LengLeng
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Posts posted by LengLeng
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37 minutes ago, Oliver said:
When the doc did the neuro exam on you, what kind of things he look for/ask you?
Got told the same after the shower thing on the back of my head, even though really wanted the MRI or whatever it's called, doc said no need and all fine and sent me away. This was a Thai hospital so couldn't really communicate much
But felt scary anyway. Fine eventually but...it's the fact that the impact was in the back of the head that caused the worry. Never happened before, and feels different to getting hit on the forehead.
Oh if it was a Thai hospital and they said MRI not necessary they were probably pretty sure as my experience is they are happy to do any tests.
My injury happened during the evening and although I almost lost balance in the shower afterwards,because of night curfew and that I felt ok, it felt better waiting until the morning. I tend to hold my breath when I get nervous and with the face mask I think some of the dizziness came from lack of oxygen.
My trainer went with me for translation and the first doc at a Thai affiliated hospital (SML) told me I definitely needed a scan and neurosurgeon. She referred me to SSC. At that place they wouldn't let me in, got concerned I'm a foreigner even though I have 0 travel history since January. Eventually they sent us off saying I should find a different hospital, because they didn't have the specialist I needed available right now.
So my trainer called one of his students who is a doctor who told me I don't need a specialist right away but a general practitioner can do the first check. So I went to a private hospital (Parami which has good reputation). Triage area was outside under a little tent. And then the doc (not a specialist) asked a lot of questions also questions like where I am and so on. He did the touch nose touch finger things, I had to close my eyes and tell him where I felt a tickle, he checked my neck for stiffness or looseness, checked my smell, pupils, I had to do a lot of gesture things with my hands and he also explained very well what and why he checked this and that. All in all it was very similar to neurological checks I've done in Europe.
Right now I feel a bit like I wear a helmet forehead pain and neck pain. But ok and thinking doesn't exhausts me like the day after.
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1 hour ago, Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu said:
Yeah, I'm not sure what to add to what Kevin said, since he's speaking from our shared experience with this. I'd say pay very close attention to any symptoms that might develop after the fact and, even if you don't have dizziness, fogginess, headaches, or anything like that to still be very cautious in resuming anything that rattles your brain. So, no sparring with head punches and see whether or not hitting a heavy-bag causes any kind of discomfort to that area of your head (from the impact, obviously not from contact).
Maybe increase Omega 3 fats in your diet to help your brain heal as well, knowing that it took a shock even if you don't have any concussion symptoms.
Hey @kevin and @Sylvie many thanks for these this very helpful replies. Although I have very little experience/knowledge I also instinctively feel my head needs to be still somehow.
Omega 3 of course, excellent advice. And it might be a good idea to start keto again. It makes sense it would be beneficial for the brain considering the nice sharp focus ketosis gives you and also the science on Alzheimer's and ketones.
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1 hour ago, Oliver said:
God that sounds horrible... and especially on a rock hard floor like that.
Can you not get more time off work from your boss? You got hospital receipts for evidence.
Never had anything like that from muay thai, only slipped in the shower once and then head crashed on the side wall tiles. Stitches and pain, so rested at home after.
Feel better soon
Hey thanks so much. Yeah it hurt so much but ok..stitches from slipping in the shower sounds more painful.
I could get time off work, but I'm involved in the country's covid response activities so it's more my own choice.
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Two days ago after training I was doing some body work (my gym in Yangon opened up with some measures in place). My body and head were pretty sore after some tough sparring. I played around with tractor tires and I tried to lift and flip one overhead. But I lost balance, fell backwards smacked my head into the asphalt and then the tire smacked me in the face. I didn't lose consciousness and no amnesia. I have a lot of scrape wounds in my face and my nose was bleeding a lot but no back head wound, just a big bump. No nausea no sickness just dizziness and aches.
The day after -just to be sure- I went to the hospital (had to go to three in total jeez) and a doc did a neurological examination checking reflexes and all that stuff. Nothing seemed to be wrong and they didn't feel the need for a scan as I had no symptoms of inner swelling.
It was a nasty hard blow but I doubt I even had a concussion.
Anyhow, I rested one day and thought I would do some light swimming today. Unfortunately I have to work although thinking feels overwhelming a bit.
Since fighters are the best to ask about these stuff, any advice on how to get back into training? What to think about?
