My 3 Month Fight Camp in Thailand

New Pornsaneh and Yodkhoopon Sitmonchai Documentary

2012-02-28T20:16:00.000-08:00

One a champion, the other just beginning his career. A journey through the sport of Muay Thai, pushing one another to become the best fighters they can be. Check out the preview of this new documentary.

My friend Michael Calvin is starting to film a documentary about Yodkhoopon Sitmonchai and Pornsaneh, two legendary Muay Thai Fighters based in Thailand. If you want to see this project and get a copy of it, or even better, get a credit at the end, check out his page at: http://www.indiegogo.com/Pornsaneh-and-Yodkhoopon-Sitmonchai-Documentary

The Story - What Will This Documentary Be About?
The film will be an independent documentary following the lives of these two fighters as they for fights that could change the whole course of their lives. It will be mostly shot in Thamaka, Kanchanaburi, Thailand. I hope to shoot it in the beginning of May 2012. The final product will be a documentary and instructional video sold online for digital download at an affordable price. I've been waiting for years to create a documentary of this kind , and so I'm asking for your help!

The film will contrast the lives of Pornsaneh and Yodkhoonpon Sitmonchai. Pornsaneh, a seasoned veteran and accomplished fighter in the Muay Thai world, will travel to the Netherlands for his first international fight at Slamm VII Holland vs Thailand, a major event on the global Muay Thai calendar. With his country watching devotedly and thousands of fight fans eager to see how he performs, Pornsaneh will carry a lot of hope and expectations along with a lifetime of experience and training.

Meanwhile, 17 year-old Yodkhoonpon finds himself on the other side of the spectrum. Finally getting recognized for his talent in the ring, the Thai press has sometimes referred to Yodkhoonpon as a young Pornsaneh. His matches are often exciting, edge of your seat affairs and as such he has attracted a lot of attention from the national community. With a string of knockouts to his name, the young fighter has won against many top-ranked fighters, and is well on his way to becoming a champion himself.

The sport of Muay Thai itself is a fascinating and complex subject, steeped in culture and tradition and strongly tied into the socio-economic structure of the country. We will take you behind the scenes to look into this world as we follow both Pornsaneh and Yodkhoonpon preparing for their upcoming bouts. The film will explore what the life of a Muay Thai fighter is like, growing up in a camp, the Sitmonchai family, the fighters’ thoughts on Muay Thai, why they fight, how they feel about their upcoming matches.

Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai (New TMT Chiang Mai Gym!)

2012-02-04T02:47:00.000-08:00

Yes, you heard right, Tiger Muay Thai is officially going to open a brand new training facility, gym in Chiang Mai! TMT bought a huge plot of land (7 rai) and started to build the new gym which should be open later in 2012. It's right outside the city which is great for peace and quite while training, as well as good air quality, yet close enough to get into the city to go to shops and the cinema.

Tiger Muay Thai Chaing Mai Gym

What does this mean for Muay Thai in Chiang Mai? I think it's a great thing. For the gyms currently in Chaing Mai, they'll just have to step up their game and continue to improve their quality of training and their facilities. People will always go to the small local gyms for the Thailand experience as long as they are reasonably priced and offer good training. But what TMT Chiang Mai will add is a big brand new facility with all new rooms and equipment and a reason to go up to northern thailand which in my opinion is my favorite part of the country.

Lots of open space at the new TMT Chiang Mai

Phuket vs. Chiang Mai - Where should you train?

Well, that's up to you really, and there's no reason why you can't do both places. But here are the pros and cons of each. Phuket is a large island and has beaches and is a day trip away from the legendary Phi Phi islands. Chiang Mai is in the northern mountains and has some amazing jungle treks.

Cost of living and food is cheaper in Chiang Mai and touristy stuff is much cheaper in Chiang Mai. For example you can do a three day, two night jungle trek including 2 nights stay, all your meals, white water rafting and riding an elephant for 1,500 baht which is about $50US. In Phuket the same trip is exactly 10x that price. Or you can just ride elephants for an hour for that price.

For a lot of people, especially if you're only here for a few weeks, Phuket and the tropical islands is the clear choice. You just can't get that amount of beauty at home. But if you're here for a few months, Chiang Mai is a nice laid back place to visit.

As for getting Professional Muay Thai Fights - Phuket is the winner as there are 5 fights a week at two different stadiums, meaning it's easy to get fights and get paid.

Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai is going to be another option to consider when coming out to Thailand to train Muay Thai or MMA. I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on where you'd prefer to live and train, Phuket or Chiang Mai?

Warm Regards

My Fight Camp

How not to get ripped off - Taxi's from Phuket Airport (450 baht)

2011-12-12T07:42:00.000-08:00

I decided to write this because I keep meeting guys that get ripped off at the airport trying to take a Taxi to Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team. Greg paid 1,300 baht which is more than double the price, and got dropped off more than 1 kilometer away from Phuket Top Team with all of his luggage. He had to drag 40 kilos worth of luggage all the way from Tiger Muay Thai down to PTT. Another guy over paid a bit less but was shuttled around for 2 hours, changing drivers and cars three times. Something you don't want to do after a long flight from home.

I ignored these problems for a while, but I just keep hearing about them and it's fucked up. So here is your complete insiders guide on how to not get ripped off coming from Phuket Airport to the Tiger Muay Thai area.

1. Do not pay more than 600 baht ($20US) EVER to take a taxi from the Phuket Airport to anywhere near Tiger Muay Thai, Suwit Gym, Dragon Muay Thai, and Phuket Top Team. That is the absolute maximum price, no matter how many people you have, or how much luggage you have. In fact, there's a way to get it for only 450 baht which I'll explain later.

2. When arriving at the airport, ignore and walk past all of the booths with taxi, car and limo information. Then walk past all of the guys standing right in front, they are very aggressive so just be polite and tell them "no thank you" or "Mai Yao Krup" in Thai then ignore them no matter what they say. The only time those mini bus services are ever good is if you are going to Patong, Kata Beach, Karon, and are a solo passenger.

3. Walk to the right when coming out of the airport and walk towards the booth that says "Taxi Meter" - line up, and tell the lady in the booth "Chalong" which is the area all the gyms are in. Wait a few minutes and she'll give you a piece of paper to give to the taxi driver. Usually you have to wait 5-10 minutes for a car to come, but it's absolutely worth it. The drivers are friendly, don't try to scam you and aren't aggressive. The fare is also only 450 baht which is $15US. Going to the airport is 500 baht which is still cheaper than booking it through your hotel or the restaurant.

