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.

Hippies, Ribs and Anxiety

I’m still a couple months away from actually leaving but it has all become very real recently. I have handed in my resignation at work and I am currently working out my notice until August. 

I’ve moved into a tiny bedroom that I am renting from a friend whilst he is out of town and I’m subletting my bedroom in central London on Air B’n’B in the hope it may raise some extra funds towards my trip. Right now I’m living out of boxes in amongst someone else’s belongings in a room not much bigger than a double bed. I wouldn’t say it’s a major sacrifice but it is definitely drumming home the fact my life in London is coming to a close. 

 This realisation has had some funny effects, the most noticeable being anxiety. I have found myself feeling constantly nauseous and having trouble sleeping. I kept putting it down to other immediately relevant stimulus whether it be social, work related or just ‘something going around’. As the feeling stuck around longer than a stomach bug or any specific project stress I found myself examining what these symptoms were related too. It could only be the looming deadline of my ‘normal life’ coming to an end in London. 

 When I think about what I am doing I have realistic but really positive feelings towards arriving at Charn Chai Muay Thai and getting in the ring for the first time to hit pads with the coaches. The problem I have is I am still too far out to make any real progress toward organising my flights, my visa or my stay. So right now I feel like I’m scaling down my London life but I’ve not made any progress with what comes next. This must be what is causing the anxiety. I have dates in a diary and I know what I am aiming for but without an iron clad itinerary I feel really exposed. Like it could all be taken away from me at some point. 

I think the moment I buy that flight I am going to feel a huge sense of relief. The option to ’not-go’ will disappear and then it’s all forward motion. 

 I refer to the ‘not-go’ option... I don’t see this as a choice. I’m going. Not only do I want to, but I can’t let down the people who have supported me. It’s more my brain won’t allow me to not at least consider the worst case scenario. 

Unfortunately illness and injury is a real problem and could affect my schedule massively. A little bit of prep and turns out the area I’m going to is rife with Dengue fever. No vaccine available, but hey at least it’s not fatal! 

I’ve been lucky so far only breaking hands, toes and spraining ankles and wrists. But I have to consider what I see as the worst case scenario - broken ribs. There would be no point flying out with broken ribs, spending the first weeks laid up recovering. I’d chew through my savings sat sweating trying not to laugh or breathe too deeply munching calcium supplements. I’d have to delay proceedings and recover at home with my family before trying to re-build my cardio. Realistically this could set me back 8 weeks and that freaks me out. Not only the delay but the strain on my families’ generosity to put up with me for that long! 

 Injury to a degree is part of the game but the lost time caused is definitely my biggest fear as I start down this path. I won’t be earning whilst I’m out there so it feels like the time is so precious. A serious injury would sit me out of training and I know I’d just be watching my bank account like a sand timer. I know how that would affect me psychologically. I would opt out. Seeing the bank balance drop would be the guillotine coming down. Your time is up, what’s the point? Book that flight home before you get stuck here. I can hear it now and that freaks me out. Am I looking for a reason to quit? I’m not sure that’s something I want to face. You can train the body but if the mind is weak what’s the point? Can it be changed, trained... can you do that yourself or do you need a coach to take that responsibility and show you how to achieve your goals. Take the choice out of it for you. Take away the option to quit.   

Injury aside I have 2 other main concerns. Boredom and hippies. The more I learn about Charn Chai the more it looks like a very western oriented camp. I suspect this won’t be quite the isolated experience I was expecting. Staying away from social distractions may be harder than I first thought. But that weighed up against boredom might be a fair trade. It may be too extreme to go from central London to a place with very few English speakers and nothing happening after 8pm. 

Maybe Pai offers a breaking-in period where I can make an educated decision as to what works for me rather than just assuming I can handle the isolation. Pai is also famous as a bit of a hippy commune. 

