Composure

Everybody can kick and punch.
But if you wanna become a skillful and successful fighter, there is many more skills you need to develop.
In this post I am going to concentrate on one of them. The one I am currently working on.
It is "composure".
Not that fancy stands and moves you could think of.
Composure in terms of staying alert and ready at all times.
It is kind of back to basics proces.
I am trying to sharpen up my tools, while keeping right position and balance after each strike. That will help me to read the game better and always beeing able to react at various occasions.
It takes a lot of time spend on the footwork,balance, extending the strikes, stepping in and out ( managing the distance ) as well as right twist of the feet and body.
The aim is to become more fluid in all my actions.
There is few bad habits I got to get rid off, to make things work right.
But I am very excited as while I am working on my development I can already see the benefits of it.
I can see that by improving my "composure", many other aspects will get better too.
All that also helps with saving energy during the fight as well as during the practice.
I can see that when I manage to loosen up and sharpen my reaction while executing right turn in and out of each combination. Everything works smoother and clearer.
No unnecessary swinging and throwing hands gets involved.
All that works and looks much better at all.
All needs to be done is practice.
Teach my body and brain to react the way I want it to.
www.GMMA.co.uk

Love will give you wisdom.

There was a time, when I first started teaching martial arts to children, when I was pretty nervous.
I knew what I was doing. I was quite convinced that I've got a lot to share with them and what I've got to offer can help them improve their lives.
Task was theoretically simple. Just bring to the table my own experience. Exactly  the way I used to do with the groups and individual adults I was already teaching for a while.
I was impressed how easy can children learn and how quick they can achieve things when they love what they are doing.
However there was few factors of helping children that have got me a bit stressed.
First of all;  children have much less patience than adults.
As a foreigner speaking to the bunch of adults and bunch of kids I could clearly  see the difference. Children wouldn't hide if they didn't understand and they wouldn't try to figure out the meanings.
They would simply express themselves while adults would usually carry on the way they think is right, waiting for eventual corrections.
I could also see the way they look at me, especially the youngest ones. I became a role model for many of them in terms of Martial arts.
That was another reason why I could feel under pressure. I knew that what I do and say is been taken deep into their little hearts and they will fallow my footsteps.
Parents watching me taking care of their loved ones and hoping to help them rise their child the best they can.
And finally; GMMA Academy standards. The highest standards brought by my coaches, developed in a lifetime experience of their very intense work as a martial artists,fighters and instructors.
I've got given great credit by my Coaches and at this same time, expectations are great.
All those aspects have gave me a bit of stress as I have always been  trying to perform the best I can or even better.
So many times I've been asking myself how can I improve as a instructor.
There is so much to go with it .
Everyone is different, everyone has got different abilities and needs.
How can I help one person without missing on the other?
This and many more important questions would come through my head.
It took me a while to figure out that: all of those questions have only got one answer: "love".
When you bring love and passion to something that you are good at,you can create amazing things.
We all need love,understanding, patience and right motivation.
So I have learnt that everything goes easier when I just fallow my heart and intuition. When I treat everyone with love and respect, I can't go wrong and they will pay back with this same.
This is a win - win situation where we all improving in positive environment.
www.GMMA.co.uk