You can also book ahead which I'd recommend doing - Here's the info:

In Thailand : 081 958 2791

OverSeas : +66 81 958 2791

E-mail : PhuketTaxiMeter@Gmail.com

BBM PIN : 23B7CD9D

Website: http://phuket-taxi-meter.com

4. Print out the following map:

(Also print this if you're at Phuket Top Team, it's directions written in Thai)

5. Write down the phone number to your hotel or gym:

For Phuket Top Team: 07 6367567 (office) and 08 061 333 12 (emergency/mobile)

For Tiger Muay Thai: 076-367 071 (office) and (0)86 596 9090 (after hours)

For Suwit Gym: 0817376072 (mobile/office)

For Dragon Muay Thai: Mobile Phone : + 66(0)80-142-7500

Office Phone : + 66(0)76-280-536, +66(0)76-521-343

6. If you are arriving after 7pm the gyms and office will be closed, so if you booked a room there, you're kind of fucked. You can try to arrange with someone to meet you after hours, but there is a big chance they will forget or not be there. You can always just book a night or two stay at Flora Ville (http://floravillephuket.com/) or Siam Hostel (http://www.phuketsiamhostel.com) which are both on the same street as the gyms, half way in between Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team. (closer to TMT). Rooms are 800baht a night which is $27US and are very nice places with a swimming pool and wifi.

Hope this post helps some of you guys arriving in Thailand or Phuket for the first time. I'm sick of the taxi drivers scamming people, being pushy and aggressive at the airport. I didn't even know there was a Taxi Meter option, and most people still don't.

Warm Regards,

Johnny @ My Fight Camp

Try Scuba Diving while you're in Phuket

2011-12-06T20:14:00.001-08:00

One of the coolest things in the world is available in Phuket and no one ever does it. Out of the hundreds of guys I've met at Tiger Muay Thai and at the other gyms, only a handful have ever went diving. Most of them say they want to, but say they'll do it at the end of the trip before they go home. The problem with that is towards the end when you start running low on money, you become a cheap ass and decide it's not worth it.

Well, big mistake, seriously. When you go back home, you'll be happy you spend the hundred bucks doing a new experience and it'll be cheap when you look back on it. Guys will spend the same 3,000 baht in a night or two at Patong, drinking, and messing around. Trust me on this, do at least a trial dive, which they call a DSD or Discover Scuba Dive, it's a chance of a lifetime. And if you are already certified, there is no reason not to go, the diving around Phuket is some of the best in the world. It's half the price to do a fun dive in Koh Tao, but it's three times as good near Phuket. Plus it's a whole boating experience. Since it's a long boat trip, you get to relax, tan, and chill out on a big boat where they serve you a really good breakfast and lunch buffet, and food always tastes better on a boat for some reason.

My cousin is visiting from the U.S. and we're going fun diving on December 12th, and then again on the 14th. Anyone that wants to tag along is more than welcome. Just leave me a comment if you want to come. The price is around 3,800 baht for a three dive trip for certified divers, and around the same price for a single discover dive for beginners. That's about $127US, which sounds like a lot, but trust me, it's worth it.

If you decide to go do it on your own after i'm gone, I recommend All 4 Diving Academy based in Patong. But there are also closer dive shops in Chalong near the circle that you can check out.

Warm Regards,

Johnny @ My Fight camp

My Highlight Reel - All of my fights in one video and a bit more about Johnny Jen.

2011-12-03T18:44:00.001-08:00

Instead of going out drinking and partying with the guys this weekend I decided to stay in, rest up and recover from a hard week's training so I can hit it hard again on Monday morning. Sitting at home, I decided to finally put together all of my fights into one video. So here it is, the ultimate Johnny Jen highlight reel. I plan on adding future fights to it and just have it be an ongoing project.

What I like about it is that you can see the progression in my confidence, technique and form during each of the fights which are by the way in chronological order.

In the first fight, you see me walking into the ring overly confident, thinking it'll be easy. I was wrong, those 5 rounds were the toughest minutes of my life and I wanted out of there. I lost to split decision.

It gave me a reality check and taught me what to focus on. After reviewing the fight tapes over and over I realized that I needed to stop throwing big hooks and to focus on jabs and straights so he wouldn't clinch me every time I missed. I asked for a rematch and fought the same guy "Big Boom" a month later and won by K.O.

On my third fight, I was in great fight shape after a 3 month training camp at Tiger Muay Thai, found a guy who had 25 or so fights, so much more experienced than me but I was about 15 kilos bigger. During this fight, I told myself to focus primary on my kicks and ended up doing well. It gave me a bit too much confidence which I'll pay for in my next fight. I won that fight by T.K.O. after dropping him three times during the first round and finishing with a kick to the body.

During my fourth and most recent fight, I went in a bit too cocky and confident. I was in a good shape after two months of training at Phuket Top Team but ended up fighting a guy with 100+ fights under his belt. I was younger, in better shape, and more aggressive. But he had experience on his side and caught me with five short elbows to my nose and teeth during the fight. You have to watch it in slow motion or pay real close attention or you can't even see him throwing it. I lost my composure and threw all of my technique out the window, started throwing big wild hooks again and body shots, opening me up for additional elbows to the face. It took me two months to recover from that fight, he broke my nose and loosened my upper row of teeth so I couldn't spar. But I learned a lot of valuable lessons from that fight. I ended up winning by K.O. due to a knee to his body.

When i'm not training or fighting, I teach scuba diving professionally for a living. I love the feeling of being weightless underwater, not being able to talk, and seeing the vast wildlife underwater. I really enjoying teaching and traveling around the world in search of the best dive sites.

I don't talk about it much but personally I do not eat seafood including shrimp, lobster, and all shellfish, and try to limit my intake on fish. Vegetarians and PETA seem to care about animals but not give a shit about over fishing. When it comes down to it, we need to take better care of our food and give Cows and Chicken a healthier life but, they will never go extinct. Sharks, turtles, whales, and fish however are going extinct and commercial fishing operations are killing what's left of our coral reefs.

Also as a hobby and as something I really love to do, I give guest lectures and speeches on topics such as "5 steps to better social confidence" that I gave for the Taiwanese Cultural Society at Harvard University. I think the Men's self help movement, and the Women's reclaim the Goddess within movement is something that will be a big part of everyone's lives in the upcoming years. I leave you with one of my favorite quotes.

Our Greatest Fear —Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other
people won't feel insecure around you.

We were born to make manifest the glory of
God that is within us.

It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people
permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.

—Marianne Williamson

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen

Tigress Muay Thai - Body Fit, Yoga, Fitness Training for Women in Phuket, Thailand

2011-12-02T23:10:00.001-08:00

Introducing...the all new Tigress Muay Thai and Mixed Martial Arts Fitness Camp for women located in Phuket, Thailand. Fitness classes designed for both men and women include BodyFit, and the upcoming CrossFit classes, along with Yoga and Muay Thai Kickboxing.

Coming soon: www.TigressMuayThai.com

Actually, who knows if they are really going to do it or not. But I thought of the idea and suggested it to Will over at Tiger Muay Thai after I've been getting a bunch of girls messaging me on facebook and though this blog asking me questions. The most common questions I get from girls are if there are other girls training at the camp and if they would feel comfortable in the classes.

Tiger Muay Thai definitely has more girls training than any other gym around Thailand and they have the classes to support it. Currently there are around 20 or so girls on the block at the various gyms and 200 guys. BodyFit is a bootcamp style fitness class that focuses on toning, and conditioning. At Phuket Top Team and Dragon Muay Thai there are usually only two or three girls at any given time but these girls are usually a bit more hardcore and into Muay Thai instead of just losing weight and fitness. Some girls also like training at Top Team and Dragon just to get away from all the other girls and focus.

