muay thai

thai kickboxing

Aww, don't feel bad!  I'm glad I at least can still talk about training with you :D  If I couldn't at least talk about MT, I'd go nuts.

I think I'd feel kind of goofy doing defense moves around the bag, too -- though if we ever do that, and I feel goofy about it, I'll simply remind myself of the time I got smacked in the balls by a heavy bag.  When I'm convinced I'm really looking like a moron during shadow boxing, sometimes I'll look around the room -- at any given time, there's usually at least one other guy looking just as dumb :D

Yeah, you'll definitely get it in time!  I think the important part is to be able to see what you're doing wrong and why, and you've got that down :)  That whole 'knowing is half the battle' idea certainly works for Muay Thai.

BTW, I mean to say your master's on to something WRT encouraging you all to exchange phone numbers and build camaraderie.  Getting to know each-other and hanging out together definitely fosters that 'keep coming back' attitude.

I wonder if some people don't get turned off at some gyms because the more experienced people can seem a little 'clique-ish.'  It usually isn't that they really are, so much as that they happen to already know each-other, but I would bet it can come across that way to n00bs who don't know anyone. 

OTOH, it seems like the MMA crowd is pretty gregarious, and in the US, at least, the MMA crowd comprises a large proportion of Muay Thai fanatics.

Consider this a sidebar to our entire conversation: I think I'm going to spend my break from training reading about Muay Thai, watching good fighters (probably on TouTube :::sigh:::), and learning everything I can theory-wise.

Then, when I get back to training, I'm going to focus more closely on technique.

By then, at this rate, I will need to buy new shorts :)

Edit: Oh, also in the Ironic LULz Department...

Around December, I was hunting all over Louisville trying to find a gym that trained Muay Thai that I could actually get to.

Turns out there's a place like three freaking blocks from my house.  I keep meaning to mention this, LOL.  It's a smallish gym, but has been there for at least as long as I've lived in Louisville, and I must've glanced at it a million times in the past and said to myself, "I wonder if it might be any fun to train there?"

It may not be as cool as Core -- don't know, haven't been there -- but it does have a devoted following of fairly serious MMA types who actually fight. 

The ironic part is, I'd heard of this place not that long ago, I just didn't realize that MMA gyms frequently teach Muay Thai, because at the time I didn't realize that MMA and Muay Thai were like bicycles and crank shafts.

The fact that I must've walked past it a million times and never bothered to walk through the door and say, "Oh Hai, How Do Muay Thai?" makes me think that finding Core was a Date With Destiny.

But it still makes me laugh.

Maybe I'll drop in on them one of these days and check them out.

You know it's funny that you mention the clique.  I often wonder if new people feel this way.  I never really felt this way myself, but I can see how others might think some of us are a clique.  I definitely clique with the night people simply because I go at night, but when I go to class on Saturday I see a lot of the day people and I talk with all of them too, we don't talk a lot but I don't feel separate.  I try to go out of my way to say hello to the new people so they don't think that or get intimidated by the higher level people.  We were all new once, I bet it does appear clique-ish though.  But, I do see how us sparring people will definitely clique once we really get going. 

Do you watch a lot of MMA fights on TV?  I'm looking forward to Sat.'s fight with Anderson Silva.  There's a local restaurant/bar that has been having a UFC night, I haven't gone yet, thinking of going this Sat. (which reminds me to call to see if they even have it).  So you pay like $10 a head and get to see the PPV fight.  I usually don't buy PPV fights but it would be cool to hang in the bar and watch (and I love Silva). 

Great idea to read up on MT.  I do that too.  I watch a lot of instructional you tube videos and have read books.  I also checked out some DVDs.  You can get some great used deals on Amazon.  Then I just resell stuff when I'm done with it.  I should check out some theory myself, would help with my sparring. 

You should definitely check out that local gym.  Cross training is never a bad idea. I love would love to check out a small gym, I bet you get more one on one. I would love some one on one training.  I hear you about the destiny LOL I feel the same about my place, it was just being in the right place at the right time.

Edit: added a couple of paragraphs to address stuff I meant to address in the beginning :)

On the cliques thing -- that's kind of how things roll at Core, too.  I don't think anyone tries to be cliquish; I think we just automatically wind up hanging with the people we know, LOL.

I'm curious how different gym's populations break down.  Would you say your day-class people are more or less hard-core?  Core's are the people who eat, sleep, and breathe Muay Thai and do it six days a week (as opposed to those of us who eat, sleep, and breathe Muay Thai, but only manage to make it to the gym three times a week, so far :D).

/edit

You know, it's funny, but I almost never watch MMA on TV, mainly because I almost never watch TV.  I watch DVDs fairly often, but I don't usually think to turn on the TV, and when I do, there's never anything on.  I wonder if Netflix has MMA DVDs?  I watch most of my Muay Thai and MMA stuff on YouTube -- more often straight Muay Thai than MMA. 

