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We are looking for 14 Children and Youth in the Milton Keynes area to take part in a FREE 14 week Ninja Course, where they’ll even get to enter in for their first White Belt achievement in Muay Thai Kickboxing.

We are working to try and help both families and children to stay active and feel part of a group during these challenging times, and have teamed up with Leap to offer these sessions for free.

The sessions are a great way to keep children focused, to work on self-discipline, and keep both mentally and physically healthy whilst learning an exciting new sport.

These places will go fast, and we cannot hold spaces.
We also have 2 other groups available for boy’s youth and adolescent men, training in Muay Thai, which will also be free if you know anyone interested.  All details are below, with links to book.

Please book the place in your child’s name with their details, but be sure to include your details for the emergency contact.  (We are constantly opening new places up and just filled a girls youth group in case you’re wondering why this one is for boys only, the children’s group is for both girls and boys!)

This sessions takes place once a week.

Children aged 4-8
Mondays 1st March 5pm
To book click this link
VT Children Muay Thai Program 2

 

Boys Youth aged 9-14
Mondays from 1st March 6pm
To book click this link
VT Youth Muay Thai Program 2

 

Adolescent Men 15-19
Tuesday from 2nd March 6pm
To book click this link

VT Youth/Men Muay Thai Program 2

Here at Safari MMA, we want to use our platform to empower and strengthen others, by providing a space filled with tools for women to build for ourselves. To equip you with knowledge, of self, so that you can better combat problems that arise. We aim to create a space for men and women to learn more, in every area of life, to become skilled in physical activity, mental agility, emotional intelligence, but also in practical tools to better help you on your journey with your career path of choice, and so much more. We are not just an MMA club, we wish for the best versions of our students to surface, as a result of our work.

With this in mind, we are providing Gymnastic *social distancing*  class for Women and girls on Sunday 12th July. This will be held in Milton Keynes. The teen girls session will be held at 10 AM, and the Women’s session at 11AM. The classes will be held by Kati Simpson, former elite Gymnast of 18 years, British Championship competitor, Commonwealth, Scottish Team Squad member and currently coaching Elite Gymnasts at an international level.  Look out for more amazing classes like this one, designed to boost confidence, increase your serotonin level, and motivate us through this gloomy monotonous no-gym time.

With the feeling of uncertainty in the air,  the summer months pass by in full swing,  and the lockdown laws have easened a little, we are still looking to other remedies to stay safe, protected, and healthy during this time as the scent of a pandemic is still in the air.

One of our favourite medicines is Black Seed Oil, a largely talked about but slept on remedy when taking on a number of health issues. There are a number of different types, here are a few to learn about:

Ajenuz, Aranuel, Baraka, Black Cumin, Black Caraway, Charnuska, Cheveux de Vénus, Cumin Noir, Fennel Flower, Fitch, Graine de Nigelle, Graine Noire, Kalajaji, Kalajira, Kalonji, La Grainer Noire, Love in a Mist, Mugrela, Nielle, Nigella sativa, Nigelle de Crête, Nigelle Cultivée, Nutmeg Flower, Poivrette, Roman-Coriander, Schwarzkummel, Small Fennel, Toute Épice, Upakuncika.

Black seed is actually planted and was discovered over 2000 years ago in the tomb of King Tut. There is scientific evidence to suggest, Black Seed can be used to reduce high blood pressure, boost the immune system, fight cancer, and lessen allergic reactions. It has been historically used for nasal congestion, toothache, headache, intestinal issues, parasites, and infection. Today it is used to combat a number of health issues such as treating digestive tract conditions, as well as respiratory conditions. Asthma, cough, bronchitis, flu, swine flu, treating cancer and combatting the immune system.

Black seed is  also used in combination with cysteine, vitamin E, Saffron, to ease the side effects of a chemotherapy drug called cisplatin this highlights the power it carries in calming quite strong side effects of man made drugs. Others apply it directly to the skin for joint pain, headache, and skin conditions. The best part, they are fully available in local grocery stores too.

Look out for more on Black seed, when we drop cool recipes to make, from masks to meals!

 

Thai boxing is the national sport and cultural martial art of Thailand. A lot of us, by now, are familiar with the sport, due to its popularity, it has popped up across the social media landscape, over the span of the last decade with mainstream athletes, and fighters training publicly. But the Martial Art we see today, wasn’t always what it appears to be. Muay Thai, was developed over several hundred years ago, the close combat nature of it, utilized the entire body as a weapon in war, hence why it is called the ‘the art of eight limbs’ due to the direct contact between each body part. Several scholars say the true nature of Muay Thai’s history was lost when the Burmese ransacked Ayudhaya, Siam’s capital city in Thailand, during the 14th century.

