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thai kickboxing
Me too! I wish I'd realized a couple of years ago that there were actually places in Louisville where you can learn Muay Thai (which don't cost an arm and a leg). It's awesome. Also, great fun (for those of us who don't mind the possibility of getting kicked in the face, LOL).
Out of curiousity, how did you discover MT?
I am not too proud to admit that I first happened across it watching a marathon of bad Jean Claude Van Damme movies years ago, LOL. My thinking then was, "Wow, if Muay Thai looks this cool in bad movies, it must be pretty awesome in real life." :D
Good luck with muay thai! I've been doing MT for almost a year, and I can't express how much I love it, it is so much fun! its such a great workout, builds muscle & endurance, its a great stress reliever and seems to help me focus more or something. I've gotten a couple of bruises here and there. Still have a bit of a shoulder injury (from those deadly elbows) but its worth it. I go religiously 3 times a week, i'd go more if the place was closer. I will be getting my green belt in April, right now I am Hi Orange. I actually never heard of Muay Thai (I've heard of American Kickboxing but thats it), i just happened upon it....i was actually looking to take some type of kickboxing classes somewhere, but I didn't want to join a gym & there aren't any dojo's that teach MT close to my house. I was going to see a new doctor and right next to the doctors office was a martial arts place that said Thai Kickboxing. I signed up for a free trial and have been there ever since, its roughly a 25 min drive. I didn't realize how brutal MT is when I signed up but it doesn't matter now, because I am addicted. I also feel very confident that I could defend myself if I needed, even against a bigger person. Now all i need is a 'smoker'....i would love to test my skills on real people!!
LOL, yeah, MT can be pretty brutal ... but I totally hear you on the 'worth it' part! I guess that's part of the draw for me. My gym is also a fair stretch away -- there's one that's a little closer to my house, but Core has a good reputation and the atmosphere alone would be worth the drive, IMO. Everyone trains hard, but off the mats it's just very cool and laid-back. They have an awesome BJJ teacher, too, and I want to do his class eventually, as well ... but I want to get grounded in MT and get my cardio and endurance built up first, LOL.
Not that I'm a sadomasochist or anything, but I have always wanted to get involved with one of the hard-contact martial arts. I learned that I liked fighting when I was a kid ... a couple of friends of mine and I wanted to do karate, but none of our parents would let us, so instead we just cleaned each-others' clocks in the backyard several times a week (I suspect karate would've been far less dangerous, LOL). I would come home with scrapes and bruises, but I always had a blast.
Likewise, while I liked the cameraderie of my TKD dojang, I've never minded getting hit, and always found the 'sparring' element of TKD to be less than satisfying, since most people in TKD would rather avoid actual contact (though, admittedly, the 'how close can I get this spinning back kick/roundhouse kick/tornado kick/insert other kick here without actually touching you' game was kind of fun). MT fills that bill nicely -- you get the camaraderie and the bruises, LOL.
You're right, also, that MT qualifies as an honest-to-God self-defence option ... I guess that's another thing that appeals to me. Not that I tend to get in a lot of fights, or anything, but I am kind of your textbook definition of 'pretty boy' and have taken some flack for it in the past.
I never felt like TKD really offered any real self-defense option, short of 'try to kick 'em in the head and hope they don't have the sense to grab your leg.' We practiced a few basic self-defense techniques, but frankly, they really wouldn't have worked all that well in your average self-defense situation. OTOH, knowing how to land a solid punch and/or rearrange someone's nostrils with your elbows/and or get them in a clinch and knee the living daylights out of them has real life applicability. Likewise, MT teaches you to keep your hands up and guard your face, whereas TKD is like, "Oh, yeah, use a neutral block; that way you're ready to react no matter where someone tries to hit you." From what I've heard, that doesn't really work out too well in real life, LOL.
...But I'm sure I don't need to give you my ZOMG Muay Thai Fanboy Boosterism! speech, LOL, since you are well-versed in the addictive joy of Muay Thai :D
haha, yes I have to say I never heard of Muay Thai until I signed up for class, although I had heard of kickboxing as a martial art (and that's what i was looking for). when i found out it was MT and did a quick search on it, i have to admit i was surprised (and a bit intimidated). i used to think those people who get into a cage and beat the crap out of each other were crazy, but now i totally understand the skill, endurance and dedication it takes to do it, and now I watch it all the time, hootin and hollerin all the way.
