Category: Martial Arts

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali… Encouraging the body, Puta/Basset from Pummel

It has been an interesting week to say the least. Sick kid, turned to emergency allergic reaction to meds kid, all while I am trying to keep the household in order, and work life going. I had my own yearly check up. Which I am happy to say I am healthy, but had some miscommunication so I was a little concerned.

Muay Thai- Encouraging the body

In Muay Thai today, we had a blast. I was sweating up a storm. I don’t know if you can see how soaked I am in this picture. Anyway, we worked on the 8 version of 4 count today again. Video of the full 8 are on this weeks previous Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali post. We then worked on clench work with a take down, where you off balance a person so they fall down. This is where our Kru Kristen, also shows us how to “Encourage the body”, where if they are not going down you kick the knee. sweep the leg, kick the ankle. In training we do not do that, but we place our foot in the correct position. If we did it in training, we would be hurting our partners and that would be bad.

We did ladders as well, where you start at one kick on each side, up to 5 kicks on each side. Those are brutal and fun at the same time. I will add these to our Wednesday training sessions.

Kali – Puta Kapala and Basset Dal from Pummel

So today in Kali, we worked more on Silat and take downs from the Pummel entry. We worked on “swimming” with our partner where we move back and forth trying to get underhooks in. We are working on feeling our partners energy. By energy I mean, when we can feel where our partner is going to based on the movement of center of gravity. When I can feel it change, I can get a better handle on when it will be advantageous for me to move them and get them off balance. Then I can put their bodies where I want them to, and can do the most damage.

This was fun, because we have now done Puta Kapala, and Basset Dal, from the shield block entry, from the striking entry, and now from pummel entry. I am starting to see where all of this connects and it is awesome. When I make that mental connection it clicks more for me.

Anyway thank you all for reading. I am amazed I have readers from all over the world, and I want to say hallo/hello to you all. Have a great night, I need to be better about getting to bed on time.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali… 4 more Thai 4 counts, and Silat Basset Dal

forgive me I have wild hair

Getting to kick and hit things in Muay Thai was very cathartic. I have been carrying around some anxiety about a lot of things including my son being sick, and having a horrible allergic reaction. Having to watch him like a hawk to make sure that he is still breathing.

We found out that my son is allergic to the quinolone antibiotic. That is what was causing his reaction. So he is off of those antibiotics, we are hoping his infection is cleared up, and now we have to dose him with Benadryl.

Muay Thai, 4 more Thai 4 counts

On to more fun things. Today was Muay Thai and Kali. It was 2 hours of hitting and kicking, and it was great! I love learning, and trying to get tweak my movements to make them better, faster, more powerful.

So today Kru Kristen was back. She went to the Inosanto instructor camp. They did some Thai 4 counts that she wanted us to do today. So we added them to our normal 4.

Normal 4 counts include:

  1. Left kick (torso or leg), cross, hook, right torso roundhouse kick
  2. Right kick (torso or leg), hook, cross, left torso roundhouse kick
  3. Left kick (torso or leg), cross, hook, left torso roundhouse kick
  4. Right kick (torso or leg), hook, cross, right torso roundhouse kick

We added these four for a total of 8:

  1. Jab, cross, left kick (torso or leg), right torso kick
  2. Jab, cross, right kick (torso or leg), left torso kick
  3. Jab, cross, left kick (torso or leg), left torso kick
  4. Jab, cross, right kick (torso or leg), right torso kick.

These are not any new moves for us, but it is a new way of drilling and getting repetitions in. Because, we all know one of the key ways you improve is to get repetitions in.


“

Learn the rules like a pro, so you can break them like an artist.”

Pablo Picasso

The key is to over train your body, and mind. You do this so that your muscle memory and your actions become automatic. At first your learning is forced. You are so focused on the how, and mimicking others, that it is hart and you have to slog through it. Think back to learning how to read, and how it felt like work. Well eventually it is a automatic thing. You can read things fast, and glean the knowledge you need from just a glance. Eventually we hope to have our bodies move in Thai as if we are just walking, or running. It is automatic, rote, or something you do without thinking. When my brain see’s something coming at my head, my brain will eventually send signals for my body to react and cover to protect the head.

