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.

Pro fighter / Dreamchaser

Walking to the ring.

What is up people?!! I know its been a minute but I was completely focused on making my dream a reality. Let me first say that this might turn out to be long winded but I have so much to say that it has to be a complete thought. If you've read my blogs in the past then you might know that I wasn't at first planning on fighting and I actually started fighting in the amateurs in my 30's, a late bloomer. I didn't expect anything so I wasn't out there looking for a team or a manager or even a coach, I just decided to work my ass off and choose a few people that I could trust. It was a great decision. It led me to three amateur championships and the ability to train others, and to meeting some incredible people along the way. At this point I knew I really wanted to fight in the pros at least once, but a couple of things came to mind when I would think about doing it. First off nobody is looking to throw an over 40 fighter on their fight card unless they are looking use that person as a stepping stone for their younger fighters. The second thought that would come up is how can I find time to train like I need with my schedule and hectic life, regardless of my dream, I have family responsibilities as well as coaching others to help them achieve their dreams. Then I would have worries about the ability to compete on a high level, am I too old? I looked to Bernard Hopkins, Dan Henderson, as well as a long list of other over 40 fighters that used their knowledge to compete against younger fighters, I mean have you seen Hopkins vs Pavlik?

The signing of the contract

Okay so after I finally made my decision, I realized that nobody was planning on adding me to their already full cards. And then it happened, Master Mehrdad Moayedi a former fighter and the first promoter I ever fought in the amateur for gave me a call and offered me a fight. I was close to giving up on the dream and focusing on just being a coach. I would have forever been hanging over my head if I didn't get the chance. I signed the contract and so it began.
        Camp started and I was indeed rusty but hungry nonetheless. I started running regularly which is crazy for me because I almost never ran before my amateur fights but I knew that I had to have good conditioning otherwise I wouldn't make it and beyond that I wanted to train like a professional and fight like one. I worked tirelessly doing pads, strength and conditioning training and sparring with some friends and some monsters. It was all grueling to say the least and then it happened, my first opponent dropped out with an injury but something told me just keep training it will work itself out. I was right within a couple of days I had a new opponent and the motivation  was back one hundred percent. I was more focused then I had ever been but in sparring I wasn't as active or effective when I was active. I had no movement and that was the key to me finally raising my level. It had been a while since I have fought and I had become comfortable standing in place and countering during sparring but because of that I had become complacent.

Kru Dave Gomez, me, and Remy Bonnell

Lesson learned, I began studying a fighter by the name Rayen Simson, a Dutch champion that had beaten the likes of Ramon Dekkers and I thought for sure this is my style and using it would allow me to become more fluid. Sparring got better.
   The date was rapidly approaching and I was starting to become more and more irritable, as well as nervous. The closer to the fight the less nervous I got, I started to believe and enjoy the moment. I have been dream chasing for so long and it was finally here and then the last two weeks came and it started to get crazy. I had sent in my medicals however the boxing commission wanted a CT scan of my brain and an Ekg which wasn't presented to me. Talk about freaking out, I was lucky enough to pull some strings and get some favors in order to get it done and it wasn't until the weigh ins that I actually got the final Ekg results. That was the least of my worries though because 2 days before the fight my opponent pulled out. At the moment I received that message I was in the middle of dealing with some other things and I was devastated. I felt as if all the air had left my body and I was sick to my stomach. I had finally made it but it was not to be. All I could think about was all those that had helped me get to this point, people donated their time and energy and money all for me to fulfill a dream and it would all be for nothing.
        The next day the news came that I would have an opponent and it wasn't what I had wanted by any means. The new opponent was a friend of mine, Warren Thompson, his opponent dropped out as well. We had fought each other in the amateurs and had a beautiful fight we displayed good technique and had gotten cheers from the crowd after the fight. Since that time we had become friends so now what? We both took the fight with reservation. Neither of us wanted to fight each other but we both have dreams. It was necessary and quite possibly the best and worst outcome of our situations. When I walked into the weigh in we saw each other immediately and both threw our hands up as if to say what the "F" is going on. We shared a few laughs and decided that this would be the last one against each other. Warren is a one of the good ones out there a true martial artist and a legitimate Muay Thai fighter.

Round one

Now as for the fight, it was amazing. I was able to display my skills on a high level and it was an honor to do so. I had an amazing time having my family there as I had reached my long time goal. My friends made the trip and cheered loudly and I loved every minute of it. The fight wasn't judged in my direction and that is a little upsetting but the reality of it is that I gained more just walking to the ring than any one win could have given me. I accomplished the seemingly impossible. I had an idea years ago and began to follow it and little by little it grew and at times it wilted but I never gave up hope. The pursuit itself was enough to be proud of but what I can truly say now to my kids and others is never stop chasing your dreams.

Landing a right hand which was working for me that night.

Dreams are not un-achievable ideas they are the vision of the achievable. I remember Kevin Garnett after winning the NBA championship with the Celtics after years of perseverance and the pain of never getting there and he screamed into the microphone a phrase that I always repeat in my head over and over, "Anything is possible".