I see the TDK students spar sometimes and see just what you are talking about the avoidance of contact or how many cool moves can i use to get a point. Don't get me wrong I love to watch the TDK sparring, and I am not putting it down at all, but I definately see your point.
I remember my first class well. I think I was profusely sweating within the first 5 minutes and could barely breathe, and that was just the warm-up! I find now that my endurance has improved so much that it becomes hard to work up a good sweat doing anything else and when the new people are bent over trying to catch their breath, I'm still breathing normally.
...and I love the Muay Thai Fanboy Boosterism! speech, I love everything about MT, love to watch it, love to watch people train, love to talk about it...
Keep me posted on your progress!!
Yeah ... I admit, I spend way too much time on my mornings off watching Muay Thai and MMA on YouTube, LOL. I harbor secret aspirations of fighting at an amateur level (in MT, rather than MMA), though I don't think I plan to mention that to my Mom, because I suspect that she feels much like you used to -- people who get into a cage and/or a ring and beat the crap out of each-other = crazy, LOL.
As such, I've revised my target weight down a bit ... heretofore, I basically just wanted to be healthier and look good, but my 'fighting weight' is likely somewhere between 135 and 145, rather than my original target of 155. At least, last time I was really fit and in fighting shape, that's where I was, and since I'm still building on the same frame (which is pretty light)...
I feel you on TKD sparring ... I love watching it, too. It's flat out pretty, for one thing. It's like really fast ballet, only the dancers are trying to hit each-other. I used to go to tournaments primarily to watch sparring and the avanced forms, because they can be pretty impressive. There are a lot of people who do MT or MMA and think TKD is a joke; I think it's a great discipline, beautiful, and a fantastic way to get in shape -- just not so much a form of self-defense, LOL (though from what I understand, TKD as the Korean military uses it is a different animal, and flat out fearsome in the order of Kyokushin).
I'm thinking about laying hands on a freestanding bag as well, for the same reason as you -- especially since it'll be another 3 weeks before my schedule lets me do class 3x a week (you better believe I'm counting down the days, though :D). As for good partners ... LOL, yeah, I hear you. I keep trying to talk my room mate into joining my class, largely so I could have someone to practice with at home. I don't think he's going to, though :( He's more interested in grappling.
I think his logic is, "Me square man; not built for kicky fight with silly shorts." Which is somewhat true -- I have a serious reach advantage over him because I'm all arms and legs; I'm only 2" taller than he is but my inseam is like 4" longer (he wears a 28" inseam; mine is 32"). OTOH, reach isn't everything, and he's about four times as strong as I am.
LOL, your first class sounds like mine, especially about the warm-up part. We use a round timer during training, and it has a 30-second warning bell, so basically our warm-up goes: jump rope for most of the round, then do 15 push-ups and 15 squats when the warning bell goes off, then jump rope some more ... we do three rounds of this.
My first day, I was more hobbling rope than jumping rope after the first 5 mins or so, and my second set of push-ups was accompanied by an internal monologue along the lines of, "One ... two ... still two ... ohGodIcan'tdoanotherone ... three ... ow ow ow ... four ... five ... six ... okay, maybe I can put one knee down for a second ... seven ... wheeze ... eight ... crap, everyone else is done with their squats already ... nine ..." and so forth. My third one was too pathetic to describe, LOL.
During the portion of class when we were working the bag, the 30-second bell would go off, and I would be like, "OMG, you mean we have to keep punching this thing for 30 WHOLE SECONDS MORE???!!!!" But, of course, being basically stubborn by nature, I kept going anyway, LOL, because damned if I was gonna let an inanimate object beat me :D
During Wednesday's class this week, I actually managed to keep up with everyone during warm-ups, and felt good enough during the beating-the-crap-out-of-the-heavy-bag portion of class that I could converse with my partner, in so far as I could hear her. I'm actually really surprised how quickly my endurance is improving (though I guess that also partly owes to biking more as well).
