Yesterday's session was a mixed bag - I got a decent amount of phys but since I can't kick or knee, I was getting a bit bored on the bags just boxing. Once in the ring for the pads, it was ok though. Back with X who donned his tiny (palm sized) focus mitts and worked my hands for five rounds. We did a lot of counters and footwork and I was glad that one of the trainers has decided that I am not made of glass and decided to whack me if I drop my guard.
I decided that my increasingly knackered legs needed some TLC so I went for another massage after dinner. This time I went to a place recommended by the gym. When I arrived, I was heartened to see the Sinbi Muay Thai leaflets on the counter and the fact that the person who would be giving me my massage was a middle-aged Thai lady, rather than a young girl. She had hands like iron and I was in moderate amounts of pain for most of the massage - she resorted to elbows to try and sort out the massive knots in my traps and lats. Teres minor also got special attention - she definitely massages a lot of boxers. The way that it hurt while she ground her elbows in was weird...it was really quite unpleasant but as soon as she stopped, it felt awesome. Pain endorphins, anyone?
Because there were a lot of customers that evening, she didn't have any time to sort out my lumpy hip so I went back at 11 o'clock today for a freebie. She got the boiling hot herbal poultice out and massaged the lump with it. It feels pretty good now and certainly the haematoma seems to have reduced in size a bit.
In view of my many niggling injuries and this new treatment today, I've decided to make today a rest day (hence the title of this post). Hopefully I'll be a lot better tomorrow and can get 2 full days of training in before my next day off on Sunday.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Tuesday, 29 June 2010
Wear and Tear
So now I'm back in my room after making it to the morning session and even getting up in time for the morning run! Did about 8km which was pleasant apart from the packs of feral dogs that were still roaming around. Had one hairy moment with about ten of them but as soon as I heard them coming up behind me I turned around, stared the leader in the eye and shouted FUCK OFF as loud as I could...he stopped, growled a bit and watched as I picked up the largest, heaviest stick I could grab. A few big slashes with that convinced the dogs to stop trying to circle around me and I backed away up the road. I held onto the stick until I was back on the main road...no fun really.
Arrived late from my run due to this little altercation and had missed the skipping (score!). 5 rounds on the bags, working my hands, elbows and left knee kept the blood flowing - I was already slick after the run but by the 5th round sweat was spraying off me with every strike and the bag was very slippery, which made throwing clean knees a bit difficult.
I was then grabbed by Pot for my padwork. I have a bit of a love/hate thing going on with Pot - he speaks great English and likes to correct my technique but I never get much of a workout from him. He also seems to give me a different stance than the other trainers - its difficult to get things right when 'right' depends on who is holding the pads for you! The reason I like Bao V and Det to hold the pads for me is that they both have the same sort of traditional style and they both give me a good mix of technique and physical thrashing! Still, I'm in no position to second-guess Pot on anything - if he says I'm doing it wrong, I must be!
Really regretting that shit massage. The silly bitch definitely hurt my ankle...on my good leg. I've got chronic damage to both ankles (thanks BJJ!!) and it doesn't take much to tweak them. So now, just as my open wounds on my foot and knee are almost healed, my left ankle gets sprained and I can't kick any more. So, now all I can do is: Left knee, both elbows, both punches.
Quick summary of my damage accrued in 2.5 weeks of training:
1) Abrasions R foot and ankle (no right kick) (almost healed)
2) Abrasion R Knee (no right knee) (almost healed)
3) Large intermuscular haematoma, R hip (still present, painful to run, kick/check with either leg)
4) Infected cut, L little finger (healing, painful to punch, man up)
5) Mild sprain L ankle (fine when supported with shoes and bandages, extremely painful when kicking)
6) Contusion L vastus medialis (from Det banging my leg rather too enthusiastically with the pads when throwing knees - can live with it but its quite sore)
7) R periorbital haematoma (resolving)
None of these are particularly severe but when taken all together, I'm beginning to feel a little bit broken. Its demoralising to have the number of attacks I can safely throw slowly reducing. Soon, I guess I'll just be reduced to spending 2 hours jabbing the heavy bag with all my other joints bandaged up!
Arrived late from my run due to this little altercation and had missed the skipping (score!). 5 rounds on the bags, working my hands, elbows and left knee kept the blood flowing - I was already slick after the run but by the 5th round sweat was spraying off me with every strike and the bag was very slippery, which made throwing clean knees a bit difficult.
I was then grabbed by Pot for my padwork. I have a bit of a love/hate thing going on with Pot - he speaks great English and likes to correct my technique but I never get much of a workout from him. He also seems to give me a different stance than the other trainers - its difficult to get things right when 'right' depends on who is holding the pads for you! The reason I like Bao V and Det to hold the pads for me is that they both have the same sort of traditional style and they both give me a good mix of technique and physical thrashing! Still, I'm in no position to second-guess Pot on anything - if he says I'm doing it wrong, I must be!
Really regretting that shit massage. The silly bitch definitely hurt my ankle...on my good leg. I've got chronic damage to both ankles (thanks BJJ!!) and it doesn't take much to tweak them. So now, just as my open wounds on my foot and knee are almost healed, my left ankle gets sprained and I can't kick any more. So, now all I can do is: Left knee, both elbows, both punches.
