beast Mode shirt and trained.
It was a balmy 97 degrees F in my gym today. Whew! When you are tired the heat can suck more energy out of you.
I am glad I went in. I am glad I trained.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for a great class again!
What did I focus on while I was so tired? Keeping my hands up, bringing them back to my face, getting out of the pocket after I completed the drill! Yay!
Training Saturday 5/22/2021:1 hour- 1 mile run, and weightlifting upper body
We took the morning and spent it with the kiddos. They needed time with mom and dad. Ordered breakfast out, and had a family picnic.
But I still had to get my run and weightlifting in. I have a schedule to keep. I waited till the kids had to do their daily chores to get away. So a little later in the day than I like to but it’s done woot!
1 mile run, with new better run time in steady state run. Woot!
Weightlifting: upper body – chest, back, biceps
Superset: do all exercises once through no rest till all are done in one set. 1) push ups- reps- 10, 10, 10 2) dumbbell chest fly – reps- 10, 10, 10
1) standing barbell row – reps- 10, 10, 10, 10
2) lay pull down wide grip- reps- used resistance bands- 15, 15, 15, 15
Superset: do all exercises once through no rest till all are done in one set. 1) resistance band chest flys – reps- 15, 15, 15, 15 2) dumbbell standing double arm bicep curls -reps- 12, 12, 12, 12
Training Sunday 5/23/2021: 2.5 hours- 1.5 hours of Muay Thai, and 1 hour of upper body weight lifting back, shoulders and abs
Today was a great day of training. I got to work with my training pod. We worked on pads and sparring.
I focused on keeping my tools in the box, keeping my arms, elbows, and punches tight.
I worked on making sure I don’t drop my hands from my face/guard then punching. When I do that it takes longer for my punches to come, and I send a huge signal that I am punching. A tell. When I say longer I mean a few seconds but those few seconds allows some one else to get a punch in when my guard is down. Really it’s a game of milliseconds and millimeters. You give one you get punched.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta, Amanda Benson Early, and H for helping me tighten my game.
Then after lunch was eaten it was on to my weightlifting.
3) bent over barbell high row- reps- 12, 12, 12, 12
4) Superset: do all exercises one after another in a set before rest 1) barbell front raise -reps – 12, 12, 12, 12 2) barbell upright row -reps – 12, 12, 12, 12
5) leaning one armed dumbbell lateral raises- reps each side- 12, 12, 12,
6) Superset: do all exercises one after another in a set before rest 1) laying leg raises – reps – 20 2) crunch to side tap -reps – 20 3) standing crunches – reps – 20
7) Superset: do all exercises one after another in a set before rest 1) laying leg raises – reps – 20 2) crunch to side tap -reps – 20 3) standing crunches – reps – 20 4) laying leg raises – reps – 20 5) crunch to side tap -reps – 20 6) standing crunches – reps – 20
What small things are you trying to tweak in your training?
I hope you are all happy and healthy. Thank you for reading my blog/s. If you liked this one, please hit the like button. If you want to follow my adventures feel free to subscribe. As always if you have a comment please feel free to chat. For day to day stuff you can find me @sharpcupcake on instagram.
Yup I am going to go there… This topic is very divisive. I have seen people tow the line for supplements, and I have seen people poo poo supplements. So I am going to talk about the supplements I take and why.
I am not affiliated with any supplement company and all views on supplements I take are just my honest views. I just think this might help someone out there navigate the multibillion dollar mess and quagmire you can get lost in when looking into taking supplements.
I have often noticed that the people who push the supplements the most have the most to gain from you following their lead. They are often affiliated with that supplement company.
I have read people dismissing all supplements and in some cases demonizing them. All you have to do is type in to google ‘why are supplements bad for you?’, and you will have a plethora of people telling you why they are bad and some will have horror stories about bad things that happen. I think it is important to read those too. Just understand what you are reading, and what their motivation is for writing.
I am not here to judge either extreme. I will say though that you should take everything you read and hear with a grain of salt. See if you can find a reason for person A disregarding a product (for instance, they may have had a bad reaction, or may have been ripped off). Alternately if a person B is promoting a product, why are they promoting it? Maybe it has helped them, and maybe they get a kick back from the company.
In any case read everything, study and learn what you can. You and your body are different and what works for me may not work for you.
Some Websites That Are Worth Reading On Supplements
In this case a Dietary Supplement is a just that a capsule, powder, gummy, tablet, energy drink, and energy bar. It is any one of those things you ingest to supplement your diet. They contain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you normally get from food. Some popular supplements contain vitamin D, B12, minerals like calcium and iron, probiotics, stimulants like caffeine, herbs like garlic and tumeric, and collagen. Just to name some of them.
Some companies add more to their products, extra dyes, sugars, preservatives, etc.
Almost every person uses at least one supplement a day. (Daily vitamin, Caffeine in the form of your favorite beverage, etc)
Why use a supplement?
Supplements are used to add your diet and supplement your diet if you are not eating a full and nutritious diet.
Lets face it most of us are not eating like we should. We know we should eat a more nutritious meal on time, but our fast paced life gets in the way, and you may be shoving a granola bar into your mouth between meetings. Sometimes we don’t eat as nutritious and complete a meal because we have dietary restrictions like Lactose intolerance, allergies, or we are vegetarian.
Whether we have health restrictions or ones of our own making they still limit the nutrients that we can get in. This is a good time to supplement.
Doctors often prescribe supplements, like mind prescribed vitamin D for me.
What to be wary of?
If the supplement is promising anything… but mainly, weight loss, detox, and laxatives.
Supplements are not going to cure an sickness or ailment. If it promises to do that run far far away.
How do I know I am getting quality supplements?
That is a good question and you can verify that the supplement you are looking into has been tested and verified by these independent organizations:
NSF international
U.S. Farmacopia
ConsumerLab.com
These independent organizations above test the products to makes sure that they, properly manufactured, are made with the ingredients printed on the label, that they contain the amounts printed on the label, and that they do not contain harmful levels of contaminants.
Ok… don’t just take my word for it, read for yourself, learn what you can and what the different supplements can do for you.
Here is what I use and why. It has changed over time and will continue to change as I learn more, and my activity changes.
Coffee/Tea every morning – I enjoy the act of sitting and waking up with a cup of coffee or tea, caffeine gives me a pick me up
Daily Vitamin I Take:
Vitamin D – Doctor prescribed because I was dangerously low. I do try to get out in the sun daily thought to make it naturally
Fish oil – Omega 3 fatty acids, helps reduce inflammation, heart health, eye health, and skin. (it helps more than that but those are the reasons I take it)
Turmeric – Anti inflammatory, antioxidant
Glucosamine and Chondroitin – for joint care – commonly found in cartilage, and I don’t chew the cartilage like my Japanese grandparents do. I find the mouth feel unpleasant.
L- Lysine – this is an amino acid that the body cannot make, I use it for athletic performance
Performance Supplements: I take as needed, 3 to 4 days a week.
BCAA – ON (Optimum Nutrition) Amino Energy – Also known as Branch Chain Amino Acids. Of the 9 essential amino acids your body needs for muscle building and proper function, 3 of them are BCAA’s. Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. You can get these from protein rich foods. I have a hard time eating enough protein. I was a vegetarian for a long time. So this helps me get them in.
Helps with muscle growth
Decreased muscle soreness
Reduce muscle fatigue
Prevent Muscle wasting (or when your body cannibalizes your muscles during a workout due to lack of energy.)
ON Whey Protein Isolate/Concentrate Powder – I use it to supplement my protein intake. I don’t eat enough protein, I cannot sit down to a huge steak and sit and eat it. I am lactose intolerant and this is the only Whey that does not kill my stomach. Whey Protein Isolates have only up to 1 gram of lactose, so I can consume this with little to no negative effects.
ON Collagen – major component of your tendons, joints and connective tissue. Again not really a meat eater, and hate chewing on connective tissue, so this helps me get that in.
helps with hair and nails
skin
joint mobility
ON Creatine – You can get this from meat and animal protein. I use this cause I don’t eat a lot of meat and I am lactose intolerant so I don’t drink milk.
helps build lean muscle
increase high intensity exercise capacity
increase bone mass
increase muscle strength
helps speed recovery
has been proven to increase athletic performance.
ON Beta Alanine – increases muscle performance by increasing exercise capacity and decreasing muscle fatigue.
exercise capacity
reduce muscle fatigue
anti aging
immune enhancing
antioxidant
L – Carnatine – helps the body turn fat in to energy. I use this sparingly.
Do I use these performance supplements every day? Nope, I often use them on days where I have been active all day. Or I have a very heavy workout day ahead of me. For instance. I have 3 solid hours of working out I do on Saturday and Sunday, (Muay Thai, Kali, and weight lifting). On days like today I just ran and did my weight lifting workout. I only used the BCAA mix, for decrease muscle soreness, decrease muscle fatigue, and preventing muscle wasting. On days I don’t workout at all I don’t take these workout supplements.
Do I recommend that every person needs to use these? Oh heck no. When I was first working out only half an hour to an hour a day… nah I did not need it. I did not use supplements then.
If you are starting out (working out) and just getting going, chances are you are not going to need this. These are supplements, things to help you keep your performance at a level where you are progressing. Chances are if you are upping your workout program you will notice when your body needs help.
If you can eat all the protein, vegetables, and dairy you need, you won’t need as much supplementation.
Also talk to your doctor about supplements before taking any. Some can mess with your blood sugar levels and you just may not need them.
