Category: Kali Escrima

Workout/Martial Arts 07/06/2020: Partner Drills, Thinking about your next step you are already behind.

This week H and I started Partner Drills. I am happy we did.

If you are unaware of what partner drills were, its where you practice a combo on a partner, they counter the attacks/shield/or block the attacks. They then practice the same combo on you.

This helps us in learning to see the attacks coming. This helps to learn to shield attacks, coutner them and return an atack. It helps you work the blocks and lets you feel what it feels like when you do block. You don’t get this training when you work on your own. You don’t get this training when you work on the heavy bag, and you don’t get this kind of training when you shadow box.

This kind of training you have to have a partner for. I am lucky that H and I are life partners and partners who practice Muay Thai. We can carve out a little space on the mat and work the combos/drills. My fellow students in class cannot train the way we are becuase they don’t have anyone they can train with, in this 2020 Covid19 Pandemic crap of a year.

I like partner drills. I love Muay Thai. I just get very nervous still after all this training time when a flurry of blows comes at me. I can counter/shield/return atacks to a certain point. Then my brain goes … ack!!!… things are coming at your face and body. My brain shuts down, and I start overthinking things.

In a fight or sparring match, thinking about your next step you are already behind.

What does this sentence above mean? When you are blocking, countering attacks, if you see an incoming strike, and stop to think about what to do, you will never be fast enough to come up with a solution and then excecute your counter. You have to drill and train what to do when an atack comes in, so your body is in motion already by the time the strike comes in.

Can you guess what I am working on this next week?

Monday 07/06/2020: 25 minutes – mile run and core workout

Woke up at 7:30 went for a run and did just a core workout. Still really sore from Muay Thai training on Saturday. So I am giving my body a rest.

It wa already hot and humid at 7:30 blargh. But I got it done. I need to roll out my muscles today.

My shirt says Fight Like A GRRRL and it’s one of my favorites

Tuesday 07/07/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai training

Today was a great day of training. I was tired coming in but had a blast in class. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta Scharlach.

I really like the chain strikes, when we hit a hook, then a horizontal elbow. I got complimented on my form with the hook, horizontal elbow, spinning rear elbow, to spinning rear elbow. Yay!

Training: {jumping jacks active rest between rounds}

1) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick (trained in both south paw and orthodox)
2) I held pads for H

3) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Knee (trained in both south paw and orthodox)
4) I held pads for H

5) Jab, Cross, Hook, Lead Elbow, Rear Knee, Rear Kick (trained in both south paw and orthodox)
6) I held pads for H

7) Jab, Cross, Lead Elbow #1/horizontal, rear spinning elbow/#9, lead spinning elbow#9, Thai lean, Rear Knee, Rear Kick (trained in both south paw and orthodox)
8 ) I held pads for H

Burnout:
9) Jab, Cross, Lead Kick, Lead Teep – switch stance Jab, Cross, Lead Kick, Lead Tee ( focus on returning to stance before switching to new stance)
10) Jab, Cross, Lead kick, step down into new stance- Jab, Cross, Lead kick, step down into new stance

Whew I am pooped now, but my muscles don’t hurt so much today yay!

Wednesday 07/08/2020: 35 minutes Mile run, 10 mins bag work, 10 mins core

  • Wai (Respect)

Listen to your body, and change up your routine if you need too. I decided to forgo calisthenics today. My body is tired and feeling a little run down. I decided to train but in other areas. I still train and practice Muay Thai 3 days a week. This is my off day training.

Always show respect to your partner, the art, and yourself. 🙏 wai

Ran a mile, 10 minutes of bag work hand combos, and 10 minutes core workout.

Thursday 07/09/2020: 1 hour and 10 minutes Muay Thai training

Great training today. H and I changed it up by doing partner drills. Instead of doing the combos on the bag, or on the pads, we did them against each other.

What this kind of training helps with is counter attacks. You know what combos are coming in, so you can work on things like, catching jabs, scooping strikes, shielding kicks, and dealing with knees to name a few. While we were doing this I was focusing on distance management, and what counters/blocks/shields and counter attacks were open that I could see.

Training: doing partner drills
{jumping jacks active recovery between rounds}
—————
1) Orthodox- Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

2) South Paw- Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

3) Opposite stance-(one person in SP and one in Ortho) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

—————-

4) Orthodox- Jab, Lead Hook, Rear Knee

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

5) South Paw- Jab, Lead Hook, Rear Knee

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

6) Opposite stance-(one person in SP and one in Ortho) Jab, Lead Hook, Rear Knee

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)
——————

7) Orthodox- Jab, Lead Hook, Rear Knee, Rear Kick

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

8 ) South Paw- Jab, Lead Hook, Rear Knee, Rear Kick

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

9) Opposite stance-(one person in SP and one in Ortho) Jab, Lead Hook, Rear Knee, Rear Kick

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

——————
10) Orthodox- Jab, Lead Hook, Lead Elbow (chain strike), spinning rear elbow, spinning lead elbow, lean out, rear knee when opponent presses

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

11) South Paw- Jab, Lead Hook, Lead Elbow (chain strike), spinning rear elbow, spinning lead elbow, lean out, rear knee when opponent presses

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

12) Opposite stance- (one person in SP and one in Ortho) Jab, Lead Hook, Lead Elbow (chain strike), spinning rear elbow, spinning lead elbow, lean out, rear knee when opponent presses

(each person takes a turn doing this combo and the other person has to block/shield/counter attack)

—————-
Burn Out:

13) Jab, Cross, Lead Knee, Jab, Cross, Lead Kick, switch stance repeat.

It was a fantastic class. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta. 🙏

Saturday 07/11/2020: 1 hour and 45 mins of training- Kali staff and Muay Thai

Thank you Khun Kru Krysta!

We worked partner drills again today. This helps H and I work on our shields, counter attacks, and blocks.

I am so lucky to have a partner that practices Muay Thai with me. I have a built in training partner.

Training: Kali Staff

1) High x3 redondo, low back hand high back hand
2) high, low, high redondo, low back hand high back hand
3) low x 3 redondo, low back hand high back hand
4) low, high, low redondo, low back hand high back hand

5) high witik x3, low back hand high back hand
6) high, low, high witik, low back hand high back hand
7) low x3 witik, low back hand high back hand
8 ) low, high, low witik, low back hand high back hand

Training: Muay Thai {between rounds below we did jumping jacks}

1) Orthodox: Jab, Cross, Rear Teep, Jab, Cross, Lead Teep
2) South Paw: Jab, Cross, Rear Teep, Jab, Cross, Lead Teep
3) Ortho vs South Paw: Jab, Cross, Rear Teep, Jab, Cross, Lead Teep

{Combo below emphasis on recovering from a missed rear side leg kick and returning a rear side kick to torso}
4) Orthodox: Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Leg Kick, in response to opponent lateraling out – Rear Side Kick
5) South Paw: Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Leg Kick, in response to opponent lateraling out – Rear Side Kick
6) Ortho vs South Paw: Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Leg Kick, in response to opponent lateraling out – Rear Side Kick

{Combo below emphasis on distance management and using short Hook so you can throw chain elbow.}
7) Orthodox: Jab, Cross, Hook to chain Elbow, Spinning Rear Elbow, step forward, and C out back to stance
8 ) South Paw: Jab, Cross, Hook to chain Elbow, Spinning Rear Elbow, step forward, and C out back to stance
9) Ortho vs South Paw: Jab, Cross, Hook to chain Elbow, Spinning Rear Elbow, step forward, and C out back to stance

{Combo below emphasis on distance management and using long Hook so you can throw the back hand.}
10) Orthodox: Jab, Cross, Long Hook, Spinning Back Hand, Step foreword and C out, Teep when opponent advances
11) South Paw: Jab, Cross, Long Hook, Spinning Back Hand, Step foreword and C out, Teep when opponent advances
12) Ortho vs South Paw: Jab, Cross, Long Hook, Spinning Back Hand, Step foreword and C out, Teep when opponent advances

Burn out:
13)Jab, Cross, Body Hook, Head Hook, Cross, Uppercut, Uppercut, Hook, Cross, Switch Kick
14) I fed burnout for H: Jab, Cross, Body Hook, Head Hook, Cross, Uppercut, Uppercut, Hook, Cross, Switch Kick

Ok well that is it for me for this week. Next week we are doing the same but adding goals. I am working on agility, not overthinking things, partner drills, and my form of course. I am constantly working on these things, just emphasizing one more than the other on some weeks. We shall see how this next week of training shakes out.

