2020: At Home Workout I Am Loving, and Seeing Results

On May 10, 2020May 10, 2020 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, workoutLeave a comment

This week was blissfully quietly busy, uneventful (wait except for when our router died and we had no internet for all of 4 hours… the apocalypse is far less bearable without it. Also H can’t work from home without an internet connection so we fixed that fast.), and wonderful. I don’t know about everyone out there reading this, but this last 6 weeks has been a roller coaster, of emotions, anxiety, and uncertainty for me.

However, even if we are stuck at home I still have my goals and dreams. I had to change how I was getting there, but that is normal in life. You will run in to an obstacle and have to figure out how to adapt or stop. I don’t want to stop, I refuse to stop, so I adapt.

I hope you are all doing well. Anyway today is mothers day and I did my final workout of the week today. H has made breakfast, lunch, and is now making dinner. I have not had to set foot in the kitchen at all today. Happy Mother’s day to those of you out there that are mothers, mother figures, dads who are dad and mom, and any other type of mom forms.

I got 5 days of workouts in this week… some days it felt like an achievement to get out of bed and get everything else done. I am loving doing a calisthenic workout based on a word of the day. I got the idea from the SheFit challenge. I made my own graphic to do my own words.

Here are my workouts for the week:

Monday 05/04/2020: 37 minute workout SheFit Challenge Day 29 one day left

Workout #1: I plan on doing some Muay Thai Training later… we will see if I can convince H to help me out.

I felt good today, Yay!

Only two more days in the #Shefit30 Challenge. It is Day 29! The words for today were E.N.D. and S.T.R.O.N.G. 👑 Shefit

I did this in a super set. Both words at the same time, with only a 30 second rest between each set. I did each set x 3 today.

Challenge:
E. 15 Push-Ups
N. 15 Jump Lunges
D. 30 Sec. Plank

S. 30 Sec. Fast Feet
T. 20 Hip Dips
R. 30 Crunches
O. 30 Sit-Ups
N. 15 Jump Lunges
G. 15 Burpees

Workout #2: 30 minutes – 1 mile run, and Muay Thai training.

After my run which was beautiful, I worked the bag today. Sadly I could not convince H to train with me today. Also I saw flowers I don’t know what they are, but I love them.

I focused on Jab, Cross, Hook combo, with knees on the bag burn outs. My goal was to move with the bag and avoid it. Trying to work slips, bob and weaves in, and getting out of striking range.

Tuesday 05/05/2020: 30 minute workout SheFit Challenge Day 30 last day of challenge

I did not win anything during the challenge, but I did find a workout system that is loads of fun, and puts a lot of variety into my workouts.

Today is it. The last day of #SHEFIT30 CHALLENGE, its DAY 30! The words are O.W.N. T.H.E. C.R.O.W.N. 👑

I had an early morning. Today was working at the bakery day. So that means I get up at 4, and have to be in. I did not sleep well last night because a family member was up with GI problems last night. So I was exhausted when I got home. Fed the family lunch and then passed out. I powered through this workout and after I got going I had loads of fun.

I did it in a superset. All three words at once, then gave myself a 30 second rest between sets. Completing each set x 3

O. 30 Sit-Ups
W. 15 Supermans
N. 15 Jump Lunges
T. 20 Hip Dips
H. 10 Tricep Dips
E. 15 Push-Ups
C. 20 High Knees
R. 30 Crunches
O. 30 Sit. Ups
W. 15 Supermans
N. 15 Jump Lunges
What was your victory today? What did you push through and get done?

Also H says he can see changes in my body… woot!

Thursday 05/07/2020: 1 hour calisthenics workout and Muay Thai Training

Workout: 1 hour workout and Muay Thai conditioning

Really tired today. Woke up at 4 am went to work at the bakery today and with the events that happened today I did not get a nap in. So really had to push myself to get this workout in. But I am really happy I did. Wore one of my favorite shirts that says, “Fight like a Grrrl”.

Done in a superset, each superset done x 3

1) 10 Tricep Dips
2) 30 Sit Ups
3) 20 hip dips each side
4) 30 inclined pull ups
5) 45 seconds lift legs and arms off mat and hold
6) 20 Side Hops
7) 20 Push Up then lift opposite leg and arm

10 minutes of jump rope

3 minutes rapid kick on heavy bag left leg ( goal is speed and accuracy not power)

3 minutes rapid kick on heavy bag right leg
( goal is speed and accuracy not power)

Friday 05/08/2020: 38 minutes – Run and Calisthenics

Workout: 38 minutes- 13 minute 1 mile run and 25 minute calisthenics workout

#irunforahmaud

I myself am actually seeing some results. Like I actually see them! Woot! It’s nice to start seeing them again. Also got my run in before this freak cold front and possible snow storm in May happening tonight through this weekend.

I chose the word ZOMBIE for my workout today. Will add the alphabet workout list I made in comments.

Do these exercises as a superset. I did the whole word x 3.

Z) 15 Diamond Pushups

O) 30 Sit Ups

M) 30 Plank Jacks

B )20 Squat Jumps

I) 25 Standing Knee Crunches

E) 15 Push Ups

I love that I am seeing results, and that run felt good and faster. Part of my brain says it’s the clothing but. I am trying to ignore that small voice. I am going to try to enjoy this feeling.

Sunday 05/10/2020: 1 hour 30 minute calisthenics and Muay Thai training

Workout: 1 hour and 30 minute- 28 minutes calisthenics and 1 hour of Muay Thai training

Mother’s Day workout was fantastic.

The word I picked out today was: GET BUFF

I did both of these words in a superset with only 30 seconds of rest between the set. Do each superset x3

G) 15 Burpees ( I can tell I am getting better at these I can do 10 before I gmhave to slow down woot!)
E) 15 Push Ups
T) 20 Hip Dips

B ) 20 squat jumps
U) 30 Bicycle Crunches
F) 1 min Wall Sits (gave legs 10 seconds before starting second set)
F) 1 min Wall Sits

1 hour Muay Thai training:

Drills-
1) jab, cross, rear uppercut
2) jab, cross, rear uppercut, lead body hook
3) jab, cross, rear uppercut, lead body hook, cross
4) jab, cross, rear uppercut, lead body hook, rear leg kick
5) Perry incoming jab, return cross, jump offline to lead leg kick, dodging incoming hook.

It’s the little tweaks that we are working on like taking the seconds off of resetting between cross and rear uppercut that we are training. Or the making the transition smoother from cross to hop leg kick/dodge.

I am exhausted and woot!

Well that is it. That was my week of workouts. I can actually see progress… Where as before its hard to see I can see it now. Yay! I had what I thought was a normal week, but in retrospect there was a lot going on. The week was busy but it was not terrible. Not only did we need a new router, I made a lot of good food (chimichurri steak tacos, healthier mango sticky rice), and started my own yeast colony.

Tell me about your week. Let me know if you have any questions. Do you celebrate Mother’s day where you live? I think we should support and love those that take care of and love us.

Would you like a recipe for chimichurri steak tacos?

Thanks as always for reading. If you like this or other posts like this, like, comment and subscribe if you want to see more.

Workout/Martial Arts 04/06/2020: Really Struggling, Need to refocus and get back on track.

On April 12, 2020April 19, 2020 By Thinks with SpinksIn Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Fitness, workoutLeave a comment

Hello everyone, I hope you all are staying safe and sane. This week I got back into training after a back injury. I started out slowly, and just did not pick up the pace this week. I only got two days of workout in. I feel disheartened that I only got 2 workouts in. I wanted to do more.

I try to be positive in this blog and instead of whine and complain, come up with ways to combat common issues. This pandemic has not been common. I have been trying to be upbeat, but I am just not having that kind of week this week.

I have been focused on something other than family and my training, and I think it is showing. I have been desperately trying to make as many masks as I can for people. I am giving them away for free, and I have only so much time in the day. I am getting wrapped up in the fact that there is such need and I can only produce so much at a time.