Did I decide to take every single one of these all at once? That would be a negative again, when I started to increase my workouts, I just used BCAA’s for a year. Then I realized after research that creatine was not the big scary supplement I thought it was. It was not going to make me look like some male body builder. So I added that. This year I added whey protein powder to try to help increase my protein intake.
What I am saying is my adaptation to supplements has grown organically. I notice a decrease in my ability, or I am healing slower due to an increase in muscle damage I am doing. I evaluate my nutrition, and supplement intake and I adjust.
This is an ever changing, adapting, sometimes increasing, sometimes removing a supplement part of my training.
Supplement is not the big bad word at all. We all take something, even if it is in the form of a multivitamin or you favorite cup of Java in the morning.
Maintenance Eating Week? I think 5th week.
OK so this week I will just say my protein intake has been terrible. I only averaged about half of what I needed to do this week every day. Sunday I got close to what I needed, and that was with me adding two protein shakes, and eating three extra eggs.
So goals for next week is to meet protein needs. I am doing well with carbs and fats… just need to keep pushing the protein. Especially with the way I have been weight training. Protein focus is what I need to do. I love veggies so much though.
MACRO AVERAGES
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Average
Goal
Difference
Protein
89
110
81
85
113
149
154
111.571429
210
98.42857143
Carbs
324
263
233
210
127
157
255
224.142857
245
20.85714286
Fat
113
85
93
86
99
112
102
98.5714286
109
10.42857143
Calories
2669
2257
2093
1954
1851
2232
2554
2230
2801
571
Training 5/10/2021: 1 hour – 1 mile run, Upper body Weight lifting
So back at it again. Today’s was upper body weight lifting day. Specifically back, shoulders, triceps, and abs.
I got my mile run in.
Woo this upper body workout was tough on my shoulders. But it was a good burn today. So one day I will be buff.
I am not good at chin ups, so I am doing them inclined so I am on my heels with a flat plank body while pull up.
Did my core stuff, it was a little twinge on my back but I made sure to stabilize my back during it.
3 supersets below: do all exercises in a set before taking a break
Superset 1: do this set x4 1) standing dumbbell upright row- 12, 12, 12, 12 2) dumbbell back fly – 12, 12, 12, 12
Superset 2: do this set x3 1) seated tricep overhead extensions – 12, 12, 12 2) overhead resistance band tricep extensions – 12, 12, 12
Superset 3: do this set x3 1) crunch into side to side crunches – 20, 20, 20 2) sit ups into twists – 20, 20, 20 3) upper crunches – 20, 20, 20
Training 5/11/2021: 1 hour of Muay Thai
Today was a good day of training. It was good because it was a test of my endurance. I work a job where I am on my feet. I was at work till about an hour and a half before my Muay Thai class. I was up at 4:30 am, and did not get home till 3 pm.
Man I was pooped. But I did it…I worked on my form, and tried to remember to keep my hands up.
I also got a chance to talk to Professor Pedro Sauer. He is an amazingly sweet man and takes the time to speak to all of his students. He gave me pointers about training and I am so great full.
I am a lucky woman, I have been able to learn, bump elbows, and train with living legends in the martial arts world.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for a great class.
Training 5/15/2021 Workout: 2 hours and 45 minutes, Muay Thai, Kali, abs weight lifting lower body
Today was a great day of training. I ended up taking 3 days off of training. I did not realize how much I needed the rest.
5) respond to the jab cross hook, return a hook, cross, lead kick 6) fed pads for H
7) respond to jab cross hook, high elbow cover and return a jab/strike, cross, hook, rear kick 8 ) fed pads for H
9) respond to jab cross hook, you bob and weave on the hook, return a hook to torso, cross, lead knee 10) fed pads for H
11) pop the leather where we responded to the jab cross hook 12) same as previous round
Kali:
We worked the Running Saint Rafael. Broke it down into three parts, abisadario 3, triple ordabise, umbrella 3
Weight lifting: Lower Body Quads and Glutes
1) dumbbell squats – reps – 20, 20, 20, 20 2) standing leg extensions- reps each side – 12, 12, 12
Superset: do each full set before taking a break 1) barbell hip thrust – reps – 12, 12, 12, 12 2) floor glute bridges with a plate – reps- 12, 12, 12, 12
Superset: do each full set before taking a rest 1) abductor with resistance band – reps- 15, 15, 15 2) dumbbell sumo squats – reps – 15, 15, 15
Training 5/16/2021 Workout: 2.5 hours – Muay Thai practice and lower body weight lifting
Today I found out one of the instructors I had the honor to learn from in seminars died. It is a great loss to the Muay Thai community and family. We are all so very saddened by this news.
He has touched so many of us, and his love for the art of Muay Thai transferred to all around him.
I can’t think of a better way to honor his memory in but to practice and work on the art he so loved and dedicated his life to.
Khun Kru Krysta also gave us a gift and demonstrated and taught us Ajarn Sangtiennoi’s Wai Kru. He taught her when she was in Thailand.
May his memory soar and continue in history. Those that love him will remember forever in their hearts.
In honor of Sangtiennoi Muay Thai training: 1.5 hours
Pad work and Sparring practice 1) I am working on bringing my hands back to my face. 2) tightening my high elbow cover 3) keeping my head moving 4) changing up my strategy in sparring, not aggress all the time, let them come to me. Range management, staying just outside of range and then getting in for strikes.
Weight lifting: glutes and hamstrings focus
Let me tell you getting kicked a lot makes this leg day hard to get through. Lol
1) barbell Romanian Dead Lifts – reps – 10, 10, 10, 10 2) barbell alternating reverse lunges- reps each side – 20, 20, 20, 20 3) dumbbell Bulgarian split squats – reps each side- 12, 12, 12, 12 4) kneeling resistance band pull through – reps – 15, 15, 15
Do you use supplements? Have you been afraid to use them? Are you going to try some in the future?
I sometimes eat these protein bars as well. Again to get the protein in I need to meet my macros.
Thank you all for reading, I hope it helped at least a little. Let me know what you think in comments, please like, and subscribe if you want to see more. I post more often on my instagram page @sharpcupcake
Sometimes taking off the gloves is all you need to tweak your training. I write about my adventures and what I am learning in my blogs, and it is amazing how much I still learn every day. Sometimes I can’t see it right away, sometimes it takes days like this where I sit down and reflect on my week of training.
So today I am thinking about my training, and remember back to a day in the week where my instructor is telling me for probably the 100,000,000th time, probably more, to not flare my elbows and keep my guard tight when I have my hands up covering my face.
Often times I hear the advice, and internalize it, and try to fix it right away. If I don’t understand I stop and ask. However, for this I tighten my arms I think, and keep going.
Then she says, “stop, next round I want you to use my MMA gloves.”
The difference between the MMA gloves and boxing gloves is:
The weight – (boxing gloves tend to be 12 oz to 16 oz), the weight slows down your punches, and helps your body work more
The size – think big balloons on your hand verses slightly padded leather gloves
The protection for your hands and your opponents face – With less padding on the hands, if I am lazy and hit wrong with the MMA gloves I can break my hand, I can also do a lot more damage to my opponent because there is less padding to dissipate my blows.
Mostly she is using it for its size. The profile is much different on the MMA they have less surface area and the tactile difference when I put them on my temples for my guard is completely different.
It was a moment of genius she had when recommending them. I clearly was struggling to do what she asked and she thought of a different way to get my body to ingrain that muscle memory.
What I learned was the boxing gloves are huge in comparison… Duh right, but hear me out. We use boxing gloves for everything, they are usually 12 oz to 16 oz depending on the gloves. They are great for weight, and they soften the blow when you punch your opponent. They protect your hands from breaking on your opponent.
They are also huge. So when I was told to bring my elbows in, I was not understanding because I was keeping them on my face and rotating them in, but the gloves were so big I could not feel it. Just switching up my training with the MMA gloves has helped me not only see what she was talking about but adjust my boxing gloves to mimic the same feeling with them on.
The dangerous part was I had to be very careful about knuckle placement so I did not break the little bones in my hand with the MMA gloves, I also had to be careful with my training partner, because they are not padded like the boxing gloves. One well placed hit and he would have been knocked out.
So we trained slow and deliberate, working on form and flow. I took the power out of my strikes.
I literally took my gloves off, so I could train in a different way. So I could physically feel the changes my instructor wanted me to do.
I love that the little tweaks we are doing is what is going to make my form and flow better and better. I don’t always see it, but every day on the mat, is a day I am improving even if by fractions.
Maintenance week 4
This week went off the rails for me. I was going to just do another maintenance but ended up letting myself indulge a little more than normal. It was a week where I had to take a few days off to let my back heal up. I have scoliosis and have days weeks where things get out of whack.
For the last three days I did not focus on getting the protein in, or even hitting my macros. It was Mother’s Day weekend and I just kinda let myself have a break.
I noticed I did not even come close to my protein intake, I did better on my carbs intake, and my fat intake was on average low.
What this means to me when I try to intuitively eat, or just eat the way I want to, I lean more toward carbs, eat lower fats, and little protein.
MACRO AVERAGES
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Average
Goal
Difference
Protein
105
117
148
200
98
78
116
123.142857
210
86.85714286
Carbs
178
242
234
290
219
158
257
225.428571
245
19.57142857
Fat
97
63
114
107
50
46
70
78.1428571
109
30.85714286
Calories
2005
2003
2554
2923
1718
1358
2122
2097.57143
2801
703.4285714
Maintenance Week 4 – 5/3/2021 -5/9/2021
Monday 05/03/2021 Workout: 1 hour run and upper body weight lifting
This post is for the people who have reached out to me. Saying I have helped them in some way. I am so happy to have been able to help them.
