20 TIPS FOR TRAINING IN THAILAND

20 TIPS FOR TRAINING IN
THAILAND
Muay Thai Scholar | Live, Train and Fight in Thailand
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
Thanks for downloading this eBook and subscribing to my site, it means a
lot to me.
During my time in Thailand I’ve made a LOT of mistakes. I want to share
with you some of the things I think you’ll find useful during your time here.
To me, a successful trip to Thailand is one where I improve my skills, beat
people up, don’t spend too much money, and have as much fun as
humanly possible. If that sounds good to you then read on!
By the way, some of the links I have recommended are affiliate links and I’ll
get a small commission if you sign up with them. I only recommend
companies I know are trustworthy and provide a great service, so thanks
for supporting the website and allowing me to continue to run it.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
--- Maximise Learning ---
It would be pretty soul-destroying to come all this way, only to go back to
your gym at home and make the same mistakes you were making before
you left. I believe that improving as a practitioner or fighter in Thailand is all
about having the right attitude.
Here are some of the ways I believe we can maximise our learning in the
time that we have available to us.
The training begins at home - Arriving in a new climate and diving
straight into training the most brutal combat sport in existence is tough
enough without being out of shape from the off. If you aren't training hard
before you get to Thailand you'll be wasting a lot of your precious time here
because you’ll be unable to keep up with the intense regime.
Your technique work may also be severely hampered because you'll be too
fatigued to get any real quality work in. Get in the best shape possible
before getting on that plane and get the most out of your time and hardearned money.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
If you plan on following the traditional Thai training routine here in Thailand
then you better get your running shoes on; Thais run 4-10km twice a day
on top of the shadow, sparring, pad and clinch work.
Of course, you don’t have to do all of the above, but don’t expect to be able
to pull it out of the bag when you’re here if you haven’t been working hard
at home.
Remember - Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance!
Train through the tiredness - You'll inevitably be tired during the first
week or two after landing in Thailand, but don't let this stop you from
training. If you don't turn up to the gym every day for your sessions you
won’t adjust to the new time zone; you'll just end up continuing your
previous sleeping pattern and you'll feel tired every time you do decide to
train. Moreover, if you're only staying for a couple of weeks then you're
wasting your time, money and the opportunity to learn from some of the
best in the world.
Aim to stay for more than a couple of weeks - If you have a busy
schedule at home but just want to experience training in Thailand and
everything that goes with it, a couple of weeks away will be a nice break
and will give you a small insight into the training we do here.
However, if you actually want to improve as a fighter (or practitioner), two
weeks isn't nearly enough. Especially when you experience "Thai style"
coaching, which is a lot of "doing" but not a lot of "showing". This coaching
style works well and anything you learn will be rock-solid. By that I mean
you won't just forget it a few days later as you've repeated it a thousand
times.
The downside to this type of coaching is that it takes a lot longer to learn,
hence the need for a much longer trip.
Concentrate on the basics - Concentrate on improving your basic
techniques the whole time you’re in Thailand. This is the most important
thing you can take away from training here. If you spend the whole time
you’re there constantly asking trainers to show you spinning elbows,
superman punches and cartwheel kicks you’ll totally waste your time.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
The difference between a good fighter and a great fighter is how well they
do the basics. Without good basics, all of the other stuff is pointless. In my
opinion, you shouldn’t even be considering trying anything like that in your
first fight.
One of the disadvantages we have in Western countries is that we don’t
usually have the trainer’s undivided attention much so it’s difficult for them
to correct every flaw in our technique. Also, being made to walk up and
down the gym for hours isn’t much fun and not everyone in the class wants
to be a fighter so the coach has to cater for everyone.
In Thailand, you should get more time with your trainer and, if he’s decent,
he should be straightening out your technique the whole time. It can be
frustrating, especially when you think you know something, then your Thai
trainer rips your technique apart and it takes some time to adjust.
In my opinion, your aim shouldn’t be to go back home and show your
friends all of these amazing techniques you’ve learnt, because that’s what
they’ll be expecting.
Make it your goal to go back home with rock-solid basic technique.
Change gyms - Not every gym in Thailand is amazing. There are a lot of
lousy ones too. If you find yourself at a gym where you don't think you're
learning or getting enough attention, get out of there.
Avoid wasting time in these gyms because, chances are, things won't
improve quickly and it will be time to go home again in no time. If you need
to move, do it, and don't let the gym owner or trainers change your mind they can be VERY persuasive.
Immerse yourself in the Thai culture – Don’t lock yourself away in your
room. Thais are generally pretty friendly and may invite you to eat with
them or just hang out. If they do, accept the invitation and get a taste of the
Thai way of life (and the amazing food).
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
--- Save Money ---
Things are so much cheaper here that people often get careless with
money and forget to keep an eye on finances. Before you know it you’ve
overspent. Here are a few tips I’ve implemented time and time again to
make sure I have enough money to stay in Thailand.
