StefanZ

And re the blessing of the mongkol... In lack of true thai monks, you can try to get a blessing from someoene else creditable. Some person you held in great estime, whom is also a person with a feeling for spirituality. Your grandma or grandda if they are still alive, otherwise your momma or dad... Or someone else whom you have connection with and do trust. ps. You did made your mongkol yourself. But the same advice for all whom did buy their mongkol in a common shop. Such is my belief.

Perhaps "Advanced course for shorter people"?? Or Advance course in how to fight longer opps? Anyway. In a world when we have awesome stories about girls and women breaking upp the roof, where much HAD been established re equality and reasonably alike possibilities, for women, but really for all; so to notice its not over yet. The battle is won, but the war goes on and battles must be fought and won again and again... So to speak...

I once saw a peculiar match. Blue was inferior, so she fled to the corner and took her last stance there. holding desperately a high guard. Red was furiously attacking and punching forcefully the whole time, although most of the punches of course were caught in the desperate but good guard. Blue managed with just barely a couple of counter strikes, which did hit. to my surprise, the rond (match?) was decided as draw. Huh? Easy, It wasnt Muay, it was with kickboxing rules... Where there is essentially boxing rules. Being dominating doesnt count, what counts is clean hits; and punches do score. So, Red was overhelmingly dominating, but got none extra points for this.. She had lotsa of punches, but most fastened on the guard, just a few clean hits.... While Blue did managed to hit a couple of times... Ergo draw. A side note. This reminds me about an european fotboll "soccer" match between England and Poland on Wembley, which is Englands national arena in London; about 1974. The english had a massive dominance. Lotsa shots on goal. The polish goalkeeper Tomaszewski was a hero.... Took lotsa of shots! Even a couple of punishment shots! Just one goal went in... And the poles manages with the trick; they managed to send a ball forward; and Lubanski run through whole field, driving the ball with him forward. 1-1!!! A draw! History made! Poland to the World Championship, where they took a good and popular third place. Thus, compare kickboxing with soccer...

This with an inner circle around the owner / trainer... And new bees have difficult to come forward. Here, get also the proper education they are de facto paying for, both in their time, effort and often also good money. The phenomena is common! A generous host / owner, whom can create a warm, welcoming athmosphere, is the remedy. But its not always (seldom) the reality.... Ps. A standard way worth to try with, is to anyway work as hard and as well you can. Often enough, with time they will see you ARE a hardworker, not whining for nothing, and with time, accept you in their circle and perhaps even, their cameradeship. If they dont; you hadnt lost much anyway, because your effort will repay for yourself this way or another. Ps. I believe THIS was the way Sylvie did, when she did come to Petchungrang, a male gym... Showing she is a hardworker, she won their acceptance. In this case, as its typically a male dominated milieu, it becomes extra difficult for most females. Sorrowfully but true, this is a common experience for most women in many situations... In war and in peace. That is a heavy reason why most women kept themselves into typically female occupations, and typically female sports... It needs extra determination, and tough skin for a female to be succesfull. in a traditionally male area. Getting massive flak from many men, but sometimes also, from other women... I dont have any good advices nor easy solutions at this moment, I just want to mention it; the problems are a common experience for many females whom want to go forward in a male dominated milieu... And thus, it will help to network with other females (and sympathisers) in martial sports, as here in this forum, but also, networking with almost any other ambitious females, should give some help and mental relief.. Its almost only the so called boygirls, or tomboys, whom manage comfortably in male milieus; they are used to play and work with boys and later on males, and agree with them, "speak on equal and friendly terms"

I think there is / were a wellknown thai Muay grandmaster, whom went the alone way. He did learned by watching... He had never a rational training. After a time, he got work as assistant corner man, and used his time to observe closely and learn... So, if you observe and learn deeply enough, doing the mental visualisation too; half of the job is done... How to build up your physique, is next... But there are surely many ways and ideas.

A possible try is with a friendly cat! Its an old house cure cat skin is good for rheumatism. The fact is, an alive, friendly cat, is even better!!! What is, you must have a cat whom likes to sleep on you... OK, a lesser known fact, is cats and their purring helps also to heal fractures and sprains. These are oh so common with hard training athlethes and - of course - fighters... There are even scientific studies telling the cat purring is in a frequence near the ideal for helping bone fissures to heal... Its possible a loving, friendly dog could do something similiar... But this is speculation. On cats Im fairly sure. In both cases a good bet is to take care of a cat / dog whom is it pity about. From a high kill shelter; or a homeless whom seeks your help. It helps much your karma, and it may help up your health.

