Tag: Escrima

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Kick High, Guillotine Choke Hold

My good friend DOMS (Delayed Onset Muscle Sorenes) set in again today at around 3 pm. Wee… this time thought it was my deltoids, biceps, and triceps. My hamstrings and abductors are a little sore. But my focus was on upper body so, it makes sense that those are more sore.

We did 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali today.

Muay Thai- Kick High

I had a great day today in Muay Thai. Thanks to Kru Krysta for the fantastic class. The workout was hard, and fantastic. The conditioning we did where we did 20 kicks in a row, 5 on each side was amazing and while gassing, cause I was not breathing right, was amazing. I was having one of those good days where things were clicking. Where I have been training, and training, and it finally feels like my muscle memory is taking over. Even though I was sore I was able to do it all. As I am sitting here and things are cooling down, I can feel how sore I am and it is going to be fun tomorrow!

We worked on the Thai four counts again, this time with a teep first. We teep our training partner and then we have to chase them down to get the first kick in. What that had us practicing was our hop kick, and closing the distance. If you teep a person correctly it will send them back. When we work on teep to same side kick, to our punches to same side kick. We are forcing our bodies to practice and get better hip mobility. Which is key to landing our kicks correctly.

I got some really great compliments. I was working on our teep to 4 count, right teep, to right torso kick, hook, cross, to left kick. Kru Krysta came up to me and said “great job Tanya, look how high your kicking! A month ago you were not kicking that high.” I was working with some one that is nearly 6 foot, and I have to kick about just below shoulder level for me to hit his torso. We were continuing our drills, and she came back around, and Kru said “your kicks were looking great”. I was getting my rotation in on the ball of my foot, and my teeps were sending him back and I was chasing him down for my kicks.

Kali – Guillotine

After an hour of Muay Thai that kicked my butt, but was a blast. We went right into Kali. We worked on Silat again. Let me tell you when your triceps and deltoids hurt already, and some one does an arm control on you where they are putting the blade of their forearm into your triceps it does not feel good. We continued with learning how to smoothly take your opponent/assailant down. We also worked on how if they fight you and your move how to counter their trying to muscle up. We added something called the Guillotine Choke hold where you can either choke and cut off oxygen to the head thus rendering them unconscious and you can run away. Or doing the Guillotine on the jaw line, as a pain submission were they will stop fighting and want you to stop because the pain is unbearable. Then we did a variation where we do the full Guillotine with a thumb pressed into the hollow of their neck. This is also a pain submission, and if they don’t tap will also restrict airflow to the brain.

I have to remember to make sure to control the arm better. I sometimes let go of the arm, or stop framing against their neck with control of their arm. If I do that the assailant will then get out of my hold and then continue to possibly harm me.

I am super tired, need a shower, an need to rub down with Thai oil so I will stop there. Thank you for reading. Leave a comment if you want, and have a great day.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Thai 4 counts, snakes and vines oh my!

Today was 2 hours of Tuesday night training for Muay Thai and Kali. I had a blast in class, and although I think I am horrible compared to my class mates I am still showing up and trying every time. All I can hope is that if I keep showing up I will get better. My coaches/trainers and some of the other class mates that study with me, also say that all we have to do is show up and put the time in.

In Muay Thai we worked on the Thai 4 count. Right kick, hook, cross, to left kick, and also the right kick, hook, cross to right kick. Below is a video of me doing the Thai 4 count. I need to pivot more, I need to keep my left hand closer to my face. You can see when I don’t pivot correctly on my second set, that I hurt my foot on the pads a little. (It was slapping pain, I caught the edge of the pad.) Muay Thai is very much a skill set that when learning it is self correcting. Whether you working the bag, or you are kicking Thai Pads. If you kick them incorrectly it will hurt your foot. Not necessarily in a bad way, but will sting, cause a bruise or it can mess you up depending on how badly you hit the pads or bag.

In Kali, we practiced snake and vine disarms. These are not something you really wanna do with a knife, but when some one is attacking you with a blunt object or a stick these are effective. If you do it right. I have a lot to learn and am not great at this at all. Here I am practicing Kali, snake and vine disarms. Equal sign disarms, and plus sign disarms are the vine disarms that we worked on today. A vine disarm is one that uses a tool to help you disarm in this case we use our stick to create a fulcrum to remove the weapon from our opponent. The snaking disarms are the ones where we wind our arm around theirs and trap the weapon. In snake disarms we do not use another tool to create a fulcrum, we use our own bodies to trap the weapon.