Quick summary of my damage accrued in 2.5 weeks of training:
1) Abrasions R foot and ankle (no right kick) (almost healed)
2) Abrasion R Knee (no right knee) (almost healed)
3) Large intermuscular haematoma, R hip (still present, painful to run, kick/check with either leg)
4) Infected cut, L little finger (healing, painful to punch, man up)
5) Mild sprain L ankle (fine when supported with shoes and bandages, extremely painful when kicking)
6) Contusion L vastus medialis (from Det banging my leg rather too enthusiastically with the pads when throwing knees - can live with it but its quite sore)
7) R periorbital haematoma (resolving)
None of these are particularly severe but when taken all together, I'm beginning to feel a little bit broken. Its demoralising to have the number of attacks I can safely throw slowly reducing. Soon, I guess I'll just be reduced to spending 2 hours jabbing the heavy bag with all my other joints bandaged up!
Monday, 28 June 2010
Clinchwork
Another exhausting session - arrived in another downpour for the customary skipping thrashing. I have a massive intermuscular haematoma left over from the bike accident on my right hip and its getting progressively more painful. I've been trying to massage the swelling out but its difficult given the pain. You can imagine how bad it makes all the cardio work and anyone who has done muay Thai knows that your hips are kinda necessary. So while my foot and knee wounds are nearly healed, my hip is still giving me gyp.
Anyway, I cracked on through the discomfort and soon it was time for bagwork. I concentrated on my left switch kick and must have thrown a few hundred on the bag before I was called into the ring for padwork. I was back with Det again who was keen to push the pace this time. We did some nice little tricks, working on dodge-knees and elbows but mostly I got lots of boxing combos and kicks. Det laughed after a run of particularly thumping kicks and said that even when my right foot is healed, my left may still be the more powerful!! This is an impressive turn of events for an attack which, before I came to Thailand, was employed mostly as a distraction and the occasional inside lead low kick...now he's telling me I could happily TKO someone with it, either to the body or the head. Perhaps the bike accident really was a blessing in disguise.
After the pads, head sadist Pot had me in the other ring working on clinch fighting with a tall Korean chap called Han. Now, I was already knackered and what I really didn't want was a drawn out bout of clinch wrestling with a guy who has a height advantage and narrower shoulders than me. But, anyway, that's what I got. All I could do was keep on crossfacing him and forcing back into the single collar-tie. Forcing him up against the ropes with my forearm in his throat worked well but I was fighting a losing battle against gravity and, it must be admitted, better technique. Robbed of my normal counters to the Thai clinch (body lock, back take/slam) my shoulders were burning out and I was gassing hard. I managed three rounds and I was then hanging off the ropes, virtually unable to stand any longer. Good session!
We went for Thai barbecue afterwards and then an oil massage (no happy ending!). 2 weeks of solid abuse meant that I really needed it but, to be honest, the girl seemed like more of an enthusiastic amateur than a really good masseuse. I woke up this morning with a painful ankle - it feels like she may have given me an inversion sprain of my left ankle (albeit a mild one) with some of her manipulations. I'll have to ask around the gym for a more reliable recommendation for a good massage than Farhad the party animal!
Anyway, I cracked on through the discomfort and soon it was time for bagwork. I concentrated on my left switch kick and must have thrown a few hundred on the bag before I was called into the ring for padwork. I was back with Det again who was keen to push the pace this time. We did some nice little tricks, working on dodge-knees and elbows but mostly I got lots of boxing combos and kicks. Det laughed after a run of particularly thumping kicks and said that even when my right foot is healed, my left may still be the more powerful!! This is an impressive turn of events for an attack which, before I came to Thailand, was employed mostly as a distraction and the occasional inside lead low kick...now he's telling me I could happily TKO someone with it, either to the body or the head. Perhaps the bike accident really was a blessing in disguise.
After the pads, head sadist Pot had me in the other ring working on clinch fighting with a tall Korean chap called Han. Now, I was already knackered and what I really didn't want was a drawn out bout of clinch wrestling with a guy who has a height advantage and narrower shoulders than me. But, anyway, that's what I got. All I could do was keep on crossfacing him and forcing back into the single collar-tie. Forcing him up against the ropes with my forearm in his throat worked well but I was fighting a losing battle against gravity and, it must be admitted, better technique. Robbed of my normal counters to the Thai clinch (body lock, back take/slam) my shoulders were burning out and I was gassing hard. I managed three rounds and I was then hanging off the ropes, virtually unable to stand any longer. Good session!
We went for Thai barbecue afterwards and then an oil massage (no happy ending!). 2 weeks of solid abuse meant that I really needed it but, to be honest, the girl seemed like more of an enthusiastic amateur than a really good masseuse. I woke up this morning with a painful ankle - it feels like she may have given me an inversion sprain of my left ankle (albeit a mild one) with some of her manipulations. I'll have to ask around the gym for a more reliable recommendation for a good massage than Farhad the party animal!
Sunday, 27 June 2010
PHOTO UPDATE: So you wanna be a fuckin' fighter?
1) Someone kicking a rat off the balcony above us so we were treated to the sight of a rather large rat flying over our heads, falling about 20 feet, landing on the back of someone's neck in the front row and then running off under the ring
2) A cockroach the size of a computer mouse trying to run up my mate's leg.
3) England getting thrashed by Germany so I can finally stop being obliged to pretend to give a damn.
The first few fights weren't great as they were juniors - although they were Thais, they just didn't have the power to really threaten to finish the fight.
There was another foreigner fighting from Tiger Muay Thai who definitely fought like an MMA fighter. He was fighting a slightly tubby looking Thai bloke who was definitely game but had nothing for the heavily muscled brawler facing him. Kicks and elbows didn't do much to prevent the farang from swarming with big punches and low kicks, ending in a pretty brutal right hook that left his opponent on the floor.