I feel so stupid getting injured like that first day back...
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8 hours ago, Nadiyaz said:
do you mean pay for the coverage?
You need to pay up front and later be reimbursed by your insurance provider I meant.
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Discipline equals freedom by Jocko Willink.
Can't hurt me by David Goggins.
I guess these might be obvious though.
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4 hours ago, Nadiyaz said:
Wouldn't my insurance take care of that?
But you would probably have to pay up front I guess?
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16 hours ago, SHELL28 said:
Ruup isn’t Ning...
how?
I’m confused... I really enjoy these terminologies the Thais have But what’s the difference here.
or what’s your definition of the two..
Ruup is how you hold yourself?
Ning is superhero business?
In a yoga studio I visited in Thailand they would use the word Ning a lot as in presence and stillness when holding a pose.
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20 hours ago, AndyMaBobs said:
A while ago I was trying to research where Muay Thai, Kun Khmer, Lethwei etc. I was trying to write an article on it, because they are all so clearly the same art just interpreted in slightly different ways. I got in touch with Antonio Graceffo (Brooklyn Monk) because he was the guy that really lived with kun khmer and bokator, which was the martial art I initially suspected might be the mother art to them all.
This is really interesting, thanks for sharing. The dynamics between Thailand and Myanmar are very interesting due to the history. In general I feel Thai muay thai people don't like Myanmar at all whereas middle class Thais will not be too influenced by history. I got a lot of "oooh I am so worried for you Myanmar no good Myanmar very bad" from gym people when I said I was moving. And whenever I post footage from my training on facebook muay thai trainers from Thailand will message me and be upset because "this is not good this is not muay thai etc. etc." From Myanmar people, well when talking to friends who are Bama (Burmese) they feel that Thai people don't like them ("they are afraid of us") but they don't really mind Thais, but they hate being looked down upon. But then other people from Kachin and Karen or other etnic groups (Myanmar has so many ethnicities and active civil wars and there are many areas not controlled by government) it is a bit of beggars can't be losers mentality. To be able to fight in Thailand means money. And many will have relatives who work in Thailand.
Regarding the relationship between muay thai and lethwei it is really hard to find out much more than that lethwei is really old. Once lockdown is over (we have some lockdown light here) I plan to visit thut ti lethwei gym and talk to their owner who apparently is an advocate for pure lethwei and speaks english very well.
Oh and back to the topic, yeah he works hard. Apparently when he was younger he worked in the mine with his dad and then came home and did pushups and pullupsand all the work and watched videos with his hero van Damme and eventually found his way to Yangon where he started fighting until a knee injury stopped him. He is one of the trainers at LeDuc's lethwei camp in November this year, hoping it will still actually happen.
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This is such an engaging topic I've followed for a while but been reluctant to post because I find it so hard to discuss my mental health openly.
Although I too feel muay thai can do so much to empower you, I feel it can easily break you down. If you're in a vulnerable mental state, training in a Thai muay thai gym can add tonnes of bricks to the mental stress. It's hard to deal with hard sparring when feeling like you're made of glass and you're stuck behind a wall and you can't really hear anybody else but the critical loudspeaker in your own mind. And also especially since relationships in Thailand are so important and maintaining relationships can be draining or impossible when you're in a state where you cannot even maintain the relationship to yourself. Add to this promoters with other interests than putting on a good fight card. Or trainers demanding respect.
Further, as a woman, there are so many invisible barriers to climb. And sometimes it doesn't matter what you do, doors simply don't open.
I think for me personally, I might have at one point taken on too much and probably should've stayed away from the gym and all the relationship maintenance for a while until I was stronger. Instead of trying and trying and getting disappointed.
Even though I'd go back to my gym in a heartbeat if I could (my plan was to be in Bangkok right now to fight) my mental health benefitted tremendously from training at a gym with no active fighters and having the space just to push myself how I wanted and play around for a while.
Anxiety is awful, it's like a dragon in your chest clawing. But at least there's some kind of moving energy. Depression is how I imagine dark matter. It just swallows you.
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Most gyms shutting down in Bangkok as per government request. Owner of Numponthep gym and well renowned promoter Num seems like he has gotten infected as well. Stay safe. Myanmar is also shutting down cinemas, night clubs and public events. No confirmed cases but they only tested less than 150 potential cases with a population of more than 50 million people. Gyms still open for now.