I think I've decided I'm probably not going to branch out into MMA, but stick with my Muay-Thai-specialist approach.  In the long run, I think I'll enjoy that more -- though I'll probably try to pick up a little BJJ here and there, because it couldn't hurt.  Suffice it to say that my goal isn't to roll with the big dogs :D  There seems to be enough straight MT action around here that I shouldn't have trouble finding a fight when the time comes.

The UFC night thing might make a good outing for your sparring group!  Some guys from Core do stuff like that (and go to in- and out-of-town fights, and suchlike).  If I knew my MT classmates a little better, I would try to organize something like that for our group.  OTOH, I have this sense that it might be very much like herding cats, LOL.

There are so many Silvas in MMA!  They're like a dynasty (though not on the order of the Immortal Gracie Clan :D).

I think I will indeed drop by Highlander.  It would be cool to visit them, even if I don't wind up training with them.  Maybe I'll shoot them an email, as well, and see if they wouldn't mind a visit.

I thought you might find this article interesting:

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/exercise_fi tness/muay-thai.html

It's from two years ago -- I wonder what happened to the Fight Girls show?

LOL, I'm not sure how I'm going to cope with this whole 'resting' idea.  I think I can say with confidence that I am feeling marginally better today, though it may be a combination of lack of sleep (like an idiot, I stayed up until 3 AM reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest) and caffiene, both of which cloud my judgment.  I find myself longing for the thrill of training.

Do I file this under 'building mental toughness?'

I know some people who go to day class but not all.  I wouldn't say they are hard core, I have a feeling a lot are stay at home moms looking for a good workout, but I don't know that, just an assumption, but I've heard the day classes are killer classes so I'll have to go once when I have a day off to check it out.  I think us night people are the hard core people.  I think if I were somebody who wanted to pursue a career in MT (and had money or sponsors) I would probably be training at a boxing gym in addition, I've heard boxing is great addition to MT.  I know that just going to my place alone wouldn't be enough, unless of course I were to get some extra one on one, I think they definitely have the knowledge.  I think my place is a really good place for technique and how to do proper MT moves.  I think the master has a lot of great knowledge when it comes to the sparring aspect too (he's a big boxing fan).  He was giving us some sparring pointers last night.  You know it's hard when you start sparring, you get there, touch gloves, and then what?  So he gives us some good pointers while we are sparring which is really helpful.  I got some good tips which will help me next time.  I kind of got bombarded with punches at one point and other than cover, I didn't know what to do so the master showed me how to cover, get in close, so I could clinch and knee, something I wouldn't have thought of on my own, so it's really cool learning the psychology (if that's what you call it) of it.  Recently one of the TKD black belts was telling the class that her son went to college and the dojang that he joined out of state called up and told the master how good his form and technique were. I think that's why he's hard on us, he always tells us that if we ever go somewhere else, he wants to make sure we have good technique.

I don't watch too much TV myself but I like to watch MMA fights to see their moves.  I actually tape a lot of the UFC stuff and then watch it on a rainy day when my husband is out playing his drums or something.  You can see a lot of stuff on YouTube too.  Good for learning, it's great when you see a guy losing, then out of nowhere he gets the perfect kick to the head and lights out, he wins....that's awesome!  Fight night would make a good gathering for us MT people.  I think we should do an AC fight night, since it's only about 1 1/2 hour away.  I'll have to keep an eye out on the fights.  I don't think Netflix has MMA DVD's.  I found a couple on BitTorrent, not sure if you use that or not.  One that I thought was good was Rob the Razor McCullough, I never finished watching it but what I saw was good, I d/l some others but they weren't any good, that's the problem with buying them I guess.  I bought some from Amazon that were good, Sakeson or something like that. I bought two and then re-sold them on Amazon.

Well last night class was pretty good we learned a round knee.  Now this was interesting and I've never seen this move in any of my MMA watching, so it was cool to see something new.  I'm not sure I can even explain it.  It can do some serious damage too.  You know when you do round kick and you lift your knee up (if you were doing slow mo) first, well you would just whale your knee into the gut, or ribs, it's more straight on though, than from the side.  So the master says to me, remember when we spar there's no knees below the belt, so you have to use that knee above the belt (not that easy to do but I managed), watch out Iron Balls!  We learned some reverse kick last week, that had my brain spinning, i could do it with one leg but not the other.

I loved Fight Girls (d/l BitTorrent).  There's also a movie that preceded it, it was Ring Girls, then a couple of those girls were in the series Fight Girls, it was good.  I loved it!!

I'm glad you are feeling better!  I'm sorry you are longing for training.  Maybe you will get better sooner than expected, well one can only hope! 

I am so happy tomorrow is Friday...this week blows. I just got a request from somebody who feels that my job as a graphic artist is somehow connected to rand mcnally and wants me to make up some maps, so they can have a pretty picture for a report.....WTF?  How does one make a map? Especially with blocked interenet?  WTFF!

LOL, I know what you mean about "You get there, touch gloves, then what?"

