Hi. I thought I’d take the chance to catch up with you again. It’s good as always to sit down and write and I’ll make sure I get my blog back to it’s regular Sunday slot this week onwards.  Despite gyms still being closed and things across the globe looking increasingly like 1984,  I’m pleased to say I’ve stayed motivated and ok although I need to train from home a little more than I am at present, I’ve kept the running up and I don’t have any intention of slowing down.

In fact when it comes to all things Muay Thai I want to make sure I’m ready to step back into training regularly full time when the lockdown over here lifts. A little voice is telling me that’s going to be sooner rather than later so if I feel a little low about not being able to hit a heavy bag or spar or train with friends at points, I take a little strength in knowing that things will inevitably get better.

Right now, we’re looking at a lift on this thing in around 6 months, but that’s not to say gyms will be shut for that period of time. There’s been talk of us seeing things return to  whatever classes as normal around these parts by around late May or June,  I’m sincerely hoping that’s the case because although I’ve always wanted a Twins teardrop knee bag, I think I’d begrudge setting one up in the living room and besides I’m planning to get myself out to Europe to catch one of the best martial arts tournaments on the face of the planet as well as do a little traveling.

But in the meantime we are in a state of lockdown so how do we do cope? what do we need to do exactly to make sure we stay sharp and competent for when we get back to our camps and get our fighting heads on once more? I think first and foremost the most important thing is to keep the training up and keep the training consistent.

If you’ve been a little like me at points and struggling to stay motivated (let’s be honest, it’s an easy trap to fall into) then it’s worth catching Sylvie’s home training videos and work on developing your own daily routine. Today I changed my run route a little and along the way caught sight of a guy shadowboxing by the river near my place and intermittently skipping. Turns out he trains at a camp I trained with when I first moved to Bristol way back in 2012.

I could see he is a beginner and it was nice to see someone staying motivated despite everything and I shadowed a little myself. I think in hindsight it felt a bit too Jean Claude Van Damme for me to do regularly but hey it broke my run up a little! I realized that I absolutely need to be training from home more and I’ve already got my eyes on a small portable bag for the living room and intend to get a daily routine worked out for my Thai boxing. Even if it’s 40 minutes at a time (I did an hour or so the other day) it should be enough to keep a degree of rust off my tools.

So far I’ve managed to left body kick the clothes horse into submission and even had a go at making a temporary heavy bag out of the sofa’s cushions yesterday. For a moment back there it was nice to let my hands go but it’s still not the gym and what that tells me is that I need to get a bit of structure into my training at home rather than bursts of activity and moments of so-called inspiration.

I’ve got free weights here and a kettlebell, just about enough space in the living room to have a nice move around and there’s even a strip of grass at the back of my flats away from others (this is seriously so strange. ) that I can use if the weather holds up and it gets warm. From tomorrow onwards I’m going to make sure I’m training twice a day as well as running four times a week. Let’s see what happens. I’m sticking to my guns because there’s still no time like the present.

I’ve also gone for long bike rides to keep my fitness up but still can’t get over how surreal my home is right now. Nothing is permanent and I know it will change for the better but Bristol feels like a ghost town.

It’s worth remembering at this point that what I take away from training has always been mine to keep so on that basis I’m not going to let it go to waste. Here’s to staying focused and motivated. Have a good week, train hard and just like the last time… I’ll see you on that road.