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4 hours ago, threeoaks said:
That sounds like the stage we were at last week - kinda desultory preparation and a few things slowing down here and there. But this week we are in full shutdown - schools, all large social events and people are being directed to limit their social engagements, maintain 6 feet apart as best they can (hard in cities but I am in a small town). I have noticed a gym offering classes for 4 people only to be able to keep the 6 feet apart. My gym and others are banning shared equipment. People have to bring their own and not leave them in the gym.
Oooh...yeah I feel it too as if it will get more intense. I'm just worried ppl will start panicking and other countries will close their borders to us. I'll train one way or the other.
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4 hours ago, threeoaks said:
Just checking in to see what is happening around the world with Muay Thai and the pandemic. I am at home with a sick spouse and so unwilling to expose my gym in case I am a carrier. Supposedly they will begin online training soon, and I trained at home and will continue to do so. A fighter in my gym had his fight cancelled due to the epidemic (its a small gym). What is up with you?
Some of my gyms in Bangkok have considered closing down but not done so yet. The SuperChamp host Matthew Deane has posted on Instagram he's confirmed Covid-19 and I heard this Sunday's show has been cancelled. Some arenas, including, JF Stadium in Pattaya have canceled fights on ad hoc basic. I'm in Yangon and Myanmar has no confirmed cases but that does not say anything pretty sure it's already here. No gyms have closed down yet but other larger events including this years new year/water festival. I've had a sinus infection this week so worked from home, fatigued, but no fever no shortness of breath so went back to the gym when I felt better. Through my work I'm involved in the public health sector and if there's an outbreak it will not be good. Next week there will be further guidelines for working arrangements, travels (restricted for now), public gatherings, etc. There's some panic, people stocking up and I sort of expect gyms to announce they might close temporarily as well.
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On 2/24/2020 at 9:12 PM, StefanZ said:
I saw there is another idea. The swedish 45 kg master, Camilla Danielsson (camilladanielsan on insta) do often uses something looking as such a neopren warmers when sparring. So I asked her, exactly why she uses these warmers, and Camilla very kindly answered: its not neopren warmers, its compression sleeves! She uses them not for protection, but to help out her blood circulation in the muscles, when they are extremely tired out, as its often with top athletes with theirs massive training... (I would guess she tends to get cramps in the calves.)
I presume its an useful tip with these compression sleeves! And unlike Camilla, Im pretty sure they too give some protection for the shins, even if its not why Camilla uses them.
This is good advice. I'm sure these are very useful.
Im not using anything though, maybe ankle protectors I place on my shins instead.
Since I do laser treatments on my legs I'm a bit reluctant to try the apple cider vinegar potion @Sylvie mentioned. Afraid it will burn.
I'm slowly being conditioned. And I love sparring tough and getting used to train with pain especially since I do not have any current upcoming fight opportunities.
But recently a new trainer came to my gym. He's from Myanmar but spent a lot of time in Thailand and I watched him shadow (he's probably close to 70) and it was such a beautiful muay that came out of it. I realised he spoke Thai so we could communicate and he showed me a lot of beautiful moves and he did not want to block at all. Instead he just backed up, ducked, used head movements which looked so elegant.
So I've been trying that a lot which of course limits shin on shin impact. He also did not want me to spar hard rather learn moving the body. Nevertheless I love being able to learn pain through training. So I'll do both styles.
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On 3/4/2020 at 3:07 PM, Hanuman steals the star said:
At our Gym, there is no use of shin guards for sparring or drills. The reasoning being that before westerners started training in Thailand in large numbers, they didn't exist.
Our teachers are of the opinion that training is where you are conditioning your body to fight. If you can't handle light contact during training, how's it gonna feel in a fight the first time you get your shin smashed? Yes it hurts sometimes, but this is a fighting sport.
Do you use force and block like in a fight or you kick with your foot?
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9 minutes ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:
All this is to say, the beautiful story of your trainer is just that, real human beauty. Awesome that you shared it. Such real stuff. But some of the couching of the story, in the larger framework of Lethwei vs Muay Thai for me really is missing some important aspects.