Busy life vs training

There is so much more I wanna get from my life.
As a fighter, student, instructor.
As well as in my career outside the sports and as a husband, brother, son and simply a men.
I strongly believe that we were born as a community and we should also leave as a community too. I wanna be able to so much more for others.
I know that I am on the right path to achieve all this. I am with right, like minded people.
As most of us this days I can't always do things that I would like to  (even if they are right things to do ). Like my training.
My routine is at least two trainings day, six days a week. When I accomplish this schedule,  I do have a Sunday off with full peace of mind.
If I know that tomorrow I've got to start work earlier I will make sure that I wake up early enough to do my morning session and prepare myself for rest of the day.
My main trainings (Gukwoone, GuruMuayThai etc) are in the afternoon or evening. And they are my priorities.
I will literally do all my best to attend my main sessions.
As much as the morning ones are flexible, I can't change nothing when it comes to the main ones.
So in the busy schedule of my other work related duties. Sometimes it is physically impossible to make it on time.
Sometimes even beeing slightly late is not an option either.
Do I just finish what I've got to do and go home to have a peaceful night?
No way.
That wouldn't be possible.  I wouldn't sleep well at all.
The more I achieve the busier I get and the harder it is to fit in everything I wanna do. But if I can't cope with what is happening now, how will I perform having more responsibilities and more duties (which I am planning to ) on my head.
I am not even parent yet:-) !
So I will always make sure that I have this couple of things with me at all times.
My training kit and membership card to chain of the gyms at different locations around London, where I can do my routine if I miss my planned training.
If I skip it today, tomorrow will something else pop out. Day after day, week after week I will miss more and instead of getting closer I will move away from my goals.
So here we are.
Missed my evening session and just about to start my own training of a run on the treadmill...
Good luck with achieving your goals👍
www.GMMA.co.uk

Copycatting skills of children

While enjoying beautiful English spring I have recently been increasing outdoor training of my own, as well as with my students. It would be a criminal not to use this warm and sunny days.
At the beginning of this week, at one of the West London parks I was training one of my regular students, a five years old boy. His mum and little sister, two years old were enjoying the weather watching us from time to time.
Little girl was as most of the little children would be really interested in all surroundings,flowers,trees, dogs passing by. But every time her brother had a break for a drink she would come to me,bow the way we do at Gukwoone and kick the pads with big smile on her face.
We spent some time on developing back kick of my young student and added it up to nice short combination at the end.
When we finally finished the training little girl had run back to me again and begun kicking the pads the best she could.
I gave her short instructions and taught her how to punch too.
Over sudden she has turned around and performed back kick which has briefly seen us practicing with her brother.
We were all amazed.
After all we went to playground in the park to let children have some fun.
Girl has continued fallowing the footstepsof her older brother.
She would fearlessly repeat every action taken by him.
One thing I know for sure and there is no doubt about it,is that children have great ability of copycatting others.
There is no boundaries in their abilities as they not over thinking it. They have no doubt, all they wanna do is accomplish their mission.
That's why as a teachers,parents,older siblings,any other kind of mentors or role models, we have very responsible task. We have to choose wisely what kind of people we are, what kind of attitude we have and what do we say to our upper coming hero's.
Words are not enough to inspire them and make them become confident and successful.
They need to see great perspective in our actions.
Will I teach my students how to perform correct back kick without showing them example?
Will I teach them respect while laughing at their problems and difficulties?
Will I teach them how to improve if I am staying still satisfied with what I've got ?
Whatever is your role; teacher, parent,brother,sister.
Remember that kids simply observing and copycatting.
Don't matter how much you explain, they will most likely fallow your actions rather than words.
www.GMMA.co.uk