The way the body is used in Muay Thai, explains the ritualistic nature, you will see trailing into fights that occur in present-day clubs.

To scan the entire body, the hand becomes the ‘sword and dagger’, the shin and forearms are conditioned till they are hard, to act as armour. The elbows to be used on opponents like a heavy hammer if pivoted correctly, the legs and knees, likened to an axe and staff.

The relationship between each body part in combat is so closely interwoven and at one, that the fighter uses each, any, and every part as a way into any opening to defeat the opponent. It is both poetic and deadly.

The great history of Muay Thai dates back to the first army in which employed the combat, the 1238 Sukhothai Era, (the Buddhist years). This is where the first Thai army was formed in order to protect the capital within the city and its surrounding villages, against neighbouring kingdoms and tribes. Soldiers were taught how to use weapons, but also, how to use their bodies as weapons as they used every limb to fight, this was where Muay Thai was born alongside Krabi Krabong. As a result, Muay Thai became heavily interwoven into the fabric of the culture for the early Siamese people, because of being under constant threat of war. The first Muay Thai camps were formed as training centres, where men would train to fight, but also use it as a means to focus, gain discipline, and ongoing exercise. Soon, monks were instructed to teach the combative training, and the wisdom tied to it in Buddhist Temples, so that every generation would be equipped with the power of this knowledge.

This was never an elitist sport, because, anyone could use their body as a weapon if trained correctly. As more of the poor had access to Muay Thai, it then became a requirement for the elite, high class, and royalty to be well trained in the combat, as they believed this would lead to powerful future leaders, with the philosophy that a great who would be able to protect their country if it came to it.

Several generations later, this deeply poetic, philosophy and combative practice, has become a national sport, and form of self-defence for many across the world.  In the early days of Thai training in Thailand, fighters didn’t always have boxing bags and resources readily available, therefore they had to get creative, using banana and coconut trees, rivers, streams, and manual labour as skills to get better at the sport.

A well- known training method was kicking and kneeing Banana trees, because of their soft porous nature.

There was something deliciously poetic, and meaningful about the roots of this addictive sport. There is a timelessness to the beauty of not needing anything, or anyone but yourself in combat, equipment, or weapons. Although we don’t endorse violence, we do encourage our students to use their body, as a powerful tool, to sharpen, and discipline the mind. Knowing that when it comes to fight or flight, when you are in the throes of fear, when we have been faced with a global problem that has forced us all indoors, feeling immobile, that all you need is yourself to get you out. We train you, so that you may learn how to use the tools you already have to battle your own wars. Knowledge is power.

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3 Top tips to Combat Ramadan Burn Out

The uncomfortable grips of Ramadan burn out, have hit, we have almost reached the middle of this month, it feels like it is swimming by, and at times exhausting. It is very easy to feel motivated when something is new and fresh, but what about when it starts to become a habit? We often start the month with an almost supernatural burning fire to carry out all the spiritual tasks we have set for ourselves! What about when we have been carrying out those tasks to reach our daily spiritual goals, again, and again, and again, day, after day, after day for 15 days? How do we maintain consistency when all we want to do is sleep it off for the next week? Keeping up with daily tasks, especially when they become an obligation, feels demotivating and draining. The last thing we want is for our deeds not to be accepted because the intention wasn’t there. If you look into all the gurus, business, athletes, and finance managers, the thing they seem to always reference is setting the intention. Intention, how does that manifest? What does that look or feel like for us?

 

“Our intention creates our reality” Wayne Ryer

“an inch of movement will bring you closer to your goals than a mile of intention”- Dr Steve Maroboli.

 

We have set up a few tips for you to steer your Ramadan back on course. First, take a large inhale in and exhale out…How do you feel?

1) Mobility

Body mobility is a fantastic way to rediscover your purpose and vitality. Keeping your body, supple, and your blood flowing is a tip you hear often when you want to find optimum motivation whilst studying. A 10-minute yoga session is far more effective than a large cup of coffee in the morning. Research shows it combats stress, In 2013, researchers looked at studies spanning 619 participants who struggled with depression. They found moderate evidence that yoga was effective for providing a short-term boost. Research also suggests it reduces anxiety and combats inflammation in the body.

More than this, the feeling of inspiration normally hits when you’re feeling your best, your senses heightened, your muscles suppler and less tense, therefore welcoming of free-flowing thoughts. Logging in to just 1 session of Muay Thai can be a great way to get you back on track with your Juz a day! We often don’t even see taking care of our bodies, as a good deed, and something that will be rewarded, as a healthy body is a healthy believer. A healthy body is a revitalised mind, and even though you may have told yourself that movement in Ramadan is a no go. It is time to try this out!

