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Seminar with the New York Bad Ass Phil Baroni! Hell ya!

The Diesel Diva meets the New York Bad Ass

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted here, but priorities (like my paying job) sometimes get in the way!! But enough of that! The Diesel Diva is back.

I decided to start 2013 with a bang… or should I say Boom!! The gods conspired and here I am in beautiful Chiang Mai, Thailand doing some wickedly good Muay Thai training!  I recently finished an MMA management course with Sports Management World Wide and my course facilitator was Scott McKendry of Team Quest USA.  In the meantime, I made contact with Joel Bowen of Team Quest Thailand and at the same time saw a Facebook post for a seminar with none other than the New York Bad Ass Phil Baroni on 5 January 2013!!  Like I said, the gods conspired. Everything said “DD – get your butt to Chiang Mai and check this place out”.

As many of you know, I travel a lot for my “real” job and as a result I have lots of opportunities to train around Asia (a good thing), but there is a lack of consistency both in the routine I follow and the level of training I receive in different elements.  I also came to realize as I encountered different styles of training, that for some of my goals I needed something different.  Let’s backtrack a bit.

I started hard training in early 2011 when I arrived in Bangkok and I am grateful for the level of fitness I have achieved.  From a recent large weight loss and accompanying muscle loss, my experience in the “commercial gym” circuit (mainly True Fitness at Exchange Tower, Bangkok) has been very fruitful. I’ve reached a level of fitness that I never expected to achieve – at least not this quickly. My strength training at True has been nothing but outstanding. However, I realized that on the Muay Thai training side that I was getting training for fitness rather than training for technique. As often as I said “please train me as if I’m going to fight”, I found myself frustrated – particularly after my return from Fight Fortress Islamabad, where they took this 50-something training freak seriously. (Thank you Ehtisham).

The Diesel Diva with Adam Shogun Kayoom

I got back to Bangkok and decided to seek out some alternatives.  I recently started training with Abbas Ahmadi, formerly of the Iranian National Muay Thai team and I am sure that this trainer relationship will bear fruit in improving my skills. As well, I recently started training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) with BJJ black-belt and One FC MMA fighter Adam “Shogun” Kayoom, who showed us what determination, skill and conditioning can do when he deftly defeated Gregor Gracie at One FC …  But since Abbas is out of country to fight in Australia and Adam is preparing himself for One FC … on 2 Feb, I found myself in a bit of a hiatus.

And BooM!! There it was!! The Facebook post advertising a seminar with a well-known UFC fighter and personality, Phil Baroni. I decided to take as much advantage of this as my work schedule would permit and suddenly I was in Chiang Mai for a few days of intensive training with Team Quest Thailand!! (Talk about a long way to get back to this point!).

Arrival

So my first night in town, I discovered that I had accidentally on purpose found a hotel within walking distance from TQ.  After walking according to some misdirections from the hotel staff, I followed the online link from TQ to a google map and discovered I was closer to the camp than I had anticipated. Team Quest is located very close to the large shopping centre of Chiang Mai. However it is at the end of a lovely cul-de-sac and gives the perception of being in the jungle. Very nice (except for the mossies at night!) I arrived to meet Joel and at the same time got to shake hands with Phil (and a helluva handshake – I hope mine stood up to it).  Joel and I set up my training schedule to include Muay Thai classes twice a day with Thai Muay Thai instructor Ni and on the day of the seminar a grappling class with Alex Branom in the early morning.

Muay Thai

I normally approach new gyms with a little trepidation. I never know if I’m going to get someone who doesn’t give me enough or if they are going to be overzealous. I walked to the gym and did some stretching/warming up prior to my first class. He sized me up quickly and realized that I needed a good review of basics – some of which I had never done before. In the first few classes, Ni easily took me through stance, guard, strikes, kicks, blocks, and elbows. He gave me a structured approach, correcting me easily and showing patience and alternate approaches when I didn’t pick something up right away. He also wasn’t afraid to punch me in the stomach while I did crunches … I like the challenge!!! Ni recognized that I am here to learn, to train, to improve my technique. He doesn’t candy coat it. He explained it well and didn’t let me move on until I got it down.

