Pad holding is a skill in itself. Being a great pad holder can make your partner look like a million bucks. It can also, mean the difference between a good workout for your partner or a great workout. Finally it is a great workout for you the pad holder, and can really tax your muscles. Ask me how I know.
Pad holding Tips I Have Learned:
- You have to be able to feed the pads just right so that your partner can hit them.
- You have to be at the correct distance so that your partner hits them fully extended and not shortened, but not to far away so that they get hurt from missing the pads.
- You have to meet their strikes with the same force so that they have feed back.
- You have to be able to take the hits. The pads help you feed and take the hits, but if your partner is putting in the strikes properly you will feel them. The pads only distribute the power of the strikes.
- You have to lean in to kicks coming in. If the person is taller/bigger than you, you may have to jump a little bit with the kicks/knees.
- You mimic the moves your partner is making. For instance if they are throwing a jab you move your body shoulder, hip, leg, feet placement as if you are jabbing as well, but just holding the pad up for them to punch. Doing it this way helps you to work on your jab, while they are.
I often have to hold for a south paw and for orthodox. I am married to a south paw. =) I am sore from Saturdays workout. I often worry that I am not holding the pads correctly, so I have been working on my pad holding
I hope you have had a great week. Mine has been hectic. I home school my kiddos, and have since they started school. So this is our end of the year and as such it is crazy. We have reviews, evaluations, and I have to send in my paperwork so that the school district here knows that they have been taught and evaluated. On top of school obligations we have work, and family life. However, through all of that, my training goes on.
Warning: my opinions are going to spill all over the page, you can skip to the workout part if you don’t want to hear it.
Training a small bit of normalcy in this really turbulent time. If you are not in America. Saturday was a big holiday for us. 4th of July for us is the day we celebrate our independence. However, this year it feels different. It is not nearly the same. How can it feel the same? We are a torn/divided country. We have an imbecile for a president, who is driving the wedge in our country. He is promoting racism, and we have people who are rightfully angry. Hell I am angry. I have dealt with the racism in one way or another all my life. We have unrest in our country because we need equality for all of our citizens. Fighting this tyranny is far from overdue and worth fighting for. I stand with the BLM movement.
It feels like we don’t have our independence, or the independence we thought we have. It feels like we are losing what little independence we had little by little. It feels like we are being buffeted by worse and worse decisions that our government is making. COVID19 Infections are spiking here, and the world has gone from laughing at us in the U.S.A. to pitying us. I don’t blame them. I would too if I saw us from outside.
I wanted to give my kids the celebration they would enjoy. So we decided to have a bar-b-que, use sparklers, and poppers to let them have some fun. I was not going to expose them to a crowd for a fire works display. I did not even look to see if there were any happening.
Hahahahaha… 2020 had other plans. We decided to grill today Sunday and …well a more organized, less scattered person, might have checked the weather before. But that was not me today. I got rained out. No… I got hit by a thunderstorm, and lightening. So we took the food into the house to cook, and it started hailing on us. Yay! We salvaged dinner and the kids had fun still. I will let them play with fire toys later… on a day when it is not hailing outside. =)
So how did I celebrate the independence of my country? I celebrated it yesterday by training in Muay Thai. With every punch I envisioned punching a Nazi, racist, scum. It was a fitting way to bring in that 4th of July for this unprecedented year of 2020.
Anyway enough of my blabbering, on to training for the week…
Training/Workouts
Monday 06/29/2020: 54 minute workout- 1 mile run, 30 minute weight lifting workout, and 10 minute core workout.
Whew it was a terrible run. It was super hot, super sunny and no breeze. But I did it.
I decided to do a full weight lifting workout. I did my weight lifting exercises and with active rest in between.