In TKD, I used to just pretty much come out swingin', because I was pretty much at the top of my class (except when I went to the evening classes with the serious TKD people who had been training, like, forever-ever, and then I was at the bottom of my class, but I don't think I ever 'sparred' in an evening class).  Besides, since I wasn't allowed to really hit anyone, I wasn't afraid of offending anyone, then getting my butt handed back to me on a plate.

In MT, I usually do about the same, but once in a while I'll do this Bizarre Japanese Deference to Senior Students thing sometimes, sort of bow and wait for them to come dismantle me, and they look at me like, "Um ... you gonna make your move, or what?"  Next time I feel so inclined, I should simply shout something like, "Hai, sempai!", apologize profusely for my inadequacies as a human being, a training partner, and a student ... and then throw a nice hard mid-kick :)

I respect your master's approach -- the whole, 'if you ever go somewhere else' idea is a good one.  Like, I have wanted to go to Thailand for years (had an opportunity to go for free a few years back, too, and declined because my b/f thought it was a bad idea :::sigh:::).  When I do get around to it, I would like to do some training over there, and I'd like to a) avoid looking like a complete moron and b) represent my gym well.

Oh, yeah, and AC fight night would be AWESOME!  They have some good fights there.

Yeay round knees!  Jay and Alex have shown us round knees -- rather, they taught the more advanced guys round knees, while we n00bs worked on trying to be less n00btastic and tried to secretly absorb the techniques of the non-n00bs by osmosis :D 

The way you describe it ("You know when you do round kick and you lift your knee up (if you were doing slow mo) first, well you would just whale your knee into the gut") is pretty much how Jay describes the technique as well :D  Edit: I should add that he also always reminds us to fold our leg, no matter what knee technique is involved -- like 100 times per class.  "Fold your leg.  Fold your leg.  Fold your leg."  You should really hear him when we're all doing skip knees on the bags and we're all tired and we start letting our calves hang.  It's funny.  Also humiliating when the skinny 145-lb pure-muscle badass of my height and build is whacking away on his bag like whistlin' Dixie, LOL.

From what I understand, knees are most useful -- I <3 knees.

OMG, I so hear you about Unreasonable Expectations at Work.  Especially with no internets.  We had a bunch of temporary techs during our Giant Release of Doom, and the poor guys had no access to anything.  They couldn't even look at our database -- all they had was experience, instinct, and our 'customer service application,' which does its job reasonably well, but isn't always enough by a long shot if you're trying to do tech support.  Thus, when I was up there doing the problem-research bit, every 5 mins someone would be like, "Hey can you look up this firewall for me?"  "Hey, would you find this guy in the DB for me?"  I felt bad for them, because it makes them look incompetent.

Do you have to make a map of an actual place, or are you allowed to just make stuff up for the purposes of this project?  I love making fake maps.  OTOH, having to make up a map of a real place with no reference would suck, unless the map only needed to be utterly rudimentary.

It's too bad that we're not permitted to apply our Muay Thai training in such situations and simply kick some sense into people :)

LOL, i was just telling the guys that the other night....like if you don't like what somebody says to you, don't you wish you could just give them an elbow or something...'what was that?' :::::elbow to the face:::::  'i didn't hear you' ::::flying knee to the head:::::: 'what? add more highways to that map' ::::::push kick, jab, cross, hook, round kick::::::: take that MF'er!!! haha! A girl can dream, can't she?

it's a real map and it's supposed to be accurate, and i'm trying the explain that I'm not exactly sure where to put the roads (yes roads) and he's just telling me that we should have a map of these roads....wtff, do you see rand mcnally on my forehead or something?  Well we'll see what the next round of proofs bring.  Luckily he doesn't work in the same building as me. :)

it's funny when i do those game manuals, the company does the same thing to me, they don't give me access to all their files, so i have to keep bothering the creative director for specific files and it's a real pain in the butt. it ends up taking longer to do things. work blows!  I'd like to win the lottery but I don't really play it! (duh)

Thailand would be great.  in that fight girls series they had to go to Thailand, they say it's really really hot, and its harder to train there, one of the girls was puking, i think the altitude is different too.

LOL -- this is one of the things that made me first realize I liked Brian.

I was irked about something someone said or did, and mentioned it to him, and he said, "You know what he needs?  He needs a punch in the face."

...Which is, btw, now my solution for everything.  Insane North Korean dictator threatening the rest of the world for no apparent reason?  He needs a punch in the face.  Crazy lady from Alaska trying to take over the United States?  She, too, would benefit from a punch in the face.  People driving like rejects from a Mad Max movie?  You guessed it -- punch in the face.  Kentucky government acting like a bunch of mentally-feeble dinosaurs?  Same thing.  Punch in the face.

It's the universal remedy for everything from poor manners to poor government to plain ol' lack of common sense!  :D

(LOL, no wonder people think Muay Thai is a sport full of violent, angry people.)