    

Grappling

I also had a great grappling lesson from Alex Branom of Team Quest Portland, who is here for about six months. Giving one lesson to someone is a pretty hard thing to do because there is no time to gauge their level, observe their strengths and weaknesses, or to get to know their training style and personality. However, Alex made it easy.  I was warmed up by the time of our scheduled lesson, so we started right into it. He asked me a few questions about my level (basic) and then we discussed what I would like to get out of the class. It was very useful and as a result, I learned something!!! Hey – that’s one of the goals every time I train with a coach. To learn and to improve. And with Alex that is what I did.  We covered everything from various armbars, to rear naked choke and to use Alex’s term – “being a backpack” (mounting the opponent’s back and getting the hooks).  Alex was patient, methodical and made sure that I mastered the technique before moving on to the next one – then he put it all together. A great class, an outstanding instructor and I hope to train with Alex again!

Seminar with New York Bad Ass Phil Baroni

Then came the main event!!  The seminar with Phil Baroni was what brought me here in the first place. There were about seven participants so it was an opportunity for real hands on training. All of us had pretty much no experience with wrestling and that was to be the focus of the training. I was feeling pretty intimidated when I walked into the training area, but Phil put us at ease pretty quickly with his easy manner and badass banter.  He talked to us for a few minutes to see what level we were all at and then gave us a brief idea of what we would be doing.

The New York Bad Ass approached this as he would a “normal” training session, with a bit of warming up, followed by some basic defences and then put it all together in 3 and 5 minute warm up shadow-fighting sessions.  Warm we were, even in Chiang Mai, after the first few minutes! He definitely succeeded in this objective!

Phil also kept the pace fairly steady but not overwhelming since there was a bit of a range of fitness levels in the room.  He really knew how to read the room. He took us through a series of very simple moves including simple arm blocks, how to properly sprawl, pummeling, and then put some of the moves into practical scenarios.  We paired off and practiced and he ensured that we all could use the moves he showed us.

After two hours of sweating it up we completed the class. The most important thing for me is that I came away from it, not muddled by confusing complicated moves, but with some practical simple tools to use in a fight. Oh yeah. And I’ve got to remember when sprawling to “keep it d-ck down”!  It was with a great group of guys and an outstanding trainer who really put us through the paces to make sure we “got it”.  I really am grateful to Phil Baroni for taking the time to come to Chiang Mai and provide us with this seminar.  The Diesel Diva will be at the next one wherever it is!! Phil — We want more!!

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After the training

To finish the day The Diesel Diva, The New York Bad Ass, The Team Quest Trio and The Doc all went for the biggest ass pizza I have ever seen!! This was followed by a few “soda pops” at a local Mexican karaoke bar (who knew?) in which the Trio goaded each other as well as DD, NYBA and Doc into having a great time making fools of ourselves on the karaoke stage.  So the day ended with a lot of fun and a lot of laughs. A great way to wind down!!

Why Team Quest Thailand?

There are a few well-known camps to train Muay Thai, grappling and MMA in Thailand. So what is special about Team Quest?

First of all, its location in Chiang Mai lends itself to more focus on training. Being in Phuket or Koh Samui or other more touristy locations, for me personally would mean the distraction of the beach, the beach, oh and the beach.  Team Quest’s location in Chiang Mai means that the camp is less crowded and individual attention is available. As well the weather in Chiang Mai is more moderate making the outdoor training pleasant and comfortable.

Affordability is important to a lot of students of fighting and the cost at TQ is quite reasonable. In fact, the grappling lesson was about half of the average price that I got while pricing various training options.

When I arrived, I found that all the trainers are young and fit, and apparently willing to spar!! This is not the case that I have found at some other gyms – especially the fit part! The trainers here are professionals at their area of expertise – they have either just finished their fighting careers or in fact are still fighting.

Another important aspect for me was that the trainers all have a good grasp of English. While it’s not always the most critical issue, the lack of English has affected my training efforts in the past when a trainer was unable to clearly articulate a move or explain a correction needed.

While I brought my own gloves and wraps, TQ provides a fully functional Muay Thai training facility as well as an MMA room equipped with mats, bags, and cage as well.

The TQ team have excellent connections with the One FC network – One FC being Asia’s largest and in my mind, most prestigious, MMA event.  The team has great connections with Muay Thai promoters including Lumpinee Stadium. Couple these connections with the Team Quest network throughout the world, and this simple gym has reach and clout!!

So when you’re next thinking about where you’re going to take that first step into the ring for Muay Thai, hit the mats for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu or enter the cage for MMA – or for experienced fighters at any level to simply get some no holds barred focused training – think about Team Quest Thailand.  The Diesel Diva will be back!!

Thought that some of The Diesel Diva readers might find this of interest. Thanks to Thierry!

