Back in the Gloves // My Martial Arts Workout

While everything else isn't exactly going the way I want it to, (well, besides my job) my workouts are going GREAT lately. If you follow me on Instagram, you are pretty much up to date. If you don"t follow me: Follow. Thanks.

My 2 mile run time is back on track, I do some more lifting, and I am trying to include more and more boxing / kickboxing workouts as well. Boxing is such an awesome cardio (check out this article on shape.com), and it helps me getting rid of stress.

I wish I had someone to do sparring with, but so far I haven't really found anyone. Especially since I've got attacked (read all about it HERE and HERE), I am doing more research on martial arts. It never hurts to be able to defend yourself. This time I was able to fight my attacker off... who knows what would happen next time? If the attacker is stronger?

So I really want to and should go back into martial arts. I loved doing kickboxing back in Germany, but I am ready for something new - another challenge. I was thinking about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which looks like it’s going to be a big fitness trend this year. Have you heard of it? Have you tried it?

Here's what my "martial arts" workout usually looks like

Warmup

5 Minutes Jumping Rope
1 Minute Rest
100 Jumping Jacks
1 Minute Rest
20 Walking Lunges
Static Stretching

Shadow Boxing

2 minutes on, 30 second break, 2 minutes on

Heavy Bag

Our gym doesn't have a heavy bag, but of there's one around, I do 10 minutes (jabs and kicks). I really hope this will be one of our next purchases though...

Strength

30 Bodyweight Squats
20 Push-Ups
20 Bicycles
20 Burpees
20 Russian Twists

After that I'm usually dead. If I still have energy, I do some more weight work after that, or go for a jog.

What's your workout routine? Are you into martial arts as well? Let me know!!

 

I have another man's blood on my hands // Self defense

It was a beautiful day round here. Temperatures in the upper 60s, sunny... So me and my friend decided to spend the day together.

We met in a city about half way between our 2 homes, worked out together at a gym, and went to the river afterwards, to check on his dad's boat.

I felt a little "light headed" all day already, so I decided NOT to get on the boat when we made it to the ramp, but staying behind, enjoying the sunshine for a little, and sipping a long overdue coffee. So that's what I did.

Usually this is a very busy spot. It's a pretty nice and good neighborhood. I never felt unsafe around there. But yesterday, it was quiet. No other people. No cars. It was weird.

About 10-15 minutes after my friend took off, a guy walked up to me. About my age, maybe older. Around 40. Maybe. Skinny - probably a meth head, cause his face looked like it, and the missing teeth just made this picture complete.

I've told him politely to leave me alone. Several times. Then he reached for my arm. That made me jump.
He tried to grab me. Telling me to shut up and not making a fuss. He touched me, and that's when I lost it.

All of a sudden every move my old kickboxing coach showed me during our self defense classes popped back up on my mind. I don't know how, but after a few moves I was finally able to grab his arm, bend it, and ended up having him on the ground. I started kicking and kicking, still screaming and yelling, trying to get someone to help. But either no one was around, or no one felt like helping.

It was... bloody. At one point he got back on his feet and just ran off. That's when I grabbed my phone and called the police.

2 cops arrived about 20 minutes later. Yes, 20 minutes. I really don't want to go too much into detail, since I don't feel like giving even more people another reason to hate cops. Long story short: They asked a few questions, took a blood sample from the mess on my shoes and clothes, and since "He didn't really harm" me, they put me back in my car to drive the 60 miles back home.

Thinking about it now - I was FAR from good to drive. I was confused, and shaking. My friend finally made it back to the ramp... and I didn't really know how to tell the whole story. I felt nasty, not only becaue of the blood on my clothes.
I changed back into my sweaty gym clothes, and got rid of my other clothes, and my $150 Mizuno running shoes right there and then.

Then I drove back home.

I think my friend was confused, too. I mean he leaves me there, gets back to a bloody mess and a friend crying and... I don't know. He wasn't a big help though.
And neither was the police.

Back home, I took 3 showers. Changed clothes several times. Rubbed Purell all over me. Took another shower... Then I tried to sleep.. But as soon as I closed my eyes, the pictures started popping up. Bloody pictures. Pictures of his face...