For the record working out cardio with a face mask on and mouth guard in… is tough but doable.

Get out there and do the work. Train as if you don’t know how many days you have left to train. Stay active, and fight for the things you belive in. Listen to your body, and love everyone with all you have got. Thank you for reading and I hope you have a great week. Please feel free to subscribe and comment if you feel like doing so.

Workout/Martial Arts 06/22/2020: Agility and Striking Flow

At the beginning of the pandemic or Covid19 I decided to focus on agility. Well let me back that up. After about two weeks of my jaw dropping, wide eyed, constant reading of the news I decided to focus on agility. I was still working out at home, but I had to modify my workouts because I was not going to my Martial Arts gym. I did not know what this pandemic meant for our training and how our lives were going to change.

I decided that I wanted to focus on agility. I could do that at home. I could work my agility and I needed it for Muay Thai and Kali. I need it for every sport, but more so for my martial arts.

I have been studying these martial arts for a little over 2 years. I am at the point where I know all of the strikes, I know all of the kicks, knees, elbows. We are learning the minutia, the small tweaks, combos, strategies, counter attacks, and blocking that leads to counter attacks.

All of these things above needs agility. So I have been working on agility. This week I have attacked flow and smooth combos with H in a different way. As H says I know how to throw the strikes. Its like I know the letters to a word, I know the sounds of the letters to the words. I just need to string them together into a word. I need to string my strikes/blows/letters into a word, working on flow. I focus so much on getting the strike as perfect as I can I tend to be a little staccato in my movements. Less graceful, more stuttered if you will.

As it has been said…Slow is smooth, smooth is fast. I need to loosen up and just trust my body. I have been making progress on this. This week has been great I have been working my flow. I am focusing more on having fun, letting my body move the way I have trained it. I think that is the next step in my martial arts journey. Just letting my body do what it knows to do.

Monday 06/22/2020: 1 hour- 1 mile run, weight lifting, Calisthenics, and core work

Weight lifting: right after run

1) clean and press 65 lbs Olympic barbell x3 sets of 8
2) Dead Lifts 135 lbs Olympic barbell x3 sets of 6
3) 1 minute – about 60 Kettle Bell swings x 3 sets (I did these in between the DLs instead of resting)

Workout calisthenics word of the day was GREAT I added more core stuff to it. I did this workout as a superset. Three sets or x3

G) 15 Burpees
R) 30 Crunches
E) 15 Push Ups
A) 30 Star Jumps
T) 20 Hip Dips

Core
1) V – Ups x30
2) Sit Ups x30
3) Bicycle Crunches x30
4) 30 second Plank with Shoulder Touches

I am pooped and I realized I did not do my weakly post on Sunday so… will have to do that with my meal planning woot! Brain is borked. Might be lack of oxygen lol. I hate Burpees.

Tuesday 06/23/2020: 1 hour- 1 hour of Muay Thai training

Thank you for an awesome class Khun Kru Krysta!

My tailbone and lower back were hurting from my scoliosis so I modified the jumping jacks later in the workout to squats. I try not to let my physical/body limitations stop me from training. I train through it and work around it.

Training:

1) Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross, Switch Kick (we switched up between South Paw and Orthodox through round)
{jumping jacks for active recovery}
2) I fed Thai pads for H for second round
{jumping jacks for active recovery}

3) Jab, Cross, drop level Body Hook, Cross, Switch Kick (we switched up between South Paw and Orthodox through round)
{jumping jacks for active recovery}
4) I fed Thai pads for H for second round
{jumping jacks for active recovery}

5) Jab, Cross, Rear Elbow, Switch Knee (we switched up between South Paw and Orthodox through round)
{squats for active recovery}
6) I fed Thai pads for H for second round
{squats for active recovery}

7) Jab, Cross, Hook, Lead Elbow, Rear Knee, Lead Kick ( do what ever Kick shows itself, but I like Lead Kick in both south paw and orthodox for this drill) (we switched up between South Paw and Orthodox through round)
{squats for active recovery}
8 ) I fed Thai pads for H for second round
{squats for active recovery}

9) Jab, Cross, Thadmalach, tie up/clench 6 knees push off, double Kick
10) I fed Thai pads for H for second round

Woot! Another day training and getting better every day even if it’s by 1% those 1%’s add up.

Also my friend Kevin was in class Woot!

Wednesday 06/24/2020: 52 minutes- 1 mile run and 34 minute Muay Thai/boxing training

My running route was a little circuitous because the neighborhood I run through had the audacity of repaving their roads and driveways. 😝

I have a habit of overthinking my strikes, and then getting into my head. What that means is my strikes don’t flow. Sometimes I am struggling to get them in. They are not smooth and as we know smooth is fast.

H says I know the strikes forward and back. So it’s like I know the letters in a word, can spell the word, but not say the word. We worked on me saying the word.

So today’s training was working on my strikes. I was working on them to be smooth. I just focused on the my bodies shift through the strikes. It helped me smooth it out.

Training:
1) Jab, Cross
2) Jab, Cross, Hook
3) Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross
4) Jab, Cross, Uppercut, Cross
5) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick

Thursday 06/25/2020: 1.5 hours of Muay Thai and part of Kali training.

Today was a great day of training. We unfortunately had to leave early in the Kali class. We had to get home. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for two great classes.

Muay Thai

1) Jab, Cross, Hook, Cross, Lead Kick (switching between Orthodox and South Paw stance)
2) I held pads for same combo for H

3) Jab, Cross, Body Hook, Rear Kick
4) I did this round twice because I was trying to correct my drop in level. I kept wanting to do a bob and weave motion and I just need to drop my level and use leverage to get the hook in.

5) Jab, Cross, Rear Elbow, Rear Knee, tie up, 10 knees, spin out opponent and double kick. (switching between Orthodox and South Paw stance)
6) I held pads for same combo for H

7) Jab, Cross, Uppercut, Lead #2 Elbow, Right Knee (switching between Orthodox and South Paw stance)
8 ) I held pads for same combo for H

9) Jab, Cross, Thadmala, Rear Knee, tie up/clench x6 skip knees, push off double kick
10) I held for H

That was a butt kicker. When you need to work on a combo or strike slow it down and work the technique. It will do you far more good to rep it out slowly till you get the correct feel.

Kali-

1) Cob Cob Heaven x6, Cob Cob Standard x6, Cob Cob Earth x6
2) Inward, Backhand, Inward, heaven, standard, earth
3) witik heaven, redondo heaven, witik standard, redondo standard, witik earth, redondo earth

It was great to get back into double stick training. ❤️

Saturday 06/27/2020: 2 hours of Kali/staff class and Muay Thai training

An amazing brain melting set of classes. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta.

In Kali we were doing asymmetrical staff drills, on both the left and right side. It makes your brain feel broken. I say that often but don’t explain it often. There have been some studies that show benefits for brain repair and growth. See Cognative Kali Ted talk TEDxUCLA. See also a UCLA Magazine article Movement And The Mind.