Warrior Bodyweight Workout with Ehtisham Karim

So it’s been a while again. No excuses. But hopefully soon the relentless travel and work mode will slow down and I can get back to regular posting. Having said that, I took a weekend off from my grueling schedule and came to Muscat, Oman for the weekend from Islamabad.

Now the boys back at Fight Fortress Islamabad are busy starting to train for Beatdown II, which is intended to be held before I depart Pakistan. I am not there for the beginning of the training, nor will I be fighting, but I wanted to ensure that I maintain my workout schedule. As I am never certain what facilities I will find in a hotel gym, I asked Ehtisham to prepare a short bodyweight program for me.

We’ve been busy in the last week with a couple of conditioning days. I had my own circuit that I’ve done in the past that included 3 (4) no-break between exercise sets of: 40 x pushups, 1.5 min plank, 50 per side half-crunches, 40 tricep dips, 40 squats. 40 sumo squats (with weights when available) and 20 per side lunges (with weights when available). 3 minute break between sets. This was a nice little circuit that met my needs, especially in places where facilities were limited or it was … ummm… unusual to see a woman in the gym.  Depending on what is available, I can adjust this and ramp it up a bit when possible.

Last week, Ehtisham put a new spin on bodyweight training for me, when he partnered me with his younger brother Uloomi. Uloomi is what a French Canadian friend of mine used to refer to as having a “body by nerve”… in other words there is not much fat but neither is he a muscle-bound behemoth. In fact, he has a great lightweight physique. We were training at Vostro, and after our regular extensive warm-up, we did the following:

10 x 5 Towel pull ups (1 min break) (put the towel over the pull-up bars and grasp the towel tails to perform the pull-up). I needed a bit of assistance on these, but I could feel the power actually increasing after I got used to the movement.

We moved upstairs for the remainder of the session:

8 x 40 hindu/bodyweight squats (1 min break).  Now not having been raised in Asia, my flexibility for full Hindu squats is not quite “there” yet, but it’s improving. I opted for simple full range bodyweight squats. Uloomi rocked his way through the sets of Hindu squats, and I like to think he was feeling my pain by the end of the sets. Not to mention what I was feeling when trying to move over the next couple of days!!

Push-ups 2 x 20; 4 x 15; 4 x 10 (1 min); 2 x 5 (30 sec); 2 x 5 (15 sec). These were narrow stance pushups intended to simulate the motion associating with striking. Yes. I was feeling that spaghetti arms feeling at the end of this…

And finally:

Lunges 8 x 60; (1 min). These are self-explanatory.

The whole program was simple but made us work incredibly hard. I felt like I had accomplished something at the end of it. So that’s why, as mentioned earlier, I asked Ehtisham to provide me with a travelling program.  I love this guy. He takes no prisoners!! Here is the reply I received:

Hope you have a nice trip, rest as much as you can and be ready for the torture that comes after Eid *evil grin*. Here is your training routine for two days:

Day 1:

• Start with your regular warm up and stretching.
• 100 knees (50 each leg)
• 300 straight punches (continuous + full speed)
• 300 hook punches (continuous + full speed)
• hindu pushups (15+15+10+10) (a minute rest in b/w sets)
• squats (40+40+40) (a minute rest in b/w sets)
• planks (2 sets (3 minutes each, with a minute rest) )
• Abs (half crunches: 90, full crunches with punches x 40, air bicycle x 60)
• Stretching

Day 2:

• Warm up
• 100 low kicks (50 each)
• 100 side elbows (50 each)
• 100 downward elbows (50 each)
• 50 sprawls
• pouncing on the ball of your feet (2 sets of 3 minutes)
• lunges (20+20+20)
• simple push ups (20+15+10+10)
• bridge and hold for 5 seconds (50 reps)
• neck stretching (15 reps)
• neck strengthening (45 seconds for each position) (rest: 60 sec)
• Abs (same routine as above)
• Stretching

 So today the Day 1 routine is the plan. I’ll let you know how it goes!!

Addendum: Day 1 Complete. I managed all, and as usual I have to push myself a bit harder. So I extra punches, and 4 x 50 squats. Since the gym seems to have every piece of equipment in the world except for an incline bench (and the instruments of torture used at The PIT), I resorted to an alternate but just as effective ab workout.

Addendum 2: Day 2 Complete. He almost got me with the 50 sprawls and the 2 x 3 minute planks. The bridges are not as easy as they look. But I did 120 each where it said 100, and I did 4 x 20 narrow stance push-ups. All in all, it was great training! And I appreciated the “Keep going partnerrrr” encouragement from Uloomi during my lunges!

