Measuring and motivation

    What is really good people??!! This was on my mind and I couldn't quite hash it out in my manic brain so I decided to try to do it here. The question is how do you measure success and if you do so by comparison to others, at what point does that become detrimental. When it comes to fighting we are often compared to or making comparisons to other fighters. We as a combat community often take cues from those that innovate with a spectacular knockout or technique in competition.

Soon after Anderson Silva used a front kick/teep to the jaw of Vitor Belfort the front kick to the face became a regular staple of mma fighters much the way people are using Saenchai's cartwheel kick regularly now. These moments how we grow in skill and community as well as evolve our independent artforms on an international scale. As fans we compare fighters and accomplishments to determine who is the best. As fighters we see others in positions either better or worse than our own. With the right training, mindstate, diet, recovery, coaches, training partners, will, promoters, and a dash of luck you can be one of the few fighters that reach the pinnacle of your sport. Clearly it won't happen for everyone. So when we look at this on a more personal level, how can you compare yourself to someone else that has everything you believe you are missing? The simple answer is that you cannot. The better answer is to try and have a different perspective. The phrase quality over quantity comes to mind first. I will forever believe that you must be great at the tools available to you. It means to buy in on the things you are good at and double down on them while adding other skills to compliment that base. If all you have is a jab, then work extensively on that while learning the technique of the cross. Step by step increase your base tools and expand. Your contemporary could have been blessed with athleticism that you do not have. Either you live in mediocrity or you work hard on your personal gifts to find your greatness. As fighters and martial artists the fastest way to get to place of non-growth is not using what we lack as motivation. As fighters we are sort of bound by the idea that we can beat whomever is in front of us. It is often said that if you don't believe that, you should not be competing. I believe this as well. The very idea that someone is considered better than you, can do more, or accomplishing more should be a clear motivation to get focused on your craft. As a human being you can toil at a job for years and never get that promotion, even worse you can watch the new guy get it in a year. Life is not fair. It is irrelevant, do not get stuck on fairness but do get stuck on forward momentum. Don't just stay in your lane, if you want a clearer path then you must build more lanes. If you do this, nothing can get in your way.

Peace, 

L

Do hard things, including love more.

    

Where I thought the gym was going to be.

 It's been a little while since I've written anything but plenty of things have been on my mind. First is an update on the gym. We have reached the two year mark and it is by far one of the hardest things i've done and it was made exponentially harder due to the circumstances. As the recently deceased Nipsey Hussle expressed, this is a marathon not a sprint. So for everything that has transpired throughout this journey I am happy with where we are. So very grateful for everyone and every opportunity. Thank you all.

      It's easy for people to tell you what and how you should go about your life but the truth is there are plenty of examples to draw upon. The majority of the most successful of us didn't get gifted anything. The difference between making personal dreams and accomplishments become reality lies in choice. We all have a choice to honestly pursue our own successes even in the face of seemingly  insurmountable obstacles. Quit or keep going is your choice and your challenge I commend those that continue forward and I understand and encourage those that need a rest and regroup. Just don't quit.

     Let the obstacles in front of you testing your resolve become benchmarks in your growth and vision of your goals. Even if you have to switch lanes to get back on track do so with ferocity and acceptance that even though it is out of the way your are on the right path and your choice has already been made.

     Over this last couple of years I have run into mountains. I doubted myself to my soul but I made the choice to just keep going. I've had to sacrifice some friendships and relationships not based on anything that happened but simply for my own mental health. I had to isolate from the negative vibes and love from a distance. I was and still am in search of...but I also have found so much in myself. Much like fighting an opponent in the ring, fighting through adversity gives you a different view of yourself as a human being and each conquest gives you a further vision as to what could be.

     One of the hardest things to do in this life seems like it should be the easiest and that is to Love. Not the love you give to your mate though it should be measured accordingly. To love those around you even if you disagree with their ideas even if they aren't down for you. It's easiest to put them in the “they can fuck off” category but can you still have love for those that don't believe in you? The answer is a resounding YES!

     I know this is a hard concept and I struggle with this as well but I believe in it. Just because I don't rock with you like that or you don't have good things to bring to my personal universe doesn't mean I can't have love for you, even if it's from afar. I personally can't grow and become what I want and at the same time have hate in my heart for another person. It's a work in progress…

    Lost a few friends over the last couple of years and I just want to take this moment to say love more those around you. Your paths may cross for years or for a brief moment in time but we gotta do better about appreciating those moments as a culture.

    When the artist, entrepreneur Nipsey Hussle was murdered last week it really hit me hard because I was truly inspired by him. I had some people message me about it because they knew how much I looked up to him. I would listen to his mixtapes and get hyped about making something bigger than myself happen. Though I am not there yet I know I'm on the right path. I know that you are too.

   Keep doing hard things to make you a better human and keep loving more to prove you are an evolving human.

Peace and Blessings.

L

R.I.P. Bigg Rodd

R.I.P. Nipsey Hussle

     

The Purge: Making room for gratitude

Well well well... Its been a long time since we were here together. When I used to write this blog it was a way for me to get out my feelings, good or bad. A way to tell stories of my life's journey. It was a way to connect to my friends and to be honest about who I am and how I perceive not only Muay Thai but the Martial arts world as a whole. It was my outlet. Since the last time I wrote this blog my life has changed drastically as well as my relationship with Muay thai and martial arts in general. I finally achieved a huge goal in opening the first Lucky's Muay Thai gym. It was bitter sweet because at the same time I went through a devastating break up which split up my family. Everything I was working towards was still in place but the reasons I did them changed tremendously. I honestly wasn't sure if I would make it. I spent a lot of nights after everyone left the gym sitting at my desk pouring tears. If it wasn't for my amazing friends, family and students I'm not sure I would have gotten through it. For that kind of love I am forever grateful. However, between the stresses of the gym opening and Miami getting a CAT 4 hurricane which killed business for months, and fighting off depression and panic attacks daily, I was drowning. I was completely aware that it wasn't going well and I was doing my best to keep it moving. Fortunately, I did. Now I have to do my best every day to leave those feelings where they belong, in the past.
   It wasn't until now that I finally feel like Lucky's
Muay Thai will be here as a staple of the combat sport community for a long time to come. It isn't because of me, it is because of all of you. It was without a shadow of a doubt that my self belief got me to this point but it is your belief in me that kept me going when all was lost(believe me, it was lost). People coming up to me to tell me about the video they saw on the Internet or someone telling me that I had helped them change their life because of something I said or because the gym was there for them, how can I not be grateful. I have been more than fortunate to have two people that I met that believed in this vision enough that they were willing to jump on this boat with me and help me keep it afloat. Shout out to Benjamin London and Jacob Israel for having good hearts. That brings me to this. Now that the dark cloud is dissipating and the sun is peeping through, its time to work. I want to give you what you all give me, encouragement, support, direction, and above all else, LOVE. I'd like to personally welcome back everyone that rocked with the LMT family into the new space and we would like to welcome all the new members that have been hitting us up non-stop for information. We are for sure a family and we are as dysfunctional as any good family always is. I love you guys and 2019 is our year to make memories and accomplish goals together. I can't wait to build this gym up to reach it's full potential. I am so proud of everything we did and how you all played such an integral part of it all.

