Maximum Effort…

The one rule to live by that I took away from “Deadpool” (which I loved btw) was Maximum Effort.  Always give your best, push your hardest and no matter what…never leave home without a weapon lol!

But some days are much MUCH harder than others.  Yesterday was one of the harder ones for me.  Everything was fighting against me.  Work, frustration, stress and the build up of what is coming up in the next 2 months, all came to a head yesterday.  I went to the gym not once, but twice to do an indoor run and the cardio machines were all filled, with lines!  I went home a 2nd time and felt like I would implode (because that’s what happens when you are a fighter and you haven’t been able to release your aggression properly) so I sucked it up, found my cold gear and hit the pavement.  I freely admit I am a fair weather outdoor runner.  My asthma kicks in way too hard in the cold and wet.  I started my run at 40* and ended at 28*…it was extremely unpleasant and I forgot to bring gloves.  By the time I got back to the house at the end of my 5k I couldn’t move my hands.  Next time…gloves.

While running in the cold and wet is NOT a favorite thing, its not even an un-favorite thing really, I’d just rather it NOT happen. But it did, and afterwards I was much better for it.  I found out I could survive it and it wasn’t nearly as bad as I had built it up to be in my head. No matter how much it sucks, no matter how much you don’t want to, you do it…because that is what fighters do.    Pushing your hardest, giving your best…and going for Maximum Effort.

Its the rule of the day…and the next month of days..

Officially, I have exactly ONE MONTH of hard training left before I begin my taper for the Battle of the Nations World Championship.  On May 3, 2016 I board a plane for Prague, Czech Republic and I compete on May 5th.

Thirty days to get my body where it needs to be on that date.  Thirty days to be ready to face competitors from all over the world and to fight with a team of women I have never fought with before.  I am the only female USA fighter going to Prague and therefore, I can not compete in the 3 vs. 3 Women’s melee alone.  We have several women that are up and coming and will be ready to fight later this year but alas, for this year, I am alone at BoTN.  There are other USA women fighters headed to the IMCF Championship in Portugal the last week of May, but due to work constraints I am not able to join them sadly and fighting in more than one World Championship is extremely hard on your body, your mind and your wallet.  I learned that lesson last year when I competed in both.

This year I will be fighting side by side with Esther Veldstra under the Netherlands flag in the Womens Bohurt (melee) 3 vs.3 competition.  This was an extremely hard decision for me as I was asked by other countries to fight with them very early on.  However, without knowing if any of the other AMCF female fighters were going to be able to pull off a trip overseas this year, I waited until our National tournament to make the final decision.

I discussed it with the USA Team Captain David Dixon and while I would have loved to have fought with every team that asked, they all had the numbers to field a minimum team already (it takes a minimum of 3 to field a team, 5 is a full team).  Esther did not, and we all want the Women’s melee teams to continue to build momentum, so I decided to join forces with her and be sure the Netherlands could take the field, and the Women’s division would have another team to enter into the brackets.

For those that know me, it was not a decision I made lightly.  Even as I sit here typing this, the thought of taking the field NOT in my own country’s colors makes me so emotional I can’t even see begin to describe it.  But I have hopes that no matter what, I will be able to wear the USA colors in addition to denoting the Dutch team too.  Those details are still being worked out & I have a few options to present. So we will see how it goes.

I am the USA Champion for Women’s Pole Arm and I will still be the USA Female Team of 1 in the bohurts and as always, I will be there to support my brothers on the field, even if I am not allowed to fight with them as I am here in the United States.  Hopefully one day, there will be no more forced segregation of men & women and only those that choose to, can fight within their own gender.

This next 30 days also see’s me finishing up my first 8 week course towards my Personal Trainer Certification.  So along with training, fighting, and teaching I will also be studying to complete this course the week before I head to Prague.  In addition to that, I am also helping to open a new garage gym called “The Refinery” Refinery.Fitness where I am training steel combat skills and fitness.  So, while what little time I have to do ANYTHING else is completely random, figuring out how to fit it all in will be a miracle.  But, everything is going great, I have so many new things and new people on my horizon that no matter how these next few months turn out, it will be amazing.

I am an extremely lucky woman to have such great support from my loving husband Greg and my chosen family and friends.  Without them none of this would matter at all.  This weekend I travel to Boise to see my best friend, and many of my chosen family at the Artemisian Crown Tournament and I am blessed to get to see some of the finest rattan fighters I know compete to become the next Crown Prince.

Later in the month I may be taking a trip to Seattle to train with the #1 team in the United States, Iron Phoenix and learn some of their drill work and grapple expertise, as well as see old & new friends.  Then back home to run my 2nd half marathon the SLC Half Marathon and finally, right before I head out some of the best rattan fighters from across the nation descend upon us and much fun, fighting and food will be had!

So, as you might have guessed, my writing time has been somewhat limited and it will continue to be as I prep for Worlds.  But I will do my very best to keep you all updated in a much more timely fashion.  All your positive energy and support is what truly keeps me going when things turn to chaos, as they often do in my world.

Thanks for reading…

Amy