In Muay Thai: we worked on the Overhand punch. I was so happy to hear Khun Kru discuss this and mention that this punch is so often done wrong. You see it don’t wrong in MMA fights where it starts looking like a windmill. Then your beautiful face is unprotected and you will get punched in that pretty target. So just don’t windmill. I am paraphrasing of course, but you get the gist.

Training: {jumping jacks active recovery between rounds}

1) Jab, Overhand ( both in Orthodox and South Paw)
2) I held pads for H

3) Jab, Cross, Overhand ( w/ a side step either with lead leg if Orthodox against South Paw, or side step with rear leg if Ortho against ortho)
4) I held pads for H

5) Jab, Cross, Overhand, Rear Knee
6) I held pads for H

7) Jab, Cross, Overhand, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
8 ) I held pads for H

9) Jab, Overhand, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
10) I held pads for H

11) (focus form on getting back into stance) Jab, Cross, Switch Kick, switch stance,
Jab, Cross, Switch Kick repeat
12) (focus on more realistic applications change stepping down/forward)

Today was a great day of training. I had a lot of fun.

So yes this week has been great. Yes my scoliosis was acting up this week, but I work around it. I have been working on flow this week. Still working on agility every day. I am trying to trust that I know what I am doing.

I am working to make each strike/letter into a word, and hopefully eventually a song. I can’t take credit for that analogy. That analogy is H’s brain child. He came up with each strike in a combo being a letter, and making it flow into a word or smooth transition is what we are looking to do. In the end it makes sense to me so that is what is what I need.

I write it down and post it here because I hope it will help some one else. So if this helps you, make your strikes smoother, and help you string them together then Yay! I am so glad that it does. Let me know if they do.

Thank you for reading, if you enjoy this kind of blog, and like the combos/workouts I post. Please feel free to follow, and comment I would love to hear from you. Stay safe, stay active, and have a great week

Workout/Martial Arts 06/15/2020: A day late on my blog, but I did put the work in over the week.

So here I am again a day late for my blog. But I had a good reason. For us in U.S.A. it was Fathers Day. I am not certain if you celebrate in other areas of the world the same on the same day. If you do please celebrate please tell me. I am not big for those “hallmark holidays” where you just celebrate for the sake of getting stuff. However, I love this holiday because we can let H my kids father and my partner know we love him. We did this by making his favorite foods, and making him a gift we all worked on.

Well aside from that we had a great week of training. I worked on something that I am not great at. The superman punch. It was 5 days of training. 3 days of Muay Thai and some Kali worked in there, and 2 days of cross training. Yay!

I also have a recipe I am working on… just kinda been busy. I home school my kiddos and this is the last week, kinda crazy, and we have been doing review before they are tested for and evaluated for the next year of school.

How have your workouts been going? Tell me what is working for you, and is not. How have you found time to get them in. I sometimes have to just shoehorn them in where I can find 20 minutes to get a run in.

Monday 06/15/2020: 50 minutes- 1.25 mile run, core workout

No excuses today… I have let things derail me from my goals in the past. But not today, I worked around my scoliosis.

I had to get my run in today so I thought might as well stop by the post office I run past. I needed to get those letters out to my students today and needed some stamps.

My scoliosis is acting up last night and today. It is hot hot hot outside. But I did it I got my workout in.

Core workout: Done in a superset x 3 sets

1) 30 Sit Ups

2) 30 Raised Leg Crunches

3) 50 Flutter Kicks

4) 30 seconds Raised Leg Circles

5) 30 Bicycle Crunches

6) 30 Scissor Kicks

7) 30 seconds Side Planks

8 ) 60 seconds Heel Touches

Tuesday 06/16/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai Training

Man I am so tired but I put in the time on the mat.

Sometimes there is not much to say other than just get in and do the work. Some days it’s not going to be glamorous/exciting(let’s face it most days). A lot of times it’s going to be just working the technique and drilling it out. That is what today was.

Muay Thai Training:

1) Rear Knee, Lead Elbow, Rear Elbow, Rear Knee
{jumping jacks active recovery}
2) opposite side (south paw for me) Rear Knee, Lead Elbow, Rear Elbow, Rear Knee
{jumping jacks active recovery}

3) Jab, Lead Elbow, Rear Elbow, Lead Elbow, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}
4) opposite side (south paw for me) Jab, Lead Elbow, Rear Elbow, Lead Elbow, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}

5) Lead Kick, Cross, Hook, Rear Elbow, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}
6) opposite side (south paw for me) Lead Kick, Cross, Hook, Rear Elbow, Rear Knee, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}

7) Rear Kick, Hook, Cross, Lead Elbow, Lead Knee, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}
8 ) opposite side (south paw for me) Rear Kick, Hook, Cross, Lead Elbow, Lead Knee, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}

9) Lead Kick, Cross, Hook, Lead Elbow, Rear Elbow 6, Rear Elbow 7, tie up 6 skip knees, double kick.
{jumping jacks active recovery}
10) opposite side (south paw for me) Lead Kick, Cross, Hook, Lead Elbow, Rear Elbow 6, Rear Elbow 7, tie up 6 skip knees, double kick.
{jumping jacks active recovery}

Wednesday 06/17/2020: 25 minute run

When you really just want a lazy day. Get out and do something, I feel better after having gotten at least a small workout in on days like this. I decided to listen to my body and not push the Calisthenics today. I went out for a run was planning on going 3 miles but got rained out. I did get 2 miles in and am happy about that.
Keep fighting for what you believe in, for what is right, and for those who can’t.
#grrrlarmy
#barbellsandponytails
#shefit

Also buss driver went by and gave me a 👍 thumbs up. That was cool and made my run. So nice to have a nice not weird interaction with a human.

Thursday 06/18/2020: 1 hour and 10 minutes Muay Thai Training

Khun Kru Krysta worked our butts off tonight.

Today… well today was a day. I woke up at three and turned off my alarm before it went off, fell back to sleep and woke up scared that I overslept. Then came downstairs to realize I was up way to early. At work dealt with customers and things that make me go what???

I got home to help my kids with their classes. Last week push to get done with school.

I am a cranky human shaped thing today. But I did my workout. I did my training and I am honing my Superman punch today. Yay!

Training:

1) Rear Teep, Rear Kick, Superman on a Cross
{jumping jacks}
2) (change stance, south paw for me) Rear Teep, Rear Kick, Superman on a Cross
{jumping jacks}

3) Rear Teep, Rear Kick, Superman on a Cross, Hook, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks}
4) (change stance, south paw for me) Rear Teep, Rear Kick, Superman on a Cross, Hook, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks}

5) Jab, Rear Kick, Superman on a Cross, Lead Kick
{jumping jacks}
6) (change stance, south paw for me) Jab, Rear Kick, Superman on a Cross, Lead Kick
{jumping jacks}

7) (preferred stance) Cross, Switch Kick, ( switch stance) Cross, Switch Kick

8 ) Shield, Kick, Teep x10, (switch stance) Shield, Kick, Teep x10, 20 x skip knees

9) Jab, Cross, L Elbow, R Elbow, L Kick, R Kick, Teeeeeeeeeeep

Then after training I had some fruit for a snack.

Today wore on my nerves but I got the chance to knee the crap out of my partner. I have often been told to be meaner, to come with intention. I don’t want to hurt those that I love and train with. So that has been hard for me to do. But with the way the last few weeks have been going in terms of the world and stupidity. I brought it tonight. The caliber and the intensity of my knees I am told were 4 or 5 fold what I usually put into on a partner.

I have been angry and finally feel like I am letting it out in my training. Part of it is my body not doing the Superman just right-so that irritates me the other part the state of the world.

