Home Gym

So I think I can honestly say I have created the most basic home gym. 

Pretty sure I'm gonna get splinters.

Shark Tank

Saturday was my last sparring class in London. Really going to miss these guys and the class. It's been such a positive influence on me and my sparring. Not only is it responsible for stopping me drinking on a friday night! but having a class of people from different martial arts backgrounds and very different body shapes has provided so much experience and taught me a lot about my own fighting style. What I feel comfortable throwing and who I feel comfortable matched up against. 

It's a surprisingly big transtition from hitting pads to hitting people and I have learnt my right leg kick which devostates pads has been really difficult to implement in class without paying the price of being punched in the face. 

I've also been especially lucky to have such tall guys in the class, being 6'3 myself it's been great to work clinch and range with guys I dont have a natural advantage over. A massive thank you goes to Darren and Phil (pictured) but also Nick and Mats who have all beaten the crap out of me over the last few months. 

Not forgetting Alex and his spin kicks of course, so damn fast. So many bruised hip bones. 

Anyway, Saturday went well. 5Km run in the morning then an hour of stretching and core work to increase mobility. Class started and we slogged it out for an hour. 

My nose was giving me a lot of grief. First round with Paul and I managed to get my own hand punched into my nose and heard it click. Eyes watered everywhere and I could feel that the week of healing had just been undone. 

Protecting my nose meant i was a lot more defensive than usual with a tight high guard, working from the outside. Whenever we ended up in clinch my nose would get pressed against shoulders or biceps so i tried to avoid that as well. Kick and move was the theme. Which was fine for the hour class.  

But.... At the end Paul suggested we do the 'Shark Tank' we had discussed on the run up to me breaking my nose. I couldnt back down so I agreed. I stood in the middle of the dojo and faced off against Paul. The idea being that I would fight Paul for 1 minute, then a beep would signify him stepping out and the next person stepping in. 

It would go Paul... 4 class mates and then paul again. I cannot stress how physically hard this was. Paul stressed to everyone before we started they had to pressure me, move forward and push the pace the entire minute they were in. This was beyond exhausting. My muscles were tired but could continue working, but the air in the room just felt so thick. It was like trying to breath in soup. I've not felt that feeling is so long. A physical inability to get enough air into the body to keep working. 

 Blow by Blow account:

Paul beat the crap out of me. Protecting my nose exposed me to body shots and a few blows to my guts just reduced my batteries to zero. To say it was 1 minute it felt like forever. I tried to pressure in with some faints and knees to grab clinch and rest. This meant eating uppercuts to the nose so i moved my face which meant bicep to the nose so out i went and just tried to run and avoid and save some energy for the next guys. 

The pressure just seemed to shut down my breathing and there was a massive impulse to bail out sighting my nose as reason to stop. 

But I didnt stop and eventually the minute was up. 

Next was Darren who came jumping in with flying knees. Really good to see him be so aggressive and pressure (especially with knee strikes). It caught me off guard as he is normally more methodical and outside. I managed to clinch up tall and get some rest where I could.

Phil, another tall fighter was next. All day I was extremely worried by his jab as he normally finds my face with extreme accuracy. I know he knows this, and given my broken nose I swear he intentionally avoided using this weapon (which I am massively grateful for). 

Lots of nice punch flurries from Phil ending with strong kicks saw the minute out, i checked as best as possible but i was running again. 

Dan was next, he's fairly knew to the sparring class and came straight for me with solid but simple punch combinations. You could tell there was force behind the shots cause even the jab off my guard felt solid. I went inside low to the body then up to the head with a left hook. 

Clocked him, think he saw stars as he backed out then sat out. This cut his minute short but didnt afford me any rest.

Alex was next, he's fast and has these karate back hand strikes that although not powerful distract like crazy and seem to shut down my combos. I tried to close distance and clinch to take a few breathes but he kept his distance well and chopped at my lead leg. 

Final Round - Paul again - he walked me down cut off my escapes and went to the body before ending with over hand strikes. I tried to block a few and catch my breath but the body strikes made it impossible. 

I decided offence was the only option as to earn myself some space. I went low and sprung in (didnt know at the time but I headbutted Paul, and it must of been hard cause i leapt in and i'm about 94Kg's). 