Jake had fought quite a few times before and he was facing a really good Thai opponent from a serious camp. The fight was a brutal war with Jake landing some heavy boxing and knees while his opponent countered with elbows and clinching. Both guys were heavily marked up going into the third round and Jake was cut in several places. With blood pouring from his nose and two cuts on his face, Jake knew that he couldn't afford another doctor's check and he swarmed in, taunting his opponent, backing him into the corner and flurrying with punches. His opponent was almost dropped but some nasty body shots but managed to clinch up before the knockout came. After the break, Jake again shouted and let fly with the beserker rage but just couldn't find that killer blow. Sheeted with blood all down his face and chest, the doctor called it in the third round and Jake had lost by TKO. A real shame but it was a brilliant fight.
Michael from London stepped up in the last fight of the night. He was noticeably nervous as it was his first fight and there was definitely a tentative start. However, once he had eaten a big right hand to the face he woke up and started using his reach to pick out at his shorter opponent. As is fairly normal in Thai fights, the first round was uneventful as both fighters felt each other out. Then, in the second round, both guys picked up the pace and started landing combinations. With his big height advantage, Michael was scoring on the outside and had a big advantage in the clinch - he was doing a good job of keeping his opponent out o the pocket. Then, in the second round, his opponent got too hasty in stepping in. Michael grabbed the clinch and smashed a knee into the man's face. He dropped straight down and the ref stopped the fight immediately without a count. 2nd round KO in his first fight, well done!!
Loads of pics after the jump! Click 'Read More' to see them!!
Friday, 25 June 2010
Double Whammy
Finally managed to do 2 sessions in one day again! Morning session was a long drag without any padwork but I got a lot of nice technique work done with the inimitable 'X' (who, as it turn out, is a WMC champion!) Lots of footwork and counters - sidesteps to knees, spinning elbows, kick catches and follow-ups. Some of the stuff was pretty brutal - one combo was: kick catch, drag, top knee, uppercut elbow, top elbow, sweep. All very nice - this is the stuff I really came for. Some nice technical Thai destruction.
After the partner work was done I saw Jackie in the ring with his gloves on so I offered to do a bit of boxing sparring. Now, anyone who has seen me box will know that I'm a bit of a spaz (but an enthusiastic spaz) defensively as I tend to rely on my legs for counters. Jackie is a good amateur boxer with a 30kg weight advantage over me. To say I got lit up is a bit of an understatement. I got him with a good right hook when I switched stances but that was pretty much it. I got a lovely black eye in return! Still, it was good fun and I think I was technically sound just pretty badly outmatched!
However, Jackie has been pestering me to do some grappling training so I took him up on it once the session was over. Touched gloves, bit of feeling out then a bit of a crap double-leg (I was tired!) that I finished by hooking the ankle. Straight into side control, mount, arm-triangle, back take, RNC. Over in about 45 seconds...the spectators seemed to agree that the score was settled! We went through some escapes (guard to standing, side control, mount escapes) and armbar defence. I really enjoyed a bit of grappling after my long hiatus!
This afternoon I had Bao (Sing the gym owner's brother) on the pads. In keeping with the morning session, I had a lot of technique rather than a thrashing...I think as the week goes on, the training gets less physical and more technical, which is pretty good. Plenty of defensive stuff (sure he was watching me get beaten up this morning) and some nice counters as well as more fine-tuning of my left kick. Again, a tiny adjustment (this time to the amount of pivot on my right foot) made a massive difference in power and speed! Basic, basic stuff but these tiny adjustments are making a world of difference.
After the partner work was done I saw Jackie in the ring with his gloves on so I offered to do a bit of boxing sparring. Now, anyone who has seen me box will know that I'm a bit of a spaz (but an enthusiastic spaz) defensively as I tend to rely on my legs for counters. Jackie is a good amateur boxer with a 30kg weight advantage over me. To say I got lit up is a bit of an understatement. I got him with a good right hook when I switched stances but that was pretty much it. I got a lovely black eye in return! Still, it was good fun and I think I was technically sound just pretty badly outmatched!
However, Jackie has been pestering me to do some grappling training so I took him up on it once the session was over. Touched gloves, bit of feeling out then a bit of a crap double-leg (I was tired!) that I finished by hooking the ankle. Straight into side control, mount, arm-triangle, back take, RNC. Over in about 45 seconds...the spectators seemed to agree that the score was settled! We went through some escapes (guard to standing, side control, mount escapes) and armbar defence. I really enjoyed a bit of grappling after my long hiatus!
This afternoon I had Bao (Sing the gym owner's brother) on the pads. In keeping with the morning session, I had a lot of technique rather than a thrashing...I think as the week goes on, the training gets less physical and more technical, which is pretty good. Plenty of defensive stuff (sure he was watching me get beaten up this morning) and some nice counters as well as more fine-tuning of my left kick. Again, a tiny adjustment (this time to the amount of pivot on my right foot) made a massive difference in power and speed! Basic, basic stuff but these tiny adjustments are making a world of difference.
Thursday, 24 June 2010
It happens...
*WARNING - May contain too much information*
Well, the long-anticipated bout of Bangkok Belly has finally hit...well, it might be beershits after all of that lovely lovely Chang I downed last night (I'm becoming quite partial to it - and at 6.8% its hardly another pissy foreign lager) but my padwork this afternoon was slightly affected by griping guts. I managed to go all five rounds without stopping and I didn't need to run (gentlemen shouldn't run - it scares the horses and worries the men) but I stepped out of the ring, slipped on my flipflops and needed to head straight to the shitter. The breaks between the rounds were the worst. Still, I didn't spray faecal matter all over the ring when I threw a kick so I call that a win.
Sadly, I couldn't finish the session...just feeling really washed out. Still, all that was left was the horrible, horrible bagwork...I'd gotten through the cardio, shadowboxing and the pads so I guess I got the best bits(!) done with. Once I managed to rehydrate (lots of powder and gatorade) then I just unwrapped my hands and hit the weights instead. I did some plate workout stuff (around-the-world with a 20kg plate is pretty fun) then the 3 big compound lifts - didn't lose my guts while squatting either!
