I want more followers

I was looking at my blog and thinking about revamping it, you know, change the colours, themes and so forth. Instead I decided that I want people to click on the follow tab and have their little heads on my blog. I only have two followers, one is Clive so that should actually be “stalker”, and the other is Will, who just follows so he can make sure I do my band pull aparts.

It’s 2009, so without further ado I’d like to wish you all a happy new year. I hope 2008 was as good to you as it was to me. I know I’ve been on here moaning my arse off about my injury difficulties in the last year, but overall, professionally and personally, 2008 was great for me. After a slow start, the gym is more successful than I could have ever imagined and although there were speedbumps along the way, it grew beyond my expectations and the people who come are just great. I mean that. The fight show and the work that went into it from all the volunteers on the night, the fighters who put so much hard work and training in, the people who showed up week after week to spar with the team and the guys who flogged tickets in the weeks before really brought home what a good bunch of people I have in the gym right now. Thanks everyone, and thanks for a great 2008.

Personally, the year was a successful one. Those of you who know me personally will know that I’m not exactly…eh… motivated. That’s not to say that I’m lazy, I’m not, but there are certain things that I just can’t raise myself to do. Advertising, for example. I can’t do it. When I do an ad for the gym it tends to look like I’m trying to sell the place as a home: “Spacious matted area, dressing room, 4 punch bags, spacious toilets”. I read someone’s ad for their gym the other day and it was all “Kapow!!! Ultimate training for this and mega pads world class this and super and all that yeah!!!!” I can’t do that. No it’s not that I can’t do that, I find it very hard to do that. So it’s been a surprise to me that so many new people show up to the gym. When they do, I’m chuffed of course. I suppose I just always think that everyone is like me, they’ll research where to go, ask around, investigate and THEN decide where they want to train. That’s not the way of course. Someone was telling me a few weeks ago how many hits a day his club’s website gets. I wouldn’t have a clue about how many hits my site gets, and to be honest, I don’t care much either. Right now, enough of the right kind of people come through my door and that’s fine for me. I’m not sure I want many more people.

In 2009, I actually have one of my major headaches gone! At last, we have a replacement Muay Thai coach for Yusuf (who left a year ago now.) As I’ve stated many times before, I am not a Muay Thai coach. I love it, I love training in it, but I can’t coach it. I can coach pretty good stand up for MMA, I can teach you how to kick, box, knee and even elbow, but I can’t teach you Muay Thai. Some might say they’re the same thing but anyone who has done Thai to a decent level will tell you they ain’t. So Paddy will now be taking a Muay Thai class on Wednesday evenings. If you’ve sparred him you’ll know he has a lot to teach.