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.

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!

Fighting at all speeds

Hey guys, hope all is well in your neck of the woods.  Perfect time for a blog. Heading into the last week of camp for the fighters, two of which are competing for a state title and one that is having her debut on August 8th in Tampa. All of this brings back memories. When I first started it was like a tornado, just chaos for 3 rounds, but it seemed like it took forever. Now it's still chaos but very controlled. I always feel like regardless of the pace of the fight it moves in slow motion for me. Now that doesn't mean that I see everything and am able to pull a Matrix move everytime I get swung at or kicked. However because of the ability to finally settle my mind I can hear the voice inside my head as it attempts to figure out my opponents defense in order to open up my offense. It's a mental and physical chess game bolstered by the skill level of each player. There's almost a formula for it. Number of techniques known multiplied by conditioning divided by defensive ability and strength of chin and mind. Either way it's like two military commanders executing attacks and counter attacks as mapped out in a war room. Now more so than ever, I get it. A person preparing for a fight must be able prepare not only the body but also the mind. Well, we know that, you might say. Yes, but there is a factor that isn't touched on as much. The speeds at which your body and mind must be ready to perform. The knowledge of when to attack verbally, or when to listen to your opponent blow hot air and you sit back and smile. When to blitz your opposition and when to frustrate them with your movement and counterattacking. All of this is done at different speeds and all of it requires training. The ability to subtly get your opponent to fight your fight against their will is an art in itself. At, 50 years of age Bernard Hopkins won another title by forcing his younger opponent to fight at his speed. A young Cassius Clay (Muhammed Ali) convinced a much larger more experienced Sonny Liston that he would beat him during a press conference that had Liston thinking that Ali was crazy. There are moments in MMA that a ground specialist will beat a world class striker simply based on the ability to get them to fight at their speed and make them believe they are the better striker. This happened in the Fabricio Werdum vs Travis Browne fight. The lesson here is to be well rounded, believe in your skill, and impose the beauty of your style on all opponents mentally and physically in life and in competition. Sometimes that is done by moving forward, and sometimes by hanging back, sometimes by talking and other times by listening but to achieve this it takes practice and commitment to your art and yourself. You must get to know who you are to know what you are capable of. Fight and train at all speeds. Peace and Love from all of us at Lucky's Muay Thai!

Defend yourself

This one is for the ladies(mostly). I'm not trying to freak you out or scare you in any way. I am however trying promote safety mainly yours. I can't begin to tell you how many female friends I have that have been assaulted physically and/or mentally at some point in their lives. I have heard many horror stories as i'm sure you have as well. From kidnappings to random beatings i have heard them all and even had to jump in and stop a few. Its time to educate yourselves in self defense. In many cities across this country self defense for women is offered by different organizations, Police departments to local gyms. They teach awareness as well as what to do if ever attacked. Its not right what people do to others sometimes but you have the power to combat that, so use it. It gives you confidence to know you're prepared and generally speaking when you walk with confidence you will often be left alone. Bad guys want to attack people that won't fight back and if you look aware and confident you don't look like an easy target. Until you can make it to a class try to follow some simple rules -

- Always be aware of your surroundings
- Don't walk alone at night if at all possible
- Let a friend know where you are
- Keep your mace in your hand when walking by yourself
- Know how your panic button works on your keychain
- Walk with confidence not with your head down
- Walk with your keys between your fingers in a tight balled up fist just in case you gotta let a
punch fly

If someone approaches you and all else fails do the one thing we all know how to do SCREAM!!

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