A Gem of a Hotel Gym – The Chedi, Muscat

I like to review gyms to give folks an idea of what’s available in sometimes obscure places. Though I try to keep things positive, it’s not always possible – often gyms are simply inadequate. Once in a while however, I come across a pleasant surprise!!

Hotels are not always known for their great gym facilities. They often just provide the basics so as to keep their accommodation guests satisfied.  More often than not, there is a little space set aside with a few free weights, a couple of machines, a guy who gives you a towel and uninspiring atmosphere. Other hotels, expand the target client base by providing a full-service gym with trainers and open the availability to other than hotel guests.  These are still not always the optimum gym facilities since the trainers are not always certified and are there for monitoring rather than the provision of trainer services. As well, in those gyms I often find that the hotel guests get left behind as the regulars come in and hang out with their buddy the trainer! I’ve encountered the excellent, average and the less than adequate.

I am currently at the Chedi Hotel in Muscat, Oman and here I have encountered a gem in the annals of hotel gyms. I was expecting the regular isolated room with a few machines. But what I encountered was quite different.

I walked to the end of the extensive hotel grounds, past the “Long Pool” (it really is), and had to ask for directions. I opened the door and found a luxurious women’s change room with showers, sauna, relaxing area and all the amenities needed for after training.

Then I entered the gym. It was not like any gym I’ve been in before. It’s more like a library with compartmentalized reading rooms furnished with extensive training equipment. Sprinkled in between were sitting areas, almost loungy …with cold water, Pocari Sweat, and green apples available. It is serene (although I’m not sure that’s what I would always want in a gym). I was immediately greeted by a trainer/physiotherapist who encouraged me to review what was available and to entertain any questions I had.

So I took the Ehtisham Karim Warrior Bodyweight Workout with me and trained fit for a fighter 😉  There were a number of people training in the gym, but no one seemed to get in each other’s way. I needed a space to do my workout and the gym trainer, Innes, immediately assisted in finding me a suitable spot, moved some equipment around so I could use the mirror and then discreetly moved out of range.

The only thing missing seemed to be an incline bench! However the equipment ranges from a full Pilates suite, to a Kinesis wall, with machines and free weights interspersed. The gym apparently accommodates a limited number of non-guest memberships that need to be approved. Otherwise, The Chedi has obviously invested a great deal of care (and money) in designing a gym suitable for the style and class of the hotel. While it’s not necessarily the gym at which I would want to go for fight training or any other specialized work, it does represent the best hotel gym I have ever encountered (and I’ve been to a lot!) Oh yeah, if you train hard, bring your headphones. The saccharine music to cater to all just doesn’t inspire Diesel training … But given the facilities, I think this one challenge can be overcome easily enough!

Well done Chedi Hotel, Muscat!!! The Diesel Diva highly recommends!!

Luc “The Doberman” Rousseau – Trainer, Fighter, Friend

Luc “The Doberman” Rousseau, of Muayfit in Kuala Lumpur, is not only a friend but an inspiration. Luc recently fought in Ultimate Beatdown 9 ~ Johor Bahru’s Very Own Big Show on 7 July at the De’bali bistro. This was a grudge match between The Doberman from France and Isamu Himura from the US, with a fair bit of trash talk ahead of the game. It was the co-main event. Luc remained professional throughout the lead up to the event and showed what he could do with his BJJ expertise once he got into the cage! Luc controlled the fight and in the third round the ref stepped in to stop the match.

Rousseau came into the fight with a perfect professional record of 4-0 while Himura was 3-5. Luc is a BJJ brownbelt. Luc is also known to speak his mind and have a great sense of humor. The Diesel Diva asked Luc to tell us a bit about himself…

Name: Luc “The Doberman” Rousseau

Sport: MMA

Age: 24

Weight: 84 kg

Team(s): Muayfit!

Record: 5-0 (all before decision)

Which fight did you like the best and why?

My last fight [UB 9], took on with 2 weeks notice. I was totally overweight and out of shape, so it was challenging. I gassed out in 20 sec during the fight,but still manage to win smashing way.

How did you get involved with MMA?

I started after doing krav-maga, realizing I needed to learn how to become a proper fighter, as I knew already how to kick in balls, poke eyes and other street stuffs lol. I was 17-18 I think.

What is it that you love about MMA?

It is challenging, complete, strategic… when I started competing in pancrase then in MMA, I wanted to prove myself and people that Jiu Jitsu works still well.