I am no where near perfect. I have days where I don’t want to do my workout. I hate pictures of me, I see every flaw. I see stretch marks, from the time my body grew and cared for my babies. I have fat cause I like eating bad for me things like cookies, and pastries.
I am working every day to be the best person I can be. I am working every day to try not to compare myself to everyone else. There is no one else like me. I am genetically diverse. I am half Japanese, other half is Irish and Cherokee.
I am never going to look pretty when working out. I get red when my body is working hard.
But I am working, I am trying, and I am dedicated.
I am not perfect, but I am constant trying to be the best me. I am going to celebrate my 42nd revolution around the sun this year. So I am not a youngster. I am flawed and imperfect but I am trying.
Thank you all for the kind words, the awesome stories you have told me. Thank you for letting me know that/if I am an inspiration to you.
Know when I say if I can do it, I truly believe you can do it too. Just keep trying. You are going to fall down, the important part is getting back up!
Workout: 1 mile run
Upper Body : Chest, Back, Triceps 1) dumbbell one armed bench row – each side reps- 8, 8, 8, 8, 6, 6
2) barbell dead lift – reps – 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
3) resistance band narrow grip pull down – reps – 8, 8, 8, 8
We worked the same drills as Thursday. However, I am at a level where we have to make small adjustments. Where I literally have to tighten my slip so my opponent can’t throw an overhand into my head.
It’s repetitive but necessary. Toward the end of three solid minutes of slipping the cross. I was keeping it tight. I was not throwing my head to the side.
When the gloves come off (quite literally) it gets me hyper focused. Practicing slipping the cross when you training partner does not have gloves on and if they make contact will give you a shiner, gets me paying attention.
Parry the cross slip tight
Same for kicks with intent those will get you to lateral quickly. Don’t want to go home with a limp. Not being there when a strike comes in is a great defense.
Thank you Khun kru Krysta!
Thursday 05/06/2021 Training: 1 hour of Muay Thai training
So like I have mentioned before, unless it’s a new drill ( strikes strung together in a different way) myself and a couple of other students know the drills. We know the basic rules, and if called upon to throw any number of strike we can.
However, and this is a big ‘however’ there is always room for improvement. I am always going to be working on flowing, polishing my form, and working defense with counter strikes.
1) Today was the day I was working keeping my guard tight together, but loose at the same time.
2) today I worked on turning over my hook, snatching it back, and keeping it on my face till the the next bunches of punches.
Khun Kru Krysta had an ingenious idea. To have me wear mma gloves or bag gives. They have a smaller profile, so it helps with my muscle memory.
We worked slow because not only can the mma gloves help knock a person out ( less padding), but because the can also damage your hand. If you don’t throw the punch correctly. You hit the outer Knuckles and you run the risk damaging or breaking your hand.
The gloves helped me keep my hands and arms tighter in my guard, helped me to understand where my fist were. Because the 12 oz gloves have so much ch padding you loose sense of where your hands are in relation to your face. Which I need to work on.
Thank you khun kru Krysta!
Slow and deliberate was the way to drill. to fix my form. I need to raise my elbow and make sure I am punching with my first two knuckles. We will speed up when my form is looking better.
Saturday 05/08/2021 Muay Thai : 1 hour of Muay Thai Practice
Went to train. I had to take it slow. My back was hurting went to chiropractor yesterday.
Hip and lower back not happy with me. So I took it slow and worked the forms. My hip is joint was pinching my sciatic nerve which messed up my back a little with my scoliosis.
Gonna not skip weight lifting today and tomorrow let my back rest. Then I will be back at it.
Do what you can, work around your injuries. Life is gonna happen and you gotta pick yourself back up. Keep going.
And that is it for the past week. I took three days off of training because my scoliosis and hip was pinching my sciatic nerve. I let myself take a break from trying to meet macros. I let myself have a good mothers day.
I am back at it today.
I hope you have a great week. If you liked this blog post please let me know and hit the like button. If you want to keep up with my adventures subscribe. As always feel free to comment. For more day to day stuff you can find me at Sharpcupcake on instagram.
Hello lovely people who are reading my blog. So many times we talk in training… I say talk in training, but it is more a helpful hint (yelling in my ear) while training, “keep your hands up when you are tired”. Our instructors say this and have said this while we are drilling, because it is important to get into your muscle memory that you keep your guard up, and your hands up when you are tired.
Why? Why keep your guard up/focus when you are tired?
I have written about this before, but I will touch on it now again. The reason you want to keep your hands up when you are tired is it helps burn into your muscle memory. When you are tired you return to your base level of expertise. What does that mean? You are only as good as your lowest level of understanding. You may be able to throw that kick perfectly when you are not tired, but when you get tired you will get sloppy, your kick will not turn over as well, you kick will not come up as high, because your muscles are tired. This is normal.
What are we trying to do?
We are trying to train ourselves when we are tired that we keep our form up. If we learn to keep our guard up, and keep our form proper, we have a much better chance of avoiding getting hit, and being able to hit our opponent. We make less mistakes. Easier said than done, but never the less we work on keep our hands up when we are tired. We work on keeping our form proper when tired. We often slow down so that we can work form when tired and not worry about power.
The truth is you are going to get tired in the ring. It is what you do when you get tired that is important.
Example of exhausted fighters in MMA. You will see some of these guys get sloppy. Those fighters you see looking cool and calculated through the fight are tired, and hurting but they have trained to keep focus.
A fight is not won in the ring. It is won in the gym, in the training you do. Let me say that a little louder for the back of the room.
A fight is not won in the ring, it is won in the training you do in the gym.
Last Sunday during training I rolled my ankle. I accidentally stepped on my opponents foot, and landed on the side of my foot and ankle. It hurt. I have been training around it and through it.
As I was training I noticed, no I realized something. Training and keeping focus while injured is harder than doing while tired.
Yes I just waxed on above about training and keeping focus and your hands up while tired… but man when your ankle and foot are sore, and you are worried about stepping on it, rotating on it the wrong way. Guess what drops or did for me. My hands. My hands dropped I did not keep my guard up, I reverted to my base level of understanding.
So while training I was repeatedly reminded to keep my hands up. Take it slowly so as not to hurt myself any more, but to keep my hands up and keep my focus.
My injury kept pulling my focus away from what I was doing. When you get into the ring you are going to get hurt. You are going to get hit, you are going to sustain some damage. It is inevitable. Being able to compartmentalize that and keep going is the key.
This last week was a lesson for me in training that way. I had to compartmentalize my pain. I know that it hurt, I know that I needed to be careful spinning on it, and I know I also had to keep my hands up, and my focus up.
These are some of the ah ha moments that happen in training for me now. We are making small tweaks and cleaning up form, flow, power, etc. But I know the basics. So when new ah ha moment comes up, I make sure to focus on it and mark it.
The smaller injuries like a well placed leg kick, or an accidental elbow spike to the knee are often forgot about in adrenaline rush while training. Injuring a part of the body that feels less stable is a much different injury. The next hours/day/week you still feel that instability till it heals. For the bruises you feel it when they are hit again but it does not pull away from your focus till then.
I am always learning and progressing. I look forward to the next lessons that this martial art I love will bring.
Week 2 of Maintenance
Ok this week is looking similar. I mentioned to my partner that my maintenance week is look a lot more like a lighter mini cut. I on average eat the amount of carbs and fat my body needs for the macros. However, I just miss the protein side.
So in order to try to keep making changes for the positive. I have decided to wake up earlier on days I don’t have to work so I can get a meal in before my workout. I have been waiting till after, and that is a good chunk of time that I miss out on eating. So by the time it comes to bed time, I can’t make up the difference. I also added a second rest day in. Wednesday and Friday!
I originally thought I over did carbs, because I had a few days there… but I came under, and I hit my fat macros… it is the protein I will keep trying to get in. In all forms, animal, and plant. But I am happy my I am narrowing in on my macros.
I will try to do another week of maintenance… and will see if this change in my schedule will help me hit my macros this week.
MACRO AVERAGES
Day 1
Day 2
Day 3
Day 4
Day 5
Day 6
Day 7
Average
Goal
Difference
Protein
76
164
124
184
134
139
130
135.857143
210
74.14285714
Carbs
182
238
111
281
238
314
213
225.285714
245
19.71428571
Fat
82
127
90
96
102
170
87
107.714286
109
1.285714286
Calories
1770
2751
1750
2724
2406
3342
2155
2414
2801
387
Week 2 of maintenance 4/26/2021 – 5/02/2021
Monday Training 04/26/2021: Workout: 55 minutes – 10 minute battle ropes, upper body weight lifting
I rolled my ankle in Muay Thai yesterday abs it hurts a little so I am just going to baby it. No running for me today.
Instead I did a Tabata battle rope rouitine for cardio.
I also went up 5 lb in my bicep curl and added reps in some of my exercises. Woot!
Tabata Battle Rope: 45 seconds on 10 seconds rest 3 x each exercise Chain them together with only the 10 seconds rest between them
1) single whip x3 2) double whip x3 3) double rope rotation x3 (left, right, last round 1/2 left 1/2 right)
Tuesday Training 04/27/2021: Training: 1 hour of Muay Thai
Today we worked on the same drills as last Thursday.
However, today I worked slower and more deliberately. My foot and ankle are still sore from rolling it Sunday. So instead of pushing it, I worked on form and worked slowly.
Avoiding the things that hurt and kept training around my injury.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for a great class.
