I hate going to the gym. The thought of jogging, walking, stair climbing, or lifting weights makes me want to grow roots in my couch and watch back to back episodes of Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations. Sorry Gold’s, Work Out World, and Curves – the gym just doesn’t do it for me. I don’t care how you market it, package it, or decorate the interior, you won’t find me inside a gym. Why? It’s boring and it’s really tough for me to get excited about spending an hour every day with a bunch of dumb bells.

What exactly gets me moving? Muay Thai Kickboxing. In a former life, I’m positive I was Crouching Tiger or maybe Bruce Lee. I love martial arts. I love wrapping my wrists tight and gloving up. It doesn’t matter how tired I am, how cranky I am, or even if I dragged myself kicking and screaming to class because once I step into the dojo and bow in, I’m ready to go. Unless I’m dead, dying, bleeding, or on vacation, I hate missing class.
Martial Arts isn’t just exercise. It’s a lifestyle choice. Muay Thai is my martial arts discipline. I’m fascinated by the precision movements that can knock an opponent out in seconds, like a well placed elbow strike to the jaw, a powerful cross-hook combo, or a targeted kick to the head. I’ve learned how to use my body in ways a treadmill can never teach you. If you’re ever on the receiving end of one of my elbow strikes, you won’t just feel my elbow hit you but you’ll be pushed backwards from the force as I unleash the power from my shoulder. After nearly five years of training, I’m better than when I started. I’m stronger, faster, leaner, and yes, I have a mean left hook.

I started training in early 2007. It was something I thought my husband, stepson, and I could do together. Only they took traditional karate classes while I was happy to kick and punch my way to a healthier me. After the first month, my husband decided it wasn’t for him. Junior, my stepson, wasn’t always with us, so only I continued on. I piddle farted around for the first 12 weeks. I missed my first belt promotion because I didn’t have enough classes in the first eight weeks. I needed four more classes and I had to wait until the next testing period to earn my yellow belt. I didn’t get serious about Muay Thai until I promoted to my orange belt. That’s when something switched in my head. Or maybe that’s when the addiction took hold.

I remember looking up how much time and how many classes I needed for each belt promotion from orange to black belt. I mapped it out on my calendar and vowed to test for each belt on time. I began counting classes and arranging other parts of my life around the test schedule. When I started I couldn’t do a push up. By the time I tested for my first degree black belt, I could do 75 pushups in less than five minutes. Along the way to black belt success, there were many steps along the way – purple, blue, high blue, green, high green 3rd degree brown, 2nd degree brown, and recommended black belt. From white belt to 1st degree black belt it took me three years and nine months. Instead of focusing on the amount of time it would take, once I understood what each requirement and each step was, I focused on what I needed to do for the next belt promotion.

Recommended black belt had the longest time requirement – 10 months. But instead of thinking, “geesh, 10 months,” I thought in 4 week increments. Every four weeks I tested for a tip on my belt. I needed ten tips to be eligible to test and promote to 1st degree.
I began my black belt journey shortly after my 44th birthday and I achieved black belt success a few weeks before I turned 47. My friend Maureen promoted with me…she was 63. For those who say, “I’m too old,” that’s nothing more than excuse.

Along the way, I re-introduced my stepson to Muay Thai. Junior took class with me for nearly two years. It helped him with discipline, focus, and it gave him an outlet for some of his anger and teen angst. My son-in-law took class with me for about a year. He loved the workouts but duty called and he deployed to the Middle East for a year. When my oldest daughter, Jessica, came home for the summer, I took her to class with me. Jessica rediscovered her love for martial arts and quickly became addicted. She’s looking for a dojo in Dublin, Ireland where she currently lives. Recently, I’ve encouraged my youngest step-daughter, Katie, to try Muay Thai. She was nervous at first, but after her first few classes she quickly became hooked.

That's me in the black - learning a Chi-Na hand trap

What I love most about training is the people I train with. We don’t just train inside the dojo. My kickboxing sistas and I meet on Saturday mornings at the local high school track and we walk, jog, or run for 30-40 minutes before we go to class. We push each other and hold each other accountable to our health and wellness goals. Inside the dojo, the pushing, encouraging, and cheering goes to a whole new level. When I think I can’t do one more pushup, one more v-up, or throw one more jab-cross combo, someone’s pushing me to dig deep. When I’m ready to give up plank, Sensei kindly reminds me that I can do anything for ten more seconds.

Me and Kru Toy Sityodtong

I am honored to be part of Tim Barchard’s Professional Martial Arts Academy. We have the best instructors and we have access to train with the best of the best like Kru Toy, Professor Daniel Gracie and Kru Mark DellaGrotte. I have made amazing friends. My PMA family supported me while my husband was deployed. Some days I wonder how I got so lucky but then I remember that I took the first step when I walked through the doors back in February 2007.

Peggy with Kru Mark and Professor Daniel

What first step will you take to become a better you?