My idea was to create a website and program specifically for women that want to come train in Thailand and to answer all of the questions that girls have in regards to a fitness camp out here. TMT could even go as far as making specific training gear and clothing sporting the pink and white Tigress Muay Thai logo.

For me personally, I'm actually glad there aren't a ton of girls in my classes. I left California and came to Thailand to get away from girls and from distractions. When i'm at the camp, especially if I'm preparing for a fight I'm here eat, sleep and train.

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen

@MyFightCamp

Meet the Trainers - Phuket Top Team + Shoot the Shit with Johnny and Greg (Video)

2011-12-01T17:08:00.001-08:00

What's up guys, just finished making this video which introduces the trainers at Phuket Top Team including the Boxing and MMA Coach Silviu Vulc, the Professor himself the head Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu trainer and 3rd degree Black Belt, Silvio Braga, along with the lineup of all of the Muay Thai Trainers.

The video also shows some highlights from yesterday's classes including with some padwork and even a little bit of mat time in the Jiu-Jitsu class. As a little bonus Greg and I filmed our first ever, "Shoot the Shit" video where we sit down and talk about each trainers teaching styles and a bit more background info about each coach.

Hope you enjoyed the video. We're thinking about making more videos like this, especially with the Shoot the Shit and Interview type videos, so if you enjoyed watching it, please leave a comment and let me know. I'm thinking the next video will be one about our daily training schedules and life at the camp, including what we do between classes, where we eat, and the camp life.

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen @ My Fight Camp

Video Game and Movie Room at Phuket Top Team

2011-12-01T02:14:00.001-08:00

The coolest new addition to the Phuket Top Team Camp aside from the dedicated Strength and Conditioning area where I do my Circuit Training, and the second Boxing Ring they are building is the new lounge where guys can go and chill out between morning and afternoon training sessions.

A bunch of guys have came up to me and told me that my blog was the reason they knew to bring their Xbox and PS3's out here and how happy they are that they did. As a reminder, if you do, make sure you look at the power supply to make sure it reads 110v-220v or use a power converter to convert it from the US 110volts to the Thailand 220volts. You can buy one for $20US. Most PS3s can handle both, but since the power adapter is inside you might have to do some of your own research first. For Xbox 360's it is easy, just look at the power brick.

Right now we have both a PS3 and a PS2 set up in the game room. The PS2 is the owner, Boyd's, so it'll always be there, so if you have a PS2, you can bring it and set it up in your room, or you can just bring some games. But the PS3 is Greg's and he's moving in a few days so it'll be gone.

Also make sure you bring two controllers! You can set up the system in your room or set it up in the game room for everyone to share. The best games to bring are 2 player games such as Street Fighter IV, MMA games such as UFC and downloadable games like Mushroom wars.

We've also been playing K1 on the PS2 as well as Fight Night Boxing. The other cool thing about having a PS3 is sharing your movies on the wireless network so people can stream movies into the lounge. We've been watching movies at night and it's a lot healthier and cheaper than going out to Patong to drink and party. Thanks Boyd for hooking up the gym with a couch and a game setup. Now all we need is a microwave!

Warm Regards,

Johnny @ My Fight Camp

Vegetarian House - Why Go Veg during hard training.

2011-11-25T20:55:00.001-08:00

Something really strange happened to me after training one day. Instead of the usual protein shake, chicken, egg, and steak lunch I have in attempts to try to feed my body after a hard workout, I went to a vegetarian restaurant instead. It defied all of my logic, as I thought the reason why I wasn't recovering was because of a lack of protein.

Turns out guys like Jake Shields, Nate, and Nick Diaz may be onto something with their Vegetarian UFC training. I noticed something strange about my body and mentioned it to Ben, a nutritionist that was training at Phuket Top Team. I told him that I wasn't tired at all, normally I need to take a nap around this time, and that I felt great. He said it was because my body didn't need to spend all that energy breaking down the animal protein and instead was able to use that same energy to recover.

I also mentioned this phenomena to Dave Asprey the author of the Bulletproof Executive Diet http://www.bulletproofexec.com/ where he advocates a majority meat and fat based diet which seems to work fantastic by the way if you live somewhere with access to the ingredients. He said that the reason was deeper than that. If I had been eating grass-fed beef, which is healthier and lower in toxins I wouldn't have the same recovery problems.

My suggestion is to test out your own body and see how you feel. It's easy, just have some Vegetarian food for a few days after training and see if you recover better than before. If it works, stick with it, if it doesn't try something else. The Vegetarian House is in Phuket near the Chalong Circle. There are three Vegetarian restaurants with simular signs on the same street. The one closest to Phuket Top Team and furthest from the circle is one you order off the menu and unfortunately is terrible. Ben and I went there once and was disappointed. I haven't tried the one closest to the circle, but it's walking distance from each other so I might try it someday.

For 50 baht ($1.67US) you get a choice of three items and a plate of white steamed rice. Brown rice is available for 10 baht extra. The restaurant is open from 5am - 3pm but it's best to get there before noon as they stop cooking before noon and you'll just get what ever is left.

This is my lunch from today. Bean sprouts with tofu, some type of kale or dark leafy vegetable and some type of chinese winter melon. You also get big plate of raw vegetables for free as well as free ice water. The raw veggies always includes sliced cold cucumber and then you get some random things like leaves. I don't particularly enjoy the taste of the bitter leaves but eat them anyways as I figure they are good for me.

Anyways, give it a shot and tell me how you like it.

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen @ My Fight Camp

Taking a Fight on 2 Days Notice

2011-11-23T18:23:00.001-08:00

Every time you hear this phrase it's usually as an excuse on why someone lost. But maybe it's more just a legit reason not to take fights on short notice. But my dumb ass almost took a fight on two days notice anyways. After Monday's morning Muay Thai session a promoter came up to me and asked me how much I weighed, then he asked if I wanted to fight in two days as they needed a replacement fighter for someone.

I told him that I just arrived back in Thailand a few days ago and wanted to get back in shape before fighting again but he assured me that it would be an easy fight. The guy supposedly had no fight experience. I was seconds away from taking the fight despite just getting back from a weekend drinking and partying in Phi Phi, battling jet lag, and more importantly, not having sparred in 3 months.

I caught myself updating my status on facebook to "Taking a fight on two days notice..." then it hit me. That's always a bad fucking idea, and decided to Google my opponent just in case. All I knew from the fight poster was that his named was Andre and he trained at Maximum Muay Thai, didn't look too tough in his photo. This is what I found.

ANDRE MARCOLLA

Andre Marcolla is an MMA fighter from Curitiba, Brasil. With a professional record of 4-0 (muay thai), and 1-0 (MMA). After living in Brasil for 22 years, he spent 5 years training and coaching professional fighters on the beaches of Miami.

So luckily I didn't take the fight. One of the trainers from Dragon Muay Thai ended up fighting him instead, and it was a tough fight.

What I've learned from this experience:

Make sure you are fight ready and not just willing. There is a reason why people do 6-8 week fight camps before each fight, the other guy is going to be in peak peformance and so should you.

Do some research on who you are going to fight BEFORE you accept a fight. Backing down or canceling a fight last minute is unprofessional, but going into a fight with someone that out classes you is just asking to get injured.

