Our commiserations go to Jaz Meates who fought for the vacant IKF Junior Welterweight English Thai-Boxing title on Sunday 29th July in Altrincham.
Jaz is a bit of a star at Wicker Camp. The dazzling 13 year old, and all round nice lad, had been preparing for this fight for weeks. Although he's only had 7 fights Trix felt he was ready to challenge for this vacant Junior title at 40kg.
Jaz was feeling especially confident when his opponant was replaced at the last minute by a young lad who has never fought!!! His opponant was from Dean White's excellent Nongkhe Pahayuth Camp in Wakefield. The lad, who has only ever had 6 or 7 interclubs (thats controlled sparring )agreed to step in at short notice to fight Jaz for the title
We were all amazed at how good the lad was ! I felt he just out pointed Jaz in every round and deserved to win the title. He certainly looked far more experienced than 7 interclubs; I'm sure he will become a great fighter if he listens to his teacher Dean White.
I felt so sorry for young Jaz Meates, he was gutted of course but hopefully he will learn from the experience and know what he needs to do next time. Every experience will teach us something if we are prepared to learn. He demonstrated tremendous courage and was courteous in defeat. I thought his performance was honest, he tried his best and his spirit never faultered. He has our admiration for a most valient effort.
trix is an excellent teacher, who instills in her students all the principles that really matter, honesty, integrity and fair play. In victory or defeat her junior fighters know that the experience was worthwhile and will enable them to grow into giants.
Thanks go to the beautiful Tricia and Pele (not so beautiful) for giving us the opportunity to fight, Dean White for an excellent opponant, Darren Phillips ( who's a really nice guy )for introducing us to so many new Camps and Neil Holden for some brilliant parenting advice !
Jaz Meates will be back.
Tuesday, 31 July 2007
Monday, 16 July 2007
Sam Bawden - wins I.S.K.A. English title.
Congratulations to Sam Bawden who won the I.S.K.A.Thai-Boxing English title on Saturday night in Wolverhampton (14.7.07.). Sam's had to miss a lot of training for this fight due to his exams at University. He fought magnificently against Sai Varley's boy from Derby, who has just come back from training in Thailand and proved to be very strong and tough.
The fight was VERY close and went all five rounds, Sam was rocked a couple of times by Alex from Derby but the Judges gave it unanimously to Sam at the final bell.
I am especially happy for Sam as he is leaving us in August to study Law in Essex. Although I am very sad to see him go, I'm sure this experience will stay with him forever as a wonderful memory until he returns in 2009. We all wish him chok dee and happiness down south, we'll miss him immensely, his dry humour and great ability to teach. Love to Sam from Mick, KruTrix, KruPete, KruDaz, KruWestley, KruChristian, KruLee, KruAli, KruHelene, KruDaniel, KruPaul, KruImran, and all the hundred's of students at Wicker Camp. I await your return. Mick.
The fight was VERY close and went all five rounds, Sam was rocked a couple of times by Alex from Derby but the Judges gave it unanimously to Sam at the final bell.
I am especially happy for Sam as he is leaving us in August to study Law in Essex. Although I am very sad to see him go, I'm sure this experience will stay with him forever as a wonderful memory until he returns in 2009. We all wish him chok dee and happiness down south, we'll miss him immensely, his dry humour and great ability to teach. Love to Sam from Mick, KruTrix, KruPete, KruDaz, KruWestley, KruChristian, KruLee, KruAli, KruHelene, KruDaniel, KruPaul, KruImran, and all the hundred's of students at Wicker Camp. I await your return. Mick.
2007 Wicker Camp Cup.
Phew ! This years Team Sparring event was a fantastic success. 25 bouts of action and drama, packed full of surprises and upsets. All the Wicker Camp students that took part demonstrated excellent Thai-Boxing skills, a strong fighting spirit and superb fitness.
This years Wicker Camp Cup was eventually won by the BLUE Team, so congratulations to them in a nail-biting final that saw both teams hungry for victory. We had a brilliant spectator turn out too, with a couple of hundred supporters to cheer them all on. We had a delicious selection of food on sale that sold out within 2 hours ! The Thai food was made by Phung and went down very well.
