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Thailand, the Mecca of Muay Thai
Thailand, the Mecca of Muay Thai
by Muay Thai Guy
Moderator @ www.ironlife.net
(click on above link for entire article)
(click on above link for pictures)
Introduction
It is the dream of most Nak Muay’s, Thai Boxers, to make a pilgrimage to the land of smiles, or the land where the art they so love was developed, honed and where the training and fighters are pretty much the pinnacle and benchmark for the rest of the world. In this article I will highlight and summarise my visit after I graduated from Universtiy back in 2001 where I spent 1 month training at the Lanna Camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Before leaving
Ok let me tell you a bit of my training history before I actually decided to go to Thailand. I started out doing TKD when I was 12 and carried on and off till I was about 16 where I quit because of exams and what not, kind of letting myself go and getting very lazy in the process… fast forward… at university I was introduced to Kickboxing and trained hardcore in that for 3 years. In my final year I was left in charge of the University of Kent Kickboxing club as the instructor and president. Well anyway I felt something was missing from kickboxing. It had no real spiritual side which I like about martial arts. As many a naïve Kickboxer perceives, I decided to check out what I thought the roots of kickboxing were so me and my friend who were really into kickboxing decided to go on the net and do as much research on Muay Thai as we could. This was when my friend came across the website for Lanna Muay Thai and said to me, “Fads, We have got to go here… are you up for it?”
I was a bit hesitant at first but after my exams I felt that this would be the next step up in my training. I had watched a lot of Thai fights up till now and knowing it was a lot more different than kickboxing, the moves seemed to be more devastating and heck you could use your knees and elbows too… I was loving it!
I thought **** it! I phoned up my mate, Kev and said still up for Thailand? Well unfortunately he couldn’t go but I bit the bullet, booked the ticket and away I was.
Before I left however, I decided to check out Sandy Holt. Sandy is president of the UK Muay Thai Association and I had heard a lot about him. I felt if I was going to go to Thailand to train, I’d better get some basics in and who better to learn from than the president of the UKMTA. Needless to say, I went away for a few days up to his hometown of Bolton in the UK and stayed in a bed and breakfast for a few days whilst I received some intense Muay Thai tuition and making a great friend in Sandy!
Sandy took me through the basic moves in Muay Thai including pad work and bag work. The first difference I learnt between Kickboxing and Thai boxing was the fact that emphasis in Muay Thai was on power, to completely devastate hence the meaning of Muay Thai, The Devastating Art and Science of Eight Limbs.
Ironically, a week before I left for Thailand, some clever bastard decided to forward me that lovely mpeg of Lloyd Van Dams and the classic, “Kickboxing Shin Snap” video, you guys know the one I’m sure… well it didn’t fill me with confidence ha-ha
My arrival and camp experience
I think it was about 5 hours into the flight, just after they’d served lunch, that I decided “Oh shit, WTF am I doing???” I had a stopover for an hour in Dubai and I though to myself, I could stay in Dubai, I have relatives there after all… I really wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into! Was this gonna be like the movie Kickboxer? Were they going to tie raw meet to me and release the hounds? Then I realized as a Martial Artist, As A dedicated warrior I had to go through with this and learn from the best… As they say, that which does not kill you only makes you stronger.
Once the plane had landed in Bangkok I felt an air of calm and ease, I felt at home, even more so when I’m actually back in England… and it’s true, this was the land of smiles! EVERYONE WAS SMILING! (Except for an old man at customs who got agitated that my visa ran out an hour after my flight back to England)
I waited around a bit, soaked up the atmosphere and got onto the connecting flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with enough time in between to experience my first taste of Thai cuisine. I think I bought a fish dish and was amazed at the price, I was later to learn by Thai standards this was quite expensive but I think you’d have to expect that from any Airport really.
Once I had arrived in Chiang Mai, I caught a taxi and showed him my printout of a map to Lanna Muay Thai. The driver could speak little English but, as most of the locals suggested to me during my trip, he made fists and put his guard up, occasionally pointing at me and saying “You, Boxing, Chiang Mai Boxing”… all whilst still keeping his smile intact. My excitement had skyrocketed. Never before had I seen so much friendliness in people. Now being Indian and having visited India on a few occasions, I had it in my head that there would be parallels in the way people would behave and the general atmosphere but I was very surprised by the infrastructure and modern buildings and stores, there was even a skate park near the airport… For some reason this put my mind at ease.
