Commitments

I was slightly heavier than usual at the beginning of this week.
Still having very busy schedule of work and training I have managed to make it for Fridays bout.
Dropped down even more than I supposed to.
I shouldn't leave it to the last minute,it might affect my performance and I suppose is not healthy too. I should have remain my weight around the boxing weight to get less stress for my body and mind.
This is something that I am still learning about and improving.

But one thing I know for sure is that if I have agreed to take a challenge, if  I have said I will.

I do really mean it.

With all the respect to myself,my hard work,my family and friends, my coaches (who share with me their knowledge,time and great heart) as well as to my opponents who put some effort in preparation for fight.

Seeing effort and hard work of my team Mates I can tell that we all have very similar  attitude when it comes to the training and fighting.

We are exchanging our experience, encouraging  and supporting each other at the hard times.

And what's very important we all understand our commitments as a fighters.

One of our boys caught some bad flu at the beginning of last week,one got some wrist injury.

The other boy just recovered from over trained shins problem...

Everyone has been leaving their lives and having some obstacles.

Very rarely everything works as we wish.

But we got to remember what we are doing it for and respect ourselves and others.

We can't just come up with excuses for our faults, it is not going to explain nothing and is not going help us in our lives.

As I have  said before, fighting is not only "kick and punch game",it is much more.

To be a good fighter you need to be a man of a word. To others as well as to your own self.

You need to understand your commitments and being able to sacrifice certain things to make it work.

I have trained to the last minute, and reduced food and liquid intake couple days before the fight,even thought that I was working long hours on top of that.

So I have made it. 

Am I special?!  

Not at all. Most of my team mates would do exactly this same.

Unfortunately my opponent and couple of other fighters from rivals camps wouldn't.

So few of our fights got cancelled.

Am I upset?

Surely I am not happy as I do wanna fight to improve and test myself. 

But there is plenty of other fights for me coming up.

And as long as I have done everything to make it,I do have peace of mind and can move on with preparation for next bout.

Which is in two weeks time.

	Krystian Ozog Instructor/Trainer/Fighter, GMMA Academy Mobile: 07928093841 Email: KrystianGuruMuayThai@gmail.com Website: www.GMMA.co.uk

I've missed my training!

It happens.
Busy life,busy city,busy roads.
Even though I've  carried with me all day long, my gym bag with equipment and food ready for the training and after.
I was mentally ready for it and would honestly do all my best to get to the gym on time. My coach has promised us some nice sparring session for tonight,one of the last one before next Friday show.
I was really looking forward to it.
On some point I have realised that there is no chance that I am going to make it on time. But  I  still haven't gave up, still tried to get to the gym even if I was going to be late. Nothing worked right.
I was still around half an hour away and training was already 40 minutes in a progress. I would have missed more than half of it. I have no time to waste especially week before the fight. So I have done some quick shopping and went straight home planning my own training while still driving.
What is it I need the most now and what have I been lacking of in my training recently?
I've decided that working on the speed will be what I need right now.
So I have planned some long sprints, skipping,  shadow boxing with dumbells and fast circuit workout.
I am pretty sure that apart of the sparring, boys have been doing very similar routine.
So ambitious plan was in place and I have made myself ready.
Then here we go; other priorities,cold outside,late evening, tiredness, laziness and many other symptoms of human nature, tries to take over initiative.
I've been in this kind of situation many times and I am pretty good at dealing with that.
But then again,doing it and doing it right are two different options which depends on your determination,will power and honesty to yourself.
It is easy to go light on yourself when no one is watching and pushing.
For some strange reason in my case I feel like this is when I really put some good work.
Over the years of training Martial arts, fighting craft but even doing the weights or running I have learnt one thing.
If you don't have enough discipline to train on your own, you are not going to get far.

New years resolutions.

If you have declared some changes to your everydays life along with beginning of new 2015 year.
I would truly like to wish you all the strength and energy to keep up with your resolutions. I hope everything works just like you want or even better.
New year can possibly be good starting point for some positive changes and adjustments to our lives.
Giving ourselves some time frames, or setting up breaking points can help us achieving our goals and make some improvements.
It can help to prepare ourselves for bigger or smaller revolutions.
There is so many things I would like to do, improve, increase.
As my schedule is already pretty busy it isn't easy to fit in some extra activities in a regular basis.
What I have learnt in my short life is that I shouldn't wait for new year,next month,week or tomorrow.
I should try to do what I believe is right for me straight away.
Tomorrow we are going to be busy with something else and our priorities and unexpected things might send our ambitions at the back of the queue.
Anyway, whatever we are going to change; get rid of some habits, improve our training, diet etc.
Magic comes with persistence.
Doesn't matter when you make changes as long as you remain strong and keep up with your resolutions.
Happy New year everyone.
All the best with your resolutions :-)
www.GMMA.co.uk

Last days of training in Thailand.