Get a cheap flight - When I say "get a cheap flight", I don't mean book a
flight with the cheapest airline. This has backfired on me once before and it
ended up taking me almost five days to get from the UK to Thailand due to
constant cancellations and lack of organisation and professionalism.
The easiest way to get a cheap flight is to use Skyscanner to search
thousands of airlines for cheap flights. This takes out a lot of the work and
will surely get you a cheaper flight than you'd be able to otherwise.
Also, try to get a flight to Bangkok, regardless of your final destination; it
should work out cheaper than flying into smaller airports like Phuket,
Chiang Mai or Samui. Once you’re in Bangkok, you can get a domestic
flight or even a train or bus to your final destination.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
If you’re only in Thailand for a short time, the bulk of your total travel
expenses will be spent on your flight. Start the trip the right way and save
more money for when you’re in Thailand.
Only pay for one session per day - This one is for the long-term nak
muays. The morning sessions in Thailand mainly consist of conditioning
work, i.e. running. Perhaps you'll get a couple of rounds on pads and
maybe even a bit of clinching. Some camps will also do some kind of
strength training with bodyweight exercises or small weights, but they
almost definitely won't have the facilities for a real strength session.
In most gyms, I find morning sessions a bit unproductive and I know I can
make better use of my time by training on my own.
Therefore, I recommend doing your own strength and conditioning sessions
in the morning and train muay Thai in the afternoon. This way, you'll get the
best of both worlds - at almost half the price.
My morning routine usually goes something like this;
Monday: Running
Tuesday: Strength | sprints
Wednesday: Running
Thursday: Running
Friday: Strength | sprints
Saturday: Running
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve spent most of my time here training like the Thais
do i.e. 6 hours a day, 6 days a week. However, strength training and sprints
need to be implemented so this is the way I prefer to train now.
Obviously, if you’re in Thailand for a short time then you don’t need to
worry about the strength and conditioning side of things too much. Train
muay Thai twice a day and learn as much as you can.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
Get travel insurance - "I'll be OK, it won't happen to me". Well, actually it
did happen to me. And I didn't have travel insurance. I had it all; skin
infections, conjunctivitis, flu, dog bites, broken ribs, cancelled flights, you
name it. I could have saved myself a lot of money if I wasn't so pig-headed!
The World Nomads insurance is probably the most trusted travel insurance
out there, as well as being well-priced. It’s also promoted by websites like
TravelFish and RoughGuides.
Don’t fall for taxi scams - There are a million scams being performed on
unsuspecting foreigners in Thailand. You will definitely have to get a taxi at
some point so this is the scam I’ll help you out with.
There are a few different types of "taxis" offering transportation in Thailand,
and you'll find different types in different regions. Thailand isn't a "one size
fits all" country in any sense; every region is different from the next. The
taxi service is no exception.
Remember this; if you're getting a car taxi, always get a meter taxi. The
"Taxi Meter" sign is displayed on the car's roof. Before you get in, make
sure the meter on the dashboard is being displayed and tell the driver to
switch it on. If the driver doesn't use the meter he'll invent his own price for
the journey which will be hugely inflated.
I've travelled all over Thailand and, in my opinion, the worst areas for this
scam are Phuket and Pattaya. In these places it's not even considered a
scam. It's common practice and taxis aren't plentiful like they are in
Bangkok.
Read “20 Ways to Save Money in Thailand” - I wrote a 3000 word post
on my website about how to save money on your trip. You can view it here.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
--- Meet Thai Girls ---
It's no secret that Thai girls differ HUGELY from Western girls. It's an
entirely different culture in Thailand and things are done a little differently
over here. Actually, things are done a LOT differently over here.
Most westerners have some misconceptions when it comes to Thai girls.
The stereotypical view of the Thai girl in many foreigners eyes is a
prostitute/gold digger/bunny boiler. I’m not saying those types of girls don’t
exist over here, they definitely exist, but you should get that image out of
your head before you enter Thailand or you could make a fool of yourself
and offend a lot of people.
Having said that, you don’t want to miss out because you’re unsure of how
to approach them. Here are a few tips that should help.
Online - I'm not going to beat about the bush here. There are a few general
places to meet Thai girls; bars, clubs, the beach, and everywhere in
between.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
However, a lot of Thai girls work long hours and get very few days off
during the month and they don’t have the time to go out and meet new
people too often so meeting foreign guys online solves that problem.
There’s one place where you'll have more success than in any of the above
- Thai Friendly - a Thai dating site full of single Thai girls looking for
foreigners who are visiting Thailand. If you can’t arrange hook-ups on this
site then…. well, you just will. If you can’t then you must be doing
something seriously wrong. Some other honourable mentions for Thai
dating sites are Thai Cupid and Asia Friend Finder.
If you want real success, you need to lay the foundations with these girls
now before you travel or else you may end up talking to lots of girls while
you’re here but never actually getting to meet them. Some of them like to
get to know you online for a while first (and some of them don’t)
Ninety nine percent of Thai girls love western boxers so if you take the
online route, be sure to upload your boxing photos to your profile and watch
the private messages roll in.