The Taxi came to a slow down and turned into the camp, The first thing I saw were two sheltered rings, both filled with fighters and pad men, I had arrived just in time to watch the afternoon training session.
I was welcomed by the Camp Owner’s partner, Busaba (Who was known as Pom)
Pom welcomed me with the Thai greeting, The Wai and she said “Sawadee Kaa”, having done my homework (Hey, I bought the lonely planet guide, I knew my shit now
) , I Wai’d back and replied “Sawadee Khrab” (Kaa and Khrab have little meaning in English yet they are attached to phrases in Thai in politeness, Kaa being feminine and Khrab, Masculine)
I took time to look around the camp, watching the Thais and Farang work hard on the bags and pads, I was then approached by a young Thai fighter who said “Hello, How are you”. This was JR and anyone who has seen the documentary, Dream Chasers, might recognize him.
I was then taken to the temporary accommodation pre arranged for me by the camp owner returning to the camp to get to know the area, the people and to get some food!
2.1 Training
Training sessions took place twice a day, the first at 6am to 9pm and the second starting at 4pm finishing at 7pm, both sessions following a similar schedule as outlined below:
Running (5K+)
Skipping – 15 minutes, 30 minutes if you didn’t go running
Shadow Boxing
Bag Work:
o Left Kicks
o Right Kicks
o Boxing
o Teeps
o Knees
Pad work
Sparring/Clinch Work
Body Conditioning:
o 100+ Sit ups
o 50+ Press ups
o Chin ups till exhaustion
Cool Down
As you can see the sessions were quite intense, add to this the heat and humidity of Thailand and you have a serious challenge in terms of training both physically and mentally, putting you through your paces
One of my favourite parts of training was the 5k jungle run. The jungle run was a trail through some very beautiful terrain, passing a gorgeous lake and going through a wild jungle… it really was out of this world however, on my first attempt at going through the jungle alone, I did manage to get lost but I found a trail and ended up back onto the main road J
Wednesday mornings saw the fighters take on the Doi Suthep Mountain. This was a 5 mile run, halfway up a mountain in intense heat and would be one of the most challenging and grueling part of my training however, upon reaching the checkpoint, the feeling that would overcome you for knowing you made, coupled with the awe inspiring, birds eye view of Chiang Mai, would take your breath away and make you feel so alive!
The Pad Men, Doi, Pot and Taywin would take us individually, working us on various combinations and tactics. I can still remember Taywin shouting at me “No Fear! No Fear!” as I was trying to block his insanely hard leg kicks with my bruised and bumpy shins however, this was a lesson that’s been instilled in me now, that a true fighter has to show heart at all times.
All the fighters, both the active Thais and Farang, and the retired fighters would take time to show you if you were doing anything wrong or would answer your questions if you had any. For the most part you’re left on your own to do your thing but you will get told proper technique and maneuvers by the camp staff and fighters. The atmosphere was very relaxed and you would often hear the phrase “Sabai Sabai” which, In Thai, means to relax thus putting emphasis that one should be relaxed when they trained, making the training more effective and making it easier to learn more naturally. Furthermore, to make the atmosphere more relaxing, a radio would play Thai folk and pop music… and yes, the tunes are very catchy!
Unfortunately, on my trip, I was unable to get a fight however, I was watching the fighters prepare for fights and they would do a lot of sparring and clinch work and would work relentlessly on the pads… I was in awe of their dedication, heard work and heart!
Accommodation
Accommodation in Thailand is relatively cheap. Depending on how many creature comforts you want and how close you want to be to the camp. The camp itself offered very basic accommodation for 150 baht a day. This was on the basis of sharing a room with someone else and no hot water (but really you don’t need hot water in the heat of Thailand)
Close by to the camp was the Up North guest house and a favourite amongst fighters who wanted standard accommodation at reasonable rates. Prices ranged from 250 Baht per night for a room with a fan and 350 baht for a room with air conditioning (electricity units were not inclusive however)
Andy, The camp owner, Rented out rooms in his own home which offered comfortable living arrangements. You’d share a bathroom but rooms were private. Rooms came with fans and he had cable television as well as an abundance of fight tapes!
If you’re looking to stay in more comfortable accommodation whilst you’re in Thailand, hotels and apartments are also available. Chiang Mai being a tourist attraction has a host of hotels ranging from cheap to the more 5 star, Westin Hotels. The closest hotel to the camp was the Chiang Mai Phucome Hotel. Rooms featured A/C, En suite shower and televisions. Rooms started from 600 Baht a night.