As we have came back late after fight night, after 2am also wasn't sure how my legs going to feel like due to kicking and blocking.
I have skipped morning 10k run and joined the session an hour later.
Quick warm up with shadow, series of knees on the bag,then moved on to my favourite punch bag made of three tyres.
Worked out on my punches a lot with fresh idea of what I was lacking of in the fight.
We did few more work outs and finished off with a ground work (press ups, sit ups,...).
As my legs surprisingly weren't to bad (when it comes to walking and running ).
Second session I have started with everyone of 7k run,including the hill run.
Instead of pad work I worked intensively on the bags.
Punches,knees and elbows. (No kicking )
Then I have asked one of the guys for boxing sparring which he agreed for.
We did few minutes of good exchanges, then we moved on in to the ring where we happened to be the partners in clinching sparring.
After the training we had good by dinner with few of the fighters from Singpatong Gym.
And went to night market for some fruits and shakes.
Came home packed bags and prepare everything to be ready to go straight after morning session.
I have run my last 10k in Patong for this year.
For the last time I run up the "killer hill" and as since the second day, never stopped even once.
What many can tell, is an achievement.
My body did feel more fatigued than yesterday.
I suppose due to lack of rest and sleep after the fight.
But still one of the coaches decided to give me one more,boxing pad work session which we have pushed hard.
That was best happy end of my training camp in Thailand 2014, I could wish for.
We have took quick shower before the training finished and came back to the gym,say thank you  and goodbye to all of the coaches and fighters present in the gym.
Singpatong Gym, it was great place to be and great place to learn.
Me as well as the rest of my team, surely going to remember our experience from training and sparring provided over almost past three weeks.
Looking forward to come back sometimes next year if possible.
www.GMMA.co.uk 

Muay Thai fight experience!

... Now I am sitting on the chaire, ready for fight,watching the bout before mine.
Right next to me is standing my GMMA coach,who is pointing at few techniques delivered by one of the fighters that we planned in our preparation.
Last few words from Sir Dave.
And the time has come.
They introducing my name in to the red corner and as in the Thai tradition I am stepping in to the ring over the ropes (never bend down).
Referees equipment check,brief explanation of rules and touch gloves with my opponent.
We walked back to our corners,traditional music sounded and we walked around the ring to present our Waikru  (Traditional dance to show appreciation to our coach. In the old days also showing the respect to the king and audience ).
We both did it very simple (just walked around touching the ropes and punching each corner.
My Thai coach did the prayers again and took the Mongkol off my head.
The bell rings,fight has begun.
I have stepped to the center of the ring touched gloves with my opponent and we started exchanges straight away.
As I have mentioned before I knew my legs are stronger than his so I have straight away charged his legs with some powerful low kicks.
He was trying to use his height  with I have anticipated.
I wasn't sure about his clinching and close distance fighting skills so I tried to  stay in the middle range.
Close enough for me to get in and far enough to move away.
My low kicks have worked, I have been continuously chopping his legs of.
Breaking his base and his confidence.
However the guy was mentally and physically very strong. Stronger than I thought he would be.
We have fought tough fight right to the end, right to the end trying to finish before the time.
We went all the distance, five - three minutes rounds.
Unanimous decision of judges was in my favour.
I was over the top.
Seeing a big smiles on the faces of my team mates from GMMA Academy  and Singpatong Gym.
Mainly seeing massive grin on Sir's Dave face,who I could tell he was experiencing it as it was his own fight or even more.
Seeing pride and fulfillnes in Sir's expression has made me feel completed.
We are all working on developing ourselves, our students and International GMMA Academy.
www.GMMA.co.uk

Muay Thai fight experience (arrival ).

