Hi and good evening. It’s good as always to catch up and I hope all is good in your world when it comes to training and everything else in between. I’ve just got back from training which was as always awesome finishing with a few not too shabby rounds of sparring and a narrow escape from 83kg left roundhouse. You live and you learn and I’m already looking forward to getting stuck into the last bit of training for the week.

These days I’m training around 4 or 5 times a week which is from my point enough for me to start to make progress. I’m itching to fight again and I’m hoping some good stuff happens over the summer. I’ve made sure that training includes a few runs a week and it’s helping me keep my weight at a respectable walk around weight of  63.4 to 64 kg. That’s a good thing because when the next one comes around I won’t have to drop much at all. I usually fight between 60-63 kg. 61 is where I feel the most comfortable.

Tuesday this week has also been a lot of fun training wise. I spent some time at the end being reminded sparring that it’s important that I stay in range.  When I get in I need to remember to stay in and to keep close. Being a short fighter the worst thing I can possibly do is play a range game with a taller opponent. Fighting at the range I want isn’t easy, it takes courage to work inside your opponent’s range but not only does it help me find the shots I want it also closes my opponent down too.

I have a tendency to enter rock em sock em robot mode and instead of sticking and moving just sticking. If I’m going to fight with pressure I need to make sure I stay a threat and I change my angles rather play a game of tit for tat. If your fitness is good and you are tough it’s possible to win a war of attrition but it’s better I guess to give your opponent a hard time and make sure your defense is solid too. Like everything else, it’s a work in progress but I can feel myself getting better and I hope it’s going to serve me well next time I compete.

I’ve also started to try to improve the guard on my left body kick as I’ve noted as have other people that my glove keeps catching my thigh as my arm swings. This fucks the kick up and pushes it down into the ribs rather than up and through. Ok, it still hurts someone but it’s not the kick I want. When I break it down and concentrate it comes together. All my inner whinging about flexibility and my lack of it may have a small element of fake news attached, and again when I find my range I can land that kick. When it lands properly it can stop people. I need to keep working on that as well as twisting my hips more.

My low kicks have always been my strength when it comes to Muay Thai so working close range means I get a chance to use them even more than I do already. The right kick is the one orthodox fighters never see coming and when it lands it does a lot of good. My left low kick is my battle axe. Nuff said. I’m going to spend more time drilling them both on the bags to get them sharper than they are at present.

Finally, I think it’s important I step my clinch game up. I need to spend a lot more time working the clinch in sparring but it’s a strength for the little people. Too tall to knee the ribs? knee the thighs. Bring them down to size, then knee the ribs. I love the knee bag in my gym and I’m making it my friend.

With fight number 20 firmly in my sights, I intend to keep putting in as much gym time in as I can. 4 or 5 times a week training for me equates to progress. When good things happen I’ll be ready.  The more I put in the more I get out, which really means the more I train the better I get. It’s not rocket science it’s just relentless dedication. After all these years I really wouldn’t have it any other way. Train hard and fight easy. And just like the last time.. I’ll see you on the road.