I'm definitely starting to feel how truly applicable MT would be in a real-life fight. First of all, yeah -- deadly kicks, you're not kidding, and they don't telegraph anywhere near as badly as TKD kicks. Especially not the switch kick (though the jumping switch kick thing probably telegraphs a bit). They're also a lot more effective than most TKD kicks, simply because they have a lot more power behind them when they connect. Likewise, I can say with candor that I didn't know how to throw a proper punch before I started MT training. I haven't done side knees yet, but I can imagine those are both a) difficult and b) effective. People do not like being struck in the ribs, as a general rule.
I'm starting to work the TKD-related kinks out of my game now ... my first couple of classes, I found it hard to keep from falling into the TKD stance, which is much less square than your basic MT stance, which throws everything else off. During my most recent class, I didn't find that to be the case; likewise, Trey didn't have to keep reminding me to keep my hands up, now, LOL.
I think it's one of those wiring things -- you have to kind of neurologically rewire yourself into a different 'home' position. My 'home' stance is now significantly better. OTOH, I still seem to be wired to deliver every single kick higher than is really necessary -- when we're working the bag, Trey will be, like, "Imagine you're kicking the guy in the knee," and I'm like, "Oh, okay," and hit at hip-level. D'oh.
I suspect that's partially TKD "MUST KICK AS HIGH AS POSSIBLE!!!" wiring and partially a need to strengthen my posterior thigh muscles in relation to my quadriceps, so the prime mover/antagonist relationship is improved. Huzzah for Anatomy & Physiology, LOL!
At any rate ... I have difficulty understand how anyone could do more than, say, two classes and not just want to eat, sleep, and breathe Muay Thai, LOL. Lately, pretty much all my dreams entail Muay Thai in one form or another. I'm pretty certain at this point that I'm hooked for life.
For the record, I'm also surprised how much looser my work pants are getting, LOL. I didn't figure MT would accelerate my shrink rate this much :D
LMAO! Too funny! I totally agree on everything you said. I watch a lot of MMA too, youtube, UFC, WEC... I also harbor secret aspirations of fighting at amateur level (MT not MMA) myself but I also suspect my family would think I'm nuts, as well and I wondered how to explain the black eyes to my co-workers.
The Century (Cardio) bag i got from Amazon.com was only $110 with shipping. Its not the $300 XL version that the dojo has but the smaller version is perfect for home. I really didn't have the room for the hanging bag so this great!
And OMG how long is 30 seconds?!?!? It feels like forever sometimes! Yesterday at class we had to do one full minute of a punching/kicking combo and my god i thought to myself, 'he's not looking at the clock, this can't be one minute' but it was. It's funny too when I watch those MMA fights that have 5 minute rounds. I give those guys all the respect in the world because I think 3 minutes sounds tough, 5 minutes seems like forever! I think I could 2 minutes, haha!!
Yeah the endurance and muscles don't take long. My endurance changed within a couple weeks. And although I was strength training before I started, my arms became really really cut within the first 2-3 weeks. Everybody noticed my arms and asked me what i was doing. I started noticing the new cuts in my legs, calfs, back and abs a little later but I'd say within the first month or two. They say that you can expect results in about 3 weeks and I find that pretty accurate.
"I definately dream of MT! I had problems at first with the whole switch knee/switch kick thing. One night I woke up, and all of a sudden it just clicked in my mind. Same thing happens with form, I'll just wake up in the middle of the night, and its like 'oh i get it now!'"
Oh, cool! I can totally relate to that! LOL, we're training in our sleep! That's definitely kind of what went down with basic kicking technique and stance -- I had been thinking about Trey's instructions and watched a couple of good videos about MT kicking technique, and it just kind of all came together while I was dreaming. I also like the fact that MT is very feedback-positive by nature -- you can feel when you're doing it right, because it's so much more efficient than doing it wrong. I've had the same experience with TKD and horseback riding -- that 'click' moment, when suddenly you're like, "OH! THAT's how it's supposed to feel!"
I also know what you mean about needing to stop thinking and just do it -- I definitely found that was true in TKD, and it was one of the things I loved about TKD. My mind is always going at about a million miles an hour, and the only time it stops and gets really clear is when I'm doing something intensely demanding with my body. It's that 'Too many minds' thing -- LOL, you can even learn useful things from Tom Cruise movies :D
I hope you will get to teach someday. Your enthusiasm for MT is fantastic and infectious, and I think that's probably what any instructor needs. I think for a lot of people that's what's going to keep them coming back the first couple of times. I guess you can probably tell by the third or fourth class who's going to keep coming, LOL, but until then...