Comedy moment during the shadowboxing, I managed to stand on Det's toes while throwing a switch long knee. I felt bad but couldn't help laughing.
Oh and Sing (head trainer, big time star and ex Lumpini champion) finally acknowledged my presence today and he wrapped my hands for me! Hurrah! He seems like a nice guy but he's understandably more concerned with the guys who are fighting.
Well, the long-anticipated bout of Bangkok Belly has finally hit...well, it might be beershits after all of that lovely lovely Chang I downed last night (I'm becoming quite partial to it - and at 6.8% its hardly another pissy foreign lager) but my padwork this afternoon was slightly affected by griping guts. I managed to go all five rounds without stopping and I didn't need to run (gentlemen shouldn't run - it scares the horses and worries the men) but I stepped out of the ring, slipped on my flipflops and needed to head straight to the shitter. The breaks between the rounds were the worst. Still, I didn't spray faecal matter all over the ring when I threw a kick so I call that a win.
Sadly, I couldn't finish the session...just feeling really washed out. Still, all that was left was the horrible, horrible bagwork...I'd gotten through the cardio, shadowboxing and the pads so I guess I got the best bits(!) done with. Once I managed to rehydrate (lots of powder and gatorade) then I just unwrapped my hands and hit the weights instead. I did some plate workout stuff (around-the-world with a 20kg plate is pretty fun) then the 3 big compound lifts - didn't lose my guts while squatting either!
Comedy moment during the shadowboxing, I managed to stand on Det's toes while throwing a switch long knee. I felt bad but couldn't help laughing.
Oh and Sing (head trainer, big time star and ex Lumpini champion) finally acknowledged my presence today and he wrapped my hands for me! Hurrah! He seems like a nice guy but he's understandably more concerned with the guys who are fighting.
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
A Revelation
Yesterday, Det (who is definitely now my favourite padman) did something awesome for me. Its amazing how tiny adjustments can have massive impacts.
I've been slightly hunched over, looking to load up on my punches and throw hooks. I had my hands close to my jaw, elbows tucked in. Basically it was more of a boxing style than a Muay Thai stance. All Det did was put the Thai pads down and make me stand upright and raise my elbows. All of a sudden, my hips were free and my straight punches and kicks had 100% more power behind them. It was just an adjustment of an inch or two in terms of my hips and just and inch higher with my hands and elbows. I guess that's the genius of an experienced trainer at work there. Armed with this new found power as an upright fighter I hit the pads with renewed vigour. I can always hunch and tuck up when I get on the inside but from now on, I'm all about the traditional Thai stance on the outside.
I also had a rather geeky moment. On the last round on the pads he did what he usually did and started up with some combos and then had me throwing power shots. On the '10 uppercut, go!' I couldn't resist thinking 'TIGER UPPERCUT' as I threw each one. Sad, I know....but I still got a bit more vim into each one because of it. And, for the record, it was the Super Street Fighter II sound, not the modern SF4 sound!
Had an awesome chicken massaman curry and 2 helpings of rice for dinner for not much money and then headed to the hotel to watch the England match. I got wasted on a couple of six-packs of Chang that I bought at Tesco on the way home and I have a bit of a hangover this morning...d'oh. Well, at least we won!
I've been slightly hunched over, looking to load up on my punches and throw hooks. I had my hands close to my jaw, elbows tucked in. Basically it was more of a boxing style than a Muay Thai stance. All Det did was put the Thai pads down and make me stand upright and raise my elbows. All of a sudden, my hips were free and my straight punches and kicks had 100% more power behind them. It was just an adjustment of an inch or two in terms of my hips and just and inch higher with my hands and elbows. I guess that's the genius of an experienced trainer at work there. Armed with this new found power as an upright fighter I hit the pads with renewed vigour. I can always hunch and tuck up when I get on the inside but from now on, I'm all about the traditional Thai stance on the outside.
I also had a rather geeky moment. On the last round on the pads he did what he usually did and started up with some combos and then had me throwing power shots. On the '10 uppercut, go!' I couldn't resist thinking 'TIGER UPPERCUT' as I threw each one. Sad, I know....but I still got a bit more vim into each one because of it. And, for the record, it was the Super Street Fighter II sound, not the modern SF4 sound!
Had an awesome chicken massaman curry and 2 helpings of rice for dinner for not much money and then headed to the hotel to watch the England match. I got wasted on a couple of six-packs of Chang that I bought at Tesco on the way home and I have a bit of a hangover this morning...d'oh. Well, at least we won!
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
Carpet burns
I understand why the floor of the gym is carpeted. I really do. Mats and even canvas get slippery when you have 20 guys sweating all over it twice a day in high humidity. There's really not much choice - most other Thai gyms I've seen just have bare concrete and I think I prefer the carpet to that. However, there are some problems. Everyone except me has horrific blisters on their feet for the first 2 weeks they train here as the flooring rips their soft feet up. Suddenly, I'm grateful for the calluses that 10 years of wearing formal shoes has given me, as well as the extra mat burn my feet have beene xposed to by 4 years of BJJ. Sweaty carpet is also understandably harder to clean than mat.
However the benefits of my footwear and other sports can't help when I'm forced to bang out 100 situps on abrasive carpet. I think I have carpet burn in the small of my back, just to add to the miseries of my right leg. Speaking of which, it seems to be healing up quite well - 1 week after the incident, my instep is almost healed over. I've also developed a lovely dinner plate sized bruise over my hip which took most of the impact but was thankfully covered up so not abraded.