I am grateful for you all

Lucky

P.S. LET'S GO!!

Peaks and valleys

         Hola people! I hope everyone is enjoying life and living to their best potential as we face a crazy election and some instability in the communities throughout this great nation. One thing I know for sure is that the fighters will keep training and keep fighting because it is our way to deal with life and find our own perspectives. It is our way of communicating and finding balance within ourselves. That being said it is not always so clear cut. As martial artists constantly trying to master our craft it can be challenging when we go through a period where our training isn't going as smoothly as we would like. I often find myself having these amazing sessions where everything is flowing, my low kick is gliding effortlessly into my opponents thigh as a result of a snappy jab and clinching feels as if I'm the bigger guy even when my opponent is 20 pounds heavier. On these days a person can't help but feel like the mountain top is within reach. It's the same feeling some days on the mats, I can feel the my sensei Jorge Pereira's Jiu Jitsu flowing through my very being and transitions and control feel second nature and finishes come easy. On the peak days it is like being completely in touch with my very existence. You can see this in all sports, it is a flow state that allows the unconscious mind to manifest itself in a conscious form. It can be this way in life as well. There are moments in life where everything is happening without hiccup, work is going great, the boss loves you, your relationship feels like it is out of a 1movie, there's money in the bank and life is beautiful. However, the flow state is rarely sustainable for long periods of time and as the title suggests we all must go through peaks and valleys.
         I can start trying to put together the same combinations, use the same footwork, shoot that same snappy jab and follow it with that low kick and in this case it gets blocked and countered. In the clinch I'm getting thrown and swept and pummeled with knees and I feel as if it is the first time I ever strapped up a pair of gloves. I can go to Jiu Jitsu and literally get tapped and strangled from every position even through my defense. These my friends are the valleys and they are for everyone. None of us are immune to having bad training days or bad days in life. So how do we manage these bad days? The answer is they aren't bad, they are learning days. If every training day was good we would never learn anything nor would we know what an amazing training day or fighting day would look like. Let's not look at the "bad days" as worthless or a reflection of our true selves in the ring, on the mat, or in life. Let's instead look at those days as useful in figuring out what we are capable of and what our potential can be. Life is hard, there are no manuals, instructions, or absolutes. We must learn on the go and from training partners, friends, family, and experience. Don't get discouraged by the off days, embrace them and make them part of your growth. If training and fighting were easy everyone would be doing it. The same goes for life, everyone isn't living life because it's not easy, some people are just walking through it. About to head into training and either way it will be a good day. Love you all keep your hands up and never give up your back. Peace and blessings.

Adjust and re-adjust

Oh boy has it been a minute. Glad to be back writing again I missed reaching out to all of you and as the title suggests I've been working towards making adjustments in my skills as well as my life.   The key to being successful in the ring or on the mats is the same in life, the ability to adapt on the fly as the circumstances change.
      In sparring sessions I was beginning to notice that either I was being lazy, my timing was off or everyone I sparred was just getting so much better that one of my best tools, my counter left hook was just no longer a factor. After a series of frustrating goes I began to pick it apart. What I found was a few things, first off it was absolutely laziness as I had become complacent because had used it successfully so many times that I had taken it for granted that it would just land when I threw it. The second thing I realized was I wasn't really willing to be there I was counting on my length and speed instead of proper technique. I found myself leaning away and the punch becoming wide and generally hitting nothing but air. The reason this came to light was because of my lingering shoulder injury. Without the use of my right hand to any great capacity all of my inadequacies with my left hand became obvious. In order to fix this problem I have been basically testing different approaches. Staying in the pocket longer, trying to time my opponents advancing movement, and setting traps to lead them into the hook. I've had some success and some miscues but it's a constant work in progress as it is in life. There is no one right way to deal with adversity in life. Each situation requires an honest interpretation as well as a educated plan of action. Adjusting and adapting to the curveballs life throws at you is not impossible but can definitely be challenging. Trying your best to keep a positive attitude and a vision of how you want those situations to turn out is imperative. I recently spoke to a nephew of mine that gas struggled through some tough times in his life and is about to get a second chance and for me the most valuable thing I could express is one thing I've learned to be true and that is to never quit. People will have plenty to say about what you do both positive and negative but the reality is that it doesn't matter what anyone says if you are persistent and persevering anything is possible. As Nas once said, "The world is yours", never forget that and never give up. It will all pay off in the end. Create small goals and absolutely crush them on your way to realizing your vision. Adjust and re-adjust until you clear the obstacles in your way, anything is possible. Peace and blessings.

There is _____ here.

