Tag: Stick

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali… Trigg Combo, Asymmetrical Sparring

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

2.5 hours of training. I warmed up by hitting the Thai pads for 30 minutes before class. Muay Thai and Kali were fun classes tonight. Thank you Khun Kru Krysta for the great classes.

Muay Thai – Trigg Combo

When we were at Thai camp we got to work with the one the only Ajarn Leonard Trigg. The guy responsible for our Trigg 10 drill. We love him and his drills. He worked with us at Thai camp and he gave us this combo to work on. I had the pleasure of working with my instructor for this combo and when we did I had so much fun. It was hard, but it was great. I asked that we do this combo in class.

So what did we get to do today in Muay Thai? Yup you guessed it. That very same Trigg Combo. I don’t know if it has a name, but suffice to say, Ajarn Trigg is well known for his amazing boxing skills.

The combo is this:

  1. feeder feeds a jab
  2. you swipe right
  3. you return a R shovel hook
  4. you return an R overhand
  5. you return an L hook
  6. you return an R cross

This combo is great. Ajarn Trigg emphasized that he wanted us to work on flow and timing. The goal is for every one hit the opponent tries to make you return 4 shots. There pop, your pop, pop, pop, pop in rapid succession.

I worked with one of my favorite partners, my husband. I got a great workout, and he know just how much to push me, and tries to keep me honest about keeping my hands up. I find sometimes when I work with people that are newer that my class is not as physically demanding cause we are going slower, and we are getting in less reps. So sometimes it is nice to work with some one I know that can hold pads well, and I can go at a faster pace with. I get more rounds in and I can work on my speed, timing, and form at the same time.

Some more combos we worked on today:

  1. Opponent throws Right head kick
  2. You lean back by – taking a step back, cover face on right hand side, left arm goes down to side of body and you shoulders are level.
  3. You throw a right cross
  4. You throw a left body hook
  5. You throw a right roundhouse
  1. Opponent throws inside leg kick
  2. You step back to avoid the kick
  3. You throw a left roundhouse
  4. You throw a cross
  5. You throw a hook
  6. You throw a right roundhouse

Kali – Asymmetrical Sparring

In Kali we worked on disarms again, and mostly entering on the inside deflect. However, we also worked on a weave. We did some puno disarms and the inside deflect snake and vine disarms again.

Weave Leg Take down:

  1. Inside deflect
  2. control opponents right hand with our left hand
  3. return a #4 rib shot
  4. Step on opponents foot
  5. weave our stick between legs
  6. pull opponents hand and push opponent over with our stick

I got a video of me doing this.

Then we got to do asymmetrical sparring. In this version of it, we had one person with boxing gloves on, and one person with a boxing glove and a soft stick. We would attack each other. The goal of the one with just boxing gloves was to crash in and disarm the other. The goal of the one with the stick was to just keep the opponent with just boxing gloves away and don’t get disarmed and or punched.

Asymmetrical sparring is fun, and I have enjoyed it every time. It makes you have to think about how to get in, when you don’t have all your tools available to you.

Thanks for reading. I hope you had a fantastic day. Keep working to be the best you that you can be. Respect to you.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Ordered to take it easy, Combos from Thai Camp

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

2 hours of training. I still feel it from Thai Camp. I got in on a red eye at 7 am yesterday and had to work last night. While I had a nap yesterday after I got home, I had a nap today. I am still tired. But doing well. So today is our regular training day.

It was really nice to get back on the mats. I had so many people welcome me back and ask about Thai camp. They also congratulated me on completing it and making it. It was really nice to be back in my home. The area I am comfortable in.

So today Khun Kru Krysta told me, “to take it easy, and that is an order.” Kru Kristen was surprised I was in for training today. =)

So I guess other people might not have been in. I can say my muscles are still tired, and my hip flexors are sore still. But I did it.

Enough gabbing, here is what we did.