Managed to train this afternoon. Would have gone in the morning but as my alarm went off at 6:30 I could hear the rain hammering on the roof, pulled the covers over my head and went to sleep. Pathetic.
Still, got a brilliant session this afternoon, lots of phys, some excellent pads from 'X' again. I still managed to hurt myself though. Smashed the scab off my toe with the skipping hose (that hurt, a lot).
Still, the muscle pains aren't so obvious any more and I made it through the whole warmup skip without needing to stop due to cramp or weakness. Still loviong this shit and getting better every day - left kicks and knees are getting more brutal all the time! Good shit.
However the benefits of my footwear and other sports can't help when I'm forced to bang out 100 situps on abrasive carpet. I think I have carpet burn in the small of my back, just to add to the miseries of my right leg. Speaking of which, it seems to be healing up quite well - 1 week after the incident, my instep is almost healed over. I've also developed a lovely dinner plate sized bruise over my hip which took most of the impact but was thankfully covered up so not abraded.
Managed to train this afternoon. Would have gone in the morning but as my alarm went off at 6:30 I could hear the rain hammering on the roof, pulled the covers over my head and went to sleep. Pathetic.
Still, got a brilliant session this afternoon, lots of phys, some excellent pads from 'X' again. I still managed to hurt myself though. Smashed the scab off my toe with the skipping hose (that hurt, a lot).
Still, the muscle pains aren't so obvious any more and I made it through the whole warmup skip without needing to stop due to cramp or weakness. Still loviong this shit and getting better every day - left kicks and knees are getting more brutal all the time! Good shit.
Sunday, 20 June 2010
Rain, rain, go away...
Hello from a soaking wet Thailand...
The monsoon seems to have started with a vengeance now. Its been throwing it down all day, raindrops like lightbulbs and its not showing any signs of letting up. I wouldn't mind but I'm trying to keep my abrasions dry.
Still, I managed to make it to training today. Feeling a bit weak (maybe its the infection? Or just because training started at 7AM...) and my left (healthy) leg cramped up within minutes of starting to skip. No fun.
I guess my technique must be improving - there were no corrections or being hit with a stick during shadowboxing today. I had to do 10 rounds on the bags before I got to do the pads so I was really gassing even before I got worked over. Still, Det is a good padman and he mixed things up without using my right leg or elbow. Again, my boxing got complimented - I taught Det to shout "LIVER SHOT" instead of "left body upper!" Bas would be proud. My left middle kick is getting stronger, faster - more of a thump than a smack now. But I still love throwing elbows and knees more than kicking - I've always enjoyed getting inside rather than outfighting. We finished off with the rounds of flurry punching, teeps and flying knees. Again, the knees killed me, as I can only throw my left and I was shattered by the time we were told to put our shinpads on and do a bit of kick sparring/blocking practice. I reckon my partner had a bit of an unfair advantage as he knew which leg was coming!
Will probably take the afternoon off. Just managed to clean my leg off and trying to let it dry after being dressed for training and its still pissing with rain. Weak, I know but staph is a problem I certainly don't want!
The monsoon seems to have started with a vengeance now. Its been throwing it down all day, raindrops like lightbulbs and its not showing any signs of letting up. I wouldn't mind but I'm trying to keep my abrasions dry.
Still, I managed to make it to training today. Feeling a bit weak (maybe its the infection? Or just because training started at 7AM...) and my left (healthy) leg cramped up within minutes of starting to skip. No fun.
I guess my technique must be improving - there were no corrections or being hit with a stick during shadowboxing today. I had to do 10 rounds on the bags before I got to do the pads so I was really gassing even before I got worked over. Still, Det is a good padman and he mixed things up without using my right leg or elbow. Again, my boxing got complimented - I taught Det to shout "LIVER SHOT" instead of "left body upper!" Bas would be proud. My left middle kick is getting stronger, faster - more of a thump than a smack now. But I still love throwing elbows and knees more than kicking - I've always enjoyed getting inside rather than outfighting. We finished off with the rounds of flurry punching, teeps and flying knees. Again, the knees killed me, as I can only throw my left and I was shattered by the time we were told to put our shinpads on and do a bit of kick sparring/blocking practice. I reckon my partner had a bit of an unfair advantage as he knew which leg was coming!
Will probably take the afternoon off. Just managed to clean my leg off and trying to let it dry after being dressed for training and its still pissing with rain. Weak, I know but staph is a problem I certainly don't want!
Saturday, 19 June 2010
"The Big Buddha Of Phuket"
As I've taken the weekend off training to try and let my open sores heal (the elbow is doing nicely, knee and ankle not so great yet) and I obviously don't really want to go to the beach (sand and open wounds don't mix) I though a spot of touristy goodness might be in order. So, with my fear pushed down as far as possible, I set off on my tiny little moped to duel with the cement lorries, trucks and psychotic pickups on the main road into Chalong. Roundabouts don't really seem to have any rules over here and undertaking is positively encouraged. Turning right on a main road is like Russian Roulette...I found that a good tactic was to use my size to my advantage and tuck myself in on the outside of a much larger vehicle so as it bulled its way out into traffic, I could use it as a blocker. Still, for someone who is new to being motorised on 2 wheels, I felt more than a little vulnerable.
Still, once off the main road, the roads were positively pleasant and the appeal of biking returned to me...quiet jungle roads, winding uphill, the sights, sounds and smells of villages, of wilderness. Lovely.
I was going to visit Phuket's biggest religious attraction, the Big Buddha. Perched on top of the largest hill on the island, it is visible from almost everywhere. As the road wound its way uphill, I was glad the the Thai construction crew, who had decided to only pave half of the road, leaving the other side as gravel, had decided to tarmac the uphill side. This made the downhill run a test of nerve (either go on the gravel or see how long your nerve holds going down the wrong side and potentially meeting a lorry coming up). Still, a nice 20 minute ride up the hill brought me to the summit and the big buddha hove into view.