Saturday 06/20/2020: 2 hours Kali/Staff and Muay Thai Training

Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for a fantastic class. You kickednour butts again. Yay!

I woke up, happy and ready to go today yay!

Kali/Staff training:
1) 3x high redondo, low back hand, high back hand
2) 1x high redondo, 1x low redondo, 1x high redondo, low back hand high back hand
3) 3x high redondo and the spinning redondo

Training: Muay Thai

1) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}
2) opposite side (south paw for me) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}

3) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick, Lead Elbow, Rear Kick, Thai Lean
{jumping jacks active recovery}
4) opposite side (south paw for me) Jab, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick, Lead Elbow, Rear Kick, Thai Lean
{jumping jacks active recovery}

5) Jab, Cross, Lead Elbow, Rear Knee, Lead Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}
6) opposite side (south paw for me) Jab, Cross, Lead Elbow, Rear Knee, Lead Kick
{jumping jacks active recovery}


7) Jab, Cross, #3 (Downward Diagonal) Elbow or #1 (Horizontal), #9 (Spinning Back) Elbow, #9 (Spinning Back) Elbow, Push out Knee incoming opponent
{jumping jacks active recovery}
8 ) opposite side (south paw for me) Jab, Cross, #3 (Downward Diagonal) Elbow or #1 (Horizontal), #9 (Spinning Back) Elbow, #9 (Spinning Back) Elbow, Push out Knee incoming opponent
{jumping jacks active recovery}

9) Burn out-
A) Jab, Cross, Jab, Cross, Lead Kick, Rear Kick
B ) Jab, Cross, Jab, Cross, Rear Kick, Lead Kick
C) Jab, Cross, Jab, Cross, Lead Kick, Lead Kick
D) Jab, Cross, Jab, Cross, Rear Kick, Rear Kick

Switch to south paw, and repeat. Do above till timer runs out.

It was a great day of training. I had a great time.

Look I get it… some weeks are just not great. For instance my week started out with my scoliosis just acting up on me. When my back and neck hurt, my hands go numb, my legs can ache on top of my neck and back pain. It sucks. I don’t sleep well. We have terrible news, and we are plagued by idiots in our government. Some weeks are just terrible.

I do what I can when I can. I try to listen to my body and work around my physical issues. I read and educate myself all the time, so that when I do my civic duty and vote I can try to affect change. I do my best. I think that is all anyone is asking of us.

I missed putting this blog out on Sunday, but we had an awesome time as a family just being together on Sunday. That was worth being a little late in my opinion.

Get out there and do something for your body. It can be anything… yoga, running, calisthenics, martial arts, swimming, biking, just to name a bunch.

Comment below what has been working for you during this pandemic. What do you like to do to keep your activity up? What do you use for your motivation? If you like my blog like it and subscribe. I would love to hear from you. Recipe blog to come soon.

Workout/Martial Arts 04/13/2020: Taking back my training, and schedule.

Last week I let my worry about making enough masks for everyone derail me from my training, and family. I decided to take control and make masks, as well as do what I need for me and my family.

I was able to get 6 hours and 30 minutes of training in this week and more importantly I felt good about getting it in.

I did work more on masks, and was able to juggle that with my training. This pandemic is changing our normal. We just have to adjust and continue to pursue our goals in this new normal.

Monday 04/13/2020: 2 hours two workouts, Mile Run, Kali Staff Training, and Muay Thai Training.

Workout #1: 1 mile run. It started sprinkling when I had 1/3 of a mile left poured on me when I had 20 steps left. So almost made it. But it was a nice run. Not many people out.

Workout #2: 1.5 hours Kali Staff Training, and Muay Thai Training

I have a video rendering of what we did, but I hate video of myself. Not only can I see all my flaws but all my errors in training too. Its a great tool for that. However, some days it is like pouring salt into a paper cut and rubbing it in.

That is neither her nor there.

We had an audience, and it seemed one dude kept driving by us. Don’t know why. I don’t mind people watching. However with this pandemic it has made me a little twitchy with how close they got.

On a side funny note: While we were striking each other. We would hear in our periphery “ohh ouch, damn, ohh ahh…” hahahahaha

Training:
Kali Staff Training

  1. High redondos, standard redondos, low redondos
  2. High box
  3. Equise drill

Muay Thai:

  1. Jab, cross,elbow, elbow, lead knee to lead kick
  2. Jab, cross, lead upper cut, rear upper cut, knee
  3. Left and right round house kicks
  4. Leak elbow, rear elbow miss, to lead spinning back elbow

Whew I am tired. But it felt so go to kick. Apparently my elbows and kicks had some power to them. My training partner said he could feel the difference. My body has missed our training. Hoping nice weather persists so that we can keep training outside.

Note: if you were on the fence about getting a SheFit bra… get one. They are freaking awesome. I have a code for discount if you want it.

Video of this Muay Thai and Kali Staff training:

Monday 04/13/2020: 1 hour and 20 minute – Mile run, and Weight lifting

Weight Lifting:

  1. Back Squat – 4 sets of 10 reps at 135 lbs
  2. Bulgarian Split Squats – 3 sets of 10 reps
  3. Inverted Row – 4 sets of 15 reps
  4. Bench press – 3 sets of 8 reps at 85 lbs
  5. Frog Hip Thrusters – 30 reps
  6. Kettle Bell swings – 50 reps
  7. Kettle Bell Sumo High Pulls

Core/Abs: 3 sets of each exercise

  1. Bicycles/Elbow to Knee crunch (opposite elbow to opposite knee) 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds
  2. V ups – 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds (these are so so hard)
  3. Reverse Crunches – 45 seconds, rest 15 seconds

Monday 04/15/2020: 25 minute Expansive Yoga Practice // Vinyasa Flow

Today is an active rest day. Yesterday’s weight lifting is making me sore… DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) set in. So yay… I did good micro tearing muscle and am making my muscle stronger.

This is a Youtube channel I go to when I want a free but effective yoga session. It is called GymRa. Try it out. It requires no equipment, but a mat is helpful.

Monday 04/16/2020: 40 minute agility workout for martial arts training

I did a workout my trainer Tony gave me. It was a challenge and something I will have to keep working on.

Tony said this was a one of the workouts his coaches made him do to train up for his fights.

Workout:
10 minutes of jumping rope

2 minutes for each exercise, 1 minute rest between, do 3 sets of each exercise.

Do the following continuously for 2 min

  1. burpee, push-up, opposite knee to elbow, push-up, opposite knee to elbow, push-up, opposite knee to elbow, push-up, opposite knee to elbow, high jump, jumping jack
  2. kettle bell high pull, burpee in kettle bell (I had to modify to burpee on floor my core not strong enough to do on bell), kettle bell swing
  3. high jump touch ankles, high jump touch knees, high jump touch toes

#3 is the hardest of them all for me. I have a lot to improve on with those.

Oh also have muscle soreness still from Tuesday but hit it today. Lol

Monday 04/19/2020: 2 hours – 1 mile run, and Muay Thai training

  • always show respect

We worked on:

  1. shielding kicks
  2. jab, cross, hook, cross,
  3. jab, cross, rear kick, lead kick
  4. 4 count – feign jab, cross, body hook, leg kick.

I need to focus on my footwork, slow it down, and not baby step shuffle my feet with each stroke which was jacking up my flow. Focus on not weighting my lead leg on a hook.

Slow is smooth, smooth is fast! Gotta remember that.

Always show that respect.

It was not a perfect week of training. Nevertheless, I got 5 days of training in. It was not our normal, but it was good. I am so happy to have been able to do it.

As always thank you for reading. If you like this subscribe and you can see and hear more of my training and journey on this path. Comment if you want to. I hope you have a great week ahead. Please stay safe, and wash your hands.

