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!!

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

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!!

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