What kind of training do you do? How often do you train?
Depending on competition schedule I can train once or twice a day. I train mostly BJJ when no fights [are scheduled], but when I have fights I train in wrestling and striking as well. I don’t consider myself uni-dimensional, if I was training more in my striking I could just strike in fights instead of going to the ground.

Do you follow any special nutritional program?
I’m overly greedy and love food, but when you have to cut 10kg for a fight I diet very strictly and its hell! lol!

If you were going to give one piece of advice to anyone wanting to start training in this sport, what would it be?
Do it for the right reasons, and mostly love what you do, love your training, love learning. If you love what you do, its really less hard!

Is there any other message you would like to pass to our Diesel readers?
Please follow me on my facebook page, Luc ”Doberman” Rousseau
Thanks to everyone who supports me, and in particular to my sponsors :
Aggressionz, Motor Trader, box!, k-link, Havokk Clothing Company.

I had the pleasure of training with Luc in Kuala Lumpur, and all I can say is that Luc “The Doberman” Rousseau is legit! He loves what he does, knows how to energize others to love it too! We’ll keep watching Luc for more notches on the win stat!! (see https://thedieseldiva.wordpress.com/2012/07/06/muayfit-kuala-lumpur-another-gym-to-call-home/ for review of training at Muayfit!).

The Diesel Diva with The Doberman after excellent training in Muayfit!

Fight Fortress Islamabad – Fantastic!!

Pakistan has a special place in my fitness history. I arrived here the first time in April 2009 weighing in at a hefty 87.5 kg, something of which I am not very proud. By the summer of 2009 I decided that this excess must go. By the summer of 2010, I had lost about 33 kg. However, I had also lost all of my muscle. I moved to Bangkok in the spring of 2011 and started to train regularly, becoming a bit of a fitness addict. Now the circle has closed and I’m back in Pakistan and ready to train here.

As many of you know, I was recently in Kuala Lumpur for One FC Destiny of Warriors. I was getting a bit of training at Muayfit, the home gym of Arnaud “The Game” Lepont, Eric “The Natural” Kelly, Peter Davis, Luc “The Doberman” Rousseau, and a number of others who frequent the gym. Mark “Mugen” Streigl and Will “The Kill” Chope, are two of these and while chatting with Mark, I mentioned that I would shortly be deploying to Pakistan and was seeking a gym. He immediately mentioned that Will is scheduled to fight in Lahore, Pakistan at a PFC fight in September and might know someone. Sure enough, Will put me in touch with Bashir Ahmad, COO of Pak Fight Club and a pioneer of MMA in Pakistan.

I contacted Bashir who responded quickly with two potential gym options for me and the contact details. Both seemed good but I decided to try out Fight Fortress Islamabad, partially because it is only a five minute drive from my Islamabad based office, but also because of the available training described to me in my correspondence with Ehtisham Karim. I was a bit concerned about whether they would train a woman in full contact martial arts, but I was assured that this would not be an issue.

Fight Fortress offers Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Muay Thai, Boxing and MMA classes held in the a facility within the Trim Fitness Fort at the Pakistan Sports Complex on the Kashmir Highway in Islamabad. It is a simple club operated by two brothers, Ehtisham and Uloomi. Ehtisham is a Taekwondo blackbelt and has training in a variety of disciplines including Kyokushin, Boxing, Wrestling and MMA.

I arrived in Pakistan in the evening of 2 July, checked out the facilities the next day and started training immediately. While expecting the standard one-hour class, Ehtisham surprised me with an extensive and vigorous warm-up, some strike work to determine what level I was at, and some low weight circuit work, with excellent stretching at the end. He is an unassuming fellow but with a calm demeanor and exudes confidence in what he is doing. I was immediately impressed. He ensures safety in the training but pushes me to my limits and then a bit beyond. He concentrates on technique and makes sure that I am doing things right. I like!

Now this is not a state of the art facility. It is a room with some mats, some gloves, kick pads, a bag and some skipping ropes. Is anything else really needed? As I mentioned, the fight club shares facilities with Trim Fitness which has a large weight room which is uncrowded, with a high ceiling, and fitted out with a variety of machines and free weights. I was pleasantly surprised. I had used the facilities at a higher end gym in the complex in which I work, and my colleague and I managed to use ALL the free weights between us at one point! This certainly wouldn’t be the case here. As well, there is a cardio room with stationary bikes and a big space for the offerings of aerobics and Zumba!! Who knew??