I am getting requests for masks as fast as I can make them. I have outfitted my area of my bakery I work in. I want to make enough to give to the doctors and nurses in our area as well. The need in the community is so great that I am feeling like I am not producing enough. In 4 days I make 50 masks. All of them have been donated and given away to people.

Anyway enough of that… most of you come here for recipes and my training information. So here are the two… *shakes my head*… that I did this week. I am going to make an effort to manage my time better. Normally I do really well with that. I think the anxiety and desperate need of everyone is getting to me, so it is messing up my ability to manage.

Monday 04/06/2020: 1 hour – 1 mile run, and Calisthenics

Workout #1 7:00 am: I went for a run and did calisthenics. Met a hippity hopity friend on the trail. It was beautiful outside. It’s was so nice to have time to myself. This was the only alone time I have had in a week.

I listened to my doc and my body and did not run the hills. Doc said avoid running an incline on treadmill or hills. So I walked the incline on the hills and kept running. So it was a light 1 mile jog/run.

Calisthenics:
Then I did 5 sets of each exercise in a superset with 15 sec rest between sets.

15 squats
10 push ups
10 crunches (modified from sit ups for my back)
10 plank ups

For a total of 75 squats, 50 push ups, 50 crunches, 50 plank ups

I will be training Muay Thai later on today. (That was the hope, it did not happen. I got caught up making masks.)

Thursday 04/09/2020: 1 hour – 1 mile run, Muay Thai

Workout: 1 hour- 1 mile run then Muay Thai training.

Muay Thai-

Trigg 10 drill +

When the combo ends on a jab feeder feeds a jab back and you have to counter.
A. Perry
B. Slip
C. Lateral back
D. Catch
When combo cross you have to counter a lead hook coming from the feeder.
A. Bob and weave return a gut shot
B. High elbow cover
C. High elbow cover stepping in to elbow
opponent

Slip drill-
slipping a jab and a cross that the feeder fed you.

Bob and weave drill-
Throw a cross, then a hook, bob and weave throw a hook, cross and bob and weave.

I need to work on my slips just shadow boxing them. I need to keep focusing on returning my hand back to my face after every punch.

It was a great workout though. Was supper happy that an Ajarn who saw my post gave it a thumbs up and said that these were good drills and a great workout.

Anyway that was my week of working out. Very short, but intend on fixing that this week. I need to make my stuff a priority. Even if there is great need in the world, I kneed to remind myself I cannot make everything for everyone. I know what I am doing is like a drop in the ocean, but I hope it helps. My husband says that if I help just one person it was worth it. I am going to try to hold onto that. Happy Easter everyone. If you don’t celebrate have a great Sunday and I hope you and your family stay safe.

Thanks for reading, and if you want to comment, reach out and say something. This is the way we connect right now online. =) If you want to see more and hear more from me subscribe.

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

On February 11, 2020February 11, 2020 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Kali Escrima, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Weight Lifting, workoutLeave a comment

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.

foot work drill – plus sign foot work with knee
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.
Counter switch kick – teep the incoming switch kick with lead teep to stop, teep with rear teep to push.
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.
Response to leg kick – check leg rear leg kick with lead leg, and return lead leg kick right away
Response to leg kick – check lead leg kick with rear leg, and return a rear leg kick right away
catch torso kick (we worked both orthodox and south paw stances)
catch rear torso kick, throw leg caught, and do a spinning back elbow following the leg
catch rear torso kick, spin and catch thigh with other arm, then return spinning back elbow.
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.

equise drill, low back hand high back hand
inside deflect, snake and plus sign disarms
outside deflect, to snake, plus sign, and equals sign disarms
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.

Muay Thai Seminar with Nakapan Phugephorn: The counter fighter is exquisite.

On January 27, 2020 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Fitness, Seminar, workoutLeave a comment

I had the incredible ability and honor to be able to go to a 2 hour Muay Thai seminar with Nakapan Phugephorn. 1/26/2020

He is a Martial Arts legend and owner of Beta Academy in Washington, DC. “Nakapan is a passionate life-long martial artist with over 20 years of experience practicing, teaching and competing in the martial arts. He began his journey in 1993, studying Shaolin Kung Fu. Mental discipline and physical conditioning gained from consistent practice later lead him to a fruitful competitive career in the traditional fighting arts and included over 50 championship titles!” (credit: description taken from advert for the Muay Thai seminar flyer on the Pure Performance Martial Arts Center.)

I love going to learn skills and techniques from different Martial Artists. You get different points of view, different ways of attacking and executing a skill, and different skills.

In this seminar I learned some techniques that I have noticed other people doing. However, I have never, been able to dissect it and figure out how to do that skill. I was so excited when we were working on them. I love learning new techniques, and attacks, counters, and shields. I also messed up a lot. I am going to have to work on them more.

Nakapan said, “counter fighting, is the highest form of fighting, it is the hardest, and it is elegant.”

He also said, “counter fighting is not just waiting for some one else to attack. It is the art of drawing your opponent out, to attack you.”

This really resonated with me. I have been training and working to make myself better. My coach Tony said a few weeks ago that he wants to work with me to start working on my reaction time, and my counter fighting. At first my brain was being mean to me, telling me that my reaction and counters are crap. But hearing Nakapan, say that it is the highest form of fighting, that it is the hardest part of fighting. It made me realize… no it made my brain realize that it is the next part of my training. I am actually moving forward in training. I am honing my skills and I am working to be a great fighter.

I was really down on myself, but I realized something. So long as I have hope, the hope of getting better, the hope of improving, and the hope of being the best I can be, I can work and keep working to do anything.

Anyway enough scribbling down my thoughts and feelings, on to the training we did yesterday.

Five count drill
- jab, rear leg kick
- jab, cross, lead leg kick
- jab, cross, hook, rear leg kick
- jab, cross, hook, cross, lead leg kick
- jab, cross, hook, cross, body hook, rear leg kick
  
  Counter fighting drills
Lean back from opponents jab, return an overhand cross/rear punch, lead leg four count (lead leg kick, cross, hook, rear leg kick).
Perry jab from opponent, return an overhand cross/rear punch, lead leg four count (lead leg kick, cross, hook, rear leg kick).
Pop down opponent jab, and return a cross right away, lead leg 4 count (lead leg kick, cross, hook, rear leg kick).
Flow kick and finish with a lead leg four count (lead leg kick, cross, hook, rear leg kick)
- you counter a inner lead leg kick from an opponent by (jumping, spinning, and landing on your lead leg away from opponents kick), and kicking simultaneously kicking the back of your opponents lead leg.
- the more contact you allow opponent to get on your lead leg, the harder your kick to their back leg will be
Square back incoming leg kick and finish with a lead leg four count (lead leg kick, cross, hook, rear leg kick)
- lateral back lead leg as incoming leg kick comes in to avoid being kicked, don’t shift weight to the now rear leg, but return same leg you lateraled back to round house kick from a south paw stance.
Teep as an opponent tries to do a rear leg kick (this is just timing, but will stop them dead in their tracks)
- Nakapan said that a teep is the longest and fastest weapon you have, and when timed right will get to opponent before a leg kick, torso kick, or head kick can come in.
Sparring using the techniques we learned

I really enjoyed getting the opportunity to learn from Nakapan, and getting to meet him. He is very sweet, answers any questions, and wants to spread the love of Muay Thai. It seems from talking with him after the seminar, that he like Ajarn Chai want to spread Muay Thai and empower people to help others learn Muay Thai.

I also met some really cool people and hope to visit their gyms as well. I love that our Martial Arts community on the whole is open and loving. We try to be inclusive and understanding of all people. We are one big tribe.

Thanks for reading. If you have questions please feel free to ask and I will try to answer. Keep working to be the best you that you can be.

Martial Arts 01/21/2020: 8 hours back into training after a week off stewing on the couch with my Fear Of Missing Out/FOMO is not bad.

On January 25, 2020 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, JKD, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, workoutLeave a comment

All last week I was sick as a dog. Something, and by something I mean some cold virus is going around here. It is knocking people out one by one here. Suffice to say, I did not do a damned thing last week. Stayed on couch coughing and trying to get better. Went to doc, and found out that this virus moved to my eyes and I developed viral conjunctivitus. So yeah last week was terrible, but I binge watched tv shows I have been missing so there is that.