Weightlifting: each set of exercises done together with an active rest (no other rest)
1) Olympic Barbell Dead Lift 135 lbs – 3 sets of 6 reps2)
1 minute kettle bell swings 20 lb KB (active rest)
3) Olympic Barbell Press 65 lbs – 3 sets of 8 reps4)
1 minute Kettle Bell Goblet Squats 20 lb KB (active rest)
5) Tripod Tricep Rows 20 lb Kettle Bell, 3 sets of 15 reps each arm6)
1 minute Incline or Australian Pull Ups ( active rest)
Core workout ( I did the Dana Linn Bailey 10 minute Everyday Abs) Man I am going to be sore. Here is the workout video if you want to do it at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYqDX3sllH4&t=562s
1) 45 sec Hollow body
15 sec rest
2) 45 sec Hollow body reverse crunches
15 sec rest
3) 45 sec Sit Bicycles
15 sec rest
4) 45 sec Star Crunches
15 sec rest
5) 45 sec Side Right planks dips
15 sec rest
6) 45 sec Side Left planks dips
15 sec rest
7) 45 sec High Plank opsite Side Knee to Elbow
15 sec rest
8 ) 45 sec V Sit Leg Circles
15 sec rest
9) 45 sec Heel Touches
15 second rest
10) 45 sec Explosive Sit Ups
Whew that was a hard, core workout. But happy I did it in the end. My body is amazing and wonderful. I need to keep telling myself that.
I am going to be sore tomorrow. But hopefully not too sore.
Tuesday 06/30/2020:1 hour and 10 minutes of Muay Thai Training
So doing a core workout where you tear up your muscles, and are sore the next day, will make it really sore and you feel every kick you hold pads for the next day. Just in case you were wondering. This is my PSA for you all. Doing an intense core workout, then hold pads the best day where you get kicked a lot is ouchy!
Great class today thank you Khun Kru Krysta.
Training: {jumping jacks active rest between every round}
1) Jab, Cross, Over Hand, Rear Kick (I worked this Orthodox and South Paw)
2) I held pads for H
3) Jab, Cross, Hook, Lead Kick (I worked this Orthodox and South Paw)
4) I held pads for H
5) Jab, Cross, Lead Elbow, Rear Elbow, Rear Knee (I worked this Orthodox and South Paw)
6) I held pads for H
7) Jab, Cross, Rear Elbow, Lead Elbow, Rear Knee, Tie Up/clench 6 skip knees, push off and double kick (I worked this Orthodox and South Paw)
8 ) I held pads for H
9) Jab, Cross, switch kick, Lead Teep reset to stance – switch stance opposite, Jab, Cross, switch kick, Lead Teep – repeat
10) Jab, Cross, Switch Kick, step down to switch opposite stance Jab, Cross, Switch Kick – repeat
We did an extra burn out round:
1) pyramid rear kick 1 – 5 – 1
2) tie up 50 knees
3) pyramid lead kick 1 – 5 – 1
H just takes any picture after the training. No rhyme or reason. So here are his artistic pieces. Lol
Wednesday 07/01/2020: 40 minute workout- 1 mile run, 4 x 1 minute ladder drills, 10 min Calisthenics, 10 min core workout
Whew… on recommendation from my coach/trainer I ran at 7 am to beat the heat. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta.
Then I worked the agility ladder before going in to do Calisthenics and core. Video of ladder work below. As you can see I messed up a bit in the middle and of course that happens when I am filming.
4 x 1 minute agility ladder drills with 15 seconds rest between
Calisthenics word was HIGH thanks to John. This word done in a superset, 30 seconds and of rest, x 3 sets
H) 10 Tricep Dips (I just use a chair in my house)
I) 25 Standing Crunches
G) 15 Burpees
H) 10 Tricep Dips
Dana Linn Baileys 10 minute Core Workout
( I did the Dana Linn Bailey 10 minute Everyday Abs) Here is the workout video if you want to do it at home. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYqDX3sllH4&t=562s
1) 45 sec Hollow body
15 sec rest
2) 45 sec Hollow body reverse crunches
15 sec rest
3) 45 sec Sit Bicycles
15 sec rest
4) 45 sec Star Crunches
15 sec rest
5) 45 sec Side Right planks dips
15 sec rest
6) 45 sec Side Left planks dips
15 sec rest
7) 45 sec High Plank opsite Side Knee to Elbow
15 sec rest
8 ) 45 sec V Sit Leg Circles
15 sec rest
9) 45 sec Heel Touches
15 second rest
10) 45 sec Explosive Sit Ups
So glad that is done. Woot!