Around midnight I decided to text one of my friends, who's a police officer. I thought maybe he has a cure for this, since he has to deal with ugly pictures a lot. But he didn't.
But writing it down, and talking to him on the phone for a few minutes helped already. I calmed down a little, and eventually fell asleep.

First thing I did today was sending my old kickboxing coach in Germany a message. Telling him thank you for teaching me.

Ladies, PLEASE don't ever let any idiot take advantage of you! PLEASE join a self defense class! Learn how to be STRONG. How to protect yourself, even without a gun, knife, or pepper spray. I think knowing you have this training, will make you way more confident in situations like this.

  

Kickboxing

I always wanted to start kickboxing, so when I moved to Bavaria I decided to search the internet for Kickboxing Classes round here.

I soon found a Martial Arts Club in which you can take Tae-Kwon-Do and Kickboxing classes.
After the first trial session I knew that´s what i wanna do AND need so i signed the contract and here we are, alomst 4 months later and couple of pounds lighter.

Kickboxing is the toughest workout I´ve ever done. I burn up to 800 calories per practice and the results show off already :)

Now i do it 2-3 times/week, plus trying to go for a run at least once a week. I´m glad that i finally started to lose some weight again after struggeling for months after i stopped taking all these meds I had to take for 2,5 years.

Kickboxing is good for your soul, too! If my day at work was stressful and exhausting, if someone drove me mad - the way TO practice seems always really hard. But as soon as the music and warm-up starts, i feel SO much better! And afterwards all the bad thoughts seem to be sooo far away or even disappeared!

You should try it one day!!



Here´s what LIVESTRONG has to say about kickboxing:

Kickboxing for Weight Loss

Overview

Kickboxing may have a steep learning curve, but if you're interested in finding an efficient and safe way to drop pounds, it's worth putting in the time it takes to pick it up. All of that bobbing, weaving, punching, kicking and rapid, focused movement adds up to hundreds of calories burned per hour, making the activity ideal for weight loss.

Benefits

According to the American Council on Exercise, kickboxing is a full-body workout that challenges all major muscle groups while improving aerobic capacity, decreasing stress, improving focus and boosting endurance. Because it requires a higher level of intensity than many other aerobic exercises, kickboxing may also promote greater gains in balance, stability and strength.

Calories

Different types of kickboxing burn different amounts of calories, and total calorie burn is also affected by your weight and your fitness level. According to the Mayo Clinic, an hour of tae kwon do burns about 730 calories for a 160-lb. person. Tai chi, a very slow series of martial arts poses, does not involve the same high-intensity movements and burns only about 300 calories per hour for a person of the same weight. A 2010 study by ACE confirmed that most people can burn around 400 calories in an hour of kickboxing.

Types

Cardio kickboxing is one common type of kickboxing, and it's primarily intended to aid weight loss and improve your health. Cardio kickboxing combines aerobics, martial arts and boxing and relies heavily on moves like jabs, front kicks and side kicks. Tae Bo, a program developed by Billy Blanks, is another fitness-focused type of kickboxing that uses basic equipment to add resistance to high-intensity movements. Other varieties of kickboxing trace their origins to China, Thailand or the Philippines and may involve direct combat.

Moves

In a basic cardio kickboxing class for weight loss, you might learn full-body moves such as a boxer shuffle and a bob and weave. Upper-body exercises might include a front jab and cross jab, hook and elbow dig, and you might work your lower body with knee crunches, squats front kicks, roundhouse kicks or side kicks.

Considerations

Kickboxing can be a risky activity for people who aren't doing it with proper technique. According to the Westside Aerobics and Martial Arts Club of Santa Cruz, California, common kickboxing maladies include sore wrists and elbows, pulled muscles, sprained knees and twisted ankles. To stay as safe as possible, ACE suggests avoiding hyper-extending kicks and punches, not locking your joints and not holding weights or using ankle weights while performing kickboxing moves. Before you begin any kickboxing routine for weight loss, speak with your doctor.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/379071-kickboxing-for-weight-loss/#ixzz1RVAOVPkl