I think i landed a decent long right hand but Paul guided me off to one side, single arm lock held me in a hunched over postion. Paul worked the knees to my body and the uppercuts to my face. By this time he had really eased off on the power (thank Christ). It must have been very apparent I was on empty. He let me pull free and i spent the remainder of the round backing up and fainting the kicks in the hope it would slow his approach. 

When the final buzzer sounded I collapsed on the floor and used my gloves as a pillow. I know get the feeling we were supposed to do laps of this 6 round 'Shark Tank' but my fitness is so not there. I couldnt breath I couldnt move, i couldnt think. 5 minutes later I was fine, so i know it wasnt muscular. But boy do i need to work on my explosive fitness. 

Things I learnt. 

 1. When in real trouble I attack with a Chris Leben level of wild abandon. I'd rather go out on my shield KO'd than quit. I feel good about this. I was really worried this experience would make me feel like a quitter. 

2. I have more success when moving forward. 

 3. I dont use my teep or knees to nearly enough effect. This lack of clinch ability was a massive skill gap. 

4. I never ever want to fight Paul. 

 Thanks to all the guys who came down and who I have trained with over the last few months. It's been a brilliant experience that has fuelled my love for the sport. 

 The guys from left to right: Alex, Phil, Myself, Darren and Paul

Leaving Do..... a minor re-introduction to excessive alchohol consumption

So Saturday was my leaving do. Used Facebook for one last social hurrah and organised to meet as many friendly faces as possible at a perfect little cocktail bar on Old Street roundabout. 

The place is called 'Loves Company' and I can give it the massive seal of approval. Went out Saturday 5pm... got home Sunday 9am. The cocktails were amazing and the bar staff and security were just brilliant. 

Www.lovescompany.co.uk

Also a massive thank you to all my friends who made the effort to come down and say one last goodbye before i make my exit. Fortunately i drank too much to early to notice the time flying by, so I didnt end up getting overly emotional. Close call.

AMERICAN FRIENDS!!! - Bulk Ibuprofen and Neosporin anti-biotic cream

Of all the things to pack for my trip, 3 things recomended online have always stuck out as good advice: 

 1. Bulk Ubuprofen - constant knocks and swollen joints make it necessary - Extremely expensive in Thailand- take with. 

2. Neosporin Anti-biotic cream - Great for any shin cuts to speed recovery and avoid infection in the moist climate - Not available in Thailand - take with. 

3. Mosquito repellant - without deet

 Turns out the bug repellant is actually best to get locally in Thailand. Johnson and Johnson do a baby oil that smells good, is easy to apply, really works but unfortunately is not avialble outside of Thailand. 

This was recomended to me by a make-up artist who was out there shooting a Guns and Ammo calender with a harem of Glamour Models. Supposedly it kept the bugs off the girls even when they put more than their fair share of skin on show. 

 Makes me wonder what ingredient is in there every other nation spurred. Must be strong stuff. 

Http://www.hotshotscalendar.com

 But on that note.... I tried to order Neosporin and a big jar of 200mg Ibuprofen tablets from the states as we cant buy them over the counter here.

 Seemingly the English government is terrified of mass suicides by bulk pain pill. You'd think on this over populatred little island they would just let that one slide and enjoy the cull. 

 So this is a call out for help! Can any of the American readership possibly post me a large jar of Ibuprofen and a tube of Neosporin? I will happily pay you back plus a little finders fee. I just cant do it myself as none of the web shops will allow me. Thanks for any help offerred.

Broken Nose

Saturday sparring went relatively well. Made the time to go for a run and stretch like a mother before the class started. Unfortunately i still felt a little stiff and wasn't flowing like the previous week. 

I blame the explosive plyometric training we were doing mid-week in class. The wide stance squats were an absolute killer and my glutes and groin were miles from recovered. I tried stretching, linament oil and foam rolling but i still felt a little tight and off sorts. Leg and hip dexterity was low. 

 Class went well. But I wasn't particularily aggressive, felt better working at lower intensity and not going in for the kill. Quite the change from the previous week. I was first to disengage if we clinched or if we banged up against the gym wall. I was stopping combinations rather than finishing when i saw my opponent freeze and turtle up, dropping my hands turning and walking back to the centre of the room to re-set. 

 And in there lies the lesson. 