2) Breathe

One of the most underrated components when it comes to the mind is breathe work, guided mediation, and breathing exercises have been proven to sharpen senses, making us more aware of the world, colours, tastes, and sounds around us. It brings us to the present, therefore, slowing down racing thoughts, and enables us to take on larger tasks. Breathing isn’t just about letting the space between your lungs fill with the air from outside, it requires focus and discipline. This leads to mindfulness, and mindfulness actually helps us to understand our thoughts and feelings more, by detaching ourselves from them, and understanding them from afar, instead of allowing them to engulf and overwhelm us. Breathing with mindfulness allows us to anchor our thoughts and breathe, and use this as a technique when negative thinking can override us.

A lot of us don’t even know, that we have lost the ability to ‘breathe properly’.  As we have gotten older, we were exposed to more stress and anxiety causing us to go into fight or flight with our breathing, we started taking shorter, sharper breaths to get by. The very fact that we are taking short, sharp breaths indicates that we are only using the top third of our lungs. It means that we are no longer using our abdomen to breathe. This can make us feel as though we are hyperventilating, the sharp breaths, therefore, leading to a poor exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide (CO2) in our bloodstream, deprives the body of these vital gasses. That major lack of Oxygen can rob our organs and muscles of proper blood flow, and the reduction in CO2 can lead to dizziness, fatigue and even insomnia.

A great guided breathing guru on Youtube to work with is Wim Hoff, his methods, although known to be quite extreme, at times, actually bring about an extreme response In the body, and a radical feeling of rejuvenation. He always mentions the importance of finding assistance when trying breathing exercises like his. Here is a mini starter pack into Wim Hoff breathing.

3) Change your environment

We know what you’re thinking, that’s pretty hard to do, when we are stuck in Quarantine. Going back to our intention is a great starting point to pulling us out of this mind standstill. Relearning your reasoning as to why you set the goal and intention, to begin with, will bring some tingling of inspiration back. But sometimes, when we get settled into a routine, it can feel like we are stuck in the mud. Nothing changes or moves especially when the intention is spiritually connected. The feeling you want to achieve perhaps has taken its time to reach you, perhaps you were looking for spiritual awakening, contentment, revitalisation, a burning motivation to read the Quran with more zeal.  When these feelings don’t hit us, we feel like it never will, our brains start to play tricks on us, and tells us half-truths about our current situation. Especially when it comes to our connection with Allah (swt) matters of the heart are very sensitive, a change in its condition, therefore, won’t occur as we plan it to, or think it will. That part is up to Allah (swt), all we can do, is our part, do the work, whatever that looks like for you, it can be daily affirmations, dhikr, a page of Quran, a spiritual video, a yoga session. The work is all you can control, the inspiration comes from Allah (swt) and know and trust that even that being delayed has some wisdom in it. Don’t let it stop you from doing the work.

Often when we feel uninspired, we take ourselves out from the place that is making us feel dull. This can look like a walk In the park and a marvel at nature. Spring is in full bloom and there is so much to look at. It can be stumbling upon new artists, or poems that elicit a new emotion, or reading new literature. When we learn something new, we are giving space in our minds for more thoughts, which reduces stagnancy and gives a boost of motivation. If you can’t physically change your environment by stepping out of it, why not change it by moving it around. Room renovation, even changing your sheets, or moving your cupboard, painting the walls, buying plants are all great ways to rediscover the love of the space you’re in.  When you’re in a happy, calm, serene, environment your thoughts will free flow into positivity and inspiration will hit, you just have to be patient.

Unknown artist, all rights credited

 

Nadiya Sultana, 26, a registered junior Doctor working in the emergency department at Wexham Park Hospital, Slough “the ups feel like you’ve conquered the highest peak; exhausted and breathless but with the clearest view whereas the downs are equally deep and obscure.

Three weeks in isolation, and a lot of us are struggling with burn out, Instagram lives, Tiktoks, Netflix, and overeating. The first few days, to a week, have felt like coming to grips with a loss, a type of grieving of sorts, trying to come to terms with the life we once knew we had, that can’t be lived anymore. David Kessler, world’s foremost expert on grief
working for a decade in a three-hospital system in LA, describes it to the Harvard Business Review, as a ‘collective anticipatory grieving’, something we have spent a few weeks coming to terms with. A global grieving of the life we once built up and had. Knowing it will never be the same. We have also seen interesting trends arise in the online space, where people from all walks of life have awoken to new hobbies, talents, and skills we didn’t know they possessed. It has been overwhelming, to say the least, we are collectively experiencing loss together, and processing it all in different ways. We have seen how when anything that isn’t man-made is left alone, it has remarkable abilities to heal. The earth is healing as our bodies fight this disease and build immunity, the smog is clearing up, the flowers and trees are
swaying and dancing, as the earth lets out a sigh of relief. It is mandatory, to wake up and journal about the things you are grateful for every day during this tough season of collective grieving and healing.