Have a play and see which site you prefer to use. I'll leave it at that and let
you have some fun.
Clubs – These are also a great place to meet girls. However, you need to
have your wits about you and separate the bar girls (prostitutes) from the
genuine girls, which is almost impossible unless you’ve spent a month or
so in Thailand, after which you’ll spot them a mile off.
You can usually tell by the way they’re dressed. Having said that, even
some of the “normal” girls in the club will try and charge you money.
Don’t forget to wear your hand wraps and Thai shorts when you walk into
the club. Do a bit of shadow boxing as you’re walking around, everyone will
be really impressed, honest.
The Beach – A great place to chat to girls if you’re down on the islands.
The atmosphere is relaxed and the thought of work and worries of
everyday life are a distant thought. It’s relatively easy to approach a girl or
a couple of girls and join them for a swim (although most Thais can’t swim)
or just lie in the sun and chat.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
Shopping malls – Thailand, especially Bangkok, has some amazing
shopping malls. For some reason, these malls are always full of hot girls.
It's usually pretty easy to spark up a conversation with a Thai girl in public
as Thais tend to be less uptight than westerners. There are plenty of
restaurants and coffee shops in these places too so you won’t be stuck for
places to hang out.
Bonus tip - Telling a girl where you train? School boy error. Ninety percent
of the time you'll be safe, but every now and then you'll pick up a complete
psychopath who will turn up at your gym while you're training. Pretty
awkward and very irritating. These girls don't take "NO" for an answer so
it's just not worth the trouble, unless you're actually in a long-term
relationship with her.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
--- Fight Tips ---
After 22 fights in Thailand I’m still learning the ropes. As I’ve said before,
it’s a whole new game out here so you need to have your wits about you
from the start. These tips should help you out.
Take care of small cuts - Cuts get infected VERY easily in Thailand due
to the climate. If you get any kind of cut on your shin or anywhere else, get
yourself down to the pharmacy and take care of it. Failure to do so is
asking for an infection and a lengthy time off training or just half-assed
training due to the fact you can't kick or spar. There are 50 pharmacies on
every soi in Thailand!
Don’t get roped into a fight you’re not ready for – While you shouldn’t
keep putting off fights because you’re not “ready”, you should be aware that
a lot of the gyms will want you to fight, and they don’t care if you’re ready or
not.
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
In a sense, we are never 100% ready to fight. At least, I never feel that
way. But make sure it’s YOUR decision to get in the ring, not somebody
else’s.
Get advice from experienced fighters in your gym – As I wrote in this
post, trainers don’t always have your best interests at heart. They get a
commission for throwing you into the ring for a fight. They don’t really care
if you perform well and they will pretty much always tell you that you’re
ready to fight just so they can make a quick buck.
Instead of asking your trainer if you’re ready, ask an experienced western
fighter in your gym. They train with you every day and will be able to give
you a genuine opinion as to whether you’re up to it. Westerners have a
different mentality so, as long as you don’t ask the gym douchebag, you
should know if you’re on the right tracks.
Be prepared to be mismatched – If you want to fight in Thailand, you
should know that the match-ups are often a little crazy. There are so many
shows on every day in Thailand that it’s practically impossible for promoters
to match every fighter up evenly according to weight and experience. Of
course, they could just put on less shows and take more time over the
match-making process, but Thais don’t think that way. They only think
about the money they can generate by packing out stadiums week in, week
out.
In places like Phuket and Bangkok you’re likely to be mismatched as the
lighter OR the heavier fighter, it’s just the luck of the draw as to which one
you are. You may not get mismatched at all.
If you’ve got some experience and get onto a big show in Thailand to fight
a Thai, you’ll be the underdog 99% of the time. It’s not uncommon for
Westerners to fight on the big shows in Thailand, but it’s only the top
fighters who win. Most will lose to a much superior Thai.
In cases like this, you need to be realistic about your own skills; if you think
you can hold your own, and even if you think you’re going to get beaten,
but you have the skills to put up a decent fight and stay relatively safe, then
crack on. If that’s the case then you don’t need any advice from me.
If you don’t have a solid game and you don’t have much fight experience
but you get matched up with YodSanklai on Thai Fight, they probably didn’t
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar
match you up with him because you’re fair game. Rather, you’re the guy
who he knocks out in the first round that night. You could end up with a
serious injury, but also, it can be pretty embarrassing getting knocked out in
20 seconds in front of millions of fans. But that’s entirely your choice.
Well, that’s it. Thanks for reading, I hope it helped. If you have questions on
ANYTHING here or anything in general, send me a private message on my
Facebook page where I’ll be making a point of answering each one. You
can also follow me on my Twitter profile if you’re not already doing so.
Oh and I was joking about going to the club in your hand wraps and
shorts…
Aaron Jahn
http://www.muaythaischolar.com
Copyright 2015 Muay Thai Scholar