Hard to workout when you can’t breath, and when you are super contagious. However, this week is not that way. This week I am back! I imagined myself breaking through the wall the way Koolaid man did and saying, “Oh, yeah!”

Cough, cough, cough. Well I am sorta back. I am easing back into it. I am still coughing, but I am feeling better than I was a week ago.

Tuesday 01/21/2020 – 1 hour 30 minutes… Muay Thai

Coach Tony told me he does not want me doing much cardio today, because he wanted me to take it easy.

Today was amazing. I helped teach, really helped this time. I am honored. But let me not get side tracked.

2 minutes Jump rope
2 minutes Burpees
2 minutes Jump rope
2 minutes Burpees

Soy Dao- long upper cut

We learned that the words for long upper cut, where you change levels and throw the upper cut. Different than the short upper cut, is called Soy Dao in Thai.

We worked on:

Jab, cross, long uppercut.
cross, long uppercut, hook

Wednesday 01/22/2020 – 1 hour 30 minutes… Muay Thai

Jumping Jacks x 2 minutes
Thai Knees across the mat x 2 minutes
Jumping Jacks x 2 minutes

We were working on distance management. Kick distance, adjusting for kicks, step in, and step in to get cover and return elbow right away.

leg kick, opponent shields, torso kick, opponent shields, opponent returns kick to upper arm, and you stop it with forearm and hand, opponent comes in with hook, you shield with and come in with rear elbow.

2 x 5 minute kneeing rounds. Whew… working on form, and from form comes power. Was hurting my tricepts at the end. Leaning in to each other was hard.

Tony started teaching us the Wai Kru passed down from Tony’s family. These are the parts of the Wai we learned and how his family does each of the moves. The Wai your mother and father, the Wai your instructor, the Wai your diety, scooping up and thanking mother earth to the left, scooping up and thanking mother earth to the left, then scooping up thanking mother earth in front.n doing in front.

Tony explained that the Wai Kru was used in the past for the Thai people before fighting Bermese people, so they could limber up, grab some dirt and rocks to use in the fights, and also maybe make divots in the dirt to make your opponent, or enemie step into, and give you an advantage.

I have a lot to work on. I want to make it pretty, I want to honor Tony with my Wai Kru.

The Wai Kru has been used for many reasons. One of the ways people used i to help limber up a fighter (think of it like yoga and stretching), it has been used by others and people who are betting on a fight to size up and determine what a fighter might be like and who is likely to win. However, most importantly the Wai Kru is used and is intended to show respect for where/who you came from, your teachers, the diety you respect, the mother earth around, and the legacy that you have been touched by and will leave behind.

Thursday 01/23/2020 – 3 hours… Muay Thai

3 hours of Muay Thai and JKD training today. Woot! I did an hour of training before Muay Thai class tonight. Thank you Tony for a great class again.

We worked on distance management and responses after shielding. I got a chance to help teach again. We worked…Punches to kicks, and elbows to knees.

He told me more about the Wai Kru the second part where we are respecting Mother Earth. It also represents the past the present and the future.

Then I got to learn JKD from Sifu Bob. We worked on One Two offense, 3 offense, single angle attack, single direct attack, attack by combination.

Friday 01/24/2020 – 2 hours… Muay Thai training

2 hours of Muay Thai training. Woot! I got half way through before my cough became annoying and ever present.

Tony has us do an awesome warm up with plyometrics and foot work with drills. Then we worked pad work. Woot it was a fun class and and I and getting better gonna kick this congestion to the curb.

Also all the vitamins I take. Fish oil, vitamin d, condroitin and glucosamine, turmeric, woot!

We were working pad drills with each other. I am working on my response. So hit, shield, respond with a kick or hit. I need to get faster, and better. So that is my goal. I know the technique, I need to polish it now.

Saturday we normally go train again for about 3 hours. Today we took the day off. We are attending a seminar with Nakapan Phungephorn up in MD. So while my training week is not over just yet. I will dedicate a separate post to that training session. I am excited to learn and experience another great Thai fighters form, and style.

Thank you all for reading. 8 hours back into training after a week off stewing on the couch with my Fear Of Missing Out or FOMO is not bad. Next week I will be better still. If you have any questions please feel free to ask. Keep working to be the best you that you can be.

Martial Arts 10/29/2019: “Don’t focus on kicking hard, you will just waste your energy”

On November 2, 2019 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, JKD, Kali Escrima, Martial Arts, Muay ThaiLeave a comment

What a quote to start the week on. “Don’t focus on kicking hard, you will just waste your energy.” Tony… This is such a Muay Thai mentality. In Muay Thai you are told that power comes later. It comes when you are throwing your strikes correctly. It comes when you are moving correctly. It especially comes when you are tired. Why does this happen? Its because your body is tired, so when you throw your kicks for instance, you will throw it in such a way that you don’t have the power to put it in hard. Hrm… Here let me see if I can explain it better.

What does not focusing on kicking hard do? Why does this matter? This seems so counter intuitive. I want to kick hard, shouldn’t I just kick hard? The reason is, this form of martial art is all about the mechanics of the body and how it moves. Instead of just using the strength in your muscles you use physics, and body mechanics. Anyone can put power in to a kick by trying to kick hard with your quads, glutes, and hamstrings. But how much harder can you kick when you use your leg like a bat on the end of a chain? You whip the leg with your torso like you would whip a flail with your arm. This lets not only the momentum that you can create with your muscles, but the huge amounts of force created since a small acceleration that happens at the center helps create a large velocity at the end of your leg.

The more tired you get, the harder you kick. Why? Because you are not forcing the kick. Your body is moving like you taught it, and your leg is going along for the ride.

Tuesday 10/29/2019 – 2 hours… Muay Thai, and Kali

There are some days after class that I sit here in front of the computer and have a hard time of thinking of much to say. Most of the time it is cause I am so exhausted I just don’t have the faculties to put to words what I am feeling. Sometimes I am so tired, I just don’t have much to say other than I just want to shower, and sleep. Tonight is the latter kind of night. So here is an overview of what we did.

In Muay Thai we were working on isolating jabs and kicks. We worked on traveling, distance management, and Thank you Tony for a great class.

In Kali we worked on panastas (cut and cover), funnel tapping and sticky hands, and Paula soot. Then we did a circle drill. It is hard to fend off a gang of five people. Thank you Paul for a great class!

Thursday 10/31/2019 – 1 hour… Muay Thai – Halloween

Well I have been trying to listen to my body. I have been fighting congestion a small cold that my husband brought home so I stayed home last night and rested. Today I went in and only did Muay Thai for training. Returning home early so I can rest.

2 years ago I would never have thought to go and train, or work out at the gym on Halloween. I am so happy I did. I love Muay Thai. I love the people. I love my Thai family. I am so happy I went.

My husband and I went int costume and Khun Kru Krysta went in costume as well. I trained the entire time in costume and it was awesome. I should wear wings when training all the time. =)

Here are some pictures I was able to get. I was a Muay Thaicorn!

Enough of that frivolity. =) On to the training. Today we worked on the Inosanto 18 count.

Khun Kru Krysta broke it down into three digestible parts. Where we worked them working on our form.

Striking drill part 1
burn out, lead knee, lead kick done all the way down the mat and back as fast as you can.
Drill part 2
Burn out, rear knee, rear kick done all the way down the mat and back again as fast as you can.
Drill part 3
Burn out, jab, cross, lead elbow, rear elbow done all the way down to the end of the mat and back as fast as you can.
Put part 1, part 2, and part 3 together and do the whole 18 count.

I don’t have permission to publish the entire 18 count here. I would never want to disrespect my teachers and the great Innosanto, whom I have had the pleasure to meet. So until I do. I will only mention part of one of the drills we did.

