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This class is for you if you want to practice physical skills and self discipline, change unhealthy physical and mental habits, and apply these benefits to your daily life. I care about each student and will coach and encourage a good, hard-working, student each step of the way. Progress is up to you.

This page is the syllabus for Beginning Kickboxing. There is a separate syllabus for Continuing and Advanced Kickboxing. All students can use both and benefit.

About the rank of the instructor: There is no belt ranking in Muay Thai. In Karate, a 4th degree black belt carries the title of Renshi or "master" which does not mean mastery over anyone else, but mastery over oneself, a goal of training in all the martial arts.

 

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What is Taught

• We start from the beginning, and build skill, positive attitude, strength, and ability of your body mind and spirit each week.

• Good behavior and strength of mind.

• Muscular strength and endurance for martial arts skills and daily life activities.

• Injury prevention by changing unhealthy stretches, exercises, and movement patterns.

• Confidence, determination, positive spirit by keeping going even when we really use the body.

• History and principles of martial arts, martial arts around the world, stances, kicks, blocks, punches, strikes, slips, falls, open and closed hand, tactics, more.

• Transferring healthy movement, breathing, focus, and positive thinking, not only to class but daily life.

• Make an effort - that's why it's called "exercise."

• Learn to stop whining when life challenges you (Martial Arts class as metaphor for life) - "Closed minds are easily broken when the face hits the mat."

 

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Stretching

This class teaches healthy stretches that directly train healthy joint positioning for martial arts, and train and practice healthy body position for range of motion in everyday activities. Our stretches are "functional" which means useful - learning how to move in healthy ways for real life. They are done standing.

Just as not all foods are necessary or healthy, neither are several common stretches. We change them to healthy movement skills.

For more about this exciting better way of stretching, and to learn one set of quick simple stretches that we use, click the Stretching Smarter article on this web site.

 

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Helpful Perspective Before Your First Class

Martial artists often say that martial arts does this or that. Or it is done this way or that way, forgetting that it comes from a huge scope of purposes, applications, and needs. Not all martial arts moves are good for your health (warriors were the expendable class). Not all the martial arts styles are good exercise. Some that are great for sports and exercise are not effective for self defense. 

"The Blind Men and the Elephant" is a poem by American poet John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887) based on a fable from India. School children used to learn it to understand how people, even whole countries come to blows, not over truth, but their own limited viewpoint

It was six men of Indostan
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation

The First approached the Elephant,
And happening to fall
Against his broad and sturdy side,
At once began to bawl:
"God bless me! but the Elephant
Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,
Cried, "Ho! what have we here
So very round and smooth and sharp?
To me 'tis mighty clear
This wonder of an Elephant
Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,
And happening to take
The squirming trunk within his hands,
Thus boldly up and spake:
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out an eager hand,
And felt about the knee.
"What most this wondrous beast is like
Is mighty plain," quoth he;
" 'Tis clear enough the Elephant
Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,
Said: "E'en the blindest man
Can tell what this resembles most;
Deny the fact who can
This marvel of an Elephant
Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun
About the beast to grope,
Than, seizing on the swinging tail
That fell within his scope,
"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant
Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan
Disputed loud and long,
Each in his own opinion
Exceeding stiff and strong,
Though each was partly in the right,
And all were in the wrong!

Moral:
So oft in theologic wars,
The disputants, I ween,
Rail on in utter ignorance
Of what each other mean,
And prate about an Elephant
Not one of them has seen!

Problems come when people insist that martial arts are the total "heal-all" or they provide discipline and self-defense and exercise, forgetting that many were never intentioned for even some of that, let alone all of that.

Many martial artists, who claim that martial arts gives them discipline and world view, get angry and superior at others who don't know the one way they learned. Think how often people and countries come to blows over the same.

 

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Class Skills and What To Prepare for Each Class

Class skills each week will adjust for best student progress. Stay disciplined to stay on schedule. If not, you will miss your chance to try many fun helpful activities.The Advanced Boxing Syllabus features student photos to see what you are working toward.

 

This syllabus previously included dozens of short online readings from my column The Fitness Fixer™ which ran on Healthline.com from 2006 to 2010. When they ended my column, at first they kept the articles but removed all my movies, illustrations, and graphics that showed the concepts, and the comment sections. Later, they removed the articles and put their own articles on my links. I found some limited archives of those articles and put those links below.