23rd of December 2014, 7pm.
Meeting with Singpatong Gym coaches and fighters outside the gym.
I have jumped in the car with couple of coaches and few young Thai fighters.
My GMMA Academy crew was following us on the scooters. As well as few more members of the gym.
We arrived at Chalong boxing stadium (around 20km away from our gym) just before 8pm.
When we walked inside the stadium we could smell  Thai oil straight away.
Crew has showed us the way to changing room, where we already met couple of guys wrapping they hands,getting massage with Thai oil and shadow boxing.
Fights started at eight o clock.
Young boys has opened the ceremony.
Fighters from our gym were fight number 2 , 3 and 5.
As my fight was number 8 I sat down with my team and watched the show.
Muay Thai music,waikru (traditional dance before the fight) and amazing performance of young hard working,big hearted warriors.
All that atmosphere was sinking in my head and body.
I felt really  focused as well as inspired by all the situation and surroundings.
Some tall eastern European looking fellow has sat down right next me.
I looked at him and his mates and I've red on one of theirs tshirts name of the club, Rawai Thai boxing.
Then I realised that this is my Russian opponent.
What a funny coincidence.
Obviously I had a proper look at him trying to read his strengths and weaknesses from his physics.
He was much taller than me and he looked like good athlete.
One thing I could clearly compare with him sitting right next to me was our legs.
His were definitely long,then I thought of mine strong conditioned legs as a key weapon to brake his base.
During the third fight one of Singpatong coaches has took me to the changing room,wrapped  my hands and double checked if we got everything.
We have came back after to watch couple more fights.
In the middle of fifth bout couple of young Singpatong team guys has called me to the room again.
Where I have lied down on the big wooden table and had my pre fight massage with Muay Thai oil...
www.GMMA.co.uk

Muay Thai fight experience (preparation ).

....Boys have gently pressed my muscles from toes to neck.
Especially concentrating on the legs,arms and stomach.
They put plenty of oil and rubbed it in.
Once they finished I begun some light shadow boxing.
My GMMA coach,Sir Dave,who has been there with me at all the times, making sure everything works fine for me.
Has watched me moving around and reminded me our fight strategy we have been working on intensively last few days.
Thai coach came over,dressed me up in traditional cape, did the prayers and put clubs Mongkol on my head.
So this is the time,now I feel it even more.
I am going in to the ring not for the first time.
But this time it is extraordinary  feeling.
All the preparation and spiritual aspects was always something making Muay Thai very interesting for me.
Now I am in it in the middle of the action.
I remember when last year,during my honey moon trip to Thailand.
Me and my wife have been to the Lumpinee Stadium,watching fights.
I have looked at all the fighters and thought that I would love to take part in it.
So here we are...
www.GMMA.co.uk

Fight day in Thailand.

So here we are.
23rd of December 2014,after over two weeks of training camp. In Malaysia and Thailand with GMMA Academy and Singpatong Thaiboxing Coaches.
Today is the time to put all the hard training in practice.
This is something that I always wanted to experience since I have started training Muay Thai.
Training in Thailand and fight in Thailand.
Yesterday I had very relaxing day, GMMA Academy admin catch up day.
My Coach has treated me with legs and shoulders massage package at the local massage place.
I haven't felt so relaxed like yesterday for a long time.
This morning we started of slow jog,bit of shadow,stretching and light pad work at the local beach.
My brain and body begun waking up after a day of rest.
Light breakfast at our favourite place,then move around the town for a bit,looking for souvenirs.
Couple of hours of rest again,I have dosed for a bit while reading the magazine.
At four o clock, when boys have left for afternoon training, my Coach has helped me stretch and move around in the leaving room of the place we are renting.
We have finally polished few tactics for tonights fight.
After around 40 min of light movement and stretching we got shower and left for light meal.
Bit of fried rice and egg with chicken and hot cup of tea.
Now I am lying on the sofa,relaxing my legs and allowing my stomach to digest the food.
Ready for tonight.
Ready for new experience.
Ready for fight.

Teaching is very individual profession.

Training others is very skillful and delicate profession.
Don't matter what you teach, theoretical knowledge and knowing the subject is not enough.
There is many other components which makes you good teacher.
You need to have a passion for what you are sharing and great love to a people.
You got to have individual approach to everyone of your students .
You got to be great listener and observer.
That's why I have learnt that not always what works for me also going to work for others.
My personal feelings towards performance of my team mates or students cannot be put on the first plan.
I've got to primarily consider their needs,habits and their good with great respect of their own choices.
It is the students who has chose me and they trust me and believe in my intentions.
So my job is to pay them back the best I can .
Some questions and answers I got do not come straight away.
I am very fortunate of having great team of passionated and experienced coaches who are putting all the effort in improving everyone of us and passing over to us,to me much more than just the knowledge of how to kick and punch.
It is great pleasure of being part of winning team on the mission to help others.
www.GMMA.co.uk

Find your own way!

