Tag: Kali

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

On By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Kali Escrima, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, workoutLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

So much fun tonight.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thank you 🙏 for the awesome class Tony.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

On By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Kali Escrima, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, workoutLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

Pad rounds before class

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

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

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

What a great night.

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

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

Pad rounds before class

Thai:

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

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

1) jab, cross, rear teep, lead teep

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

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

4) rear knee, lead knee, rear flying knee

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

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

Cool down and ab work-
Shadow boxing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Whew I am exhausted now!

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

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

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

Martial Arts 02/11/2020: Crazy Ups Flying Knees

On By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Weight Lifting, workoutLeave a comment

New week new training. WOOOOOO… nah… this week did not start like that. I like everyone, I assume, have off weeks…. Er lets say off days. I try not to let it color my entire week. When I feel like I don’t want to be there, for what ever reason, I still get my butt into the gym. Barring a injury that requires rest or some horrible plague that has taken me down. But the general doldrums I don’t let dictate my training.

As strict with my kiddos as I am, I do the same to myself. So I tell myself to get to it, and get to work.

Enough blathering on. On to the training.

Tuesday 02/11/2020: 2.5 hours of Muay Thai and Kali class

We started off with pad rounds. I held for H, and he held for me. I drug my butt up off the mat and made myself focus on my martial art.

In Muay Thai we worked more on the knee counter strikes. We started last week with, the arm posting on the bicep of opponent, then we did the shielding the knee. Today we worked on the ball room dancing dump off of the lead knee from opponent.

Ball room dancing dump:

When opponent knees you with lead knee. Step deep into their box, grab knee with rear hand, grab their lat around back with lead hand. Like you are hugging them with one arm. Then twist them over your leg that is behind their rear leg.

If done right this will dump them on the ground. It is pretty fast when you get the flow in.

We also did a drill that was fun. I was able to get a head kick regularly.

Jab, lead knee, cross, lead head kick.

I was repeatedly getting head kicks in! Head kicks! So that is a thing. I never thought I would be able to do a head kick. Not in a million years. Because you know… I am short. Vertically Challenged as some of my friends say.

Kali we worked on the high box and disarms, to take downs. Also…never snake a blade! It’s a good rule of thumb. (snake is when you disarm a person only using your arm and hand instead of the vin where you use the weapon to help you disarm the opponent)

She mentioned with the high box you strike, move it, strike it, move it. It was a great way to think about it.

Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for the great classes.

Thursday 02/13/2020: 1.5 hours of Muay Thai

I have my gyms level one test coming up. This includes a technique drill, Thai 15 count, Boxing 20, and the 2 x 3 minute rounds of 60 kicks and 40 knees each round. All the while getting kicked and hit by the feeder.

I have trepidation about this test. It is designed to be hard, and to test your abilities and resolve. I have been training for it. However, I don’t want to fail. I really want to pass.

We did pad rounds with Tony before class. With only 15 seconds rest time. He liked my hooks, lead and rear hooks. I felt good, flowing through kicks, knees, elbows and punches.

Muay Thai Training:

  1. plus sign foot work with jab cross
  2. Opponent throws a jab, you parry, cross you parry, a switch knee, you post on their bicep, you throw a cross, you throw a rear kick
  3. Elbow check the body kick 3 times and on the third one you step in and eat the kick but at their knee level, and return a cross to their chest simultaneously. Followed by a lead to rear 4 count.
  4. Clench over under, with a off balance, and knee

Friday 02/14/2020: 2 hours of Muay Thai

2 hours of Muay Thai training today. Thank you Tony Kap Kun Ka for the fantastic class.

Today was all about the mad ups. We started with conditioning with kettle bells, then knees to flying knees, and then finished with abs.

So I have only done flying knees once before. I went from barely getting off the ground today to some mad ups. Pictures and video so I could see.

Kettle bell conditioning:

40 seconds for each exercise with 20 seconds rest between. Do all exercise in three rounds.