Yeah, if I were that guy, I would be pretty darned glad I didn't work in the same building as you, and if I were you, I would be saying about what you're saying now :)

I have the same problem with the lottery, LOL -- what was their slogan, "You can't win if you don't play" or something?  So I never win, and -- thus far, anyway -- I can't accuse them of false advertising :D

I despise games of chance and, for the most part, don't enjoy gambling, which probably makes me no fun at all to take to a casino (though I did get a kick out of playing poker with my sis and her friends a few times, primarily because the patter around the table was always profoundly amusing).  I used to go with my old roomie to keep him from doing something stupid like blowing half his monthly income in one sitting (after the first time he came home looking contrite and informed me that he had done exactly that).

Yeah -- there seem to be two kinds of camps in Thailand, if you're farang -- the ones where you aren't going to learn much, and the ones where you're going to train harder than you've ever trained in your life in 100-degree heat with 300% humidity and come back knowing more than you ever though you would, LOL. 

I've heard tell of at least one that'll take you on pretty much for free if you're willing to fight for them.  Part of me finds the idea very intriguing, since, to a degree, it's like summer camp, only it's all Muay Thai all the time, you don't have to pay your way (except air fare), and you get to actually fight.  You should get your hubby into Muay Thai -- then you guys could take a sabbatical year and go go train together :D

Happy Friday!

Well I think I finished the map properly (i think).  I haven't heard from my overly caffeinated friend yet today so we shall see...  People tend to think that since you are in the graphics department that you have all graphic images imaginable at the touch of a finger (and I mean in an instant).  I tried 'splaining to him that we only have graphics that people request, we don't have things that people may one day need which tends to come across as complaining.::::sigh:::::

well i checked out the bar with the UFC night and they aren't having it this time!  I guess it didn't do so well the last time so they aren't bringing it back.  Oh well, perhaps I'll spring for the PPV and have my own chips & dip! 

I didn't know you could go to Thailand and train for free at some places, that's pretty cool!  LOL I don't think my husband would be into that!  I heard that you should learn some thai before going too, makes it helpful to understand when they tell you that you amerians suck, haha.

Not a big gambler either, if I go to a casino I would play slots with a $20, that's it.  We went to Atlantic City last summer and what was cool is that everything is inside the hotel.  So we had a few drinks at a bar, went to the restaurant and ate dinner, then play some slots, check out stores and stuff then just walk up to your room, they even had a 24 hour store to buy muchies and stuff in.  It was cool.

duplicate post

Yeay for finishing the map!  I know what you mean about the persistent delusion of graphics conjuring ... LOL.  It's similar to the 'computer fix spell' that people attribute to tech support!  (I'm so freaking glad I don't work in tech support anymore.)  Likewise, there's this tendency in both development and QA for clients (internal or external) to believe that all development folk are psychic and can simply pluck their needs from their skulls.  :::sigh:::  When I get frustrated, I tell myself, "Oh, well -- these guys pay my bills," LOL.

It's too bad that bar isn't doing the UFC night anymore :(  OTOH -- springing for the PPV and doing your own chips & dip sounds good!

It's too bad your hubby wouldn't go for training Muay Thai in Thailand.  I guess there have to be some people out there who don't want to fight ... LOL, otherwise, who would watch us when we step in the ring?  :D

I've definitely heard that it helps to learn some Thai as well.  I consider that a wise policy no matter where you go -- in part because it's simply the polite thing to do, and in part because speaking the language of a given region makes it harder for the sharps of the world to take advantage of you.

The everything-inside-the-hotel concept sounds like it could make for an ultra-relaxing vacation.  I prioritize vacation time depending on how much I have -- if I have a long stretch (several weeks at least), I'm happy to run around, travel, visit different places.  If I only have a week or two, though, I want to park my butt in one location where I can access all the stuff I want to do without having to get in a car and drive.

LOL, I'm glad you like my new avatar.  It was one of those images I couldn't resist -- it seriously looks like the guy in the blue shorts is talking on a cell phone.

I wonder if I look like that when I'm blocking kicks...

LOL, my husband does tech support.  I can't believe the kinds of questions people ask, some of these calls are really unbelievable.  My favorite one is when somebody called him and said their mouse didn't work.  So he goes over to the idiot's desk and the person was using their mouse upside down (I couldn't even make that up)! I'm sure you have plenty of your own stories too.

I hope the map is done, I think other people are looking at it too, I had to make one more change on Friday so who knows.

Well UFC at home was ok.  The fights weren't that great.  Chuck Lidell lost and will never be fighting again, and the Anderson Silva fight was a real bore, although he did win.  So it was ok, not great.  It's funny because one of the reasons I don't buy these PPV's is because some of these fights only last 35 seconds.  Well this one went all 5 rounds and was a sleeper....so I think I will not be buying the PPV again.

It does kinda look like the guy's on a cell phone (in your avatar), that's funny! 

Sparring tonight!!  I'm not feeling great either, but I can't miss sparring night or the smack talk will never end...  I'd rather go and say I don't feel good then not go and hear that I was afraid of Iron Balls!! Hopefully I do better tonight!

LOL, yeah, I think all my best 'war stories' come from tech support. 