There was a small part where it seems my Khun Kru was watching and she said I had perfect form. She mentioned that it was really just great, and that it was not because of the wings. I was over the moon about it. The part I am talking about is a cross, a rear elbow, a knee, and a kick.

You know what was even better. I took the compliment as it was intended. I did not second guess her, or doubt my abilities. Yay… that is progress for me.

I had a great time today. I am glad we went home after though. I needed to just rest.

Friday 11/1/2019 – 1 hour… Muay Thai – Everyone starts out with the same tools

Today we worked on something called Hanuman climbing up the temple a.k.a. flying knees. We also worked on hop double kicks.

I have some… a form of a mental block. I often think I can’t jump or do some of these more acrobatic moves. I am working on it. I see it and think wow how in the heckity heck am I going to do that. Mental blocks are the worst some times. However, I still keep trying. Today was a day filled with those things that my brain says ohh heck no we are not able to do that. So it is a great learning time for me. Pushing me beyond what I think my limits are.

Tony mentioned that all people start with the same tools. What he meant by this is that, everyone has a teep, is taught kicks, knees, elbows, and punches. But not everyone processes it the same way. They may morph it to what works for them. The basic is still there, but they may get to it in a different way. He does not want me to get down on myself about not being able to do a move just yet. He says, “you will get there.”

Training:

Warm up
- Skip knees on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Jab, cross on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Skip knees on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Jab, cross on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Skip knees on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Jab, cross on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Skip knees on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Jab, cross on bag 30 seconds as fast as you can
- Jump rope for what felt like 10 minutes but was probably more like 5 minutes.

Rear knee, to lead teep, to walking lead knee
10 kicks right side burn out
Parry the cross, to jumping knee
10 kicks left side burn out
Lead teep, to rear flying knee (Hanuman climbing the temple), to hop double kick
10 kicks left side, 10 kicks right side.
sparring

In training when he demonstrated the hop kick he said something that just clicked for me. Now this is not the first time we have been taught the hop kick, however, this is the first time that a light bulb went off and I understood the mechanics of it. He mention that at the beginning of the hop kick, to just pull the leg up like you are shielding, then put it down, and do the kicks. This may seem silly, like well of course… but for some reason my brain and my body did not understand each other. Today when he explained it like that, it felt like a puzzle piece just slipping into place.

At the end of the class not only was I doing the hop kicks, but I was also doing the Hanuman climbing the temple. I was doing it! Yay!

In sparring I had one of my class mates compliment me on my kicks. I am placing them well, and I am actually getting them in. We talked afterward and he mentioned that he did not know if I was just more relaxed in sparring or what but it was showing.

So yay today was a good day. I seem to have something to say today. One more day of training tomorrow and then I get a much needed. break.

Saturday 11/2/2019 – 2.5 hours… Muay Thai, Kali, and Silat -Asymmetrical Sparring, and Lead With the Heel

Woot today was a great day to train. H and I started on working the flying knees I am trying to get down. So we did that, and moved on to parry the cross to a jumping knee. We did this so I could get the leaping, pushing, movement down. Similar to the flying knee. The pictures above are of that training. I wanted to take pictures to see if my feet were leaving the ground and how far.

We worked on Kali, and Silat the rest of the time. Its getting cold upper 30 F, or lower 40 F. So we worked on Kali inside instead of staff class.

Kali –

Today we in Kali we work an asymmetrical heaven and full box with sword and shield. That was awesome. The main thing we had to work on was figuring out how to hold the shield to keep from getting hit. You might think ah whats the difference. However, there is a big difference in the way you angle your shield so that you can stop the incoming blow.

Today that is what we were working on and puzzling out.

Here is a video of us puzzling it out. We are not good at it yet, but we will keep working on it. It was fun trying to puzzle out the correct angles so that we don’t get hurt or hit.

Silat – Lead with your heels

We focused on the Puta Kepala, Biset Dolem, Sieko Kinjet (elbow compress), and then we learned a new very vicious or brutal way to end a fight. Put your heel on their chin, and walk through to break their arm.

Puta Kepala – you are redirecting your opponents head, you are facing them and using their moment put them on the ground.

Biset Dolem – you are facing away from your opponent, you control the body of your opponent taking moving their balance, weight and structure out from under them to put them on the ground.

Sieko Kinjet (elbow compress) – you are facing away from your opponent, and connecting hip to hip, you off balance them, and drive/compress your elbow in to their hip. This pushes them down onto the ground.

Once they are on the ground there are many things you can do to a person. You can knee on belly and arm bar them, or knee on belly and punch them. You can knee on belly and then drop knees into belly or face. When you drop the knee on belly, we started calling it knee on soul. You can return their knife to them or in them if they are attacking you with a knife. But the last one most vicious move we did was a… walk through to break the arm. You have their attacking hand or hand with weapon, you stomp their chin with your heel, keeping their shoulder up, then you hook your rear foot on their arm and walk through. This is not a compliance this is a break. This is a person is attacking you, and does not stop, you successfully got them on the ground and you still fear for your life, so you break their arm in hopes that they will stop trying to stab you. Here is a picture of me learning to do this in a very slow careful way.

It was a great day of training. I learned a lot. I worked on things I know. I was able to puzzle out things. Some days it is great to do that. Some days it is great to just move through the motions/strikes you know, and change it up. See how it feels to do it a different way.

Thank you for reading my blog. I am so amazed that you all read it. I started this blog to catalog my thoughts, and things I learned. This is a place I can look back and see how far I have come. I can see how much I have to work on still. I hope you all have a great weekend, and had a great week. I know I did. My respects to you and your family.

Martial Arts 10/15/2019: “Spank them with your leg”,”Don’t Feel Like Shit, Just don’t”

On October 19, 2019 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Fitness, workoutLeave a comment

So I chose this title cause it amused me. Our teacher/trainer Tony told us, “don’t feel like shit, just don’t”. I liked that. What he was referring to is after a while, in training, and in a fight, your leg is going to get tired. You are not going to always get it up there for that perfect teep in the solar plexus, so teep the leg. Work on other skills that you can fall back on when you start to get tired. This is great advice for anyone doing any sport, or activity. Hell its great for life. If it makes you feel like shit, maybe try something else for a while.

I don’t think he meant to not train through sore tired muscles. That is still great to do and preferred. Pressing on during times when it is tough is good and helps you train your body not to give up when it gets tired. However, there is wisdom to acknowledging that you are tired and going for a different target to get your wind back.

Tuesday 10/15/2019 – 2 hours… Running, Muay Thai

Today we started out with a run. We ran 1.5 miles, warmed up and cooled down for about .5 miles, and did it all in about 20 minutes. This was a great steady state run. This was great for me, cause my rib still hurts a little. I had a dislocated rib and my chiropractor put it back into place. So now I am just sore.

Training

In Muay Thai, we practiced the quick shuffle to the lead kick. We did this in various forms. We added spinning elbows. Those are always fun.

We worked on teeping the leg instead of the solar plexus.

We worked on faking a teep to slide in and elbow.

I have come to understand, that there are…my Khun Kru Krysta calls “secret sauce” moves, and combos that are only privy to your Kru, or are developed by your Kru, and should not be shared. They are your ace up the sleeve as it were. I have not talked about it before, but I thought I could at least say something, just not the “secret sauce”.

Tony gave us some “secret sauce”, and I unfortunately cannot tell you. But if you want an hint there are some awesome, deadly, and beautiful things in Muay Boran. I love learning these new to me cool things. You will just have to find your own awesome Kru to teach you theirs. =)

30 minutes of bag work after class is what I ended with. Now I am exhausted. I need sleep. Tomorrow we have more Thai practice.

Wednesday 10/16/2019 – 3 hours… BJJ, Muay Thai

Some days it is just getting on the mat and doing the reps. When you are learning new skills, it gets hard to stay motivated. I feel stupid and my body is not moving the way I want it to.

I am tired today too. So pushing myself to keep going is hard. I did it and I pushed through my muscle fatigue however, some days when you/I am not picking up the skills as fast it is demoralizing.