Make sure you find out about accommodation before you leave if you are planning on going to Thailand to train. Again many camps offer their own accommodation and even food. Lots of camps are now used to catering for foreigners and will be able to help you find good accommodation.
Out and About
Thailand offers an abundance of things to get up to whilst you’re out and about. Obviously, there’s the seedier side of things, Go-Go bars a plenty, clubs, bars etc. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your outlook in life) I didn’t really get involved too much in this side ha-ha, hey, after 6 hours of training, I wanted my damn sleep man!
Chiang Mai has everything you could possibly want and imagine in terms of entertainment except for a beach. There’s beautiful terrain and scenery, it is in the midst of mountains, Jungle and in the middle, a cosmopolitan city with a shopping mall that puts the one in my home town of Leicester in England to shame!
Chiang Mai is a popular tourist destination after Bangkok, offering trekking tours, visits to see elephant nurseries, snake farms, waterfalls and Beautiful Wats (Temples) Most hotels and tour operators in the vicinity of the city will offer decent rates on treks and visits, just make sure to haggle!
Chiang Mai also has an awesome night bazaar where you can pick up a fair deal, clothing, trinkets, even CDs can be picked up for next to nothing… make sure you’re up for being accosted incessantly by the stall owners who will say things like “For you sir, I give you discount, give you good luck!!”
It’s an experience just to see them try to sell you what their wares but I’m sure that you’ll get more than your fill of being politely pestered by these shop and market owners, who’s eyes gleam in glee at the fact that you have, in your possession the almighty Dollar!
Dining is a great experience too, the food in Thailand is worth the visit alone J The variety, tastes and colours of the food on offer is simply outstanding however, if you haven’t the yen for hot, spicy foods, or sugar in everything else you eat (Thais tend to put sugar in everything unfortunately), there’s a whole host of international cuisine in Chiang Mai including Indian, Japanese, European and Fast food.
One of the things to be aware of is to be vigilant at all times, Chiang Mai wasn’t so bad but Phuket and Bangkok was totally different, it was very hard to go anywhere without being accosted, At one stage, me and a backpacker I opted to buddy up with were locked inside a clothing boutique, they duly let us go when I told them I was in Thailand, training in Muay Thai for the past month J.
by Muay Thai Guy
Moderator @ www.ironlife.net
(click on above link for entire article)
(click on above link for pictures)
Introduction
It is the dream of most Nak Muay’s, Thai Boxers, to make a pilgrimage to the land of smiles, or the land where the art they so love was developed, honed and where the training and fighters are pretty much the pinnacle and benchmark for the rest of the world. In this article I will highlight and summarise my visit after I graduated from Universtiy back in 2001 where I spent 1 month training at the Lanna Camp in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
Before leaving
Ok let me tell you a bit of my training history before I actually decided to go to Thailand. I started out doing TKD when I was 12 and carried on and off till I was about 16 where I quit because of exams and what not, kind of letting myself go and getting very lazy in the process… fast forward… at university I was introduced to Kickboxing and trained hardcore in that for 3 years. In my final year I was left in charge of the University of Kent Kickboxing club as the instructor and president. Well anyway I felt something was missing from kickboxing. It had no real spiritual side which I like about martial arts. As many a naïve Kickboxer perceives, I decided to check out what I thought the roots of kickboxing were so me and my friend who were really into kickboxing decided to go on the net and do as much research on Muay Thai as we could. This was when my friend came across the website for Lanna Muay Thai and said to me, “Fads, We have got to go here… are you up for it?”
I was a bit hesitant at first but after my exams I felt that this would be the next step up in my training. I had watched a lot of Thai fights up till now and knowing it was a lot more different than kickboxing, the moves seemed to be more devastating and heck you could use your knees and elbows too… I was loving it!
I thought **** it! I phoned up my mate, Kev and said still up for Thailand? Well unfortunately he couldn’t go but I bit the bullet, booked the ticket and away I was.
Before I left however, I decided to check out Sandy Holt. Sandy is president of the UK Muay Thai Association and I had heard a lot about him. I felt if I was going to go to Thailand to train, I’d better get some basics in and who better to learn from than the president of the UKMTA. Needless to say, I went away for a few days up to his hometown of Bolton in the UK and stayed in a bed and breakfast for a few days whilst I received some intense Muay Thai tuition and making a great friend in Sandy!