I like visiting buddhist sites. They never seem so commercialised as many other religious sites...the Big Buddha was a slight exception though, probably due to it not quite being finished. The gift shop actually gets you BEFORE you see the Buddha. Still, I chucked some coins in the box to contribute towards Buddha's right eye as it seemed the kind thing to do.
Its quite a feat of engineering - all the mouldings were done on site and the buddha is completely coated with marble trucked up to the top of the hill. All very impressive, as you can see from the pictures. Also note my awesome shirt, which got its first outing, as will all my other disgusting shirts, every time I do something deliberately touristy. Wait until you see the purple one with orange flowers and flamingos!
A quick stop off at Boots (yes, they have them here!!) for some more medical supplies to stop my leg dropping off and then another dice with death at the Chalong roundabout and I got home. Nice trip out and a beautiful, beautiful day (and the views were stunning too!).
Still, once off the main road, the roads were positively pleasant and the appeal of biking returned to me...quiet jungle roads, winding uphill, the sights, sounds and smells of villages, of wilderness. Lovely.
I like visiting buddhist sites. They never seem so commercialised as many other religious sites...the Big Buddha was a slight exception though, probably due to it not quite being finished. The gift shop actually gets you BEFORE you see the Buddha. Still, I chucked some coins in the box to contribute towards Buddha's right eye as it seemed the kind thing to do.
Its quite a feat of engineering - all the mouldings were done on site and the buddha is completely coated with marble trucked up to the top of the hill. All very impressive, as you can see from the pictures. Also note my awesome shirt, which got its first outing, as will all my other disgusting shirts, every time I do something deliberately touristy. Wait until you see the purple one with orange flowers and flamingos!
A quick stop off at Boots (yes, they have them here!!) for some more medical supplies to stop my leg dropping off and then another dice with death at the Chalong roundabout and I got home. Nice trip out and a beautiful, beautiful day (and the views were stunning too!).
Thursday, 17 June 2010
Road Rash
Bit of a minor setback yesterday. On the way to the gym at 7AM, a dog ran out into the road in front of my moped. I hit the brakes, the rear wheel locked because the side of the road was sandy and the bike went out from under me. Stupidly, I was wearing muay Thai shorts, flip-flops and a t-shirt so I've got some nasty road rash on my right instep, lateral malleolus, shin, knee and elbow. Open wounds and sweaty gyms don't mix too well so I was forced to miss training yesterday while I stocked up on dressings, antiseptic and antibiotic ointment (and generally felt sorry for myself). I made it out for dinner though...
I went training this afternoon - no right kicks, knees or elbows at all. Could turn out to be a positive thing as my right side is really disproportionately stronger anyway. I had attempted to dress my wounds and wrapped them in tubigrip but they were soaked in sweat and rubbed around pretty quickly. Still, the bandaging held things in check long enough for me to be thrashed around the gym. Got on the pads straight after the warmup this time, which was nice. After accidentally kicking the padman's elbow with my left instep (seemed to hurt him more than me, which is pretty unusual for that - I almost broke my foot doing that as a beginner), I soon warmed to the task and vented my injury frustrations on the pads. He switched to small (palm-sized) focus mitts for 2 rounds and we worked some boxing combos before going back to the thai pads. Got my first pseudo-compliment when he asked me: "you...boxing? More boxing?" Well, it may have been because he thought that my Muay Thai was crap I must be a boxer but still, I'll take it as he thought I have fast hands.
I miss being able to shower normally, as opposed to desperately trying to keep my right hand side dry...its just hard not to train when I'm over here and have a limited time to get stuck in. Maybe I can just work on shadowboxing, having my pure technique sorted out.
Anyway, they'll dry up soon enough and scab over then it'll be ok to just bandage them up to train and I can go to the beach again!
Still loving the pain - my legs are (ironically) not so sore any more! I feel like I've made so much progress in less than a week, I can't wait to get back into full training. I can still do the pads and bags with my good side, I can box and I can lift weights. I just can't do anything except punch with my right hand side...or any road running because I can't wear shoes right now. Well, at least there's one benefit there, eh?
I went training this afternoon - no right kicks, knees or elbows at all. Could turn out to be a positive thing as my right side is really disproportionately stronger anyway. I had attempted to dress my wounds and wrapped them in tubigrip but they were soaked in sweat and rubbed around pretty quickly. Still, the bandaging held things in check long enough for me to be thrashed around the gym. Got on the pads straight after the warmup this time, which was nice. After accidentally kicking the padman's elbow with my left instep (seemed to hurt him more than me, which is pretty unusual for that - I almost broke my foot doing that as a beginner), I soon warmed to the task and vented my injury frustrations on the pads. He switched to small (palm-sized) focus mitts for 2 rounds and we worked some boxing combos before going back to the thai pads. Got my first pseudo-compliment when he asked me: "you...boxing? More boxing?" Well, it may have been because he thought that my Muay Thai was crap I must be a boxer but still, I'll take it as he thought I have fast hands.
I miss being able to shower normally, as opposed to desperately trying to keep my right hand side dry...its just hard not to train when I'm over here and have a limited time to get stuck in. Maybe I can just work on shadowboxing, having my pure technique sorted out.
Anyway, they'll dry up soon enough and scab over then it'll be ok to just bandage them up to train and I can go to the beach again!