I think this is the pushing through part. The part where you may feel like shit but you have to push through. Or you feel like shit because your brain is being mean.

BJJ – The learning curve is high in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, because it is like learning a new language.

Jui Jitsu was great fun. However, talking to one of my Muay Thai brothers who also is a brown belt in BJJ I find it is just like when we started Muay Thai and Kali. Until we learn the terminology/lingo/language, they can say we are going to do an Airplane to regain posture. I will nod and go along with it because I am seeing what they are doing. However, until I have the lingo I cannot connect it as well.

In BJJ we learned all about breaking opponents posture, not fighting them but using their movements against them. As I learn more and more about this form of martial art, I am realizing it utilizes physics, body mechanics and just being smart. Its completely different than the striking martial arts. Where you are reacting to an incoming strike.

Warm up:

forward shoulder roll
backward shoulder roll
shrimp
backward shrimp
various stretches

Training:

Breaking the guard of a person, by hipping in and putting knees under them. Leaning in on leg, with elbow or arm to move leg out. This lets you get over them and get a cross body.
Breaking the guard of a person, by knees on floor, active toes, to up on one foot, and pulling out while keeping their hips on the floor
Regaining posture when pulled in
Regaining posture when pulled in by doing an airplane
Countering a two handed choke from behind, grabbing their hand stepping out, rolling their wrist and then duping them on the ground

Thai – “Hurl Your Body At Me! You are over thinking this.”

Warm up: Stations

3 minutes for each two rotations – bag work, teeps on one bag, and free form on another bag
3 minutes for each two rotations -Burpees
3 minutes for two rotations – Jump rope, pad work with Tony

Training:

Lead horizontal elbow, rear horizontal elbow, lead vertical elbow, spinning rear elbow
Fake a hook into a, diagonal upward elbow/ #7 from mid line a.k.a. catfish whisker in Thailand, into a combo elbow of a rolling downward vertical elbow.
Lead knee, step to lead knee, rolling vertical downward elbow
Teeps with lead leg to opponents lead leg to establish distance, to a superman elbow. (I am terrible at this)

Thursday 10/17/2019 – 1.5 hours… Run and Muay Thai, “Spank Them With Your Leg”

Today H and I decided we were going to go for a run. Ok so normally I run on the treadmill in a building. We are going to have to get running head bands that cover our ears, and gloves, and more appropriate running clothing for cold weather. Today it was in the 50 degrees F or 10 degrees C, that is not such a problem, but the wind was vicious today. But I got a 1.25 mile in, before I was just to cold.

Muay Thai – “Spank Them With Your Leg”

In Muay Thai practice we worked on jumping in to a leg kick. I am not certain what to call it other than jumping onto your lead leg and kicking with your rear leg, the opponents lead leg. This gets you into the pocket faster, and does not give your opponent time to react.

My partner and I were working on our jump into leg kick, and landing them on the kick pads. Tony our instructor came around and said, “oowhee”, I have come to love that sound. That is the sound of ‘ohh that looks like it hurt. You did a good thing.’ So I love hearing it. He did that when he was watching us do our kicks. That is when he said yeah that is it. Hop into that kick and “Spank Them With Your Leg.” I lost it then. It was so funny. I could not breath for laughing so much. Almost got kicked too… But composed myself and we continued.

Muay Thai Training

Warm Up:

jump rope
Bag work

Training:

jump into leg kick, check distance with a jab
Double jab, to jump into leg kick, to jump into leg kick
Jump into leg kick, hook only small leg movement, cross, hook leg pivot a little more, then jump into a leg kick.
Jump into leg kick, any 3 count with hands (jab, hook, cross, etc), jump into leg kick
Jump into leg kick (this was just done so that we could get used to getting kicked in the leg.)

Cool Down:

Crunches x 2 sets at 1 minute
Flutter kicks x 2 sets at 1 minute

The main thing was to focus on speed, and flow. Not to focus necessarily power. Power comes with form, and practice.

We ended up leaving after Muay Thai class cause we were tired, and skipped Kali for tonight. It was a great class. 4 am wake up times are so hard. I had to work at the bakery in the early morning this morning.

Friday 10/18/2019 – 1 hours… Muay Thai, “Muay Thai Hang Over”

Muay Thai Training 1 hour. Thank you so much Tony.

Best quote for tonight is “that Muay Thai hang over” by JD. meaning the next morning after you throw 1000 kicks you are dead tired like you had a crazy night.

Example:

Friend- did you drink to much last night?
Me – nahh just did 1000 kicks 😆😆

Training

Warm up:

Shadowboxing knees across the mats for 1 3 minute round. (ohh ouch my hip flexors)
Ladders of jab cross, to knees. Do 20 jab crosses, and 20 knees – 19 jab cross, and 19 knees all the way to 2 jab cross, and 2 knees. Then go back up from 2 jab cross, 2 knee – 20 jab cross, and 20 knees.

Training:

Rear upper cut, lead upper cut (focusing on form and flow, making our hits smooth.)
Rear upper cut, lead hook, cross, hook, lead kick, cross
Rear upper cut, lead hook, cross, lead hook, body hook
Pop the leather
Light playful sparring

I am exhausted. When Friday comes around I have at least done 4 days of martial arts, sometimes its 5 days. When you have to adult all day long, dealing with kids, working, and daily chores, Friday night is rough. I am typing this up, and working to keep my eyes open. So I am going to call it a night

I will end this day with… I let my trainer Tony know that I feel terrible, just out of sorts when I spar. I am often told I have good form, but my sparring I just don’t, it feels like I loose everything I learn or know when I start sparring. Tony heard me, and said, ” I hear you, and we will work on it.” So wide eyed I am wondering what I got myself into.

And now to roll out my muscles… ouch!

Today we decided to take as a rest day. In an effort not to feel like shit, we decided to just relax and let our bodies rest.

I completed 7. 5 hours of training this week. Not to shabby… I hope you all had a great week. Keep working to be the best you that you can be, and my respects to you all. Thank you for reading my blog.

Martial Arts 10/08/2019: Wai Kru, Dislocated Rib, Difference between drilling a skill and application of a skill

On October 13, 2019 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, workoutLeave a comment

New week of martial arts training. I started it off with a bang. I added running before my training at least three times a week. We will see how I do with this new change.

We started off the week with talking about and contemplation about drilling for flow/skill, and the application of a skill. What I mean is when we are doing a drill where we block, pass, and trap or hubud, we are working on a skill and learning flow. How to avoid a strike. However, in the real world when you have the persons arm pinned you would just then return a strike to an opportune area, like the neck or gut.

Tuesday 10/08/2019 – 3 hours… Running, Muay Thai, and Kali

With K one of my friends I dragged to Muay Thai and he loves it now.

We started out our training day, my husband and I by going on a 1.5 mile run. Then came back and hit pads for the remainder of the time till our Muay Thai class started.

Muay Thai – Teep to Kick works on our balance and opening up our hips

Timing the teep, to same side kick helps with balance and speed. We open up our hips and work in the full range of motion.

Rear teep, rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick
Lead teep, lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick
Rear teep, rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick, rear teep
Lead teep, lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick, lead teep
Pop the leather for the last part of class

Kali – Whobud

Working on flow drilling, helps us learn the energy, or feel of the attacker. We then learn how to deflect blows and then trap the arm of the attacker, so that we can return a blow. However, the training for flow is different than application on the street. For instance if I had passed, and trapped the attackers weapon and hand successfully, I would then attack a soft area that I could do damage so I could get away. I would not do a the simple return attack so that they could pass and trap my arm. But that is the difference between learning the flow/movement and using the skill in the street, or in a real life situation.

hubud from 1 strike
hubud from 1 to 4 strike
hubud from 5 strike
hubud flow from 1 to 4 and 5, then disarms

Thursday 10/10/2019 – 2.5 hours…Running, Muay Thai, Kali – Wai Kru

Kru Kristen, she is leaving, well stepping down from being full time instructor. I will miss her. She has been my instructor since I started Muay Thai. I wish her the best on her travels and adventures.