You made it to the end, so thank you for reading. Let me know if you have questions. I must now shower and go to bed. I have an early morning, and it is almost midnight here.

Thank you Kru Krysta Scharlach, and Kru Kristen DeBruycker for great classes.

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali…Working with New Students, Full Box with all the Weapons

my crazy messy self after 2 hours of workout

Today is a good day! I was energized and raring to go to class. My teachers and I too have come to value working with new students. When we started and were new they kept reiterating that the senior students (which I am considered now… that is crazy) like to help the new students. Not only does it help the new students. But it helps us older students to help teach them, and lets us go back to the basics and review things we may have not been isolating.

So today we worked on the left leg or lead leg kicks. That is teeps, leg kicks, and torso kicks or round houses. I was working with a new person, and he seems timid. He does not want to kick or hit hard, and when he gets tired his form breaks down like we all do, but his was faltering more than I expected. I kept checking in on him to see if he was okay. He said he was, and that he was just tired. Today was hard cause he would move away from the teeps, and drill kicks we were doing, so it was hard to get my reps in. But I was able to get him kicking harder toward the end. Hopefully he will see that he does not have to be so nervous in future classes. We worked on catching the kicks again, but this time putting our knee and shin across and into the torso, while clenching up and framing so that your opponent can’t do anything and in the ring the ref would have to break you up. I got dumped by the new guy by accident but he was so afraid of catching the kick that he did not have my leg right and I fell on my side and hip. I hope that my back does not scream at me tomorrow.

Kali, we worked on full box. Using double stick first, stick and knife, double knife, single knife and then stick and shield. We used all the weapons at our disposal, and each change we made to our weapons brought new interesting variables that we had to change for, or exploits we could use more for with one combination than the other. For instance with double stick we had distance and could keep people at distance. Stick and knife we had to get up closer and see where we could cut the opponent all the while keeping an eye on that stick that has more range. Which weapon we used to check and trap changed as well. With double knife, we had to aim more for areas where cutting would not only cause damage, but we had to make sure to place them so that we could control the opponents weapons. Cutting above the elbow to control one knife arm while then simultaneously coming in with another attack. All very much fun, but brain melty.

I had a great day. I loved the workout. I love Muay Thai and I am growing to love Kali as much as well. I am icing my back as I type this up. I hope you are all having a good day, and continue working out. Get up get into the things you love to do. Live and love life. If I let my physical “limitations” stop me from doing things I would just be in the house, babying my back, and afraid to hurt myself. I have scoliosis as I mentioned in my Working Out Through Herniated Disk post. Listen to your body, but don’t be afraid to get out there and do things. Believe me it takes me a minute to quick check and tell myself, that I could just lay there waiting and worrying about getting hurt, or I can just go live life, and see where I can go. How far can I get?

I went to my chiropractor yesterday, to find out my hips were out of alignment and I had a dislocated rib. I live with back, neck, and lower back pain. So small things like that don’t tend to bother me. Till they accumulate and then they bother me. =)

Well that is enough rambling from me. Thanks for reading this far. I hope you have a great rest of your day, and talk to me if you have any questions.

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali…Thai Rank 1/Level 1 test and Espada Y Daga

Today was an exciting day! A welcomed exciting day because yesterday while I trained Muay Thai for about 2 hours and got good training in. I had a bad head day. I could not get out of my head yesterday so it colored my training yesterday.

I did get into the store and did some retail therapy, I got a pair of jeans that are 2 sizes smaller than the jeans I have at home. Yay for non scale victories. They are from the same manufacturer as my previous jeans… yay! But that is neither here nor there.

Today was exciting, because a friend of mine was going up for her Rank 1 test. We need to celebrate each other. I was excited for her, and was happy to give her pep talks just to stave off some of her nerves. To give you reference. I am 3rd arm band in…or orange. She went up for Student Level 1/ Rank 1. The solid blue band on the chart above. I have 4 bands between me and that test. *eye twitch* Yeah its a bit daunting but I will take each test one at a time. I may be up for testing for green arm band next month. We will see.

We got a chance to work with another person D, and learn some of the things he learned. You see he just got back from Thailand and was able to train at some 8 gyms in Bangkok and is a wealth of information. After training with him, we all stopped to support A, encourage her, and help count her kicks and knees. For this Student Level 1/Rank 1 test she had to get so many knees and kicks in during a three minute round. She had to do two, three minute rounds back to back. She did fantastic and she was awarded her blue arm band. I am so very proud for her. She did fantastically.