Many people that become fighters also become obsessive about it. It could be the training they enjoy or the camradery with their training partners, perhaps it's the release of the stresses of everyday life. I've often heard fighters and people that train regularly say things like, "if it wasn't for this I would be in jail for beating someone up", or, "this saved my life". Yes I can totally relate to those of us that just need to have an outlet to get away from all of the internal and external factors that keep us from just being free and happy.
However that is not the end all be all of what is felt in the gym, or on the mats or in the ring or the cage. There is something else their that the average fan won't ever see or get to experience and therefore understand. You can call it passion or energy or for that matter call it what it really is and that is love. There is love here even when it doesn't exist anywhere else. The moment one foot steps in everything else begins to evaporate. There is no question in my mind why fighters stick around past their prime or why people become lifelong martial artists. What is inside of those squared circles or Octagons or on those mats can't be found anywhere else. It's also evident by the amount of ex-fighters that become drug addicts, because they are searching for that out of body unconscious connection that they no longer have. Regardless of outcomes of fights or wins and losses, no matter the amount of sweat or blood lost in sparring or in actual competition there is a feeling in the hearts of those that compete that cannot be duplicated in any other sport. That is not to diminish other peoples chosen athletic activities and I understand that some sports are considered just as violent as fighting but that isn't what separates us. The differences lie in the unification between the physical, mental, and emotional connections and what can only be compared to an, at times, out of body experience. You hear basketball players and other athletes having a good game or day as being described as being "in the zone". A fighter is in constant expression of that zone and it is most evident when that energy is exchanged back and forth from one martial artist to another. There is truth to the phrase styles make fights but the real truth is that fighters make fights and those fights are built on the foundations of the  energy boiling and erupting in the places that fighters are made. I can

distinctly remember the places I have fought and trained or grappled and competed however like most fighters it is very difficult to remember what exactly happened during those times. Ask a fighter what happened after a fight and most of them will say I don't remember or they can remember only bits and pieces and they'll have to watch it later. In the moments that a the bell rings to start the fight or the competition all things outside of that moment often become blurry and almost non-existent. It's not that we don't realize that other people are there but we are in our "zone" and we are not alone, that zone is both our own and a shared space with the other competitor. There is nothing like it. Other than some adrenaline junkies you can ask fighters to do crazy things like sky diving or swim with sharks etc and most might shrug their shoulders at such things mostly because after you face mortality every single day a person facing mortality for one single day just doesn't seem very appealing.

For those of us that have been blessed enough to take part in what most consider an insane lifestyle we know about the energy that exists in these places and it is real. You can call it passion or energy or for that matter call it what it really is and that is love, there is love here.

Becoming it...

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What's up people!?! It's been a minute since I've been able to fingers to keyboard. My schoolwork in pursuit of this Psychology degree is taking up most of my writing time. I am actually rewriting this one because it magically disappeared overnight. Anyway, we are approaching our first fights of the year this week and the team looks sharp and ready for whatever comes their way. During this camp for them I found myself being very reflective of myself and where I am now and where I am going. I don't know if it's because I've reached middle age or the effect of fatherhood on my psyche but instead of winding things down I want to do just the opposite, I want to ramp things up. Now what that means exactly, I don't know. I just know that I am not just satisfied with my current state or any accomplishments I may have had in the past. I realized that I am stricken with the same obsession as many others like me, the obsession of Martial arts. We are Yin and Yang, pushing and pulling and connecting with something in our souls that most people are afraid of and some people won't even admit exists.
        I've been back on the mats doing Jiu Jitsu and the thought of competing is bouncing erratically around my brain. After a short hiatus I returned to the mats with an improved game and a growth mindset and with that it seems that my game has evolved. I don't care for points or for what may give me wins by advantage, I only want to go for the submission and try my best to use the art the way it was meant to be used. I refuse to settle for stalling and holding positions, I have accepted that me going for it might lead to some losses but I'll never be where I want by being complacent and safe. The greats are hardly ever resting on their laurels. As I told one of my students this week, "it isn't the belt around the champions waist that matters,it is the struggles, sacrifices, injuries, as well as friends and family members and sometimes significant others that are lost to ignorance along the way". Greatness requires understanding and belief in what is possible and what is possible is anything and everything.
        I want to be the best me possible in the arts I train daily(Boxing, Muay Thai, and Jiu Jitsu) and add a few more tools to the chest by challenging myself to learn the blade, archery, and firearms. I love this feeling of not being finished the feeling of being absolutely obsessed with what my body and mind and spirit can do when they are in tune. This can go for anything in your life that you choose to do. You must first find the thing that moves you, then fall in love with it, obsess over it, and submerge yourself in it. Work so hard at it that you simply embody the very thought of it. Become it...

FEAR

Dressing room pre-fight

                As the days leading up to the competition turn into weeks and the weeks quietly become months there is a literal roller coaster of emotion that overtakes a fighters psyche. There is a mix of anxiety, frustration, happiness, a feeling off being a warrior prepared for battle at anytime and a feeling of fear that most couldn't handle. It is the way in which we see ourselves change and evolve on a daily basis and sometimes the emotions can change by the second. Our brains are flooded with questions; Is my opponent better than me? Have I trained enough? Why am I doing this? Maybe I should just quit. And this is just the tip of the iceberg it can go deeper and deeper even seeping into the fighter's personal life. Fear is the great revealer. Whomever a fighter thinks they are can be deciphered by what they do with their fear. Can they use it to become better at their craft or will they fall victim like so many before them and crumble at their opponents feet or even make it to the fight at all.
              During my camp for any competition I generally start out very upset with myself and that is on a good or a bad day. I have a genuine anger aimed at myself for not being better. I love greatness and I may not ever be great but I want to feel like I am working as hard as the great ones do, and regardless of how many hours I put in I never feel like it's enough. I eventually get passed those feelings in a few weeks and then I start to question my opponent and how good they might be and if I should even continue on and if I have an injury I wonder to myself if its enough to make me stop training and even call off the fight or drop from the competition. The answer unequivocally is a resounding no I will never quit and every moment I'm not training my opponent probably is so I have to keep working. If you catch me around this time and ask me if I'm ready or how do I feel I will always have jokingly tell you that "I am terrified". Half joking...
                By the last few weeks of training I am a ball of anxiety. Nothing is as good as it should be and if I can't correct it I am pissed off. I have turned my stress and anger outward at this point. I can safely say that it is not a time to pick at me and I am in no way satisfied with anything. I want to fight so bad but I know I am not where I want to be. I do know however that there is no way I am being out trained. I am putting in the work. That was all motivated by fear. I have heard other fighters say similar things about being motivated by the fear, not of the other fighter but about what could happen about "getting caught". This is a commonly used phrase in the fighting world meaning a fighter got clipped by a punch, a kick or even a submission they didn't see coming or they fell into as in, " I was doing great and just got caught". That fear is real, when it is said like that it is meant to say that at that moment it was out of your control the same as getting bitten by a shark, it just happened. Every day is a day training to be the one catching the other guy.