My favorite is from the brief period that I worked for GeekSquad.  A guy calls in from one of Louisville's affluent suburbs.  He's just purchased a brand-spanking new system and a router and signed up for cable internet with Insight (our fantastic local cable company), and he wants a wireless setup.  We set an appointment with one of our 'Double Agents' (the guys who get to do service calls), and the next day the fellow goes out to do the job.  A couple hours later, he comes back, chuckling to himself.

Turns out the guy wanted a wireles setup -- no power cords, no plugs, etc.

We all nearly died of laughter.

It sucks that the fights weren't great :(  Also sucks that Lidell lost his last fight.  IMO, if I ever get around to fighting (which I'm fairly sure I will), I intend to retire on a positive note.  Not that I'm ever likely to be on TV, getting my butt handed to me in front of the entire planet, but ... yeah.

I hear you about 5-round sleepers.  My old roomie was a boxing fan, and I never did grasp how he could sit through those long, long, long, long heavyweight fights where nobody gets knocked out.  I mean, sure the knockout fights were kind of cool -- but I much preferred watching the little guys duke it out (after all, "Skinny guys fight 'til they're burger.").

I wonder, though, if that might not boil down to the fact that he was about 5' 10" and built like a Sherman tank, whereas I (at the time) was still 5'7" (I grew about 2.5" after I graduated from HS) and built like a whippet, LOL.

Oh, BTW, I had yet another round of "Muay Thai is for pansies" with Cameron.  I suggested that he call my gym and arrange a fight between himself and Jay, LOL, provided that he doesn't hold me responsible for his medical bills.

PS: I hope your sparring class rocks tonight!  I rather dread the ribbing I'm going to receive when I hobble my heiney back to Core in a few weeks, so I know what you mean about missing, LOL.

Oh that's funny about the wireless system.  I'm constantly surprised by the questions people call up about.  And, he has to be on call all weekend, so people will call at like 6am on a Saturday because they can't log into email.  It's ridiculous (it doesn't wake me up or anything, just ridiculous).

I've tried to watch boxing, and it gets boring for me.  i can't stand all the holding they do, and its soooo long.  At least in the MMA fights, the longest fight is 5-5 min rounds, and they don't often last that long, boxing is soooooo much longer.  I like watching the lighter weights myself, I don't follow the heavier classes, not really interesting to me.

I still don't understand the Cameron pansy comment but you know what they say, ignorance is bliss!

Well sparring was pretty good last night.  I got to spar with a different guy.  He's about 6'2" and twice my weight.  I'm only 5'6"!  HaHa, I think I'm doing better, although I got hit with a nice square shot to the face AGAIN (this one actually made slight contact).  Gear is on order, hopefully it will be in soon.  I'm a little concerned because I think I hurt my toe/foot.  I think on one of my kicks, the joint that connects your big toe to your foot (whatever that piece of anatomy is called) landed on his knee. I'm thrilled that's it's not my pivoting foot because then I would definitely be out.  I don't think anything is broken, and its not swollen anywhere (I think by now it would be swollen).  So I can't get on my 'tippy toes' on my right foot and I'm having a little trouble walking.  I hope it's nothing.

I don't think you'll get ribbed for having pneumonia, that's pretty serious.  How are you feeling, when do you think you'll be able to go back to Core?  Hopefully you are feeling better.  I remember being really, really tired. 

Those on-call jobs on the weekend can be mistifying.  When I lived in B'more, I would be on-call every other Sunday or so, and it blew my mind how quickly people would notice if an email server choked on a Sunday morning.  For that matter, it blew my mind that people bothered to check their email at all on Sundays (ours were mostly business clients).  I wanted to put them all on a bus to DC and tell them, "Walk away from your work for a day.  Go hang out a the zoo."

Of course, in our 24-7 economy, that's not always possible.  The 24-7 economy has its perks (shopping at 3 AM), but beyond that, I'm not really keen on it.

Of course, the fact that I want to be a large animal vet means I'll pretty much be on call all the time, LOL.  Someday I may eat these words.

I hear you about boxing being long (and apparently a lot of boxing fans do as well, from what I've read).  Apparently, boxing promoters didn't get the memo that more isn't necessarily better -- so they introduced more weight classes, more divisions, more titles, more rounds ... argh.  It's like, "What's on tonight?"  "Oh, the Northern-Southern-Eastern-Midwestern Almost-Semi-Pro Boxing Championships.  Looks like the Ultra-Middle-Reduced-Mini-Welterweight class."  OTOH, women's boxing is less watered-down, and therefore somewhat more interesting to watch, LOL!  I agree -- the big guys are boring.  Show me the little guys and the gals!

Some or another governing body that deals with MMA stuff was talking about introducing more weight classes for the men.  I hope they fail, since that way lies damnation -- first it's a few more weight classes, then suddenly you have sixteen different world championships per week and nobody cares anymore.

It sounds like your sparring class went pretty well, except for the toe injury -- I hope that heals quickly!  I think with a major height difference, it's easier for the shorter person to get hit in the face.  I sat in on MMA sparring one Saturday, and I got hit in the face by tall guys significantly more than by guys my own height.  Of course, I'm also completely incompetent where blocking is concerned, so that's really neither here nor there -- I suspect, though, that it's a question of angles.  Fighting tall people probably takes a bit of getting used to.