 I got paired with a guy who has only been to sparring class a couple times. He has a very lunging style and seems to find it difficult to control power because of this. 

He jumps in like a fencer with his jab stretched out, which is fine. But the momentum and the following hook or over hand tend to be a little wild. But thats fine, you just ramp up to match the intensity. If that jab felt a little too stiff, the resulting leg kick would have a little more sting in it. 

He landed some good shots and exited just as quickly as he had got in. Much like a point fighter. He had success like this given the room to pan around and dart in. But under pressure his guard lacked slips and there seemed to be no confidence to reach out and clinch to avoid the aggressor teeing off on him.

 Problem came once we had ramped up to the 80% power level. Before we started he asked me if we could chill and just go 50%. He said he would prefer to work lighter, focus more on movement and avoid injury.

 I was absolutly fine with that. He had good movement and it was a puzzle I wanted to solve. We start and after a couple of outside exchanges i find myself backed up into the glass wall that seperates the dojo and overlooks the swimming pool. 

When my back makes contact with the glass I start to drop my hands to re-set back to the middle of the room and the guy lunges in with the jab extended and his head and eyes down. 

The jab goes to the left of my body but the following overhand left comes steaming in and his wrist crunches down on the bridge of my nose. I hear the pop and crackle of my nose breaking and my eyesight blurs. I continue to step off the same way i was previously stepping, walk to the corner sit down next to my towel and catch the ensuing rush of blood. 

Pinching my nose with the towel seems to have settled my nose relatively straight. I wasn't sure if I had broken it but Paul took a look and said "you haven't seen it". 

 Needless to say i was extremely frustrated. Both at myself for dropping my guard when i thought we had disengaged and also at the situation.

 Knowing that i will most likely miss next weeks sparring class because of this is a real shitter. It's my last week and was going to be my goodbye session. Now it looks like i'll have to sit it out or have a 'no head shots' session. Which is a waste of time as I'll likely still bang my face in the clinch. 

Hopefully it's just the cartlidge and the healing is quick. Right now the swelling and bruising is not bad at all. Fingers crossed it feels solid by next week.

Sparring 09.08.14 - Thai shorts = aggression

Small class sparring on Saturday, meant we had the full dojo space to chase each other round. Darren (long hair), Mats (black gloves) and myself (tattoos) in attendance. Paul (coach) took the opportunity to referee/corner rather than spar with us so we just rotated in for 2 rounds, out for 1 and repeat. It was really good to get real time feedback as we worked but i still found it incredibly hard to get past Mats jab. Got the black eye today to prove it. He's a good counter fighter with slightly off beat timing and long reach. I ketp trying to box my way inside and it really didnt work. Next week, use kicks and faints and dont chase him unless there is an opening.

John Wayne Parr - email 05.08.14

1 of the many things I love about Muay Thai, everyone involved seems so passionate about the promotion and growth of the sport and the individual involved.

It really feels like the perfect merge of martial art and niche sport. No ego's. 

Everyone I have contacted has been so helpful and supportive in any way they can be. 

Thank you so much to Sean Fagan, Sylvie Von-Duuglas Ittu, Melissa Ray and now JWP. 

Hey mate. 

I did the same thing when I was 19yo. My first trip I left for 6 months with $1000 in my pocket. A year later I left for 12 months with $800. 

I was lucky I started fighting for Songchai not long after and was able to live off prize money. Back then though there was only about 3-4 farlung fighting on the circuit. 

If you live like a thai you will be fine. Eat rice, don't drink alcohol, stay away from westerner food. Sleep on the floor, no hot a water. I did it for five years mate without social media. Just a dream to one day be a champion. If you want it bad enough shouldn't be a drama. 

Good luck. 

John Wayne Parr

Shin Guards

After a slightly heavier sparring session my right shin was all bruised up at ankle height. More from kicking than checking.

Knowing I had pad drills etc for the next 2 days I took Sylvie Von Duuglas Ituu's advice and invested in some kids football shin guards to wear under my sparring shin guards.

The bruising isn't that bad at all but I thought why tough it out and delay recovery. Especially when the shin guards were £3.50 from sports direct.

Another nice addition to the ever growing kit bag.

They are about 10cm long with an elasticated Velcro strap to hold them in place. Great for extra protection of a localised area, and my larger shin guards will hold them in place securely. 

