How do you spell that?

OKAY..just another reason why I LOVE the Internet....not only can you look stuff up, you really don't need to know how to spell what you want to look up...sounding out is good enough!! There is always someone out there that knows what you meant to say. And there is always someone out there that has the answer to what I want to know.

So the focus today is on just a few of the Les Mills Body Combat moves that i just had to know how to spell. The instructor looks really cool and sounds even cooler. She is intense, but what did she say? And how do you do that? So here goes. After a month of classes (the routine is already changing...just when you figure out how not to fall over, they throw somethng new at you!) I kinda got the basic moves...although the left side of my body is still a little weird at times. The routine is broken down by track, with a different martial arts focus for each track...with some basic aerobic stuff thrown in between to keep your blood moving. There is also breathing..lots of breathing...and, interestingly enough, the moves ARE in fact based on a variety of martial arts techniques, moves, forms, whatever. Here is what I found out:

Muay Thai- aka, Thai Boxing, the national sport of Thailand, originated on the ancient battlegrounds of the Siamese army. Check out http://www.thaiboxing.com for more info!

Mawashi-geri – aka-Roundhouse kick – from Tae Kwon Do- this site is a good demonstration and explanation of the technique http://www.physical-arts.com/training/techniques/mn_roundhouse_kick_right.html IF you want to check out the differences between the roundhouse kick used in various martial arts, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roundhouse_kick

Kata-jaoanese, meaning “form” used to describe detailed choreographed series of moves practiced either solo or in pairs.

Jinga- or Ginga-is a fundamental move in Capoeira, a martial arts game or sport that originated in Brazil by Angolan slaves check this out! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_capoeira_techniques#Ginga

SO there you have it. And don't forget to check out http://www.lesmills.com if you want. Although be prepared to wait an eternity for the demo moves to load.....of course I was too impatient to wait. I would rather go to the gym and watch the really cool instructors get intense with their Body Combat moves a few times a week. I will tell you today we went after real people which was real scarey, and I don't think the 6 plus foot guy I was throwing punches at was very intimidated...but I was. Needless to say...you do not want to be in the front row when you are learning something new.

See you at the gym!