Thursday Training 04/29/2021: 1 hour of Muay Thai training
First day since I rolled my ankle I did not baby it so much. It’s sore now but I worked all night and and had fun. Will keep working it. Gonna give my body a second rest day tomorrow. H convinced me too. I have been only taking one day a week.
It was a lot of fun today, thanks for the class Khun Kru Krysta!
8 ) jab, cross, hook ( high elbow cover + hit or dump) 9) held pads for H
10)jab, cross, hook, rear kick (catch kick, dump, spike quad, elbow, and or dump) 11) held pads for H
Saturday Training 05/01/2021: 4.5 hours- Mile run, Leg Day weight lifting, Muay Thai, and Kali
What a day! But I got it done!
I realized something…We often talk about how important it is to keep your hands up. Your guard up when you are tired and still training. It is natural for your hands to drop lower in guard cause your arms, shoulders, body is tired. That’s hard to do but we train that way and drill it into our heads.
You know what else is supper hard to do? Keep your hands up, watch your form (make sure it is right) when you are injured. You may be modifying what you are doing, maybe babying or favoring that part of the body that is sore or hurts, and you have to remember to keep your hand up so you don’t get hit.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta!
Training: 1 mile run
Weight lifting leg day: glutes hamstrings 1) dumbbell Bulgarian split squats- each side reps- 8, 8, 6, 6, 4, 4 (up 5 lbs each hand)
2) barbell stiff leg dead lift – reps – 8, 8, 8, 8
3) single leg dead lift- each side reps – 10, 10, 10, 10
4) dumbbell b stance hip thrusters- each side reps – 8, 8, 8, 8
5) dumbbell frog pumps- reps- 10, 10, 10, 10
Super set do x3 all exercises as one set no rest till you you through a set
1) knee crunches into leg extensions- reps 14 2) straight leg Russian twists -reps- 14 3) dumbbell v ups – reps- 14
Muay Thai training: 1) jump rope 2) jab catch jab, cross parry cross, hook bob and weave hook drill 3) held pads for H
4) scoop Teep, rear kick, lead kick, cross hook, rear kick 5) held pads for H
6) cut kick away from rear kick, rear leg kick, lead round house, cross, hook, rear kick 7) held pads for H
8 ) part and split an incoming cross, lead hook, rear elbow, rear knee, rear kick 9) held pads for H
10) jab, cross, lead kick, slip cross, hook, rear kick 11) held pads for H
Kali: We worked on 1) cob cob, high standard and low 2) heaven six, standard six and earth six
Earth six was hard, earth six with earth grip was harder. Gotta work on this.
Sunday Training 05/02/2021: 2 hours 40 minutes Muay Thai training, and Weight lifting Leg Day
Training: 2 hours of Muay Thai training
Thank you Amanda, Khun Kru Krysta, and H for a great training session.
Love that spinning back elbow to spinning back fist combo.
Now on to Leg day weight lifting. Yay! I think I got enough cardio in today.
Workout #2: 40 minutes weight lifting Lower Body Quads and glutes focus
Got my weight lifting workout done after Muay Thai training today.
I got elbow spiked in the knee today and forgot all about it till I went to squat. 😂 lol. But it’s all good. It surely does not hurt as much as it did when I first started. De sensitized to the typical injuries of Muay Thai.
I went up 30 lbs in my barbell hip thrusts. Woot! It was hard for the last two 6 reps, but doable
When you train do you try to keep focus/your hands up when you are tired?
Have you tried to push through a rough workout, and compartmentalize an injury?
If you are looking to train to fight in the ring, remember the fight is not won in the ring. The fight will be won in the gym before you ever set foot into the ring.
Thank you for reading, and I hope you are all having a great week. If you are not subscribed and want to keep up with my adventures, recipes, and cool products I get to try out please subscribe. If you liked this post please hit the like button so I know. As always if you have a question or comment please feel free to do ask/comment.
Als always remember, Don’t Photo Edit, Just Go Get It!
Good after…morn… what ever time of day you are reading this, I hope it is good and amazing. Anyway, Bunches of Punches is not a mnemonic per se, it is more of an alliterative phrase. My Kru uses it to remind us when sparring to throw many punches, knees, kicks instead of just one or two at a time.
Why would you care how many punches you throw at a time?
There seems to be many different opinions on this matter. Surprised that there is a lot of debate about this…I am not. It seems in the martial arts world, nay in any sport, or physical activity there are people with so many different points of view. So let me just wax on about what I know and what I have learned.
Reasons why you would want to throw more punches/strikes then just 1 or 2:
Throwing one strike is predictable
Throwing just a jab for instance, your opponent is going to predict that it what you are going to throw and can counter, and return a strike to you. This is not to say that, that singular jab is not a good way to evaluate your opponents response, and or to feint and then throw something else. But in general just throwing a jab out there will not win you any rounds.
Throwing one and just blocking/waiting for a strike
Throwing one strike then turtling up, or pillar blocking up puts you on the defensive, you are then just reacting to your opponents strikes. If your opponent is pressing you don’t get the chance to strike back as easily.
Throwing multiple strikes keeps your opponent guessing
You could throw jab, cross, uppercut through the uprights, catching them off guard, then when you square up again, jab, cross, over hand… your opponent may be thinking oh I saw them do a uppercut let me dodge, or parry it away. You are mixing up the strikes to keep them guessing.
Throwing multiple strikes helps you enter striking range
I am short. I am 5 foot nothing, and my striking range is short range. Against a taller fighter, and lets get real everyone is taller than me. I have less range. So in order to get into range, I will have to crash in. I can pillar block up and crash in, but I am going to take some blows. I want to hit not get hit. If I don’t throw bunches of punches which usually means my hands are in their face, they will hit me. If I do throw bunches of punches, they will not see my leg kick coming till I sink it into their quad.
Throwing multiple strikes helps you cut the line
So cutting the line is important. Especially if you vertically challenged like me. I don’t want to be in the front of my opponent all the time. That is where their tools are. Their fists for punching, the elbows, the knees, and kicks. However, if I can cut the line and get to their side, I can land blows, and be relatively safe. They can all ways spinning back kick, elbow, or duck. But I have a better chance of getting in range if I cut a 45 degree angle and get to their side, to do damage. I can throw a jab, cross, hook, and cut the line. The can set me up for an unprotected round house (unprotected torso of my opponent).
I am not Roy Jones Jr, or Manny Pacquiao, and I can’t bet on a one punch KO in the ring.
It is possible, though improbable at this point in my career.
This is all great, and easier said than done. However, I hear my teacher/Kru Krysta saying, “bunches of punches Tanya, bunches of punches.” While I am sparring. It is her way of reminding me to do more than just 1 or 2 punches. To fall back on our training. Even when I am tired and just want to throw one or two… throw multiple and get into the fight. Press the attack, surprise my opponent and win the round.
For reference when we are sparring we are not focused on winning we are playing. But that is a whole other topic to write about. We wanna win in the ring at a fight match. We want to play and learn from our mistakes in a sparring round.
Maintenance Week #1
This last week was maintenance week #1.
Looking at these numbers I did not hit my protein goals. I over did it on carbs, but I was feeling the need for carbs… so I had home made pop corn a couple of nights that threw those numbers over. My fats I stayed close to goal.
So this week I am going to have to work harder to get the protein in, and slow down on the carbs.
Man Carbs are so good though.
Good news, I am seeing some body recomposition. I am toning, and building muscle and my pictures are showing progress. Gonna keep plugging along and dialing in my macros.
Guess who’s triceps were sore from Sunday Muay Thai training? Yup mine, but it was upper body day today.
So after a rainy mile run I went to do my upper body workout.
I am still waiting for some dumbbells I ordered to get in so I subbed in barbell inclined bench press over dumbbell bench press.
Also don’t have a cable system so subbed in resistance bands.
Diamond push ups are hard. So I did them standard 3 x each set and then switched to doing them on my knees.
It is always ok to find work arounds if you don’t have the equipment, and or if you need to modify an exercise till you can do it. At least that is what I tell myself. 😊
Workout:
1) dumbbell one armed bench row- reps x 8, 8, 8, 8, 6, 6,
2) barbell dead lift – reps x 8, 8, 8, 8, 8
3) resistance band narrow grip pull down- reps x 10, 10, 10, 10
We are working on the basics again. It’s been great I love going back to the 4 counts. I like returning to the 4 counts especially after training other higher level drills. I think of it as re-honing my basic skills.
It also feels good just doing something I know without thinking about how to do.
And lastly you can always improve on the basics. I will always have something I can improve on.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for a great class!
Muay Thai:
1) Jump rope
2) plus sign footwork drill, with rear leg kick 3) H’s turn to lead
4) 4 count – right to left- rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick 5) fed pads for H
6) 4 count – left to right- lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick 7) held pads for H
8 )4 count – rear to rear – rear kick, hook, cross, rear kick 9) held pads for H
10) 4 count – lead to lead – lead kick, cross, hook, lead kick 11) held pads for H
Thursday 4/22/2021: Training: 1 hour of Muay Thai
I would not say I completely successfully left my shitty day/mood off the mat this time. But did just sink into the workout.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta that it was basics again 4 counts and it was nice to just work it and try to forget life for a bit.
Was leaving my foot in the bucket for South Paw stance doing drills, but I was getting rotation and landing my kicks well. Yay!