Please keep an eye on me. If I start to question the Muay Thai and consider a career in pan flute or start a drum circle please send help (it must be a cult and I’m not there through choice!). Believe me, they must have drugged me and braided what’s left of my hair and forced me to wear hemp sandals. If I start blogging about getting in touch with my spirit animal and no longer needing the challenge of training. Send help! Do I hope to learn more about myself? Yes. Do I hope to learn about Buddhism and expose myself to spirituality offered by different cultures? Yes. Do I want to become a carbon copy of the opt out circus folk, sudo-intellectual lazy activist. Not so much. 

 So the plan is... cover myself in deet to keep the mosquitoes away, watch fire poi from a safe distance, check all body kicks and keep my blog updated to keep me on task. If in a year’s time I look back and it’s just a weekly moan and gripe but I still stayed I can live with that. Hopefully it’s more positive and I’m not that guy. God I hope I’m not that guy.

Capoeira - Piccadilly Circus

Nipped out from work to go buy a knee support. Randomly there was a bunch of Capoeria guys n dolls in Piccadilly Circus doing a demonstration. They didnt appear to be busking, more filming themselves in an iconic London location. Looks fun, but hard work on such a sunny day. Nice little treat though.

Edge of Tomorrow / The Monuments Men

My latest offerring 'Edge of Tomorrow' is still on at the Cinema... go see it, in 3D if you can... its almost at the end of it's cinema run so it'll be quieter and you'll have a better experience. 

 Director Doug Liman was actually the first person I ever told about my Thailand escape. He would always ask me how training was going and I just kinda blurted it out at a screening once. 

 This is a good 9 months of my life dedicated to this title. So please do check it out. It's worth catching at the cinema. 

 Below is the best trailer - if you must watch a trailer - only watch this one. The others share too much. Also, now available on I-Tunes is the previous title I worked on 'The Monuments Men'. 

 Decent sunday afternoon WW2 ensemble piece, although lacks real threat so the drama feels a little capped. But a great bunch of people involved in making the film, so really enjoyed that element. 

Directed by George Clooney which meant I got to spend several weeks working with him and Grant Heslov (producer of Argos). Thoroughly lovely chaps both of them. They bought me a thank you scarf. 

 Trailer:

Jupiter Ascending / The Man From U.N.C.L.E

I'm currently busy on 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E' and 'Jupiter Ascending'. With a little 'Kingsman' on the side.... No trailer yet for Uncle as its too early with regard VFX, but Jupiter is pretty much finished creatively. You can expect a third trailer very soon as the marketing department have kicked it up a gear over the last few days. But here is the previous trailer. Saw 'Guardians of the Galaxy' last week. That's worth a 3D cinema trip. Good family fun, even if the eco vs fundamentalism message was a bit heavy handed. Stick around for the post roller Marvel scene as always. Side note: Dave Bautista is suprisingly good.

Street Fighter II - style guide

Couple of weights sessions and a haircut and I have accidentally turned myself into Zangief.

Perhaps time for a style re-think!

Knee Pain - front inside of left kneecap

Recent runs have caused some knee pain. Research makes me think I have an inflamed patellar tendon. I have rested it but 5 days later iand i can still feel it when i walk.

 http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/10194150/patellar-tendonitis-knee-tendonitis-physioadvi.htm 

 Yo Elliott - Great resource for most training issues and advice. I find his explanations really useful and without all the sales pitch of most links that recomend a product. Product to help: 

http://www.amazon.com/Pro-Tec-Athletics-Patellar-Tendon-Strap/dp/B004AOGA56 

 Looking through the various pages it all states that including more resistance training to strengthen these joints would be of benefit. 

I'm gonna rest it for a few days, munch ibuprofen and if i can, find that tendon strap. Then work in more weighted lunges. 

Who knew so much of this training stuff would be about injury prevention. I guess thats what happens when you come to it at 31 years old.