Muay Thai Combos from Thai Camp

  1. 1 round of jump rope
  2. Feeder Jabs, and then right kicks
  3. You side step, or move leg out of the way
  4. You teep
  5. Feeder feeds a right kick then a cross
  6. You parry the cross, with left hand
  7. You cover with right hand, grab back of neck and then knee feeder
  8. Feeder right kick
  9. You Shield kick
  10. Feeder feeds a lead hand upper cut
  11. You lean step back and lean back with left arm down to the side, and right hand covering right hand side of face.
  12. Right knee, to right Kick

Kali

In Kali we worked on a entry with jabs creating noise or distraction. The finished with an Cross, hook, cross.

We worked on: Disarms both Snake and Vine

Vine disarms – are weapon assisted disarms, in this instance with a stick

Snake disarms – are disarms without a weapon

  1. Plus leaver disarm with the stick, using an indide deflect
  2. Off of an equis feed, or strike #1 and strike #2
  3. Inside deflect, and control opponents arm
  4. Strike a #4 or back hand shot to opponents ribs
  5. Slide controlling hand to end of opponents stick
  6. Strike hand of opponent holding stick
  7. Making a plus sign with sticks use your stick to leaver opponents stick out of opponents hand
  8. Equal leaver disarm with the stick, using an inside deflect
  9. Off of an equis feed or strike #1, strike #2, strike #1
  10. Outside deflect, and control opponents arm
  11. Slide your stick along their stick and under opponents wrist making an equal sign
  12. Turn over your hand, and slide your other hand along stick to their hand to grab and wrench out of their grip
  13. Inside Snake disarm
  14. Off of a Strike #1 inside deflect
  15. Snake arm down and around counter clockwise
  16. Look at palm of your hand and turn your whole torso around to pull stick out of their grip in your arm
  17. Outside Snake disarm
  18. Off a Strike #2 outside deflect
  19. Snake arm down and around clockwise
  20. Either wing it out of their grip, or blade hand and squat to take stick from opponent.

Below is a paper doll I made for the 17 count. So the numbers I am referring to above are here below.

Then we worked on Kali sparring with a soft stick, and boxing gloves. One person had gloves and one had a soft stick. We had to work on our distance management, getting in for the boxing and keeping the other person at bay for the soft stick.

Today was a really fun day. I did not push it to hard. I had a good time. I got to see my fellow classmates and Martial Arts family again. As always I try to put up terms when I remember them, into the glossary (What does that even mean?) if you are interested. I use it to remember terms myself. It is a living document, and will keep being added to. If you practice Kali/Escrima/Silat/JKD or Muay Thai and I made a mistake let me know of course. I will fix it.

Thank you for reading, and if you have questions let me know. Keep working to be the best you that you can be.

Muay Thai and Kali training…Clench Sparring, Running Saints

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

2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training. I am pooped. It was a great set of classes. We worked on Clenches, Dumps, and Clench Sparring in Muay Thai. In Kali we worked on the running Saints. I recorded us doing the three that we were taught. Kru Krysta informed me that some of these Kali Saints are passed from teacher to student/teacher. It is proper etiquette to get permission first before revealing all the secrets. I want to respect my teachers and their teachers and keep their confidentiality until they give me the ok. I can video myself working on the saints but don’t want to give the names and exact combos.

Alright on with the training.

Muay Thai – Clench Sparring

We worked on clenching and dumps. Kru Kristen was talking about the clench in Muay Thai, and this is a major piece of the Muay Thai fighting style. This is a major difference between KB (kick boxing) and Muay Thai. The art of the 8 limbs requires you to use all of your limbs, and the knees and elbows part of the the limbs. So Clenching up is a great way to deliver those devastating knees to some ones ribs, mid section, and or quads. When we clench up we have the opportunity to off balance our opponent, then dump them on the ground, giving us points. Or we have the option of off balancing our opponent and then delivering knees to their body. This gives us point as well in the ring.