I'm feeling relatively better now.  I'm eating again (in fact, I gained 2 lbs -- not worried about it, though; my net loss for the last few weeks is still 7 lbs).  I am still really tired, especially in the evenings.  I've reached a point where I mostly feel okay when I'm sitting up and doing things, whereas for a while there even sitting up and trying to think at the same time was next to impossible.  However, strenuous exercise is still out for another week or two. 

I think I'm ready to start ramping it up a little at a time, though -- I'm planning on a good walk at lunch time today, and possibly Gentle Yoga tomorrow if my walk today doesn't leave me too worn out.  It says 'gentle,' so that should be okay, right?  :D  (It's probably like the 'ju' in 'judo.'  'Judo' translates as 'the gentle way.'  They left off, '...of breaking people's arms and stuff.'  Japanese, as a language, is 90% implied, LOL.)  My kitchen, however, is still a complete and utter wreck.

I think I'll be back at Core within a couple of weeks.  I have one more doctor's appointment on Friday, and I'm hoping they'll tell me my lungs are clear.  I guess it can take a while for them to heal entirely, though, which means I will have to work back up to full training intensity slowly.  I'm not worried about it, though.

I'm also going to talk to them about whether or not remaining in Louisville is going to be seriously detrimental to my health.  People keep telling me to move to Arizona, LOL.  I'm still seriously considering relocation back to Connecticut once my lease is up.  I've been looking around at different gyms up there, and in addition to the one you sent me, I've found a few promising options.  It's too bad I'm not a BJJ dude -- Royce Gracie has a gym based out of CT where he teaches not infrequently, and their rates are quite nice.  They also do MT, but their focus is really BJJ.

PS -- I introduced my friend Robert to the joys of Muay Thai last night (via YouTube).  I am trying to turn him into a pathetic Kaoklai fanboy, so I won't have to feel so alone, LOL.

LOL, I agree with being mistified by all these people who are so concerned about their email 1) on a weekend and 2) so early on a weekend.  They need to get some fresh air and keep the crackberry at home!  I like some of the 24/7 economy, I love the internet and being able to buy stuff from anywhere.  I also like that I can download Bejeweled to my cell phone and play games while I'm waiting in the doctors office.  I also like the calendar on my cell phone and the mp3 player, what I don't like is the actual phone part of it! 

That's cool you want to be a large animal vet, but you know you'll get plenty of calls on the weekend and in the middle of the night.

You know I don't follow boxing too much but I do remember it being a lot more popular and less weight classes so you actually knew who was a title holder, now a days it's different.  The master at my place likes boxing so he was telling us about a boxing match that was going on (this was about 6 months ago) and that this one kid was really good....yada yada yada.  So I watched it, OMG it was sooo boring.  I think it was 10 rounds and the rounds were like 10 minutes (i could be exaggerating).  There was not one ounce of excitement in this fight at all.  The beauty of DVR....record everything and fast forward through boring parts!  I do this with MMA too, a lot of times I fast forward to the good parts.  I've never watched women's boxing before, I'm sure it's good.  I like to watch women's MMA because the women have 3-3 min rounds so they tend to get right to it.  They usually come right out and go at it.  They don't feel each other out or anything.  I agree I think the big boys are boring.  I like the little guys too, much more entertaining and they move around more. Wow, how can they introduce more weight classes for men.  I thought there was a lot to begin with. 

I think sparring went ok, not sure how I'm doing.  I had a lot of fun though. I figure if he doesn't correct the same problem twice then I'm doing better, haha.  I have a hard time blocking too, I just tend to keep punching and kicking.  And, I'm trying to remember (well its easy to remember, harder to apply) a punch is always followed by a kick and kick is always followed by a punch....also trying to kick the instant I get hit.    I think you are right about the height thing.  Iron Ballz is taller than me too, he's probably 5'11".  It does make things a little off.  There's one guy that is about an inch shorter than me, I'm anxious to see how we spar, but last night he was sparring with Iron Ballz and the master said 'break' and he kept going like a little mad man....I was like 'damn, he had a bad day' (he's a wall street stockbroker so we can usually tell by his bag work how his week is going).

Glad you are feeling better.  It's crazy how tired you get, I remember at one point I felt like a bobble head.  I heard AZ is good, I think New Mexico too.  Is the air that bad in Louisville, do you even like it there?  That sucks that you found Core and then you may have to leave it but I'm sure whereever you go you'll find somewhere good. That Royce Gracie gym sounds cool, what a great name to train under!  I notice through my research of gyms that a lot of them focus on BJJ, then they may have one MT class which is great for MMA but not so great for MT only.  Really hard to find MT by itself here in Jersey or by me anyway.  I was checking out Bullshido under the NJ part of it, and somebody said move out of Jersey.  I had to laugh, there really aren't that many options for what I am looking for. 

