Muay Thai, Excite!

Every few months or so I search for Muay Thai gyms in Southern Connecticut and come up with nothing. I was recently talking to a co-worker about my old gym when I casually searched "Fairfield Muay Thai" in Google. Much to my amazement, 'The Center Martial Arts' popped up. (I don't know why it's not "The Center for..." or maybe include a hyphen, but that's their name.) When I looked at the website alone I was excited. A few days later I went in to watch a Muay Thai class. The trainer, Hitalo Machado still currently fights MMA. I can't tell you how much this excites me. Finally someone who is up on his game because he has to be. Oh and he has some serious reach. Look at all that blood and spit! I get giddy just looking at it. Not in a blood lust kind of way. I'm just really excited to have a trainer who can kick so much ass!

While I watched the Muay Thai class I quickly noticed a sign that this is Muay Thai, not "American Kickboxing". Calves. From the clinching and kneeing you form some serious calves you don't get from traditional kickboxing. Hitalo and the guys who obviously train a lot all had Muay Thai calves. As I watched the class further I got even more excited, this was familar, this is where I need to train. I talked with one of the owners, Sensei Paulina for quite some time. When she told me she is Thai, I said "Sawatdee Kaa" (Hello) and she was very excited by this and said "Sawatdee Kaa" back. I told her I definitely want to take the time to train in Thailand someday. Then I met a girl who has a fight planned either this month, or next I can't remember. I never thought I'd ever meet a girl who actually fights Muay Thai. It will be her first fight, and I was really happy to hear that The Center set up the fight and is very supportive of female fighters. Makes a lot of sense considering the two owners are female. How rare is that? Well I've certainly never heard of ANY martial arts gym owned by a female.

I talked to the girl for a bit, and she is really nice. She is finishing up her doctorate AND training almost every day. She said she was looking forward to finally having a girl to spar with. I am excited too, but nervous since I'm rusty and she's a bit bigger than me. I WILL get my ass kicked by her, there is no doubt of this. But that's okay, I really need my ass kicked to get back into the game. The Center fully sponsors their fighters, which is awesome. They are even thinking of sending her to Master Toddy. Basically he is THE person in the US to send a fighter too, especially if your fighter happens to be a woman. He's VERY open to training female fighters, and was on a show (I have to admit I watched every episode of on Hulu) called "Fight Girls". (Oh it sounds so lame and kind of was, but they were fighting Muay Thai! I couldn't NOT watch.) "Fight Girls" also featured my fav Muay Thai crush, Gina Carano. (pictured)

Last Saturday I tried out my first class, Advanced Muay Thai. I did pretty well considering I haven't clinched in well over a year. The kid I was practicing with is as scrawny as me, and I think about 15! It was really hard to get back into the habit of watching a trainer, following what he's saying and then practicing the sequence while at the same time remembering my form. Hitalo noticed right away my "wave" as he calls it. In traditional Muay Thai you drop the opposite arm of the one you are kicking for balance. He said that my "wave" needs to go. Then he asked me where I trained. "Plus One in Hartford" "Ah Peter... yeah I used to train with him." Small world! He said he wasn't as traditional as Kru Peter (btw, this makes me sad) but their styles are very similar. We didn't spar during the class, but that's probably for the best. Last time I sparred it was an embarrassment. I have to finish up my contract with Aiki, which ends this month. So hopefully I will be starting at The Center next month. I already ordered new Muay Thai gloves, heavier ones that will be better for sparring and their heavy bags. Now I need to get new shin guards, mine are WAY too thin.

PS- Oh man after some googling, turns out Hitalo is 3 years younger than me! God, when did I get OLD?! Well whatever, a lot of women fighters are older than 25, so I got some time.

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Pudding for Dinner

First goal of the week, attending the Muay Thai Concepts class, complete. The class involves a lot more partner work than Aiki's other "Muay Thai" classes. There is some light sparring, which was refreshing. It left me wanting more, even though it was an hour long I hardly worked up a sweat.
I got home around 8:15pm and planned on maybe having a smoothie for dinner. I looked around the kitchen, I had an avocado and a pear that needed to be used ASAP, bananas that are browning and I just bought some brown rice protein. I decided on making pudding, and if I had to give it a name, I'd call it "Power Pudding". Blend 1 avocado, 1 banana, a cup or so of soy milk (I use Silk No Sugar Added) and a 50cc scoop of chocolate brown rice protein (I use NutriBiotic). I chopped up some strawberries and a pear to mix in, and sweeten the flavor.
I've used a similar recipe for a raw pudding pie, but I usually add baking chocolate. This pudding is inspired by raw recipes I've seen before, and conceptually it follows Brenden Brazier's 'Thrive Diet'. The proper title of the book is 'Thrive: The Vegan Nutrition Guide to Optimal Performance in Sports and Life'. I read it last year upon reading vegan UFC fighter Mac Danzig's recommendation. Brazier, a vegan triathlete, has some very interesting views on nutrition, and his book is well-researched and really interesting. I don't follow the diet strictly (Brazier does not push his "diet" as a strict regimen) but I do try to incorporate as much of it as I can into my diet.
Most of the book focuses on eating power foods, foods which are highly nutritional. Brazier breaks down many power foods and lists their benefits as well as their disadvantages. I highly recommend reading Brazier's book. Even if you're not interested in following his diet plan, it gives the reader an introduction to new foods which are high in nutrition, and how to cook/prepare them.

