Phillip Lai – Muay Thai Melbourne

As the old saying has it, Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither were those lithe and lean figures you see attracting envious gazes on the beach during summer. 

You see, the simple fact of the matter is that lean summer bodies are made in winter.

When the more rotund among us were tucked up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate, mindlessly flicking through a thousand channels of meaningless entertainment, those now lithe and lean beach bodies were being sculpted in the gym.

The Dynamic of Life

For over 40 years, researchers at Stanford University conducted a series of important psychological tests involving hundreds of children. The followed these children as they grew and matured into adulthood.

Among their findings, discovered that one of the most important indicators for success in health, work, and life was the ability to delay gratification.

This ability to defer small pleasure now, for greater pleasure in the future is what marks humans from purely instinct driven animals. 

An underlying dynamic of life is clear – those of us with a highly developed understanding of the value of sacrifice tend to do better in so many important areas of life. Including, building a physique to be proud of.

Build That Beach Body This Winter

Desmond Tutu once said, “There is only one way to eat an elephant – one bite at a time.”

Building a great physique doesn’t occur overnight. But, consistent training in the Martial Arts throughout the winter will soon see that ‘elephant’ begin to disappear – in time for summer

Training in combat sports such as Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu makes demands on not just strength and cardio, but flexibility and endurance too. This type of training helps sculpt an enviable physique possessed of power, speed, and agility.

Learn New Skills While Sculpting That Beach-Bod

It can be hard to stay motivated when the reward seems so far away. You may not be strutting your stuff on the beach for months, it’s cold out, and you have a Netflix marathon loaded up and ready to go.

But getting to the gym to train Martial Arts in the winter makes more sense than many other activities you could be doing. 

It’s indoors for a start! More importantly though, the Martial Arts are skills-based. 

There are no long hours pointlessly pounding the treadmill, or rowing a machine that has never so much as been wet. 

Training in the Martial Arts throughout winter, you’ll develop important skills that could potentially save you, or a loved one, from being victimised some day. 

Not least of all though, the fun to be had in a good spar or roll is hard to match! And knowing you are building a lean body that will be beach-ready by summer is no hardship either.

Get started on building that summer body this winter!

2020 was set to be one of the biggest years for Australian Combat Sports Academy. I felt like we had finally settled into our bigger facility after moving over a year ago. The gym was flourishing with all classes near capacity. Our inhouse Novice MMA event “Bushido” was gaining momentum and the fight team was coming off its most successful year of ACSA competition history in 2019. We started off 2020 with some impressive wins on Muay Thai shows and had some big fights lined up for the rest of the year. Then COVID-19 happened….

In the beginning when the new of Covid-19 first broke, most people treated it like a joke and didn’t think it would affect us here in Australia. As the situation started to worsen we were forced to close our doors on the 23rd of March.

Dealing with the uncertainty.
The hardest part about owning a small business during COVID-19 was the uncertainty. The uncertainty of not knowing what’s going on and most importantly what to do. It’s something no one has ever faced before and there was no blue-print to navigate through it. When we first closed our doors I thought it would have only lasted for a month. It dragged on for 3 months. The main problem with uncertainty was that we weren’t able to plan for anything. We had no timeline or way out to even plan a strategy to get out of this. One of our basic human needs is certainty in our lives. It is no wonder anxiety levels hit an all-time high for many during these times.

Adapting and evolving.
Just like with any other business we had to adapt and evolve. It meant stepping up to the plate rather than burying your head and waiting for the storm to pass. I know that if we had just closed for the entirety of the pandemic then we wouldn’t be able to reopen when it was all over. We had to counter every change or restriction put in place. Physical classes were not permitted, so we went online. Small group sessions were permitted, so we went outdoors. Upon reopening we had capacity restrictions, so we had to cap classes. The second wave hit and now we’re back online. It hasn’t been easy constantly adapting but it’s something I knew we had to do to keep the members engaged over these difficult times. It takes 28 days to build or break a habit. If people broke the habit of not training for more than 28 days it’s highly likely they wouldn’t return.