Thx for the insights. One comment. The phenomena I did featured in bold... This is not about you, this is about the alone girl / woman in that gym. Here is she alone, eager to train, but more or less aside... If nothing else, she is the alone woman. And suddenly there comes in another adult woman! They want to give their member a positive experience, to be able to met and train with another woman if and when the occasion arises.... Of course, if you are a paying guest, its not necessarily YOUR problem. But. Hey, what do I know, they perhaps even thinks you are in a similar situation? Alone woman in YOUR gym? Anyways, its a problem with several bottoms. I dont know if its customary to phone the owner / coach / host and tell whom you are and what type of train you do wish. Or the owner / host meets the new face and asks... Its done in some of bridge clubs for example: " I wish to visit your club tonight, and will be happy to get a good partner to play with. I consider myself as an expert." Another proposal I fancy is to have labels to put on: Beginner medium, advanced and Mostly fitness (=take it easy in sparring) (Fighter = Im OK with quite rough sparring too), but as I know, this is not done. Ps. Nay, Im not into active martial arts myself; although I did some other sports, including bridge and riding.

Ah, so this phenomena is the reality behind the karate films. When feks Mr Miyagi barely touches the opp, and he falls down although a big strong fellow... Or when Daniel san crushes a big ice cube in the same film. This is so because its a movie, but there IS a core of truth in there... Exactly as you try to describe it. A focused and relaxed strike tends to be more powerful than brute strength. Tx for this moment of insight!

My spontane reaction is, baby and spouse (the main caretaker?) must have the priority. YOU and your training, you can always get there by bike / motorbike. This way you are easily movable. So, not too far from the gym, so the bike ride wont take more than max 10 minutes riding. But otherwise, plan for baby and main caretaker to have it comfortable. If you can find something such, it should be perfect. Unless, spouse and baby also wanna be at the gym... If so, the planning gets a shade more complicated. If you / spouse are used bike riders, its surely possible to have the baby at your chest in a carrier device. but this isnt in everyones taste and potentially dangerous. Otherwise, perhaps a small car is the best. costs more, but covers it all.

You dont want to risk to hurt your sparring pard? its wise, of course. Try perhaps to spar with an experienced fighter, whom is used to get and manage some rough handling. Tell him / her its what the session will be about, so he / she wont get sour you are going all out although this is a friendly sparring... If necessary, jump straight inte the deep water, ie take a real fight, preferably with an opp more experienced than you. Because otherwise you will have the same problem: you want to win and beat up your opp, but you dont want to hurt him / her, not a beginner whom barely had began the carrieer.... A note re female Muays. In clubs in the West;, many of them are really into fitness. So yeah, they will probably be shrieking and protesting as soon it begins to hurt. Female muays do complains too about this phenomen. If you want to sparr reasonably hard hits, be sure you spar with a female whom is herself a wanna be fighter. These manage roughness much better than fitness models. Ask them before you begin in the sharp mode version.

I suppose its best to mail there and ask... Both about costs and his recommendations about your injury. After all, as your coach he should be aware of it. Either train a little easier on you; or better still; learn you techniques compensating in a real fight... If its worth to drive in? If its a good teacher, yes. Look. Compare if you were a rider. or a dancer. Training mostly with your own local coach, and / or on your own. Yet you would do almost whatever you could, to regularly meet up with a top notch trainer. And get part of his top notch coaching lessons... Yes, you would do this even if your local trainer WAS good. But to get influences from another one good trainer, is wise. Even if in the second case, you wouldnt bother to do it every week, but be happy with clinics at least twice a year. Ps. As I understood it, our Sylvie had to drive in to her first sensei, Master K. Apparently it was worth it. I also presume, she trained also lotsa on her own at home. Physical training, shadow boxing, some mental training, such can be done even if you dont have access to a good bag nor pad holder. ps2. Use the driving time for something useful. If nothing else, to hear on a good audio book.... If so done, the long driving hours wont be no waste of time.

The question is, if you got this bunion / hallux vagus, from Muay, or from elsewhere. For example, too tight shoes. I havent noticed Muays have more hallux than other persons. Some do have this sticking out bone, but that is common in the overall population. A direct hallux vagus; yeah I have seen this occasionaly on a fighter, but its not common... Thai women seems to almost never have this. My guess is, they dont use high fashion shoes with tigh toe part forcing the toes together...