Spar a lot before each fight, just stop doing it a week before so you don't get injured by accident. Sparring for the first time in three months was like being a newbie again, my timing was off and it was shocking to get hit.

Warm Regards,

Johnny @ My Fight Camp

First week back at Phuket Top Team - Plus Phi Phi island adventures

2011-11-20T04:37:00.001-08:00

Best news is that I fought jet lag like a champ and didn't get hit at all. I believe it was a combination of having a red eye flight and sleeping 8 hours on the plane, and changing all of my clocks/watches/computer time to Thailand time ASAP so I never knew, and still have no idea what time it is back home.

For training, the first day back after my 3.35 mile walk/run I ended up doing the Strength and Conditioning class which was five, 5:00minute rounds of circuit training - hammer swings, giant tire flips, heavy ropes, kettle bells, etc. It was tough to get through but really great workout.

The next day I woke up, really sore and a bit tired so I decided just to do a long walk before classes. Didn't really measure the walk but it was for about an hour. I ended up not doing any classes that day and just rested after the walk, which was smart. I usually end up over working the first few days back and regretting it, so it was a good decision and allowed me to have a really good Muay Thai Session the next morning. It's been 2.5 months since I kicked anything, so getting back into it was both fun and challenging. Good news is muscle memory is great and I was able to preform like I didn't miss a day. Just gotta get back my cardio and endurance.

After class, a bunch of the other students invited me to go to the Phi Phi island with them for the weekend. At first I declined as I had just arrived, but I figured I wouldn't be missing any classes as we'd only go for the night and the next day was Sunday - rest day anyways so I went. I think Ja Ja hooked us up and only charged 500 baht round trip including taxi transfers. The same tickets from other places are 700 baht.

In total 7 of us went and the funny thing was, I didn't know a single person's name in the beginning of the trip. I literally had just met them during that first Muay Thai class and an hour later we were on a ferry to Phi Phi for the weekend.

Had a few drinks that night, met some nice Swedish girls and two cock blocking girls from Finland that stuck with us the whole weekend.

Spent the next day on the beach getting some sun and relaxing. Best thing was, the total cost of the trip, not including food was 1,000 baht, like $30! Including hotel which was 700 baht for two people at the PP Garden Hill Bungalows.

Tomorrow is back again time for training. Muay Thai at 7:30am. Hope we all recover in time.

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen @ My Fight Camp

Back in Thailand training at Phuket Top Team

2011-11-16T20:29:00.001-08:00

After a long flight, and I mean long. I am finally back in Thailand and checked into my room last night at Phuket Top Team. I am still planning on going to a different parts of Thailand this trip but I decided to make Phuket my first stop. I am quite happy with the island of Phuket itself and the training at Phuket Top Team has always been top notch. I figure I'll stay here for a month or two, go off and do some scuba diving somewhere and maybe even come back towards the end of my 6 month trip to fight again before I go back to the U.S.

It's the beginning of high season here in Phuket which means there are tons of people everywhere. Rooms are harder to book and even renting a motorbike this morning took me a few tries. Luckily I got the last room at Phuket Top Team and the last motorbike from the shop down the street. I normally like to pay 2,000 baht a month ($60US) for a manual bike since Tony's, Ja-Ja's and the shop next to Tony's were all out, I was quite happy to pay 2,500 this time around for a month during high season. If was staying for 3 or more months I definetely would have just bought a bike for 10,000 - 15,000 baht and sold it for the same amount when I left.

The reason why I chose to come back to Phuket Top Team and not another gym is because they are really laid back here. Some other gyms make you feel like once you train there once you are never allowed to train anywhere else. But at PTT it's quite laid back, come and go as you please, no ego, no drama, lovely.

Other than that, walking down the street I noticed they opened two pharmacies on the street between Tiger and PTT, I'm sure it'll be a great money maker as guys training at the gyms are always hitting up the chemist for cuts and infections, steroids, or even just some ibuprofen. PTT itself is doing some light construction, adding onto the gym, not really quite sure what, but things here are constantly improving.

I can't wait to get back to training again. This morning I woke up at 7am just to run around the block, which is 3.36 miles. Ended up walking half of it just to accumulate my body again to the heat and not to over do it the first day. Did some kettle bells as well then went to the Vegetarian restaurant near Chalong Circle for some 50 baht ($1.67us) for some food, bought a Tarragon roasted chicken for 119 baht ($4us) and random groceries at Tesco Lotus for my fridge, and then had lunch at the 30 baht ($1) cheap and clean thai buffet.

5 reasons why I am happy to be back in Thailand:

1. The sun is out and it feels like the perfect California summer while it's actually cold as shit in California right now.

2. Being able to walk around/workout with shorts and no shirt makes me feel free again.

3. Good cheap Thai food for less than $2US

4. Being surrounded by guys who are in better shape than me gives me motivation to train hard.

5. Riding around on a scooter which I filled up for 110baht ($3.66US) - it's fun, easy to get around and cheap as hell. To fill up my friend's car in LA last week costed me 20x that amount.

Anyways, I'll keep you guys posted and do some more updates now that I'm back. As always leave a comment and let me know if you have any questions.

Warm Regards,

Johnny @ My Fight Camp

MovNat Fitness Camp in Koh Lanta, Thailand

2011-11-06T11:47:00.000-08:00

A friend told me about MovNat, which I assume means "Move Naturally." It's a 7 day fitness camp that combines the Paleo diet with balance and body exercises. A lot of people fly all the way from the U.S.A. and other countries just to do this program, so if you are already in Thailand, you might want to look into it. It' still very expensive but from the looks of it, it seems pretty freaking cool.

http://movnat.com

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen aka My Fight Camp

Are You Fit Enough to Survive?

2011-10-24T11:59:00.000-07:00

Just a few hundred years ago, being fat was a sign of wealth. However, if you look at homeless people or poor people in our society now, it is easy, and cheap to be fat. For $1 you can either buy a couple carrots, or an entire package of cookies or even a double double cheeseburger.

No one really needs to be able to run, fight, or be physically fit to survive anymore, but that doesn't change our primal instincts when it comes to feeling powerful, being attractive and being fit. I came across this list today that I thought was interesting. How do you stack up on this, be honest.

Males

Can you chase a wounded deer through the forest?
(Run a mile in terrain under 8 minutes)

If you had to climb a tree or pull yourself over a fence could you do it?
(Complete 5 good arms extended pullups)

If you killed a 150 pound buck, could you carry it home?
(Squat 185 pounds, power-clean 135 pounds, and overhead press 105 pounds, or if you prefer, snatch 105 pounds)

If you were attacked, could you fight ferociously for 3 minutes?
(Spar/wrestle/grapple for 3 minutes, or complete 3 minutes of high intensity exercise)

If you had to jump across a narrow ravine, could you do it?
(Standing Broad Jump 8 Feet)

If a log fell on you, could you push it off?
(Bench press your weight)

Females

Could you walk with baby in tow for 4 hours?
(Complete a four hour hike with 20lb pack)

Could you fiercely defend yourself for 5 minutes?
(5 minute high intensity cardio circuit)

Could you climb a fence, or climb a tree?
(complete one pullup, or climb up a rope using your legs)

Could you carry 5 gallons of water from a well?
(10 front squats with 25 pound dumbells)

Could you run to safety in an emergency?
(Complete a two mile run in 20 minutes)

Original Source: https://www.onnit.com/category/lifestyle/

How do you stack up?