Still loving the pain - my legs are (ironically) not so sore any more! I feel like I've made so much progress in less than a week, I can't wait to get back into full training. I can still do the pads and bags with my good side, I can box and I can lift weights. I just can't do anything except punch with my right hand side...or any road running because I can't wear shoes right now. Well, at least there's one benefit there, eh?
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
...or DOMS is a common side effect of strenuous exercise, commonly presenting 24-48 hours after the event.
I have very, VERY sore calves after doing a lot more roadwork than I'm accustomed to as well as all the skipping and footwork which also kills your calves. Limping into the gym this morning, I seemed to be in a sorry state but being thrashed around the perimeter by a small, angry Thai man warmed me up and then 15 minutes of heavy rope skipping made me want to die...but at least my calves didn't hurt so much any more. No pain, no brain as they say...
More padwork has seen me improve a lot in the space of a couple of days. I'm surprised at how much ring rust I had - its been over 9 months since my last Muay Thai lessons in England and I've just been keeping busy with the bag sessions. Its surprising how easy it is to slip into bad habits when there's no-one about to kick your arse when you get things wrong. Exams got in the way of training in general and when I did actually train, I ended up reverting to my true, original love, BJJ.
Still, as I said, once you've gotten over the horrible soreness with about 30 minutes of cardio nastiness then its not too bad really.
Did some clinch wrestling after the pads in the afternoon with mixed results. I ragged around the guy who was the same size as me (could my grappling be helping? I certainly seem to be good at pummeling the thai clinch in), controlled the 90kg boxer today (we had much more freedom to do what we wanted in this clinch session, we weren't just restricted to single collar-tie - once I had the plum, he couldn't get out...but this may have more to do with him not actually knowing how to crossface etc and escape). But, after these minor successes, trainer Pot demonstrated how to do it and basically spent 5 minutes playing with me as I desperately tried to even return to a neutral position while he kneed me in the ribs. Ego (and lungs) soundly deflated, it was time to go and kick bags until you're too tired to kick any more...then they came around and made us do 100 jumping knees (on each leg). Joy.
At dinner tonight, I remarked that it is an odd situation where you are on holiday yet looking forward to having a day off.
Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more! Or close up the walls with our busted, lumpy shins...
I have very, VERY sore calves after doing a lot more roadwork than I'm accustomed to as well as all the skipping and footwork which also kills your calves. Limping into the gym this morning, I seemed to be in a sorry state but being thrashed around the perimeter by a small, angry Thai man warmed me up and then 15 minutes of heavy rope skipping made me want to die...but at least my calves didn't hurt so much any more. No pain, no brain as they say...
More padwork has seen me improve a lot in the space of a couple of days. I'm surprised at how much ring rust I had - its been over 9 months since my last Muay Thai lessons in England and I've just been keeping busy with the bag sessions. Its surprising how easy it is to slip into bad habits when there's no-one about to kick your arse when you get things wrong. Exams got in the way of training in general and when I did actually train, I ended up reverting to my true, original love, BJJ.
Still, as I said, once you've gotten over the horrible soreness with about 30 minutes of cardio nastiness then its not too bad really.
Did some clinch wrestling after the pads in the afternoon with mixed results. I ragged around the guy who was the same size as me (could my grappling be helping? I certainly seem to be good at pummeling the thai clinch in), controlled the 90kg boxer today (we had much more freedom to do what we wanted in this clinch session, we weren't just restricted to single collar-tie - once I had the plum, he couldn't get out...but this may have more to do with him not actually knowing how to crossface etc and escape). But, after these minor successes, trainer Pot demonstrated how to do it and basically spent 5 minutes playing with me as I desperately tried to even return to a neutral position while he kneed me in the ribs. Ego (and lungs) soundly deflated, it was time to go and kick bags until you're too tired to kick any more...then they came around and made us do 100 jumping knees (on each leg). Joy.
At dinner tonight, I remarked that it is an odd situation where you are on holiday yet looking forward to having a day off.
Once more unto the breach dear friends, once more! Or close up the walls with our busted, lumpy shins...
Monday, 14 June 2010
Beginnings
Had my first training sessions at Sinbi today. Up at 6:30, slathered myself with sunblock and mozzie rep and hopped on the bike to get to the gym for 7:15. Arrived just in time to miss a massive downpour which was a bonus as it gave me an excuse not to do the morning run. I soon regretted it as after introducing myself and paying for my training, I was handed a heavy length of hosepipe and told to start skipping. Now, I'm fairly retarded when it comes to skipping but this wasn't too bad...until my arms got tired. My calves were still ok but my forearms and shoulders ached from swinging the heavy tube around and then my toes started to suffer. I have a lovely bruise on my foot from it and I hadn't even started training!
After the warm up and the obligatory stretching, Dean and I were taken aside by Pot (one of the trainers, he's fought Buakaw twice!) and taken through a bit of shadowboxing, showing him what we could do. Bear in mind that the temperature was already hitting 32 and high humidity and I was already feeling knackered. Pot spent about an hour adjusting our stances, attacks and defences to his liking and then I was called into the ring for five (!) rounds on the pads with another trainer, known only as 'X.'
Now, X seemed like a bit of a legend and he certainly recognised that I was pretty tired and took it quite easy on the pads. Not too many combos, just focusing more on technique while he made enthusiastic noises every time I landed. It was a bit unclear whether my strikes were good or bad as the noises were a big ambiguous but I just kept going and let him correct me when he wanted. I found out later that X routinely turns up hungover but thrashes a lot of people in the fitness aspects. Respect.
After the pads, it was time to hit the bags, with yet more trainer input. I really feel like I got a lot of attention and I think that my game should improve a lot in the 4 weeks I have here.
