This week as always has been a good week of training. It’s been a full week that’s pushed me and I’m pleased that my fitness is up to scratch and training is moving in the right direction. When you put in the work it usually does. I thought I’d approach this week’s blog with a slightly different format than normal, so rather than give a round up of what’s been making me tick this week I’m really thinking about what it takes to make a fighter.

We’ve all got our strengths and weaknesses but in my opinion there’s common denominators that define all of us no matter where we’re at. So starting from the top, I’ve found that when it comes to competing fundamentally you need to have..

Good fitness – It’s a well known fact  that Muay Thai is one of the tougher forms of stand up fighting out there, and fights can go the distance or be over in a few minutes. Either way, when I’ve stepped up I’ve always known that my fitness needs to be at it’s best if I want to go the distance.

Be it pad work and drills, running, skipping or good old fashioned bag blasting it all helps to make me a stronger fighter inside and out. And of course then there’s the sparring.  I make sure I train at least 5 times a week if a fight is coming up and although every day isn’t always perfect I make sure every week is worth my time.

Heart and mental toughness – One of the characteristics that really defines a fighter is having ‘heart’ or the will not to give up and keep fighting. I’ve watched some incredibly tough fights before where neither fighter has given any quarter, and   I’ve learnt that you don’t just need to be tough on the outside when it comes to competing you need to be tough inside too.

A fight can tip in a heart beat so you need to be strong enough not to give up!. As the saying goes ‘it’s not how you start but how you finish.’  I’m lucky that I’ve never been someone to give up easily and it’s a characteristic that’s served me well so far!.

A good set of tools-  When it comes to training there’s a lot of techniques we practice and drill week in and week out. There’s a lot we get shown, and if your like me and have trained at a few gyms over the years then you’ll appreciate that everyone has their own perspective or take  on things. We’re all doing the same thing it’s just that there’s different approaches to doing it. Fundamentally, we’re all given the same tools to work with and it’s down to the individual to find what works the best for you.

I’ve found that it’s better to keep things simple when it comes to competing so there’s certain techniques and combinations I’ll use a lot in sparring or practise on bags so there registered and ready for when I need them the most. A  fighter should always make sure they have a good set of tools at their disposal. This much is a given. They don’t call it the science of eight limbs for nothing you know…

A good palate – ‘You are what you eat’ as the saying goes, and of course we all know that when your fighting you have to change your diet and make a few sacrifices especially if you’ve got weight to cut. I’ve been blessed with a high metabolism so manage to cut weight quite quickly from running and training hard but in general I eat pretty healthy anyway.

Earlier this year I had to cut to 60kg and found myself on the Riveta and tuna salad road, believe you me it was a long and irritating one. Especially when every time I went shopping all the stuff I couldn’t have seemed to go out its way to get my attention.

Being a good boy I make sure I cut down on indulgences (most of the time) and stay away from booze too when I’m fighting. A good palette doesn’t limit itself to what you ingest but to your surroundings too, so I always make sure I have the best people around me who I know will push me.

Sparring partners that push you and respect you-  We’ve all had the occasional sparring session where things have gotten a little heavy handed and it’s the unwritten rule in Muay Thai (and I guess all combat sports) that sparring is not about destroying the person in front of you but learning from them. How else do you find out what your strengths and weaknesses are and what you can and can’t do?

Like with everything else Thai it’s about continual improvement at what you do, and that’s why I’ve found it’s always important to train with others I know will push me when I need it the most, but know how to keep it on a level. For me that’s crucial especially when I’ve got a fight coming up.

I’m  not adverse to turning it up a little from time to time but only if the person I’m training with is happy with that too. After all, it’s not all about me. Personally, I’m a big fan of how Thais spar with each other but that’s a subject for a different blog.

Focus- Focus and mental toughness are closely related, but without focus under pressure even the best fighter is going to fold. There’s being able to handle a tough fight and there’s also  knowing what to do in order to win the day.