Workout/Martial Arts 03/16/2020: Working Out My Routine in This Pandemic

Everyone has been effected by this pandemic. Gyms are closed, schools are closed, people are working from home if they are lucky. Workers who are essential to the survival of the community are still out there working. One of my jobs is at a bakery. We are there, and I try to help others where I can. This is scary and I am starting to get overloaded with all the articles and media input on this pandemic.

The one thing that helps me, is to have a workout routine and goals. It helps me relieve stress, anxiety, and gets me thinking about something else. I made a commitment to myself years ago that I would stay on this journey no matter what. I have gotten through two medical scares. One was a kidney stone, and the other was a doozy uterine cancer. I can get through this.

Do we have to change up our routine? Yup, but change is good for your body. Also it gets you thinking about what you can do at home. So while I am still working out my workout routine during this pandemic, I am going to keep doing what I can with my head held high. I done a lot of reading and people I believe it is going to take longer than 2 weeks of isolation for this thing to blow over.

What works for me does not always work for other people, but having a routine and goals helps me have something to shoot for.

Tentative Workout routine:

  1. Run every day that I am going to do a workout (goal is to get better at running)
  2. Martial Arts- Muay Thai and Kali practice 3 times a week
  3. Full body plyometrics, and weight lifting 2 to 3 times a week.

Monday 03/16/2020: 2 mile run, Muay Thai, and full body workout

Workout #1. 2 mile run

Workout #2. 57 minutes Full body workout. Made H do it with me too.

Love my home gym… 

Workout: Do each Workout as follows
45 second, 15 seconds rest, 4 sets each exercise

  1. Goblet squats with a 20 lb kettle bell
  2. Walking lunges
  3. Revers leg push on bench (lay face down on the bench, with bent knees, push legs up squeeze glutes and hamstrings at top)
  4. Swiss ball hamstring pulls
  5. Swiss ball pikes
  6. Wall knees Muay Thai ( thank you Silvie Von Douglas)
  7. Wall jab, cross, uppercut, elbows Muay Thai (thank you Silvie Von Douglas)
  8. Leg Circles left and right
  9. Ball reverse crunches

I will put Silvie Von Douglas video here. This is where I got the Muay Thai wall knees and wall punches and elbows idea from.

Wednesday 03/18/2020: 1.5 hours, Run, Muay Thai

1.5 hours Workout/Muay Thai training

We went for a 1 mile run, then we worked on Muay Thai for a little over an hour.

I am so lucky that H and I train together, cause we know a great number of drills. So I feel like we can keep working Muay Thai. I have been feeling sad we have not been able to go to training. I miss Muay Thai training. We will try to keep up our training while we are socially distancing ourselves during this pandemic.

We worked the:

  1. boxing 20
  2. knees
  3. some kicks
  4. I found and worked on the fact that when I throw my crosses I turn my fist first and throw it. I only do it when I do the cross on its own. I should throw it out there and then turn it at the end. When I throw a jab, cross, I don’t turn it till the end.

I think it is important to keep up our training, and It is important for people to get exercise in. I know a lot of people are at home now without anything to do. Also you have a lot more time. I believe starting to get a workout into your daily schedule, now that you don’t have to drive anywhere if you are stuck at home would be great.

I however, want to caution, if you have not been doing a lot of exercise start slowly. Start by walking daily, or running twice a week, try some yoga there are youtube videos you can watch. You don’t want to hurt yourself right now, but get up and get some exercise in.

I took video of some of our training.

Friday 03/20/2020: 2 hours, Run, Muay Thai, and Kali

Workout #1 : 1 mile run. I listened to my trainers suggestions and ran differently today. I went for a mile run, 1 min run/ 1 min walk. My overall time was much better for the mile. One of my goals for this time is to get better at running. Woot! Thanks Khun Kru Krysta for the tips and motivation.

Hoping to get some Muay Thai and Kali training in later when H is off work.

Workout #2: 1.5 Muay Thai and Kali. I love having H here to help me work on my technique. I am not in any way an expert. But I am going to keep practicing.

Keep training and working through the pandemic. Don’t give up on your dreams during this time.

I have a video I am going to put up too.

Also I love these new pants from Gymshark.

Some of my training video

Sunday 03/22/2020: 45 minutes, Run, full body workout

Middle picture shows angled or seated pull ups and chin ups.

I could not drag husband along this time he was tired. He was working all weekend so I understand.

Workout: 45 minutes. I did an interval run like my trainer recommended 2 min run/1 min walk for a mile.

Then I did a plyometric workout:
1 min each exercise with 15 seconds rest between doing each 3 times

( Note: I did a seated or angled chin ups and pull ups because I am not strong enough yet to do them on my own. I hope to be able to do them one day. But either way it still worked my arms really well.)

  1. curb toe taps
  2. alternating jump lunges
  3. 1 1/2 squats with a pump in the middle
  4. seated pull ups/angled
  5. human pull overs ( anchor your arms and using your core and lats pull your straightened legs up and to your face. Think hanging leg pikes)
  6. seated chin ups/angled

That was it for this last week. I got 4 days of work out in. It is not my normal schedule and it may change again.

We have to be kind to ourselves. I have to remind myself of that. I am a get up and, go go go person. If we are not going what are we doing? Wasting time? But I know that this is new our life has changed and what we are doing has changed. I am taking into consideration when H wants to go and work out. I am working around him being home all the time. So I can’t do a loud HIIT work out at home where it may disturb him.

I have goals Running, and keep up with my Muay Thai and Kali.

Its going to be weird, its going to suck, but we are going to keep moving. Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great week. Please don’t give up on your dreams. Keep going, even if you have to change things, or post pone things. Keep dreaming and keep reaching. Stay safe, and all the love goes out to you.

Note: while I am running I am keeping social distancing. I just don’t get to near anyone and I don’t stop to talk to anyone. I just wave hi and continue on.

Workout/Martial Arts 03/09/2020: During Time of Pandemic what do I do?

So this week has been a roller coaster. I am in the U.S.A. We have been watching the CORVID 19 unfold, and the fact that it turned into a pandemic.

We watched as Italy completely shut down and quarantined the entire nation. We watched as more and more cases were found in America.

As such our work life has been upset, and changed due to the changes we have witnessed. We are lucky. My husband can work from home and do his job still. Where I am a service worker, work at a bakery and work with children. My job with children has been suspended, and my bakery work I can at least go in before the store is opened and get some work done there.

School for us has not been disrupted, because I home school my kids. I am lucky there as well because I have friends that have kids that are now staying home for 1 month because schools have been closed.

We have witnessed people freaking out, buying all the toilet paper, all the hand sanitizer, all the soap, and now food here in the USA, and around the world. I have read, and read a great deal. I have read everything I can get my hands on. I like to be informed so I can make the right decision for my family. I started preparing as soon as I saw what was happening in Asia, Iran and Italy. We have been socially distancing ourselves since Monday of last week. If I can help flatten the curve then I will do what I can.

I write all of this to say, I have stopped going to the gym, and meeting with my trainers for the time being. I miss them, and miss my training with them. However, I don’t want to be a vector and cause the spread. I don’t want my family to get it and for us to put a burden on our medical system.

I am however going to continue training, after I gathered myself and realized that we are going to be staying home.

Friday 03/13/2020: Running, Shadowboxing, and full body workout

Workout: I went for a 1.25 mile run around my neighborhood, shadow boxed, and did a 10 min…Total Body Exercise Ball Workout…( said in stadium announcers voice)

Forgot to mention it is beautiful outside.

In an effort to flatten the curve my husband and I have been avoiding social activities. That includes our gym. I miss MuayThai and Kali so much. But we are erring on the side of caution and avoiding the gym to try to do our part in the stopping of the spread of COVID 19.

