Dr.Dave, My Santa!

My First Sponsor – And The Most Important- Dr Dave!

As a fighter in this MMA combative sport your body takes a beating and not just for those 15 minutes in the cage. It’s all the weeks leading up to it where the damage is done.

Everyday you want to give it 100%, even more so because you just don’t know what your opponent might be doing. When the cage door closes on that night there must be no doubts.

So to give an unstoppable performance a fighter needs the fuel. Every athlete wants endless energy and a sharp mind. The days in the gym when I’m training and I feel this are brilliant. No one can stop me on those days. I’m the champion at 48kgs.

The last few months I’ve been feeling this a lot. Why, because of Dr.Dave’s Best.

Two months ago I searched for sponsors. I was looking for the nutritional ones as I spend so much money every month on supplements. I really mean a lot. 🙂

When Dr Dave agreed to be my sponsor I was so happy and honoured as I’m his first mixed martial artist. He understands what I want to do and where I want to be in the next few years, No 1. So no better way to get to this than with the No1 pharmaceutical supplements.

I waited for my first delivery a bit like a kid waiting for Santa. I love getting new things in the post, especially to do with martial arts. Two massive boxes filled with Pharmaceutical grade fish oil, Amino Acids, Beta Alanine, Telomere Edge Packs and protein powder arrived. I couldn’t believe how much he sent. Unbelievable kindness from this wonderful man, my Santa.

I had been using supplements from Holland and Barrett which are quite good, but once I changed over to the Dr Dave product the difference was incredible.

It felt easier to get up in the morning, waking excited for the day’s training. I love my telomere packs and fish oil at breakfast with green tea, porridge and flaxseed. This is superhero fuel.

At warp speed thanks to Dr Dave!

Then I always bring with me CoQ10, l carnitine and fish oil which I take just half an hour before training. Also I find this combination better than any preworkout drink on the market. I’m kicked into 5th gear pretty fast. After my workout I’ll have one or two scoops of Dr Dave’s protein in natural yoghurt. This is so important to make me heal and recover at an immortal’s rate.

Later at dinner more fish oils. If I have a second training session that night I’ll repeat my preworkout routine. Before at night I used to find my brain was tired after maybe teaching five classes in a row. I’d usually drink an energy drink but my workouts were sometimes still laboured by my slow mind and body. But with Dr Dave’s Best I’m ready for a second workout and I can train harder that I did that morning.

So at night then to wind down the body and mind I have  Telomere Edge Night Pack, l carnitine, CoQ10 and fish oils. I’m sleeping better too.

I’ve never suffered much from spots but Dr Dave’s best is keeping my skin fresh, clean and young. I can see it when looking in the mirror in the morning. Usually I wake up with Sonic the Hedgehog hair and the same energy and speed. People always get my age wrong thanks to the antiaging properties of Dr Dave’s supplements which I have been using for years before he sponsored me.

Oh, I’m not telling my age either, Alpha Female Followers, you’ll have to wonder. 😉

When I return to the cage Dr Dave’s Best’s logo will be proudly displayed on my fight posters. If I never get another sponsor it wouldn’t bother me, I’ve got Dr Dave and he’s simply the best. 🙂

Big Thank you to Dr Dave for believing in me. I won’t let you down.

You’re supplements are VIP grade!

My Article in the Irish Independent Newspaper.

Today the Irish Independent Weekender Magazine featured me and Amanda English in a big article on Women’s MMA in Ireland.

How to kick ass and look great. Love it!

This was a great opportunity for me to put across the positive face of MMA. When first I was pitched the idea I was a little bit hesitant as I didn’t want negative press with a biased slant to the article.

But after talking to Ali, the reporter, I thought she seemed very open minded and passionate about her work. This is what I always look for in people.

I had one condition, that if she wanted the story she had to come into the cage and experience it. She jumped at this with some caution. I showed her everything that was involved and the outcomes of a fight. I enjoyed educating her on it and improving her ground and pound :).

So then a difficult decison came.

To heel or not to heel. That was the question.

They wanted to show the other side of the Alpha Female. The glamorous lady like side juxtaposed with the hard edged cage fighter.