Cool about Robert! You think he'll join in on the fun? ....by the way, has Cameron seen any of these pansy YouTube MT videos...I just still don't get this pansy viewpoint of his.  There was a special on Discovery (or History channel) called the Human Weapon, which actually described how forceful the MT round kick is, I think they said it's like a bat, and the elbows are like swords, they can definitely break your skin, it got a little bit into the science of it with how many pounds of pressure and what not go into a kick, it was very interesting I think it's still on the website, I'll have to check.

Hope you get good news on Friday.  Good luck with the walking and gentle yoga.

LOL -- ditto on Bejeweled!  I play the bejeezus out of Bejeweled, Jewel Quest, and Tetris on the bus to and from Core.  I also <3 the Internet (especially since, at the moment, it is largely responsible for my income).

I don't think I'll mind farm calls much.  Somehow, that idea doesn't bother me -- it's like being a doctor and being on call.  People and animals don't choose to get sick at 2:00 in the morning, whereas our culture has made a choice to be open 24-7 for all forms of business.  I get so freaking philosophical about everything, LOL.

The rounds in boxing are really long.  I think the pros go like 8 minutes, which might as well be 10 (imagine an 8-minute fighting round of Muay Thai -- criminy, even the pros in Thailand train in 5-min rounds!!!!). 

You make a good point about women's MMA: no time for tom-foolery.  I would bet women's Muay Thai works the same way (note to self: YouTube...).  Perhaps the guys should get over themselves and do the same: it's not about being macho, it's about keeping people interested.  Plus, the pressure of having to get the job done in less time would probably produce some spectacular fights.  Then we can all have our seventeen 20-minute rounds back at the gym, if we insist, LOL.

It sounds like you're doing okay sparring-wise.  I think it takes time to get used to blocking.

OMG, LOL on the Wall Street guy ...  I can so picture that.  I think they've all got it rough right now, and their schedules are insane to begin with.  Plus, short guys never know when to quit.  My ex was 5' 3", and I spent the first three years of our relationship being afraid of him.  Basically, he had a reputation that resulted from beating the tar out of people in street fights in high school.  Even now I attribute that to the fact that he was a short, skinny Irish dude.  He used to hit me, and I wouldn't hit him back A) because I believed it would be wrong to hit someone smaller than myself and B) because I was afraid that if we got in a fight, he would kill me, simply because neither of us had an 'off' switch, and he had more fighting experience. 

Oddly, when I finally got sick of it and socked him back, he just kind of blinked at me, stomped out, and broke up with me about two weeks later.  I didn't even hit him hard; I think it just sort of broke his brain.  He had this idea about how our relationship worked, and then I did something that broke his neat little assessment.  Go figure.

I learned two things from him (besides how to make really good truffles and how not to manage your finances): 1) if someone smaller than yourself hits you, you're still allowed to hit back to defend yourself.  2) Short guys in the Western world share a universal violent streak, LOL.  I think most short girls do, too -- Cam's Mom is about 4'11", and I would NOT want to tangle with her.  Likewise my ex's ex, who was around the same height and a spitfire.  She was cool, though -- just hot-tempered :D

Chihuahuas seem to have the same suicidal tenacity -- smaller dogs in general, I guess.  My Mom's old dog, Zoe, was like that -- 35 lbs of Beagle mix, and she despised all dogs larger than herself.  Once, she escaped and beat the tar out of somebody's pit bull before they caught up with her.  Come to think of it, ponies are like that, too -- and miniature horses have all the attitude of full-sized horses, distilled into a cute, tiny, angry package.  Cam and I have a running joke about the "Small and Angry Complex" which came about while we were watching a big miniature horse show that's part of the State Fair here, LOL.

I actually love Louisville madly, which is part of what makes this all so complicated.  It's a fantastic city -- not too big, not too small, full of fascinating people (who are all too happy to tell you about their Auntiet's diverticulitis, but it's all good).  Our air quality, however, is flat-out terrible.  Kentucky, as a whole, has earned a reputation for being 'asthma Hell,' and Louisville compounds that with lots of pollution from cars and industry as well as extremely humid summers (and summer begins in April, most years, LOL).

Yeah, it would be kind of cool to train in one of Royce Gracie's Very Own Gyms!!!  OTOH, I hear you about the quality of MT instruction in your average BJJ/MMA gym.  It will often get the job done for MMA purposes, but I prefer to be a specialist :D

You know -- I should show Cam some of the pansy YouTube Muay Thai videos.  He's convinced Muay Thai wouldn't work "on the street."  Or for bouncers.  IMO, Muay Thai is one of the best things a bouncer could tuck into his arsenal.  Where else are you going to learn how to control a clinch while wailing on someone with your knees?  Where else are you going to learn to knock someone out with a shin to the jaw?  ...That appears to be, more or less, Kaoklai's signature move -- he seems to get thrown on his butt a lot, but he also seems to knock a lot of guys out with kicks to the head.  I should show Cam Kaoklai vs. Mighty Mo.  Maybe that would sort him out.  Pretty Thai boy vs huge dude of indeterminate extraction: Pretty Thai boy wins by KO.