However it is not just about the clenching, and dumping and knees. You can muscle your way through it but you are going to wear yourself out not your opponent. The finesse comes when you learn/feel the opportunity. For instance when your opponent shifts their weight and goes to knee you, and you in that instance jerk their elbow down to make them base and take a step. You interrupt that knee that was coming for you and now you have a person that just had to base, and you can dump them on their rear ends.

Kru Kristen says, you cannot see it to learn it. You have to feel it. You have to feel the shift, to get the dump in. I learned also that if you bump your opponents hip out, and the push back into you, that is your opportunity to step your leg in and off balance them. Getting a knee in, or just putting them on the floor. I really have to practice this more so I can get a better feel for how to do it. I am able to do it, sometimes I feel like I try to force it. When I do the moves right it feels effortless. Like a lot of things in Martial Arts. If you truly do the move right, it works with your body, using physics and gravity to move maybe immobile object.

Needless to say. It was fun. I got a chance to work with everyone. For some of my team mates, it is effortless, they can do it with no problems. For me I still have to work on it. I can feel when I do the move right. So that is a good starting point. I need to make it feel like that every time.

Kali – Running Saints

As I mentioned above Kru Krysta is kind enough to write everything down for me. However, there are some things that are passed down from Guru to Student who will be a Guru. But I can record, and talk about pieces of the Running Saints we did.

So first of all, I am better at attacking. I seem to get the drills down fine when I am on the attack. However, when I am defending, that is when I mess up. I wonder what that says about me. =)

But all the smaller drills we were working on in double stick, like abecedario, umbrella heaven, cobb cobb, and more are in these Running Saints. As I was taught, in the Philippians they are a very Catholic oriented country because they were occupied by the Spanish, and they named these drills Running Saints, because they are meant for the attacker to run down your opponent. You are meant to cover distance and keep attacking.

For me as long as I keep attacking I am all good. If I have to defend myself… well there is my weakness. But it is something for me to work on. Perhaps it is the running/walking backwards as I try to meet the sticks coming at my head, and have them set up on the correct side so that I can keep the drill going.

Try patting your head while rubbing your tummy clockwise… You got that? Now try doing it backward. Pat your had and rub your tummy counter clockwise… Not as easy to switch right? Now try to do that was you defend yourself from an incoming attack. That is Kali… at least that is how Kali is for me. I love it. If you are interested, there is a Ted Talk about Cognitive Kali.

Take a look at this Ted Talk if you have the time:

As you have found out if you have been reading my blog. Kali is not for the unthinking person. It helps to be a perspicacious person, and if you are not, it certainly will try to make you one. Ohh I got to use the word perspicacious… my AP English teacher would have been so proud.

In the following video, you will see one of the Running Saints, and me celebrating a little when I get the Saint somewhat down.

Anyway thanks for reading. I hope you are all having a great week so far. Please comment if you have an questions. Keep being the awesome you are, and always try to be the best you, that you can be.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali… Staple of Muay Thai, Clumsy Monkey, 5 Drills in One Brain Melting

On By Thinks with SpinksIn Fitness, Kali Escrima, Martial Arts, Muay Thai, workoutLeave a comment
  • We are goofballs after class.
  • Bruise blooming on foot because I was not kicking right.

2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training. I have mentioned it before. I have days where one of my Martial Arts is not clicking. Its frustrating and I don’t really like it. I don’t know why I have days like this. I assume that I am not the only one. But that is only an assumption. Maybe its because of this huge catering job that I am doing this week. Maybe its just the stars are not aligned. Who knows. But today in Muay Thai I was a clumsy monkey.

Muay Thai – Staple of Muay Thai, Clumsy Monkey

We did a review of the things we were doing last week. We were working on a staple of Muay Thai the 4 counts. You may think. Wow they work on the same things a lot. And yeah… you would be right. We do. This is one of the staples of Muay Thai. This is a combination that we drill over and over again. As you can see I am off balance a little. I am clumsy today. I am annoyed at myself and I want to do better.