The digital revolution.
When we first started the online classes I honestly had no idea how they would go or if people would even want to do them. It’s something I’d never run before and neither had anyone else! It took a few sessions to get a good format in place. The challenges faced with running online sessions were space and equipment limitations of participants, as well as being able to keep them engaged for the entire session.

Not everyone took to the online classes for various reasons but the reality was that there was no other alternative. If you really want to train then you will find a way and not make excuses. The online classes attracted the people I wanted to work with, serious martial artists who didn’t make excuses to skip training. I channelled all my energy into these sessions and received a lot of positive feedback. The best part about the online classes is that members were able to slow down the techniques to a pace where they could perfect and practise them flawlessly. In a  physical class format, sometimes I find that members would rush techniques without performing them correctly in order to get more of a sweat on, or to not a slow partner or class down. The online classes completely eliminated this. When we were permitted to reopen I noticed that the members who had participated in online classes had better technique than before they went into lockdown.

Lockdown 2.0
We were not even 2 weeks into the physical reopening when we were forced to close again because of the second wave. This was one of the biggest kicks in the teeth I’ve ever felt. Just as we thought we were out of the woods we were back to being closed. After all the hard work that went into reopening and the emotional rollercoaster over the past 3 months it was another new low. The second lockdown has definitely been worse than the first one. The novelty of lockdown one had worn off and people were frustrated and angry. People were living in fear and looking for someone to blame. We had tasted “freedom” for less than two weeks and didn’t want to go back into lockdown. It felt like everyone in Melbourne was forced to pay the price for a few who didn’t play by the rules.

This time around it wasn’t just about running online classes. It was about keeping the morale of members up and things positive. It was about creating some certainty in people’s lives in these uncertain times by running the classes every day. It’s giving people some sense of confidence and control back in their lives, to know that they can still log on at 6pm every evening and participate in an activity they enjoy; martial arts.

The positives from already being in lockdown previously are that I already had the systems in place to take the classes online. I already knew how to run the classes and what did and didn’t work. This time around I feel like the classes are even better and students are getting more effective training out of them.

Biggest lessons learnt.
One of the biggest lessons learnt from this pandemic is to never take anything for granted in life. Be grateful and thankful for what you have. It’s easy to take things for granted when life is going well (I certainly did!). Now I realise how lucky I am to be teaching what I am passionate about (martial arts).

I am lucky to be surrounded by good positive people, a loving family and a supportive girlfriend who has helped me get through this period. During tough times it’s VERY important to surround yourself with the right people. The pandemic has brought the best and worst out of humanity. The right people will be positive and uplift you. They will offer support and be there when you need them. Everyone will have an opinion in these times as to what to do and what not to do. You have to be very selective with who or what you choose to listen to and read.

Final note.
The pandemic doesn’t look like it will end anytime soon. Rather than spending the next few months complaining and being negative have a look at what positives have come out of it. For me:

– It has been a journey of self-discovery
– I have discovered what and who is most important to me in my life
– It has brought the ACSA community even closer because we are all going through it together
– It has made me a better coach

It’s important to stay positive in these times. Everyday you can choose to get bombarded with fear mongering being spread on television and social media. Everything you see or read in the media is designed to be anxiety provoking. Rather than falling into the trap of the downward spiral of negative thoughts, start spending time on yourself and the things you like to do. Spend time with the people you love in life and make the most of it.

Local small businesses in Victoria have been hardest hit recently in the second lockdown. Most academy owners do it out of a passion for sharing martial arts. They don’t have the big budgets like big businesses and many won’t survive the second lockdown. Your coaches don’t have the same business they did 6 months ago so make sure you support your academy in these times to keep martial arts alive.

It’s been over a month since all Muay Thai and Martial Arts gyms have been closed. You’ve tried to stick to some sort of routine in these crazy times but have struggled. It’s been freezing cold and your diet has gone out the window because of all the extra snacks and Uber eats you have been eating. You are not alone! It looks like the possibility of gyms reopening is very soon and it’s time to get get back into it. The thought of resuming any sort of training regime seems difficult but you need a plan of attack. Here are some sure fire ways to get you back into training and feeling like yourself again.

