I feel like I’ve reached some coveted new level as a real deal, don’t-mess-with-me martial artist.

My training bag smells like feet. Continue Reading »

Think positive. Be confident. This is how I will totally nail my next Taekwondo grading exam.

Yep. Just gotta banish these feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, fear and stress and it’s in the bag.

Be GONE cretins! Easy as.

Think Positive, Be Confident and this time for sure my mind won’t go completely blank the minute I set foot on the mats in front of my instructor.

Continue Reading »

I’ve never been a particularly girly girl. No surprises there right? Haha.

But I have to admit, when Elite Sports presented an opportunity to test their punching mitts in neo yellow to match my super cool neo yellow boxing gloves…

Let’s just say the thought of a matchy matchy set had me more excited than a bunch of tweenagers at a sleepover party.

Continue Reading »

Our breathing underpins everything we do AND according to “The Warrior Coach” is the key to unlocking abundant energy, perfect health and optimal performance. I’d like to be less puffed out at Taekwondo training so I can work harder. I asked for some tips and here is what I discovered…

Some people love running with friends. Not me.

I prefer to run on my own.

Mostly because I’m about as slow as a turtle swimming through peanut butter. Still lapping everyone on the couch though! Haha.

I have mild asthma. When I can’t get control of my breathing and start seeing stars, panic sets in which of course just makes the whole thing worse.

So the hardest part of running for me is concentrating on keeping my breathing steady. It actually works really well as an active meditation because it takes up all of my focus.

So talking of breathing, you might recall my previous article containing 6 Taekwondo tips from Australia’s most qualified female instructor Carmella Hartnett.

Continue Reading »

Do you wish you had more energy? Balancing family and work while trying to eat healthy, smash out your Taekwondo goals and not lose the plot completely is hard. So I’ve sought the advice of qualified sports dietitian Erica Stephens for some quick and easy hints that will not only improve your overall health, but somewhat magically deliver your body with more energy so everything just seems a little bit easier…

Last week I travelled with my husband for two hours to arrive at the gates of a concert I had been hanging out to see for months only to have the gate attendant point out that our tickets were for the next night.

See! Says so RIGHT THERE on the TICKETS! *cue teeny emotional meltdown

Life is busy am I right? Things had been so hectic in my house the previous few weeks with preparing my son for his Black Belt grading plus working behind the scenes on my Pink Belt Scholarship project on top of all the usual guff.

Continue Reading »

I do so love to punch and kick things for fun but I have never really thought of myself as particularly sporty, athletic or fit.

For this reason I was a tiny bit gob-smacked when sports clothing and equipment company Elite Sports asked me to review some of their gear.

Am I even qualified for that?

After giving this some careful thought, I figured (rather than targeting ELITE Athletes) Elite Sports must be interested in making the average, everyday punter like me FEEL like an Elite athlete by providing them with quality gear at an affordable price.

So if that’s their game plan, Elite Sports, I’m your lady! Read more to claim a discount on purchase…

Continue Reading »

Curious as to whether Taekwondo and yoga go together, whether adding yoga into my training mix would help improve my Taekwondo kicks, I launched a 14 day group challenge on my Facebook page. Here’s what happened…

• An assistant instructor at my club uncovered a Jedi-like hidden talent for standing on one leg
• Breathing through the burn in my butt cheeks created quality time to shoosh my busy brain
• I discovered JUST 14 days is enough time to see REAL change

Here’s how it all started.

I have REALLY weak ankles. As in, the joints are VERY bendy (that’s a technical medical term btw!) and so sprain easily.

Decades of roll overs have never really hurt the joint so much as all the ligaments and tendons that support the joint, which I now picture to be all stretchy like melted mozzarella cheese when you bite the end off your pizza slice.

So I have now reached the kind of mid-range of belt levels in my journey towards black, and I realise I am required to start showing a bit more balance and control to master the next lot of kicking techniques.

Continue Reading »