WCMAC fight

An extract from an article written for the Vancouver Observer.

With twenty-four hours to go before the big competition, I’d become an obsessive slave to the scales. I was teetering so close to my target weight that after every sip, munch or crunch of drink or food I’d desperately hop back on the balance to check out the damage.

Standing statuesque, I closed my eyes hoping that the digits would appear on the right side of 120lbs to keep me in my chosen weight category. I’d even gone down the desperate route of weighing myself in different outfits to determine which clothes I could compete in and which ones I couldn’t. With my chosen gear in hand and bags all packed up there was nothing left to do but head to the venue.

The most extreme way to banish cellulite

After a recent sparring session, I gawked at the knotty, tangled mess that had once counted as a hair ‘style’ and reluctantly acknowledged that the luxury of looking good has been sadly absent from my life for the past few weeks. Even at the best of times it’s debatable whether I, with my amateur hair skills, can pull off trendy and tousled looks, but evidently I do dishevelment with ease.

Who needs a Halloween costume when you can go three rounds and get the look for free?

Read the full article, as published in the Vancouver Observer.

Top 10 adventures for thrill-seeking women

Vancouver’s fun-loving lifestyle isn’t just limited to zenning out yoga-style or sweating your stuff jogging along the beach.

For ladies seeking a little more oomph from their local adventures here’s a piece I wrote for the Vancouver Observer about ten action-packed, adrenaline-fuelled activities to satisfy even the most hardcore thrill-seekers out there.

Have you tried any of these out? What adventures make your top 10?

What’s going on behind a black eye?

Wow, it’s been far too long since my last post! I’m almost at a loss as to where to start.

Hmm, so what’s been happening since June? Lots of training, of course…and a handful of injuries involving feet, wrists, xrays and black eyes (still sporting that last one). But it’s Muay Thai – injuries come as standard. Don’t they…?

The thing with a black eye though is that people stare. On the bus, down the street, in the supermarket. You name it. And when it’s a woman with a black eye they stare even more. Some double take; some slyly glance up over the top of their newspaper (just enough not to look too obvious);  and others just stare and stare, quickly glancing away in between gawps, worried you might catch them mid-fascination.

Only one person so far has actually been brave enough to ask what happened. Much to the bank teller’s relief I’m not a battered wife. Had I been one though, he would have been the only person who’d shown any kind of concern. I’d be out there on my own, dealing with it alone. Which is sort of scary and seriously worrying.

So much so that it’s making me think twice about how I support services that do such important work helping women. Services such as Women Against Violence Against Women are helping women feel safer out there and they really need our support. So that’s my promise to myself: To support these services more. I’m not entirely sure how just yet but I’ll keep you posted.

For women interested in learning how to handle themselves, my humble (unprofessional) advice is that Muay Thai is a great place to start.

And to Gabe: It was a great right hook. How could you not throw it? Just wait till next time!! Hahaaah

Fedor Emelianenko takes on Fabricio Werdum in a joint Strikeforce / M1 spectacular

(Huge thanks to Alexia Krause for this great article).

The Strikeforce event on June 26^th is bound to be one for the books.

Strikeforce mixed martial arts has joined forces with M-1 Global to bring some of the toughest fighters in the world together in the cage.

This showcase has a huge title card as Fedor Emelianenko (who is actually a co-owner of M-1 Global) takes on Fabricio Werdum in a heavyweight bout that promises to entertain.

Fedor Emelianenko (also known as ‘The Last Emperor’) holds a record of 31-1. His only recorded loss comes from the fact that his fight with Tsuyoshi Kohsaka was stopped when Emelianenko suffered a gash in the opening seconds of the fight. Even though he has a loss to tarnish his undefeated streak, ‘The Last Emperor’ understands that numbers don’t mean anything when you’re inside the cage.

Fedor has been at the top as the best heavyweight in the world for the better part of the last decade. He has taken down Mirko “Cro Cop” Filipović, Mark Coleman, and Antônio Rodrigo Nogueira on his way there. On June 26^th he goes up against Fabricio Werdum (the number nine heavyweight in the world) for a showdown that’s bound to define the two fighters and the event.

Even though Emelianenko is among the top heavyweights in the world, he will have a lot on his hands going up against the jiu-jitsu technician, Fabricio Werdum. Werdum is known as ‘Vai Cavalo’ or ‘Leading Horse’ which speaks to his wild and free nature in the ring. It looks like Emelianenko will be tasked with taming Werdum if he wants that victory.

Despite this exciting main card, the June 26^th Strikeforce will feature much more heated action. In fact, many more people are looking forward to the top woman in the world, Cris “Cyborg” Santos taking on Jan Finney. Most feel that Cyborg will take out Finney pretty easily and glide on to an effortless victory (even more so considering that Finney’s nickname is ‘Cuddles’), but Finney has been known to be scrappy making the fight a good one to watch.

Plus, seeing Cris Cyborg in action is always an event in itself.

With some of the best male heavyweight and female featherweight fighters clashing on the same night, the June 26^th Strikeforce event is destined to be an exciting evening for MMA fans.