  1. Kettle bell swings
  2. Kettle bell goblet squats
  3. Push ups
  4. Right arm tricep rows
  5. Bicycle crunches
  6. Left arm tricep rows
  7. Jump lunges
  8. Double thrust burpees

Thai:
Drill #1
1) jab, rear leg kick
2) jab, cross, rear leg kick
3) jab, cross, hook, rear leg kick
4) rear uppercut, lead hook, rear leg kick

I was so tired after our conditioning warm up. My shoulders were burning trying to keep my hands up during this drill.

Drill #2
Two walking knees, then a flying knee, followed by a flying knee burn out for last 30 seconds.

Thank you Khun Kru Krysta For working with me.

Ab workout: 40 seconds each for two rounds
Pike ups
Reverse crunches
Flutter kicks
High flutter kicks

Whew!

Saturday 02/15/2020: 2 hours of Muay Thai

2 hours of Muay Thai Training we got to the gym and I sunned myself while I stretched, then Khun Kru Krysta had us practice the skills test, boxing 20, Thai 15, then the two rounds of testing with thirty seconds of squat jumps between.

Then we worked on catching kicks, follow up Striking of catches kicks, and countering opponents catching your kicks.

Key things to remember when catching kicks:

  1. Step offline
  2. Mid calf
  3. Posture
  4. (For me to remember- cinch up on the leg)

Strikes to do when you have caught a kick:

  1. Knee the hamstring
  2. Spike elbow the quad
  3. Cross Stomp the opponents supporting leg/knee
  4. Side kick the opponents leg
  5. Round house to the thigh
  6. Outside cross to step to dump them
  7. Pass/Throw leg, return a 4 count
  8. Spinning back elbow, while holding onto the leg

Counters to do when some one catches your round house:

  1. Walk out – turn your knee down and walk your foot out
  2. Foot Jab – turn our knee and foot jab on hip bone
  3. Weave – weave foot inside and push with knee
  4. Clench/climbing downward flying elbow –
    • if they catch closer to your knee, clench up, jump up and while pushing all your weight down into their arm, come down with elbow.
  5. Superman punch

Whew I am exhausted!

8 hours of training this week. Whew I feel it. My body is tired, and I am looking forward to the rest days. I had a great week. I started off not so great, but it turned around. I was able to get mad ups and actually do a flying knee. I can do it! Woot!

I honestly saw the set up of the flying knees that my coach wanted us to do, and I did not think I could do it. I kept working at it till I did. Then we went home.

As always thank you for reading. I hope you had a great week. I hope you keep trying, and I hope that you don’t let a bad day color your week. You never know when you are going to learn how to fly through the air like a freaking ninja. If you want to like, comment, and subscribe to hear more about my training and fitness journey.

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

On 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.

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

Kali –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Pop the leather three for three punches.

Lead and rear leg 4 counts.

Whew I am tired!

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

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

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

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

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

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

On By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Kali Escrima, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, Muay Thai, FitnessLeave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Muay Thai:

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

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

Kali –

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

Friday 12/27/2019 – 1 hour… Muay Thai

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

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

Ladder, and Reverse ladder

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

Finishing exercises – 45 seconds each exercise

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I made a video of me working on the bag.

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

Martial Arts 12/17/2019: A Horizontal Elbow is Just a Shortened Hook

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

The holiday season is upon us. The hustle and bustle is pressing, and work is still going on. But the one thing that helps me focus is my martial arts training. I am tired, because, there is so much to do. It was so nice turn everything else off and just focus on my training.

If you throw a hook, and shorten it, it is an elbow. At least the #1 horizontal elbow is a shortened hook. This little tidbit last year really helped me realize how to do the mid range hooks.

Tuesday 12/17/2019 – 2 hours… Muay Thai and Kali/Silat

Today in Muay Thai, we continued our month of elbows to clenches. I can feel my elbow strikes getting much better in execution. I am executing them well because I am stepping in, I am using my body, and I am throwing them with good form. Yay progress…!

  1. lead elbow #2 upward diagonal elbow, rear elbow #6 side in elbow, lead elbow #9 spinning backward elbow, and lead elbow #1 horizontal elbow when opponent advances.
  2. lead elbow #1 horizontal elbow, rear #8 lady putting flower behind her ear elbow, clench, 3 skip knees #2, off balance spin out, and kick
  3. Clench to 3 skip knee #2, off balance, to spin out, to double rear kick.
  4. We then got a chance to do the man in the middle drill. It was so much fun. This is a clench drill with three people. One man in the middle has to switch up between the other two to clench and get knees in. The third person has to have a hand on middle persons back.

