The next stop on our bipolar express might seem unconventional…
But it’s about embracing your manic rage.
Okay. Not really. It’s more about channeling that angst. Channeling it into something healthy – like a discipline in martial arts. People look at some of my hobbies and wonder how they could possibly be healthy for me. Muay Thai, for instance, is the art of many limbs – limbs used for striking. My dojo is what I call my receptacle for rage. It’s a safe place where I can throw fists, kicks, knees, and elbows. I deposit my unbridled violence there, and return to the real world, refreshed and civilized. Now, on the surface, this may seem very angry, like it’s reinforcing out of control feelings. But the art of Thai kickboxing is, while absolutely violent, is the farthest thing from uncontrolled. Rather, it is calm violence. Calculated violence. Disciplined violence. You come to learn, after gaining some skills, that striking of any kind is reserved for two things: competitions and self-defense. But, even before that, you learn that if you don’t train the technique first, you’ll probably get knocked out (or gas out… and then get knocked out). If you don’t show up consistently, you’ll probably get knocked out when you spar. If you don’t remain calm when your opponent lands a blow, you won’t survive to evade the next one.
(Hey, she got hers in too. I’m just returning the favor!)
Striking is like a form of meditation for me.
It helps me remain calm in the most adrenalizing of situations – even carrying over into “the real world”. After all, when I’ve just eaten a leg kick and landed a left hook… how stressful can that social interaction, job interview, or uncomfortable conversation I have to have with my boyfriend be? What’s more, there’s a unique bond that forms between you and your training partners. Pals from the pub are one thing, but trusting someone enough to punch you in the face without breaking it (you never go 100% unless you’re in the cage or getting ready to be) is another. These are some of the best friends I’ve made. And that’s so important for combatting the loneliness and isolation bipolar can cause.
That said, cage fighting (or even light sparring) isn’t for everyone. But striking sure is. Anyone with full function can still safely hit the heavy bag or do pad work with friends. (That’s where you hit the mits with punches or kicks.) This, while less effective for preparing you for any “real life” fighting is very effective as a stress reliever. And why not just do it peacefully? With yoga? I do! I teach yoga at my dojo on Sundays. But there’s a time and place for everything. Indeed, sometimes meditation and self calming works for me. Other times, I’m too far gone and need to find a blood pumping activity to channel that manic madness into something – but in a healthy way. That’s why Muay Thai was love at first strike.
First advice I got when I started was to get my own gear. (It’s more sanitary, you’ll be less prone to injury, and you never have to worry about there not being enough equipment in the class for you.) After asking around, I opted to use Venum for my gloves and RDX for my mitts. Venum is classically an amazing brand that lasts you for years. Any glove starts to fail a bit if you take a traditional class because you’re unstrapping to switch between gloves and mitts between drills with your partner. The hype was real for me on Venum, though. Mine lasted three or four years before I had to switch to a new pair.
Even less negotiable for me, though, were the focus mitts.
After all, I can control how hard I punch – but not how hard you punch me.
I’m faithful to RDX because you can can the thick ones that absorb blows best. You won’t always get a training partner who understands that focus mitts aren’t thai pads. (You hit lighter on the former and harder on the latter.) These spazzy new dudes tend to go full tilt. They hit as hard as they can. They kick as hard as they can. And if you’ve only got flimsy mitts between you and those hits, that’s gonna be a long and uncomfortable day for you. I’ve had these guys, time and again. First, you should always just straight up tell them to go lighter. (Too many people are afraid of looking “weak”, which is dumb when we’ve all gotta go to work tomorrow and use our arms.) Second, is buying the right gear. (RDX is thiccc with three C’s, just like I wrote it.) That way, if you make the mistake of training with Ego Eric, the new guy with something to prove (and nothing in his skillset to back it up), you won’t leave class without your arms or hands which he sent sailing into the ceiling with his technique devoid power kicks. (I’ve forgotten my RDX’s once or twice and had to use the “community” ones before. My wrists hurt for a week after.) Plus, these mitts last. I’ve had my current ones since 2017 and the only time the fluff starts to come out of them is when I have to train with dumptruck Chuck (my loving nickname for this guy who’s just got stupid power to his punches). If they can survive Chuck, though, they can survive any monster and definitely get my 10/10 star rating.
Less into striking and more into grappling?
BJJ (jiu-jitsu) is an equally amazing discipline that’s helped calm my brain.
Keep reading to see how it’s helped me in a similar but different way than Muay Thai.