Here is a video of one of the rounds that she had while testing.

In Kali we worked on Espada Y Daga again. This time it was not so melty of the brain. I was able to get off the line and figure out my angles. I was able to gunting the 1-5 attacks, and deal with a dagger attacks from the other hand. Today Kali was clicking. I was getting it. My muscle memory was working. I was getting the shots in, and returning with what would be devastating blows had they been real blades.

So over all a great day. I got some clothes that fit better, and got to help support a friend for an awesome nerve wrecking Thai test. I got to practice Kali, and it did not melt my brain today. It seemed to all click. But I am prepared to run into trouble later, when we add another move and I need to wrap my brain around that move and get my body to do the thing my brain is telling it to.

If you got this far and are still reading, thank you! I hope you have an amazing rest of your day. Keep up your work, and keep trucking as we say around here. As always if you are feeling frogy drop me a comment and let me know what you think.

The Team I Love!

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Off Balances and Half Beats oh my!

I just completed 2 hours and 30 minute training.

1.5 hours of Muay Thai. For the first 30 minutes of my training, I did 200 kicks over a foam roller, and 100 knee number 3’s into a heavy bag. We then worked on basics again. It’s amazing even though I know these techniques I was having a hard time with them. It occurred to me when I was working on my jab, cross and then horizontal right elbow that maybe I am stiff cause of weight lifting yesterday. Or I just might be having an off day. We worked on entries after the jab, cross.

Then we worked on off ballances so that we could get range from opponent to get your knees in. We got to do the leg bump off ballance which is my favorite. I was asked to come up and demonstrate it to the class where normally I would hesitate and be embarrassed. But to my surprise as I sit here and think back on it, I jumped at the opportunity and to do the move on guy taller than me. I was able to execute it so fast and accurately that he almost fell over and my instructor was impressed. It’s a great off ballance for me cause I am short and shorter than everyone in our class. My instructor always says use what you have to your advantage. If you are tall use that if you are short use that. So I get in close and my opponents cannot see my hits coming if I am fast enough.

The mind bending Kali was also fun. We worked on off beats in Kali. Where we were performing standard six and adding a witik into it. I like the outside deflection witik and the lower back hand almost gunting type off beat. I messed up a lot, and you just have to keep going and pick up the beat again.

Shower and sleep is in order next.

Anyway here is a video of me doing it slowly cause I just learned it today and need to practice.

Again think you for reading and watching. Talk to me if you want. Let me know if you like anything, or want more information on anything I am doing.

Kali melts my brain…but I love it.

Kali a.k.a Escrima and or Arnis. Is a Filipino martial art. During the Spanish occupation of the Philippines, this martial art was disguised as practicing a stick dance. The Spanish Conquistadors in the 1500’s did not want to have the people they occupied teaching and learning a martial arts.

In Kali we focus on the ability to transition from weapons to open hand combat with fluidity. Kali very much believes that open hand combat uses the same moves as having weapons so both are learned and taught congruently. We learn single stick, double stick, sword and stick, and dagger.

Part of the reason it melts my brain is that forces me to use both sides of my brain. What we learn on the one hand we will learn on the other. So I am right handed and we may learn something like say, the Running Saint Rafael on the right side, but to do the whole thing you have to do it on the left side all together. Making the left side of my body do what I want it to do can and often does melt my brain a bit.

I can say it is getting better, and the more I learn the better it gets. However, Kali class is right after Muay Thai, and my body is usually tired from Muay Thai and then I ask my body and mind to figure out how to move it around and not hit myself with the sticks. I have hit myself, and it sucks, but I am still here and alive. I still love Kali, and love learning it.

I have included a video of me doing the Running Saint Rafael. I am not very good at it, but I am learning, and hopefully getting better. N

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali… Back to basics in Muay Thai…brain blender Kali

I look like a hot mess after a workout. I have never been that kind of girl that can look like she just left a salon after a hard workout.

Workout: 2 hours and 20 mins of Muay Thai and Kali.

We worked on Jab and to left kick transitions, and jab cross to left kick transitions. Smoothness and quickness of transition is important. Your opponent will not have the time to react and or will not see it coming if you do it fast enough. We were working on the basics of Muay Thai and It’s was amazing to see the changes I have made. I can see some of my improvements in the art. What was once hard to just get my body to do I am am able to do and hoping to get tiny changes in form to stick so that I am able to get power in. You see in Muay Thai if you try to force/muscle the move your kicks for instance will be slow and not powerful. If you focus on form and laying the kick in using all of your torso it will be more powerful and devastating in a fight. The move almost becomes effortless. I say almost cause after a ladder of kicks ( 1 kick then 2 kicks up to 5 kicks in a row then back down again to 1) that is gassing. But much less so than when I first started out. Thank you Kru Kristen DeBruycker.