-Johnny

Fighters Wanted for 2 Full Sponsorships, room, training, all included

2011-10-13T11:00:00.000-07:00

Phuket Top Team in Thailand is offering a very unique and generous sponsorship. If you are currently a pro MMA fighter or want to be one, apply for one of two full sponsorships. You will get a free room at the camp as well as free training.

THE OFFER:

The offer is a simple & straight forward oppertunity. Phuket Top Team is offering 2 accepted fighters, the ability to train here in Thailand at Phuket Top Team with all training costs being sponsored. Muay Thai, jiu jitsu, sambo, mma, strength & conditioning and boxing are all available from world class trainers Free of charge.

- A former Olympic Boxing trainer

- 8 extremely talented and dedicated muay thai trainers

- A sambo and mma teacher

- A Jiu jitsu instructor who is 3rd degree black belt

- Applicable and functional core and strength training

- 30 classes a week available (5 per day)

You'll have to pay for your own food, but it's cheap to eat in Thailand at $2-$3 per meal on average. So if you are looking to train full time and want to join a camp where guys like Roger Huerta are training at, check it out, it's a great generous offer. Go to http://www.phukettopteam.com/fighters-wanted/ for more information.

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

Mike Swick steps up and tells his side of the Tiger Muay Thai Gym Rivalary

2011-10-08T10:19:00.000-07:00

Mike Swick: UFC Fighter

"As some of you know Roger Huerta and myself have started working on
our gym in Phuket, Thailand and are really excited about it. Though
its been a dream of mine for a long time and a passion for both of us,
there has also been an attack from Tiger Muay Thai about our venture.
Not a violent attack, calm down people. A verbal attack which in
todays social networking friendly world can be rough to sleep on.
Instead of stating facts and debating us, they are choosing the
alternative(basically the opposite of stating facts and debating us).
I feel after getting trashed by them for the last month or so, it is
time to state our side of the story."

Full story here: http://michaelswick.blogspot.com/2011/10/new-gym-in-thailand.html

From Johnny: Author of My Fight Camp

Personally, I've trained at both Tiger Muay Thai as well as the other gyms in mention such as Phuket Top Team and had a good experience at all of them. From a customer's standpoint they are all good gyms and each have their own pros and cons.

However, for Mike Swick and Roger Huerta there has been a lot of drama between Ray Elbe, the head MMA trainer and spokesperson for Tiger Muay Thai and all of the other gyms that Swick and Huerta are affiliating themselves with.

I personally feel a little bad for Ray Elbe and Tiger Muay Thai, as they were definitely the first and original gym in Thailand to bring MMA and offer training. It's almost a bit unfair that others see their success and want a piece of the action, building up competing gyms in the same town. However, that's the way business works, if there is a market for it, competitors will come. Now it's up to Ray Elbe and the owners of Tiger Muay Thai to decide how they want to deal with the competition.

Tiger Muay Thai and Ray Elbe have two choices, they can either continue to improve their gym and training, set a fair competitive price and make their gym so good that people will pick TMT as their first choice, not just their only choice as it was in the past, or they can try to hold back and put down the new gyms such as Phuket Top Team and Huerta and Swick's upcoming gym.

I won't involved with the drama but as far as business is concerned, competition is coming. Right now Tiger Muay Thai has old facilities that need a remodel or at least a fresh coat of paint. Their classes are often too big for people to get personal attention without spending extra money on private lessons, and there have been too many cases of skin infections. Their prices are also on par with training in the U.S. and could be more competitive considering this is Thailand.

My advice to Ray Elbe and the rest of the staff at Tiger Muay Thai. If Mike Swick, Roger Huerta, Boyd Clarke, or anyone else did anything to take advantage of your kindness, or tried to screw you over in any way, karma will sort them out. Your best bet right now is to accept the fact that competition is coming and step up your game. Cut out the drama and remodel your facilities, accommodations, add more value and personal attention to your classes, and make Tiger Muay Thai the number one choice for people to go to.

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

Tough Mudder Review

2011-09-22T11:58:00.000-07:00

Prior to this weekend, the toughest thing I've ever done is get into the ring and fight pro muay thai for five hard rounds, which was pretty damn tough. However, the Tough Mudder was harder than getting kicked, punched and elbowed in the face, but not unnecessarily in a good way. Here is my review of the Tough Mudder Event that I participated in NorCal (Northern California) on Sunday, Sept 18th, 2011.

For those who don't know, the Tough Mudder is a obstacle race course designed by the British SAS. Typically it is between 6-10 miles long. The one I attended happened to 13.1 miles and was at 2,300ft elevation gain which basically means that you run up a mountain, past where the ski lifts normally take you, back down, and back up a second time.

Team NorCal Ninjas getting ready to run!

The Obstacles:

Right away you you down on your hands and knees crawling through mud with barbed wire directly over your head, so much for keeping dry as long as possible.

The obstacle I seriously thought about skipping was jumping into the ice bath...but I made the leap into a the tub that just got a dump truck full of ice throw in and had to duck under to make it through the wooden beam. On the way up the ice was heavy enough to keep me down for longer than I had wished. It was extremely cold but the ice relaxed my muscles for the rest of the run.

One obstacle required jumping into an ice cold lake and swimming across it. As a pro scuba diver, I'm a pretty good swimmer but nothing prepared me for hyperventilating in the cold water and not being able to catch my breath. Swimming with shoes, even the Vibram Five Fingers I was wearing didn't help. I ended up making it but ducking under each barrel was hard to do with no breath.

Holding a big log, even with a team mate ended up zapping away what little energy I had left, maybe we should have taken a smaller log, either way, it was exhausting.

Monkey bars were fun as a kid, but with the motivation to not fall into cold water again, I forced myself to make it through. From what I saw at least half of the people fell in and didn't make it across, I'm glad I did all that pull up training.

Mount Everest was an awesome obstacle because it required teammates to help you get through it, throughout the course I felt that everyone was there to help each other and not just to get a good finish time.

10,000 volts of electricity? Especially while being soaking wet, it hurt. Like being punched by Mike Tyson. in the gut, but it was a nice wake me up at the finish line.

The Course:

Originally the course was supposed to be 6-10 miles long. Most of the other Tough Mudder courses are in flat elevation but this one was up and down a freaking mountain. So why did the geniuses at TM HQ decide to make this one extra long at 13.1 miles? They wanted to make it extra tough. And it was hella tough, almost unnecessarily tough. The average finish time was 6 hours for this event which is almost double their normal courses. But the biggest complaint was that the course was over 70% rocks which was very Vibram 5 Finger unfriendly.

Over All:

I really enjoyed completing my first Tough Mudder and plan to do the one in SoCal in June 2012. The sponsors were all very generous and awesome, Cliff Bar basically fed the participants for free, and Dos Esquis made me get through miles 9-12 by promising me a free beer at the finish line. The EAS Protein Shake at the finish was also much much needed.