With the situation the way it is I don’t want to lose the progress I have made. (Yeah my brain is going there on me.) So I have decided to get what training I can in. I ran and did a total body workout.

Swiss ball workout:
9 exercises 45 seconds each for 10 mins total

1) Swiss ball hamstring curl
2) Swiss ball push-ups
3) Swiss ball crunch
4) Swiss ball wall squat/ or just squat traditional
5) Swiss ball inner thigh squeezes
6) Swiss ball back extension
7) Swiss ball tricep push-ups
8 ) Swiss ball abductor lifts left
9) Swiss ball abductor lifts right

I will put link to where I got exercises below. It’s a Fitness Blender routine. Works your muscles out good.

I love this youtube channel. The workouts are free and something you can do at home. They have workouts with and without equipment. I am not sponsored by them. But I know my friends are wondering what they will do while we are trying to keep social isolation.

Saturday 03/14/2020: Running, Shadowboxing, and Full Body Workout

Workout and a ridiculous picture of me. Looking like, “Are you ready to get pumped?” Bwahaha

Ran for half a mile before it started hailing on me.

Then did 3 minutes of shadow boxing.

Full body workout: (exercises that can be done without the ball I will indicate)

45 seconds each

1) Swiss ball pikes

2) Swiss ball sit ups : sit ups

3) Swiss ball rolls: plank on floor

4) Swiss ball adductor leg raises left : laying on side raise up on elbow and balance on one leg raising the other leg

5) Swiss ball adductor leg raises right : laying on side raise up on elbow and balance on one leg raising the other leg

6) Swiss ball reverse crunches with ball between feet : reverse crunches on floor (lift straightened legs and hips completely off ground and straight up

7) Swiss ball pike (raise ball with ankle and legs straight, pike up and grab ball lowering back and bring it back up again grabbing ball with legs) : do a pike on the floor by bringing straight arms and legs up and crunch touching your feet

8 ) Swiss ball hip thrusters (feet on ball thrusting hips up): hip thrusters on the floor

9) Swiss ball push ups (push ups with feet on ball): push ups on the floor

Just cause we are in a pandemic does not mean we can’t still get our bodies moving. ❤️❤️❤️

So to answer the question. During the time of pandemic what do I do? You can do so much now at home. Some of the things I will be doing are, calisthenics, weight lifting if you have the equipment at home, swiss ball workouts, shadow boxing, Kali drills, running outdoors away from the gym. You can still do so much and not be in the company of other humans.

I wrote all of this to say. I am still going to be training. I will put up what I do for training. Things will and have to change for a short time, but I will get back to my normal routine when I can. I am socially distancing myself for the good of all. I hope you all stay safe and healthy. Thank you for reading.

Martial Arts 03/02/2020: When The Body Needs REST… Just Rest

This last weeks martial arts week of training post is a little late. I have been a bit tired, and I did not realize how tired. When we were prepping for this test we were doing extra training before and after classes. We have been pushing our bodies to get them to be ready.

My trainer Tony said that a fighter after a hard fight will need to rest for 2 weeks after sometimes. This is our first week after the test that happened Thursday 02/27/2020. Really We only took 3 days off before the Thursday I just could not make myself train.

I ended up doing a Tuesday class, then Thursday my body said no… you need to sleep. I listened and just slept. So our last week of training was light, but still awesome.

I got to teach a class on Saturday. That was fun, and a great learning experience.

Tuesday 03/03/2020: 3 hours of Muay Thai, Kali

3 hours of training Muay Thai and Kali. Thank you Khun Kru K for a fantastic classes.

Muay Thai:
It was a fun class today. We worked on all the knees. My favorite knee is the knee number 2 side in Striking knee, also known to some as the Michael Jackson knee.

Kali:
Wow we went to the next level. Instead of dealing with strike with say a hunting/scissors and just one strike. We deal with the incoming strike with a 7 count that changes levels, and distances due to us using Espada y Daga/sword and knife. Then we did that same thing of the 1 -5 strikes and a knife attack coming at us where we outside deflect and diss arm the assailant.

So much fun tonight.

Friday 03/06/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai

1 hour of Muay Thai training. I stayed home yesterday cause my body was tired.

We started with 2 rotations of these:
1) 2 to 3 shadow box hits with a jiu jitsu sprawls
2) wide stance burpees
3) traveling lunges
4) hip thrusters on the floor
5) walk out from squat, (squat and walk hands forward into plank)
6) crouched bouncing squats (bounce on the balls of your feet, letting your butt hit your heels)
7) super men
8 )bear crawl
9) in and and out push ups

Muay Thai training:
1) Walking kicks in the pads all the way down the gym and back
2) double leg kicks where you have to travel a little to close the distance between the rapid kicks on pads all the way down the gym and back
3) lead teep to flying elbows all the way down the mat and back ( I was getting air on those)

Then we sparred. I notice for me sparring after the Thai test is so different. It feels more like play to me. Pow pow pow 💥, loose and fun. Not have to get kicks or knees in I can just look for openings or draw openings out of my opponents. So yay!

Video is one of my trainers Tony listen to how hard he hits, also look at how smooth his movements are. Goals to get more like him and Khun Kru K. This is the measuring stick I measure myself by. I put up my videos of myself and I am not near this level yet.

Thank you 🙏 for the awesome class Tony.

Saturday 03/07/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai

1 hour of Muay Thai. I taught the class today.
Thank you JD for the help. My thoughts at the bottom.

Warm up:
1) Jump rope 3 min
2) Shadow box 3 min

Thai:
1) Lead to rear 4 count
2) Rear to lead 4 count
3) Boxing 20

Cool down: abs
1) Frog style hip thrusters 1 min
2) Swiss ball pikes 1 min
3) Swiss ball crunches butt hanging off targeting upper abs 1 min
4) Swiss ball crunches but abs leg on ball upper body hanging off targeting the lower and upper abs 1 min
5) Concentric sideways walking planks down and back

I have noticed that there are different types that come to any classes I teach. In cake and pastry I command the class because I know what I am doing. I have been in the business for so long.

However, in Thai class I changed up what I was doing to make a person happy. I am new to teaching Muay Thai. So I feel like I should honor requests. However some people are kind of bossy. 😆

I am learning as I go. Even if I make lots of mistakes teaching.

Looking back on my week, I see when we tested and how much time we took off or did not take off. That is why I write this down, and document it. Sometimes if I take a look back I realize why my body is doing what it is doing. I can then be more forgiving of to my body if I understand.

If you read this far, thank you for reading. I hope you have a great week ahead, and keep working on being the best person you can be. Tomorrow starts the new week of training. I am going to have to figure out a way to get a run in at least 3 days a week.

Martial Arts 02/20/2020: Mr Miyagi was mostly right! He just need spend some time in Thailand.

This is my last week to train up before the big test. To say I am worried, even scared I will fail is a bit of an understatement. Everyone will be watching, but I am going to keep training, and try to be as ready as I can.

I have a week of training ahead of me, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. After this week it is active rest till Thursday of the next week. My trainer said she wants us to take a break before the test so that we are fresh.

I have been training for months for this test so here is hoping. I know that the test is designed to be hard, and to test you. It is physically challenging, mentally challenging when you get hit, and modulating yourself when the adrenaline dumps is going to be tough so you don’t gas yourself on the first round. I am going to do my absolute best, and put everything else out of my mind.

Tuesday 02/18/2020: 3 hours of Muay Thai and Kali

3 hours of training Muay Thai and Kali. Woot what a fun night. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for two great classes.

Pad rounds before class

Thai class:
1) Jab, cross, rear kick combo
2) Jab, lead horizontal elbow, rear side in elbow, rear inward knee, teep
3) Catch kick combos, return quad spike, knee to hamstring, cross stomp the knee, side kick the leg.
4) Catch kick combo, with leg pass and 4 count afterwards.