Lucky Lloyd Walton (Pro fighter)


Special Thanks to: Romeo Montana and Sarah Zdanis for giving me their time in training and cornering me. Jorge Vargas and William Candelario for the padwork. Jex Fontaine for just basically being a bad ass and expecting the same from me. Jolie Glassman and the entire gym for all the support. My sparring partners Dave Gomez, Remy Bonnell, William Candelario, Romeo Montana, and that one time I sparred that UFC fighter Alex Garcia. Juan Lazcano Trevino for always being the source of good energy and hooking up the hotels. Also Danny Silva for giving me another place to train. Master Mehrdad for the opportunity. The whole LMT crew for believing in me. Last but not least my family for putting up with what some might call a silly dream and everything that goes with it, mood swings and all. I Love you guys!

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.

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 

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!

Muay Thai and Race

My man Patee in Thailand

Hello all, hope this finds you all happy and healthy as we close out this year. It was an amazing year for us at Lucky's Muay Thai and I am so proud to be a part of such a great group of people. We are already scheduled for a couple of events in the new year and I am stoked. I wanted to touch on a subject that some find uncomfortable, and that's race relations in Muay Thai or Martial arts in general. Maybe it's a good thing that it makes people uncomfortable to talk about race or it could just be, the way that I see it, in Martial arts it just doesn't matter. It matters in other places in society e.g. politics, certain neighborhoods, social issues, etc, but in Muay Thai in my experience, it just doesn't matter.

Matthew from Switerland and Jihad from France

When you walk into a gym or dojo anywhere in the world the focus is on the discipline and technique. It's about uniting your mind, body and soul. Yes something about being hit in the face or kicked extremely hard is spiritual. I'm not sure why we don't think so much about race when we train in Muay Thai or Jiu Jitsu, or Taekwondo, or other arts. Possibly because we are spending most of our time trying to learn how not to get knocked out or choked to sleep. All of us seem to realize that we will progress faster individually if we work together as a group. We are more when we are training as one. Not to say we don't have our opinions on the social issues of society but the reality is when we get matched up at a tournament or in a ring or a cage the last thing we care about is the color of our opponent. We care about how well we trained, how hard we worked, how our coaches and team feel about the efforts we've made and can we express ourselves fully when the bell rings. What I find unfortunate is that some may read this and say, well you forgotten where you came from or you're not where i'm from. All of that couldn't further from the truth. I know exactly where I came from. I had great great grandmothers who were slaves, I grew up in Chicago where at times it was one of the most segregated cities in the country, I lived in Texas where I was called the N-word by cops and chased on more than one occasion by idiot racists with guns. So yes I get it things are not fair for everyone in society, particularly minorities but in every place i've lived and with every group I've had the honor of training with one thing rang true. Race was never an issue. From my Israeli friends that teach and train Krav Maga to my Brazilians that train Jiu Jitsu, all the way to my Thai friends that train Muay Thai and beyond.

MMA class 08'

We all love each other just the same and putting our heart into getting better at our arts and using that to make us better human beings is the goal across the board regardless of race. As most of my readers know I have a new baby, she is now five months old and she is bi-racial or mixed, or whatever label people are using now but to me she is just my baby. I didn't even realize she was light skinned until people would ask me,"who's baby is that", or "is that your baby?". No joke, i've heard that and more. As she starts to get older the only place I feel really comfortable with her being and people I feel comfortable being with are those that walk the Martial path because those are the people I know will instill in her a sense of love and compassion not based on her color and I love that. I wanted to add some pictures of people I've had the pleasure of training with from different parts of the world and of all different races but it would just be a never ending collage. So I just added a few but know that I think of you all and have truly enjoyed meeting you, training with you and growing with you.

       Only one thing left to say and that is thank you for letting go of the insensitivity of the outside world to become more sensitive and aware of your true self. Peace and blessings through the holidays and much success in your training and fighting in 2015

Last night's training all colors, all creeds, all L-O-V-E

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...