You know of course about these different devices to hold back / hold straight the toes in these hallux vagus "bunions"? Cant hurt, may help. For the inflammatory process and pain involved, diklofenac paste as mentioned earlier, should be good. Of course, be double careful to use comfortable, no nonsense shoes or sneakers.

Diclofenac- paste could help some. Its both strong anti-inflammatory and reducing pain. I suppose its possible to get at your place? Ps. I hope its not increasing the risk of bleeding. Salicyl-acid, as in aspirine, is increasing the risk of bleeding.

A little aside note re punching / boxing moments in Muay. Im thinking on the match between Calista and Pheetjeeja a couple of years ago. When Calista was still the young promising european junior, trying to make a carrieer as pro in Thailand, beginning with not too difficult matches. (and yeah, she did managed just fine although a couple of setbacks). I dont know what Calistas manager planned. Did he thought Calista had now matured to meet a strong grandmaster, or did he thought it were nice for Calista to meet another good junior?? And Pheetjeeja, whom at this time abandoned Muay and become a boxer... Pheetjeeja thus did made here a temporary come back. It was visible she didnt no longer care much about what others thought... Why, she was no longer a Muay fighter: She did climbed in above the ropes! And as Pheetjeejas transition into a boxer was now done and complete, she hardly kicked anything. She just wore down poor Calista with series of heavy punches... Calista was brave, it was visible she was determined to endure whatever was coming... Whatever the costs... But after long and severe battering, enough was enough... I do admire Calista she did continued and took other difficult matches, becoming even a specialist on Kard Chuek. Thus. Well done punching and boxing does pays off in Muay too.... Ps. Pheetjeeja returned to Muay. Stronger and better than ever... She continues her tradition of not using her patented horrible horse kicks against women, but she has become instead a master of elbows... AND her hard punching, together with her fully mature physical strengh, AND all the technical skills she always had, makes her a fearsome opponent to any grandmaster.

ps 1. The mosquitos I do talk about, are our european ones (and yes, some of them are able to carry malaria. In historic time malaria wasnt unusual in Europe. But I suppose the asian mosquitos species, they dont like garlic them either. ps 2. Observe, garlic is more or less harmful for cats and dogs. So we cant use them for defending our pets against ticks... Perhaps smear some on the collar??

There are some home remedies and tricks of repelling biting insects, as mosquitos and bed bugs. I myself use garlic in capsules; one each day (no taste and no smell). Takes most biting insects, and also ticks. Apparently they dont like the smell nor taste, and dont bite the human whose blood tastes garlic. Im not saying its a fool sure defence, but perhaps 70- 80%.... I have noticed I get nowadays bitten much less than before. If you dare to manage without anti-malaria remedies, so with garlic as addition you should feel pretty safe... Or you can google on and try some other trick, or a combo. Garlic is also by itself a healthy supplement / food.

An overprotective coach is a much lesser problem compared with a coach whom doesnt care, whom isnt YOUR ally.... I believe Sylvie has written about this aspect too. So while you should abandon and flee such an non caring coach and gym, I do hope its "just" to talk it through honestly and openly with this overprotective coach... Hopefully you will get a new balance. If not, you may think on changing gym - hopefully with this coach blessings and advice whom to choose instead. This problem reminds me about another but similiar problem. Its usually guys telling about sparring with females they dont know well. Ie, they often do avoid to sparr women, or take it supereasy on them. They dont wish to hurt the girls, nor get negative reactions from the girls nor their pals. There are several different aspects to see this. Some are entirely legitimate! As I see it, its because, in the clubs in west, its common many of the women training in Muay clubs, arent wanna be fighters, many are really into fitness. (Or beginners) So they fitness fighters are often technically decently knowleable, and thus able to do some good sparring, but only as long as its friendly and easy on them... But they dont wish to risk pains nor hurts... So a female Muay, whom IS a wanna be fighter, and thus, doesnt mind some rough sparr - yes even WISHES hard tough sparring - must tell about this. Or even herself challenge these guys or the more advanced female fighters present... To be honest, its not only a guy - female thing, this being overprotective, even if its the frequently described. I have seen female fighters, whom by the same reasons avoid to sparr against other women: the ouches and scared crys begins immediately the beating begins... I think the long term solution is to have some system of labels; essentially: Im a wanna be fighter; Im OK with serious sparring, even if it hurts some. Or; Im a fitness fighter. Im able to do technically advanced sparring, but it must be on a light and friendly niveu. And perhaps equvalents for beginners. The short term solution is, exactly as above, to try and talk with each other. Talk by mouth, body language, behavior in the gym... Good luck!