Erupting post fight

               The reality though is that we will get punched and kicked and choked and people will cheer or boo or yell ridiculous things that should be saved for pro wrestling i.e. "rip his fucking head off" or "fucking kill him"(really not trying to kill anybody j/s) but most will never understand what it is that you are voluntarily doing. Risking your health both mental and physical for the entertainment of the spectator and the promoters wallet. In return for this we get to stare deep into our own souls and determine that we are not weak or afraid, we are in fact brave. There is a moment where the fear disappears, maybe in the dressing room or as they announce your name or you step through the ropes but when that threshold is crossed you've officially realized that fear is everything because it pushed you and at that very same moment you realize it is nothing.

How pain builds and destroys champions

       Hola my friends! Just got back from beautiful Costa Rica with the family on a much needed vacation. I desperately needed a break and a moment to breath and clear my head. Now that I'm back it's time to get ready for October 9th at the Bradenton Convention Center where I will be putting my Muay Thai skills to the test against Aaron Conway. Hit me up for tickets if you need them I'm stoked to fight someone with a similar mindset like mine, I'll write about that at another time but for now let's get into this. 
       Pain breeds champions and it also destroys them. When I mention the word pain it naturally gives the connotation of a physical trauma of some sort but I'm talking about mental and emotional pain. The pain of sharing clothes between 2 or 3 siblings, of violence in the neighborhood, losing a friend or family member, domestic violence, the kind of pain that starts a fire that can only be extinguished by accomplishment and success beyond the comprehension.

I mean Mike Tyson made 300 million dollars between the 80's and 90's. That type of money was unfathomable for anyone coming from his type of background. A street kid from Brooklyn committing petty crimes with no real chance of a future until he started boxing. Emotional suffering is as much of a motivator as it is a shackle. It is this feeling and the ability for those affected by it to inflict their pain on others whether consciously or subconsciously.

    Most underprivileged youth and even adults don't have the resources to get mental health care to deal with the pain. Counseling is so far out of the realm in some places that it is even frowned upon. The question becomes then, would we have the greats like Bernard Hopkins, or even Johnny Tapia if it wasn't for the struggle of an unfortunate background ie. the pain. What about the Muay Thai greats and there are many and as much as the sport has grown worldwide Thailand is still a very poor country. Children are fighting in Thailand at an early age to earn money to feed their families as chronicled in movies like Buffalo Girls. Sylvie von Ittu recently wrote that her friend Phet Jee Jaa, who my

daughter Nin was named after, was until recently sharing a mouthpiece with her little brother. Phet Jee Jaa is such a good fighter that she was at one point banned from fighting boys. In my experience the Thai people are always smiling and happy but there must be something to the fact that some of the best all around strikers in the world come from one of the poorest places.
    When we discuss why inner city kids don't really get into games like golf in this country it always comes back to economy. Golf is expensive, you have to buy the equipment, the balls, not to mention you can't even get on a course if not dressed properly. Fighting is cheap, you have all the equipment you need attached to your body. Obviously gloves etc. would come in handy but as I remember it growing up in Chicago some of the best fights I ever saw were out in the streets. I can't even remember how many times I or another friend uttered the words, "let's play karate". It didn't cost anything for us to wrestle or kick the crap out each other for an hour.
    Sorry, started to ramble..lol. The truth is that pain, emotional distress, anger about growing up in an unfortunate situation can push a person to the limit. Take a fighter like Ronda Rousey, the other female fighters in her division are all good athletes but having lost her father/best friend to suicide at a young age has pushed her to be better then everyone else. She was a bronze medalist in the Olympics at Judo and started off her MMA career by finishing all of her opponents by throws and armbars but just recently she face planted Bethe Correia with a right hand. Bethe made the mistake of mentioning suicide when trying to build the fight. That punch that put her down was partially solid technique and part punishment for having the gall to involve herself in the pain that built Ronda.

If you are ever faced with having to fight a person that comes from a painful situation there are several ways to go about the mental battle with that person. You can bring up there personal life and issues to try to get them to be emotional and out of their game or you can simply let them know that your skills are better. It's often been proven that the latter way is the better and more honorable way in other words, don't poke the bear.
          Fighters can start to feel unstoppable and sometimes they are. The downfall of course comes later, but not always. It definitely depends on the person, but it also depends on their circle of friends and whether or not they have dealt with the pain. I feel like that need to release the built up anger and emotional destitution sometimes just doesn't get quenched. You can be on top of the world with everything you ever wanted and the ability to take care of your family but behind your smile and beneath the scars of battle the pain is still their. Drugs and alcohol often become the crutch for fighters when they can't release that pain anymore. Look at a champion like Oscar de la Hoya, he ended up with a cocaine problem and some unsightly photos floating around on the internet. Maybe it's the you that nobody else sees. The part of you that you can verbally share and even shed a tear about with friends but they can never actually understand unless they had a similar upbringing. So when people say things like "I can't believe he blew all his money" or "why does he keep getting in trouble it makes no sense". They should actually step back and evaluate the person for where they came from or what they might have experienced. Fighters and other athletes that come from places most people would be scared to walk through carry with them a deep cutting pain that's hard to get away from even in the midst of success. Now I know it doesn't apply to everyone but do some research on your favorite fighters and other athletes, I think you'd be surprised at what you find.
        I've spent years trying to get past the pain of my youth. I started fighting late but I don't know how to live without it. Once I found out how to win I couldn't stop competing. When I do stop I feel incomplete and like I have to do something to get that feeling back. It's where I feel the safest, when it's not safe at all.

Peace guys, don't forget to support me in my October 9th fight. Message me for details and I always appreciate comments.

A couple of stars does not make up the Universe

So as of late we are beginning to see some of the biggest names in kickboxing and Muay Thai defect over to MMA. The question that needs to be answered is what does that mean. In an interview I recently watched one of my all time favorite fighters, Tyrone Spong said that the organization he fights kickboxing for(Glory) can't afford him at the moment. We've also seen another big name in Joe Schilling win the Glory middleweight tournament and then eventually make his way all the way down to our lovely state of Florida and join American Top Team so that he too can reap some of the benefits of those MMA dollars.
So what does it mean to the sport of Kickboxing or Muay Thai? Absolutely nothing. The exodus by a few top name fighters to a sport that is growing and beginning to put some cash in the pockets of the fighters participating in it is just a good business decision for them in the long run. Especially if they are successful. This type of thing just goes to show that our sport is still an obscurity for some odd reason. It's hard for me to believe that with the amount of action that's involved on a Lion Fight Muay Thai card or a Glory Kickboxing card the us hasn't really caught on yet.
I know Tyrone Spong is a draw as is Joe Schilling but if you haven't seen Nieky Holzken, Josh Jauncey, and Sittichai Sitsongpeenong(a Thai boxer in kickboxing) in Glory or Kevin Ross, Gaston Bolanos, Tiffany Van Soest, etc. in Lion Fights, then you are missing out. I don't know if it's miss use of marketing money or people just not understanding the sport but either way if there isn't a renaissance in kickboxing in North America it could be one of the biggest tragedies in combat sports. And even then our sport will live on in obscurity and in some ways that would still be okay. At least we don't have to wear uniforms. J/S.