I hope to suck Robert into Muay Thai someday.  Trey thinks *I'm* the most uncoordinated person on earth ... LOL.  He just hasn't met Robert yet.  I <3 him, but if ever there was a man alive who could benefit from some martial arts training...  His ex-gf does Krav, so I'm thinking about hooking up with her and ganging up on him until he joins Four Seasons Gym in Lexingtron (which is pretty well-respected).

I'll check out that Human Weapon special -- I should be able to lay hands on it one way or another.  I'll also let yu know how 'gentle' yoga goes tomorrow, LOL!

LOL Bejeweled is awesome! I'm addicted, I play all the time, it's like crack!

You should definitely check out women's MMA, I think they are right on par with the skinny guys.  Some top girls to check out - Tara LaRosa, Debi Purcell, Gina Carano, Kelly Kobold, Cris Santos, just to name a few.  I think they definitely try to get the job done quick, plus I think women have something more to prove so they probably go the extra mile.  There's also no titles for women (in MMA, well none that I know of), except for the MT/kickboxing associations.  There's no UFC or WEC titles/belts, well there's no women in UFC/WEC.  EliteXC was cool because they had contracted some women to be in their league, still no titles, but it was a start.  But....they went under last year (actually an interesting story revolving around Kimbo Slice & Petruzelli). 

I guess I'm doing okay sparring, it takes time to get it, I know that. I can't wait to get my sparring gear! Oh, it is so funny watching Wall Street guy.  There's another guy, the 6'2" guy that I sparred with the other day, he must have a stressful job too because he goes at it crazy too sometimes!

Your ex probably counldn't handle that you stood up for yourself.  He probably likes to keep his BF's under his thumb, likes to keep people afraid of him.  It's all about control with abusive types.  Good for you.  I was in a relationship like that a while ago.  I finally stood up for myself and got out.  It really changed me. 

I like smaller dogs.  When I was growing up my parents had Dobermans.  I loved the big dogs.  When I moved out on my own, I was allowed to have a dog but it had to be under 35 lbs.  So I researched a bunch of different dogs to get and ended up with a min pin and I really fell in love with the toy dogs.  She was so awesome, she was fearless!  Yes, 'small and angry complex'!  When she died I really wanted another small dog.  Basically they live longer, and they are easier to handle, especially when they get older and they can't jump and stuff.  I remember my mother complaining about having to lift the dobermans in the car when their hips got bad.  My dog KD had to have surgery on her leg and she couldn't jump into my car, she's 60 lbs.  Not too bad.  The greyhound is 70 lbs and she's still underweight, lifting her in the car is not fun, and they are really long dogs. The one problem we have with the dogs is that my husband has family that lives about 2-1/2 away in NY state (depending on traffic could be 3 hrs). 

Oh wait, let me back up this story to Thanksgiving 08.  My in-laws live in NC, they just moved a couple years ago so this was our second Thanksgiving in NC.  My sister in law has a ferret and a Westie.   So we drive 11 hrs to NC with the greyhound in the car, she doesn't sit down the whole time and pants and drools....So Thanksgiving morning I go into my room for something and I heard a very strange squeaky noise, weird I thought....I walk out of the room to see my greyhound standing there holding the little white ferret in her mouth as if she were saying...'hey look mom, i got it!'...well i let out a blood curdling scream, and the ferret had to go to the emergency vet.  The ferret lived and they say the near death experience changed him for the better.  They say he is full of life now.  Now the Westie doesn't like  Kayla the greyhound, so she jumps up and nips my greyhound on the neck all the time.  When we let the dogs out in the yard together, I think Kayla wants to chase the Westie (kind of looks like a big rabbit, I have no idea how they trained Kayla in her racing days....they tell you to be careful around cats and small dogs).

Okay so to make a long story short(er), it's hard to bring the greyhound places.  My sister in law lives in a small townhouse with the ferret and westie and it's hard to bring Kayla there and it's hard to leave them home for such a long period of time.  Now, the with toy dogs, much easier, you can carry them, bring a little pet carrier, take them on planes. 

Louisville sounds cool from how you describe it.   I didn't know there was so much pollution there.  Oh the humidity must suck!  I know I can't breathe when it's too humid. 

Training at a Gracie gym would be cool.  There's that one place by me which is owned by a UFC fighter, and it's not a guy whose name I was familiar with, but I thought hey that would be cool....but as I often find, it's just MMA, they have an MMA striking class but no MT.  I prefer just MT too.  I'm surprised it's so hard to find but then again MMA is hot right now.

I'll have to check out Kaoklai on YouTube.  I think MT would be great for bouncers, just the elbows alone!  One quick down elbow will cut somebody's face open and stun the heck out of them.   Oh I think Cameron just being stubborn.  I bet if you were taking 'street fighting' classes (if indeed there was an actual thing) he'd tell you that MT was better, haha! 

Good luck sucking Robert in!