For me focus is an ongoing ‘work in progress’ and there’s lots of ways I like to try and improve mine be it through meditation and mindfulness practice or ‘staying present’  it’s something that’s developing as I do as a boxer.

When it comes to fight day I know that I need to have my ‘head in the game’ so always appreciate time alone to get ready  and make sure I’m coming out at my absolute best. After all I’m not just there to fight, I’m there to win.

A good corner –  For me and I’m sure it’s the same for you if you compete it’s essential to have a good corner when your fighting. Even though ‘the ring is a lonely place’ as Damien Trainor says, the guys or girls  in your corner will see things you don’t about your opponent and hone in on what’s working.

I’ve also found when I’ve had the toughest of fights my corner have told me not to give up no matter what. When your at round five knowing that your team is watching your back and believe in you can help you find that something you didn’t think you had. Thanks Craig and Jon.

So for me, that’s really it in a nutshell. I’m fighting again in a couple of weeks so next week is my final week of all or nothing. I’ll let you know how I get on. Have a great week, and just like the last time… I’ll see you on that road.

I’ve been training for a while now and I’m still finding that I’m learning more and more about myself as a boxer, and more often than not as a person the longer I do this for. The further I head down the road the longer I realize it is and that really it’s an ongoing journey.

Martial arts for me are an ongoing process of self improvement, and with Thai in particular I’ve found the person has grown as well as my understanding and ability with the techniques I’m being taught week in and week out.There’s been points in my life  where I’ve felt that I’ve had to made changes.To not do so would of held nothing but negative consequences. There’s been points in my Thai boxing journey I’ve stepped into challenges.

In both respects what I’ve wanted has been right in front of me. Right there. So real that I could almost touch it,that I could see its tangibility long before I stepped into what I knew would only ever be everything that I wanted. That’s not to say both journeys haven’t been without their fair share of fear. You know the stuff. It’s false evidence and it’s never really real.

No.. the fear isn’t real but sometimes the doubts can be. The limiting beliefs that follow can be the toughest to push through but like with everything Muay Thai and just like with everything else in my life, once committed and sure of my destination I just keep walking forward. Just like with my fighting too. Really I’ve learnt that conviction and self belief plays a big part in anything you want to achieve in training, in the ring and in life in general. And when it comes to training and fighting I know  that if I don’t believe in myself as well my own ability then why should anyone else?

You can probably tell that me and self doubt are old friends, but through competing I’ve found the best way to deal with doubt and limitations (usually self imposed) is to rise up to the challenge anyway. The self confidence I’ve gained through competing and training I’ve applied to other areas of my life and I’m pleased to say I’ve learnt to walk a lot taller than before. In fact, I never thought I would ever walk this tall.

That’s not to say before a fight or any new challenge that appears I don’t feel fear, it’s just that experience has taught me to deal with the emotion a lot better and when it comes to competing I’ve begun to understand that fear can be turned into decisive action when you need it the most. ‘Turn fear into fire’ as someone once said to me. Besides, he who hesitates is lost. They don’t call it the mind killer for nothing.

I’m finding that working on presence and staying in the moment helps deal with a lot of doubts and reservations I have about not just competing but other areas of life too. Observation is the key, and rather than engaging with a feeling I guess the key is being able to stand away almost from the outside looking in. Remaining centred and focused the world quickly becomes yours, and I can see it being a very useful tool when it comes to fighting.

I’m a long way away from being a fluid well oiled fighting machine ( more in need of a can of WD40 at points being totally honest ) who simply responds to his opponent under pressure, but every little helps and using tools that help me improve my mental fight game as well as my physical elements is a learning experience and a work in progress as always.

Drilling techniques results in sharper responses and I’m already thinking about what new tools I can put in the proverbial kit bag. There’s a few things happening when I’m sparring now I’m very happy with and I’m getting faster too. If I can switch off but stay sharp things should get interesting. Being honest, it’s not going to badly at present (no pun intended) and I’m enjoying the process and I’m always learning.