Is your training well rounded

        What is up people?!! It has been a minute but I am back and I am going to be here for a long time. So much has been going on with the LMT crew and in my personal life that it has been hard to keep up. Let's run through it really quick. First off I am back in school studying psychology trying to add to my tools for the athletes I train. I am finally becoming a pro and fighting October 9th and my fighters are looking great in the amateurs and my daughter just turned one year old, time flies. It has been an amazing journey and I am embracing every minute even the not so great ones. That being said we are popping the clutch and peeling out as we move forward with the LMT movement so buckle the f@ck up!! I wanted to touch on this subject as I head forward towards my fight and my amateur fighters enter new realms with their careers.

        In the past the physical training that was available was limited. Fighters would do the typical calisthenics and skill training along with the daily runs and possibly some heavy lifting. For the longest time it was not only what was considered the best way to train but it was also frowned upon in some circles if a fighter stepped outside that box and tried something new. Eventually athletes were "cross-training" and that became the new thing. Now fighters and other athletes are using scientific formulas mixed with a little "bro science" to get them to their peak physical shape.
         Let me first say that the amount of exercises and programs available are mind blowing. If you go on social media and flip through pictures you'll see dozens of people at sports fitness facilities doing all sorts of training to reach their goal. Working with the top trainers and pushing themselves to the next level. The only problem for the average Joe is that those places are pricey. Many fighter are fighting just to break even and most have part time or even full time jobs to make ends meet. So how can someone compete with that type of training without having that kind of cash in the bank. Well for starters you're going to have to be disciplined. You have to make up your mind that you want to get better, faster, stronger and nothing is going to stop you. Now beyond that the next step is research.
There are plenty of free resources when it comes to fight training and the first on the list is always going to be YouTube. The great thing about YouTube is that you are able to see and understand how the movements should be done and in some cases the reasoning and science behind it. At then end of this blog I'll add some links for you to check out some websites etc.
         It's been my experience that you can't stick to one way to get into great physical shape. Of course long runs are a staple in combat sports as well as sprint work. I would contend that high intensity interval training and swimming are also great ways to increase your cardio capacity. For strength you could use a mixture of heavy lifting, kettlebell training, and body weight training. Lastly you're going to need some flexibility training. My amateurs have been seriously active in yoga the last couple of fights and it has helped immensely with their breathing as well as flexibility. I've seen high level athletes starting to make their way into pilates studios as well to get that extra edge. Ultimately you have to look within yourself and at the available resources and make the extra effort to be great. It will not be given to you, you have to take it.
        One thing I have always said and stick by one hundred percent is that your skill level can often be the key to beat the more athletic opponent so after all is said and done you can have all of the physical tools but you must master your craft in order to put that athleticism to work. Understanding how your art is suppose to intertwine with your physical capability is the doorway to achieving the highest levels in combat sports.

Links to greatness:

http://www.speedofsport.com/

http://funkmma.com/site/

http://www.nakmuaynation.com/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpLH5tDGl_QiRJ1eDUTLFxQ

https://www.youtube.com/user/donheatrick 

Racing father "Thai"me

What's up Muay thai family! I hope all is well and great on your end. This is definitely a personal one for me. If you've been around me or heard me speak over the last 15 years then you know I have been saying that I wanted to fight as a pro at least once in my life. I was a late starter and a late bloomer in the fight game. I was simultaneously taking amateur Muay Thai fights, teaching classes, training amateur fighters, and doing jiu jitsu. I was doing this and teaching myself along the way. Other than the tremendous amount of help I got from my close fiend and world champion Sarah Z., I was coachless for the majority of this time and that surely played a part in my progression and what my career could have been. I was blessed however to win 3 amateur championships in three different organizations and a handful of jiu jitsu medals. Lately my amateurs are collecting W's and I am super proud about that. I've met some amazing people throughout this time period, I've done padwork for world champions, aficiandos, and regular joes. It is always an honor and a pleasure to train people that are as into the sport of Muay Thai as much as I am. I find that I am always learning something new from them. At 42 I am considered an old man in the fight game. The dream of being a pro is fading into the sunset. I feed off of and live vicariously through the conquests of champions like George Foreman and Bernard Hopkins, the tenacity and toughness of guys like Randy Couture and Maurice Smith who knocked out an opponent via headkick at 50 years old. Now I don't claim to be one of these greats but I am inspired by them daily. Father time is undefeated and I too will fall at the hands of this adversary, but what will I have accomplished by then? Will I have done everything I ever dreamed I could do or wanted to do? What about you, will you strive to accomplish your goals no matter how far fetched they might seem to be? After the years I have put in and accomplishments I have had the only thing I wished is that I would have started earlier. If you haven't yet taken a look at yourself in the mirror and asked straight up ,"Am I everything I set out to be?", then you should do that now. The last thing you want to do is be at the end of the line and regret not having done everything you wanted to do. Life is short and opportunities are fleeting. Dreams are visuals of infinite possibilities, doubt is the only thing that keeps dreams from becoming reality. Relinquish the doubt and embrace what could be. The imagination is a beautiful place, everything that was ever created by the human race was first brought to light in the imagination. 

As for me, at some point I will only be able to hold pads, write workouts and supervise training. I will sit and reminisce about my days competing with a huge smile on my face and a cold beer in my palm. I will not however do that today, today I will have entered my name into a pool of fighters looking to fight on the only pro striking card in Miami. Mixed Striking Challenge 2 will be held in July and if I'm blessed enough I will have an opportunity to represent my brand of  Muay Thai and live my dream before it is too late. I hope that whatever your dream is you decide to grab it by the throat and never let it get away from you. Just to reiterate, life is short and opportunities are fleeting.