1. Start slowly
Depending on how active you have been over the isolation period will dictate how you get back into your training. As a rule of thumb you should only make 10% increases when making a return to training after a lay off. It’s important that you also resume slowly! That means easing your way back into things to avoid injury. If you have been consistent with your online classes eg 2-3 times a week then resuming actual physical classes 2-3 times a week at moderate intensity should be fine. If you have been inactive over the entirety of the iso period then start with 1-2 classes per week. Rather than coming back day 1 and smashing out a 10km run followed by 5 x 5 minute rounds on the pads, stick to a technical skills session.

2. Set a goal and make a plan.
Before returning to training set yourself a goal. Make sure your use the SMART principles: specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and timely. A good example would be “Resume Muay Thai training my gym reopens and commit to 2 classes twice a week with a long term goal of grading at the first grading”. Once you’ve set a goal then it’s time to start planning. Write down the sessions you want to attend in your diary and tell your coach or someone. Get them to keep you accountable.

3. Change your mindset to focus on the long term.
Muay Thai training is about long term development and long term goals. It’s about refining your skill over the years and constantly readjusting goals. When you return to training this should be your focus, to get better at it over a long term period. Don’t get too excited just because the gym is reopen and jump in all guns blazing. I’ve seen it so many times over the years when people make a return to training and over do it in the first few weeks and injure themselves and have to take time off again. It then becomes a vicious cycle they fall into for years and never progress.

4. Focus on technique and skills.
It’s more than likely social distancing will be around for a while. Don’t dig yourself into a negative mindset and complain about how you just want to hit pads, spar and clinch. A true Martial Artists sees the opportunity in any situation and are resourceful with the resources they have. The best fighters in the world are the ones that can adapt to any situation and this this the mindset you want to have. It will be a good time to focus on technique and skill development and slow it down to a pace where you wouldn’t normally get a opportunity to.

5. Reconnect with people
Chances are no matter where you are in the world you haven’t had an opportunity to connect with people like you normally have. The beauty of Martial Arts is that it is the ultimate platform for bringing people together and connecting human beings through sharing a passion of personal development. When the gym reopens reconnect with old training partners and coaches and reach out to people who need to hear some kind words. Everyone has been through a lot lately and now is the time unite and get through this together.

I’m interested to hear how people are planning to make a return to training?

Email me!

You’ve spent long hours in the gym drilling technique, put in those countless rounds of sparring, you’ve done your strength and conditioning routines dutifully. You were as ready as you could be. Or so you thought.

Things didn’t go your way at the tournament or in your bout. Maybe you were overlooked for a belt promotion…again! No matter how hard you try, things never seem to work out perfectly.

Don’t get things twisted. That is the process.

Progress is not achieved by an insistence on perfection. It is the accumulation of incremental improvements building into something larger over time.

Anything worth having takes time. An insistence on perfection at all times will see us get bogged down; trapped in frustration at a future that hasn’t yet arrived.

Avoid this trap of perfectionism. To make continuing progress, simply strive to be a better version of yourself than you were yesterday. Here’s how:

Eat The Elephant One Bite at a Time

There’s a well known quote attributed to Desmond Tutu, “There is only one way to eat an elephant: one bite at a time.”

What he meant by this was that seemingly impossible tasks can be accomplished gradually via the completion of smaller, more manageable tasks.

In terms of your martial arts training, this means that each class completed, open mat attended, and heavy bag pounded, propels you incrementally forward ensuring a better you steps on the mats today than did yesterday.

Sometimes Life Gets in the Way, and That’s OK

There’ll be times when you’ll need to drag yourself by the scruff of the neck to the gym. No questions about it – sometimes self-love needs to be tough love.

Life can be hard. You need to learn to recognise when to be understanding of yourself if you are to continue on the path of progress.

Occasional failures are the lot of being human. You may be suffering from jet lag, financial worries, a family crisis, there are a myriad of things that life can throw at you that may impede your progress, temporarily.

The key word here being temporarily.

Don’t unduly beat yourself up if the harsh winds of fate blow you off course. Just be sure to grab the wheel and get back on track as quickly as possible.

Avoid overindulging in sorrow or wallowing in regret. This is energy-sapping, pointless, and one thing is for sure, more bad days are guaranteed.