So next week onwards as always I’m going to make sure the week is all about graft. The one thing it won’t be about is comfort zones because as we all know there’s no growth to be found there. It’s good to have renewed enthusiasm for training but I guess that’s what focus and goals do. They give you something to aim for. Usually it’s worth going for broke. Have a fantastic week, and just like the last time. I’ll see you on that road.

“Growth and comfort do not co-exist.” 

Well, I know there’s been a little pause since last time we spoke but having had to juggle a multitude of plates and wear a couple of different hats over the past week or so I’m pleased I’ve managed to find the time to sit down and write. When it comes to procrastination I can scream in at first place when I put my mind to it. Or maybe when I don’t.

Training over the past week or so has as always been good, and I’m beginning to think about the end of November which is now hopefully going to be the next date I’m fighting. A couple of pull outs meant the 24th wasn’t going to happen but on the plus side of things I guess there’s more time to get myself ready. It’s good to have a goal to work towards and I think  it’s important to set your sights on what you want to achieve and commit yourself to it from an early stage.

Before I started competing I used to set myself goals with training as I’ve always found it helps you stay focused. There’s nothing worse than finding yourself going through the motions simply because the motions are you all know. And with Muay Thai there is always something you can work on.

Really that’s what training is about. A constant cycle of self improvement and with the physical training I’ve found a mental toughness begins to develop after a time too. I noticed it yesterday and really felt that I had to just grit my teeth and get on with things. It’s always hard on a ‘no energy’ day. It’s good to understand why your doing what your doing but its easy to get lost in over analysis too. Some days I find its better just to get your head down and get on with it. Hard work as always, is good work.

That’s not to say I’m approaching training with a ‘work the combination and hope for the best’ attitude, but the way we improve at anything is by constant practice and repetition. And I’ve found in Muay Thai  and I guess it’s the same with any martial art or discipline you train in, that you get a lot of that.

I’ve spent the past couple of months focusing wanting to improve everything but maybe sometimes I need to be a little more focused in my approach. I’ve noticed at the moment my clinching needs a lot of work so I need to spend more time focusing on that when I can. The grappling is ok but the knees are far and few between so that needs to improve. There’s a goal right there.

Again that’s only going to get better by practice and more practice and I’m hoping with a potential goal to aim at for November I’m going to be more motivated than usual to get them up to speed. Missing out on an opportunity to fight sucks big time but I’ll be ready for next month. Fighting may not be the be all and end all, but it’s a lot of fun and something I want to do for a while yet.

You hit your thirties and sometimes people expect you to slow down a little. You don’t need to do that in my opinion. Your thirties is still young. If your strong enough, fit enough and mostly importantly train hard enough then why stop? Especially if you love what you do. Besides I didn’t start competing till I was 31 and I’ve been stepping up for five years now and training for nearly nine years. I must be doing something right. I’ll be training when I’m 60. ,

So with my temporary  mid life crisis out the way, I’m looking forward to training hard rest of the week. I’m going to make a point of picking things up with running again and despite Christmas rapidly looming I’m going to do my best to ignore all the nice stuff (by nice stuff I mean chocolate) I see out in the shops at present. (Well most of the time anyway.) I guess really the next five weeks or so of training is going to be all about graft, and I’m hoping that next we speak I’ve got some positive news about my fight next month. Better late than never I guess.  In the meantime have a good week, train hard and just like before… I’ll see you on that road.

This week has been a little lighter on the ground than usual training wise for varying reasons, but next week should see things back on track as usual. I’m still not 150% sure if I’m going to be fighting on the 24th of October but it’s something I am working towards and next month is going to see a few changes training wise anyway, so I am hoping if the remainder of the year stays fairly quiet then I can hit the ground running in the new year if needs be. Of course, I want to fight this month so will be pleased if it comes together.