Stressing food

I have experienced how stress can affect our nerve system and our health at numbers of situations.
I have had serious problem with my lower back ( when I have thought that my fighting career was finished ).
At very unexpected moment, when I was actually feeling pretty strong.
I have seen my wife beeing incorrectly diagnosed with asthma few months after our wedding. When she finally settled down after all the preparation and stressing about the ceremony and party.
So many times I've got ill straight after the fight as my nerve system would be overloaded in the preparation and during the competition. When it was all done my body and brain would completely relax and being tired after all the tension I would catch any virus hanging around.
Having the back problem I have mentioned before I was regularly visiting chiropractic for months.
At that time I would always have pack or two of peppermint chewing gums in my pocket.
Emptying pockets before each session my Chiropractic has noticed that and proposed me a test.
Test was simple: I had to lie down  on my back and lift my legs and arms,keeping them straight and try to resist while he was pulling pushing or to the side and pushing down.
It wouldn't look too bad.
Then he would ask me to put one of the chewing gum in my mouth, without even chewing just let the taste come out.
It was no longer than two minutes before we repeated the test.
I couldn'tbelieve of the outcome and I have accused the doctor of pushing and pulling harder than before.
He would smile and explain to me what was he trying to prove.
Doctor has explained to me that what I have experienced was result of my nerve system being weaken up while protecting my body against poisoning chemical of the chewing gum called aspartame.
While he was explaining I was waiting for the taste to go away and we had the test for the third time.
Everything was more or less back to normal after about five minutes chat.
Aspartame is one of many chemical ingredients of today's processed food.
Along with many other sweeteners, regulators, preservatives and countless enhancements used by food producers.
All of those have similar effect on our health to mental stress.
It all affects our nerve system then amune.
You can run and train everyday, but if you are not having good rest, peaceful life, plenty of love and healthy diet.
You might still suffer health wise.
So make right choices at your next meal.
www.GMMA.co.uk

Final fight from Four men tournament at Fightmax12

Fightmax12 final Krystian GuruMuayThai: https://youtu.be/d_gmvIF3n9U

Four men tournament

Saturday 28th of March.
After few fights cancelled, for different reasons, past couple of months.
Finally I was going to the Fightmax 12 show pretty confident that I will have chance to test my improvement.
Confidence was due to the fact that I was taking a part in four men tournament which I originally wasn't really scheduled for. I have been asked by the promoters if I wanted to cover that as one of the guys pulled out. As I have mentioned quite few of my recent fights were cancelled so obviously after confirming with my coaches I have agreed to be one of four competitors.
I knew all three of my opponents pretty well.
One of them was my really good friend, my training and sparring partner few years back.
I fought the second one couple of years ago, when I have lost on points.
Third one was very tough and experienced fighter from local gym, which I had chance to see at number of occasions.
Anybody could win that competition.
I don't think there was any kind of favourite.
However I don't really think people would expect me to win. For many different reasons.  First one and the biggest would be that they don't really know me.
They don't know how much I work for it everyday. All of this guys were longer in the game, heavier and two of them much taller.
At the beginning of the show we would come up to the ring where we got introduced to the spectators, the winners prizes got presented  ( Title and 1000£ cash). Then we also had a lottery to decide who is going to fight who.
Out of all the guys I was really hoping not to meet with the first one who was my good friend. I purely found it bit emotional fighting against him. But it couldn't be any different as the other two guys names were pulled out of the first two envelopes. I was facing number 1.
Here we go.
No hard bit of emotions took over at the beginning of the fight and I have started a bit stiff.  I haven't worked my distance and I believe I made my opponent look better.
Last 30 seconds of the first round I have started catching  the rhythm.
My coach and corner man would give me couple of tips which would make my observations complete.
And I have came back for the second round with a plan. I have improved a lot and at the end of second round I believed that I am in control.
Third round surprisingly has finished pretty early as in a process of executing my plan I have managed to stop my opponent.
So I was through to the final where I was facing very fit, tall and experienced opponent which I have lost with in past.
My plan was simple.
Don't start it from the first round, make it as a fourth. As I have been progressing round after round, all I had to do was continue it and move forward.
Which happened to work great as I have managed to win the final in the first round.
So glad that I could have make my friends, which came to watch me feel proud. So glad that I made proud my team members who also got busy lifes and gave it all to be there with me.
So glad that my hard work and preparation for previous cancelled fights pays off.
I have earned more respect, Fightmax champion title and 1000£ which 25% of it I am going to share with "Good life foundation".
Foundation dedicated to help children all over the world to get they everydays basics and better life.
There is no better feeling than improving in my life, improving in my passion, making my team,friends and family proud.
At this same time Beeing able to help others those less fortunate.
If I could only carry on for the rest of my life doing this while Beeing able to support my family I would be the happiest man in the world.
Great thank you to my mentors and coaches from GMMA Academy.