Dutchmeister’s BodyBlog

As most of you may know, I’ve been taking up Muay Thai ("The Art of Eight Limbs") kickboxing at the Washington, DC-based Team Lloyd Irvin Martial Arts and Fitness. For the past six months, I’ve allowed some of the best Muay Thai and mixed martial arts (MMA) instructors in the country to basically kick my butt 3-5 days a week. (Review my last blog on burpies.)  

This past Saturday morning, I, along with five or six other poor souls, were put to the test to determine whether or not we were “Level I Muay Thai Certified,” and, thus, fit to move on to Level II (where the big boys and girls bang). After one hour of quite honestly the most grueling, challenging, exhausting, physically taxing, and utterly ball-breaking test of physical conditioning, technique, speed, power, and just plain heart, I’ve ever endured, guess what…

WE ALL PASSED!!!

That’s right. After putting all of us through the ringer for 60-plus minutes, our instructors, led by the incomparable Master Jeff Ruth, determined that we are all worthy to wear the colors of Team Lloyd Irvin and move on to the next level.

Despite utter exhaustion, I mustered up the strength to text my wife with the good news.

Keep in mind, when I started doing Muay Thai in March, I could literally rest my folded arms on my stomach; that’s how out of shape I was! Around this time last year, based on a physical exam, I was basically a borderline diabetic! The first few weeks or so of classes really tested me. Yet, I stuck with it, and absolutely refused to quit. Plus, before long I could see and feel the difference in my body and overall health.

As a result, over the past six months, along with a modified diet and four days a week of weight training (Shout-out to my peeps at Gold’s Gym Clarendon!!!), Muay Thai has helped get me into the absolute best physical shape of my life.

In addition, now I possess the tools to lay a nice little a**-whooping on any would-be bully or tough guy who thinks he’ll have his way with the nerdy four-eyed black kid from Cleveland, OH.

In addition to my lovely wife, Ibi, who supported me 100% from start to finish and was quick to point out the improvements in my physique (as well as, er…, “other” areas [wink, wink]), I gotta thank the great folks at Gold’s Gym Clarendon and, especially, Team Lloyd Irvin.

As Ibi and I prepare to embark on an overseas assignment in Cote d’Ivoire, West Africa, I pray that I find Muay Thai/kickboxing and weight training facilities there. Muay Thai and weight training are addictive. Plus, I don’t want to lose the incredible gains I’ve made.

God bless the great folks at Gold’s Gym and Team Lloyd Irvin. In terms of getting people into the shape of their lives, those folks have set a platinum standard of excellence!

This may sound cliche, but I’ll say it anyway: If I can do it, anybody can do it!

Last night, I achieved what I consider a major milestone in my quest to get in shape.  After six months of Muay Thai training, I accomplished something I honestly thought I never would.  I was so shocked, that I had to tell virtually everyone I knew at the gym.

For the first time ever, I did 20 burpies.  In a row. Non-stop!

You have to understand: At one point in the not-so-distant past, I despised doing burpies so much that I believed the Geneva Conventions should classify that exercise as a form of torture.  In addition to the V-ups, push-ups, jump-squats and other grueling conditioning exercises our mad-scientist instructors normally put us through, I always felt that adding in burpies - especially after an hour of Muay Thai training when everyone’s exhausted - was borderline sadistic.  (Did they actually want to see one or more of us puke? I thought.)  When I first began doing them, after about burpy #3, my body darn near shut down, and I was heaving in as much oxygen into my lungs as possible, wanting to curl up in a fetal position.

It was brutal.

Last night, however, was a turning point.  At the end of Muay Thai sparring, something told me that our instructor would have us start do burpies to “condition out” or finish the class with conditioning exercises.  A little voice in the back of my mind told me, “Be prepared.”  Sure enough, he had us to 20 burpies on his (somewhat fast) count. 

Adding an extra challenge to the exercise, we couldn’t just jump in the air at the end; we had to touch our knees as close to our chest as possible when jumping! 

Needless to say, I sucked it up, gutted it out, and did it. Twenty. Non-stop.  Keeping up with the instructor’s count.  Done.  I did it!

What makes this feat even more astonishing to me is the fact that I’m not a small guy.  I’m 5′11", 251 lbs.  Of course, when I first starting doing Muay Thai, I was @ 10 lbs. heavier, and I could literally rest my folded arms across my then-protruding belly. 

Obviously, I’m in much better shape now than I was six months ago. Burpies had a lot to do with that.

Now, I no longer loathe burpies as I did in the past.  Truth be told, I kinda like ‘em now!