Now more than ever is a time to monitor and protect your mental health and ensure you are putting in the work when it comes to self-care of the mind, body, and spirit.  According to the Office for National Statistics, over a 12 month period, in the UK, three-quarters of registered deaths were suicide among men with over 6,507 suicides registered in the UK. Rates among under 25 s have increased in recent years, particularly 10 to 24-year-old females. With this in mind, we are committed to ensuring those who struggle with abuse, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and any other difficulty, are given a safe, fun, healthy outlet to connect with others who are in the same boat. With our online classes for men, women, youth, and children every day, weekly, everyone is given the opportunity to train with our instructors, battle loneliness, keep up their fitness goals, ensure Serotonin (the happy hormone) is circulating around the body, whilst checking in with friends, all from the comfort of your living room. During this particularly difficult time, there are still those amongst us, waking up early, staying late, clocking in shifts in the hospitals, around the clock, putting their lives at risk every day to fight the Covid 19 pandemic.

Our Heroes, in the NHS have always been on the front lines nurturing, healing, and building our nation back up. Nadiya Sultana, 26, a registered junior Doctor working in the emergency department at Wexham Park hospital, Slough said,
“the ups feel like you’ve conquered the highest peak; exhausted and breathless but with the clearest view whereas the downs are equally deep and obscure. With the pandemic the waits become longer, the staff shortage worrying, decision making cumbersome, who do we send home? Who do we admit? Who Is for full escalation? Who do we think won’t survive this? I couldn’t have foreseen the magnitude of this when it started. The helplessness caused severe anxiety”.

Heba Mimouni, 25 a Midwife at Northwick Park Hospital told us,
“Some days I cope well, and I feel ok, other days I feel stressed and anxious as the number of cases increase. It has been a wake-up call to humanity, it has brought people together Maternity care has seen changes; women are now only allowed 1 birthing partner, now that Covid 19 cases have increased, women are unable to have
anyone with them during birth, often women feel scared, anxious, and ambivalent about their pregnancies. This puts on more pressure as we have to fill the void of their loved ones, as they transition into motherhood. We don’t even know if pregnant women are more at risk from this disease, we do know that for a percentage of women, pregnancy can alter how your body handles severe viral infections. Despite the shortage of staff, we will continue to make women feel and know their inner strength, and provide the levels of care and support to each and every one of them.
There has also been new guidance on personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect us and the patients, this puts me at ease. So I know I am protecting myself and my family with these precautions.”

With all this, we felt it was time for us to give back, Safari MMA is offering 50% off on all online classes for NHS workers to gain a little bit of normalcy back to their day, and maintain strong immunity and mental wellbeing. Fatima Omrani, 25, a registered pharmacist at Guys and St Thomas in London said,

“Working in the NHS can be intense and tiring, but I always try to fit in some me-time. Especially now, with the pandemic, morale is low, and stress is high with the work load, exercise has always been essential as it keeps my mind clear and body feeling good. Even if it is one HIIT class before a nightshift, these days with the madness, I can take the time out to have a moment to improve my mental and physical health. I always share great online classes I find with my colleagues to boost morale and to do something fun together, to burn off snacks and stress”.

Heba Mimouni mentioned, “Due to the nature of my work, I have always tried to fit in fitness, I would go on weekly 5-6k runs, and make sure I keep up at the gym. Now more than ever exercising has been keeping me sane.” Nadiya Sultana too echoed, “The helplessness made me block off the news, I used this time for rehabilitation I used to go on 5k runs every week to help me escape from stress and discover new potentials within myself, now I use online classes, I turned to Yoga for grounding, in times of uncertainty a constant, to ground you so you are not blown away with uncertainty, is so important. The constant need to be productive, paired with an indefinite amount of time really works against us. Online classes are survival for us”.

From all of us at Safari to everyone at the NHS: we applaud, deeply respect, and thank you for using your hands, and risking your lives, to heal us.

 

We also offer 20% off for our in person classes across London, Milton Keynes and Birmingham.

Looking for 10 men in Milton Keynes who want to relieve stress whilst getting super fit, super fast!
START THIS WEEK!
Learn how to combine speed, power, endurance and skill through the explosive art of Muay Thai Kickboxing. 
8 week beginners course.   
When: Tuesday 15th September   

Time: 8pm

Duration: 8 weeks

Where: Broughton Sports Pavilion, Milton Keynes

Price: Buy 1 get 1 half price (for full 8 weeks)

So £60 for 1 person, or £90 for 2.
Text to book your place 07412 993535