Muay Thai:
1) Jump rope
2) plus sign footwork drill, with rear leg kick 3) H’s turn to lead
4) 4 count – right to left- rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick 5) fed pads for H
6) 4 count – left to right- lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick 7) held pads for H
8 )4 count – rear to rear – rear kick, hook, cross, rear kick 9) held pads for H
10) 4 count – lead to lead – lead kick, cross, hook, lead kick 11) held pads for H
Friday 4/23/2021: Workout: 1 hour weight lifting and run
Today was lower body legs and abs.
I went on my mile run, did my weight lifting. Then we have celebrations for my eldest son’s birthday.
Yay! Celebration day! And mmmm cake!
Weight Lifting:
1) deficit snatch grip dead lift with feet elevated – reps 8, 8, 8, 8
2) dumbbell glutes bridge- reps 12, 12, 12, 12
3) pause hip thrusters with barbell- reps 10, 10, 10, 10
4) barbell split squat – reps 8, 8, 8, 8
5) dumbbell goblet squat – reps 15, 15, 15, 15
Super set- do all three exercises as a set no rest till one set is done. X3
1) side plank 30 seconds 2) plank stand 30 seconds 3) side plank 30 seconds
Saturday 4/24/2021: Training: 1 hour Muay Thai
Today we worked on Muay Thai, entries on the:
1) cross (parry and return strike) 2) the hook (high block return strikes, and or dumps) 3) the kick (catch kick and return strikes or dump)
We dot to do Silat take down called the Basset Dal, rear facing inside leg sweep. We worked on a figure 4 Leg take down that Jay taught us.
It was a lot of fun today, thanks for the class Khun Kru Krysta!
8 ) jab, cross, hook ( high elbow cover + hit or dump) 9) held pads for H
10)jab, cross, hook, rear kick (catch kick, dump, spike quad, elbow, and or dump) 11) held pads for H
Sunday 4/25/2021: 2 hours of Muay Thai, and 55 minutes of Weight lifting
Training: 2 hours of training Muay Thai
We have our little training pod, where we work together to work on higher level Muay Thai techniques, and sparring on Sunday!
I practice my free feeding and feed back.
I was working on flow, and chaining attacks better.
I was also working on keeping my hand and elbow in.
I was working on landing shuffling out, and the switching stance if need be.
Then sparring with Bunches of Punches that lead into kicks.
We got to do a new drill that was so much fun. Jab, cross, lead kick, slip the cross, hook, rear kick. That was really fun, and you can feel the weight distribution as you drill it out.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta , Amanda, and H for training with me and helping me learn to clean up my fighting.
Now on to leg day weight lifting. Gonna skip the run today as I think I hit my cardio needs. Lol
Workout # 2: 55 mins- Leg Day quads and glutes
After 2 hours of Muay Thai today leg day was a slog to get through but I did it. I just let my body rest more between exercises. Normally I try to stick to 30 seconds rest but ohh man today I needed extra time.
I also rolled my ankle at Muay Thai and now I am icing it.
Great news is… for the barbell lunges I went up 10 lbs, and for barbell sumo squats I went up 10 lbs. Woot!
Question: do you all get lazy and not take out the smaller weight befor stacking a larger weight? Picture below… when I was switching exercises up to squats instead of reloading largest first to smallest I just slapped the largest weight on the end. 😂
How do you train? Do you train drills with three or more punches?
What do you think? Would you rather just punch once or twice and get out of the pocket?
Thank you all for reading. For those of you who are knew welcome. I am amazed you all read my little journal/blog. If you want to ask me any questions please don’t hesitate to comment or email me. If you want to follow my adventures and know when I put a knew post up right away subscribe. If you liked this post please let me know and hit the like button.
Hello happy people. As you know I practice martial arts. I am also cross training, weight lifting, and running being the main forms of cross training.
What is cross training?
Generally Cross Training just means training with a few different types of exercise, movement, or modalities
Cross training is done by athletes because not only does it help with cardio, muscle strength, and movement. It also prevents injuries because you are avoiding over development of one set of muscles and helping to create more of a balance to the muscle mass you are trying to develop.
I digress… I have started a new weight lifting program it is 8 weeks long, and I am officially on my second week second day of the program. It is a 3 – 3 split, meaning 3 days a week I will weight lift, and it is split into lower body, upper body, lower body for the first 4 weeks then switches around to upper body, lower body, upper body for the following 4 weeks.
Why would I be mentioning this you are probably thinking to yourself. Well… Ouch! I hurt. D.O.M.S. (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) has set in. Ok so weight lifting has been something I have done for a while now. However, I wanted to challenge myself and I actually have found a person that I jive with and like. So I am following their program and she makes me do things I don’t like doing. I can only think that is a good thing. Because, when I make my own routine up like I so often do. I can avoid some exercises that are not the most fun, and tell myself its ok cause I am doing another exercise in the same vein or I am doing full body. I know this, and I accept this. Hence the new program.
What does this mean for me? Well I have been sore, very sore, because we are hitting muscles that I have bee training before but in different ways, with different volumes, and more consistently.
Boy does that make for interesting training days/nights in Muay Thai and Kali. My glutes were sore the first week, and what do you use when you do a round house kick? Aside from your core, torso, and legs, but your glutes. Along with my glutes my hamstrings were screaming at me on Tuesday. So what I did was power through my training, even though it hurt, and made sure to stay hydrated, stretch and used the hypervolt muscle massager. I often have H help me with the hypervolt cause he can get to all the areas that need attention.
What to do when extremely sore or have D.O.M.S:
Train in your sport that you participating in. (I find that when I work out after being sore, it helps to flush the muscle, helps keep it warm and functioning. I feel like I heal faster as well. When I sit and wait for it to heal I hurt for longer.)
Drink lots of water, fluids to help with the repair of your muscles
Stretch
Massage (helps to again in my experience heal the muscle faster. )
Ice the affected muscles
Here is hoping as my body gets used to this level of cross training it gets a little easier. As it is I train Muay Thai 3 to 4 days a week, and run + weight lifting 3 days a week. I had to stack Sunday weight lifting with Sunday Advanced Muay Thai training. That ended up being a good 3 hours of training. We will see if I can keep that up or have to move my schedule around.
So as I am typing this out, thinking about this last week of training. My triceps are very sore from Sundays training, and I had upper body (back, chest, triceps) workout today.
Last week of 3 week Mini Cut
It is not till I look back at my week that I see I am actually almost hitting my macros. I often think that I am not hitting them as well as I could be. The easier thing would be to eat the same thing every day with no variety to make sure I hit my macros, but that seems boring. I don’t want to eat chicken, broccoli, and rice every day.
This week it looks like I almost hit my averages on macros. I am just still under on protein. I will keep dialing it in. I just have to fill my day with small protein snacks. Roasted nuts, protein bars, and protein shakes have all been helping.
I have gone down on the scale, which is great, it is going slowly. So I have had a scale victory, but I have noticed other small non scale victories. Like my run time is better, my profile in pictures is different slightly, and my clothing is fitting different. So Yay! Onward and upward.
Next two weeks are maintenance eating, then I will be back on a mini cut.
Great workout and I am pooped. I don’t have all the equipment and had to come up with ways around. So instead of a cable machine I used resistance bands. Instead of 25 lb dumbbells, I used my 25 lb plates. Don’t give up on a work out you can find work arounds.
Tuesday 4/13/2021: Training: 1 hour of Muay Thai training
We had a great time today. My glutes, quads and hamstrings are still sore from Sunday’s workout. But I went in and put time in on the mat.
Even so working the drills was fantastic.
Thank you khun kru Krysta for a great class.
Also wearing my new Yokkao clothes. Love love love the shorts. So pretty!
Muay Thai: 1) jump rope
2) jab, catch, jab, parry cross, throw cross, parry cross, bob and weave from incoming hook, return cross, bob and weave incoming cross 3) fed H the drill
4) jab, cross, lead elbow, rear elbow, rear knee, rear kick 5) fed H pads
6) jab, hook, lead elbow, lead knee, lead kick 7) feed H pads
10) jab, cross, lead elbow, rear elbow, lead elbow, rear knee, double kick 11) held pads for H
Thursday 4/15/2021: Training: 1 hour of Muay Thai training
As I as working tonight. I had a thought. We as martial artists, or athletes in general are the culmination of all of our instructors, their instructors, our will, and our dedication to the art/sport.
I know it seems like a Duh Tanya thought but, that is incredible to just think about. The legacy that has gon into making me and my martial artists family.
Anyway great day of training. I tried to leave the rest of the world off the mat and was ok for the most part doing so.
Thanks for the great class Khun Kru Krysta!
Muay Thai: 1) jump rope
2) jab, catch, jab, parry cross, throw cross, parry cross, bob and weave from incoming hook, return cross, bob and weave incoming cross 3) fed H the drill
4) jab, cross, lead elbow, rear elbow, rear knee, rear kick 5) fed H pads
6) jab, hook, lead elbow, lead knee, lead kick ( goal is to chain hook to lead elbow so you can get in fast) 7) feed H pads
10) jab, cross, lead spinning back elbow, rear spinning back elbow, lead spinning back elbow, rear elbow, rear knee, rear kick
(goal is to assess the range after the spinning back elbows, of opponent is close reset and shuffle back to throw last elbow. If opponent moves back spin through and shuffle in for last elbow) 11) held pads for H
Friday 4/16/2021: Workout: 1 hour 15 minutes mile run and weight lifting glutes and hamstrings
I am doing a 3 day split lower, upper, lower body. Today was day 3.
Today has been a great day. I had a scale victory. While I try not to put to much value on the scale it is still a tool you can use to see changes, like a measuring tape.