Anyways, back to Fight Fortress. The first night (and subsequent ones) I was sweating… and I mean sweating. It has been about 46 degrees celsius every day since my arrival and there is no air conditioning in the gym. There are a couple of wall mounted fans. Oddly, those require power and the availability of that wonderful resource is incredibly limited in Islamabad. So fight in the heat, and then in the dark, we did!! And there was the constant thwack of other students and fighters practising various elements and their corrections, which in the fairly small space actually benefits all of us (except for the part in Urdu – I have to pay attention to the demonstrations a little more carefully)!

Each day has been different. Ehtisham and I have clarified my weaknesses – I don’t breathe well, my flexibility is limited and my fast twitch performance and cardio are weak. So much for my “I’m so strong” bravado!! 🙂 I am strong but fitness, as I’ve been learning at a variety of gyms (The PIT Singapore, Activelifestyle Bangkok, Muayfit Kuala Lumpur, and Radical Fitness Male’ to name a few), there is more to fitness than strength.

Given the comprehensive programme that Ehtesham has in mind for me, which will be based on a warm-up, variety of MMA techniques, cardio/circuit training, plyometrics and stretching, 2 hours a day, 5 days a week, I think I may finally get somewhere with the Total Fitness concept!! I’ve already ventured into new techniques which have left me a little bruised and with a bit of road rash, but were challenging and good to add into the mix!

We have also been discussing the changes that we’ll need to make to the routine for the Holy Month of Ramadan while we are both fasting (this will involve decreased time in the gym, timing workouts near the end of the day, and changes to some of the techniques due to potentially lower blood pressure). But let’s save that for later blogging! However, if you are interested you may want to check out this interview I did last year with Bangkok Trainer on just this topic. There are a number of other good articles on the Bangkok Trainer site, dealing with fasting as well as a number of other training challenges!

This is just the beginning as I’ll be here off and on for about six weeks. Today we did some ground work in some simple BJJ and wrestling defensive techniques. I’m not a natural, but with Ehtisham’s instruction and guidance, I already feel like I’m learning! And make note, PFC will hold a fight in Lahore tentatively scheduled for the first week of September. Will “The Kill” Chope of Kuala Lumpur and Uloomi, will both be fighting. If no livestream, at least let’s see the YouTube version which is sure to follow!!

Many thanks Ehtisham! I am loving every challenging minute of our training 🙂

The Diesel Divasigning off!

Address:   Pakistan Sports Complex, Inside Trim Fitness Fort, Between Gates 8 and 9, Kashmir Highway near 7th Avenue, Islamabad, Pakistan

Hours:      Open evenings 6:00- 10:00 pm.

Email:       Send message on Facebook link below

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/TeamFightFortress

MUAYFIT Kuala Lumpur!! Another gym to call home!!

I think you’ve all figured out by now that when I travel I try hard to find a good hardcore gym to keep me going. Not only do I need it to maintain the habit, but it is my stress reliever and a great way to get know people in whatever place I happen to be. I’ve been lucky so far with The PIT in Singapore and TfG-3000 (Radical Fitness) in Male’, Maldives. Other places have proven to be less than spectacular although I manage to keep up the routine.

Well, back in March I attended the DARE FC fight in Bangkok and through that event met folks from The PIT and from Muayfit in Kuala Lumpur. From my last post, you can see that Muayfit has been a great venue for training professional and talented MMA fighters!! They rocked KL during One FC on 23 June! And they will have an incredible event in Manila on 31 Augus. I decided when I was booking this trip that not only would I come to see the epic event, but I would also make arrangements to train at Muayfit!

However, the Muayfit team not only provided outstanding training, but they have the same relaxed, hang out and be at home with other hardcore training aficionados atmosphere that I met at The PIT. I was made to feel a part of the Muayfit team, had lunch, met families, celebrated and of course, trained hard.

I arranged with Luc “The Doberman” Rousseau, a BJJ brown belt and instructor at Muayfit, for some individual lessons while in town.  The gym is on multiple floors in the building which it occupies but the space is nice with good equipment and not overcrowded. Luc and I made our way to the 6th floor where he walked me through the circuit he had in mind… Starting with kettlebell swings, we worked through squats, shoulders, chest, abs, a little TRX, followed by my all-time (tongue in cheek) favorite, lunges! We worked through one, two and then a third circuit which I have to say was great! Luc made sure to correct me when needed, ensured I knew ahead of time what I would be doing, and kept me at a pace that made me work but not fail.

Lunch at one of the myriad of nice little local restaurants was followed by some relaxing time before dinner. However the next day was to be technical training with Luc followed by boxing with Piotr.