Well, I have to go try to replicate a software malfunction ... this should be fun, LOL.
it's funny because i think that's the thing i like most about the martial arts is that you keep your mind occupied with what you are doing and totally block everything else out. I really think that its what keeps me coming back. It really amazes me that i can totally cut myself out of the real world for an hour to do this and not care about anything else.
Thanks for the vote of confidence with me teaching one day. I do have a lot of enthusiam and I hope it is infectious. But, I guess I'm just not that confident in myself. I'm sure if i were black belt it would be different, i guess i'll have to wait and see.
And yes, that is my dog on my avatar. That was my dog Nikki. She was my first dog that i had when I didn't live at home with my parents growing up. She was my first baby, and we had to put her down last year, 3/08. I think about her every day and still cry about her. She was diabetic for 6 years and needed 2 insulin shots a day. At one point she was completely blind due to diabetes, but one of her cataracts detached and floated around her eye, she needed emergency surgery which actually enabled her to see out of one eye (she was not a candidate for cataract surgery, they have some test that told us she was not eligible for it). Later on she had to have the other eye removed due to a melting ulcer. So it was hard on both of us. It's hard to make these types of decisions, when you love an animal you really don't want to see them go, i can't explain it. I know that some people thought we were insane having all these surgeries and stuff but i wouldn't change a thing. She's the best friend i've ever had, never disagreed with me and never got upset with me about anyting, haha. She's been on my mind a lot lately because her one year death anniversary is coming up.
I <3 greyhounds, totally. When I settle down and buy a house, I want to adopt a pair of ex-racing greyhounds. If I was planning on staying in my current place, I would probably do it tomorrow, LOL -- but this house is too expensive to allow me to go to school full-time, and the apartment I'll be moving to in August will take cats, but not dogs :(
It sounds like Nikki was a really big part of your life ... it's really hard to lose a dog or a cat that has been so close to you. IMO, as long as animals seem to enjoy the quality of their lives and seem to want to keep on going, we as their family members and guardians have a duty to do everything in our power for them -- so I don't think you're crazy at all. It sounds like you worked really hard to ensure that Nikki would have the best life she could for as long as possible, but also knew when it was time to say good-bye. I really respect that.
The pictures of KD and Kayla are great :D KD looks like she's pondering some weighty philosophical matter (or wondering if she might be forgetting an appointment, or something). Kayla has the same look my little blue cat FuzzBat gets when he's stretched out pretending to be chill, but is in fact about to tear off across the room, LOL.
I know what you mean about ppl who aren't involved in martial arts not understanding the way everything else just sort of falls away on the mats. I can't help thinking that all of life 'should' be like that -- it's the whole idea of 'mindfulness' that's so central to Zen practice, really: the idea of 'being here, now.' I would expect my roommate to understand, as he practices Zen, but he seems to think I primarily pursue martial arts because I'm hyperactive and have some kind of tough-guy fantasy going on (which is absolutely hilarious -- the 'tough guy' part, I mean: criminy, the man lives in the same house as me! He should know better!).
I wonder, actually, if that isn't the reason that so many people long for their high-school athletic days -- I suspect that many Americans never experience that sort of focused awareness outside of sports. Our lives are so fast and so chaotic; it's very hard to remain truly mindful in the midst of them. I used to think it was merely a matter of making choices -- choosing work that doesn't make remaining mindful nearly impossible, for example -- but the more I'm out in the world, the more I realize that often the choices are, basically, bad or worse, where mindfulness is concerned, LOL.
Then, I guess, I also find it hard to keep my mind in one place when I'm not moving. When I'm doing something physical, it comes fairly naturally -- which makes me think that I'm in the wrong line of work, LOL, though I can't really think of a viable alternative for the short term (e.g., one that would both pay my bills and leave me enough time and energy for Muay Thai). This is part of why I'm trying to finish my degree -- I'm hoping to open up some options that I don't have right now.
I think your self-confidence is reasonable -- you know what your own strengths and weaknesses are. By the time that you make black belt, I imagine you'll be very well qualified, especially since you're already learning how to teach when you help newer students with forms, lead stretches, and so forth.