Alexia is a lifelong fan of sports and fitness. Recently, she’s been obsessed with MMA. As a result, she has joined forces with MMA Industries – purveyors of widely popular MMA shirts and gloves. Alexia has been writing about the latest developments in MMA equipment for the past few years, and continues to bring you the latest news in the mixed martial arts world.

Inspiration

I read a book not too long ago about the incredibly inspiring swimmer Dara Torres who, at 41 years old, launched her Olympic comeback and stood on that podium with the best of them.

It was just called “Age is just a number” and, every so often, when I seriously question whether I’m a little crazy to get in to competitive martial arts at 30 years old I remember what you can achieve if you put your mind to it.

As if to confirm this I met a very sweet lady yesterday who, at 56 years old, was about to enter her first world championship power lifting competition. What was even more incredible was that this wonderful lady only started training five years ago and despite going up against people much younger than her she absolutely refused to enhance her performace with any sort of drugs. It was natural or nothing.

There are many more women out there who are perfect examples of age being just a number. Screw how you think you might be judged. If you want it – go for it! Or as my trainer once put it, “Do it or do not do it. There is no try.”

Female fighters Modafferi vs LaRosa (video)

If you’re in any doubt as to whether women can fight, take a look at this recent video.

At 130lbs these two girls are some of the best out there. It was a rematch that earned them fight of the night.

Back on the wagon

You don’t realize how much something means to you until it’s taken away.

I’ve been out of training for a week because of an injury to my foot and it’s been driving me nuts. Sitting still doesn’t come easily, but if I want to get back in to training as soon as possible that’s exactly what I’ve been ordered to do—rest (and ice).

I’m definitely my father’s daughter though. I remember times when he’d have broken a leg or an arm and if you didn’t keep an eye on him, before you knew it, the sling would have been ditched and he’d be back up the very same ladder (or roof!) he fell off, carrying on as if nothing had happened. He doesn’t believe in taking time off to recover and it’s obviously passed down a generation: The crutches were just annoying and I’d ditched them after 24hrs. I’d rather hobble along at a reasonable pace than crawl along with a pair of those.

I’d had enough confinement by yesterday though and left the house saying I’d only be a short time at the gym doing a quick session on the treadmill. But as I finished my sprinting I just couldn’t resist doing some lifting. Just a few weights couldn’t hurt? A little lifting turned in a full workout (!) and I walked back through the front door 90 minutes later. Walked probably isn’t the right word though; more like skipped! It felt so good to sweat again. I think people in the gym must have thought I was nuts, walking round wearing a huge grin. I just couldn’t help it; I was so, so happy to be back again.

So the next time I’m feeling a bit sick of the gym I’m going to bring myself back to how it felt this week not being able to go to the gym at all. That should be enough to give me the kick up the ass I need!

(The foot isn’t 100% but I’m done with taking a back seat. There’s a competition at the end of May that needs preparing for).

Tales of toes

My foot was throbbing, I could barely hobble and I was biting my lip in an effort to hold back the tears threatening to fall while sat in the waiting room at the clinic. What a way to spend a Friday night.

24hrs earlier I’d tumbled over my own feet during training at Universal out in Richmond and, having initially thought there wasn’t much wrong, was stunned to realise I couldn’t move my big toe or put any weight on my left foot. Limping over to the side of the mats I sat on the floor waiting for the feeling to come back to my toe. It didn’t. More than the pain, all I could think about was the training I’d miss. There’s a competition in five weeks and I was about to ramp up my training not take time out.

In the doctor’s room that night he poked and prodded my foot (more pain) and shook his head saying, “Ligament damage and potential fracture,” and sent me on my way with a pair of crutches, an x-ray form and a hateful scowl from the very dark cloud hanging over me. Two months off? I don’t think so.

I’m also a truly awful patient (even when I’m the nurse too!) and ditched the crutches before I managed the four blocks home. I’d rather hobble at a decent pace than be slowed down by those things.

Spent Friday night icing and resting despite really, really wanting to head out downtown on a planned night out (Cliff, I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it. I wasn’t sure dancing on crutches was what the doctor had in mind when he suggested rest!)

Saturday morning was an early one as I negotiated the buses to the x-ray clinic and gave the crutches one last chance to redeem themselves (they’re a great accessory if you need a seat on a bus!)

There were two words I was dreading hearing that day: Fracture and Surgery. The wait for the results was sickeningly agonising but when they came back as negative I could have hugged the technician. All I have to do now is rest and ice which is, in itself, very hard if you’re the kind of person who HATES sitting still. But if it’s what I’ve got to do to get back in to action then I’m all about taking the doctor’s advice.

Four days later and I can put weight on the foot again, which makes me so happy because I can feel the anticipation of the next training session. The swelling is going down and I’m just left with a few bruises on the joints where the impact was. I’m giving myself two weeks (absolute max) and then I’m back on the mats again. Haahaah, if my trainer thought he might be in for some time off he picked the wrong girl to train!

Tiger Balms, March 2010

Finally found some time in between daydreaming (aka obsessing) about training and competing to edit the video from the Tiger Balms this weekend. It was my first foray in to fighting……and I absolutley LOVED, loved, loved it! Who knew that hitting other girls could be so much fun!?!

I’d love to know your thoughts on the fight against the girl in the green shorts. ROBBED is all I’m going to say!

Click here to view the video