Some times the only thing you can do is go in and put the time in. Even if you feel you are doing poorly like me in class today. You can see the bruise on my foot from kicking the pads wrong. Muay Thai a lot of times is self correcting. When you kick or hit something wrong you will hurt yourself or your training partner. When you kick the pads wrong, and hit mostly with the top of your foot you will bruise the crap out of it. This is just the bruise right away… We will see what it looks like tomorrow.

Training:

  1. First 3 minute round, we worked on Thai 4 counts
  2. Pyramid kicks
  3. Second 3 minute round, receiving and dealing with a jab or cross and returning a 4 count
  4. Pyramid kicks
  5. Third 3 minute round, blocking or shielding an incoming kick and returning a Thai 4 count
  6. Pyramid Kicks
  7. 3 x 3 minute rounds of sparring.

Kru Kristen said I was doing well… but I have tells, and I kept getting kicked and punched. I know its part of the process but. Man it sucks when you suck, and it sucks when you know you suck and are having a bad time. Anyway here is a video of me doing dealing with the jab and cross. You can see me being a little off balance. Meh… but tomorrow is another day.

Kali – 5 drills in one big drill

Kali went a little better for me. I was exhausted after Muay Thai so that did not help. However, I did not seem to have to much of a hard time dealing with the drills.

Training:

  1. We started with the Heaven 6, then Standard 6, then we did the Earth 6
  2. We worked on cob cob
  3. Umbrella came next
  4. Winshield Wiper followed
  5. Ordibis followed winshield

Then then… Kru Krysta wanted to put it all together.

This drill below is all in the video below.

  1. COB COB
  2. Umbrella
  3. Heaven
  4. Winshield Wiper
  5. Ordibis

Yes all those drills were done all at once. This was interesting cause we were able to do it. But we kinda had to feel our way around it. Feel the rhythm and feel the flow. Below is a picture of what we did and the footwork. I am tired and don’t have time or energy to make a foot work graphic today.

This is a video of us practicing this very drill, the 5 drills together melting my brain, and also making new pathways in my brain. Hopefully in the future I will be able to pull on this knowledge, and make it flow better.

Thank you for reading. I must away to bed. I have another day of cooking all day for 200 people, serving, and teaching. I hope you have a wonderful day/evening/morning where you are. Keep being awesome and keep striving to be the best you, that you can be.

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali… Put the fear of God, hour glass, and a Kali 10 count

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

2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training. Sometimes you gotta know when to throw in the towel. Wednesday night was one hell of a ride. We were awaken to the shrill sounds of our fire alarm. Why you ask? It was not because of a fire, thank you God. However, it was because of a flood. Yup a flood. The pipe behind our toilet broke and was fountain-ing water all over our third floor. We live in a 3 story town home and we had a water fall that was going all the way down to the garage. I went to bed at around 11 pm Wednesday night and we were awaken about 11:30 pm. So it must have burst right as I was nodding off.

Did you know that fire alarms go off when it is super humid or water passes through them? Nope, neither did we, however, we know now that they go off. I am glad they did, or we would have had even more damage to deal with. We had maintenance come in, fix the toilet, and put fans under the carpet last night. They did not leave till 3:30 am Thursday morning.

Needless to say I was in a mood today/Thursday, just kind of agitated… annoyed… tired… and fed up. I went to my training, and I had a great time. My mood improved and I learned some new things. I will detail them below.

However, we got home and found that in the kids closet there was carpet that had gotten soaked. So I just got done cleaning out their closet. And let me tell you, they are little pack rats. Saved some things I did not even realize. Like little info card from their toys, marker caps, paper clips and many other things. This post was supposed to be posted yesterday, but will not be finished, and will have to wait till Friday! I have to know when enough is enough and just get to sleep. Throw in the towel as it were. We have gone through every towel in our house, and I have washed them all now.