The prestigious Awards ceremony had a few emotional "highs" too. Imran Khan, Captain of the Red team, won our FIGHTER of the YEAR Award. Mehdi was awarded MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER, ALI was awarded a certificate for over 20 years LOYALTY and COMMITTMENT to MuayThai and Wicker Camp, and the talented Westley Smith won the INSTRUCTOR of the YEAR Award !!!
We managed to raise £1,144.00 for St. Luke's Hospice in Sheffield, and a big thanks to everyone for supporting this worthy cause. Trix, as always, played a massive role in organising the whole event so an extra big thank you to her.
This years Wicker Camp Cup was eventually won by the BLUE Team, so congratulations to them in a nail-biting final that saw both teams hungry for victory. We had a brilliant spectator turn out too, with a couple of hundred supporters to cheer them all on. We had a delicious selection of food on sale that sold out within 2 hours ! The Thai food was made by Phung and went down very well.
The prestigious Awards ceremony had a few emotional "highs" too. Imran Khan, Captain of the Red team, won our FIGHTER of the YEAR Award. Mehdi was awarded MOST IMPROVED FIGHTER, ALI was awarded a certificate for over 20 years LOYALTY and COMMITTMENT to MuayThai and Wicker Camp, and the talented Westley Smith won the INSTRUCTOR of the YEAR Award !!!
We managed to raise £1,144.00 for St. Luke's Hospice in Sheffield, and a big thanks to everyone for supporting this worthy cause. Trix, as always, played a massive role in organising the whole event so an extra big thank you to her.
Wednesday, 11 July 2007
Purpose of sparring.
As many of you know, I am not a fan of Bruce Lee, I think he was a great martial arts movie actor, and had his own ideas on training and the practice of martial arts and largely, was unconcerned with how to fight in the competitive arena. I think the practice of sparring in MuayThai is about learning to cope with different situations.
Sometimes it is about how to position yourself in the ring (known as ringcraft )and using your footwork to gain an advantage over your partner, to manipulate them into moving where you want them without them realising what you're up to.
It is about learning to defend youself in appropriate ways that will keep you relatively safe and able to continue sparring.It is about developing counter-attacking skills, that is, defending yourself and being able to hit back as a direct reply to what your partner is trying to do to you.
It is about learning to identify the flaws in your partner's skill. The gaps in defence as they move around or make an attack,the defences they favour, the counter-attacks they prefer. You must also establish their strengths, the things they are good at or like to do. You can learn how to get the upper hand on virtually anyone by identifying your partner's weakness.
We have to learn "when" to do things, not just how to do things. Timing the delivery of a defence, counter or attack or when to pre-empt an attack is crucial to our success. We also have to make appropriate choices of which techniques to use against our partner ( the right time to use the knee, or clinch, when to box and when to kick, which kick to use, when to sidestep,when to move away, when to close in etc.)
You must also learn to read where your partner's bodyweight is; establish which foot your partner has his/her bodyweight on and you can read a likely attack or make it difficult for them to counter your attack, you can make it impossible for them to block your attack just by identifying which foot they've got the majority of their bodyweight on.
Conditioning is a different matter. Skill aquisition is one thing, but harder sparring means you need to develop an altogether "different" type of skill. Light sparring allows you to experiment and develop skills without the fear of pain or injury. Hard sparring is more realistic and tests your ability and skill against the (almost)full force of your partner's attack. Trying to counter a full force attack is much more difficult to do, you'll need to find stronger balance, ensure your bodyweight is predominantly on the correct foot for what you need to do. You may have to "trade off" a punch in your nose or a kick to your thigh to land something that will do more damage to your partner (don't trade a broken rib against a heavy kicker, or a KO against a hard puncher). You can stop your partner from using their power by keeping them on the wrong foot anyway.
Speed is another ingredient we need to develop. Many students appear to be slow when really they are "telegraphing" what they are about to do to their partner.If your partner can read what you are going to do because you "wind-up" your technique just before you attack, you will have far less success in hitting your partner. Eliminate all movements that show your intentions, even if that means a loss of power.
Finally, try to focus on what you want from sparring, not on what you fear.If you are struggling against your partner, you may focus on getting beat - and thats exactly what will happen,if you resist the negative feelings, have faith and focus on what you can do, your actions will take you in that direction. Keep your guard up, your chin down, practice your footwork meticulously, hit your partner and don't get hit back !!! Mick.