Back in UK as well as here in Thailand.
Wherever I go I see a lot of good and passionated fighters.
Each one of them got they own reasons and they own way of becoming who they wanna become by practicing combat sports.
Everyone has its own strengths and weaknesses.
Everyone wants to become the best they can possibly be.
Everyone wants to be a champion.
My question is:
How do you become the champion,when competition is so big?
First of all you got to become the champion in your own head.
Only you know how much you suffered, how much hard work you put in and how much effort that has cost you.
Only you know how much you had to give up to get what you got.
Only you know how much it really cost you.
So if you are able to look at your performance and say "I am proud of myself, I have done my best ".
You are already a champion!
Surely for many of us that's not enough, we wanna measure our success by achievement in competition with others.
We simply wanna be better than others too.
And there is nothing wrong about it.
That's exactly why there is so many different types of competitions.
People wanna know where they stand.
When you realise that there is always someone better than you,someone who is working harder than you, you push yourself much further than you would normally do.
Watching and practicing with so many individuals makes me think; how can I become the best out of all of them?
Some of them are faster,some are stronger,some are taller,some are more flexible.
Some are better boxers,others are better kickers.
There are long distance and short distance fighters.
Everyone has its own strength and  weaknesses.
Half of the success will bring you ability of reading the game and adjusting your methods to the situation.
The other half would be realising your own strengths and work them out to the perfection.
Find your own,unique way to get up to the top.
It doesn't matter how you got there as long as it was your own work that brought you up.
As long as it was fair way with a lot of effort from your side.

Amongst the fighters in Thailand.

What is so special about Thailand, when it comes to fighting training?
As I have mentioned before,I do truly believe that it is not where and how much you are training makes you better athlete or fighter.
It is more about; the way you do it.
However,staying and training for over a week at Singpatong Gym in Phuket,Thailand.
I have had great pleasure of meeting and training with many fighters from all over the world.
Some of them,just like me,coming here for a month or two,to develop their skills and go back home to fallow up with what they have learnt.
Some of them, quite few,stays  here for years and train full time.
Living everything behind and devoting their lives to Muaythai.
Even though back in UK it is my bread and butter too.
Everydays training, fighting, coaching.
I don't think there is other place in the world, where it is so common.
We cannot forget the Thai fighters who started all this culture and continue it on the highest level.
Young boys and girls whom begin their day with a long run and Thaiboxing practice.
When finished they will have a quick wash and breakfast, put on the uniform and leave for school.
After school they will come back straight to the gym for afternoon session.
It is a lot of hard work for young people,but they are proud of being fighters and they believe that this is going to help them build up their future.
Everybody here takes it very serious,at this same time we all having great fun while we are training.
Everyone has a dream of becoming someone. Whoever they wanna become,  Muay Thai is the way.

Another week in Thailand.

Monday morning, we have woke up at 6 00.
Prepared ourselves and equipment to start training at 7 00.
Before each training we use plenty of thaiboxing oil for conditioning and to warm up our muscles.
It prevents from injuries and helps fatigued body begin the activities.
Run has started very usual but ended up much longer and finished off with this same "killer hill routine".
Class was quite busy, I have seen lots of new faces.
A lot of bodies for sparring and clinching with.
Afternoon session which starts at 4pm  was even busier.
All the Thai boys were back from schools and lots of fighters from all over the world turned up too.
That was a great picture to watch,everybody comes in,puts it's hands together in Thai respect gesture.
Everybody says Sawadee Khrup, Thai grating.
Puts boxing gloves on and with its own style makes the most out of the  training to improve the techniques and become better, stronger,faster,wiser.
We are all here with passion for Thaiboxing.
And that's what makes us understand each other, so the language is no barrier.
My usual pad holder  was there for me.
Every time increasing the volume of the strikes and adding some new techniques.
Sparring and clinching gets more advanced too.
That's for my own wish.
I am alway trying to find partners that could give me some hard time.
I am always looking for challenge.

Sunday resolutions.

Sunday 14th of December 2014.
It is our rest day.
We had a nice long sleep,big breakfast then browsed around the local Beach and markets.
Found few souvenirs, some Thai boxing shorts and Thai oil for conditioning.
We've  been walking around busy streets of Patong and looking around at what they got to offer to the tourists.
They've got a lot.
But nothing else can push away from my head,planning and thinking about the training.
Considering how can I use this experience to develop myself and GMMA Academy to the maximum.
I don't just want to plot along with programme they give us.
I don't just wanna train like they do.
I wanna do more.
I want GMMA Academy to get better.
We had few days to adjust to the weather and their routine.
Now is the time to push it harder.
Of course, easy to say on the day off.
When I am relaxing and feeling fresh.
But as I have mentioned in one of my previous posts.
I truly believe that this is the best time to make some changes or plan your training.  All you got to do after is stay strong and keep up with your resolutions.
Most of the training concentrates on strong mindset.
As Sir (my coach)always says back in London ; "your body can take a lot,it is your brain who is giving up".