I really was uncomfortable with this but did want to show people that I wasn’t some violent barbarian. I couldn’t turn down this kind of publicity or the opportunity of drawing more women into MMA. Showing them that intelligent women compete in this combative art.

So off to the shops I went. Got a nice little black number, a very edgy pair of  Iron Fist heels. They fulfilled another dream in my life, to be tall.

Iron Fist. The perfect name for my shoes!

The photographer that came from Press 22 was Alan Place. He remembered me from taking my picture when I opened my very first kickboxing class all those years ago! This was surely a good omen.

We did the most amazing shoot. Taking lots of edgy, cool pics in crazy poses. Some of them not so easy in heels and a dress.

As much as it would attract an audience I don’t think heels and dress matches will be practical.

In between rounds you go have your make up and hair adjusted, and Tyra Banks tells you she needs more fierceness in your eyes.  Miss Jay will be holding your spit bucket.

Over 4 hours we took lots of great shots that I hope you will see at a later date.

About to knock his lights out 🙂

After we were done I was happy that I had shown a different side of WMMA. Some people may not agree with what I did but I remember what Ronda Rousey said recently. Even after winning an olympic medal she was living in her car. So she decided she was going to take some pictures, talk a bunch of s**t. But you know what, at least she could feed her dog.

Love or hate Ronda, look where she is now. To be fair, she is a great fighter who backed it up.

And that’s what I hope to do.

My Radio Interview With Cork FM Part 2

In which I discuss my dishonourable discharge from the Space Marine Academy!

We talk about modelling the training and tactics of elite fighters.
How when you fight you face yourself.
Having the first Ladies MMA match in Germany with Vanessa Reinsch and my wrestling coach Tim Murphy scoffing Gummi Bears. Also what goes through a fighter’s mind backstage before the fight and what the Alpha Female nickname means to me.

 

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Seeing yourself as a winner.

Meeting the new challenge of the Gi, compliments of my coach Tim Murphy!

I often ask my kids in class, do they enjoy winning?

Usually their hands raise up quite fast. because I’ve been programming them, been building them to enjoy winning.

A lot of people feel it’s wrong to put pressure on people to win or to rise to the highest level. But secretly they wish they had the key to doing it.

Sometimes fighters in our club lose because they won’t allow themselves to dream about being the best. Because in their day to day life and work they are programmed to be mediocre and not rock the boat. So they fit in.

This is a load of bullsh**t.

But the secret to achievement is to be programmed from a young age.

For example I’ve had a kid training with me for years. He recently fought in his first amateur MMA match. He really was a lion let out of the cage. He ran through his opponent with fury, dominance and the thought of losing never crossed his mind.

The next day he fought in another tournament against a lot of eager fighters like himself. Though he lost one match he had the iron will not to break. He ended up winning the whole section in the final.

He has a long way to go but understands how to enjoy winning and seeing himself as a winner. He always shouts yes or jumps in the air after winning because he knows how hard it’s been to do it.

People want to win but their self image and the subconscious thoughts in the brain are holding them back.

Life can be cruel and circumstances that we cannot control damage our belief in ourselves. For years when I worked in the system I would sit down at the canteen tables and listen to the mob of negativity. And not to go all Uriah Faber on you but positivity is the biggest ingredient in this.

Sometimes you need role models to show you the way in life. Be they parents or coaches or really good friends.

For me I have lots of wonderful people who are winners surrounding me. So everyday it bulletproofs me to life.

I make a point never to stick around negative people for very long. And I think this is what a lot of people should realise and start doing. Cut it away and the seams will be strong.

I do believe people should do martial arts, but not the safe ones. You must feel like you are on the edge of the cliff to really understand what you were given life for.

There is a saying that a man who has faced death at the point of a sword has an elevated understanding of life.

If you look at it MMA has gotten so popular because it pushes the boundaries and more and more people want to feel this. And believe me fighting in the cage is better than any drug. ( I’ve never taken drugs but that’s my opinion, dammit!)

The only way to build real confidence is to face hard situations and come out through them and getting into the cage , even if it only in class is a great starting point for that.