Sometimes it is about how to position yourself in the ring (known as ringcraft )and using your footwork to gain an advantage over your partner, to manipulate them into moving where you want them without them realising what you're up to.
It is about learning to defend youself in appropriate ways that will keep you relatively safe and able to continue sparring.It is about developing counter-attacking skills, that is, defending yourself and being able to hit back as a direct reply to what your partner is trying to do to you.
It is about learning to identify the flaws in your partner's skill. The gaps in defence as they move around or make an attack,the defences they favour, the counter-attacks they prefer. You must also establish their strengths, the things they are good at or like to do. You can learn how to get the upper hand on virtually anyone by identifying your partner's weakness.
We have to learn "when" to do things, not just how to do things. Timing the delivery of a defence, counter or attack or when to pre-empt an attack is crucial to our success. We also have to make appropriate choices of which techniques to use against our partner ( the right time to use the knee, or clinch, when to box and when to kick, which kick to use, when to sidestep,when to move away, when to close in etc.)
You must also learn to read where your partner's bodyweight is; establish which foot your partner has his/her bodyweight on and you can read a likely attack or make it difficult for them to counter your attack, you can make it impossible for them to block your attack just by identifying which foot they've got the majority of their bodyweight on.
Conditioning is a different matter. Skill aquisition is one thing, but harder sparring means you need to develop an altogether "different" type of skill. Light sparring allows you to experiment and develop skills without the fear of pain or injury. Hard sparring is more realistic and tests your ability and skill against the (almost)full force of your partner's attack. Trying to counter a full force attack is much more difficult to do, you'll need to find stronger balance, ensure your bodyweight is predominantly on the correct foot for what you need to do. You may have to "trade off" a punch in your nose or a kick to your thigh to land something that will do more damage to your partner (don't trade a broken rib against a heavy kicker, or a KO against a hard puncher). You can stop your partner from using their power by keeping them on the wrong foot anyway.
Speed is another ingredient we need to develop. Many students appear to be slow when really they are "telegraphing" what they are about to do to their partner.If your partner can read what you are going to do because you "wind-up" your technique just before you attack, you will have far less success in hitting your partner. Eliminate all movements that show your intentions, even if that means a loss of power.
Finally, try to focus on what you want from sparring, not on what you fear.If you are struggling against your partner, you may focus on getting beat - and thats exactly what will happen,if you resist the negative feelings, have faith and focus on what you can do, your actions will take you in that direction. Keep your guard up, your chin down, practice your footwork meticulously, hit your partner and don't get hit back !!! Mick.
Kru Paul and Phung get married.
We'd all like to wish Wicker Camp Instructor Paul Timmins and his beautiful new bride, Phung, a wonderful life together after tying the knot at Sheffield Registry Office on Saturday 8th July 2007.
Paul met Phung whilst on the Wicker Camp annual training holiday to Thailand. The couple met and fell in love in a whirlwind romance. She is a very kind, thoughtful girl who thinks the world of Paul ( as we all do ).
She is currently teaching "how to speak Thai" to anyone at the Gym. If you are interested in learning this beautiful language from a native speaker, contact Mick, Trix or Paul at the Gym. 0114 279 5470.
Paul met Phung whilst on the Wicker Camp annual training holiday to Thailand. The couple met and fell in love in a whirlwind romance. She is a very kind, thoughtful girl who thinks the world of Paul ( as we all do ).
She is currently teaching "how to speak Thai" to anyone at the Gym. If you are interested in learning this beautiful language from a native speaker, contact Mick, Trix or Paul at the Gym. 0114 279 5470.
Sunday, 8 July 2007
Team Sparring Championships - Reminder
"In sparring you will learn to hit
with rhythm and perfect timing,
But many times you may want to quit,
when you're the one receiving
Blows to your head and your body
which sting and give you a headache
Don't despair 'cause you're unwieldy;
keep on sparring 'til you can take
kicks and punches to your body.
Unless you spar, you'll never know
how you'll do in a real fight.
Like learning to swim, you must go
into the water to overcome fright."
- from Bruce Lee's Fighting Method (1977)
http://wickercamp.blogspot.com/2007/05/wicker-camp-team-sparring.html
Original post by Mick:
This our 30th anniversary year, sees the revival of the annual Team Sparring Championships at Wicker Camp. We've dusted off the big silver cup from the trophy cabinet in the Gym in preparation for this prestigious event.
