Kickin' it old school
Jul 21
My friend and former colleague Kirsten asked me to contribute to her fitness blog, so here’s what I wrote:
When encountering martial arts, most people think of karate or taekwondo, where boys and girls proudly sport their white gis and colourful belts. Or they’ll remember their favourite Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan or Jet Li movie (Chuck Norris and Jean Claude Van Damme will also suffice).What they might not realize though is that martial arts are an excellent way to get into great shape and ultimately live a better life.
That was the main reason why over the last year and a half I’ve been training in Muay Thai, a combative martial art known as “The Art of Eight Limbs.” Also called Thai Kickboxing, Muay Thai practitioners use their hands, elbows, shins and knees as their weapons. If you saw the movie Ong Bak, you have a good idea of how devastating Muay Thai can be!
I train at Old School Muay Thai and we recently moved to a new location near Richmond and Duncan. While some of us want to try out our skills in the ring, the fitness benefits of Muay Thai are undeniable. Here’s a sample workout that I recently did:
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30 minute run, about 5 km
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10 minutes of skipping rope, with 15-second intervals of speed rope every 45 to 90 seconds
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5 minute stretch, from head to toes
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45 minutes of plyometric and calisthenic exercises, including:
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80 pushups
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120 situps/crunches/ab workouts
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80 squats and lunges
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jumping jacks, knee tucks, bunny hops, burpees etc.
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10 minutes of shadow boxing
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40 minutes of hitting pads, bags, sparring and other technique exercises
Using a quick online calculator, that workout apparently puts me at a total of about 1500 calories burned… and I try to train at least 3-4 times a week. It’s pretty common knowledge that dedication to any fitness regiment will garner results in time, but I was still pretty amazed to see my belly shrink, extra fat disappear, increased endurance and better muscle definition. I know I’ve got a ways to go before eliminating the beer belly I so diligently worked on during my college years, but I’m confident that Muay Thai will help me do it.
Our gym is great for all skill levels, and particularly for beginners. There are a number of senior students (myself included!) who will help tune your technique and provide motivation during the grueling exercises. We have an all beginners class on Tuesday evenings, while Mondays and Wednesdays are mixed classes. Check out the website for the full schedule.
One final word: don’t be intimidated! The first time I tried out Muay Thai, my entire body was sore for a couple days, but I knew I needed more. I get an adrenaline rush every class, and there’s something very satisfying about hitting a punching bag… especially after a long and stressful day in the office!