Had some weird dude watching me run. But that’s ok. Having a good day anyway. This is what I wore to run in and I feel like it is not something risqué. Tank top and tights.
1 mile run, my average was lower again to day by just a few seconds.
Weight lifting:
1) dumbbell Bulgarian split squats each leg- reps x 8, 8, 6, 6, 4, 4 ( I normally do this with body weight only 15 each side so I felt these more today)
2) barbell stiff leg dead lift- reps x 8, 8, 8, 8
3) dumbbell single leg dead lift each side- reps x 10, 10, 10, 10
4) dumbbell b stance hip thrusters each leg – reps, 8, 8, 8, 8
5) dumbbell frog thrusts – reps 10, 10, 10, 10
Super set: do each set of three exercises back to back without a rest – only rest between a super set
x3 sets
1) knee crunches + leg extensions back to knee crunch – reps 14 2) straight legged Russian twists – reps 14 3) dumbbell V ups – reps 14
1) knee crunches + leg extensions back to knee crunch – reps 14 2) straight legged Russian twists – reps 14 3) dumbbell V ups – reps 14
1) knee crunches + leg extensions back to knee crunch – reps 14 2) straight legged Russian twists – reps 14 3) dumbbell V ups – reps 14
Saturday 4/17/2021: Training: 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali
Had a great day of training today. I felt like I was getting great rotation on my kicks. Woot!
Here is whe we worked on.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for a great set of classes!
Muay Thai:
1) Jump rope
2) plus sign footwork drill, with rear leg kick 3) H’s turn to lead
4) 4 count – right to left- rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick 5) fed pads for H
6) 4 count – left to right- lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick 7) held pads for H
8 )4 count – rear to rear – rear kick, hook, cross, rear kick 9) held pads for H
10) 4 count – lead to lead – lead kick, cross, hook, lead kick 11) held pads for H
Kali:
We worked strikes 15, 1, 4, with a Kali stick, and with staves.
We alternated counters, bocks, and strikes for the 4 to 5 with staff.
Sunday 4/18/2021: Workout 1- 1 hour 1 mile run and Weight lifting lower body, Training 2 – 1 hour 45 min Muay Thai training
Workout 1: 1 hour – 1 mile run and weight lifting
Leg day- quads and glutes focus
Whew that’s done. I got my run in, my weight lifting done, and now I go to my Muay Thai training 2 hours slated for today.
Today we made it into the gym to do some higher level pad hitting.
Intuitive feeding
Cleaning up some of our movements/strikes (little tiny changes like stepping through, and foot placement shorten time between strikes by seconds, but may give you that opportunity to land a strike)
Working on some spinning elbows
This was after my weightlifting workout so I was already a bit tired. But I got through it. So total today time working out/training was about 3 hours. I am pooped. 😆 But this was a great day of training.
Thank you H and ladies for the training.
Are you cross training? If not finding something to cross train is a good Idea. It will help you in your primary martial art, and your sports. I used to cross train when I was on water polo and swim team in school. I ran to cross train.
What do you do to cross train?
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As always I really believe, Don’t Photo Edit, Just Go Get It!
Hello all you wonderful people. I decided with the help of my partner to start doing interviews of martial artists around me. I may open it up to fitness personalities etc. as I go along down the road. However, H and I were talking, and it has been amazing how many masters, teachers, and just amazing martial artists I have worked with.
I truly believe just like the great master Bruce Lee, that we can learn so much from each other, and every person we meet. I think there is a lot of hubris in thinking you have learned everything you can from one person and that they cannot teach you more.
I have not invented a “new style,” composite, modified or otherwise that is set within distinct form as apart from “this” method or “that” method. On the contrary, I hope to free my followers from clinging to styles, patterns, or molds. Remember that Jeet Kune Do is merely a name used, a mirror in which to see “ourselves”. . . Jeet Kune Do is not an organized institution that one can be a member of. Either you understand or you don’t, and that is that. There is no mystery about my style. My movements are simple, direct and non-classical. The extraordinary part of it lies in its simplicity. Every movement in Jeet Kune Do is being so of itself. There is nothing artificial about it. I always believe that the easy way is the right way. Jeet Kune Do is simply the direct expression of one’s feelings with the minimum of movements and energy. The closer to the true way of Kung Fu, the less wastage of expression there is. Finally, a Jeet Kune Do man who says Jeet Kune Do is exclusively Jeet Kune Do is simply not with it. He is still hung up on his self-closing resistance, in this case anchored down to reactionary pattern, and naturally is still bound by another modified pattern and can move within its limits. He has not digested the simple fact that truth exists outside all molds; pattern and awareness is never exclusive. Again let me remind you Jeet Kune Do is just a name used, a boat to get one across, and once across it is to be discarded and not to be carried on one’s back. — Bruce Lee
This above, is a philosophy we follow in our school. We try to embrace learning everything we can. This new series is going to be a way for me to showcase and highlight people that I have had the pleasure of working with and continue to learn from.
Col. Jay Man
About LTC. Jay Man: A Colonel in the Army, loving husband to his beautiful wife. He is the sweetest man you will ever meet. He is a tall man, I believe he may be 6 ft 1in, but to me a 5 ft woman he is a giant. When you talk to him, he has a smile that will light up the room, he is warm and inviting. If you have any questions he will stop what he is doing and devote all his attention to you. If you ask about martial arts he will gladly sit and talk with you for as long as you want. His passion for the martial arts he practices just emanates from him. I have trained and gone to seminars in Muay Thai with this man. He teaches and studies BJJ. He studies Kali, and has trained in all these martial arts for decades. (these are all facts and I will brook no argument)
What got you started in Martial arts?
Jay, “It was something for me. I was a Boy Scout and it was kinda something my mom kinda encouraged. But martial arts was kinda my thing.”
Jay, “Things that I enjoyed? Uhh, I always enjoyed Bruce Lee movies growing up.”
Me, “I think a lot of people started martial arts because of Bruce Lee, right?”
Jay, “Yeah, laughs”
Me, “He is a big influence.”
Jay, “I started boxing when I was 19, right before I joined the navy at the time. After I graduated High School I went into the military. So I always just thought that being a warrior and martial arts is something you should just do. So that is why I started (martial arts), and then it turned into something way more than that.
Me, “its your life now!”
Jay, “It turned into a lifestyle.”
What do you love about martial arts?
Jay, “I love the personal growth aspect. That’s the biggest part of it. I don’t really care about, (clears throat), it goes back to that whole warrior lifestyle thing, I don’t really care to much about metals or even winning. It doesn’t really matter that much.”
Me, “Yeah so you are competing against yourself.”
Jay, “Yes, um I read something recently which I really liked, it talked about how your mastering your calm, you know being able to… the most impressive thing I think I have ever heard even in combat, was the guy who was able to remain calm even when he could hear bullets hitting around him, and he was able to maintain his calm and maintain his focus. To be able to execute what was required to be get his people out of and survive that situation. He succeeded at his mission and continued on in service. “
Jay, “That to me is what martial arts is really about. Is being able to remain calm to do what is necessary, to do the right thing, in the most stressful situations you can find…you know the ultimate obviously being combat, but even without combat, if you are able to maintain calm when someone is trying to stress you out in work. If you can do it in combat you can do it with some idiot at work.”
Me, “Yeah exactly, exactly, a bad day is not going to cause you go and kill a bunch of people.” (Note: of context, this was right after the shooting at the massage parlor and the mans excuse was he was having a bad day.)
Jay, “That particular situation frustrated me because, where is the personal responsibility.”
Which martial arts do you prefer to practice?
Me, “Its not a good or bad thing, but do you love Jiu Jitsu more, or do you like the striking martial arts more?”
Jay, “I love them all so lets just get that out there.”
Me, “I figured it would be a hard question.”
Jay, “Yeah it is a hard question, I think that um, to me its all one thing, in that combat is not limited to one particular position. I mean let me ask you this, I mean, which style would be best to defend yourself against an IED that is placed under your vehicle. That is the first time that style means jack and shit.”
Me, “Right it is about what ever works at the time.”
Jay, “Exactly, so if I am being attacked in my house, by someone who has a knife, Jiu Jitsu is great, but a gun is better. I mean it really just depends on the situation.”
Jay, “Now what do I like to practice for personal growth its going to be Jiu Jitsu, and that is because the again going back to the original point of being able to learn how to defend yourself in a real situation, but also how to remain calm in a stressful environment, because Jiu Jitsu puts you into these weird physical positions that really stress you out. There is a visceral reaction in a human being when their being held against their will and they can’t move and they can’t do anything. You definitely feel it when some one is choking you and you can’t get out of it. Very stressful. I personally think that is why women should learn it, because that particular situation, that art, teaches you how to deal with that kind of panic, so that you learn how to deal with the panic, so you can work effectively to get out of a situation.”
Me, “It all goes back to that whole being calm in a crazy stressful situation, because a lot of times for women at least in my experience, for women, the perpetrator whether its a man or woman or whatever, uses their weight and their size against you, so being able to make space and get the hell out, is really really important in my opinion.”
Jay, “I couldn’t agree more. And striking is one of those things that, the person that is the bigger stronger person, has the advantage, because striking requires a lot of force, and force is generated by mass times acceleration, and guys generally have more mass. That does not mean a woman is inherently fated to lose, a woman just has to fight smarter. Which shouldn’t be to hard cause women are smarter anyway.”
Me, “That is the whole thing about fighting anyway, you wanna win, you have to fight smarter.”