Sandy took me through the basic moves in Muay Thai including pad work and bag work. The first difference I learnt between Kickboxing and Thai boxing was the fact that emphasis in Muay Thai was on power, to completely devastate hence the meaning of Muay Thai, The Devastating Art and Science of Eight Limbs.
Ironically, a week before I left for Thailand, some clever bastard decided to forward me that lovely mpeg of Lloyd Van Dams and the classic, “Kickboxing Shin Snap” video, you guys know the one I’m sure… well it didn’t fill me with confidence ha-ha
My arrival and camp experience
I think it was about 5 hours into the flight, just after they’d served lunch, that I decided “Oh shit, WTF am I doing???” I had a stopover for an hour in Dubai and I though to myself, I could stay in Dubai, I have relatives there after all… I really wasn’t sure what I was getting myself into! Was this gonna be like the movie Kickboxer? Were they going to tie raw meet to me and release the hounds? Then I realized as a Martial Artist, As A dedicated warrior I had to go through with this and learn from the best… As they say, that which does not kill you only makes you stronger.
Once the plane had landed in Bangkok I felt an air of calm and ease, I felt at home, even more so when I’m actually back in England… and it’s true, this was the land of smiles! EVERYONE WAS SMILING! (Except for an old man at customs who got agitated that my visa ran out an hour after my flight back to England)
I waited around a bit, soaked up the atmosphere and got onto the connecting flight from Bangkok to Chiang Mai with enough time in between to experience my first taste of Thai cuisine. I think I bought a fish dish and was amazed at the price, I was later to learn by Thai standards this was quite expensive but I think you’d have to expect that from any Airport really.
Once I had arrived in Chiang Mai, I caught a taxi and showed him my printout of a map to Lanna Muay Thai. The driver could speak little English but, as most of the locals suggested to me during my trip, he made fists and put his guard up, occasionally pointing at me and saying “You, Boxing, Chiang Mai Boxing”… all whilst still keeping his smile intact. My excitement had skyrocketed. Never before had I seen so much friendliness in people. Now being Indian and having visited India on a few occasions, I had it in my head that there would be parallels in the way people would behave and the general atmosphere but I was very surprised by the infrastructure and modern buildings and stores, there was even a skate park near the airport… For some reason this put my mind at ease.
The Taxi came to a slow down and turned into the camp, The first thing I saw were two sheltered rings, both filled with fighters and pad men, I had arrived just in time to watch the afternoon training session.
I was welcomed by the Camp Owner’s partner, Busaba (Who was known as Pom)
Pom welcomed me with the Thai greeting, The Wai and she said “Sawadee Kaa”, having done my homework (Hey, I bought the lonely planet guide, I knew my shit now
) , I Wai’d back and replied “Sawadee Khrab” (Kaa and Khrab have little meaning in English yet they are attached to phrases in Thai in politeness, Kaa being feminine and Khrab, Masculine)I took time to look around the camp, watching the Thais and Farang work hard on the bags and pads, I was then approached by a young Thai fighter who said “Hello, How are you”. This was JR and anyone who has seen the documentary, Dream Chasers, might recognize him.
I was then taken to the temporary accommodation pre arranged for me by the camp owner returning to the camp to get to know the area, the people and to get some food!
2.1 Training
Training sessions took place twice a day, the first at 6am to 9pm and the second starting at 4pm finishing at 7pm, both sessions following a similar schedule as outlined below:
Running (5K+)
Skipping – 15 minutes, 30 minutes if you didn’t go running
Shadow Boxing
Bag Work:
o Left Kicks
o Right Kicks
o Boxing
o Teeps
o Knees
Pad work
Sparring/Clinch Work
Body Conditioning:
o 100+ Sit ups
o 50+ Press ups
o Chin ups till exhaustion
Cool Down
As you can see the sessions were quite intense, add to this the heat and humidity of Thailand and you have a serious challenge in terms of training both physically and mentally, putting you through your paces
One of my favourite parts of training was the 5k jungle run. The jungle run was a trail through some very beautiful terrain, passing a gorgeous lake and going through a wild jungle… it really was out of this world however, on my first attempt at going through the jungle alone, I did manage to get lost but I found a trail and ended up back onto the main road J
Wednesday mornings saw the fighters take on the Doi Suthep Mountain. This was a 5 mile run, halfway up a mountain in intense heat and would be one of the most challenging and grueling part of my training however, upon reaching the checkpoint, the feeling that would overcome you for knowing you made, coupled with the awe inspiring, birds eye view of Chiang Mai, would take your breath away and make you feel so alive!