Anyway enough with the winging (as my friends from across the pond say). On to our training…

Muay Thai – Put the fear of God in them

I started off feeling crappy and agitated today. I was hoping that Muay Thai and Kali would help that, and it did. Working with my friends and team mates to better our skills, got my head out of my immediate issues, and had me focusing on the now. Making my body move the way it knows how to. Focusing on the minute changes to make my strikes better was a great way to redirect my thinking.

Thursday we worked on entries on blocking/receiving a left kick, to the Thai 4 count. Tuesday it was the opposite, where we were entering in on blocking/receiving a right kick, to Thai 4 count.

Kru Kristen complimented me on my kicks. She said, “I am kicking harder and my form is good.” I just need to kick through the person. Transfer my power.

We need to work on intent. This is a martial arts that is 1000 years old. It is not meant to be nice. You need to kick with intent. Like when you kick the person you put the fear of God into them. It hurts so bad that they think twice about coming back at you. This is what I need to work on. As girls we are told not to hit, not to be physical so breaking that training is hard. But I have been kicking hard and getting my licks in. With padding and if you do it right. You can kick hard and not hurt your partner. This is what I am working on.

Kali – Hour Glass, Kali 10 count

We worked on some drills to help our foot work. Because you can’t always tell from my videos but we are supposed to be moving our feet to a certain pattern, or in a certain way as to keep from getting our knees hit, or to keep our tools (see hands and weapons in front of us and pointed toward opponent). Hour glass movement melted my brain a little. Not because it was hard to move my feet in that way, but because it was hard to move my feet in that way, and keep my hands going. Keep doing the Kali stick drills.

I made a diagram of our foot movement below:

I have mentioned before Kali will melt your brain. But it is a good thing. It is making your brain work and create new pathways, because it asks you to do multiple things at once.

Think rubbing your tummy and patting your head. It is often times hard to do for most people, but if you practice it is easier. Then if the instructors asked you to rub your tummy and pat your head with the opposite hands would it be more difficult? For me I am a right handed person and asking me to do things with my left hand is hard, its gotten better since starting Kali, but man does it mess with your brain.

This is much the same thing. I have to make moving/movement of my feet a muscle memory so I am not trying to focus on moving it while trying to focus on moving my stick, and not beaning myself in the head. =) Its a struggle. You will leave Kali some days feeling like you just did a mental equivalent of a marathon. Just because you are trying to control, the feet, the stick, and avoid hitting yourself or your partner in a way as to be injurious.

A Kali 10 count. One of many. We learned a new to me Kali 10 count. Apparently this is one of many. However, it was fun and I had a blast doing it. We only practiced on the right hand side so I did not feel like my brain was tied in knots. I am happy that I picked it up so fast. But if you break it down it is just a series of the same kind of moves I have been taught before.

Kali 10 count 1: For area to strike see doll below

  1. High fore hand hit – strike area 13
  2. Low back hand hit – strike area 10
  3. High back hand hit – strike area 14
  4. Low fore hand hit – strike area 9
  5. High equise – strikes 1 and 2
  6. Low equise – strikes 12, and 11
  7. Scoop the Punyo coming to your face

Below is a video of use working on it. Toward the end of the video we got faster, and I feel like I have a good grasp on the drill. =)

Thanks for reading. Its a day late, but I needed the sleep. I currently have a a person working on our carpet right now. We found out we need to have a new ceiling put in, and we have the appointment for that to happen. I hope you all have a good day, and a great weekend. Keep striving to be the best you that you can be.

Tuesday Muay Thai and Kali…Boogie Out, Rubbing is to Racing as Bumping is to Boxing

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

2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training. It has been a busy day, but had a fantastic time at training. We worked on boxing and head movement in Muay Thai, and redondos again in Kali.

I had so many things pulling at me for my time. I had my usual teaching my kids, and regular household things (cleaning, feeding people). I also had to work on fondant flowers due for a cake I have to make later on this week. So super super busy today. I made these flowers for the cake all by hand.

Enough jabbering, here is what we did no class today.