 

Class 1

Skills: Seiza (formal kneeling sit), martial arts history, body position, shuffle, jab, cross, duck, front kick, crescent kick. Learn healthy bending, stance, placement of knee, lower back, shoulder, and neck. Remember self-discipline and enjoying hard physical training.

Class 1 Textbook readings from Healthy Martial Arts: Forward, Introduction, Lifestyle, to page 8. Flexibility 60-101. Soreness 197-201.

Class 1 short on-line readings: Is Bad Martial Arts Good Exercise? (Previously on my Healthline column, now gone), and Which Ancient Exercise Gives Focus and Concentration? See the Healthy Spirit page.

Class 1 stretching information: Why we don't stretch hamstrings by bending over: Sitting Badly Isn't Magically Healthy by Calling It a Hamstring Stretch. (Was on my Healthline column, now gone). See the Fixing Disc Pain page.

Class 1 movie to watch:
Are You Stronger Than A 67 Year Old Lady? See my student Leslie easily do 30 pull pushups in one of my classes. Bookmark this page and do this with her every day.

 

Above, the short movie should appear of my student Leslie when she was 67 years old. By her 70th birthday she had added 10 more pushups to do 40.
If the video does not show up on your device, try directly from my Flickr site: https://www.flickr.com/photos/thefitnessfixer/

 

 

Class 2  - or Week 2 for University Semester Classes Meeting Twice a Week

Skills: All above plus positioning during the cross, upper cut, hook, side kick, duck. Summary of martial arts styles. Healthy breathing, respect, and healthier habits as a lifestyle. Avoidance of injury mental and physical.

Class 2 Textbook readings: Abdomen and Core 43-59. Prevent Injuries 162-196.

Class 2 short on-line readings: Throw a Stronger Punch (or Push a Car or Stroller) Using This Back Pain Reduction Technique and Fast Fitness - Strong Spirit. (Both were on Healthline, now gone).

Class 2 stretching information: It is healthier not to bend over to stretch hamstrings. Here is a healthier, more effective, functional hamstring stretch: Healthier Hamstring Stretching.

Class 2 recipe - Healthier Fitness Water on the Nutrition page on this website. More recipes are in your textbook book Healthy Martial Arts.

Class 2 movie to watch:

A short gif should appear below of one of my students, David of Belgium. He starts with overarched lower spine, mostly from the tilted pelvis, then shows reducing the overarch (hyperlordosis) to neutral spine by moving the pelvis to vertical.

Watch the lower spine reduce in inward curve. The pelvis changes from tilted to vertical. Do not push the pelvis forward of the midline. The knees (off camera) do not bend. Practice so you can move your spine without needing to bend the knees.

If you have trouble feeling how to do this yourself, my Abs page has different ways to learn the same thing - how to reduce lumbar curve to neutral.

 

Class 3

Skills: All above plus double jab, duck-kick, double pivot kick to front and side. Intro to knee strikes. Building positive behavior.

Class 3 Textbook readings: Specificity 9-11. Spirit 128-141. Speed 117-122.

Class 3 on-line readings: Common Exercises Teach Hip Tightness When Kicking, Stretching, and on the Stairs and for healthy knee, foot, and hip positioning for retrieving equipment and ducking - Free Exercise and Free Back and Knee Pain Prevention - Healthy Bending. (Both were on Healthline, now gone).

Class 3 stretching information: Fast Fitness - Don't Shorten Hip When Stretching Hamstring. (Was on Healthline, now gone). Review the stretching chapter in your textbook Healthy Martial Arts.

Class 3 movie to watch: Formerly was: Fast Fitness - Push Ups with Neutral Spine. Now on the Abs page.

Class 3 recipe - Fast Fitness - Healthier Sports Shake. On the Nutrition page.

Class 4

Skills: All above plus slipping, blocking, jab-block, intro to elbow strikes, double kick front back with duck.

Class 4 Textbook readings: Strength 12-42. Cardiovascular Conditioning 102-107.

Class 4 on-line readings: Common Exercises Teach Upper Back and Neck Pain and Muay Thai in Her 90's. (Both were on Healthline, now gone).

Class 4 movie to watch: Formerly was: Children Have Huge Potential.

Class 4 recipe - Fast Fitness - Homemade Sports Food. On the Nutrition page.