Today was a special day. An emotional day although we all tried to push our emotions deep down in and act tough. Not only did we do our training, I and some of my fellow students were able to present our teachers/Kru with a Wai Kru gift. I wrote up a separate blog post about it if you are interested in what Wai Kru is.

Mauy Thai Training:

Jab, cross, lead kick, rear kick, teep
Jab, cross, lead kick, lead teep
Jab, cross, bob and weave, hook, rear kick, teep
5 kicks one side, 10 knees, 5 kicks the other side.
Scoop teep, rear kick to leg, hook, jab, teep
You lead teep multiple times, and when the opponent goes to scoop your teep, you fake a teep waiting for them to scoop, and then jab them.
Teep multiple times, and when your opponent goes to sweep your teep, switch to question mark kick.

Kali Training:

Flowing from Hubud with #1 strike, to Hubud with strike #2, to cut and cover 1 through 5. We worked on disarms and wrist locks 1 – 15.

I have to work on the locks and disarms from the figure 4, those are newer to me and don’t flow so well. I need to remember to compromise the persons frame/spine. If you get them bent over sideways or forward, they are off balance and it is easier to disarm them.

However, when you use all of your skeleton, and frame well when you have pinned an opponents limb it is easy to control the limb even if they are fighting, or trying to muscle it out.

This was a great day of training.

Friday 10/11/2019 – 2 hours of Muay Thai – minute tweaks

We worked on shadow boxing, flow and technique. I started the night out working on my boxing twenty. We were told to get ready for our level 1 Thai test. This just boggles my mind. But I will get ready… work on conditioning and try to get the kicks and knees in.

At the level we are training, now we do minute tweaks. Today in Muay Thai practice we we were working on rear jab, cross, body hook, lead elbow. In that body hook, elbow combo, I was re-chambering causing my boxing flow to take extra time. So the tweak that Tony had me doing is you hit the body hook, don’t turn into it, pull your hand up to your face and just step in for the elbow. It made the flow smother, and took seconds off the time between body hook and elbow.

Small tweaks in just our stance, how we throw a punch, for instance using our bodies, instead of just trying to muscle it. Chamber and coiling body so that you can throw a better, more powerful punch.

I was told my form for my kids was great by Tony. Squee! My training partner was amazed at the power of my kicks, and teep. He said that particular teep was working for me and to keep doing it.

It is nice to hear the positive feed back. I am amazed when I hear I have good form. I know that I am still working on a lot of things. But it just goes to show when you put the pad time in, the mat time in, and the bag time in, you will eventually start to get better.

Friday night I had a rib get dislocated. Luckily it was right at the end of the training. However, it hurts. My body has done this before, so it is not new and scary. It hurts to laugh, it hurts to breath deep and it hurts to bend a certain way. I am going in to my chiropractor tomorrow to get it adjusted back into place.

All in all this is not a big deal for me, but I ended up hanging out with friends on Saturday night and when talking with some of them, I realized just how differently we see pain, and challenges. How this training changes you. It is not a huge deal to me because I have had them before, I know what to expect. It sucks for it to hurt, but it is not earth shattering. This pain is more of a constant annoyance.

When I told some of my friends about it. Their eyes went wide, and made exclamations about how tough I am, that is amazing, and that is crazy. When we train martial arts, bumps, lumps and bruises come with the territory. We know that there is a possibility of getting hurt. We try to train in a way as to mitigate that. By simply watching and correcting our form, not trying to kill our training partner, an wearing the correct gear.

If I had to get up and go do 3 rounds right now I could. Would it be super fun… nahh… but it would be doable. I would compartmentalize the pain and deal with the aggravation later. Maybe it just takes a certain kind of person. Maybe we who practice martial arts are a different breed. Maybe it is trained into us. However, I don’t ever hear my instructors saying work through that pain. They say the opposite, if you are hurt step out and tend to your needs.

I digress though… this is just food for thought.

All that above being said, I skipped Saturday training to let my body rest. I am working on listening to what my body is saying, instead of thinking I know best all the time.

Thank you for reading. I hope you have a great weekend. Keep working on being the best you, not some body else. My respects.

Martial Arts 10/01/2019: Kicking It, Stabbing It, Choking It- BJJ, Kali, Muay Thai

On October 5, 2019October 5, 2019 By Thinks with SpinksIn Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Fitness, Kali Escrima, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Muay Thai, Fitness, workoutLeave a comment

That was 12.5 hours this week of martial arts training. This month we are working on kicks. Woo hoo… One of the most awesome things about Muay Thai is the kicks. I am excited. Can you tell?

Enough babbling… on to the training…

Tuesday 10/01/2019 – 2.5 hours… BJJ, Muay Thai, and Kali – Kicking It -Sparring is a Distance Game, Stabbing It – Flow Disarms

BJJ: Practice

I started with BJJ drilling with a friend of mine for 30 minutes. I can’t tell you how many people/friends I have that have been so excited that I have started BJJ.

I worked on my Sit Up Sweep.
I was taught the Kimura for when some one bases forward.
I was taught the Americana when I get my Sit Up Sweep. Must remember to get my right leg hook in.

Muay Thai: Kicking it -Sparring is a Distance Game

In Muay Thai we started kicking this month. We started with teeps and distance drills. Because Kru Kristen noticed when we spar, all of us are either all the way in or way the heck out. So she wanted us to work on our leg game, our teeps and kicks. Being in range to do so, but trying not to get hit. That is all easier said than done. At this point while we are still learning tweaks to our form, we are doing the smaller tweaks, the more intricate work of trying to learn our distances better. She said your distances will change when you partner up with different people. I am not quite certain what that means but I will keep thinking on it.

Distance drill with teeps
Teep Lead Leg, Rear Leg Kick, Hook, Cross, Left Leg Kick
Teep Lead Leg, Lead Round House Kick, Cross, Hook, Right Kick
Minisota Shuffle
Sparring x 3 – 3 minute rounds (focus on keeping distance)
Clench Sparring x 3 – 3 minute rounds

Kali: Cut and Cover, Stabbing It

In Kali we started with knives. Single knife, but going through 1 – 5 strikes with both heaven and earth grips. Below are examples of heaven and earth grips.

**Left picture is earth grip (pointing to earth), middle picture is earth grip, the right picture is heaven grip (pointing to heaven).** (*note: This is a real SOG knife with a live edge. We do not practice with this. We practice with dull practice knives.*)

We worked on the cut and cover, and wrist locks and disarms. We flow through the 1 – 5 drill and find the openings to either disarm or wrist lock and disarm our partner.

Wrist lock to Neck and Disarm

Wrist lock to disarm

Wrist lock to stab in leg

When first wrist lock is not working c clamp to wrist lock

Disarm when they are attacking with heaven grip a la Psycho the classic Horror bathroom murder.

Here is a video of Panastas or Cut and Cover drill strikes 1-5. With a wrist lock.

This is just a straight disarm off of a cut and cover drill.

Wednesday 10/02/2019 – 3 hours… BJJ, Muay Thai – Choking It, and Jump kicks

Today was a great day. I ended up doing a full 3 hours of training. We stared with BJJ fundamentals class. Can I tell you when Professor Pedro Sauer walks on the mat it still amazes me. I get to go to classes where he will teach and tell us what we should be doing. If you are new to BJJ and don’t know who Professor Pedro Sauer is you can google him, and many pages will pop up. He is one of the most sought after instructors for MA not to mention for BJJ.

Anyway he came in today and was watching our class. Squee!!! I am so lucky. I have gotten the chance to work with some of the greatest martial artists alive. Ajarn Chai (or Ajarn Surachai Sirisute ), Guro Dan Innosanto, Ajarn Trigg, Ajarn Nelson, and so many more. I can’t even name them all. Squeee!!! I am so lucky.

Ahem…sorry I digressed.

BJJ: Choking It

We worked on a sweep from when a person is trying to do a cross body choke on us.

If you are on your side facing their cross body, you grab their hand/gi with your hand, and hip up pushing their elbow on the floor. Frame your elbow into their hips. Move your body out to almost parallel with theirs, do an upa of sorts and roll them over.

