Preparing for Modified Thai Rules Fight

[Sahnya]

Hi, my name is Sahnya, 34 years old. I'm preparing for a June 3rd Amat. Modified Thai Boxing fight. Fought once before in 2002. Won. Been training in various Martial Arts since I was 9 years old including TaeKwonDo, Thai Boxing, Boxing, Silat, Savate, Jun Fan/JKD, Kali, etc. I would like advice from this forum on nutrition, strength training, flexibility, anything you can give me....I'm no young spring chicken anymore and I started the intense training this week and WOW! forgot how much this hurts...I love the challenge and my body recovers rather quickly but with age...well...not so much. Any advice would be great. I'm dealing with a constant right hip tightness (probably piriformis) and lower back. Looking for opinions on how I can become a balanced athlete.

thanks!
Sahnya "Blade"

[Robert V]

Welcome,

You are at the right place. I'd circulate around the forum to get general info for what need.

I don't know if you have invested in the RMAX products, but I'd begin there.

Intu-flow/Xtension is a must. It's a very cheap investment that will pay off in ways beyond your imagination. When I first did the Xtension circuit, the first thing that came to mind is how well this fits a striker.

I'd also then invest in FlowFit. This will assist intu-flow in abating that hip flexor tightness. There is on particular sequence that is tailor made for your problem.

I'd then be looking at studying products like Freedom of Movement by Coach Jones for your kicking, as well as, "Leg Fencing" and Fisticuffs.

I don't want to sound like I'm trying to sale you anything, but once you study these products you'll be able to answer some of your own questions and ask more specific questions on the forum.

I'd also go back and read Coach Sonnon's journey up to his San Shou fight. Everybody is different, but it's nice to get get a generalization of the type of path you must take.

Of course, Clubbells have to be in your future. Yet, I'd seriously have Intu-flow at the top of my list.

Good Luck and don't be shy,

Robert

[Scott Sonnon]

Sahnya,

Congratulations on your preparation. I look forward to hearing more about your fight!

What resources do you have? A small flow which I coach people through to target the areas you've mentioned is a Shin Box Spinal Twist. Do you own Body-Flow?

[Sahnya]

Ok, it looks like I have some products to invest in which I'm totally willing to do if they provide the results everyone is talking about. I only own Warrior Wellness right now. I've been doing a lot of yoga with stick and rope (Burmese Bando system) which has been helping that hip but the pain goes all the way from the back to the front of the iliopsoas so I know I have a lot of recovery to do. It impacts my footwork when it gets tired and this frustrates me. So body flow should be my first investment?

Blessings,
Sahnya

[Scott Sonnon]

Sahnya,

Body-Flow would be the best start considering your needs, coupled with the "program minimum" of Warrior Wellness or Intu-Flow.

For now, I suggest the Twisting Spinal pose to get in deeply to your piriformis. Perform it only after your juicy with a good increase in core temperature, so that the release has effect rather than producing additional bracing.

http://www.abc-of-yoga.com/images/homeimages/pic_h4.gif

[Sahnya]

Thank you Coach Sonnon. Appreciate your expertise and wisdom in this area. I will practice this posture after I'm warmed up.

p.s. any advice on fighting south paws in the ring?

[Scott Sonnon]

Plenty of advice. :lol: What problems are you experiencing?

[Sahnya]

I haven't experienced a South Paw frequently, but I would like to prepare for it in case my opponent is a right-lead. Anything to look out for? I remember connecting a lot with medium rear thai roundhouses, lead foot jabs, and even lead side kicks. Let me know if you have any other good combinations I can practice.......

What about punches? I remember finding it difficult getting around the left cross.

thanks!

[Scott Sonnon]

Firstly, find a training partner who can fight Southpaw for you. Secondly, if you want to switch north-south-north, you'll need to counter-condition any unilateral tendencies which accumulate from fighting one-sidedness. Those tension chains are idiosyncratic, so I'd be doing you an injustice of suggesting specific exercises which may not help and may only reinforce the problem.

If you don't prepare for a Southpaw with a partner, then I highly encourage you to not "look" for anything during the fight. Your mind should be nowhere in particular, but everywhere it should be as the fight unfolds. Fight your own game and make her "look" (or become incapable of looking) for your game.

[Sahnya]

Perfect! I get it. I'm confident in my psychological ability to do that in the fight....I owe this a lot to my Buddhist Mind training. Emptying the mind so you are not focused on that "hard focus of just one thing" but a soft focus on the game... oh and yes, making sure she doesn't see my game. Like that! Thank you!!! Ahh..here we go another training week coming up...since I'm not a young whipper snapper..the recovery time has been a tad frustrating..I'm doing back to back training days and working on active recovery through yoga, your warrior wellness program now, supplements, protein shakes, etc. I think my friends think they lost me to a cult or something. *laughing*. Oh well, this is discipline. :) I rather enjoy it.

Have a great week...

p.s. How did you mentally prepare for your San sho fight? Where can I find your thoughts/log on your preparation? I heard it's on-line? Curious.

[Scott Sonnon]

Sahnya,

Just remember that the mental and emotional aspects of training as are subject to the law of specificity as any physical skill. I am not saying you'll mentally crumble or emotionally fold if you face a southpaw without have prepared against it physically, but rather that there will be distinct mental and emotional advantages to you having thoroughly prepared so in advance.

I hear you on age's extended recovery time. I focused on the mantra that - though my recovery is extended, my efficiency is superior. I am much more aware and much more economical about what I do and when - an attribute which only experience affords, as it can't be "given." You have a distinct advantage due to your experience level.

There are other threads about my technical preparation, and you can do a search on "sparring with Coach Sonnon" to find them (by Jack Myers), but here was my after action report: http://www.circularstrengthmag.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=8442

[aaronk]

Firstly, find a training partner who can fight Southpaw for you. Secondly, if you want to switch north-south-north, you'll need to counter-condition any unilateral tendencies which accumulate from fighting one-sidedness. Those tension chains are idiosyncratic, so I'd be doing you an injustice of suggesting specific exercises which may not help and may only reinforce the problem.

If you don't prepare for a Southpaw with a partner, then I highly encourage you to not "look" for anything during the fight. Your mind should be nowhere in particular, but everywhere it should be as the fight unfolds. Fight your own game and make her "look" (or become incapable of looking) for your game.

As a southpaw my self, i notice people in sparring are way to much thinking about what i do...We all have a chin and liver, and our own strenghts :) fighting your own game is the way to go ...