If you want to check out the Tough Mudder event to see if they are coming to your area int he U.S., Australia, Japan and soon to be world wide, go to http://www.ToughMudder.com

Video from the NorCal event I participated in:

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen at My Fight Camp

The two classes I wish I wasn't missing out on at Phuket Top Team

2011-08-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

So there is a new training schedule at Phuket Top Team and I wish I hadn't had to go visit my family in the U.S. right when it started, but no worries I'll be back to Thailand and training in six weeks. But here are the two new classes that I am so pissed that I'm missing.

#1 Silvu Vulc is now teaching Western Boxing - For those who don't know, Silvu was the boxing coach for the Romanian Olympic Boxing Team. I've watched him do privates and you can tell that he loves teaching it, which makes the class that much better. The best thing is when you have a coach who has the ultimate combination of knowing how to teach something, being good at it himself , and loves teaching it.

Silvu Vulc - Sambo and Boxing

#2 Roger Huerta is now teaching MMA - Having a coach who has competed in the UFC and Bellator isn't just nice for bragging rights, but also for real world training. Since he's competed himself and knows what it takes to get good, he's able to push you the same way. In most gyms in the U.S. where you have big name guys affiliated with the gym such as American Kickboxing Academy in San Jose, it's unlikely you'll actually have Cain Velasquez or Cung Le teaching your class. So having Roger Huerta actually teaching you is a big deal and a great experience.

Hope the classes to get too packed by the time I get back.

Question for the readers: What two classes do you want to attend the most?

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

Roger "El Matador" Huerta at Phuket Top Team!

2011-08-19T06:08:00.000-07:00

Roger Huerta from UFC and Bellator is now training at Phuket Top Team. He'll also be teaching classes and available for private lessons. This is big news for the guys at PTT as one of the main draws of the larger gyms such as Tiger Muay Thai is they regularly bring in big name talent from around the world.

To be fair, Roger Huerta trained at TMT first and that's where I originally met the guy last year in November and then again in February. I don't want to get into the politics of the gym switch as I'm sure there are some pissed off people over at TMT. But I'm sure Roger has his reasons and we gotta stand behind him. And yes, Roger Huerta and Mike Swick are still planning on opening an MMA Gym here in Phuket...

So why is Roger Huerta affiliating himself with Phuket Top Team if he himself is going to open an MMA Gym in Phuket, Thailand? Well, I'll let you guys speculate on that yourselves for now but this could be really good news for the guys at Phuket Top Team.

Roger Huerta on the Cover of Sports Illustrated

Even though PTT has been open for almost three months now, the class sizes are still extremely small and there isn't a lot of people training there yet. That's good news for the students, as they get a lot of 1 on 1 attention, but bad for business. I'm sure having Roger Huerta at PTT is going to be a great boost in business. I've been lucky enough to have gotten on his good side and hung out with the man himself a few times and not only is he a very exciting fighter, but he's actually a really nice guy, and great with women.

More news to come, keep posted and leave a comment.

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

MMA Phuket / Tiger Muay Thai Review - The Ultimate Fight Bootcamp

2011-08-09T02:29:00.000-07:00

This is the original review of Tiger Muay Thai from my old blog.

I know a lot of you are back in the U.S., Canada, UK, and Australia and are planning to come to Thailand to train Muay Thai Kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu-jitsu or have at least been thinking about it. Here is my personal experience training at Tiger Muay Thai.

Location:

Tiger Muay Thai / MMA Phuket Camp is located on the southern islands of Thailand. You will be far enough away from the bars and and tourists not to get distracted, yet you are close enough to go to the beach, spend a weekend going to the legendary Phi Phi, or go scuba diving. The location for this camp is excellent and couldn’t be better.

This is one of the beaches in Phuket - 20 minutes from TMT

Facilities:

TMT is a huge camp with seven boxing rings, and a well built MMA Cage. I counted over 70+ Boxing Bags and it has a complete gym. The best part is everything is very well maintained and the mats are cleaned everyday which is extremely important.

Trainers:

For the Muay Thai side you get four different levels and eight different trainers, beginners, intermediate, advanced, and top ring. These Thai guys know what they’re doing and all have fight experience.

For MMA / BJJ the training is lead by a Magical Ray Elbe (see his stats on sherdog) who is a veteran of over 30+ fights.

The other trainers are also top notch and the best thing is there are always guest trainers from other countries coming by to help out. Often the 1 day seminars are free and for the big name guys such as Royce Gracie you need to pay.

Royce Gracie Choking me out at his seminar at TMT

Pricing / Cost:

The cost of the camp is about $275 per month, which isn’t cheap, actually it’s the same price if not more expensive than training in the U.S. However, it’s worth it, and here’s why.

1. You’ll be training twice as much as you do back home, since you’ll be immersed in the camp and you will live, eat, and sleep training. Most people train at least 2-3 times a day.

2. Everything is included, Yoga in the morning, conditioning, weight lifting, Muay Thai, Western Boxing, BJJ, and MMA.

3. You’ll save a ton of money on things like rent, which is as low at $150 per month living on camp, and you’ll save money on food, which averages only $3 per meal here.

MMA Class at Tiger Muay Thai

How Tiger Muay Thai compares to other camps:

There are hundreds of Muay Thai gyms in Thailand, and I’ve trained at three so far. Just down the road from TMT there are other gyms such as Dragon Muay Thai and others. But from all the gyms I’ve seen, Tiger Muay Thai is by far the largest and most complete.

*Note: This review was written before I visited other gyms such as 13 coins and Phuket Top Team

Pros: You really feel like you’re living on camp with the motivation of 100 other fighters. All the staff speak good english, and are very helpful. I personally learn a lot more, and push myself harder when there are other people training in the group.

Pros of other camps: Smaller camps generally give you more one on one time with the trainers since there are less people to train. However, you also have less partner’s to train with, and the motivation lacks unless you are a self starter.

If you are a complete beginner and have not even watched a lot of UFC or Muay Thai on TV, then I would recommend signing up for a couple 1 on 1 classes so they can give you the personal attention and help you with the basics. The 1 on 1 training is also good if you are already good and want to become great.

Overall: I would highly recommend training at Tiger Muay Thai / MMA Phuket and think it’s a great way to grown as a man, work on your fitness, and technique in all aspects of your life. But if you go try to spend at least 1 month there for maximum results.

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

Video: Tiger Muay Thai vs. China MMA

2011-08-07T09:47:00.000-07:00

I just found the craziest MMA video on a Chinese website. The MMA promotions in China are getting bigger and a lot of fighters from Thailand are getting sent there to fight. But this being China, there is some funny business going on.

First, China wants their fighters to win and they will always stack the competition in their favor. I've never seen so many big jacked in shape Chinese guys ever, but the ones that fight in their MMA Shows are monsters and usually are bigger than the Westerners they face up against. They always have a lot more experience and fights as well, but the real catch is the rules are bent in the favor of the locals. In Sanda rules you can take down and work ground and pound and submissions but after 10 seconds the referee will stand you up. But from all the fights I've seen, when the Westerner is dominating the ref stands them up right away, and when the Chinese guy is winning, he gets the full 10 seconds.

Anyways, here is a video of a fighter out of Tiger Muay Thai fighting in China.