Thursday 07/02/2020: 1 hour of Muay Thai Training
after training snack, coconut water and fruit
Whew what a day of training. It was super fun. Ok so when switching stances make sure to reset your stance. For me south paw is my opposite stance. So when working a drill I was having a hard time finding my body mechanic. Only took me almost a whole 3 minute round to figure out I was stepping forward, into my Orthodox stance. Lol
So watching your body mechanics, and feeling your body mechanics as you work the combo is the key. Go slowly on your combo and learn it right. Speed will come later.
Training: {jumping jacks active recovery between rounds}
1) shield kick with lead leg, Lead Kick, Cross, Hook, Rear Kick (we were switching stances between ortho and south paw)
2) I held pads for H’s turn
3) shield kick with Lead leg, Rear Kick, Hook, Cross, Lead Kick (we were switching stances between ortho and south paw)
4) I held pads for H’s turn
5) Parry the Jab, Rear Kick the opponents leg, Hook, Cross, Lead Body Kick (we were switching stances between ortho and south paw)
6) I held pads for H’s turn
7) Catch the Jab, Scoop the Cross, Rear Elbow, Rear Knee, Rear Kick (we were switching stances between ortho and south paw)
8 ) I held pads for H’s turn
Burn out rounds:
9) Rear Shield the kick, Rear Kick, Rear Teep x10 – Lead Shield the Kick, Lead Kick, Lead Teep x10 – Jab, Lead Elbow, x 20 skip knees…repeat till end of round
10) I held for H
The reason we work our opposite stance is because in a fight it may come up. You may end up in an opposite stance and you have to know how to adjust your strikes and defenses. It’s another tool in your tool box. The ability to switch your stance rounds out your game. The rules change for south paw, what works for me on ortho will not always work in south paw, and vice versus. These are the little nuances that we are working on now.
An example of a difference is, a south paw can scoop a ortho fighters jab because he/she will be offline or outside the ortho’s area of effectiveness.
Anyway thank you Khun Kru Krysta for such a fun class. Kicked my booty again.
Saturday 07/04/2020: 2 hours- 2 hours of Muay Thai training
“The only answer for bad reps is good reps.” Khun Kru Krysta said today during our training. What it means to me is that I cannot getintoky head when I do a combo wrong. I need to just rep it out and do it right.
What did I do to celebrate the 4thof July? I punched the shit out of things. Worked up a crazy sweat and imagined punching Nazi’s. Why because that is what our world is dealing with now. Let’s celebrate our country’s independence, but let’s not forget we have a white supremacist problem.
What we worked on:
Combo – Jab, Cross, bob and weave, Cross, Hook, Cross, Lead Knee, Lead Kick
Then of course switching stances so I had to do it in south paw.
Goal for today’s training was feeling the weight shift in the combo. Doing so sets the strikes up for more power and ease of flow. Making it less of a forced move/forced power, and more of a body flow
I focused on:
1) Chin to shoulder and looking at opponent when bobbing and weaving.
2) keeping my rear hand tucked especially after a cross, cover face
3) Putting my left hand up for noise, when kneeing and kicking
Happy 4th of July everyone and stay safe.
We will be celebrating tomorrow because H and I are exhausted and it is 100 out to hot to grill.
And that ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, was my week of training. I did 5 days total. Friday I needed the day off… my body was tired, and today whew well today I am sore from Saturday training and pad holding. DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness) has set in pretty well today.
My calves are tired and sore from training. My pecs and triceps are tired and sore from pad holding. I am a hot mess and groaning slow sore muscle monster right now. =)
I work every time to be the best pad holder I can. With every round I am trying to mimic their body movements. So I rotate at the hips when a hook is coming in and I meet their hook with my pad and the force of my hook. Am I good at pad holding? I would say I am adequate, but that is not good. I want to be/get great at it. Great pad holding is a new goal I am going to tack on to my agility training goals for this Covid19 pandemic.
As I type this up, I realize that this may not be something that you all can do because of the social distancing. I am very lucky that my spouse and I both train Muay Thai so I have a built in partner. However, you can still learn read and learn and then when you get a chance you can practice your pad holding technique. Heck maybe you have a built in partner. Maybe you can get your spouse, significant other, parent, child, etc. to hold pads for you.
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