 

 

Class 5

Skills: All above, plus shuffle diagonal and arcs, double kicks, triple kicks, varied elbow strikes, spinning backfist, 4way kick.

Class 5 Textbook readings: Breathing 142-144. Healthy Mind 123-127.

Class 5 reading: The Story of the Black Belt and Healthier Heart. Formerly on my Healthline column, now on the Spirit page.

Class 5 movie to watch: 91 Year Old Decides to Run and Sets Record. Check to see if this archived article still works.

Class 5 recipe - Fast Fitness - Cooling Exercise Drink. On the Nutrition page.

Class 6

Skills: Open hand work, crescent kicks inside and outside, jumping front kick, jumping side kick, ax kick, 360 spinning jumps and spinning backfist.

Class 6 Textbook readings: Healthy Nutrition 145-161.

Class 6 reading:  Exercise Common Sense Discipline and Rocky Movie Computer Fight Simulation. (Both were on Healthline, now gone).

Class 6 health alert: Find the following on my Nutrition page:

• FDA Orders Suicide Risk Warning for Common Back Pain and Migraine Drugs, and Others.

• Common, Missed Cause of MusculoSkeletal Pain - Your Drugs.

• Prescription Acid-Reducing Drugs Produce Heartburn and Dependency

Class 6 movie to watch: Formerly was: Secret To Get Better and Fitter

Class 6 recipe: Formerly was on th eonline column: Fast Fitness - Fitness Tea. Now on the Nutrition page.

Class 7

Skills: Double wrist evasion and strikes, sweeps, dragon tail kick, falls to mat and recovery, basic tumbling for evasion, injury prevention, advanced maneuvers

Class 7 Textbook readings: Balance and Agility 108-116.

Class 7 readings:   Healthy Knees,   Rocky IV and Head Injury  and Fast Fitness - Strengthen Character. (Were on Healthline, now gone). See the Fix Knee Pain page, and Healthy Spirit.

Class 7 movie to watch: Formerly was: Fast Fitness - Isometric Abs Training. See the Abs page.

Class 7 recipe - Quick Homemade Almond Milk and Rice Milk. On the Nutrition page

 

Class 8

Skills: Bring gloves. All review, Thai / karate roundhouse kicks, intro to heavy bag and contact fighting

Class 8 Textbook readings: Performance Enhancement 202-215. Gender 216-225. EndBeginning page 226.

Class 8 readings: Abdominal Muscle Exercise - Better, Different, Not What You Think. Check this BlogSpot links for a group of many of the Fitness Fixer™ short articles on Martial Arts. and the Spirit page for Strengthening Your Spirit.

Class 8 movie to watch: Formerly was: Fast Fitness - Add Balance, Stability, and Portability to Military Press - Handstand Pushups. Now find Handstand info on my Fitness as a Real Lifestyle page.

Class 8 recipe - Your Own Reality Cooking Show and learn 10 nutrition recommendations to reduce risk of diabetes and cancer. (Both were on Healthline, now gone).

Special reading - Muay Thai Monks on Horseback  - scroll down.

Before the Semester Ends

Register for Smarter Healthier Yoga and next boxing class. Students who qualify may move on to Advanced Kickboxing class. "Advanced" is the name the university gave it. It is a continuation of skills and training.

We also offer Karate with Paul Plevakas Sensei ("Sensei" means teacher). Click the Class page for more about Karate.

 

These students did so well in my beginning Kickboxing class, I gave them a treat - learning Tamashiwara - breaking boards. Click photos for more.

"Hard training, easy combat; Easy training, hard combat"
- Marshal Suvorov, famous Russian General

 

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The Muay Thai Monks On Horseback

We live in Asia part of each year. In 2007, we traveled to a remote northern mountain area near the Thai-Burmese border to visit our friends and teachers. They are the relatives and former teachers of the Phra (monk) Kru Ba Neua Chai who heads the Archa Tong forest monastery, where the Monks ride on horseback.

The Abbot "Khru Ba" is a former Muay Thai kick boxing champion. He leads the young monks and villagers to fight opium trafficking with rightness instead of rifles. Many of the young monks have come to the monastery having seen drug henchmen murder their parents and family. Abbot Khru Ba teaches the novice monks discipline, horsemanship, monastic ways, peace, humanity, and Thai boxing.