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

Student of the game

Hello all! Hope you guys all got a chance to hear Jenn and I rant on the new Blog companion podcast. If you haven't had a chance to hear it you can download it on iTunes. Just go to the podcast section and search LMT The Journey and you should be in business. Thanks in advance for the support!! Now that that's out of the way let's get down to my obsession. Studying, my fixation on knowledge is both ambitious and absolutely annoying as hell. It kept me taking college courses for a decade but bouncing around so much that I never really completed a program. That will be done before the end of the year btw. As a fighter I started researching training techniques through Youtube which I then dubbed Youtube University. If you want to learn it, it's on Youtube. It was really subtle at first, learning kicking techniques and punching techniques, defensive drills, conditioning etc. It quickly became an obsession,I couldn't go a day without watching a video about fighting or reading about it. It became my coach, I was learning to thread together different styles of striking by studying videos of the techniques and practicing them everyday at the gym. This is a great way to add some techniques and variety to your training on your own. It is however necessary to have somebody there to watch your techniques for missteps. Sometimes a good coach is hard to find but training partners that you trust can be a big help when you don't have one. As I began to fight and train with a group of fighters it was an invaluable tool for learning pad holding, angles, and just for watching frickin' fights! I spent the first bit of time on the computer catching up on fights I had missed over the years.I can only say that I have seen more fights than I could even begin to count. I mean is it in the hundreds , maybe but probably though closer to the thousands. When I started to do Jiu Jitsu it just added more to my playlist and then I started coaching and my head exploded, not really obviously but I have been flooding my brain now for years with information. I wouldn't be surprised if it did actually explode. Don't get me wrong there is nothing better for learning than actually doing. However, now you have an endless supply of knowledge and for fighters, it is priceless. Want to work on your timing, look up timing drills, figure out how to throw a check hook, it's on there, or if you just want to see Anderson Silva front kick Vitor Belfort in the chops i
t is at your fingertips, no excuses. Now as for me it has gotten to a point of ridiculousness. Television has fights on, computer has techniques or drills playing, smartphone is playing a podcast of some sort (Joe Rogan, Fighter and the Kid, Josh Barnett, etc), and I have at least one book around and a notebook with pen. This might not seem like it's annoying but when a six year old wants to play Playstation and when turned down says to her mom, "he's watching boxing, he's always watching boxing", it might be a bit much..lol. I am definitely hooked on studying and it is a little annoying but it has made me a better fighter, a better coach and a much more evolved thinker. Take advantage of the opportunity to learn and grow your game at a faster pace and with more options.

Determination, it's a conscious choice

       
           What's up people? I hope this finds you all well and good, healthy and happy. I wanted to touch on something that is more than necessary when entering into contact sports and that is summed up best in one word, "Determination". This is a conscious effort to decide to do something no matter the difficulty. When it comes to fighting I believe the only way to approach the training and competition is with complete and utter determination. You can wear all the brand name gear, and buy all of the top quality gear but that doesn't make your focus any stronger. Committing to the idea that whether it's an amateur title or a world title, a gold medal locally or world championship in another country, you can't achieve your goal by part timing it.

Rewards of my decision!

           If your expectations are high then the work you put in has to equate to what you want. You can't be the last one with your gloves on or the first one to your water bottle. I've seen men and women cry during training and i've seen some play around and joke about it. The truth is I would rather train with the ones that are breaking down and continuing to train, those are the fighters. The ones that want it so much that they are willing to give all of themselves to the evolution of their craft. I would even go on a limb in a lot of cases and say if you haven't pushed to the breaking point then maybe you don't want what you think you want.
           I listen to people everyday tell me of their goals and expectations of themselves and in return I try to help them set a path towards those goals. The path I lead them on is one that will require hard work, pain, and little room for laziness. It is up to the person to make the choice on how to deal with it. I myself have far outreached anything I thought possible. I was a late starter into Muay Thai and initially thought of MMA. I have won some amateur titles and some Brazilian Jiu Jitsu medals and I am not done. I was inspired by seeing the accomplishments of others and made a decision that I will have what I want and nothing will stop me. I was working until 5 or 6 a.m. and getting up walking to the gym and training by myself for at least two years, maybe more. I was and still am determined to accomplish more. I didn't even know exactly what I was looking for. I didn't know how to get a fight, how to train properly, or the names of techniques I was doing but it did not deter me. I lost some friendships, probably strained some relationships etc.. These things are called sacrifices.
             The reality of this path is if they are your friends, then they will be supportive and at your side through the journey. You can't expect everyone to understand it, it's your journey not theirs. Be prepared to make sacrifices, deal with scrutiny, injury and aggravation because the road to greatness is cluttered with obstacles but you can make it if you so choose.
            What is it that you want? Not what you see on television, in real life. Pick some goals to shoot for and as you accomplish those goals, the future goals of world championships, gold medals and legacy will start to become more real an attainable. Just remember that the goals are all in reach. All you have to do is be determined.

de·ter·mi·na·tion

 noun \di-ˌtər-mə-ˈnā-shən\

: a quality that makes you continue trying to do or achieve something that is difficult

: the act of finding out or calculating something

: the act of officially deciding something

Felipe preparing for his December 7th fight.

UFC fan or MMA fan?

Let me start by saying every fight you see in a cage is not put on by the UFC. Adding to that, watching the UFC doesn't make you an MMA fan. Yes they are the biggest organization out there however they are not the only game in town. In fact there are organizations all over the world that put on quality fights, some big some small. A true fan of the sport of MMA may have favorite fighters in other organizations some of which UFC fans have never even heard of. If you really "love the UFC" i suggest you broaden your horizens i guarantee you'll enjoy watching some of the other talent out there. Also, watching the styles that make up MMA in competition such as jiu jitsu tourneys or kickboxing and boxing matches allows you to see your favorite fighters compete at a high level while honing their skills outside of MMA. MMA is the fastest growing sport in the world, not only because of the UFC but also largely in part of other promotions putting on fights locally or regionally. I'll leave you with a list of promotions for you to check out. Hopefully, you'll now get more of what you love.

MMA promotions:

(MFC) Maximum fighting championship

(KOTC) King of the Cage

(XFC) Extreme fighting championship

M-1

Bellator

Proelite

Strikeforce

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