Jay, “There is a quote in War and Peace that I really liked, attributed to Napoleon, I highly recommend the book, anyway it says,”The key to victory is being stronger than your opponent at any given point.” , Its not about being stronger than your opponent always, it is being stronger when your opponent is weak. And that is where I think Jiu Jitsu is effective and helpful, because first of all you can use your body weight and positions to negate strikes, or to make strikes less effective. Now we are not talking about weapons, that is a different story. You do Kali, so you know, a weapon is a tool so if you can get a weapon you should use the weapon. But if you are not talking a rape situation and there is no weapon involved, then Jiu Jitsu is a good tool to utilize against a stronger opponent, because you are learning to use your strengths against their weakness.”
Me, “Yeah, and even physics goes into it, points of areas of if you push the body is going to turn, so you just got to… knowing that is highly highly helpful in those situations.”
Jay, “A simple example that I can put up, in Muay Thai you already learned that, you push the head their whole body they can’t strike as well.”
Me, “Yeah where the head goes…”
Jay, “Where the head goes the body follows, its a simple understanding of simple stuff like that, that I think is so useful for Jiu Jitsu, and it translates very well to Muay Thai, because Muay Thai like Jiu Jitsu is based on reality and body physics.”
Me, “I 100% agree!”
What would you tell an aspiring martial artist?
Me, “Young or old, just anyone wanting to start”
Jay, “Be persistent… persistence is the most important thing. Consistency and persistence, in what ever you are learning. Don’t get all freaked out about rank. That is completely irrelevant. I like to say this all the time. Martial arts and self defense skills are a perishable skill, I don’t care if you have won 17 different national titles. You know, if you don’t train for two years your not going to be able to use it in an actual self defense situation, which should always be your focus. If you are focused on getting rank, so you can look good, or look like a bad ass, you have missed the entire point. Being able to be successful in combat, requires constant and consistent training.”
Me, “It goes back to being your own…you are competing against yourself…you are constantly trying to improve yourself. Not go against this guy, or against this guy or whatever. I often fall into that, feeling I am not good enough.”
Bonus Point Mental block:
Jay, “So there is a converse to that, you may have that mental block were you are thinking you are not good enough. There are other people who think, hey I have it down. That is another mental block.”
Me, “Oh that is so true.”
Jay, “Both of those are equally dangerous, because they interfere with your ability to actually do reality.”
Me, “Yeah that is true, I never thought about the other side, yeah, because I always think ok I can get better, look at these other people over here, I never thought about if you over think it and you think you are better than everyone else and you come out swinging, and you are just not… you are going to get your butt handed to you.”
Jay, “Right, right… and that over confidence is just as…I have seen that become equally as dangerous and especially when you are in charge of soldiers, or you are leaders of men, and you have that over confidence you get a lot of people killed, I have seen that before.”
Me, “oh yeah that makes sense, you are not thinking about your men, you thinking you can do it…”
Jay, “Those guys are thinking, I am immortal, my guys are immortal, my guys have this skill level that they can do anything, so I have a lack of planning, I don’t need this particular communication system, or I don’t need to follow this rule because hey my guys are awesome they were able to do all this stuff, they went through this kind of training, they should be able to handle it, and those guys get killed.”
Me, “That is scary and terrible all at the same time.”
Jay, “I am specifically thinking of Operation Red Wings for any of your listeners that want to look that up. Its a lone survivor mission.”
Back to:What would you tell an aspiring martial artist?
Consistency in training
Don’t worry about rank
Constantly looking to better themselves
Jay, “The mantra of the highest level of soldiers and warriors that this country produces, Tier 1 Units that does not mean a lot to most people, they are constantly evaluating where they are, they never rest on their laurels, always training to get better, always taking a very very critical look at themselves, always always trying to find out what they screwed up so they can improve. Even if they did something to perfection, they are going to find the things that are a problem, and try to fix them.”
Me, “There is always things you can learn, always,”
Jay, “Right, and they are always trying to improve. That is the mentality that I think you need to take into martial arts. If you want to continue and be successful. That does not end… there is no end goal.”
Me, “Right, I say it all the time, its a lifelong learning process.”
Jay, “A lifelong learning process, I don’t care… I mean Guru Dan (Dan Inosanto), is the best example of that, he is one of my biggest inspirations, Guro Dan put on a white belt in Jiu Jitsu in his 60’s because he wanted to improve in martial arts. He did that with Systema, in his late 70’s.”
Me, “Yeah anyone who is willing to start at the beginning, and just go.”
Jay, “He does not care, he just wants to learn, he wants to constantly improve himself through his entire life. That is who he is, he got that from Bruce Lee, that is the quintessential example of what you should be as a martial artists. And that is how you will get to the best possible capability. I am not even talking about elite athletes, elite athletes are a short term process, those guys will be successful for a specific time that they are physically able to do it. But if you want to have a life time success in martial arts, its all about continuously improving yourself regardless of where you are and what stage you are in your life, and constantly pushing to get better. Always trying to learn, does not matter if you get to black belt in your life.
Me, “Yeah 100%, I could be white belt in Jiu Jitsu for the rest of my life, and that is fine, so long as I learn. And I learn what I can do, what my body can do, not what some one else can do.”
Jay, “Guru Dan is a great example, he would be effective in combat today, because he would evaluate the situation and solve the problem.”
Bonus Point Confidence is not ego:
(we digressed and talked a little about ego and Jay wanted to add another point)
Jay, “I will leave you with this perspective…I have been thinking about this a lot, because you are right, ego can get in your way. But there is another part to ego that is important, and that is self confidence. Confidence, how do we define confidence, is not thinking you can do something, but doing it so much that you just know you can do it. Like right now do you have an doubt that you can do a right round house kick to my leg?
Me, “No, not at all”
Jay, “Why?”
Me, “Because I have done it so many times.”
Jay, “Because you have done it thousand of times. So it is not over confident, that you can round house kick me in the leg. To most people it sounds like boasting. Its not boasting, and it looks like ego and boasting.”
Me, “I have said that on my blog, It sounds like boasting, and I have told people, and I am really not, but I have put hours and years into this, this is what my third year into Muay Thai, and thousands and thousands of hours. I am confident I can pull off a kick or a combo or whatever.”
Jay, “When I say that example, most people don’t spend thousands of hours on a round kick, but they spend a lot of time walking, are you confident right not that you can walk across a floor. Its not boasting. Of course you can and that is the kind of confidence you need to build in martial arts, and it is not ego.”
Me, “I am sorry if I took up a lot of your class time. Thank you for talking with me and answering my questions”
Jay, “No no this is great conversation, I love it, this is great, ask any time.”
This was a fantastic interview, I could talk to Jay about martial arts all day. For those people who do the TLDR (to long didn’t read) the questions and answers are below. However, I really recommend reading he has some really great points and explanations. I never knew about Operation Red Wings, that was an interesting read. I have linked it above click on the words in the interview.
What got you started in martial arts?
He had many outlets given to him when he was a kid, but martial arts ended up being his own personal thing. Bruce Lee was a huge influence when he was little. He started with boxing, went into the navy, and always thought it becoming a warrior was the right thing to do.
What do you love about martial arts?
Personal growth aspect, you are competing against yourself, bettering yourself.
Learning to remain calm in a stressful situation.
Which martial arts do you prefer to practice?
He loves them all
But in terms of personal growth Jiu Jitsu is his favorite.
What would you tell an aspiring martial artist?
Consistency in training
Don’t worry about rank
Constantly looking to better themselves
Bonus points:
Confidence is not ego
Mental blocks can be over thinking you are not good enough, and also over thinking you are the best
His inspirations Bruce Lee, and Guru Dan Inosanto
I have trained with Jay for years and I felt I got to know him so much better after this interview. It is nice to sit down and pick the brain of some one who is so experienced in martial arts. When I asked him he did not hesitate to say yes. I was amazed.
That is it for my first interview and featured martial artist. Thank you for reading. I will be interviewing more people as I go along. I really wish I thought of this sooner. But no time like the present to start. There is so much I can learn from each person who has been in, near, trained with me, or adjacent to my martial arts training.
What would you like to hear about?
What kind of questions should I ask?
What did I miss?
If you liked this kind of post, please hit the like button. If you would like to keep up with my adventures, subscribe, and please feel free to comment. You can find day to day shenanigans on my instagram @sharpcupcake
As always, Don’t Photo Edit, Just Go Get it!
6/9/2019 Right to Left – Khun Kru Krysta, Ajarn Chai, Me, JD, Jay – We were at a seminar with Ajarn Chai
I am well aware that people are all different what may be hard for me is a no brainer for them. What may be easy for me is super difficult for others. Then there are those people that seem like they are perfect. Nary a problem had for those people. I am not one of them. I sometimes struggle hitting every obstacle in my way, instead of clearing them with a single jump, sometimes I just climb over them.
I write this blog so that I can record, ruminate, and hopefully pass on what I am learning. I often look back and see some of the progress I have made. Whether the progress is mental, physical, or spiritual I can see it. Sometimes I can only see the progress because of the posts I have made.
What am I waxing on about? Leaving everything off the mat. Letting things go, and ignoring the problems you faced during the day. I am not one to normally let it go. I worry that (thing of contention, problem, or issue) like a dog with their favorite bone. Sometimes its those areas that are friction for me that I use to drive my energy on the mat, however, I have noticed when I just let it all go. I ignore everything else that happened that day, for the 1 or 2 hours I am on the mat, I am more fluid, my body responds to my commands, and I look like I know what I am doing.