Luc and I set our time and he quickly gauged my strengths and weaknesses, helping to formulate the plan for the training session. He put me through variations of punches and kicks, making sure that my technique was corrected at every opportunity (and there were a lot of opportunities 🙂 Hehehe :)). I like that Luc was not afraid to correct me, and I like to think that he enjoyed seeing my improvement in only two sessions.

I met up with boxing coach Piotr Lieb. This was to be my first regular boxing lesson ever although I had watched video of Piotr training Arnaud “The Game” Lepont. Piotr immediately put me at ease while making sure the ground rules were set!  Like Luc, Piotr made sure that I understood what he was expecting for each move — although my brain didn’t always send the right message to my appendages 🙂

But Piotr was patient and a great instructor. In between rounds, he managed to keep my abs challenged with a series of interesting and never before done (by me) creative crunches!! For all of you who know me. you’ll understand that this only served to pump me!! Interesting explosive work was also in the mix and before we knew it, we had been training for almost two hours!!

I can say that I felt it after! Later that evening I knew that I had worked hard. I wasn’t in pain, I wasn’t unable to move, but my body told me that I worked. Luc and Piotr were different but extremely effective and energizing trainers. While Muayfit is not a large commercial style gym, it has what you need if you want to train hard and get professional guidance. Frankly this is more Diesel Diva style!

Muayfit had the buzz. There were ongoing boot camps with wrestling coach Matt Pellino, the constant opportunity to mingle and learn from One FC fighters such as Arnaud “The Game” Lepont, Peter Davis and Eric “The Natural” Kelly. While training, I could take a breather and watch reruns of the One FC fights while watching “The Game” getting right back into training for his next win! Others actively involved in the Malaysian/Asian MMA circuit, such as Alex Wong (Aggressionz Tshirts) and Peter McLean of Uppercut Combat Energy Drink, were also regularly encamped either in the gym or nearby. All of this made the experience far more than simply “going to the gym”!!

On my final day at Muayfit and I felt like I was leaving a new family. I was welcomed from the moment I walked in the door, to the minute I had to (sadly) leave. It was an atmosphere in which trainers and clients all co-mingled and I had the opportunity to meet some really interesting new friends. I look forward to seeing the team again soon, hopefully in Manila at One FC‘s next event! Also of note is that Luc will be fighting in the Ultimate Beatdown 9 on 7 July. Watch it on livestream!

I’d like to say a final thank you to Paul Teo and Jill Lee who really keep this gang going!!

Finally – One FC Destiny of Warriors!

First of all, my apologies for the lengthy time with no posts. My other life (aka my job) took me to varied places with limited access and even less time. However, The Diesel Diva is back and with an EPIC event to share with you!!

In April I started to mention One FC Destiny of Warriors. Well, last night was the historic event and I had the honor of being there to watch. In a stadium that seats 8,000-10,000 people, this MMA championship was by far the biggest ever to have been held in Asia. MMA is growing and if last night is any indicator, with a full house, One FC owner Victor Cui has himself a winner!! The house was packed and the atmosphere was festive outside the stadium.

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I arrived in Kuala Lumpur in the afternoon and zipped over to Muayfit, where a number of the headliners for One FC fight, and met with my good friend Arnaud The Game Lepont and a number of others. I picked up my Agressionz t-shirt so that I could show support for The Game. Next stop was hotel, then directly to the stadium. Outside were a number of sponsor booths with temptations such as Uppercut Combat Energy Drink (I had far too much and I blame it for my 0530 bedtime) and Twisted Fight Gear.

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Entering the stadium, the excitement was palpable. But also noticeable was how incredibly well organized the event was. I’ve been to other large events lately and this was so very… civilized. Happily. I had a seat in the VIP section and there was a lot of room to move around. Coffee stands were in the corner (although they didn’t start serving until the fight started and by then I wasn’t interested). However, it didn’t seem to matter where you were seated — both the seating arrangement and the large live monitor helped to ensure that everyone could see what was happening in the cage at all times.

PRELIMS

Unfortunately the fight between Filipino Roldan “The Executioner” Sangcha-an and Turkmen fighter Allamurad “Pretty Boy” Karayev was called off due to injury. I was looking forward to seeing Pretty Boy fight, but perhaps we’ll see him in Manila??  Insha’allah.

The first fight between Malaysian Muayfit Peter Davis and Singaporean Quek “The Hulk” Kim Hock was quick and decisive with the referee calling the fight in the first round in favor of Davis.