Finally, we were done...for the morning. A quick ride back to Stone Inn with Dean and our new friend Jackie (HK Chinese guy, living in Leeds) for some lunch (despite it only being about 1030!) and I hit the sack to try and get some sleep before afternoon training.
When 3 o'clock rolled around, I got up and headed back to the gym. No rain this time, so I paired up with a nice Saffa bloke called John and he showed me a nice little route down to the lake and back, about 8km. Thankfully, the skies were overcast so there was no direct sunlight but it was still bloody hot and I sweated gallons on the run. On arriving back at the gym, the afternoon session was in full swing - I wrapped my hands and jumped straight in on the heavy bag. Another 5 rounds on the pads came along and I was beginning to feel the pain. My kicks lacked power or snap, my punches slowed down and my hands slowly dropped. Thankfully, Det, the trainer, realised and let up a little, again focusing on my kicking technique. Its weird - my right kick has more power but my left kick has always had better technique. Maybe I just pivot better on my stronger right leg. Who knows?
After almost dying/vomiting/shitting myself in the ring, it was time for clinch wrestling. 'Ah,' I thought, 'my chance to do something familiar.' Well, it would have been OK, if I hadn't ended up partnered with Jackie who is a 90kg boxer. Oh well. Still, my technique was pretty good although my habits of clinching like a grappler (in tight, head lowered, hips free) apparently a not so good in Muay Thai. Still, this is why I came and I'm getting brilliant instruction!
Now back in my room, about to eat. Maybe I'll have an early night....tomorrow, I do it all again!
After the warm up and the obligatory stretching, Dean and I were taken aside by Pot (one of the trainers, he's fought Buakaw twice!) and taken through a bit of shadowboxing, showing him what we could do. Bear in mind that the temperature was already hitting 32 and high humidity and I was already feeling knackered. Pot spent about an hour adjusting our stances, attacks and defences to his liking and then I was called into the ring for five (!) rounds on the pads with another trainer, known only as 'X.'
Now, X seemed like a bit of a legend and he certainly recognised that I was pretty tired and took it quite easy on the pads. Not too many combos, just focusing more on technique while he made enthusiastic noises every time I landed. It was a bit unclear whether my strikes were good or bad as the noises were a big ambiguous but I just kept going and let him correct me when he wanted. I found out later that X routinely turns up hungover but thrashes a lot of people in the fitness aspects. Respect.
After the pads, it was time to hit the bags, with yet more trainer input. I really feel like I got a lot of attention and I think that my game should improve a lot in the 4 weeks I have here.
Finally, we were done...for the morning. A quick ride back to Stone Inn with Dean and our new friend Jackie (HK Chinese guy, living in Leeds) for some lunch (despite it only being about 1030!) and I hit the sack to try and get some sleep before afternoon training.
When 3 o'clock rolled around, I got up and headed back to the gym. No rain this time, so I paired up with a nice Saffa bloke called John and he showed me a nice little route down to the lake and back, about 8km. Thankfully, the skies were overcast so there was no direct sunlight but it was still bloody hot and I sweated gallons on the run. On arriving back at the gym, the afternoon session was in full swing - I wrapped my hands and jumped straight in on the heavy bag. Another 5 rounds on the pads came along and I was beginning to feel the pain. My kicks lacked power or snap, my punches slowed down and my hands slowly dropped. Thankfully, Det, the trainer, realised and let up a little, again focusing on my kicking technique. Its weird - my right kick has more power but my left kick has always had better technique. Maybe I just pivot better on my stronger right leg. Who knows?
After almost dying/vomiting/shitting myself in the ring, it was time for clinch wrestling. 'Ah,' I thought, 'my chance to do something familiar.' Well, it would have been OK, if I hadn't ended up partnered with Jackie who is a 90kg boxer. Oh well. Still, my technique was pretty good although my habits of clinching like a grappler (in tight, head lowered, hips free) apparently a not so good in Muay Thai. Still, this is why I came and I'm getting brilliant instruction!
Now back in my room, about to eat. Maybe I'll have an early night....tomorrow, I do it all again!
Sunday, 13 June 2010
Arrival
Welcome to Angry Satin Hotpants, the Thai cousin of Angry White Pajamas (which is an excellent book, available on Amazon for anyone even vaguely interested in martial arts).
So, with the uncomfortable explanation for the odd name of the blog out of the way, now I'm in Thailand and having an awesome time.
Flights were rather long but pretty uneventful. Unfortunately, my connecting flight was cancelled before I left London so my 1 hour layover at Bangkok turned into 4 but no big deal.
I'm staying at Stone Inn and Yasoo, a small guesthouse on Phuket which would probably struggle to be rated 2*...it is however, very cheap at 7000 baht (about 150 quid) for a month. Yeah, its spartan (bare concrete walls, dodgy fittings) but it has aircon, a TV, decent locks and hot water - all I need really. Its run by a Greek chap who seems to be a bit of a wideboy but he's a nice guy really. I stayed up with him and a couple of other guys staying at Stone Inn watching the World Cup.
I spent today getting my bearings, cruising around on my new hired moped and then at the beach. The bike is pretty fun...my first experience of a motorbike and I really quite like it...worrying! Went to the beach, the beautiful Nai Harn on the south coast of Phuket. Its renowned as the prettiest on the island and I can see why. Photos are on facebook for those who are interested! Beautiful sand, clear water, big waves and brilliant sunshine. Went along with 2 guys I watched the football with last night, one French-Algerian guy and Dean, from London. We even got fresh coconuts and drank the milk while sitting on the beach, bliss!
First day of training at Sinbi Muay Thai (http://www.sinbi-muaythai.com ) tomorrow! Really up for it but worried that my fat belly (damn you, revision!!) may hinder my early progress somewhat. Still, we'll see tomorrow!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)