Because I believe in myself so much as a winner I’ve gone out and looked for harder challenges and starting in 2012 I’ll be on the Cage Contender roster. There I’ll have the chance to face more opponents that want and know how to win just as much as me.

All of these steps will hopefully make me reach the pinnacle of my profession.

This is a quote that I love.

“History shall be kind to me for I intend to write it! ” – Winston Churchill

I’m really enjoying writing mine.

Happy New Year to all my Alpha Female Followers. I’ve given you your starting point.

Now go do it!

Alpha Female Circuit Training and DVD Sale!

I’m getting a lot of interest in personal training these days. One of my best clients Kate was kind enough to give me this testimonial.

“I met Catherine a couple of years ago when I signed my eldest son up for mixed martial arts classes which she was teaching. I found her sessions the most exciting and interesting to watch, but it was her extraordinary teaching style and a very friendly personality which made the biggest impression on me, so after having two more kids, I’ve decided to try out training with Catherine and I am proud to admit that it’s the best thing I’ve ever done for my fitness, health and body tone.

I don’t have any extra weight and my goal is to build lean muscle, tone up and lose that post pregnancy belly flab, which is the most difficult, but possible with the right exercises, encouragement and the right trainer like Catherine, who seems to know all the secrets to those “dream abs”.

Kate and me after a killer session.

Catherine has been my personal trainer for the last 6 weeks. Our sessions include a mixture of heavy weights, circuit routines, cardiovascular and general fitness training. What I love the most about our sessions is that on top of a great variety of exercises we do, Catherine manages to surprise me each time introducing new and very unique exercises, which makes our routine challenging, but both productive and enjoyable. She is also easy to get on with and has a fantastic sense of humour.

Catherine is a very positive ,extremely driven individual with great energy and right “can do” and “winning attitude. Her extensive knowledge, creativity, ability to keep you motivated and help you to push yourself to the level where you can get the results you always wanted, makes her a true professional and a highly recommended personal trainer.” -Kate Ryan

The tag line on my website is
If you want to look like a Champion…
Train like One!

It’s that championship attitude that will get you through the tough workouts and diet and fitness goals.
It’s not about time or money, you will reach your goals if you have the right mindset and put the work in you will find a way to succeed.

I’m having a sale on my fitness DVDs at my website at the moment. You will get a deal on the price and you will get your ass in christmas party dress shape with 10-15 minute home workouts.

It’s the next best thing to personals with me. Don’t wait til January to start the so called resolution.

With the special offer of buy one get one half price how can you deny yourself this early christmas present?:)

Thanks for taking the time to read this blog, you’re taking the first step on the Alpha Female Highway to Sexytown (LOL).

Catherine

Alpha Female Personal Training Padwork WIth Kate

Smashing Pads In The Cage!

After only 6 weeks of training with me and wearing a weighted jacket Kate’s killing the thai pads!

The Alpha Female Looks For Supremacy Part 2

The View Through The Wire!

So weigh in over.
I definitely got some funny stares at Fitness First where we weighed in.
Now time for food.
I keep going over the plan in my head. Even though there are wonderful shops around Norwich this is not a sex in the city moment.:)
I must keep my eye on the prize.
My hand being raised is much better than a new pair of boots.

When we arrived at the venue, The Talk, it’s always interesting when we walk in. The boys always stare at us and I have the feeling I will only be accepted by them after I justify myself in the cage.

I could see Iman sitting down with her coach. As a fighter I always try to do one thing before the clash.
I show respect.
So I always go up and shake their hand and wish them good luck with a big smile. Iman was a bit surprised but then I am always happy to go to the dance.

Again you must remember she goes through the same 8 weeks of killer training and being pushed to the very edge of the cliff. Now of course I always hope I am the one with the parachute.

The gameplan I worked out Dermot, Tim, Rosi and Peter was to simply out wrestle her.
We knew she would be very strong(and also way younger than me, you never know what these young ones are going to do:))
We went into back area to wram up. It was pretty small but it would do.

I bought the ticket to the emotion train.

No matter what happens in the fight the only thing I can never accept is my failure to execute my plan because I didn’t bring out my potential in the fight.