Sunday 15th July will see our two teams ( Red team & Blue team ) battle it out for the Camp Cup. We've had quite a few entries already, but are looking for students to take part in this fun event. It's only 3 x 1 minute rounds and any graded student can enter. All bouts will of course be matched fairly between students of similar weight, age and ability. All participants will wear full protective gear - body shield, big gloves, leather shinpads and ( where applicable )head guards.
I'd like a MAXIMUM of 20 bouts, so the whole thing doesn't take all day. We've also got a fantastic outdoor barbeque planned ( hope it doesn't rain ...) with free food and soft drinks for all competitors. ( Yes, I'm afraid spectators will have to pay for food n drink ! )
It will cost you £2 to enter, will be excellent experience and will give you an extra fitness goal to ensure you perform well on the day. We are also going to charge spectators a massive £2 entry to this event, but all money raised will go to St. Luke's Hospice. So, any spectators out there - you are most welcome to come along.
Be quick - I guarantee we'll be inundated with entries for this fantastic, fun event !
with rhythm and perfect timing,
But many times you may want to quit,
when you're the one receiving
Blows to your head and your body
which sting and give you a headache
Don't despair 'cause you're unwieldy;
keep on sparring 'til you can take
kicks and punches to your body.
Unless you spar, you'll never know
how you'll do in a real fight.
Like learning to swim, you must go
into the water to overcome fright."
- from Bruce Lee's Fighting Method (1977)
http://wickercamp.blogspot.com/2007/05/wicker-camp-team-sparring.html
Original post by Mick:
This our 30th anniversary year, sees the revival of the annual Team Sparring Championships at Wicker Camp. We've dusted off the big silver cup from the trophy cabinet in the Gym in preparation for this prestigious event.
Sunday 15th July will see our two teams ( Red team & Blue team ) battle it out for the Camp Cup. We've had quite a few entries already, but are looking for students to take part in this fun event. It's only 3 x 1 minute rounds and any graded student can enter. All bouts will of course be matched fairly between students of similar weight, age and ability. All participants will wear full protective gear - body shield, big gloves, leather shinpads and ( where applicable )head guards.
I'd like a MAXIMUM of 20 bouts, so the whole thing doesn't take all day. We've also got a fantastic outdoor barbeque planned ( hope it doesn't rain ...) with free food and soft drinks for all competitors. ( Yes, I'm afraid spectators will have to pay for food n drink ! )
It will cost you £2 to enter, will be excellent experience and will give you an extra fitness goal to ensure you perform well on the day. We are also going to charge spectators a massive £2 entry to this event, but all money raised will go to St. Luke's Hospice. So, any spectators out there - you are most welcome to come along.
Be quick - I guarantee we'll be inundated with entries for this fantastic, fun event !
Tuesday, 3 July 2007
Thomas McCormick - Next Generation Warrior
Thomas McCormick fought on the weekend at Sport centrum Galgenwaard, Utrecht in Holland at the pertinently-named "Next Generation Warriors" Show.
Kru Westley Smith said "Thomas McCormick has fought and won tonight in Holland.
Thomas fought over 5 rounds and despite the opponent changing on day of fight (and also being over 2kgs heavier than Thomas) he won on points and by all accounts totally outclassed his opponent. Thomas did get caught with a knee in the face and has gone to get his eye checked out just to be on the safe side but other than the normal bumps and bruises he's feeling fine.
This lad has got a real fight career ahead of him, his strength and skill seem to come on in leaps and bounds with each fight."
Arjarn Mick commented that "Thomas performed brilliantly and I think he's going to follow in Imran's footsteps."
Well done Thomas!!
Kru Westley Smith said "Thomas McCormick has fought and won tonight in Holland.
Thomas fought over 5 rounds and despite the opponent changing on day of fight (and also being over 2kgs heavier than Thomas) he won on points and by all accounts totally outclassed his opponent. Thomas did get caught with a knee in the face and has gone to get his eye checked out just to be on the safe side but other than the normal bumps and bruises he's feeling fine.
This lad has got a real fight career ahead of him, his strength and skill seem to come on in leaps and bounds with each fight."
Arjarn Mick commented that "Thomas performed brilliantly and I think he's going to follow in Imran's footsteps."
Well done Thomas!!
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