Muay Thai – Boogie Out, Rubbing is to Racing as Bumping is to Boxing

In Muay Thai we were working on boxing again. Mainly Kru Kristen wanted us to work on our head movement. I can tell you mine is not great. If we can move our head and keep it moving, we can possibly avoid getting hit in the head. That is at least the theory.

We started with slips. We did a slip drill. Your partner throws a jab and you slip to the right, on the cross you slip to the left. We had to do 50 of them. Then we switched up and fed for our partners.

Then we did a bob and weave drill. We would start on one side and our partners would throw a cross and touch the opposite shoulder making sure we squat, turned correctly and then stood up, only to do it again by bobbing and weaving to the other side. We had to do 50 of those as well, then we switched up and we fed for our partners.

Next Kru Kristen taught us a really cool move called the Boogie Out. What it is, is after you have bobbed and weaved out of a hook that was thrown at you, you do a shuffle turn so that you can cut the corner, or get around your opponent. Because if you can get behind or to the side of your opponent, and all of their weapons are pointed away from you, that is great for you. Then you can hit them when they are not able to block, from behind or the side. I have taken video of me doing this below. What you will notice when I focus on a new skill I am working, my strikes often times suffer. In this video I see my strikes sucking. My hooks look like caca, and I am not bringing my hands back fast enough. However, I am getting that Boogie Out move. However, if I practice enough I think I will be able to include this in my repertoire.

  1. Jab, cross, body hook, head hook, cross, bob and weave, boogie out, then strike the head.

After that we worked on shoulder bump cut corner/step out to take the back of your opponent. Here Kru Krsiten said rubbing is to racing as bumping is to boxing. In boxing bumping your opponent as you step out/cut corner, is a way to off balance your opponent. You bump them not only once but then you do it again from behind. This gets your opponent off balance, messes up their stance, and then you can hit them from behind or the side. I filmed this as well. Kru Kristen says that this is great for a short fighter like me. I can cut out/step out and still stay in the pocket. However, all the while getting out of range and away from my opponents weapons. I can then hit them after stepping out and around.

  1. Jab, cross, upper cut, cross, bob and weave, shoulder check through, then shoulder check behind, and hit again.

After this we did survivor drills. This is where we get put up against the wall and we are not allowed to do anything but avoid getting punched with our head movements. We can block or catch hits with our gloves, but Kru Kristen just wanted us to avoid the hits. She had the other half of us punching our team mates, trying to hit them not hard but trying to think around their defenses.

Kali – Redondos

Today in Kali we worked on redondos again. Kru Krysta is a great teacher. It felt good, and I felt like I knew these moves pretty well. We worked on high redondo, low redondo, low back hand, high back hand. We also worked on the figure 8, with low back hand, high back hand. I filmed us doing this as well. My knees are hurting a bit today, probably because I did to much yesterday, then we did a lot of bob and weaves today. =) Generally they don’t hurt, but once in a while they will hurt. When that happens I just baby the hurt area, and then train around it.

After that we we did the Running Saint Rafael. I was able to do it no problem when I was the aggressor, however, when I was feeding, I would keep messing up the last heaven six. If you block with the wrong stick you will be out of alignment and have to quickly reset for the last heaven six.

Anyway thanks for reading. I hope you all have a great week. I must get to bed.

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali… Boxing/Feeding, Double Ordabis, Finding my niche?

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

2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali training. In Muay Thai this month we are working on our boxing. In kali we were doing double stick , ordabis, and Saint Rafael.

Today was a mixed bag for me. I felt good boxing, and am working on my cross still. I got a compliment on my bob and weave. Conversely for Kali, I was frustrated… I kept making mistakes.

Muay Thai – Boxing/Feeding

In Muay Thai we are starting on focusing our boxing. We started with the Trigg 10.

Trigg 10: (this is a boxing drill that the feeder counts out the number and you execute the corresponding strike. Example: Feeder says 3 and you perform Jab Jab Jab.)