I don't really comment on politics in countries I work in and I don't really want to either Myanmar politics are way too complex for discussions like these. But I think you misunderstand my point. I couldn't care less about which of these disciplines are more pure, I find these debates stupid. What I do see is similarities in what it means to grow up in Thailand or Myanmar and fight for a living. And how far this is from westerners dreams of fighting "real fight" and experience a traditional gym ("but the trainers should speak english please"). I'm myself a westerner with these kind of fight aspirations and it's probably why this clash of cultures fascinates/disturbs/interests me so.
Please feel free to edit my post if you have issues with whatever things I wrote (and really did not claim were facts).
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5 minutes ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:
There is a seriously long, as in centuries long, political animosity between these two countries, intense hatred, and the symbolism of Muay Thai as a national identity and pride plays a really important part of this. It isn't just "some people", its generations of belief.
Where do you get this story of origin, I'm curious? My suspicion is that claims like this tend to be ideological in basis.
Yes Kevin, obviously I'm aware of the history between the two countries.
Nevertheless, if you look online google lethwei muay thai there are lots of discussions by foreigners on which form is the most pure etc etc and "muay thai being a watered down version of lethwei" and so on. There was recently some argument between LeDuc and Liam Harrison etc. It feels like this sort of thing is many times also fuelled by westerners. And it's a bit ridiculous.
I think the general claim (from people who prefer lethwei) is that since lethwei is supposedly older than muay thai, muay thai must have been influenced by lethwei. Haven't done any own research though. And that wasn't exactly the point with my post either.
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First of all, apologies for bringing Myanmar traditional boxing (Lethwei) into this but as far as I understand muay boran (and other fighting styles in the region) originates from Lethwei. I feel there are some people who want to create an impression of animosity between lethwei and muay thai, but I just experience it as two beautiful versions of the same thing. Anyhow, one of my teachers sent me this old photo from his home in Kachin State, northern Myanmar and one of the most active armed conflict zones. And I wanted to share just to remind foreigners who come to fight in Thailand or Cambodia or Myanmar what cultures they are actually interacting with and where your trainers actually come from.
My teacher in the photo is a sweet, friendly guy in his 20s. He works at three different gyms in Yangon that focus martial arts fitness and he leads his classes with enthusiasm and smiles. He sleeps at the gym where I'm training. Regardless of skill level he'll find and push you beyond your boundaries. He has had about 30-40 fights and is currently recovering from a nasty knee injury and subsequent surgery, waiting to be able to fight again. He's also waiting for an invitation and visa to go teach at a western gym in a western country. To prep for the visa process he goes to English school in his free time. His biggest dream is to become a One Championship fighter. And he keeps his body fit in the meantime.
This photo simply got to me. It's just such a harsh reminder of what it means to really want it. The endless hours you put in that no one is there to see. And it, as so many times before, painfully reminded me of how spoiled I am as a foreigner when trying to choose the most suitable gym for me, or complaining about pad holders style, or not getting fights, or the whatever.
And the caption I was given with the photo also summarizes the attitude so well: "Now ok before ok you know?"
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On 2/7/2020 at 7:46 PM, Barbara_K said:
@LengLeng
I little envy you training at a Lethwei Gym in Yangon! When I visit Myanmar next time I definitely want to give it a try, too! Last time in Mandalay I didn't find one but it was my first visit to Myanmar that time and I first had to see how things go there.
Wish you all the best!Oh let me know if you need any advice on finding a gym. I'm at a fitness lethwei gym which I wouldn't really recommend as currently there are no fighters training there and they don't teach fighting styles. But I have a good connection with 2 trainers who give me extra work and one was up until recently an active fighter (knee injury but just waiting to recover to start fighting again) and they know gyms in the country.
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On 1/31/2020 at 4:34 PM, happyhippydad said:
I haven't logged on for a few days but it's great to come back and see some replies, thanks all
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It looks like you all do a mixture of extra exercises ranging between cardio and strength. I'm not too sure how much lifting weights actually helps with Muay Thai but (albeit a bit vain) I like having a strong body. My teacher certainly focuses on technique. She is far smaller than some of the big chaps that go but she has such speed and moves so naturally and instinctively.
I was surprised at the replies mentioning yoga, in what ways does this help with Muay Thai? I'm guessing flexibility and perhaps helping to relax?
Yoga in general is great for physical and mental well-being. But it also benefits muay thai by helping you improve balance, have a calm mind, controlled breathing, and of course keeping your muscles and ligaments and all that stuff healthy, which will help you remain injury free. Same goes for weightlifting, muay thai can he hard on your knees, strong legs help prevent knee injury. Or hips or shoulders etc.