Why is that? Why when I leave it all at the door, or the edge of the mat, do I work better? That is a good question, and while I have been thinking about it, the only thing I can come up with is. When I am upset, annoyed, pissed off, worried, etc., I will work the drills. I will follow the lead of my trainer/Kru/coach. I will do what is asked of me, but I am torn between training and issues of the day. It feels like I forcing the drills.
Why is forcing the drills bad?
Well for instance in Muay Thai especially, I can only speak for Muay Thai, because my previous experience with martial arts is with those Mc Dojos as a kid. For Muay Thai, you will notice that the mechanics of the drills, moves, strikes follows and flows with the physics of the body. If I force say a drill of kicking, I tighten up, my leg/hip/glutes, all tighten up and in doing so shorten my muscles up, and while I may try to muscle it or force more power, it will convey less power. In Muay Thai power is conveyed in turning over of the hips, aiming through your opponent, and letting your body follow physics.
The best way it has been described to me from one of my Kru Kristen was imagine your leg is a bat on the end of a chain. You could try to muscle the bat and hit a person with the bat. You will do damage and it will hurt, however, if you swing the bat on the chain, your body torque, your limbs working in unison, you will create far more force.
Funny enough I looked it up in order to understand it better. They have a name for it. Often used for batters in Baseball. However, it can be used for jumping, kicking a soccer ball, kicking in Muay Thai, etc. Far smarter people than I have named it… Kenetic Chain Sequence.
The Kinetic Chain Sequence is the way to explain the biomechanical:
“term for body parts working together and moving in a specific order to create a movement.” “The main contributors to swing power, in order, are the following: Ultimately, the power produced by the hips, torso, lead arm and hand is delivered to the bat, which then smashes a baseball deep into the bleachers (hopefully!)”
There are whole sites/blog pages/etc dedicated to understanding Kenetic Chain Sequence. If you are interested there is so much more information out there.
I digress, when I am trying to muscle or force a drill, I mess up my kinetic chain sequence in my body. Step, pivot on ball of foot, torso and hip turn over, leg kick to side of the opponent. I tighten up and still make the connection but I don’t do so with the most power I could. This also mess up flow. If you are already tight it is hard to switch feet, shift out, flow. You have to unclench your muscles so that you can move and contract them again. It takes seconds off of your flow, it does not seem like a big deal, but it does effect your energy output.
If your flow and biomechanics is slowed, it feels to me like trying to kick through some viscous fluid. I can do it but it tires me out faster. Forcing your moves simply makes you more tired. And people who are new to Muay Thai do it all the time. So we are telling them to relax and let whip your body hip over. Easier said than done when you are new though.
When I am focusing on things that are making me mad/upset/angry/stressed, I notice I am just barreling through my workout/training.
What helps and makes me feel like I am having a fantastic training day? When I leave everything from the world at the edge of the mat. I can pick it up later when I am done training. I had a day where that happened this week. I am still learning how to do that. But everything flowed. I felt good. My partner said my strikes (boxing, elbows, knees, kicks) were 30% more powerful that day. I flowed well. I was faster, my drills looked good. I was not exhausted all the time. I felt great. I am chasing that feeling on the mats. I want to have that be my every training day. I know that it won’t always be, but I want it to be more common than not.
Goals are to be more relaxed in training. Easier said than done for me, but I will work on it.
Mini Cut Week 2
Ok mini cut week 2, I am still trying to dial in my protein intake. This last week I went a little over on carbs. I hit my fat macros dead on. So I just need to dial in my carbs and push the protein. Currently for this week the scale is not really moving.
I am also actively weight lifting during this. So I know it is all body recomposition (building muscle, burning fat).
I am not perfect and dialing in my food intake is taking time. However, I am invested in me and will keep going.
Again the calories for the day vary, on average I burn 3000 to 3500 a day. On the high side I burn 4000 depending on my activity that day. On my off day I burn between 2000 and 2500. I work out 6 days a week, and have a job where I am on my feet.
I am working toward a goal, and trying to ignore the bumps, lumps and yuckiness I see. I know putting in the time will eventually lead to results. Just have to grind and keep going.
For me it helps having clothing I love and feel good in. It’s a reward I give to myself for sticking to my routine even when I don’t want to.
1 mile run
Weight lifting: 3x sets of each
1) back squats- x 10 reps 2) kettlebell swings- 1 minute 3) goblet squats- x 10 reps 4) tripod tricep row- x 10 reps each side 5) clean and press- x 10 reps each side 6) hip thrusters- x20 reps 7) Bulgarian split squats- x 10 each side
That is it for today. I have to take kiddo to eye exam, and run some other errands. Oh and get food in.
Tuesday 4/06/2021 Training: 1 hour Muay Thai
Training a was great even though I am exhausted. I had work, errands, chores, feeding family, and I have been running around getting paperwork together for the gov’ment. For a super secret maybe adventure.
We worked on a goofy foot/shin compression drop again today.
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for a fun.
I did windshield wiper drills before class.
I Need to keep the working on the windshield wipers drills. I also need to remember to throw the leg down instead of around so that it’s easier to kick the leg.
Training: 1) Jab, catch, jab 2) fed H
3) catch jab, parry cross, inner mouse the tricep or, catch jab, parry the cross, outer mouse the tricep with back hand 4) feed H
5) catch jab, parry cross, return mouse back hand, high block incoming hook, post and push off, brace foot on leg for knee to leg destruction, push opponent, and return lead kick. 6) held pads for H
7) catch jab, parry cross, mouse arm, post high cover hook, destroy the wrist, goofy foot/shin compression and dump. 8 ) held pads for H
And workout is done. I am still sore from Monday’s leg and upper body day. Today was upper body and core day.
It’s beautiful outside today! The workout was great even if I dis not starting out wanting to do it today.
1 mile run
9 minute battle rope Tebatta: 45 seconds on 10 seconds off, x 3 each set 1) single whip/alternating arm waves 2) double whip/double arm waves 3) figure 8
Weight lifting: x 3 each set 1) standing tricep overhead extension- 12 reps 2) standing tricep kick backs – 20 reps 3) front raise to lateral raise – 20 reps 4) standing side crunches with KB – 20 reps each side 5) reverse crunches – 20 reps 6) sit ups- 20 reps 7) push ups – 20 reps
Thursday 4/08/2021 Training: 1 hour Muay Thai
Good day of training, not getting the shin compression right is a little frustrating but I will keep working on it.
Main takeaway from this class was taught to Khun Kru Krysta by Greg Nelson. It is the contact points on opponents body so you can better control their body, the head press into opponents body, turning of their body to make them/their spine/center of gravity compromised, shin contact with foot hooked behind and applying contact and pressure together to drop opponents.
Need to work more on it. But I was able to get some good dumps on my partner. Yay!
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta!
Training: Jump rope
1) Jab, catch, jab 2) fed H
3) catch jab, parry cross, inner mouse the tricep or, catch jab, parry the cross, outer mouse the tricep with back hand 4) feed H
5) catch jab, parry cross, return mouse back hand, high block incoming hook, post and push off, catch the incoming kick, elbow spike destruction to the leg of opponent, leg kick, and return lead kick. 6) held pads for H
7) catch jab, parry cross, return mouse back hand, high block incoming hook, post, lead knee, lead kick 8 ) held pads for H
9) catch jab, parry cross, mouse arm, post high cover hook, destroy the wrist, goofy foot/shin compression and dump. 10) held pads for H
Saturday 4/10/2021 Training: 2 hours training of Muay Thai and Kali
Today was a great day of training. One of the best I have had in ages.
I did not overthink what I was doing. I trusted in my training and my body knowing what to do. I did not force it. It was fantastic. I am going to work on that. It’s harder than you might believe for me.
The reason it was fantastic? I have had a few emotional days. I have had some rough days this week.
I put it aside, I did not even think about it. I just came to train. I just worked, allowed my body to do what I have taught it. And the result? I flowed, my strikes were 30% harder without trying, I did not force it I just worked. H told me my strikes were harder, and I was flowing fantastically.
Hardest thing for me to do is to put away the things I deal with. To leave them off the mat. Today I did. I just worked. I turned off my brain!
Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for great classes.
Training:
Muay Thai: 1) jump rope
2) jab, catch, jab, parry cross, throw cross, parry cross, bob and weave from incoming hook, return cross, bob and weave incoming cross 3) fed H the drill
4) jab, cross, lead elbow, rear elbow, rear knee 5) fed H pads
6) jab, hook, lead elbow, lead knee 7) feed H pads
10) jab, cross, lead elbow, rear elbow, lead elbow, rear knee, double kick 11) held pads for H
Kali: 1) heaven six 2) standard six 3) heaven umbrella six 4) standard umbrella six 5) all together- heaven six, standard six, heaven umbrella six, standard umbrella six
Sunday 4/11/2021 Workout: 1 hour – 1 mile run and weight lifting
Leg day- I am trying out an app that puts together workouts for me. Because while I can do some things I also can focus on exercises I like better. So this helps break up my routine. That’s what coaches are good for. 😊
Leaving everything off the mat. That is going to be a hard ask for me. I wear my emotions on my sleeve. But I am going to try to just let it go at least while I am on the mat.
What part of training do you have a hard time with?
What are your goals, tangible or intangible?
Do you notice a difference in your training when you don’t carry your worries with you?
Thank you all for reading. I hope you all have a great week. This was a record of my last week of training and nutrition. To my new subscribers welcome, and I am humbled that you want to read my ramblings. Please feel free to drop me a line if you have questions or want to comment. If you liked my post let me know by hitting the like button. If you want to see more of my adventures subscribe.
Thinks with Spinks 