First I feel nerves as I hear the screams of the crowd when the fights outside begin.
To be honest I have always found anything that scares me in life I must defeat.
No matter what the outcome I must try.
I must challenge or else what is the point of my life.

Dermot gets me warmed up with shadowboxing which I must say felt great. I feel like someone has given me lots of drugs like I was in Crank.

Then I begin smashing pads really hard in a dark corner just behind the stage which is kinda cool, but not so much for Dermot if I miss.
I throw some bone crushing punches and kicks.
Then Murphy rolling, hitting shoots and the ground and pound which he is famous for. Man, can he hurt you if you’re on the bottom,pulling guard on him is not a great idea!
I love smashing things and going really fast which is why Tim’s style of fighting suits me really well.
I think that I could never do this without Dermot and Tim. They inspire me, they make me unbreakable. They take care of me and they always have my back.

Now it’s time to go.
My drums start over the sound system.
The crowd waits for me.
I always make them wait to build the atmosphere, get them excited about what’s going to entertain them.
I enter the cage with my hand raised because I know I’m no 1.
This might sound cocky but it’s not the time to doubt myself.
Iman comes into the cage pretty pumped up, jumping up and down. I can see she wants to win badly.

It's funny. I always know how much my coaches care when I see them outside the cage, they look so worried!

We touch gloves.

I start pretty good. Dermot shouts out "Watch for a big right". So I keep my distance and land a 1-2 combo and a low kick.

After that it’s a bit of a blur.
Clinching, constant pressure for takedowns.
Iman is strong but not 100% able to change her plan of attack.
As in the words of Sexton, “Don’t be afraid to bin it!”

I land a big knee in the clinch which makes her cry out in pain. I score a good takedown.

She tries a nice armbar from the guard but I defend it and rain down some hammerfists on her face.

Her face is really funny. I keep on hitting her but she’s stubborn and won’t let go of the arm. I can’t believe I didn’t see the armbar coming but when you’re under pressure you miss things. So I stay calm and let her waste her energy.

Round 2
Where ever she goes I must make a dead end for her attacks.
Keep moving. Judges watching.

High crotch to the skies. Dermot tells me later it’s the first time he’s seen a high crotch pick up and carry across the cage in a women’s match.
On the way down she tries to guillotine choke me. The big gloves we are wearing give me problems. My windpipe is safe but it takes time to pop my head out. All I’m thinking is my poor coaches, because they can’t really see whether it’s on or not.”
To be honest, coaches need way more credit. I’d rather be a fighter anyday than suffering all the constant cardiac arrests. 🙂

I land another big knee from north south control and finish the fight on top.

At the end the MC announces that it was a very technical battle which is a great compliment.
And now the pay off.

And the winner is... The Alpha Female! Catherine Costigan!

Fighter happy. Coaches happy. Crowd entertained.
Job done.

I always love getting changed in the bathroom afterwards and meeting some of the most interesting women. I always love the same question. Oh my God, how do you stick to your diet?
But I do enjoy these conversations as the girls are really supportive and appreciative of my effort. And I have to say I want their respect more than any man’s. I do it for them.
Girls rule! Boys drool!

Now off to DFC in Norwich, the best chicken and chips ever.

Myself and Iman are now good friends and I look forward to training with her in the future. MMA is a great thing, imagine how many wars could be averted by a good old MMA tournament.

MMA brings out the very best in human spirit because that’s what it takes to survive and win in the cage.

It’s over. Now on to hip surgery 😦

Can everybody please friend Stuart Chase on FaceBook and tell him to get my DVD done. Please Alpha Female Followers play your part!
Myself and Iman will be very happy. 🙂

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My Interview with Through The Wire

William Downes is doing great job promoting women’s mma. Here’s a nice interview he did with me.
Click on the picture above to read it!

The Alpha Female Looks For Supremacy Part 1

What you dream about when you diet for too long!

Apologies for not having written a blog in so long. Between my hip surgery and moving the gym and a number of other things it’s been hard to find the time to sit down and do it.

So my Alpha Female Followers, here we go.

I was invited to fight on July 2nd at the ECFF Supremacy Show in Norwich. My opponent was the very tough Iman Darabi from Sweden.

My hip surgery for the tendon tear was booked in for July 18th and I was determined to get one last match in first!