I’m quite pleased with how training has been going of late and feel that I’ve made some improvements. I’m thinking a lot about what I can add to what I already know as I have said before, and it’s nice to have a couple of gyms to train out of  as each camp has it’s own individual style. It never hurts to have more than one pair of eyes looking at what your doing, and as long as the feedback is constructive then I find there’s always something I can take away and work on. And luckily, that’s always the case.

I’ve found over time you learn very quickly what works and what doesn’t work when your under pressure and as I’ve mentioned before the simple things in life are often the most effective and more often than not can keep you out of trouble. So just recently I’ve worked on countering more and have even tried to add some fakes into what I already know.

If you compete already or have watched a lot of Thai boxing on YouTube or have been to many shows, like myself you will of noticed that the fights can be a series of attack and counters with each fighter trying to outsmart their opponent. It’s more evident the higher you go up the proverbial food chain with fighters but the premise no matter what level you fight at always remains the same.

I’m doing my best to step my game up and to start to think a little smarter when it comes to fighting as I’ve mentioned, but I’m also making sure I keep the pressure turned up as best I can. That’s an element of me that will never change and I had drilled into me from an early stage the one we need to be doing when fighting is walking forward. I’m usually quite aggressive, what some people call a pressure fighter or ‘forward’ fighter  so I think more countering more and faking will help me become a little less predictable.

Although the gyms I train out of at present have their own take on things I’ve found that it’s important to make everything I’m being taught my own. It’s fair to say not everything I’m shown always works for me but especially with drills I find that there is usually a short combination or technique or counter that I see and decide to try and start using. Just recently parrying a jab and coming back with a cross, a uppercut  and a low kick seems to make sense as well as practising parrying a punch and countering with a knee. (the picture above is one variation) In the same respect one of my favourite combinations and one we drill a lot is a cross, hook and left roundhouse to the body. I’ve added to this myself by finishing with a left cross after the body kick (for me that’s the knock out shot after the damage is done) or a different variation.

The great thing about Muay Thai is that there are so many different ways to attack and counter your never stuck for an answer, it really comes down to working out what approach suits yourself the best. For me, the simple things in life are always the most effective but even then you can be spoilt for choice. I guess developing how you do things is all part of the journey and like with everything else it’s a work in progress. I thought I’d leave you this week with a video on Muay Thai sweeps and counters. As always, the best things happen in the clinch. Train hard, have a great week and just like the last time..I’ll see you on that road.

This is the blog that should of happened yesterday so apologies for the slight delay. Reflecting back on last week, it was as always a decent week of training. I’m still very much on that mission to improve myself as much as I can technique wise. Some days all goes well, some days I feel like I have to go back to the beginning. I guess it’s always good to work on the basics and strengthen  your foundation.

I’m enjoying the drills more than anything with training at the moment and I’m finding it’s really helping me focus on improving how I work in combinations. Adding to what I know already is the key, and I realized just the other day that I spend a lot of time avoiding techniques that I find difficult or that just need a bit of polish. Instead of getting despondent about  what I don’t do well I think now is as good a time as any to start to work on those areas and remind myself that ultimately, after all this time there is still no such thing as I can’t.

Looking forward for a moment at competing again next month, I’m hoping things begin to take a move as usual in the right direction and although it feels like I have a lot to work on at present  practice as they say makes perfect. I’ve never been a believer in natural talent. Even the best have to work from a place of resistance to get where they need to be.

I’m still applying the same work ethic I have towards time in the gym to time in the ring, and I think I’m slowly developing into a ‘pressure fighter’ as some would say. I’m getting a little smarter, thinking more about what I do, and I’ve started to add in what I can when I can to sparring. Catching teeps and kicks is something that works for me and I want to get really good at it then add a counter to follow up. It’s getting there.