Here is a video of all 8 Thai 4 counts

Kali – Basset Dal vs Sapu Dal

In Kali we worked on Silat again. We learned that Basset means facing away, and Dal means in between the legs. Where Sapu means facing the opponent, and Dal means between the legs. So today we focused on Basset Dal, where we entered from the similar Thai 4 count. Left kick, Cross, Hook, Right kick.We answer the left kick with a destruction, then we slip the cross, then we had to high cover the hook and perform a posting choke, where the thumb is right under the adams apple, then we block the right kick while pushing the opponent away. After that we move to control the arm by rolling the bicep and forcing them down, off balancing them and then dumping them.

This was fun, and we are getting to a point where we know some of the basic moves, such as basset dal, and puta kapala, that we are now just fine tuning it, trying to make them more smooth, more flowing, and more finding the entries.

I got dumped multiple times and better yet I got to dump a lot of people. It is fun to feel where body mechanics takes over and your actions cause peoples bodies to just move to your whim. Because I guarantee you if you push on a persons knee they will move it back. Their body is smarter than you think and will want to preserve functionality, by avoiding being hurt.

We got to do a sticky legs drill, where we got to feel just that. Where your partner/opponent can feel when your body is about to move, and you have to re-position, and get them in a hold again.

Thank you all for reading my blog. I started this and continue to do this to log/write down my training, and my journey. So I am surprised that any of you read it. If you have any questions please feel free to ask.

Pablo Picasso had it right… I am going to keep learning Muay Thai, and Kali like a professional fighter would, and then I can perform it with my flare like any great martial artist.

Saturday Striking class… tiny tweaks, clench work, lots of kicks, and cake

Drenched in Sweat

2 hours of Muay Thai practice, and I am pooped. We ended with clench work, and we were all working so hard we were all drenched in sweat. But lets start at the beginning first.

Today we made it to striking class. We focused on Muay Thai today, and had a great teacher named Dom. Both Kru Kristen, and Kru Krysta are still out at the instructor camp for Inosanto.

Kicks

We started out with stations, jump rope, heavy bag teep and kick, and then shadow boxing to warm up. We then went right into Thai 4 counts. We practiced leg kicks. It has been a long time since we have worked on leg kicks and I can say I am not as good at them as I am at round house kicks. I need to work more on them. You are supposed to turn your kick so much that your knee is almost pointing at the floor, and you are supposed to sink your weight into the kick.

We then worked on sparing where we tried to get any variation of left to right kicks in. My favorite things to do is to feint a left kick then teep the person, and follow with hook and cross. Or I like to throw a cross, and leave my hand there in their face, while I get a right round house kick in. It often tricks people and they don’t see it coming, so I get a hit in. =)

Tiny Tweaks

I had the pleasure of working with Dom personally, he helped me make tiny tweaks to my cross. I need to remember to fully extend my arm, and rotate my pointer finger and middle finger knuckles down when I punch to get the full extension and straight line. I have had Kru tell me the same thing but having a person take off my glove and actually have me punch while they turn my hand was so super helpful. I am so excited to keep practicing this and hopefully make my punch much better.

Clench Work

After all this we ended with clench work, and we were all working so hard we were all drenched in sweat. We got to play around. Trying our different things with our partners, to see if we could get in, make a frame and get the upper hand. Hah! It was so much fun. One girl and I were just giggling as we grunted and tried to get into full plumb

I had a blast today at class. I finally got a tripod to put my phone in to video some of my kicks. Here is a video of me doing right round house kicks to, right hop kicks. We were working on the right hop kicks last Thursday and I still need to work on them. I need to get my knee up higher to create more momentum.

After our class I had a date with a friend that I was so looking forward to. We went to a bougie coffee shop where I got a chance to have a coffee, a piece of cake and great conversation. The cake won! I was not able to eat even half of that cake it was so big. But it was nice to have a treat after a great workout.

If you have gotten this far. Thank you for reading. I hope you have a fantastic rest of your weekend. Keep being awesome and I think its ok to have a treat once in a while.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali… Thai Test Leveling UP!, Silat Puta Kapala, and another take down.

Just a little sore from yesterday… Yay! My hamstrings are not happy with me, but that is ok. That means I targeted them and got a good workout in yesterday. 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training.

Testing for Green Band

Today was a great day again in Muay Thai. We had a Thai Test. What that means is we all line up and demonstrate our knowledge of the the Thai, Kicks, Elbows, Knees, Teeps, and Punches. Kru will say lead leg round house kick through, and shield, go. Then we have to demonstrate that we understand what she is saying.

We then worked on (Cross, Jab, Lead Kick), (Cross, Jab, Rear Kick), (Cross, Jab, Rear Knee), (Cross, Jab, Lead Knee), (Cross, Jab, Short Teep/Rear Teep), (Cross, Jab, Long Teep/Front Teep). This was a lot of fun. The Kru goes around viewing us and seeing what level we are at. What our moves look like.