A lot of times muay thai practice will be repetitive, doing the same stuff over and over. Adding other kinds of exercises will function as a counter-measure keeping your body alert.
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In general 6 times/week. I try to add running in whenever I can, either in the mornings before work or before or after training. My sessions are around 2-3 hours and always involve pushups and pullups. Trying to have the discipline to add some strength training as well (goblet squats, dumbbell snatches, weighted lunges, turkish getups). Sometimes I'll mix it up with some crossfit. Struggling to add yoga back into my routine which would probably be very helpful.
If I do not have access to a gym I still try to train 6/week and focus on some calisthenics and high intensity stuff.
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On 1/25/2020 at 5:41 PM, StefanZ said:
I wonder if a good compromise could be such a warming neoprene shin-protectors. these made by Vulcan are the most known but there are surely other producents too...
They dont compromise your balance nor speed sitting on you as your extra skin. You get also nicely warmed if you have any tendency to shin splits or other inflammations there.
Similiar protectors exists for almost any limb parts. Useful if you had some contusion or local inflammation there - protects and warms up.
They doesn protect as well as a real shin guard, but better than nothing.
It doesnt protect the feet either, unlike a well made shin guard which has a flap covering most ot the feet. But you can use an ankle protector, either a traditional one, as even the King himself uses at coronation ceremony, or again, such a one of neoprene.
If a neoprene cover is supposed to protect your carryable computer against mishaps, it should be able to give some protection to your shins too.
Hey interesting advice, thank you. Had no idea it's the heat that also adds protection, but of course it makes sense. I currently use ankle protectors on my shins for some extra padding. But once I get access to better shopping opportunities I might try these things as I've struggled a lot with shin splints in the past and they always on the verge of reappearing.
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On 1/23/2020 at 6:05 PM, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:
You say it right, you "catch" the kick, which means you pick a spot on the shin you want to catch it with, and you meet it up, like you are using a glove and catching a ball. As to how high you bring it up depends on how high the kick is. I'm not super experienced with this myself, but I did start doing it in padwork when I had a banged up shin, and the train was fond of whacking me back with a kick. I just started catching the kick just below the kneecap, or even with the point of the knee, gently. For me, I'd fold the leg a bit to give the knee support. It is very hard when bent. There are some really good things about it. The first is that you are practicing accuracy. People don't think of blocks needing accuracy, but they do. It's usually just "Get your block up!", but all the greats were super accurate with their checks. They aren't using the whole shin. Trying to catch it in a specific part of the shin is super productive, and will give you confidence in your checks over time.
As to hurting your partner, well, they are hurting you. Not intentionally, but yeah, it's hurting you. The whole point of sparring without shin guards, or the whole benefit, is that it teaches you control and feeling. If you are catching kicks up on the thick high part of your shin, or catching with the point (a little), they just have to pull their kicks, gain control. It's sparring, not whacking. You don't have to spear them with the knee, just catch it.
I'm not even saying you could/should do this. But there are some good ideas why it might make sense in your situation. And it could be fun. In terms of Muay Thai you don't want to be catching kicks all day, in the long term.
Hi Kevin this is gold! Thank you so much. It's this kind of advice that is like 'yeah of course it's like that/why on earth I didn't consider it yet it's so obvious'.
Game changer advice. Use your legs as you use your hands (duh) with control.
Makes 1000 percent sense to me and I'll try it immediately.
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1 hour ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:
You can use it as an occasion to maybe become more accurate with the block, and try and catch the kicks up at the top of the shin where the bone is thicker, below the knee, or even bending the leg and catching it with the knee point. This is basically the Low Kick Destroyer (catching low kicks on the knee point). It might be worth experimenting with, just to avoid catching all kicks.
To catch kick at top of shin would that mean to not raise leg as high as one would regularly do? Or do I sort of angle the leg/knee?
I was considering the low kick destroyer (I'm not really good at it yet or tbh not at all) but wouldn't I hurt my partner?
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Back of head injury how to get back into it
in Muay Thai Technique, Training and Fighting Questions
Posted
Yeah it's how it is with health care here...
Yeah it was outside, so basically like concrete. I'm still a bit shocked it went as well as it did.