Workout Recap - Week of May 28, 2023

I skipped going to class on Monday because I was still recovering from my weekend illness, but returning to sparring this week felt good.

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Tuesday

Muay Thai class

We did head-to-head boxing defense drills, working on being comfortable blocking some basic sequences and then parrying/countering an incoming jab. Most people seemed to find parrying with the lead hand and then returning a rear straight punch more natural, but I prefer using a rear parry into a rear straight since it offers better protection from further punches (and possibly also because I've used that exact tactic in sparring before when I've gotten a read on how to prompt a jab from my partner). We finished off the class with a couple rounds of going back and forth with freestyle (light) boxing, which is always a fun test. On the whole, I was a little worn down by the end of it, but I felt like my stamina held up well enough for having just come back from being sick.

Wednesday

Muay Thai class

This class worked on sustaining offense with punch>kick>punch sequences. I partnered with a pretty new person for padwork, so I went light on my power since they were still getting used to how to hold pads safely. They also asked me about technical details a few times, which I was quite happy to teach (and unlike previous experiences with newbies, this one was attentive enough to listen and try implementing what I'd said for more than one go, which was a nice bonus). When we finished with advancing alternating front kicks, they were very impressed with how much power those could generate, and I'll admit it felt good to have them ask me to break down the details of how I do front kicks after class.

Thursday

Muay Thai class

This class focused on unusual sequences, such as doing three consecutive punches with the same arm or going from punching to elbow strikes. It was off-beat, but it was also a fun change from the norm, plus I just like doing elbow strikes in general. The kru was also going around filming everyone in the gym for a hype reel, which I got on doing a round kick. It was a good opportunity to see what I was actually doing and pick up a couple of things that I could improve on (although, honestly, I felt like my form overall was at least competent at an intermediate level).

Friday

Type: Pass/Fail

Squats - 1 set of 40 (pass)

Push Ups - 1 set of 30 (pass)

Straight Leg Raises - 1 set of 20 (pass) Bridges - 1 set of 10 (pass)

Bonus: none

Just a quick workout to make up for missing class on Monday. Nothing special, but it works.

Friday

Muay Thai sparring

This being my first time back in sparring in about four months, I kept my goals modest; focus on breathing while defending, and don't take any body shots with a loose core. I was rusty with my movement and general sense of timing, neither of which were helped by switching repeatedly between boxing-only and kickboxing rounds, which was a little frustrating, but I endured it. More importantly, my defense felt good enough overall to keep me safe (the only notable damage I had afterwards was a bruise on my elbow, probably from blocking some body round kicks), and I got in a few cheeky hits from exploiting pattern recognition. I met my goals, as well, so I can't fairly complain anyway. My goals for next time will be to reinforce some other good habits: incorporate head movement on entry consistently, and be mindful to keep my shoulders raised while punching for better passive defense against counters.