Friday’s clinch work was good and I even managed a sweep, Saturday I spent 95% of my time sucking on canvas. Life as they say is like that, but I’d rather learn the hard way in the gym than learn the hard way in the ring. Perseverance and grit is one thing when it comes to fighting but I’m hoping that towards the end of next month I’m going to have a little more in my proverbial armoury than I did before. Or at the very least have a  stronger foundation than I had before. Same but different if that makes sense. I’m training with some good people as always so watch this space.

I talk a lot about what I want to achieve with Thai boxing but I’m also just as happy with where I’ve got to and what I’ve achieved so far. Everyone’s journey is unique to them and the worst thing I think you can possibly do is put others on pedestals and say ‘if only I could’. One of my biggest inspirations as a person is Muhammad Ali. I have a poster of the great man on my living room wall so he’s someone I see first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Ali was someone who achieved an incredible amount with his sport and chosen discipline and if anything he’s inspiration for me that I can achieve whatever I put my mind to as well. Whenever I’ve felt low about competing or even just training I take a look at my main man caught mid shadow box in the ring, and then I remember that champions and fighters aren’t made in gyms. There made from what they have inside of them. Have a fantastic week. train hard and just like the time before.. I’ll see you on that road.

“If you even dream of beating me you’d better wake up and apologize.” – Muhammad Ali 

Training has been good this week as always. I’m starting to find that the format of my new Saturday morning session has started to settle in a little more. It’s taken me a few weeks to get used to the drills but I’ve started to feel  a little sharper because of it  and this week when it comes to sparring Thai ,and training in general things seem to be moving in the right direction.

I’ve felt a lot more focused this week than previously and I’ve stuck to my guns and done  my best to practice being present whenever I can. There’s some good stuff out there on the subject, and I am a firm believer that it’s just as important to train your mind as it is your body. How you do that I guess is of course down to yourself, but it’s certainly worth taking a look at.

Training this week started with a focus on targeting/ range finding and landing effective shots as well some bag work/ pad work and the rest of the week was a good mix of technical and tough training. Despite having a couple of reservations earlier on in the week about fighting next month because of my shin, It seems to have settled down considerably and Friday evening consisted of round after round of sparring so I guess things are well on track for the 24th of October.

It’s going to be good to get back in the ring again and I’m pleased to have a positive goal to focus on. I’m slowly getting back into my running again too and intend to up the ante next week onwards. It’s about 5 weeks till I can fight so I need to make sure my fitness as well as everything else  is on point.

I want to make  sure I start  putting more drills/ techniques into practice sparring   Fight training for me (and I think it’s more than likely the same for a lot of people that compete) is about honing and sharpening up what I know I can use and most importantly what works, but in the same respect it’s important not to become a one dimensional kind of guy. So without wanting to give my game away too much I’m pleased that there’s been a gradual improvement in my sparring over the past four weeks or so.

Ok I’m getting better at catching stuff and my countering’s improving. I find it’s easier to practice ‘new’ techniques when your sparring partner remembers it’s not a fight. But that’s a subject for a different blog and I’m sure we all have many a ‘that time I got a black eye sparring’ story to tell. I actually nearly got knocked out on Thursday with a high kick but that’ll learn me for dropping my guard.

I’m hoping that  I learn more about what works and what doesn’t work for me when I’m under pressure so I’ve got a couple more tricks in the bag for October. I’ve found that the guys I spar with on a Saturday are at a good level, and it’s all Muay Thai ‘as is’ if that makes sense so is always a good test of myself.

On a final note, I think it’s important to remember that Thai boxing just the same as with any other martial art or competitive sport is about being an individual. I think as I learn more and more about what works and what doesn’t work for me I’ll continue  to develop and find my style of fighting. At points it can feel quite basic, but when I have days like I did Friday and Saturday I can see that potential, and it’s good to know I’m progressing all the time. As always it’s a work in progress but it’s good to be here and just like the last time. I’ll see you on that road.