  1. Jab
  2. Jab Jab
  3. Jab Jab Jab
  4. Cross
  5. Cross Cross
  6. Cross Cross Cross
  7. Jab Cross
  8. Cross Jab
  9. Jab Jab Cross
  10. Cross Cross Jab

Now feeding is just as much a skill as knowing and executing the strikes. When you have a good feeder you look like a million bucks. They make you look good and can prevent injury. When a feeder is new and does not know how to provide the correct resistance with the pads you can hurt yourself. For instance when punching at a focus mitt. If the feeder does not respond with the correct force, you can hyper extend your elbow. I have had feeders that are new and go home with sore elbows. I have since learned that if a feeder is new and does not know how to feed. Even with coaching them on how, I will save myself and just not throw the punches in there with a lot of force. Better to work on form and not on speed and strength in those instances.

We worked on combination of throwing a double jab, responding to a strike with a backward u slip, then returning a cross, and then bobbing and weaving a cross. I got a good compliment on my bob and weave. Yay!

After that the more experienced students worked on a wall drill where we took turns punching at our fellow class mates while their back was to the wall and they had to move their heads to avoid the punches. Then we switched places. We had to move our heads and avoid the blows while our class mates punched at us. This is good for head movement and understanding how to avoid incoming strikes. This is all relatively light and we are not trying to take each others heads off with a punch.

Kali – Double Ordabis, Heaven Drill, and Saint Rafael

We worked on double stick today in Kali. There is a strike called the redondo. That is a strike that goes around the head. If it is a forehand strike then it is an Umbrella strike. If it is a back hand strike then it is a Ordabis.

Kali was a bit of a brain melt-er today. I have done these flow drills before, however, it was 4 or 5 months ago so I had to pull back in my memory banks and try to remember. However, towards the end I started to pick it up again. I took video of me doing the double ordabis with sticks pointed to heaven. Then the double ordabis flow drill with some standard strikes, and a heave 6 flow drill.

This was the Saint Rafael. I took video of it. I have not done this saint drill for months. I was pretty happy at how fast I picked it back up again. However, as you can see I am very rusty still.






Finding my niche?

So officially I have been studying and practicing Muay Thai and Kali for a year now. It seems that some people have their thing. That one thing that they are known for in the class to the team mates and to the instructors. One person say is fast, another is very agile, still the next has great kicks. I don’t feel I have a niche yet. It is kind of disappointing. I get compliments on my form, and on certain things. I have plenty to practice and fix. I have a long way to go before I am proficient in any one of these arts. However, I don’t have a niche yet. Nothing I stand out in.

I love kicks, I love teeps, I love take downs, and I love off balances. Kru Kristen says find something you love and work those all the time. I do and still have so far to go. I guess I am just feeling down about myself. I want to be good at something. Maybe one thing… right now I don’t feel like I have that niche. Will it come? Who knows? I will keep practicing and trying till I do get it, or find it.

That is all for tonight. I need to sleep. Have a good night. Thanks for reading.

Thursday Muay Thai, and Kali…Thai 17 count/Clench Sparring, Figure 8 family, Kilap Lightening

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

2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali. We worked on new things and I got a great day of training in. Clench work will tire you out faster than anything. I am bushed.

Muay Thai – Thai 17 count/Clench Sparring

In Muay Thai today we worked more on the 17 count drill, we added hook, cross, right cross, right leaning knee, to right kick again. I believe I got that right. If I have to fix it I will. =)

Muay Thai 17 – the 15 we did so far:

  1. Lead Teep
  2. Lead Torso Kick, for me Left Roundhouse Kick
  3. Cross
  4. Hook
  5. Upward Rear Knee, or Right Upward knee for me
  6. Lead Horizontal Elbow or Left Horizontal Elbow
  7. Downward Diagonal Rear Elbow or Right Downward Diagonal Elbow
  8. Parry Cross
  9. Upward Rear Knee or Upward Right Knee for me
  10. Rear kick or Right Roundhouse Kick
  11. Hook
  12. Cross
  13. Rear torso kick, or right round house kick for me
  14. Rear knee
  15. Rear torso kick, or right round house kick for me

In Muay Thai we continued with clench sparring. Kru Kristen said students of all levels can work on that together today. The thing with clench sparring, or grappling, is it will sap your energy. You are trying to fight another persons grappling to keep them from off balancing you, and kneeing you, and getting a better clench on you.