In Kali we had a guest instructor called Inchun Kim. He was an amazing instructor and he taught us some great movement with intention. Not just hitting sticks but focusing on hitting with the intention to hurt, maim, and damage. Where some drills we tap the sticks he wanted us to change our intent and using foot work advance on our target.  I have said it before and I will say it again Kali melts the brain. Especially brain blending when wielding double stick and reverse gripping the stick in left or right hand or both.

I am exhausted and need sleep. First shower and then to bed. Thanks for reading. As always let me know what you think.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Thai minute changes, Kali and chewing gum

I am going to try to document my Tuesday, sometimes Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday Thai and Kali workouts here.

I just got home from 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali. In Muay Thai we were working on our transitions from punch to kicks. I am at a point in my training where it’s it’s minute changes that I have to make. Like kick through the person, after kick bring back and keep knee up. Things I have to consciously apply to get my body to do it. I got a compliment on my speed again from a few people and a compliment on my punches to kick transitions from my Kru. Just have to keep knee up.

In Kali we worked on High box, Low box, and Middle box. Double stick is a brain workout. Making your body do the things you need it to do and avoid getting hit is a full time mental activity. My practice partner was talking to me and getting my brain to think other things. To hold a conversation about something completely different to what my sticks were doing was like listening to a skipping record. I had to start and stop my sentences to keep my hands and feet moving. It’s like trying rub your tummy and pat your head. Or for us even less skilled walk and chew gum! 😃

Thank you Kru Kristen DeBruycker, and Kru Krysta Scharlach

As I write this up I notice a bruise blossoming on my foot just now. Lol 😆 I did not even register I might have hit the edge of the Thai pads wrong.

Anyway thanks again for reading and my adventures will continue on. Let me know what you think, what content you are curious about.

Thursday Night – Muay Thai, and then Kali Running Saint Gabriel



We just got home from Muay Thai practice and Kali, and I can tell you no other sport, or physical activity can melt my brain faster than Kali.

I sit here after class trying to type up what I wanted to, and I have a combination of tired body, and exhausted mind.

So, we worked on sparing in Muay Thai, where we were learning some of the entries that we could use to get into the “box” and be able to get our hits in on our opponents. You will get hit in the face and other parts of the body. This is not negotiable. It happens, and it teaches you to get your hands up and block, parry, or move (slip/bob and weave). I got hit twice in the face today. It was not hard, and I am totally ok. But that makes your body and head tired.

Now after Muay Thai we did Kali. Kali ask you to use both your right and left brain at the same time. It asks you to use your right and left hands at the same time. It is both an art and a… I was going to say science, and while there is science, to it… it’s more of an art and a deadly dance. A DANGER DANCE!

Anyway, I am rambling on. For today I did a 30-minute warmup/workout before Muay Thai.

  • 1 minute stretching
  • 200 kicks over a foam roller
  • 100 # 3 knees, which are the side in knees
  • Then 10 minutes of ladder work to work on foot work and getting faster in my transitions.

One hour of Muay Thai:

  • We shadowboxed/jumped rope to warm up
  • We worked on parry jab, while coming in with a jab entry, then getting out of the box.
  • We worked on outside parry where I slip under the jab and hit a jab into the midsection of my opponent.
  • We worked on the boxing 20.
  • We worked on using the entries to get into the box, then a upper cut, hook, and cross, bob and weave to get out
  • We then worked on sparing and using what we know and have learned to avoid getting hit.

I can tell you I got hit a couple of times, but I am getting more used to it.

1 hour of Kali:

  • We started with heaven figure 8s then earth figure 8s
  • We then worked on Running Saint Gabriel, the right side first
  • We worked on the Running Saint Gabriel right then left
  • Finally we worked on the heaven box.

I am tired and should go to bed. Its 11:39 pm right and I have to be up at 5:30am tomorrow. This is a bit of a rambling post, but this is what I do on Tuesdays and Thursdays. =) If you like hearing about what I am for my workouts let me know. I am still figuring out how often to put out content to my blog.

Also see below, me practicing the Running Saint Gabriel. This is about the 30th time worked through it. I did it about 30 more times till the end of class after this.

Running Saint Gabriel