Kali/Silat

We worked on disarms, asymmetrical sparring, blocking, passing, cutting stabbing and C cuts.

Wednesday 12/18/2019 – 1.5 hours… Muay Thai

If you have been practicing martial arts for a while I am sure you have experienced this phenomenon. If you have not, look out for it. It is absolutely amazing. This phenomenon I am talking about is the, your trainer asks you to do one thing just slightly different and it completely throws you off.

We are often taught about advancing when fighting. Today we were doing advancing drills for jab, jab, cross. However, Tony had us doing it were we had to attack while backing up. Let me say that again. Attack while backing up. Now you might think yeah… nah that is easy. But then your brain will mess you up.

So what I had to do was work on the footwork first and then work on adding the punch in. Focus a pendulum step back while throwing a jab. This felt so counter intuitive. However, by the time we finished I was able to get some what comfortable with it. This is a drill I will have to practice on my own. But it is great for when some one is advancing and you need to pop some in punches in there and then return a harder one.

Warm UP:

  1. 3 minute jump rope
  2. 1 minute burpees
  3. 3 minute jump rope

Training:

  1. Jab, jab, cross, advancing x 2 rounds
  2. Jab, jab, cross, while backing up x 2 rounds (focus on pendulum feet)
  3. Jab, jab, rear kick x 2 rounds
  4. Drill 1: x 2 rounds
    1. 1 – Jab, rear kick, lead hook, rear cross, lead hook
    2. 2 – Jab, cross, lead kick, rear cross, lead hook, rear cross
    3. 30 seconds of kicking after every round
  5. Drill 2: x 2 rounds
    1. 1 with elbow – Jab, rear knee, lead elbow
    2. 2 with elbow – Jab, cross, lead knee, rear elbow
    3. 2 with hands – Jab, rear knee, lead hook, rear cross, lead hook
    4. 2 with hands – Jab, cross, lead knee, rear cross, lead hook, rear cross
    5. 30 seconds of knees after every round

Cool Down:

  1. 30 seconds of flutter kicks
  2. 30 seconds of side scissor kicks
  3. 30 seconds of sit ups
  4. 30 seconds of planks

Thursday 12/19/2019 – 3 hours… Muay Thai and Kali

Whew I am exhausted today. My husband asked me if I wanted to practice/pad rounds, the hour before class we were going to be at the gym. My answer was no. I don’t want to, because I have been up since 4:30 am

Conditioning rounds with Tony

Muay Thai:

  1. Jump rope for 3 minutes
  2. Jab, clench, three knees, push out, teep
  3. Jab, cross, three knees, push out, teep
  4. Jab, lead hook, lead elbow, knees, push off, teep
  5. Clench, to step in off balance, to curved knees
  6. Clench sparring

Kali:

Again working on disarms, asymmetrical sparring, knife and stick.

  1. Disarm an assailant with a stick with bear hands on a #2 strike, or on the outside.
  2. Disarm an assailant with a stick with a knife in hand, on a #2 strike, or on the outside.
  3. C cut
  4. Asymmetrical sparring, one person has a stick and one has a knife.

Friday 12/20/2019 – 1 hour 20 minutes… Muay Thai and Kali

My trainer kicked my booty today. I mean it was one of the hardest workouts I have done in a long time. We had to do a ladder of exercises and run around the gym. I was gassed afterward.

I did the maths, and if I am correct, I think we did 210 burpees, 210 push ups, and 210 mountain climbers, with 20 laps of the gym.

Then he had us doing pad work. It was so hard to keep going after that ladder. But I kept working the pads. Tony brought the 110% out of me today. I loved it and I hated it. It was a fantastic workout.

