GJ Chok Dee

Today Peter, Joe, and I started early doing a new roadwork set. We did 3 x 3 minutes with 1 minute rest:

• 20 push-ups
• 100 meter sprint
• Approximately 45 seconds of pads
  
• Run back to the start and repeat. Thus allowing two cycles of this horror.

The one minute rest break was used to walk back to the start point.
The gym we workout at was closed, that is, we had a set practice time the employee that was supposed to be there was not. So we warmed up the rest of practice with in the gravel parking lot:

• 50 squats
  
• 50 calf extension squats
  
• Box step-up
  
• Box bounce jumps
  
• Push-ups
  
• Bear hug lift w/ 180^o
  
• Slip, bob n' weave drill

Since we were stuck in the gravel parking lot and inappropriately attired we worked on things that might happen in a gravel parking lot when one is inappropriately attired namely self-defense. We reviewed the mirror drill and ECT for the haymaker.
At this point (about an hour into practice) the gym was opened up for us and we were allowed in to the air conditioned sanctuary of the gym. We worked pad rounds:

1. Tiip combinations

   We covered tiip-2 and tiip-3 as well as intercepting and entering tiip, e.g. holder would flare arms and advance or retreat forcing the fighter to pick up the tiip. Tiip-2 is to score points and frustrate your opponent by hitting as quickly as possible to sting. The tiip-3 is the combination to use after hurting the midsection, allowing a barrage of punches to land.

2. Tiip rereaction

   In this drill the holder could feed any reaction, e.g. high, side, body lead, body rear, leg cover, mid cover, head cover, the fighter would defend, react with 3, and then exit on the angle, e.g. Checkmark or Jin, as the holder encroached the fighter would throw tiip. That is, reacting again to an opponent trying to chase them.

3. Tiip kick combinations

   This round worked using tiip and rear tiip to set-up kicks. The tiip is used as a jab creating the space needed for the power shot of the kick:

   • Lead-lead: Use the initial tiip to Drunken Pirate to the lead kick.
     
   • Lead-rear: Allow the initial tiip to drift out laterally, setting up the angle for the kick.
     
   • Rear-lead: The initial tiip to does not retract instead drifting laterally, allowing the angle and the step for the lead kick.
     
   • Rear-rear: Use the rear tiip to set-up the Drunken Pirate to cover the range.

4. Conditioning

   We did staggered shuttles with pad rounds x 4. Thus one interval was:

   • Shuttle run to first mat
     
   • Shuttle run to second mat
     
   • Shuttle run to third mat
     
   • One length on pads, e.g. pitterpat, C-H, alternating kicks, knees, etc.
     
   • Run back and repeat

As an aside on Saturday we did some attribute enhancing drills, specifically tiip the puncher/punch the tiiper and kick the puncher/punch the kicker. The tiip verison shows the optimal and suboptimal ranges from which to use the hands vs. the legs. In addition the rising knee of the tiip is good to fake with, both to drop your opponent's hands and opening the high line and to bait them into closing and impaling themselves on a subsequent tiip. At the same time the puncher learns to bait, close range, and draw the kick (see "Tao of Jeet Kune Do" (Bruce Lee)).
The kick version again shows the better and worse times to use your kicks vs. your punches. It also delineates the importance of angling. People will take a kick to punch you in the nose. The kick targets are important, kicking the legs saps power and reach from the punches because your opponent cannot load heavily on the front leg. Kicking the body tires your opponent and draws the guard low, your battering their ribs and diaphragm making breathing difficult, to protect this their arms drop, opening the head. Head kicks are knockouts and score points, even a covered head kick is felt and by throwing them you open or reopen the mid and low lines.
Over dinner this evening I watched "Chok Dee: The Kickboxer" (Diafat/Giraudeau/Lakshan) the movie version autobiography of French muay thai champion Dida Diafat. This is an excellent movie and inspiring for fighters anywhere, as it shows Diafat's misspent youth, training, and rise as a champion. By the way, chok dee means "good luck" in Thai.