Kali class:
We worked on open box, to open box flowing into what ever disarms we could get through the flow. I like the 7 arm bar series personally. And the kumbiata switch to leaver on shoulder and smash trachea/chin.

Then we worked on sword and shield. Took a video of it we have not worked on this in a few months. But it came back to us and it was super fun.

What a great night.

Thursday 02/20/2020: 3 hours of Muay Thai

2 hours of Muay Thai practice. Thank you 🙏 Tony for the great class.

Pad rounds before class

Thai:

We warmed up with- 3x each exercise
1) high knee opposite punches
2) mountain climbers
3) jumping jacks

(This is assuming both people are orthodox fighters, if one of them is south paw then the logic differs, on which catch to do to protect the liver.)

1) jab, cross, rear teep, lead teep

2) catch a incoming rear kick with lead arm and a small step onto your rear foot instead of a slide, pass it and return a rear kick

3) catch lead kick with your rear arm, lateral back with your lead leg, turning your body away from the kick, (this distributes the force along your lower back and hip, saving you liver), pass the kick and return a rear kick from your temporary south paw stance?

4) rear knee, lead knee, rear flying knee

5) lead teep, rear teep, fake with lead teep to execute rear aerial knee called Hanuman Climbing the Mountain.

The break through with the last rear aerial knee for me was, that I realized it is like the crane kick like Mr. Miyagi taught just instead of kick you did a knee. Still need to work on it, and practice, practice, practice. =) So Mr. Miyagi was mostly right.

Cool down and ab work-
Shadow boxing

Crunches
Flutter Kicks
Crunches
Scissor kicks
Crunches
15 Clockwise and 15 counter clockwise double leg circle

Friday 02/21/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai

1 hour of Muay Thai training. I am about as tired as this picture looks today. Thank you Tony  🙏 for the class.

Warm up:
45 seconds rapid kicks on the bag
15 sec rest
45 seconds teeps on bag
15 sec rest
45 seconds rapid kicks other leg on bag
15 sec rest
45 seconds teeps on bag
15 sec rest

45 seconds left and right leg kicks in the bag
15 sec rest
45 seconds skip knees
15 sec rest
45 seconds left and right leg kicks in the bag
15 sec rest
45 seconds skip knees

Drills:
Step in jab, cross
Jab
Lead teep
Flying switch knee

Jab, cross, hook
Catch incomming rear kick, Return a jab
Shrug off and let go of leg pushing opponent back into ropes
Immediately throw a flying knee into opponent on ropes

Then we did rounds of sparring just boxing first, and then legs and punches

Saturday 02/22/2020: 2 hours of Muay Thai

2 hours of Muay Thai practice. Thank you 🙏 so much Khun Kru Krysta for the test prep and the really fun class.

Test:
Technique demo
Thai 15 count
Boxing 20 count
2 x 3 min test rounds with 30 seconds rest ( goal is 60 kicks 40 knees minimum for each round) (all the while the feeder is kicking and hitting you back)

My numbers for test rounds:
first round – 76 kicks 46 knees
second round – 77 kicks and 45 knees

Class:
We worked on the entire Inosanto 18 count. I don’t have the permission to publish, and I would want to ask first anyway. But it involves knees, elbows, kicks, and punches in a flow.

Whew I am exhausted now!

9 hours of training this week. Next week is our test. It has been highly recommended by our trainer/coach to rest up the next few days. So we will rest Sunday and Monday, we will train lightly Tuesday, and then we will rest Wednesday, just so we can be fresh for Thursday our test.

I feel better after our last training session and our test rounds. Here is hoping I am ready. =)

Thanks for reading. I hope you all have a great weekend. As always please feel free to ask questions, if you like it like, and subscribe if you want to hear more of my rambling, recipes, and product reviews.

Martial Arts 02/04/2020: Best Early Valentines Day Present New Gloves

This is the start of a new week of training, and what a start to it. Khun Kru Krysta came back from Thailand and training there. H gave me a the best Valentines gift I have ever gotten, and even though I started the day not wanting to training. It ended up being one of the best days.

Tuesday 02/04/2020: 2.5 hours of Muay Thai and Kali class

What an amazing start to the week of training. I have to say I came into the gym not really feeling being there. But I like to practice what I preach as it were. So I was there. I was going to put time in on the mat, was going to train even if I was feeling crappy.

However, what a turn around… I got a chance to work with my coach Tony. Then Khun Kru Krysta came back from Thailand and her training in camps there. I was so happy to see her. Then my husband apparently worked with Khun Kru Krysta while she was in Thailand to get me some new gloves, because mine were dying on me. He present it to me as an early Valentines Day present. We don’t normally celebrate Valentines day, but it is the best V day present I have ever gotten. I squee’d so loud the whole gym heard me. Below are pictures of the new gloves, and the gloves I have beaten to death.

Both Tony and H said I put many miles and many hours of training in on those gloves, and it was a great sign of hard work. I like to think it shows hard work, dedication, and love for an art.

We talked about what to do with the retired gloves. I could hang them up/display them. I could donate them to needy kids in Thailand who would be happy to have them. Or I can do like my predecessors did, and when I find a person that I see potential in, or I have made a connection with, I can give it to them. Kind of a passing on of honor and tradition. For now I guess I will retire them and place them in a place of honor.

On to what we did for training. Enough of my prattle for one day. I just had a fantastic day, when I thought it was only going meh.

For the following drills, we worked both orthodox and south paw stance.

  1. foot work drill – plus sign foot work with knee
  2. 1 – 4 counter knee drill:
    • 1) counter/stop knee with hand on peck muscle
    • 2) counter knee with cross shield
    • 3) catch the knee, and off balance toward the knee caught for a dump.
    • 4) catch the knee, and off balance over your own leg/knee, while lifting their knee for a dump.
  3. Counter switch kick – teep the incoming switch kick with lead teep to stop, teep with rear teep to push.
  4. Counter punch after you pocket kick an opponent – pocket kick with knee across belly/chest, then you push off with leg to avoid being hit with opponents hands.
  5. Response to leg kick – check leg rear leg kick with lead leg, and return lead leg kick right away
  6. Response to leg kick – check lead leg kick with rear leg, and return a rear leg kick right away
  7. catch torso kick (we worked both orthodox and south paw stances)
  8. catch rear torso kick, throw leg caught, and do a spinning back elbow following the leg
  9. catch rear torso kick, spin and catch thigh with other arm, then return spinning back elbow.
  10. counter kick catch with flying elbow -pocket torso kick, that some one catches, you lean in on climbing up, grab behind their head, and drop an elbow.

Kali –

Single stick, snakes and vines drills. Snakes are unassisted disarms, vines are assisted with weapon disarms.

  1. equise drill, low back hand high back hand
  2. inside deflect, snake and plus sign disarms
  3. outside deflect, to snake, plus sign, and equals sign disarms
  4. Sparred with single stick.

Thursday 02/06/2020: 2.5 hours of Muay Thai and Kali class

2.5 hours of Muay Thai and Kali practice! Woot. I got a chance to work with both Khun Kru Krysta and Tony my trainers before class.

Muay Thai- Then we learned (counters to knees), (catching torso kicks to kneeing opponents caught leg, to pushing it off and kicking their sciatica nerve in the back of the leg), (over under clench grip, off balance, to knee to opponents face), (pocket kick to push off)

Kali – we worked on snakes and vines from inside deflect, and outside deflect, kumbiata switch to chokes, and learned a new attack which was a outside deflect to vine and then a trap smash. Woot!

