This week has been a little lighter on the ground than usual training wise. In fact, although as always it’s been good I’ve been missing the regular routine of training solidly for the last week or so.  I’ve let the peddle off the gas a little recently but that in itself has given me more more inclination to keep things on track and to stay focused.

I’m still aiming to fight over the summer and being honest it’s good to be able to train simply for the sake of training at present. I heard that my gyms show yesterday was a real success ,  and as I have had a couple of pull outs and let downs of late I’m more inclined to these days to take things as they come. If I fight, I fight and if I don’t it’s no biggie. It’s my passion but it’s not the be all and end all.

I have little to no time for gym politics and I think sometimes when you spend all your time focusing on the next fight you can often forget what brought you here in the first place. I was doing that a year or so ago. I’ve had a reasonable amount of fights and these days I like to think I’m not a bad little fighter. I still have a big heart too.

I still want to achieve more than I have but in the same respect I’m inclined just to enjoy what I’m being taught for the sake of being taught it and fight if an opportunity to arises. Wins and losses get put to one side when all you want is to be at your best.

Other than giving me tenaciousness I never knew existed Thai boxing has taught me a lot about myself in and out the ring. When it comes to fighting I’ve learnt that you need to become a very different person from who you are in day to day life. You need to be tougher than you thought you could be and at points you need to be brutal.

I’m not sure if I’ve ever been what you would class as brutal as a fighter, but I’m tough as old boots and I hit hard. Sometimes I remember what my old trainer in Bournemouth said to me once ‘fighting isn’t for everyone’ Way back when,  I never thought ever thought fighting would be for me. I guess it’s kind of grown on me.

I’ve learnt to take the fighter that has developed in the ring and in the gym into my every day life too. In general I’m quite an easy going kind of guy so developing my Muay Thai ‘grr’ has been an ongoing process.

People I used to train with as well as my trainer used to tell me to get angry but being honest I don’t think anger serves you well in general. Anger can be incredibly self destructive unless it translates into positive intent. And that applies to everything you do. I’ve learnt and I’m always learning that fighting is more about responding than reacting.

I’ve watched angry fighters lose fights just as I’ve seen them swarm an opponent and take the win.  If you have a more relaxed fighting style it can be overwhelming when someone rushes you.

In my last fight my corner told me to play a points game rather than a slugging match. It always pays to think with your head (but not to think) as well as let your heart see you through. Watch how the Thais fight and you’ll understand what I mean. I think when Muay Thai is at it’s best it’s like a game of chess. Attack, counter,attack counter.. well you get the picture.

When I first started training before I was fighting a friend of mine remarked on how different I was becoming as a person. I’d never really noticed any sort of change in me at all. I certainly didn’t feel any different, but I’d begun to train more and more. It wasn’t until she said ‘look how tall you walk’ did I take a mental step back.

I realized there was a new version of me emerging and I’m pleased to say he’s been expanding ever since. There’s sacrifices you make when you commit yourself to something but when it comes to any martial art I think the biggest sacrifices reap the biggest rewards. That’s why I’ll be training when I’m 60, and the person I’ve become I’m sure will no doubt end up being bigger inside than he ever thought he could be.

So what does next week hold? Well next week holds another week of ‘reasonable’ amount of training time (the following week is the week of ‘back to where it should be’)  but at least it’s consistent and it’s heading back in the right direction. Either way, I’ll make sure all time I spend at the gym is time well spent. Really I wouldn’t have that any other way. Have a great week, train hard and just like the last time, I’ll see you on the road.