I got to work with very tall people, and I worked on underhook clench, controlling the elbows above my head clench, and also bicep control clench. I need to remember to relax and just let my body framing do the work. When you fight it and try to muscle it you gass yourself faster. My instinct is to muscle it cause I am so much shorter than everyone else. After clench sparring, where everyone is drenched in sweat and dying of exhaustion we stayed for an awesome Kali class.

Kali – Figure 8 Family Flow Drill, Kilap Lightening (I might have kilap mispelled, but can’t find a comparable work on the internet so it will stay this way till I can ask Kru Krysta)

We worked on the figure 8 family flow drills. Where we started up high to hit the head then come back up to hit the ribs in a figure 8. We then followed up with an abecedario where we hit the knee then the head again with a #14 strike. We moved to mid area, or standard doing the same thing, aiming for the ribs and then, then knee strike, and head strike, then we worked on the lower range, aiming for the knees. All figure 8’s, and flowing so we get motion of how you want to move through the person.

Kilap Lightening was the next. It is also called tres personas ( father, son, and holy ghost), this is where you witik your opponents head, then come back with a forehand strike to 14, then you do a power shot down to crack open the head.

I made a video of us doing these things.

The next skill we learned was the half T and full T flow drills. This drill is called this cause you are attacking the head of your opponent, then leaning down to attack their feet, pulling up to hit what you can on the up and then attacking the head again.

I recorded a video of us practicing this drill as well.

And last, I was going through and trying to remember where the shots in the figure 8 flow drill were supposed to land. Because understanding where on the body the blows were supposed to hit, is a crucial part of Kali. This informs your swings and lets you see where you need to hit, how to twist your body, hand and feet placement.

It is really late here, and I have a early morning wake up. So I am going to end it here. Thanks for reading, and have a great rest of your week.

Thursday Muay Thai and Kali…Left Thai 4 counts, Punyo Sumbrada, and a blooper

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

I just finished 2 hours of Muay Thai and Kali. I had a great time and caught a blooper, see below.

while I had a great time. I was having a hard time holding pads for my partner. I was not great. Toward the end I figured it out was able to hold for her. Holding pads or feeding pads is a skill in of its self. Holding pads well will make your partner look like a bad ass. We worked on the Muay Thai 4 count left kick, cross, hook, then right kick. Then we worked on the Muay Thai 4 count left kick, cross, hook, to left kick again. We also worked on the 1/4 step posting our hand on their shoulder and landing a left kick into their mid section to a cross. We then did a 1/4 step posting our hand on their shoulder to knee and right elbow. It felt good when a girl who had not worked with me in a long time, was amazed at the strength of my kicks. She said they were great. Much stronger than the last time I worked with her. Yay!

In Kali, we worked on something I have never done before. Punyo Sumbrada is what it is called. This is one of those days where Kali just clicked. As soon as I was shown it, and we worked a few reps in slowly I had it down. I knew it, and was able to do it pretty well with good flow. This was one of those nights where I was not having a brain melting problem. It all seemed to click. I was able to change from feeding the 1, 3, and 5 attack angles. In turn receiving the 1, 3, and 5 attack angles, blocking punyo attacks, and then also disarming, using the snake disarms.

It was fantastic. Here is a video of me working on the Punyo Sumbrada. =) It feels good when it clicks.

And then there are funny things that happen. These are contact sports/arts so there will be contact and sometimes the camera man gets it too. I was laughing so hard. It did not harm the person, just startled them, the stick landed in their lap, and knocked the phone over. Here is the video.

Thank you for reading, and have a great day!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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