Tag Archives: kickboxing

Confessions of an African Mama

Posted in Fitness, Motivation & Happiness by

By Eliza Shirazi

SHSH I am BACK! As some of you may or may not know I took a little trip to Cape Town, South Africa. I made the biggest decision in my life to get on a plane, go to SA by myself for a semester and make sure I had the best damn time of my life.

…and that is exactly what it was.

EVERYTHING was out of control exciting, scary, amazing and fantastic.

I have done just a bit of traveling in my young life, but Cape Town was unlike anything that I have ever experienced. It could have been the people, or the ocean, or the jungle, or the beer/wine, or better yet… the food.

Now say this out loud with me, OOYYYY!!

Yeah, that is what I said after almost every meal (minus the Gatsby). The food and bev. was unbelievably amazing there are not words to describe. Stellenbosch, which has about 3 million vineyards imbedded into its land, produced the delicious wine. Farmers markets were everywhere, particularly Old Biscuit Mill, which had all organic and delicious vendors.

So to balance out all of this consumption of deliciousness I made sure to teach kick daily–whether it was at the University of Cape Town (which was awesome) or in the back patio of my flat. And, since I have been very fortunate that my body hasn’t changed much since the age of 14, I wasn’t really worried abou–HOLD IT.

Please rewind to the moment I was in my Cape Town flat and could not squeeze my tooshie into my favorite Guess skirt.

Here is my confession… I should have been worried about my eating habits because when I came home I felt like a traditional African Mama–voluptuous and curvy. As I got back into the swing of things I took the gym and my eating regimen very seriously. There was no way I was going to lose grip of my health, but there was also no way I was going to get overly obsessed with it. Within 2-3 weeks I was back to my normal body and I was so proud! I grabbed that skirt and easily slipped it right over my toosh, one little butt cheek at a time.

With that said I feel like I matured mentally and physically from my South African experience. No longer do I have a good physique solely because that’s what I was given, rather I have a solid physique because that’s what I have worked for. When I kick it back at UMass I will be instructing to meet goals and keeping you all determined. And, although I truly did not have many pounds to shed, I hit my personal goal and really wanted to share that with you.

For all UMass kickies, be prepared to feel a vibe of excitement, encouragement and flavor in upcoming classes! IM SO EXCITED TO BE REUNITED, AH!

Now instead of holding South Africa close to my ass, I will hold it close to what I hope is the next big thing… my heart <3

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What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger, Stand A Little Taller… ♫ ♪

Posted in Motivation & Happiness by

By Eliza Shirazi

Yesterday, when I was reading Lauren Duffy’s powerful article on melanoma (READ IT IF YOU HAVENT), I admired how bold she was to draw from such a personal experience. Inspired by Lauren, I wanted to cover another important topic for the sake of wellness…bullying.

Growing up being the only Jewish kid with the biggest blonde curly hair, I was a great target. Whether it was my very own friends making a “Jew” comment, or classmates prank calling me telling me my hair is ugly, I haven’t forgotten, I’ll never forget. A lot of kids have it much worse which is sad to think, it has become a prominent problem. And although I have done some bullying in my past, I have used it to remind me of how ugly it really is. It is time to start preventing this from happening because in return we will prevent much hurt that people of all ages, but primarily children feel everyday.

“Bully” may remind you of being a little elementary pip squeak getting made fun of for eating their boogers, or it may remind you of someone who spread a false rumor about you hooking up with so and so last weekend. Either way, both things are a form of bullying and those are some things people never forget. If you cannot shake hurtful words, use it this upcoming year to motivate you. Kickboxing has really helped me channel my frustration. When I yell in class, “pick your target!” pick someone who has affected you negatively and allow them to make you work harder, jump higher, run faster, and kick stronger. Be raw when you work out and with each punch or downward dog, exhale the negative energy from anyone who has bullied you.

As the New Year approaches use your voice to promote anti-bullying and be a good influence for younger generations. Become educated, aware, and be kind. If you have younger siblings, talk about it with them and even talk about it with your friends! This happens to us even at this age! Are people making snide comments about you on Facebook? Yeah that’s called cyber bullying. Did someone throw a drink at you for no good reason? Yup, still bullying! It is so obvious that it can be right in front of us sometimes. The first step to help prevent this is to run around your house naked with a blow horn yelling STOP THE BULLYING, I did it today…haha kidding! Kinda. Not Really. Another step is to be honest, rational, and always mindful of others.

Eliza Rose here wishing you a HAPPY NEW YEAR (!!!) and wanting you to remember Dr. James D’Adamo’s words, “just an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”.

For a powerful example watch Extreme Makeover Home Edition to see the Walker family from Springfield, MA who’s son was sadly affected by bullying.

Kick the Cancer Kick-a-thon!

Posted in Do Good & Feel Good by

By Emily McLaughlin

Join our Rec Center celebrity, Eliza Rose, for a breast cancer awareness, kickboxing class! The event will be held on Sunday, October 30th from 3:00-5:00pm. Head on down to the Rec Center in RM 118 to take part in this amazing fundraiser.

Eliza is selling specially designed shirts for $10, half the profit goes to the fundraiser and the other half goes to buying the t-shirts. Those who buy a shirt are guaranteed a spot for the class–so let her know ASAP. The cut off in RM 118 is 75 people… maybe a bit more if we are lucky. Regardless, this is going to get competitive, girls. Please email Eliza (eshirazi@student.umass.edu) or contact her through Kick It With Eliza for more details about the event or information about purchasing a shirt.

Also, since this event is right smack-dab in the middle of UMass Halloween madness, feel free to dress festively for both the event and All Hallows Eve.

Lastly, remember that this is not only an opportunity to raise awareness/money for a great cause, but will be a means to work off all that candy and pumpkin beer.

See you all there!