This was followed by the debut of Marco Escobar in a Brazilian vs Brazilian fight with Rodrigo “The Professor” Praxedes. Escobar is 36 years old and while neither are seasoned in MMA, both are blackbelt BJJ. While they exchanged punches and kicks, Escobar was clearly in control finally succeeding in a submission by choke hold early in the third round.

Featherweight fighters Mitch “The Dragon” Chilson (US) and AJ “Pyro” Lias Mansor of Malaysia faced off next. While Mansor came out strong, Chilson took control with some good takedowns followed by a rear naked choke, causing Pyro to tap.

MAIN EVENT

This was why I was here… my friend, Frenchman Arnaud “The Game” Lepont vs Korean fighter Brian “The Polar Bear” Choi in the lightweight fight of the evening. Arnaud entered with a strong 9-1-0 record,  and while Choi is less seasoned in the cage, he is a notable fighter. These were also opposing personalities with The Polar Bear known to be quiet and The Game known for his charismatic and sometimes brash style!

Earlier in the evening, Arnaud honored me with inviting me to take part in his entrance. His entrance matched his personality, pumping the crowd with electronic music and a masked and chained Arnaud surrounded by his entourage. This was marred only by the yellow card he received for a taped knee.

This was truly the start of the real adrenalin producing excitement for the night. Both fighters came out swinging and while Choi dominated by the end of the round, Arnaud was not near being finished. I saw him fight in DARE in Bangkok earlier this year and I could see the parallel. Both fighters were taking hits that would have put lesser men down quickly. The oohs and ahhhs of the audience and the sometimes silence was palpable. For the most part there was cheering and yelling for both sides.

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Round 2 started with the indomitable spirit of good will and respect for each other, with both tapping gloves, hugging and tapping gloves again. The crowd was roused! Choi continued to dominate but Lepont could taste victory and was not going to be finished. Round 3 started with Choi takedowns, but Lepont is wily and managed to escape. Although looking tired, he always remained calm. He was looking for submission and after a couple of strong attempts managed his specialty of the rear naked choke, finishing Choi in the third.

Muayfit’s strength continued in the next fight between Filipino Eric “The Natural” Kelly and Korean fighter Bae Young Kwon. The fighters exchanged blows and submission attempts, but Eric finally rendered a submission from Bae in the third round via a rear naked choke.

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The next fight promised to be great with Brazilian Gregor Gracie fighting Malaysia’s own Adam Shahir Kayoom with his background in Muay Thai, BJJ, Karate and Taekwondo. Both were forces to be reckoned with. Adam came out fighting but Gracie was clearly in control through the first round. While Gracie managed to keep Kayoom on the ground for some time, that was it. He struggled to make it more than that and was clearly tiring. In round 3, Adam was clearly paying attention to keeping the fight upright and although Gracie took him down a few more times, Kayoom clearly had control. The unanimous decision was supported by the crowd.

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The final fights of the evening were also promising but the earlier fights set the pace for excitement and power. Next up were Bantamweights Brazilian Leandro Issa vs Japanese Masakazu Imanari. This fight was more subdued with the fighters scoping each other out and taking their time. While a measured approach might be good in the cage, it did not have the same audience draw. Nevertheless there were some moments that sparked excitement with Imanari seeming to have control in the first two rounds. However, Issa seemed to get control at the end of the second, but without actually inflicting much damage. The third round was much of the same, and the fight went to the judges who rendered a unanimous decision in favor of Issa.

Welterweight Brazilian Zorobabel “Zoro” Moreira vs American Roger “El Matador” Huerta were evenly matched in the first round. However round 2 saw Moreira clearly taking charge and putting a brutal pummelling to Huerta which had even those of us in the crowd wondering if the judge had fallen asleep. Huerta was clearly dazed and a final kick to the head finally prompted a stop to the action.

Light Heavyweights Brazilian Renato “Babalu” Sobral vs Japanese Tatsuya Mizuno were pitted against each other in the final match. However, it was over almost before it started, with a few hits from Mizuno and Sobral quickly finishing the game with an armbar.

It was an amazing evening and now we’ll just be waiting for the next One FC — coming to Manila in August!!

For the full meal deal, check out this Destiny of Warriors video!

Many thanks to Jason Lim for “The Game”‘s entrance photo.

NBA Rockin’ Plays!! Yaaaaa!!!

Now this is just a crazy dunk!

On Westbrook’s Top 10 of the year, I’ve gotta say I was looking for my favorites and numbers 4 and 8jumped out at me. But there’s no favorite. This guy is simply rockin’ the hoop!!

And from the annals of the “anyone can make a mistake” files, check this out!