Next we worked on a bat choke when some one is turtling.

Muay Thai: Solo practice, we worked on teeps and distance management, and pop the leather.

Muay Thai: Jump Kick It

bag work
Shadowboxing – Cross, hook, rear knee – hook, cross, lead knee
Jump kicking from the lead leg
Jump kicking form the rear leg
Jump kicking on the bag

Thursday 10/03/2019 – 2 hours… Muay Thai, Kali – Teeps and Kicks, Panastas (Cut and Cover)

Ok today was great! However, I am exhausted. I had to be at the bakery at the a** crack of dawn, and well I am tired. But I was happy to go to class.

We went back to basics in Muay Thai. It was nice. I like doing that, after a month of intensive focus on fixing the minutia, or making the tiny fixes to our form/response time/distance management etc. Its nice to just do the things we know we know how to do. I worked a team mate that has had to be in and out of the gym for the past 6 months. She mentioned my kicks and and punches were really great. She could feel the difference in my power. I am so happy to hear that. Most often I don’t see it, feel it. But she and I worked together before she had to leave, and she could see/feel the difference. Woot!

Training:

Distance management drill with teep
Lead Teep to left to right 4 count or (rear round house kick , hook, cross, left round house kick )
pyramid kicks burn out
Rear Teep to right to left 4 count or (Lead round house kick, cross, hook, right round house kick)
pyramid kicks burn out

Kali – Panastas (Cut and Cover)

Whew Kali we are working on single knife again. We worked on the panastas or cut and cover drill. Where you cut the assailant, then immediately block/cover the arm you cut with yours hand, then return a shot to opponent.

We used heaven and earth grip again. We also worked on disarms and wrist locks again. The key with wrist locks is not muscling the assailant around. It is the angle you have, and compromising their center. When you bend them, left , right, over, it will compromise their grip. So an effective wrist lock is a combinations of :

Position of your body, hands, in relation to their body (break down their posture)
Correct grip, and pressure
Flow
Execution

Friday 10/04/2019 – 2 hours… Muay Thai – reaction timing, speed, and staying springy

I love Tony’s classes. He works us hard, but he also gives us one on one tips for improving our own skills.

Today was no different. We worked on reaction timing. Where he had us timing a swinging bag and kicking it with proper form. Or he had us teeping a swinging bag where we had to make sure we teeped only when it was close enough to us.

We worked on speed. Keeping our form and working on making things smooth and fast.

We worked on staying springy on our feet. We started with drills across the mat that had us walking with our heals off of the ground, we and he then added shields while walking with heels off of the ground.

Training: these were all 3 minute rounds

Walking across the mat in Thai stance, keeping hands up for guard, and heels off the ground
Walking across the mat in Thai stance, keeping hands up for guard, heels off ground, and adding a shield on both sides.
He swings the tear drop bag at us and we have to time our round house kick to hit it and push it back.
He swings the bag at us and has us kneeing it.
Rotation rounds
Lead kick, to Lead Jump Kick
Hop knees
Then working with Tony feeding us, jab, cross, hook, cross
Jab, then hop rear kick
Tear drop bag was, teeps and timing of teeps.
Then working with Tony feeding us, uppercut, hook, cross
We finally worked on how to get our foot our when some one catches it. We worked on how to push them away.

Below is a video of me working on my uppercut, hook, cross. =)

One of my instructors friends and a fighter wanted him to give him birthday kicks. I recorded part of it. Here it is.

It was a great class, and my thanks go to my instructor Tony.

Saturday 10/05/2019 – 3 hours… Kali, and Muay Thai

Ok so today is Saturday, and Saturday is the end of my training week. I have been going for 6 days this week if you include my weight lifting day. I take Sunday off and sometimes Monday depending on how my body feels. That means that Saturday I am pooped. I have had a long week of training.

This also means that sometimes it is a force of will to get up and get my butt into the gym. Sometimes it is not and I am ready and raring to go. Today though, I am exhausted, and I wanted to just be lazy around the house.

I however, did not do that. I got up early in the morning cause I could not sleep. Made mini key lime cheese cakes, and then got my butt into the gym.

I had a blast once we got started. It is starting to get a little more chilly here finally.

Kali – Bo Staff was a Kali class today

We went out into the beautiful sunny chilly morning and worked on the these running saints.

Running Saints:

St. Sabbathial
St. Miguel
St. Gabriel

A running saint is a flow drill that requires you to move quickly and aggress on your opponent. This drills are meant to help you learn how to for lack of better terms run down your opponent. So it requires you to move fast and for the defender to move fast backwards.

I have the hardest time going backwards. =) That is the part I have to work on most. Going forward and being aggressive is not the problem.

Muay Thai – Striking class

We started with distance drills. Supper important to learn, and something I am still working on. I am short and I have to get into the pocket to get blows in, but most people are taller than I am and can hit me from a distance. So these distance drills really help me understand where I need to be.

Training:

Jump rope for 1 three minute round
Working on speed from teep to kick
Rear teep, rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick
Lead teep, lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick
Rear teep, rear kick, hook, cross, lead kick, rear teep
Lead teep, lead kick, cross, hook, rear kick, lead teep
Sparring for the last 20 minutes

Well that is it for today, for the week. I got a compliment on my form and flow movement today from Kru Krysta. Yay… I am so lucky to have the training and teachers I have. I am so lucky to have the supportive husband and family I have. I love Muay Thai, I love Kali, and I am falling in love with BJJ.

I kicked it, stabbed it, and choked it this week. I had a blast doing it. But I am exhausted now. So have a great weekend everyone.

Thanks for reading and as always please feel free to ask questions or make a comment. Keep working to be the best you that you can be.

Martial Arts 09/03/2019: Muay Thai – Balance is king, Boxing, (High, Mid, and Low line)

On September 7, 2019September 7, 2019 By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Fitness Links, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, workoutLeave a comment

Woo this month in Muay Thai we are focusing on boxing. For the more advanced students Kry Kristen is focusing on the more technical side of boxing. She mentioned when she started Muay Thai she would throw noise punches out there that did not do anything just to get to kicks, however, when she figured out how to pivot and move her feet properly to get power into her punch it changed her game entirely. Anyway this week I completed 6.75 hours of training.

Tuesday 9/03/2019 – 2 hours of training Muay Thai and Kali

Muay Thai – Boxing, Technical training, (High, Mid, and Low Line)

So I know people learn in one of 4 ways. When I was a child they tested me and found I learn all 4 ways equally. This is… wait, I just read an article stating that the learning styles are not exactly accurate… however, when I was a little girl… Hrm… that makes me sound really old. But non the less… when I was little, they tested me and I learned all 4 ways equally. What are the 4 ways you ask? (Memorization, Visual, Auditory, and Doing/manual manipulation) Apparently your preferred method of learning changes based on what you are doing. You don’t learn math just verbally, and you can’t learn language very well just by seeing pictures. So what I was going to say goes out the window.

However, that all being said, and my verbose description aside, for me and martial arts visual seeing it done, verbal, and writing it down is really helping me. So I am going to make another chart for boxing ranges and High/Mid/Low lines shots. Here is the chart below.

