Life is so exciting!
I got to try out a new sport last week!
I often see people doing it at the gym and have always been curious about it. And here, I’ve discovered an academy in Singapore that specialises in it!
Whee!
Evolve Mixed Martial Arts (top martial arts academy in Asia) is based in Singapore and has outlets in Brazil. I feel a little suaku because there are already two outlets in Singapore and I never knew about it until now.
Anyway, never too late! I attended a complimentary lesson with a Muay Thai world champion, Nuengpichit Sityodtong. He’s one of the 10 world champion instructors at Evolve, out of 35 instructors.
I very quickly learnt what it means to train with a world champion. I was bushed even before training started!
Nueng made me jog around the large training hall many times while doing various motions like kicking up my knees and waving my arms. Then he made me sprint full speed for two rounds, which was not a problem.
The problem started when he said, “Now you jump rope for three minutes,” right after my sprint.
Jumping rope is really not easy. Especially after you’ve done a sprint. Especially when you haven’t run for months. To last the full three minutes, I had to cheat by sometimes skipping like a little girl instead of doing actual training jumps.
Nueng even put on “battle music” and kept urging me to “faster, faster!”
I started regretting being lax in my exercise routines before this session.
Fortunately, only the warm-up was a killer. The actual Muay Thai was fun, if a bit strenuous.
I just googled Muay Thai and found out it means “Art of Eight Limbs”, which is eight points of contact using hands, elbows, knees and feet.
We started doing fist punching first. I didn’t get it right right away. Nueng said I was just punching air. He grabbed my fists and aimed it at his head. “Punch here!” he said.
Except that he actually said “pun here”, instead, in that endearing Thai accent of his. Nueng is really cute BUT DEADLY. He showed me some of his advanced moves which left me slack-jawed. He is so quick and powerful it’s unbelievable!
Next, we did elbows, which is a little hard to get right cos you need to angle it in a very specific way, slashing down at your opponent instead of just throwing your elbow out anyhowly.
Luckily, Nueng didn’t make me yell out each time I threw a punch. I remember when I learnt Ninja-do yonks ago, we had to yell “HAAA!!” every time we punched or kick.
We moved on to the punching bag next. It’s so much easier to punch a real target instead of air.
The opening stance of elbow punching is open hands.
I tried very hard to copy exactly and make myself look like a professional fighter.
But I think I need a lot more practice.
How come it’s so hard to look pro?!!
Kicks are tougher to coordinate because, with every kick, you have to remember how all the other three limbs are to be positioned. It’s a very precise sport!
So, like, this is kinda wrong:
My left hand has to be on the other side of my face, instead.
And this is obviously wrong since I look like I’m doing ballet:
Another attempt:
I have a lot of trouble with my stubborn left hand!
After the punching bag, Nueng got me to chase him around the gym, kicking at his punching pads.
That was really fun. And tough, because I was still trying to get my positionings right, plus nonstop kicking is very exhausting!
We spent quite a bit of time on my kicks until I got it just right. Kicking is fun!
And then it was over and I was utterly winded!
And STILL Nueng made me do sit ups and leg raises to round up the session.
EH.
What a great workout I had, though. I wouldn’t mind doing this regularly, cos it’s fun and allows me to keep fit and healthy and toned and slim at the same time. =D
And I will end up being a lean, mean fighting machine, as opposed to being a lean person who works with machines if I were to train at a normal gym instead. Haha.
The outlet I went to was the one at Far East Square (the other one is at PoMo Mall). It’s very big and impressive! The interior looks very professional and I love the female locker room, which is very cosy!
Besides Muay Thai, there’s also Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing, FightShape, Wrestling, Self-Defense and Yoga. I feel like trying the others, too!
I wonder what yoga is like at a mixed martial arts academy.
And maybe self-defense would be a great thing to learn. One could never be safe enough.
There’s even a Little Samurai Children’s Program. So coooool. I want to be a little child samurai! Haha.
There’s going to be an international championship event starting May 14, called Martial Combat, held at Resorts World Sentosa and covered by ESPN Star Sports.
It will feature the world’s most popular and celebrated fighters, including world champions from Evolve.
I want to learn from a world champion instructor who will be fighting at the event. That will be so cool, right, learning from a celebrity fighter!!
Hey, wait. I DID learn from a celebrity fighter! I just googled Nueng and he’s, like, all over the place!
I feel privileged!
Anyone interested in learning, too? Let’s take classes together! =P
I think how it works is you pay a yearly membership and you can attend unlimited classes, seven days a week, as many hours as you like.
Complimentary trial classes are available for booking from the website if you’re interested.
Let’s be lean, mean fighting machines together!!
[PS. Submitted this post for the Star Sports Blogger Contest!]