So after we did rounds before class, and were waiting for class to start. Tony my coach said he could see a difference between when I first started Muay Thai pictures and now. How I have trimmed up and slimmed down. I told him thank you. I am getting better at just accepting the compliment. I did tell him I just don’t see it. But I decided to go back and look at the pictures. So here they are two pics from June of 2018, around when I started and this month. ☺️

Friday 02/07/2020: 3 hours of Muay Thai

3 hours of Muay Thai training with some conditioning at the end. Thank you Tony for a great class.

We hit pads before class started. We did 30 mins of sparring just punching, then 30 minutes of kick boxing sparring, then 30 minutes clench sparring, then we did a conditioning workout.

Five rounds of each exercise as fast as we can: (Note: 35 lbs is the heaviest KB I have done so it’s a PR for me! Woot!)

1) Kettle Bell clean walks (L and R side) (16 kilo = 35.27 lbs)
2) 10 x burpees
3) 15 x Kettle Bell squats 15 lb
4) 18 x Kettle Bell swings (16 kilos =35.27 lbs)

We put the time in on the mat and it will show.
Sparring: constant light play lets you feel out the range and what you can get in there.

Saturday 02/08/2020: 3 hours of Muay Thai

3 hours of training and getting ready for my test at the end of the month. Thank you so much Khun Kru Krysta Scharlach for working with me and H.

We worked on technique demo, then boxing 20 and Thai 15 drills, then she held for test prep rounds 2 x 3 minute rounds with 30 seconds rest between. We worked on Ajarn Chai’s Family Wai Kru as well.

Then we worked I Muay Thai drills, catch the jab, long guard the knee, perry the cross, high elbow cover an incoming head kick.

Then we worked I Muay Thai drills, catch the jab, long guard the knee, perry the cross, lean back/ride back to avoid the head kick, return a cross hook cross.

Then we worked I Muay Thai drills, catch the jab, long guard the knee, perry the cross, to avoid head kick – kick the opponents rear leg

Pop the leather three for three punches.

Lead and rear leg 4 counts.

Whew I am tired!

Well I got super busy during the weekend and forgot to post my blog entry last weekend. I did not even remember to finish it and post it till I was training today, halfway through class, and thought. Wow I forgot to post. c’est la vie… it is what it is, and I am posting now. I felt bad, but what can I do.

It was a great week of training. Even though I could not go to Wednesday training cause I had to teach a class of my own, in cake decorating. I still clocked in 11 hours of training. Wow!

I got brand new gloves brought to me from Thailand by my trainer Khun Kru Krysta. H and She got together and secretly got the gloves for me. I had a great week of training, and I got to train for my up and coming test.

I am posting this today, it is Tuesday, and the start of a new week in training. After this I will jot down my thoughts and then shower this sweat off. Pass out if I am lucky and start the day over again.

Thanks for reading. Have a great day. As always, if you want to like, comment and or follow that would be awesome.

Martial Arts 12/26/2019: “What is the point of kicking twice if you have to kick twice?” Khun Kru Krysta

Hello and today marks the first day of training for me after the holiday Christmas for us. This week the gym was closed some of the days understandably and so my training week is shortened. However, I find I am enjoying having some time off to let my body recuperate.

Normally my schedule is 5 days a week of martial arts training, and 3 days a week of weight lifting. So its good to rest.

I titled this week with the quote from my instructor Khun Kru Krysta. “What is the point of kicking twice if you have to kick twice?” If you don’t kick hard the first time and have to kick the second time, then you have wasted your first kick. Or if you are going to kick twice make them both hard.

Thursday 12/26/2019 – 2 hours… Muay Thai and Kali

Boxing day today. When usually means you go through all your old things and find goods and food you can give away to help others.

Today in Muay Thai we focused on boxing. Moving in and moving out, being light on our feet, and striking then returning our hands to our face.

We also had the opportunity to donate to the gym some of our old used equipment so that the brand new students have something to use till they can get their own.

H and I were able to donate two sets of boxing gloves, shin guards, and an old MMA glove set, that was to big for me. This I believe was organized by Khun Kru Krysta and we were happy to be able to help.

Muay Thai:

  1. Jab, catch, jab, opponent throws a jab and you catch it and you jab back and they catch it, then they throw a jab and you catch it.
  2. Jab, parry, jab, opponent throws a jab, you parry jab, and you jab then opponent parry’s jab, then they throw jab and you parry jab.
  3. They jab, then you parry, and throw leg kick
  4. Boxing twenty – jab, cross, hook, cross, bob and weave cross, hook, bob and weave, hook, cross, cover rear body shot, return upper cut, cross, cover front body shot, return uppercut, cross, hook, duck/or dive a big overhand and then body shot to get out, hook, cross

Apparently my boxing is tight and “crispy”. My partner for the night said that it was crispy. I am old enough to have two kids that are 11 and 10 so I am old. =) I think that means it is good and he was surprised about my speed and strikes. Ability to hit my targets keep my shots in the box in front of my body and the power in them. So I will take it.

Kali –

We worked on asymmetrical sparring, knife against stick, or stick against bare hands.

Friday 12/27/2019 – 1 hour… Muay Thai

Tony my coach kicked my booty again. This was conditioning training.

He started us out with kettle bell swings, and burpees. Then we did pad work, clench, and then we finished with core training. 136 swings and 136 burpees total.

Ladder, and Reverse ladder

  1. 1 KB swing (25 lbs for me) and 16 Burpees
  2. 2 KB swings and 15 Burpees
  3. 3 KB swings and 14 Burpees
  4. 4 KB swings and 13 Burpees
  5. 5 KB swings and 12 Burpees
  6. 6 KB swings and 11 Burpees
  7. 7 KB swings and 10 Burpees
  8. 8 KB swings and 9 Burpees
  9. 9 KB swings and 8 Burpees
  10. 10 KB swings and 7 Burpees
  11. 11 KB swings and 6 Burpees
  12. 12 KB swings and 5 Burpees
  13. 13 KB Swings and 4 Burpees
  14. 14 KB Swings and 3 Burpees
  15. 15 KB Swings and 2 Burpees
  16. 16 KB Swings and 1 Burpees
  17. 5 minute round of hitting the bag.
  1. three rounds of pad holding for partner
  2. three rounds of hitting pads, (jab, cross, lead kick, horizontal rear elbow, double lead kick, side in drop elbow
  3. 2 rounds of clench sparring

Finishing exercises – 45 seconds each exercise

  1. side to side kicks, or scissor kicks
  2. crunches
  3. mountain climbers
  4. oblique crunches
  5. bicycles

I got a compliment on my kettle bell swings. Also one of my old coaches said you can do heavier weight Tanya, here swing this. It was 33 lbs or 15 kilos. That is far more than I normally do. I did not think I could do that but she had faith in me. So I guess I need to go buy another kettle bell that is heavier than 25 lbs.

Saturday 12/28/2019 – 3 hours… Muay Thai

Yup just about three hours. We did conditioning rounds, pad rounds and on the bag rounds. I got a total of 35 x 3 minute rounds in. I also got a round in where I got my numbers of kicks and knees in for the Thai test coming up.

Some days you just have to put the mat time in. It is not glamorous, and sometimes grinding out the training can be annoying and boring. I however, have fantastic partners in training. I have an awesome set of coaches/trainers/Kru that help me out.

So while I am exhausted, gonna take a nap here in a bit. I got a great workout in, and I got to do it with people I love.

In class we worked on boxing. I got lots of work in, and had a blast doing it.

I made a video of me working on the bag.

I finished the week off with a bang. I did a total of 6 hours of training in 3 days. Six hours is not bad for a shortened week of training. Give everything you have, pick yourself up when you fall, and keep trying. If I can do it I believe you can do it too. Kick hard both times, and don’t sacrifice power for speed. Keep working to be the best you that you can be.