Phra (monk) Kru Ba, Abbot of the Archa Tong forest monastery. The Tha word "archa" is a polite word for horse.

 

Our friends live in a village not far from there. We took the bus north to their village. There is no bus station. The driver dropped us on the road after dark, and we walked into the cool night to the mountain.

Nearby in Myanmar (Burma), drug traffickers from ethnic and government groups move vast amounts of opium and heroin, and more recently, methamphetamine, into Thailand for local and world distribution. For generations they have torn through villages, murdering adults and forcibly recruiting children into their militias. Drug use in the area further damages and destabilizes families and lives through drug illnesses, kidnapping, prostitution, and land control.

Drug wars, shooting, bombings, terror, international involvement and dollars have not stopped the destruction. The Thai monarchy, caring for the welfare of all involved, started a program for poppy growers to have income from other crops and industries beside opium. Thai soldiers in the region asked local monks to combat the drug menace by taking dharma (duty to behave righteously) to the hilltribe villagers. One monk was Kru Ba, a former soldier and Muay Thai (Thailand style martial arts) champion, known to boxing fans as Samerchai, and graduate of Ramkamhaeng University in Bangkok. To serve his land better, he became a monk. Another Thai man who wanted to do good gave the monastery a horse.

Kru Ba took in more horses and orphaned hilltribe boys, and ordained the boys as nen (novice monks). Many of the nen had seen their families murdered by drug guerillas. Kru Ba taught the nen discipline, calisthenics, caring for the horses and other living things, the life of doing and saying good, and Muay Thai martial arts.

 

Villagers line up in the mornings to give alms to the monks and "nen" which means the young novice monks

 

Soon more fully ordained monks and nuns became part of the monastery. Then Kru Ba started new monasteries. At the time we visited, he had 10 monasteries in the northern hills. Except during periods when monks observe certain restrictions, they train Muay Thai outdoors, in the jungle, or in their thatched boxing ring each early morning and night.

Khru Ba and the monks and nen ride through local areas to show traffickers and locals they can stop contributing to drug addiction. Khru Ba says, "When we meet the Wa (one ethnic group involved), I try to engage them in dialogue, 'Why do you do this?' I ask them. 'How would you feel if these drugs were being consumed by your own sons and daughters?'"

On occasion, Kru Ba has used his Muay Thai to protect his nen and the monastery. As daily training, they incorporate the discipline of doing good into the physical discipline of their training. Kru Ba says, "Boxing for me is something which frees the body and releases the soul from barbarianism. When I box I use every single part of my body and my mind. Buddhism teaches you not to harm or take advantage of people which some may find to be in direct opposition to an aggressive looking sport like boxing. For me, boxing helps me to become a better Buddhist. I learn to control my emotions. I find beauty and peace and stillness in boxing. I get rid of my animal instincts and control them to the point that they become beautiful, an art form for sport, for education, for the discovery of truth. The word "Thai" means freedom and when I practice Muay Thai I feel free - free from my emotions, from anger."

A documentary made on the lives of Kru Ba and the nen has been called, "a heroic undertaking to create a better world." See more on www.BuddhasLostChildren.com.

 

The Muay Thai Monks on Horseback fight drug lords with education and strength. The Monk (Abbot), the Kru Ba, is on horseback. Paul is the tall one in yellow. I am in purple second from right. We stayed with our friend KunYai (Grandmother) Tiem Pon, pictured at right. The famous monk is her nephew.

The young monks (nen) thought it was hilarious that my hair is the same color as their Abbot's horse mane. For some, it was the first time they laughed since their families were murdered in border drug wars.

 

 

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What Students Say About Kick Boxing
with Dr. Bookspan

 

This Kick boxing was amazing experience for me as I’m Thai and come from Thailand where the Original Boxing have Begun. I used to learn when I was a very little girl, and now here I am in the United State learning Thai Boxing with The Amazing American Teacher which I have never dream of. I really like this class it very good worked out, fitness, and off course if my body fit my mind have to fit as well as my attitude have to be positive person, and what ever I learn from the class I will keep practice and will use it when I need to for sure, If you have 10 Score for this class I going to give 10 score because I love it, and I see you again in Summer or Spring class. I would like to thank you for everything that you have taught me, I will remember and use it.
- Boonyisa (Parm)