After that we worked on the Thai 4 count. (Left/lead kick, cross, hook, right/rear kick), ( Right/rear kick, hook, cross, Left/lead kick), (Left/lead kick, cross, hook, left/lead kick), (Right/rear kick, hook, cross, right/rear kick). I am making it a point to say front or rear, because I was working with a south paw all night and his jabs come from the opposite side of mine, his hooks, everything is is different, and he has to think of it as rear kick, verses right or left. For him the rear kick is his left kick. =) So its a different way of thinking and it makes it hard to hold pads for someone that is opposite your stance. But you know what we both will be super proficient on both stances if we work together more.

Anyway… lets get to the point. I tested today. I was an orange band and was testing for green band. I got it! I passed and now have a green band. I leveled up! I am so happy. I was beaming, and Kru Kristen gave me a huge compliment, on how I bring everyone together as a family. Before I started she said “everyone did not feel like family, and now that I am and have been here. I draw them together.” I almost shed a tear, because that was so sweet of her to say. I was tough and did not get emotional and embarrass myself in front of the whole class. =)

This is the armband progression we are following.

Kali- Silat Puta Kapala and two more take downs I can’t remember the name of.

Kali was fun today, we worked more on Silat forms. We added throat gouging in, pulling the opponent off balance toward us, hooking our foot behind their foot and then simultaneously pushing them and sweeping their foot. Your opponent then falls backward and is in a prone position.

We worked on a move where we parry the jab, slip the cross, upper cut them, hit them in the genitals, then controlling the arm they used to throw a cross at us, we step forward off balancing them. Putting our leg behind theirs and lowering our center of gravity, elbow them in the stomach and then push them over our leg, right on their behind. I believe this is a version of the Puta Kapala that you use if they step with the inner foot.

It may say something about me, but I like moving a few limbs, countering an opponents move, and using their energy to dump them on the ground. One of these days I will get better and be more smooth about it. When it works it goes so fast and is amazingly easy. When I am not doing everything right it is more difficult, I have to muscle it. Then I know I am not off balancing my opponent correctly.

That is all. That was my night and as I sit here typing, I am eating a snack of Hot N’ Spicy pickle bites. I really was craving the salt.

Thank you for reading this far. Have a great night, and keep working toward your goals. I never thought I would be studying/learning Muay Thai, 2 years ago. You never know where you will be.

Saturday Striking…Pak Sao Da, Violent Rainbows, and a kick for good measure

I missed Krav today because I got home from work at 1130 pm. I was exhausted and really did not want to wake up. I decided sleep was more important. I only did 1.5 hour Striking workout today. We focused on JKD, or Jeet Kune Do.

Today we worked on dealing with a jab, and returning a strike. For instance we worked on what to do when some one was throwing out noise, or just crappy jabs that were not committed. We need to watch the body movement for when they commit to a jab and put their body into it. One way is the Violent Rainbow. Where when they jab you perry, grab the glove pull them in, and elbow them. I then like to grab a hold of the person and then knee them or kick them for good measure.

We worked on slipping the jab, and then hitting them with a gut shot. Coming up with a uppercut, hook, cross, and then a nao tek. Or what is referred to as a nut shot.

The hardest part is watching the other persons body, and realizing when they are actually going to commit to a shot. You have to do this analysis all while you are parrying incoming hits, and trying to avoid getting hit in the face, or kicked for that matter.

It seems to me that a lot of people do not realize how much brain power goes into these arts/sports. When you see a person get into the ring to fight it just looks like two people going at it. You don’t see what they are actually doing internally. You have to:

  1. protect yourself,
  2. you have to block hits
  3. you have to return hits
  4. you have to look for openings
  5. you have to also look for committed shots so you can use their momentum against them
  6. you have to learn to read people
  7. you have to look for minute shifts in their stance

These are are hours taken to learn, and so many more hours spent training your body to have a reflexive response. This allows for lightening fast reactions.

I am not at that level yet. I have to actively remember to protect myself/block, I have to consciously look for openings, and I am still studying people. I have however, seen times where I block as a reflex before I knew what I was doing. I have also returned shots/kicks, that surprised my training partner, that I did, because I have been training to get those in, when I get the opportunity to. I assume its my training starting to seep through.

One of these days I hope to have some skill. Alas for now I will just keep training. I had a great day, and it was a fun class.

I hope you all have a great rest of your day. As always thanks for reading.