Peace 

Clawing at the throne

Hola people! Let's talk about yesteryear when a fighter in their respective sport would work their way through the ranks and fight their way up to the coveted title shot. The fighters of the past would have to not only win to get a shot at the title, but win impressively against top notch opponents that were also working their way up the ranks! If you asked them what their ultimate goal was they would say it is to be the champion, then they would say something smart like they are taking it one fight at a time and looking to fight the best fights, or they might even say that they are leaving it up to their manager. It has been the new practice in MMA to call out whomever has the belt, although I haven't seen it much in Muay Thai that could just be because there just isn't a ton of money to be made even at the highest levels. Working your way up through the competition is still somewhat commonplace in boxing though the lottery ticket that is Floyd Mayweather has brought swarms of boxers to the microphone that is social media to call out the pound for pound king. This begs to question, is it greatness they want or money? Which then leads to another question, is greatness measured by simply putting on a championship belt? I personally don't think so. I think greatness is measured by the body of work over the entire period of competition. Not everybody can be champ and not everyone that calls out the champion can be that good. 

Chael Sonnen calling out Jon Jones

We are living in a world of instant gratification as well as poorly paid fighters. The new way to make money isn't about learning your craft and beating people in such dominating fashion that people are falling all over themselves to get to you, now it's about learning your craft to a decent level and then learning how to talk smack once you get an opportunity to get close to a microphone. Lets see if this sounds familiar, "he's never fought anyone like me", "he's holding my belt for me", "he's scared to fight me", "I'm ready to go, anytime anyplace", nothing is wrong with those phrases except now you hear them coming from guys or girls not ranked in the top ten and with no quality wins on their resume. I get it, the only way to make the big bucks, get famous, and get a following in the social media age is to be loud and beat the big names, but at what cost? Where is the line? Did Chael cross the line with his semi-racist rant about the Brazilians being "pygmies", or does it have to involve talking about someone's family negatively for it to be past the point of no return? At what point is the cutoff, can you still do all of that and consider yourself a "martial artist"? I'm not sure that insulting someone's family or culture is worth putting asses in seats. Once certain words are said, they can't be unsaid. There is a debate about comedians that basically is do comedians get a pass to say what they want just because they are a comedian? In the same respect can a fighter get a pass after the fight just because they were trying to sell the fight? I can't judge, I can only say that for me I couldn't in good faith bring someone's family into the mix while trying to bid for a title shot or even just to move up the ladder. Let's not forget it wasn't until recently that fighters started really calling out the champs, it used to be the next guy up the ladder. At the most fighters would do that hand gesture after they won a fight to symbolize them wrapping the belt around their waist. Now, it's an immediate call out of the reigning champ and it is becoming more popular to do because it is being rewarded. Even fighters that have earned the next title shot are being passed over for the better talker. I mean after completely demolishing Cub Swanson a very high level guy Frankie Edgar is passed over for a the slick toungued Connor McGregor.

Connor Mcgregor yelling at Jose Aldo after defeating Poirer

It's not that Connor hasn't beaten a bunch of opponents, but high level opponents not so much. He has yet to even face a high level wrestler but damn can he talk and at times walk the line between respect and what some may consider disrespect on a regular basis
. So it's established that it is possible to move up the ladder by being a good orator but now we have to figure out who get's a pass to do so. Lower level guys should by no means start running their mouths. The upside is great, a shot at some dough, recognition, a bit of fame. The downside is that if they lose it could leave a psychological imprint that there is no recovery from. On the other hand if it's a champion from another top level organization or an Olympian in the case of Ronda Rousey, lest we forget that she talked her way into a title shot with Miesha Tate in Strikeforce and never looked back. These are the only passes I can say are legitimate. If you've beaten the breaks off some top level opponents the trash talk should just be ancillary to sell some tickets. Otherwise my only advice is don't sell your soul, work your ass off in training beat the guys or girls in your way and learn how to make some sense on a microphone. Your time will come and when it does maybe being equipped with a speech or broadcasting class might get you to your destination a little faster. Not so sure about mentioning someone's family or cultural background as those are more than "fighting words" where I come from.

The night we introduced LMT, again.

The team after an amazing night

What's up family? Hope you guys are having blessed days and amazing nights! It has been a great start for the LMT team this year so far. We started our first competition with four fights and four wins. The fights were competitive and exciting which made the victories even more fulfilling. Watching the fighters train so hard and then apply the knowledge they learned and techniques they worked tirelessly was absolutely mind blowing. They deserved the glory and we made a huge statement fighting some of the biggest Muay Thai gyms in Florida.

Felipe throwing a hard overhand 

     As for me, it was my greatest accomplishment as a coach to have all of my fighters win on the same night and I am stoked. I have been working at this for some time and I pride myself on studying. I might not be the most experienced, but I study as hard if not harder than a large majority of coaches. I study everything all the way down to the smallest detail of every technique. From fights to padwork etc. but I also study the minds of the masters. Genghis Khan, Sun Tzu, and Miyamoto Musashi. These three to me are the foundation to having the proper mentality to combat, sports and real world. I could sit here and spout of a bunch of cliche quotes that I might have just googled but that is not how I perceive what I have read. To be successful at combat on any level you must first accept your fate. I relate this to my students first and foremost. From that point forward we can't believe that there is only one road to victory but that the road forks several times and each fork offers a new opportunity to display a new set of skills. You must also be prepared to do so.

Jennifer with a nasty uppercut

    Being aware of my fighters abilities, gifts and mentalities

Sarah throwing her jab over the top 

has allowed me to choose in what fashion we can attack our opponents. The thing I am most proud of for myself in these fights is that I had laid out separate and unique strategies for each of the fighters and they went out and believed and applied. I spent time meditating and visualizing on what we would do and when. I had come up with a new way to get my point across in the corner in between rounds and it was more effective than the previous way I had done things. It allowed me to make adjustments without messing up the flow the fighters had. Making adjustments must be done by fighters and coaches and in this case it was happening fluidly. We had worked extremely hard and put ourselves through the ringer during the training camp for these fights and it showed.

Romeo dropping bombs on his larger opponent

This was the most organized I had ever been, I have taken different aspects of strategies for training and fighting from the masters of the past and the coaches of now ie. Greg Jackson, Faras Zahabi, and Duke Roufus. I am finally feeling like I am becoming the coach I really want to be and the fighters are starting to come into their own. I will continue to out study the opposition and give my fighters the best chance of winning. We won't win them all but they will remember us without a doubt. I Love this team. I am so proud of where we are and we are going.