  1. 20 of each burpees, push ups, mountain climbers, run around the gym onces
  2. 19 of each burpees, push ups, mountain climbers, run around the gym once
  3. 18 of each
  4. 17 of each
  5. 16 of each
  6. 15 of each
  7. 14 of each
  8. 13 of each
  9. 12 of each
  10. 11 of each
  11. 10 of each
  12. 9 of each
  13. 8 of each
  14. 7 of each
  15. 6 of each
  16. 5 of each
  17. 4 of each
  18. 3 of each
  19. 2 of each
  20. 1 of each

Then pad work:

  1. lead kick, rear cross, lead body hook, rear elbow, rear knee, lead leg kick
  2. lead double leg kick, rear cross, lead body hook, rear elbow, 2 x lead leg kick
  3. Clenching flow drilling

I am absolutely pooped. When we went to the gym today, I really did not want to do the workout. I did it cause I feel like those days when I really don’t want to go, I should go. I may not necessarily learn more, but I will push through and I will teach my body to do so. I am so happy that I stuck it out and came to class. I had my booty kicked but it was so worth it. I feel accomplished.

Thank you for reading. I learned a lot of things like attacking while backing up. I learned that asymmetric sparring with one double handed sword against 2 sticks is hard. Both those things melted my brain. I am I did it. I am happy I learned it. I have to work on those things for sure, but I learned it. I hope you have a great weekend and Happy Holiday season and a Very Merry Christmas if you celebrate it. If you have any questions feel free to ask.

Martial Arts 12/10/2019: If you want to hit the face hit the belly!

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

I am so lucky to have such great teachers/trainers. They often talk about counter attacks, movement, and also how best to get your strikes in. One of the things we hear often and it is very true. If you want to hit the face hit the belly, and vice versa. Changing levels allows you to control the fight. Often times when you hit low people will instinctively cover that area, then the face is open. If you hit the face or even go for the face they will keep their hands up and leave their torso open.

Tuesday 12/10/2019 – 2 hours… Muay Thai and Kali

Today begins my martial arts training for the week. It was a great day of class.

Lots of elbows in class, and conditioning training for Muay Thai.

  1. lead #1/horizontal elbow, rear #3/downward diagonal elbow, rear #7/inside out elbow
  2. Lead #1/horizontal elbow, rear #2/upward diagonal elbow, rear #7/inside out elbow
  3. Lead #1/horizontal elbow, rear #2/upward diagonal elbow, to lead #9/spinning back elbow

In Kali we worked on several different combos. They were all flowing very well, then of course changing just one thing made my brain melt again like Kali does. We did all 48 combos, and then asymmetrically trained with one person doing two sticks, and one drilling partner doing dos manos hold (two hand hold like a Japanese sword).

I felt so tethered keeping both hands on the blade. It feels like I don’t have as much reach, and you have to move your body in a completely different way to meet your partners blows, and avoid getting hit. You have to execute a lot of abaniko moves when holding a sword to keep from getting hit.

Abaniko – means fan

It was a fun class, but it really did melt my brain. Just when I think I am getting everything. I am learning the moves and flowing well. We change one thing, and my brain melts. That is one of the things I love about Kali.

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

Thai
Elbows, clenches and knees oh my!

We worked on elbows to clench, and knee transitions today.

  1. Lead #1/horizontal elbow, rear #6/side in elbow, rear #7/side out elbow, rear roll to clench, full plumb, and run 3 knees, spin out opponent, and kick
  2. Lead #1/horizontal elbow, lead #7/side out elbow, rear #8/tach malak or lady putting flower in her hair elbow, clench to full plumb, spin out opponent, and double kick

Kali
48 strike drill
Dos Manos Brain melting asymmetrical sparring.

Friday 12/13/2019 – 1 hours… Muay Thai and Kali

Today Tony kicked my booty. But that was a great thing. I want to get stronger and stronger.

  1. Jumping Rope for 3 minutes
  2. conditioning: 3 x 3 minutes of foot shuffle, and hopping hurdles
  3. mountain climber with a punch on bag and skip knee number 2 x 1 minute 3 minutes alternating between
  4. lead teep, shuffle into lead body hook, rear upper cut, lead head hook, immediately double kick wi
  5. thout taking a step.
  6. rear torso kick, to rear hop double kick
  7. Then I did 200 kicks to the bag, and 200 teeps to the bag.

I am exhausted. But the good kind of exhausted… you know? I am about to go pass out in my bed. I hope you have a great weekend. Thanks for reading.