The soccer kicks to the head were illegal by the way and the referee did nothing about them, which is why Ray Elbe now refuses to ever send another fighter from Tiger Muay Thai to compete in China MMA.

The Chinese fighter looked bigger and heavier, he also seems like he might have been a Sanda or Olympic champion and outclassed the guy from TMT, but mainly it was the rule violation that made it an unfair fight, because I'm sure if it were the other way around the TMT guy would have been DQ'd or at least penalized for it, as it was said many times in the pre-fight meetings that it was illegal. Also the fight announcer even said in Chinese that the soccer kicks were illegal as well.

However, none of that would have happened if the fighter from Tiger Muay Thai didn't try to pull guard over and over during the fight. I'm not a ground game expert but Pulling Guard in MMA just to try to get the fight to the ground seems like a dumb idea and looks terrible to the judges and audience. Also in Sanda rules where you only have 10 seconds to go for a submission.

But I doubt I would have been able to take out that Chinese guy in a fight so who am I to have a say. Just wanted to share the video with you guys on my blog. Hope you enjoyed it.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

What the Shared Bathrooms at Phuket Top Team Look Like

2011-08-06T03:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of you asked in the comments if I could take a photo of the shared bathrooms at Phuket Top Team, so here you guys are, just for you. First remember that the shared bathrooms are dorm style, so it is used by quite a lot of people. Second, remember this is Thailand, where things are more 3rd world anyways.

For me personally, I've stayed at a lot of Muay Thai Training Camps here in Phuket and across Thailand, and I would say that the ones at PTT are the nicest I've seen. It helps that the camp was just finished building in June 2011 so everything is still new.

All the showers at Phuket Top Team have hot water, which even though isn't necessary in Thailand since it's hot here, it's still nice to have, especially if you've been here for a while or it's a cold raining morning.

The only problem with the bathrooms at PTT was during the first two months I was here there were a lot of water problems and it felt like every other morning I would wake up to no water. The first time it happened it wasn't a big deal, but after the 15th time it happened it got was very annoying and frustrating. Imagine waking up and not being able to wash your face, brush your teeth, take a shower, or even use the toilet. Even worse is half of the people staying at the gym would take a shit anyways and just leave it there. I was considerate enough to walk down the street to a restaurant and use the toilets there.

As of a few weeks ago they pretty much fixed the water problem, and it only happened once since and they fixed it within 15 minutes.

I would say that as of today there is no longer a water problem at Phuket Top Team and it has been fixed. They closed off one of the toilets which was the source of the problem, but five is still plenty and there is never a line to use the showers or toliets at PTT.

However, the water problem never should have been something that the guests should have had to deal with in the first place, and it was frustrating that it took them two months to fix the problem. One easy solution to the problem could have been for the management to have the staff check the bathrooms every morning at 6:45am before everyone woke up to make sure they were all flushed, and if the water wasn't pumping to turn it on.

Overall, I would say the bathrooms, showers, and toilets at Phuket Top Team are still the best I've used at any Muay Thai Camp in Thailand.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

Gym Review: 13 Coins Muay Thai an MMA (with video tour)

2011-08-02T04:22:00.000-07:00

I just got back from 13 Coins Gym up in Bangkok doing some Muay Thai and MMA. I went up mainly to visit my friend Will "The Kill" Chope and ended up staying for 4 days at the camp to check it out.

The first thing I noticed about 13 Coins is that if you ask any Thai person they know of it not as a Muay Thai gym but as a chain of luxury restaurants and hotels. The 13 Coins Gym happens to be a part of the 13 Coins Airport Resort which has a nice swimming pool, restaurant, and hotel rooms.

But what I love about 13 Coins is that the owner, Mr. Coke opened the gym not for profit but because he loves Muay Thai. Even today, he sits through every single Muay Thai class and watches the students train. The other cool thing is he has the restaurant staff bring out free iced tea during training, which is a refreshing delight. What you'll end up loving about 13 Coins is Mr. Coke's generosity and all the little things that you get for free such as free ice water whenever you want, and even food, but more on that later.

Here's a Video Gym Tour of 13 Coins Gym in Bangkok:

13 Coins MMA Program -

Brandon Kesler, aka BK is a pro MMA fighter from America and is the head MMA Trainer at 13 coins. Really cool guy and good training. He brought along his BJJ rolling partner Bobby, a very high level purple belt who loves jiu-jitsu and loves to roll with anyone. 13 Coins even built an MMA Cage for training, it's square but works fine for training purposes.

13 Coins Muay Thai Program -

I did a couple sessions of Muay Thai at 13 Coins and liked the style of teaching. My favorite part of Muay Thai is the padwork and at 13 coins they leave it up to you to do your own warm up, stretches, and bagwork. It's a relaxed, non-structured class.

13 Coins used to be known for having Muay Thai superstars such as Saenchai sor Kingstar training at the gym, but he is now at Sinbi Muay Thai in Phuket. For me personally, I don't think it affects the training, and am not the type of guy who bases my training decisions on what celebrities are there or not.

The Food at 13 Coins -

My favorite thing about training at 13 Coins was the food, especially the nightly dinners with Mr. Coke and the trainers. Every night the students and staff have dinner together in the restaurant and it's a really nice family feel, plus the food is delicious. For some of the long term students the dinner was free and included in their monthly costs but since I was just there for a few days I simply gave Mr. Coke 100 baht ($3.33US) a night which was definetely worth it.

The restaurant is based on the 13 Coins Restaurant in Seattle, USA where Mr. Coke worked at during his 9 year stay in America. They serve excellent Thai and Western Food and breakfast is included with your training and accommodation package. For breakfast you can basically order anything on the menu up to 100 baht and sign it to your room.

The only downside to the food at 13 coins is it's not cheap, and there are no restaurants within an easy walking distance from the gym to eat at. I'd end up spending 150 baht for lunch everyday there, and since I often eat more than 3 meals a day, I'd go hungry waiting for lunch or dinner. There are cheap Thai food stalls that have food for 30-50 baht but require you to take a taxi or a long walk.

The Accommodation -

The standard hotel rooms at 13 Coins are VERY nice, clean, brightly lit with a mini-fridge, hot showers, and discovery channel on cable TV. You can stare a room with a friend with two twin beds to save some money.

I do not recommend the budget thai rooms to anyone. I am used to staying in low cost rooms here in Thailand and the one here are not suitable for anyone but the poorest thai kids. I stayed in these rooms for 3 nights and cannot recommend it to anyone.

For those on a budget, there are thai apartments down the road for 3,000-5,000 baht a month ($100US-$166) They have Thai style squat toilets, but you can get used to that.

Prices at 13 Coins Gym -

All inclusive of MMA, Muay Thai Training, a Standard Hotel Room, and Breakfast - 30,000 baht a month which is $1,000US. Prices for 1 week of all inclusive training costs 8,000 baht, which is $266US a week.

If you share a room with a friend it is a bit cheaper. The prices at 13 Coins is a bit more expensive than other Muay Thai an MMA gyms but you also get a lot of nice things included for free that other gyms will happily charge you for. Some things off the top of my head are, water, ice, glove rental, drinks, food, internet, daily newspaper, and other small things that are nice and pleasant to have. And if you are nice to Mr. Coke you might even end up with free dinner or some extra days free.