@Sheylara: Great post! I’m surprised its not an advertorial:)
wow that looks hard and cool and fun all at the same time but i dont think
i would want to try it cus if i do some thing wrong i might get yelled at and i
hate getting yelled at :( lol its true
@stormy: If you get yelled at. Punch him in the face when he least suspects it….
Great writeup of your complimentary training. You captured the spirit and the sweat of it. Hope you did sign up after this trial. Did you?
Looks exciting. What’s pre-req STR, STA and AGI to train this skill? How many skill points to max it out?
muay thai seems fun.. all tht kicks..
No messy with Sheylara next time. She will muay thai our ass. *Bish*
I agree with the first comment its an awesome post but it really should be an advertorial coz it makes you wanna sign up right away.
inspiring post – i wanna learn muay thai now too! any idea where is evolve located?
Very informative post, Sheylara! Thank you for always bringing new things for us to try. Your beautiful blog brightens my day and makes me a better person (and gives me new ideas for fun too! ;)
Love
Janice
@RN1209 – Thanks! :P
@stormy – Erm… I don’t think you’ll be yelled at lah. The instructors there are friendly and patient. Well, as least the ones I met were! :P
@ryangel – Haha… you dare to punch a muay thai world champion??? :P
@Rich Wee – Thanks! I gather from your comment that you have experience with muay thai too? :) I haven’t signed up yet… have to consider lah. :)
@Mince Pye – O_o
@tvbaddict – Yes, looking forward to kicking you, Haha :P
@tiger4 – What lah!! Even without muay thai training, you still shouldn’t messy with me!!!
@Alex – Aww, thanks for the compliment! Maybe I should ask for sponsored classes ah? :P
@Billy – Evolve is at Far East Square (26 China Street, #01-01) and PoMo Mall (1 Selegie Road, #02-22). Have fun!! After you learn, you can come help me kick all the naughty people that visit my blog. :P
@Janice – Wow, thanks for your sweet comment! :) You’re making me blush!!
you are a brave lady, sheylara! was it painful or dangerous? i have to admit that i am a little curious about it now though…please let me know if it is safe and i might give it a go…
Evolve MMA!!! IS that a One on One Training?!?!
COOL!!!! Sheylara, you rocks!!! Gorgeous, smart, funny, and now DEADLY!!! :)
u’re too skinny. if u fight with others muaythai, u’ll be sent flying in 1 kick.
@FitnTuf – Huh? Brave to do muay thai? I don’t think it’s dangerous at all if you get proper training. As for painful… there’s just the soreness of muscle aches the day after, haha. :P
@Soon – Yes, I got a one on one training.
@Jackie Hong – Aww *blush* thanks! Not deadly lah.. I’m not planning to fight anyone… unless provoked haha :P
@nick – lol, I’ll try not to fight people. I’m just gonna do this for fun and exercise. :P
great post, sheylara! very inspiring to see you in action. i’ve always wanted to do some muay thai to learn some self-defence. i will definitely go check out evolve.
Girl Power! ;) Brilliant pictures! I’ve been a fan of yours for a while and I didn’t realize that you kick butt too – lol
rick, not really.. with the proper technique, Sheylara will be able to take down someone bigger and stronger than her. It’s not about size. It’s bout technique. ;)
well maybe i might try it but i wont do it right away and plus i do not
want a swollen eye or any of that stuff shey how is your eye ?
Learning new things is always fun! Keep it up! =)
@Jean – Thanks! :) Hope you enjoy it if you do try it out! :)
@Cheryl Tan – Haha… thanks!
@Rix – Thanks for the info! lol.
@stormy – You’re not going to get a swollen eye from muay thai. doh! :P My eye is … progressing. thanks :P
@Terence – Agreed! Thanks!
*cough* I pity TGF if he makes you mad now….
He might get a swollen eye from Muay Thai…
i just went for the complimentary class today!!! it was absolutely fun and an amazing workout! and you were right. it is very safe. thank you so much sheylara for giving me this idea. i’ve been looking for something to kick me in the butt ;) to get in shape. i signed up for 12 months – wish me luck! ;)
@Cheryl – That was quick. =) Have fun with your classes!!
HI Sheylara,
Nice Blog so far, you look really impressive over here anyway it’s cool to take up muay thai it’s a total fat burning system …. you will look more better as you train along … :) take good care of your health as it’s going to be more more tough especially in the physical side.
If possible feel free to add me in face book…. :)
Cheers
@Sheylara: We know we shouldn’t mess with you. But now more so.
How come I can’t subscribe to the comments now. No wonder I don’t receive any comments emails.
awesome Kicks! you looking really good :) i hope to show this post to my wife to inspire her to get her train on. :)
I will say 1 thing…you sure got great legs
think u need to gain more weight if u want to fight well in muaythai
so Sheylara, do u still do muay thai there?
Is it expensive ?