I think the thing to remember in martial arts is that everyone's really a student -- you never really stop learning. Traditionally, receiving a black belt basically meant you had mastered the basics of your particular style -- IMO, that's a lot of basics! LOL. To receive a black belt meant you had achieved proficiency -- kind of like graduating from High School. The further black belt degrees are like post-secondary education: you're still always learning from people who are, themselves, always learning!
In my TKD dojang, every level had a responsibility to guide the level below -- so even as a yellow belt, you were assisting the white-belts, while the orange-belts were assisting you, and so forth. This is one of the ideas I like in martial arts -- that everyone can help someone. Even a white-belt who is on his second class can help out a newbie who just walked in the door -- and even the most senior black belt in a given school most likely has someone he or she looks up to as a teacher.
So, while as a green belt, you're still a student, you'll also still be a student as a black belt. I don't think it's too soon to have aspirations of teaching :D I'd like to teach, some day, though I have a very long way to go before I get there.
Greyhounds are great (or greyt, as us greyhound owners say) dogs. Its so sad how they are treated. It took her a couple months to figure out how to get up the stairs. She was also very malnourished, she's gained 10 lbs since we got her (in August) but she could still gain more. she loves to run like a crazy dog, our backyard is like a racetrack now, not sure if we'll ever have grass back there again! Nikki was a huge part of my life, I got her when she was 8 weeks old and she was 12 when she passed, i think i forgot to add that she had bladder cancer too, that's what killed her. Apparently, its a rare form of cancer and hers was inoperable so it was kind of a wait and see. They didn't expect her to live more than a couple months after diagnosis but she lasted about a year. I think KD was dreaming about finally catching the squirrel in that picture. She tries all the time, she got a baby groundhog once (that was horrible!). My dogs are my kids!!
I never thought the thing that i'd like the most about martial arts is the 'mindfulness'. No matter what is going on in life, when I'm there, there's nothing else that comes into my mind, not even for a second. I love that! Although OTOH, there are times I'm thinking too much about what I'm doing. I guess I'm surprised that I can actually get that focused. I have trouble keeping my mind in one place too, i'm all over the place.
Its funny what you say about the black belt thing because the Master was just telling us a couple weeks ago that the only difference between white belt and back belt is the black belt is a perfected form. So basically, like you just said. I don't know about everybody else in my class but I really do practice to try to get these forms right, i know a lot of people are in it just for the workout but for me its much more. youre right, always a student!
I also love that new avatar you have! too funny. Hey do you like those gel wraps? I was thinking of getting a pair but I heard they are flimsy and rip easily.
I like them -- they're certainly convenient. I've heard mixed reviews of them -- Brian's current pair is about six months old and looks like they're holding up well, but I've seen a lot of reviews on various sites that basically say they fall apart easily.
They're also a bit on the heavy side, which is either a good thing or a bad thing, depending on who you ask, LOL. I'm all for the train in heavier gloves/fight in lighter gloves model -- it's astounding how light your hands feel, and how much quicker you are, when you swap out for a lighter pair or just take them off.
The other nice thing about them is that you can't accidentally make them too tight and cut off your own circulation -- or you can, but you'd have to work really hard. I doubt I'd have too much of a problem with that with Mexican handwraps, though ... I've wrapped a lot of horses' legs, and it requires a fairly light touch.
Oh -- and if your hands are simply on fire, you can take them off easily.
Most of my class uses Mexican handwraps, and in all honesty, I'll probably go that direction eventually -- but I do like the gel wraps, none the less.
Edit: Another thing I discovered ... if you happen to acquire some kind of minor injury, CVS pharmacies (and probably other pharmacies) sell something called an "Instant Cold Therapy Wrap." I managed to mildly strain my left Achilles' tendon last night, and I have one on my leg right now. It's awesome. I have trouble with ice-packs, because I'm a complete wuss about really cold things touching me -- this is just cold enough, without being too cold, and you get basically the ice and compression effects in one.
My leg is very happy right now, LOL.
Further edit: Oh, and I'm glad you like my avatar! :D It makes me giggle. Though I very nearly did get pwn3d by the heavy bag last night -- my workout partner was both huge (like twice the size I should be) and skilled, and wow, could he hit.