This great honor!

Hola people! Hope everyone is great after an awesome couple of weekends of fights and that crazy Superbowl. I first want to start out by saying I am in a great place right now. I have an awesome family, a passion for my career, and an amazing Muay Thai team. As we move through fight week I had to express what an honor it is to be in this position. It's really an unbelievable reality.
    To begin to understand why this is such a far fetched reality for a guy like me you have to first make some comparisons to major sports and how they affect the coaches and players that are involved in them. Take Basketball for instance. Started in 1891 by a P.E. instructor trying to figure out how to keep his students active on rainy days. Now basketball players of the stuff of myths and legends. Questions arise about who the best player is or was. Often these questions boil down to a handful of guys that are in my opinion the usual suspects. Boys and girls across the country have posters of their favorite player or players lining their bedroom walls or lockers. Basketball, with a few stars has changed the culture of sports and lives across the board.
     In 1869, American football was created. teams have come and gone and great players and coaches are once again debated by Monday morning quarterbacks around the world. Over one hundred million people watched the Superbowl this year. That is a huge tell regarding the love of football as well as the history from which it comes.
     In the U.S. and abroad baseball is no different . With a rich history dating back to the 1830's and maybe further, baseball is considered to be America's past-time. Players are making outlandish amounts of money and the game is played worldwide. Players even defect from their communist ruled countries risking imprisonment  and death for a chance to play in the big leagues.

      In sports around the world you often hear the players and coaches in championship victories saying things like,"I feel blessed to be here", "It's just an honor to have my name mentioned among the best", "I just love being involved with a sport with such rich history", and they are right. However, in my case and in the case of the other fighters and teachers(Kru) that are involved in Muay Thai, it is more than that. It is a spiritual undertaking filled with honor, humility, inner conflicts, and pain. This isn't a sport that you can look back and debate who the best is because he doesn't exist mainly because it isn't a sport as much as a lifestyle. The history is more rich than the sports of of today and had multiple applications in life as well as battle.
We don't have "bests" in Muay Thai, we have legends. This sport was being practiced and applied in military training in the 1500's and against the invading Burmese army in the 1700's. It is not a sport as much as it is a calling. It is a burning passion that I cannot hide and it draws many to me but only few can actually deal with the commitment even on a exercise and fitness level. It is complicated and yet simple, it can build you into a piece of iron or crumble you into sand but all the while it is connected to your very soul. I have been involved in it for 15 years now and only in the last 5 have I been somewhat comfortable as a fighter and only the last 2 as a teacher. I am honored and humbled to be able to share my knowledge with those willing to listen and undertake the huge responsibility of being a teacher. I am passing on methods and theories passed down for hundreds of years to students that have trusted me, in some cases, with their lives. This reality is not a joking matter I take it very seriously. I received my green belt in Taekwondo in 1983, I was 11 years old.
I have been a martial artist ever since. I was just some kid in the South side of Chicago that liked
Bruce lee movies. After all this time I am still in love with the arts and I learn something new everyday. I have conceded that this is the way it will be for me and I will continue to pay homage to the students, fighters, warriors, and teachers that came before me. I am Nak Muay, I am a teacher, I am Muay Thai!

Guess they haven't seen Kevin Ross fight

What's up people?! Hope all is well out there in your world during this holiday season. Before you jump to conclusions about the title of my post let's get one thing clear, though I am ma huge Kevin Ross fan this post isn't about how sick his spinning elbow looks or how he throws that sneaky head kick off the misdirection. No, this post is about us, the participants and fans of said fighting acumen. See we have a bit of a problem here in the U.S.. The problem is that in the midst of a combat sports renaissance world wide, from MMA to Jiu Jitsu, and even boxing finally making a comeback. Kickboxing whether it be Muay Thai, K-1, or Glory just isn't getting the love in the states. I'm not sure of the reason, because watching a high level kickboxing match is every bit as exciting as anything else on television.
           Maybe that's the problem, no major television deal. I mean we have Lion Fights on Axs which is awesome except for when I talk to people about it most of them don't know if they "have that channel". Not only that but they are not at all familiar with the fighters. If not knowing the fighters is an issue then an organization like Glory with an amazing show including dancers, pyrotechnics, smoke, and some good marketing, should have no problem promoting the fighters. Well, Glory does do a great job marketing it's product, unfortunately most of the fighters are European. So yeah, that doesn't help the American kickboxers almost at all. Leading the charge in Glory was Joe Schilling winning the middleweight tournament. Glory let his contract expire. So yeah, instead of seeing an awesome glory card featuring a fight between Schilling and Manhoef we instead had to tune in to Bellator MMA to watch the awesome knockout that should have further helped the growth of kickboxing in America. MMA wins.
           Speaking of MMA winning it just reminded me of how women's MMA has blown up and it was primarily kick started by one Gina Carano and carried on by now MMA champion Rhonda Rousey but let's keep it real, Gina is the original and was the first true face of MMA. There's only one problem with that situation and that's that Gina was a Muay Thai fighter first and had there been an outlet, maybe kickboxing could have shared in the success of women fighters.
          I don't know if we are that far away from enjoying some of the lucrativity that MMA has garnered, I don't even know how much of that we even want. How would it change our community if we were blessed with Muay Thai on Fox or Glory on ESPN a couple of times per month? Might not be in a good way as the market as we know can be oversaturated. That doesn't mean I wouldn't want fighters to have an organization that offered  good pay, promotion, marketing, and a way to let the fighters use their personalities to acquire some sponsorship dollars.
          So you see when I that "I guess they haven't seen Kevin Ross fight", what i'm really saying is I guess they have never seen Kevin Ross, Joe Shilling, Angela Hill, Tiffany Van Soest, Miriam Nakamoto, Angela Hill, Wayne Barrett, Joseph Valtellini, Chris Mauceri, Raymond Daniels,...etc..etc..because if they had they would realize that they have been missing out on seeing some of the most exciting fighters this country has to offer.