For today’s class, Kru Kristen was explaining the different areas for strikes in boxing. How if your opponent goes for the high line, you drop your level and hit say a hook to mid section of your opponent and get the mid line etc. If the go low, you guy high, or mid line. She did not want to be to esoteric but thinking of the opponents body in terms of shapes and areas in those shapes to strike are helpful she said. For me this description is very helpful. I love the thought of this. I am an artist and I think and see shapes all the time. I see the way things are made up, so thinking of my opponent in shapes and how they are made up, to see where to hit in response to something just made a light go on. (see doll above, for shapes and strike areas)

Training:

1 x 3 minute round jump rope warm up
1 x 3 minute round plus sign range management drill
1 x 3 minute round plus sign range management drill with 1/4 turns
The goal of this drill is to focus on pivot, and foot placement on the punches, the head movement and the deep step, then the shoulder check to close range. You are going to be in the inner mid line with the hook before you bob and shoulder check.
Jab
Cross
Hook
Cross
Bob
Deep step in to right side of opponent and shoulder check
Either get out, or continue to press the strikes
Cross to Hook burn out drill
The goal of this drill is the same, pivot, foot placement, and range management, also adding change in level of strikes.
Jab
Cross
Hook to body
Hook to head
Bob
Deep step in to the right side, and shoulder check
Either get out, or continue to press the strikes
Body hook, Head Hook, Cross burn out drill

Windshield wiper shoulder bump drill
Windshield wiper = Lead hand covers belly, rear hand covers side of face usually on lead side face. Reverse when bobbing other side, rear hand covers belly, lead hand covers face.
Foot work, is female triangle, or rear step out to side of opponent.
Bob with lead shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders
Bring feet back together, and hands up covering face
Step with lead foot to lead foot to side of opponent
Bob with rear shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders

Windshield wiper shoulder bump drill with hook, or uppercut
Foot work, is female triangle, or rear step out to side of opponent.
Bob with lead shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders Bring, throw a hook/upper cut to opponents head (for drill shoulder so you don’t hurt your opponent)
Step with lead foot to lead foot to side of opponent
Bob with rear shoulder toward opponent doing windshield wiper
Bump shoulders throw a hook/upper cut to opponents head (for drill shoulder so you don’t hurt your opponent)

Kali – 6 count drills

In Kali today we covered the basic 6 count drills. It was nice to work on something we have done before and we have the muscle memory for it already. Some days its nice not having to tax you brain. Muay Thai did that for us today already, so tonight was nice. I turned off my brain and just went through the movement. I tried to make my movements more smooth. Tried being the operative word there.

Wednesday 9/04/2019 – 1 hours of training Muay Thai

We worked on the same things we did yesterday, however, today we added one more drill. Also I worked with a girl who is brand new and because of that I went slower, tried to help teach her how to hold pads, and just made sure she was comfortable. While I go slower, I work on my form. Today I worked on my pivot and the escapes.

Escapes we worked on:

Lateral step in and bump with shoulder to mid section, then bump with other shoulder to create space.
Boogie out ( a way to get out of the corner, or cut a corner)
Quarter turned out and side shuffle out

Warm Up:

Monster walks with resistance band forward and backward across the mat
Side lounges across the mat with resistance band down and back across the mat
Contra Lateral Movement, bear crawls, side ways across the mat and forward and backward across the mat
Agility Ladder drill – Ali Shuffle x 3 minute round

Found the Agility Ladder drill on youtube so you can see it:

New combo we worked on today:

Jab
Cross
Lead upper cut
Cross
Quarter turn and side shuffle out

Today was a good day. Kru Kristen complimented me on my form and movement. She said the more I get into boxing stance. The more I move properly. I am using my body for my strikes and moving my head. That is great news, because when I spar I tend to feel very stationary. I need to learn to move and keep my movement dynamic.

Thursday 9/05/2019 – Took today off, scoliosis was hurting me and causing headaches all day.

Friday 9/06/2019 – 1.75 hours of training Muay Thai – Balance is king, and making your Thai pretty

I love working with Tony, he has a different perspective and he has points of view I had not thought of. When you train with a instructor in Muay Thai, and you go out there in the world, you are representing your trainer/instructor. Muay Thai practitioners really believe, that you represent all of your instructors. (I to believe this, and try to show respect in all things, and only do what would make my instructors proud.) I have mentioned it before, but when you learn from a instructor, when they take you under their wing and decide to teach you, they are taking you into their family. They are taking you into their lineage.

I am lucky and honored to have Tony, Kru Kristen, and Khun Kru Krysta instructing me.

Today while we were training he talked with us about making our Thai pretty. We are representing him out there in the world and he loves it when people recognize his families art as pretty. He emphasized taking the power out of the kicks and the knees. He wants us to put them out there, make them pretty, work on our balance and then the power comes later. He really likes us to feel our bodies and how they work. You can see this in the warm ups we do. I really love the differences between my instructors. I get the best of so many worlds.

I started my workout 30 minutes before class started.

Training:

5 minutes of stretching
5 minutes walking knees across the mat
10 minutes bag work for, working on kicks, teeps to kicks, and closing the distance for knees
10 minutes of windshield wiper bump drill first on bag, then with partner

Training in class:

10 minutes of jumping rope
1 round of easy walking kicks to shields, using both orthodox and south paw stance.
1. (He wanted us to losen up our hips, get our body moving, and feel how our hips move. Because all to often we are tight we are holding our hands up to cover our faces which is good, but then we tighten everything else.)
1 round of rear driving knees
20 push ups
1 round of pad holding for your partners rear driving knees.
1. (Tony emphasized that the pad holders responsibility is to hold well for your partner. If they are shorter you should lower your stance and hold it lower for them. His contention is that yes a shorter person can kick higher, but that is a different motion and different kick, than say a torso kick at the shorter person level.)
20 push ups
1 round of lead teep, to switch step to lead knee.
1. (The key here is balance. You want to be able to teep a person to stop them from coming forward, but not eject them. You then want to have your shield up for the second before you switch step into a driving knee.)
20 push ups
1 round of holding pads for your partner
1. (The key here is that he wants the pad holder to not move back on the teep, and to get enough resistance and push back that the knee-er knee is pushed back down and then can get back into stance again. We need to be good pad holders so that our partner can work the drill correctly too. )
20 push ups
2 rounds of sets of 50 machine gun kicks.
1. ( We worked both sides. after about the 200th kick I was gassing. He wanted the power taken out of it and for us to feel the movement and get the speed in. We ended up doing about 250 kicks per round)

Today was a great day of class. I loved it. I am glad I took the day yesterday. I could have pushed through but the way I was feeling was not conducive to a great training day. Some days I just have to take it off. I am slowly coming to grips with that.

Also today I was working on putting more weight on my back leg, and less on my front leg. I have a habit of leaning forward in my stance and that is not good. I makes me slower and less able to react quickly and reduces my power. Tony wants us to feel our bodies and how they move. I noticed my driving knees were so much more powerful when I just leaned back more on my rear leg. This was a light bulb moment for me. We are told to do just that lean back more, but it is hard to feel/see what they are talking about till you drill it out and figure it out on your own body.

Saturday 9/07/2019 – 2 hours of training Muay Thai and Staff – waking up on the wrong side of the bed

Today was one of those days where when you wake up and all the little things that irritate you or upset you through the day add up, you wish you just had not gotten out of bed. Yeah… today was that day. I woke up on the wrong side of the bed as I heard my elders say when I was a wee little girl.

I won’t list all the things that made it bad, or annoying, or sad, just that it was, and so it colored my day. It also made me doubt myself and have to cut out of staff class just to go check that I had unplugged a waffle iron. I wanted to make sure I did not burn the house down. So I missed a good half of staff class.

I had the pleasure of working with my trainer/instructor Khun Kru Krysta and I got to see all of my Thai family and my Kali family. That was nice. I shown up, and I tried to put the work in. As my friend said to me today, “even if you only put in 25% while you are here, you are here and you tried. You did not give up when you had a bad day!” So yeah I did that.

Training today was all things we have done and have been studying. This is good. This is great, because I did not have to over think what I was doing. I could just let for the most part muscle memory take over. Even though I felt like the kicks I was putting in were terrible. I was putting them in, and correcting as I was going.

Staff – We worked on various redondos and backhands.

Striking/Muay Thai Class – we worked on catch, parry, and returning 4 counts to opponent, teeping them and then getting out.

This is a video of me working on some of the drills we did in class. As you can see I am working on my technique. I am just not 100% today.

Well I hate ending on a down note. Wait a second it is not a down note. I went to class I worked things out. I did not let the little things stop me. I might have had a moment here and there that got me down, but I worked through it.

Thank you all for reading. If you have any questions feel free to ask. My respect to you and I hope you follow your dreams to become the best you that you can be.

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