The Pad Men, Doi, Pot and Taywin would take us individually, working us on various combinations and tactics. I can still remember Taywin shouting at me “No Fear! No Fear!” as I was trying to block his insanely hard leg kicks with my bruised and bumpy shins however, this was a lesson that’s been instilled in me now, that a true fighter has to show heart at all times.
All the fighters, both the active Thais and Farang, and the retired fighters would take time to show you if you were doing anything wrong or would answer your questions if you had any. For the most part you’re left on your own to do your thing but you will get told proper technique and maneuvers by the camp staff and fighters. The atmosphere was very relaxed and you would often hear the phrase “Sabai Sabai” which, In Thai, means to relax thus putting emphasis that one should be relaxed when they trained, making the training more effective and making it easier to learn more naturally. Furthermore, to make the atmosphere more relaxing, a radio would play Thai folk and pop music… and yes, the tunes are very catchy!
Unfortunately, on my trip, I was unable to get a fight however, I was watching the fighters prepare for fights and they would do a lot of sparring and clinch work and would work relentlessly on the pads… I was in awe of their dedication, heard work and heart!
Accommodation
Accommodation in Thailand is relatively cheap. Depending on how many creature comforts you want and how close you want to be to the camp. The camp itself offered very basic accommodation for 150 baht a day. This was on the basis of sharing a room with someone else and no hot water (but really you don’t need hot water in the heat of Thailand)
Close by to the camp was the Up North guest house and a favourite amongst fighters who wanted standard accommodation at reasonable rates. Prices ranged from 250 Baht per night for a room with a fan and 350 baht for a room with air conditioning (electricity units were not inclusive however)
Andy, The camp owner, Rented out rooms in his own home which offered comfortable living arrangements. You’d share a bathroom but rooms were private. Rooms came with fans and he had cable television as well as an abundance of fight tapes!
If you’re looking to stay in more comfortable accommodation whilst you’re in Thailand, hotels and apartments are also available. Chiang Mai being a tourist attraction has a host of hotels ranging from cheap to the more 5 star, Westin Hotels. The closest hotel to the camp was the Chiang Mai Phucome Hotel. Rooms featured A/C, En suite shower and televisions. Rooms started from 600 Baht a night.
Make sure you find out about accommodation before you leave if you are planning on going to Thailand to train. Again many camps offer their own accommodation and even food. Lots of camps are now used to catering for foreigners and will be able to help you find good accommodation.
Out and About
Thailand offers an abundance of things to get up to whilst you’re out and about. Obviously, there’s the seedier side of things, Go-Go bars a plenty, clubs, bars etc. Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your outlook in life) I didn’t really get involved too much in this side ha-ha, hey, after 6 hours of training, I wanted my damn sleep man!
Chiang Mai has everything you could possibly want and imagine in terms of entertainment except for a beach. There’s beautiful terrain and scenery, it is in the midst of mountains, Jungle and in the middle, a cosmopolitan city with a shopping mall that puts the one in my home town of Leicester in England to shame!
Chiang Mai is a popular tourist destination after Bangkok, offering trekking tours, visits to see elephant nurseries, snake farms, waterfalls and Beautiful Wats (Temples) Most hotels and tour operators in the vicinity of the city will offer decent rates on treks and visits, just make sure to haggle!
Chiang Mai also has an awesome night bazaar where you can pick up a fair deal, clothing, trinkets, even CDs can be picked up for next to nothing… make sure you’re up for being accosted incessantly by the stall owners who will say things like “For you sir, I give you discount, give you good luck!!”
It’s an experience just to see them try to sell you what their wares but I’m sure that you’ll get more than your fill of being politely pestered by these shop and market owners, who’s eyes gleam in glee at the fact that you have, in your possession the almighty Dollar!
Dining is a great experience too, the food in Thailand is worth the visit alone J The variety, tastes and colours of the food on offer is simply outstanding however, if you haven’t the yen for hot, spicy foods, or sugar in everything else you eat (Thais tend to put sugar in everything unfortunately), there’s a whole host of international cuisine in Chiang Mai including Indian, Japanese, European and Fast food.
One of the things to be aware of is to be vigilant at all times, Chiang Mai wasn’t so bad but Phuket and Bangkok was totally different, it was very hard to go anywhere without being accosted, At one stage, me and a backpacker I opted to buddy up with were locked inside a clothing boutique, they duly let us go when I told them I was in Thailand, training in Muay Thai for the past month J.
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