QueenOfHell

I haven't! Although a couple of the guys at my gym have boon gloves & pads, and they look kush AF, and I do like the retro style...so these could definitely be in my future.

I recently made my first pair of Pra Jiads with nylon cord and think they came out well! I'm still studying the Mongkol, as I can't quite figure out how they get the bulk/round shape, but I've been leaning towards paracord knots...specifically the cobra and crown knots. I'm thinking the Mongkol will need to be a king cobra knot, but there still seems to be a few details I haven't quite figured out... Maybe not much help, but you aren't alone! I'd love to figure it out as well.

Gloves: 12oz Society Nine Bia Boxing gloves. Because of my smaller hands, I like that these are made specifically for women. Shinguards: Low-Profile Hayabusas. Again, because of my smaller size I like the sleeved fit and smaller build. I also like that they aren't super padded as I'm hoping they'll help condition my shins a little while still offering some protection. Shorts: Still trying to find the right pair for me... I have some Raja's that are nice, but a little too small for mediums. I recently bought a pair of InfightStyle EZ fight line in medium, and they fit better.

These rankings are really cool and inspiring to see! I've been trying to follow more female fighters and pay attention to those fight circuits, but being able to break them down by specific weight classes and a general top 6 is so helpful! It gives me something to work towards. I mean, I don't think I'd ever rank that high but just knowing which fighters are considered the top of my weight class is so awesome. Representation matters. Now there's this concrete thing in my head, like "if I want to be the best, I have to be [insert ranked fighter] good!" And although you've already mentioned it, Kevin, I had the same thoughts about Loma being #1 in her class. Your insight on the matter helped add perspective, and I do agree that she deserves to start there...but don't think she should stay. After reading your thoughts about the various fighters Sylvie has faced...do you think there should (or could) be a general, non-weight restrictive ranking? Or would that be too hard to quantify because of various weight, skill, and experience factors?

What a journey! Its so good to hear that you never gave up, and always kept trying...doing...in the face of pain and debilitation (even if it wasn't easy), and that you found Sylvies videos. Her videos did a lot for my mental state as well when I was injured last year. I kept trying to push beyond my limits and kept re-injuring the same spot. I knew I had to stop...and recover, and being able to dive deep into the mental training with the way Sylvie and Kevin talk about Muay Thai in the podcast was a life saver. Being able to watch the passion (and invaluable knowledge) she brings out in the long-form training with legends, oh man! I almost think that everyone needs to study the history, general knowledge and mental capacity of Muay Thai just as much as the physical. I cant wait to read your next post

Watching Sylvie live is my favorite! I have my facebook notifications set to alert me when she goes live, and it usually times almost perfectly to when I'm on my way or just getting into work. I love starting my day with a Sylvie fight!

Hello there! We are similar in weight/size and I have the same issue, often. I'm 5' 1", 125 lbs, 30years old... I've been training for over 2 years now, and some things that have helped me improve in this area are having a solid/sturdy footing (already mentioned), and resistance from my arms (not my wrist). I find when I hold through my arms instead of my wrists, there's more stability and strength to resist their punch/kick/knee/etc. The other thing I've been exploring is which pads I use. Some of the pads in my gym have thicker handles, some of the pads are so worn in the handle is no longer sturdy enough (enter wrist support problems), some of the pads don't have straps that get tight enough around my (smaller) arms, and some of the pads are just awkward for me to hold because my hands are smaller than average. So I started exploring the different pads we have, and have found a few "go to" sets that I feel fit my body a little better and have little features that just seem to work better for me than other pads.