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A Mostly Raw Day

Wednesday after swimming I decided to incorporate more raw foods into my diet. In my zombie-like visit to the store yesterday, I stocked up on fruits and veggies.

I started eating a diet focused on raw food last spring. Unfortunately, I found out I was allergic to bell peppers after having major GI problems, and kind of fell off the wagon. It scared me off salad for awhile, since I didn't know what was going on. Then, by the start of winter I had become so stressed out, I was hardly cooking, and, sigh... eating Lean Cuisines.

So yesterday I ate mostly raw. I doubt I'll ever go 100% raw, or ever 100% vegan, but I do believe there are real benefits to those diets/lifestyles. Now, if you look up "raw food diet", you will most certainly run across some pretty insane sounding people. They talk about connecting with their food, being brought to emotional states by vegetables, and feeling energy not previously felt with "cooked food". Their descriptions usually remind me of 'The Ecstasy of St Teresa' by Bernini, as their descriptions of their foodgasms go pretty over the top sometimes.

When I eat raw foods, I definitely feel better, it's nice to eat a meal that's so basic, almost primal in a way. Does my "mega salad" of pears, apples, avocado, baby spinach, romaine and dried cranberries move me to states of ecstasy? Um, no but it tastes damn good, and I love knowing exactly what's in my meal. Do I think all the claims raw foodists make are silly? No, even if at first it's a little strange. With any sort of life choice, there are those who go a little overboard, but I do believe raw food is very nutritious, cleansing, and plant-based diets create positive energy.

After work, I went to spin class. The instructor last night usually teaches on Wednesdays and Fridays. I liked her a lot, and I think I'll make an effort to check out more of her classes. She was very positive but had a very authoritative presence, probably because she teaches middle school. After spin my friend Kelly and I went to "cardio pilates". It was... interesting, not horrible, but not exactly what we expected. The instructor is full of sass and bleach, and I hope I have her energy at her age.

Then, after we were done swinging body rings around in pilates, I taught Kelly some Muay Thai basics. It was a great refresher for me to teach somebody else. As I watched her, and really thought about my punches and my form, I had flashbacks to my Krus (Kru is the Thai word for teacher). I remembered a lot of their notes to me about my stance and form. It's pretty easy to remember the basic rule they taught me, "keep your hands up at all times". Very often during pad work if I dropped my hands, they would surprise me with a quick smack to the head. In this rule, I became a quick learner.

Speaking of Muay Thai, I received a shirt I ordered the other day from Antarai Active Wear. It's hard to find Muay Thai related clothes, and almost impossible to find well designed clothes for women! I love a lot of the designs at Muay Thai Stuff but NO women's shirts! I wrote a complaint in the past to them about this. Anyway, I was surprised and delighted my shirt from Antarai came in so quickly! Can't wait to wear it!

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Purple Belt

Tonight I received my "purple belt" in kickboxing. New belts at my current martial arts gym are never very exciting. My old gym in Hartford really made you earn a belt. When I talk about Plus One, I feel like an old woman talking about the days when I'd walk to school uphill both ways in a snowstorm. Testing was usually done in a group setting, but the trainers sat down and watched each student and took notes. They made sure you could complete the guidelines. There was also a certain amount of Thai you had to be able to speak.

Testing at Aiki, for kickboxing at least, is a breeze. The worst part is a minute of push-ups. At Plus One we had to hold the plank position for at least a minute, and they would put medicine balls or kettlebells on your back, and kick your stomach. I vividly remember grimacing and shaking and thinking how awesome it was to be pushed, and the pride I felt when I was moved up to Advanced Muay Thai, or when I received my white sash.
When you received your sash, or were moved up, you were brought to the front of the class, presented with your sash and certificate, and then ceremoniously punched in the stomach.

Now, all I get is a piece of paper, not even a belt. As much as I like Aiki for its kettlebell classes, and just a nice place to practice kickboxing, I really miss learning new techniques, sparring, and being pushed by my trainers.

Sawatdee kaa.

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