Take your blows, pick yourself up off your arse, and get back to work. And, if you find that difficult you need to get in touch with your inner Bad Cop.

Know When To Be Bad Cop

Nobody cares about your health and fitness journey more than you do. You may be lucky enough to have some very supportive cheerleaders in your life, but ultimately you are responsible for you.

Listen, I know your mum or wife thinks you’re great regardless. You could lay in bed to noon eating pizza every day and you’d still be her golden boy.

If she caught you red-handed pilfering the Mona Lisa, she’d probably turn a blind eye. That’s because she’s the eternal Good Cop in the movie of your life.

But, kindness can kill just as surely as you can be murdered by meanness. There’ll be times when you’ll need to take on the role of Bad Copin your own biopic.

Take stock of your mindset daily to ensure that you are making that incremental progress.

Are you meeting your daily goals? Are you achieving your training targets? No matter how modest they may be, they’re important.

If in your daily interrogation of yourself you find the suspect needs to be leaned on, don’t be afraid to call out your inner Bad Cop. As we said earlier, there are times when true self-love love is of the tough variety.

The Bad Cop holds us to account. He is merciless in pursuing the truth, driving the weakness and excuses from our minds and bodies in the process. Ultimately, all this is for the good of our own development.

If you find yourself swimming in a sea of excuses for your failures, pass that truncheon and let your inner Bad Cop bully you back onto the path of righteousness once again.

There’s no doubt that aiming for perfection is a lofty and admirable goal, but it is an unrealistic expectation to have of ourselves in our daily lives. It can be self-defeating. It can make us brittle in the face of the inevitable and temporary defeats that are actually opportunities to build strength in body and mind.

Progress is all about our perspective. You either succeed in your endeavours the first time, or you learn through the process. If you choose the latter you will come back the next day a better you than yesterday and that’s progress.

“Lose Weight Instantly! Get Yours Today! Available Now!”

Everywhere we look we can see the merits of the immediate proclaimed loudly and proudly. Instant gratification is the name of the game and the game is widespread. 

All this despite the fact that we intuitively know the merits of that which is gained gradually through dint of sustained effort over time. 

The Stanford Marshmallow experiments of the ‘70s have shown us that one of the greatest indicators of success in life is the ability to delay gratification. That is, to display patience.

So, how can we develop patience in life when the game seems rigged entirely to encourage the quick fix? 

The answer can be found in the Martial Arts. Let’s take a look at just some of the ways the Martial Arts can help you develop patience in your life.

Learn The Value of Perseverance

The Martial Arts serve as one of life’s great equalizers. 

The arts don’t care what job you have, who your parents are, or what car you drive. There is one path to success here and one path alone and that is the path of perseverance.

Training in the Martial Arts teaches us that our success or failure is in our own hands. The mats don’t lie and the ring doesn’t care for excuses. If you have done the work, progress will be made, but it won’t be made in a single session. 

Progress will be the accumulation of sustained effort over time.

It’s The Journey Not The Destination

Whether training Muay Thai, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, or one of the many other great arts, your first session will be fun. And the more you train, the deeper that enjoyment will become.

Though some of us will decide to test our skills in competition or to strive for that next coloured belt, it is this enjoyment that brings us back to training time and again over the years. 

Medals, trophies, belts, and certificates are not the ultimate destination for the martial artist, they are just part of the scenery along the way. 

Just as in life, we don’t rush towards our ultimate destination, but rather take in our leisurely fill of the scenery along the way.

Develop a Systematic Approach to Problem-Solving

Maybe you’ve heard the saying, “To the man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail.” 

The Martial Arts are all about ensuring you have more than just a hammer to approach the problems of life with.

Disciplines like Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu teach us that for every attack there is a counter. And for every counter, there is a counter to that counter. 

Practitioners learn that there are multiple pathways to success and that it takes time and patience to determine the best path to ensure the desired outcome. They learn a systematic approach to problem-solving is the most effective and efficient – in the academy and in life beyond the academy.

In our fast-paced world, it is clearer than ever that patience is not only a virtue, but a skill. And like all skills, it can be improved with practice. The Martial Arts offer the perfect environment for us to hone our patience, helping us to develop a valuable skill that will serve us well in all aspects of our lives.