You gotta be a little crazy

Hope everyone is doing well and staying warm in most of the country. Pretty stoked about the holidays this year. not to say that I'm not normally but this year is special. Got a new babygirl to celebrate with, my sister is moving down, the team is strong and my woman is a badass. I say that because it takes a special kind of person to deal with a fighter because we are all a little crazy. And in lieu of my bad segway, i'll just get started..
     So what does it take for a human being to want to challenge themselves against another human being in hand to hand combat. Some might believe that it's money, well that's a huge misconception. Unless you are one of the top guys in the entire world, you're making some seriously average pay. How about fame? Nah, you can become moderately famous if you're winning but again unless you're getting some top billing internationally then you're just as local as the guy throwing boxes at UPS.
 So what is it then? The answer just isn't that simple, some people need it to keep control of some emotional fire within them, some do it to challenge themselves and their martial spirit, others just like to fight but all have one thing in common. We're all a little crazy. Not the kind of crazy that gets you put on the evening news... okay, a bit of that is also involved but it's not the main ingredient.
      No, what we are is a combination of bravery, heart, intelligence, passion and the ability to say at the moment the bell rings, I'm ready to face all of the potentially horrible possibilities as a warrior and I will go out on my shield if need be. Although that in itself might seem a little nuts, it's not nearly as crazy as the eight weeks of training we put our bodies through preparing to face somebody of the same mindset. Yes the actual fight can be brutal but the training is the truly insane part. What the average person sees on television or at an event is a fraction of the amount of time spent beating our bodies up in training. Between sparring, strength and conditioning, running, and visualizing it can drive a fighter to the brink. We are emotional especially in training camp, we fight our fight a thousand times in our heads, going over every possibility. It is a roller coaster ride of emotions, losing, winning, questioning why we even do it. The fact of the matter is it's in us, we are passionate for it and we do it even to our own detriment but it is a special thin we have, we are a brotherhood and a sisterhood of fighters and most will never understand us. Some might call us crazy, but we would rather be deemed crazy and know we tested our very existence against another willing to do the same, than to live a life so ordinary.
      That being said let's be clear, all of the best ever, greatest of all times, number ones, etc were a bit crazy. From artists, to intellectuals , to fighters. In every aspect of life the majority of the time the ones that were best at their crafts had a little extra crazy in them. The obsession for being great, they hate losing more than they like winning. If there is a chance you can tap into that even for a moment why wouldn't you try. I encourage everyone of you to go out and get obsessed about something you love, pour your heart in it and see what happens. The payoff is being able to say you did what others said you couldn't and doing what other people just won't. Be different, be brave, be challenged, and be a little crazy. Ossss...

Poverty over Passion

What's up people, hope this finds you all doing well and gearing up for the holiday season. Which for some of you means being angry because you're cutting weight and can't eat all of that tremendous holiday food. I hope that's not the case and if it is, i'll eat plenty on your behalf, no worries.
          I am stoked about how the LMT team did this year, we are growing stronger everyday and it is a humbling experience. Please check out our video posted on this blog if you haven't already it's called "LMT in motion", it's available on YouTube. Let me know what you think.
           After training numerous people from different walks of life I honestly am not sure that the idea that the poorer you are the harder you fight. There is definitely something to that, but I strongly believe that passion sometimes supersedes being hungry. I train a banker that is willing to leave it all in the ring and he is nowhere near poor and I honestly don't think he's ever been there. So where does that inner fight come from? I think it comes from human nature. The possibility to do something bigger than yourself for reasons other than getting out of a bad situation. Some fighters are engaged in a quest to prove something to themselves or dedicate their careers to the people that sacrificed for them to have a better life.
         I am a firm believer that whether you are in a impoverished situation or you're well to do, you will only get as far as your heart and your will are going to take you. You have to want it more than the next guy but you also have to train as hard, study as hard, and be prepared to go out on your shield. Now, if you have more to gain and nothing to lose from the fight then the wealthier fighter, you might be more willing to go out on swinging but if you haven't put in the time in training or studying the techniques it doesn't matter who you are, rich or poor, you're going to eventually hit a wall. Ultimately, you are only as good as the effort you put in and that has nothing to do with money and everything to do with heart, attitude, belief , and willingness.
         Be willing, and you just might attain greatness.

This is LMT.

Evolution through coaching!

What's up people, hope all is well out there . I know it's been a minute but the LMT family was focused in preparation for battle. We had three fights in Tampa in the Muay Thai classic. We came back with one victory and two losses but we came away with the respect of the other teams and some new fans! We made a big statement for our team which really set us up for future success.

 

Will getting some coaching

Felipe pre-fight

 In my case, as a coach over the last couple of camps and fights I've noticed a personal evolution. I've dedicated the  last 14 years of my life to muay thai and just as it did as a fighter, it's starting to happen as a coach. I'm beginning to be able to do a couple of things with confidence. First off I've been able to coach each fighter to their ability. When I first started out as a coach I believe I just wanted the technique to be correct. Now I've started to pull each fighters strength to the forefront. Each person utilizes different techniques in different ways and it's important to be able to put the fighters in the best possible position to be successful. For instance in Sarah, my female fighter's debut I thought for sure that with her soccer background that her legs would be key. I had told her that before the fight she could end the fight with her knee. In the first round she dropped her opponent with a knee and nearly finished the fight. I based that theory specifically on the training we did and the power in her legs. Which leads to the next thing I noticed about my coaching evolution. Making adjustments on the fly.

Sarah "La Pantera" post victory

Watching my fighter's opponent for holes in their game that we can exploit throughout the fight. In the same fight I noticed that Sarah's opponent wasn't using her jab to keep Sarah from advancing and because Sarah is a southpaw we had worked on staying on the outside of the lead leg. I yelled to Sarah to throw the lead hook and follow with the cross. She later told me she didn't know why I asked her to do it but she bought into it and it worked. At one point she threw it 3 times in a row and the girl couldn't defend it or figure it out. This has been the newest addition to my coaching game. I left the fights extremely happy for the growth team and very happy with my progress as a coach.

Post fight celebrations

It is a constant learning experience. Each fight, fighter and opponent is different. I am focusing on the organization of the growth of the team. New techniques, better conditioning, sound fundamentals, and recognizing opportunities within the fight. The best thing about all of this is that I've seen my own Muay Thai game evolve. I'm seeing things differently and applying the knowledge I'm gaining as a coach to my own growth as a fighter. I'm looking forward to October when my team fights again and being in the ring later this year to put it all to the test. Thanks for all the support and donations, the podcast is on the way and the sound of the LMT chant is getting louder and louder.  Peace and blessings don't forget to follow is on social media: @luckysmuaythai