Jilly Mcculloch

Hey, I get this! I am 6ft and 65kg so although tall pretty light for my size. The main reason people struggle to get past me is due to my reach - they come in head on with out using footwork and angles which is my q to teep, jab or use a long knee if they charge in for the clinch. It sends them back (crashing back if they are charging at me). My advice to my shorter guys is always this - use you footwork and angles - constantly moving on the balls of your feet. Mix it up - go high then low, low then high, use mental tricks to keep me busy and don't run at me - it wont work. Chop the leg - kick kick kick on that leg and weaken the base - it may not score high but it take away my ability to teep and move and open up further opportunities to score well further down the line. Stand in the pocket with me - once you get in don't back up - work the body, use your angles to keep me guessing, strike on the way out. When you are tall its hard to deal with someone in close -esp if they close the distance - my long legs and arms cant get in range to counter well. Stay away from trying to catch my kick and flip me - unless your good at it - otherwise you won't have the leverage. Long people usually rely on range so we tend to fatigue quicker when someone is relentlessly coming forward in a smart fashion :) Good luck - let me know how it goes xx

Hey TZ22. Sounds like you have maybe cut back a little too much. 7 weeks out to lose 3kg is definitely doable for most. A wee word of advice is to be careful about cutting out meals - particularly this early on. Absolutely, drop the sweets, sugar and cream in your coffee, alcohol if you drink, watch salt intake too but unless you are eating crazy amounts I wouldn't drop meals - particularly if you are training 6 x week. Listen to your body. You need to fuel it - one of the main reasons people can't lose weight when exercising is because they are not eating enough. If there is not enough fuel going in to the body to come close to the out put of energy your body will go into survival mode, effectively starvation mode. It will work extra hard to hold on to all of it's reserves. The basic formula is to ensure your calorie intake is less than your energy spent - however - it shouldn't be a huge difference - just enough to put you in a deficit that still allows your body to function at a high level and to sustain that deficit for as long as needed. Over time (usually 6 to 12 weeks) your body will re-calibrate it's 'normal' weight. There is truth in the old saying if you lose the weight slowly it will stay off. My fitness pal or a similar app can help you keep track of your levels so you can stay on track for a sustained cut so you don't need to dehydrate. Few tips - make sure you are drinking enough water. If your body is dehydrated it cannot burn fat. It's in survival mode. It's something ridiculous like 1% dehydration leads to a steep decrease in fat burning. Don't worry so much about a few lbs change on the scales over night or during the day. Water weight fluctuates daily so it's normal to have lost slightly and then regain and vice versa. Weigh yourself once or twice a week on the same scale, in the morning, after using the bathroom and keep a note. You will see the trend. Low salt intake will help with water retention, as will eating refined carbs and simple sugar such as fruit. In all honesty, I reckon if you eat balanced for 7 weeks, keep hydrated, cut out refined sugar and keep the salt low you will smash the target easily if you are training 6 x week. Don't neglect good sugars - fruit etc - you need them! Best of luck on it - I am sure you will be grand :)

Hey, I would agree with the above & suggest shinnies anything with the top of the foot in training. Even focus pads. It's easy to damage your foot, esp if you are repeatedly drilling. If you catch someone with a low guard flush to the lower side of the jaw, much like throwing a good hook, you can drop them using a more TKD style kick although accuracy is key and you really need the power on the lower leg to kick through. I favour this type of head kick in sparring - chamber and snap - as it's easier to control the speed and power to ensure you land with a light tap. It's not strictly MT- more high kick or TKD style but I find it really useful as I am tall with a long reach.Maybe see if you can get your hands on a TKD style paddle which is really soft and designed for this style kicking or even use a noodle float wedged somewhere high. We have a rope hanging from the ceiling in the gym for conditioning - I like to tie the loose end to the ring to create a high floating target to practice high kick stuff :)

I would probably strap it either with zinc oxide over an anklet or KT/Rock tape whilst you train around it as well as the usual hot/cold/elevate etc. Even if there is no soft tissue damage it won't do it any harm for a short period of time - lots of people strap to prevent strains/pulls etc. If there is a little damage it will add stability to the joint and offers compression whilst the tissue recovers. Loads of videos on how to strap online if not sure. For rehab, I like to use the alphabet trick - spell out the alphabet with your foot the get the joint moving and new blood to the site. Well done on your recent bout! :)

Hiya Sorry to hear about your knee injury - sound like it had been a nasty one! Knee injuries can be tricky - recovery time and rehab strategy depends on what has actually happened. When do you find out the results of the scan and what did the physio suggest in the mean time?

Hiya, I can recommend RDX if you are in the UK. Not all the way from Thailand but as close as you will get locally - ideal for general training. They dont have loads of designs but the ones they do have are nice and it's free postage also good price circa £ 15.00. they are made quite large, everything with RDX is, so I would suggest a medium if your uk size 12 and primark has lycra undershorts in for £4 juSt now.