This would be my second time fighting in the UK. My First was a K1 match with Becky Usher in Sheffield last year. That one started very well for me but stopped due to a cut after 40 seconds when we clashed heads in the clinch.

A lot of travelling, dieting, the worst B and B ever and the promoter being late picking us up  so we missed the flight home and having the flu made it an experience I wasn’t keen to repeat.

I watched Iman on YouTube and saw she was big for the weight, very strong and short. Heavy punches and aggressive. I saw some technical points I might be able to exploit and worked on my game plan diligently with my coaches.

What followed was the toughest training camp I’ve had so far. The one way ticket to hell. The return flight to be decided by the result of the fight.

Squaring off with Tim Murphy. Time to tame the Mad Dog.

Lot’s of Tim Murphy double legging me, squishing me into the Point Blank Cage, (possibly the hardest fencing in the world) and saying come on, push the pace while landing migraine inducing punches on my forehead from whatever funky position he liked this week.

Lot’s of pads, technique and conditioning with Dermot, doing his best impression of Rene from Allo, Allo. (You stupid woman..) and being my human punch bag and grappling dummy. I’m the only person he puts on his Twins Headguard for , so I know I’m getting somewhere with my power shots 🙂

Rosi Sexton came over to train with me showing me some great conditioning drills and chain wrestling drills that became one of my keys to victory during the match.

With Peter Irving at Urban Kings in London.

I flew to London to train with Peter Irving from Fighter’s Only.He analysed the match up too and showed me some great techniques to use and did some awesome thai pads with me. He’s a Samurai and that’s it.

I would just like to say I went the whole way to London and did not have one Ben’s cookie. (Alpha Female Tip: Make sure you go Covent Garden and get the best cookies in the world.)

Joanne, my buddy and sparring partner coming in and battling me in the cage night after night. Longest lasting of all the women who have come through the gym doors. She’s a true friend and trusted member of our coaching team. with perfect straightened hair at all times. 😉 No matter what a girl’s image is important.

I look forward to her getting her Black belt this year.

Little did I know I was about to get a chest infection which put me out of training for a week. When I went to see my doctor I asked her how long should I rest and that I’d already taken a whole day off training.
Her face was a picture as she told me at least two weeks to get rid of it.
So I kind of followed her advice and wheezed my way through the next two weeks 🙂

This was my best weight cut ever, thanks to the grappler’s s nutrition guide which I must have read cover to cover so many times. I was really able to maintain my strength and not feel week and drained. I felt really healthy and it’s definitely the best diet ever for your skin looking great. 🙂

But as it was getting closer to fight day it was getting harder and harder and eventually I was dreaming of Mars Bars. No matter what I did I was stuck at 51kgs which was beginning to make me WORRY!
My routine every day was stepping on the scales before each meal to have an idea of how much I could eat now.
After a whole week without dropping anything on the scales, Dermot, the man I can always rely on to get results, looked at everything and talked to his friend,  Roy and came back with the BEST ADVICE EVER, HAVE A CHEAT DAY!!

It so worked, I had an awesome cheat day and was lighter the next day!! 🙂

And was much happier and easier to live with. I guess my metabolism had just slowed down too much.

So the last training day I was at 49 kgs and was spitting nails!

Hungry but Shredded 😉

One of the most important things I’ve learned is this…

In a fight you don’t just face your opponent, you face yourself.

War approaches.

Everything I could possibly do to ensure victory was done. Nothing left but waiting.

Time to become The Alpha Female…

To be continued

If you liked my post you can buy me a coffee 🙂 

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Through The Wire

Like it says. Through The Wire!

Some cool pics of my last fight are featured on the Through The Wire website. I like the image of mma they are putting out.

“Through the wire aim to bring a new different aesthetic to British martial arts, one similar to that of the Asian martial arts promotions like Pride and Dream. We want to focus on the ‘Arts’ part of MMA. Fighting is often a beautiful thing and this is what we want to exploit. We aim to show the world that there is more to MMA than its stereotype.”

Well said. I want the public to understand what a beautiful, technical martial art MMA is at the highest level.

Make sure you check out their site.

Best

Catherine