Original Post by snoopini:
Greyhounds are great (or greyt, as us greyhound owners say) dogs. Its so sad how they are treated.
I never thought the thing that i'd like the most about martial arts is the 'mindfulness'. No matter what is going on in life, when I'm there, there's nothing else that comes into my mind, not even for a second. I love that! Although OTOH, there are times I'm thinking too much about what I'm doing. I guess I'm surprised that I can actually get that focused. I have trouble keeping my mind in one place too, i'm all over the place.
youre right, always a student!
I agree about greyhounds -- likewise race horses. Standardbreds have it better than thoroughbreds, but thoroughbreds have it flat out awful ... the Kentucky Derby is roughly the equivalent of asking 13-year old kids to sprint like Olympians ... then we wonder why they break down :::sigh::: By comparison, your average equine athlete hasn't even started his or her career at three -- they've barely started training.
I'm hoping for reforms in both sports ... I think they're slowly coming along in horse racing, but it's so much more in the public eye than greyhound racing. Greyhound racing doesn't get anywhere near the attention it should, and greyhounds are such awesome dogs (greyt! I love that :D).
Of course, I'm pretty much a sucker for all dogs, cats, horses, etc, LOL. I totally know what you mean about them being your kids ... my Fuzzbat is like that (he's my little blue cat). My big cat, Bruce, thinks he's my Dad, though!
...I guess the balance we have to learn to strike in martial arts is that one between clear-minded focus and overthinking, LOL. I know that once I start thinking too hard, I pretty much just screw up 'til we go on to the next thing (or wind up punching myself in the face, LOL).
Then again, overthinking things is my #1 problem in life, which is part of why I opted to just jump into Muay Thai -- it would've been more convenient to wait 'til our work schedule calmed down in late March, but by then, I would've thought myself out of it.
Like you said -- it's the one time in my life when I'm not thinking about anything else, and that feeling makes it all worth while: it's like it gives my mind time to breathe. I think it also explains the Mindless Gym Recruiter Zombie effect, LOL: between Brian and me, we're slowly convincing all the tech support guys totry it, or at least think about it. I'm trying to work on my own department, but they're a harder bunch -- most of them are kind of more gamer-ish, and they'll be like, "Oh, yeah! Martial arts are cool!" but they're kind of afraid to actually get out there and give it a go.
I do wonder how many people will actually come out. A lot of people talk a good game but don't follow through. It's really too bad; they have no idea what they're missing.
OTOH, maybe if Brian and I would stop horsing around and kicking each-other ... LOL
Edit: Left out this bit.
I love the idea that in martial arts, there's always something to learn or some way you can improve. I feel much the same way about horsemanship. And I like the fact that in both MA and horsemanship, you can really test your own skills through competition (of course, if I were competing in Muay Thai right now, it would be for the title of Suckiest Newbie, LOL).
Oh hai ... I forgot to mention something a while back.
If you're looking for a smoker, it might be worth checking out www.bullshido.net (which is basically a site dedicated to quality control in the martial arts through generalized crabbiness, so of course I love it, since I'm hyper-analytical and crabby by nature, LOL). They have a forum for smokers and 'throw-downs' (kind of like smokers, but even less formal), and people fairly routinely post questions like, "Hey, any smokers in My City, Nebraska," etc.
Thanks for the gel wrap review. I actually went to the sports store a few weeks ago and tried a pair on and I too wondered how quickly I could get them off if my hands were on fire. I really like the mexican wraps, which i use in class but i was thinking of being lazy when i'm home and want to punch my bag around.
I've heard a lot of good things about the instant cold therapy. I have ice packs at home but i don't like the cold on my skin either, i find it painful, haha. I should keep some on hand. I usually use this stuff called Biofreeze, which is basically menthol, works better than that Tiger Balm stuff, although I smell like menthol all the time. I hurt my shoulder in Sept. and i didn't take a break so my shoulder got so inflamed that I couldn't lift my arm. I went to the doctor and he's been giving me these anti-immflamatory shots which helps a lot. Its almost 100% now, like 98% and i just got a bunch of shots yesterday so i think i'm golden now, i had to stop strength training for a couple months but now I'm up to lifting 5 lbs...haha...so frustrating when you have an injury, especially because its my right arm, and i'm righty.
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