Check out Sylvie's page for more great advice and tips:

Http://8limbs.us

Making the decision to leave for Thailand.

In this post I would like to talk about what has led me to move to Thailand. I am going to do my absolute best to not be all “Woe is me” but I apologise now if this feels like I’m having a moan. 

It’s a slightly cathartic experience to vent but I’ll try and stay on task. So, in the spirit of being blunt, there are two reasons I’m writing this: 

1. To document why I’m going in case I need the reminder when things get difficult and I want to quit. I realise the grass is often greener and I need a pull no punches account of what I’m giving up. 

2. To offer a check list for other people to reference. Perhaps seeing my perspective on certain life goals and milestones given my age will allow other people a more self analytical view on their own lives and how they prioritise their own Muay Thai journey. 

Am I having a mid-life crisis? 

Yes, probably. 

But I think at this stage I’m on about number 3. Moved to the big city, done the tattoos, done the sports bikes. But to write it off as something so simple would probably be doing this decision a disservice. This feels much more inevitable than the other cliché’s I have embraced over the years. It doesn’t come with any fear. Just excitement. That was a huge moment when I realised that. It came straight after finishing my first full contact sparring class. Having never boxed a day in my life I joined an invite only full contact sparring class with some boxers who were in their last week training before fighting. I talked my way in and just asked the coach to keep an eye on me should I get out of my depth. Needless to say I got my arse handed to me and was left bloodied and exhausted. But I wasn’t seriously hurt. The world hadn’t ended and I had earned the respect and friendship of the guys I was sparring with. 

I say the world had not ended, we can all attest to that. But my world had definitely changed. I had realised what I was scared of. The mundane. The rat race. The cycle of safe choices. This sounds melodramatic but I found myself thinking back over the last few years and struggling to allocate which events had happened in which years. I realised how everything was a blur of 5 day working weeks followed by drunken debauchery. There were events that stood out but I couldn’t for the life of me work out which year they were from. That was the scary part, and fear is a great motivator. 

My realisation was I scared of looking back across my life and struggling to piece together a timeline of events I could be proud of from the beige mess of risk aversion and alcohol anaesthesia. I’m single, no kids, no mortgage and my career is in a good place. Not so good it’s a risk to loose, not so bad I can’t afford to shelve it and pick it up in the future should I choose to. 

A career is a funny thing for my generation. All my young life I was made to focus on chasing grades and experiences to secure better education with the goal of a good job with a strong starting salary to lead a good life. A life full of comforts afforded to the educated and gainfully employed. Only for me to choose an industry with zero relevant training where I started from a runner on minimum wage and worked my way up only for the global financial market to be working itself down. Like sprinting up an escalator I tried my best to reap the rewards I had spent so long training for but to no avail. 

The ‘good life’ was never really important enough to me for its pursuit to shape me and I have always struggled to put money first. It just doesn’t seem like it should be important. He who dies with most toys, definitely does not win. 

Turns out those rewards are a mirage anyway. When you see behind the curtain turns out there is nothing there except another curtain, another more decadent lifestyle, another set of expensive distractions to convince you the late nights, stress and bottled up anger is all worth it. Stepping back from the monthly pay checks and the current Amazon wish lists, I took a moment to consider my only really precious commodity, my time. Realisation soon came I was spending it stupidly. 

 London is the perfect place to stress this point. It offers such a diversity of people and beliefs. From the artists and performers living in converted warehouses prizing their freedom and anonymity over their belongings to the oil money men and trust fund kids whose bank balances overflow whilst their behaviour is morally bankrupt. Perhaps I am still trying to find my place on this sliding scale. 

 Muay Thai offers me a fresh start. It’s a step out and away from the quicksand of city living and offers me the challenges I want for myself. I don’t want the back injuries from office chairs, the respiratory problems from breathing air conditioning or the stomach ulcers and sleepless nights from being subservient to someone else’s deadlines. I want the bruised shins, the black eyes and the challenge of putting myself against someone on an equal footing and succeeding or failing with no excuses. There is honesty in that. Perhaps I romanticise it, but there is definitely a part of me that feels cheated by the financial collapse. Short sighted banking has put the squeeze on us all, and the life I had foreseen for myself does not feel like an option anymore. I have turned away from the desire for a big car, big house, small wife and now I want to know and experience the challenge.