Running up the hill, Patong /Thailand.

So we have settled down in the villa right in front of the Sing Patong Gym. Gym that we are training at.
This is our home till 25th of December.
I am loving it here.
All we got is bed for each person,aircon working in all the rooms, fridges full of water and one of the most important; wifi. Beautiful view of the local beach from the balcony,every time I look down I feel inspired, it is just like looking at some great piece of art.
I share this same feeling when I reach to the top of the hill at the beginning of our training  sessions run.
That hill is a killer.
Running up you are fighting with yourself,when you manage to get right up to the top and you know that you pushed yourself hard to do it at the best pace you could.
As a prize you will have a chance to see the local town and beach from the hight,through the gap in between the bushes.
That view lifts me up.
I feel fortunate that I am here training with my friends.
Doing something that I love in such a beautiful surroundings.
Each time I reach up to that top,without stopping or slowing down.
I look at the scenery with full feel,with believe that I have earned to be here (up on the top).
Nothing else brought me up here but my own hard work.
My constant development.
Against all of the impediments I am pushing myself and pushing the boundaries of my physical and mental fitness.
Many reasons are trying to disturb my performance.
But as long as I stay honest with myself and do not allow the weakness take over and stop me .
I can sleep well and enjoy advantages of this amazing trip.
www.GMMA.co.uk

First day of training in Thailand.

As our trip has finished pretty late last night and we didn't get much sleep Sir (our coach),has decided that we wouldn't  perform well at the morning  session.
So we postponed it.
However we did go to the gym to show our respect, say hello and have a look around.
We found it exactly as I would imagine it.
Big roof with some simple changing rooms and shower facilities.
Two rings at the back ,bags hanging around with some carpet under for better grip.
In the middle matted floor, right in front of  big mirrors used for shadow boxing.
Lots of pads , boxing gloves,hand wraps and other equipment lying around.
Little area for small weights in the corner.
Posters and pictures of local fighters and fighting events on the walls.
Sing Patong Gym based in Patong/Phuket.Gym full of people, Gym full of fighters,our home for next two weeks.
On the way back we checked few more places ,looking for a better deal closer to the gym.
And we have found, our own villa right opposite we hired couple of mopeds.
And finally settled down in one place before our afternoon training  session.

From Malaysia to Thailand.

Wednesday 10th of December.
After just over four hours of very much needed sleep.
We have left our hotel at 10 am.
Coaches drove us with their cars to the Malaysian /Thai border. On the way we have stopped for tasty and big breakfast at the Indian kitchen which belongs to one of their friends.
In about one hour drive we have reached to the border.
Checked in and packed in the minibus to Hatyai,another hour away.
In Hatyai we have spent about three hours waiting for another minibus which was going to take us directly to Patong City in Phuket .
We arrived to Patong before 1am,looked around for place to stay at reasonable price.
As most of the places in close distance were booked already we had bargain at the hotel that we got dropped of at.
Where we have stayed for first night.

Back to the roots.

I am very excited as today  Friday the fifth of December 2014.
Myself and my three GMMA  team colleagues are travelling to motherland of our Academy- Malaysia.
Where we are going to have great pleasure in meeting the other two founders and highest ranked Gukwoone,GuruMuayThai and GMMA Academy masters.
It is going to be a great honor to meet and train with them.
What makes it even more interesting is the fact that our journey and training will begin in Malaysia which is the homeland of GMMA academy at the GMMA gym based in the local town outside the Kuala Lumpur.
After few days of training at GMMA gym in malaysia we are planning to move on to the mountains of Phuket in Thailand.
Where we are going to continue our training camp with 30 local fighters.
I am expecting tough and interesting journey full of beautiful sightseeing and time for reflections.
It is going to be great lesson for us as well as another test.
My plan for next few weeks in Malaysia and Thailand is very simple.
It is something that I always wanted to experience.
Always wanted to train like them,eat like them,sleep like them,fight like them.
Bring it on! :-)
P'S.
Bit of rush and lack of  Internet connection wouldn't allow me to post on the day.