MTG - Return to the ring in Pattaya

Sean is back training and fighting after his sebatical in northern thailand working with abandoned dogs. Clearly the break has done him good as he looks super calm in the ring. Check out his KO victory and Vblog:

Monster Gym - Essex

Third Space gym was shut again for refurb over the weekend. I get the feeling I really joined this place at the wrong time. Locked into a 12 month contract and after being there about 2 months the builders started and the hording went up. It's not quite the place I had the tour of so many months ago. Sucker for a sales pitch clearly. 

 Rather than be idol I travelled out to join my mate Darrol at his gym in Essex. The place is a proper bodybuilders gym.

http://www.monstergym.co.uk/

 Everyone was bloody massive and the weights they were pushing were huge. Having not done any resistance/weights training in months I felt a little ridiculous walking in there. All the kit is that brand 'Hammer Strength'... so it all looks like it would be better suited as functional rigging at a factory. Throw in the chrome chains dotted around the floor and it falls somewhere between an S&M dungeon and a dockyard. 

 All that aside Darrol took me through his arms routine for an hour and half. Actually felt good to have the different kind of muscle fatigue. Burn out rather than wear down. I actually feel pretty good about working more resistance stuff into my training week. I think the key is AVOID THE MACHINES! They are convenient yes, but they dont feel right. Using the free weights and the preacher bench was a new challenge. Focusing on form rather than just increasing weight engages the brain just enough that it wasnt mind bendingly dull. I think having a training partner makes a big difference as well. All in all a really good session and my arms still feel a little tight today. It's a good feeling. 

 We had planned to take advantage of the gyms 'Combat Center'... turns out they have a boxing ring, cage and various bags all upstairs. Really well equipped to be fair. BUT... by the time we had finished with the weights the gym was about to shut. I managed to throw a few kicks into the heavy bag and give Darrol a dead leg through a kick shield. But then it was time to bail. Kicking the heavy bag was very sore on my shin and the top of my foot. My legs are really not ready for what i'm about to put them through. I had been drilling the heavy bag at my gym in the hope of getting my skin a little more used to the process but they (the gym) took the bag away for 'repair' weeks ago and have not returned it. I get the feeling the boxing coaches didnt like the kickboxers using it and have just got rid to avoid us making noise near their classes. 

It's very frustrating, and kicking this bag brought home how quickly it becomes painful again to throw power if you dont keep on top of your bag drills. Time to email the gym and chase its return.

Once I had got home, sorted out the next set of Air BnB guests and had some food I decided to go for a run. When you have no Saturday night plans it makes it a hell of a lot easier to choose to go running. Even after the weight session managed to keep a good pace and broke the 5min per Km mark. I know it's not fast... But it felt like I held a good consistent pace. Left knee is paying the price today though.

Glory Kickboxing

Quiet work day so started re-watching Glory fights. Which led me down the youtube rabbit hole eventually leading here... watching this 'Special Event' shows far the sport has come. Massive respect to the guys involved of course. It's just, well.... a different beast....

T-Shirt - 1 of a kind... For now...

So I did the designs and launched the online merchandise shop (see link at bottom of page). 

I couldn't help it. Trying to save money but I wanted to own a shirt with my logo on. So for now the one and only sale the shop has made is to me. Loyal customer number 1.

Yes I cut the sleeves off... hate boxing in sleeves.

Sparring Videos - 05.07.14 - Coach Paul Clark working with us on faints and accuracy.

Below are some embedded videos of myself and Nick working with Paul on faints and picking our shots. 

The main focus of the day was to conserve energy by using faints rather than jabs and try and close the distance with pressure without blasting each other or using the the jab to hide our movement. 

 We employed fake jabs, circular movement and knee faints to pressure and read each other. Needless to say Paul is so much calmer in the ring than we are so just stalks us down. Watching that back is really useful. I realise how much i avoid staying in the pocket. Need to work on parry's and slips so i'm more comfortable inside. Right now I bail out and circle off but it doesnt leave me any oppportunity to throw any kind of power strikes. All i can do is dab at the front leg and throw the odd body kick that doesnt find its mark (and tends to injur the top of my foot). 

 Let me know if the adverts on the youtube clips are really annoying and i'll try and take them off.