For Pro Fighters and Long Term Guests - I recommend you email BK the MMA Coach at bkproductionsinc@hotmail.com and see if he can work out a deal for you. Tell him how long you plan on staying for, if you have had any pro fights, etc. You can tell him you got his info off of my blog, he knows who I am.

For everyone else, you can check out the 13 Coins Website at http://www.13coinsgym.com/

Overall:

I only stayed at 13 Coins Gym for 4 days so it's hard to say for sure, but I liked my experience a lot and it was very different training in Bangkok than it is here in Phuket where there are a lot more westerners and less Thai's training at the gym. My favorite moments were the nightly dinners, karaoke and even just waking up to read the day's newspaper over breakfast. Bangkok also has a lot of normal Thai people, where in Phuket, 99% of the Thai girls you would meet work are "Bargirls." We went to a local club called Route 66 at RCA and had a fantastic time with normal, university Thai guys and girls, something you would never find in Phuket. Also Taxi's are metered in Bangkok, which is a cheap and easy way to get around, where in Phuket you need to rent a motorbike.

My short trip to 13 Coins in Bangkok was a vacation for me and I know that if I stayed longer I would discover all the little annoyances just like every city and very gym. I've come to realize that every place has it's pros and cons, and you just gotta pick the place that you're happy at. Or be like me and just be a gym whore and bounce around!

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp.

Getting Back to Training after my Fight.

2011-07-29T23:22:00.000-07:00

My original plan was to fight again right away, within 7-10 days. I figured I had already trained so hard for this one, my cardio was good and I was in shape, so why not take advantage of it and fight as much as I can in a row just like Mike Tyson did when he first started and fought every 10 days for a year straight.

Well, turns out, I'm not Mike Tyson, and there's a reason why guys in the UFC only fight every 6-8 months.

I took some physical damage during the fight, mainly my right leg was bruised and swollen from kicking and my nose and teeth hurt from getting elbowed. But that didn't really stop me from my usual training, it had to have been something else, and I think it's mainly mental. Working that hard, training for a big event and then not taking some time off to relax and celebrate isn't normal. If I could do it again, I would have had a couple beers, pizza, and ice cream after my fight and took up to a week off to relax and chill out. But instead, I forced myself to keep dieting and training and I felt myself getting weaker and less motivated.

Wanderlei Silva celebrating with cake and girls

Even though life is great in Phuket, I needed a break from my daily routine, so I randomly decided to hop on a bus up to Bangkok to visit my good friend Will "the kill" Chope who is up at 13 coins Muay Thai training for his next fight.

The journey itself was something out of a movie. I decided to go at 6:30pm and raced on my motorbike to the bus terminal to catch the last 7:00 bus. If it wasn't for a kind thai guy who lead me there after I asked him for directions at a stop light, I never would have made it in time or even found the terminal. At 7:04 as the bus was getting ready to pull away, I paid 483baht (about $15US) to get on the 11 hour journey. I hadn't had time to pack, so all I had with me was a small backpack with a pair of shorts and a couple t-shirts. The last thing I remember is asking the thai girl in front of me if I could have one of the motion sickness pills she was having. Combined with two muscle relaxers I took, I passed out the entire bus journey. Waking up alone on the bus 14 hours later, not having any idea where I was. My money was still in my pocket and my bag was safe, so I hopped on the nearest metered taxi and 200 baht later I was at 13 coins.

13 Coins Muay Thai and MMA Gym - Bangkok

I met the owner, the legendary Mr. Coke, a Thai man who lived in the U.S. for 9 years, and the head coach of the new MMA program, BK, Brandon Kesler both really cool guys. After taking a dip in the resort's swimming pool and having some fried rice in the hotel's restaurant I was ready to at watch a training session. I really wasn't planning on training while I was up here which is why I didn't bring my gloves or even my mouthguard (which I regret) but after watching half a class I just had to jump in. I ended up doing the last part of the MMA class with BK, then a full Muay Thai class and then rolling BJJ with Will Chope and Bobby - a highly experience purple belt who hangs out at 13 coins.

Turns out I was ready to get back to training, I just needed a change of scenery. Some gyms talk about loyality, and being part of the team, which I believe in 100% if you are a sponsered fighter and getting paid to train at their gym and fight. But as a paying customer, I beleive it is our right to go where we please without feeling bad for checking out another gym. If anything, it's a better experience for us and we'll recieve a more varied training.

But I do have to remember to give thanks to all the trainers and gyms who have helped me get to where I am now in my muay thai career and training. Most recently I trained at Phuket Top Team and plan on going back next week after my little holiday, so thank you PTT for getting me ready for my most recent fight and win. But I also have to thank all of the gyms that trained me in the past because all of that knowlege helped get to where I am today. So thank you to Tiger Muay Thai and all of it's trainers where I trained for 3 months. And also William and the trainers at Koh Lanta Muay Thai where I also trained for 3 months.

As much as it would be nice to be a fully sponsered fighter, where the gym gives you free training, free food and accomidation (or at least a food and room allowance) I think I'm happier exploring the world and training from gym to gym for 3 months at a time. Maybe it's just my personality where I need change and have commitment issues or maybe I just like new settings and people more than I like building up a reputation and name, but either way, i'm far from that as I'm doing muay thai and MMA more as a hobby than I do as a career. But even for fully sponsered fighters, I think that the gyms are wanting to keep their fighters training only at their camp more for their own business reasons (so they can claim that fighter to only advertise and credit their gym) rather than for the fighter's best training and intrests.

Anyways, it feels nice to take a break from my normal life in Phuket, and I'll make sure I write up a short review of 13 coins before I leave.

Warm Regards,

Johnny - My Fight Camp

Chia Seeds - For Omega 3's, 6's, Weight Loss, Energy, and more.

2011-07-26T06:34:00.000-07:00

I first heard of Chia Seeds in the book "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall.

The book is a true story about the Tarahumara barefoot runners in Mexico, (who take off on 50-100-mile running jaunts as if they were evening strolls) and their drink of choice, the Chia Fresca, which he claims has the nutritional value a 'smoothie of wild salmon, spinach and human growth hormones.'

I don't know about the HGH but Chia Seeds do have tons of Omega 3's and 6's just like Fish Oil, and unlike Flax Seeds they don't taste like fish and don't need to be ground up. And since they are super high in Antioxidants they don't spoil and do not need to be refrigerated.

Chia Fresca for Fighters:

I just started drinking Chia Seeds with water today and am planning on making it a part of my daily diet and workout from now on. Supposedly the Chia Fresca (Chia Seeds, Water, Lemon Juice) is something that you can sip on during workouts that gives you energy and protein, even during a run.

My first experience with it today was pretty cool, I actually did feel an energy boost from it and I haven't been hungry all night after drinking it. The seeds when soaked in water become 9x bigger and form a gel in your stomach that holds onto water, keeping your hydrated, and keeps you full. It's good for weight loss if you drink it before meals since you wont' be as hungry.

I'll keep you guys updated on how the Chia Seed experiment goes but I'm really glad I found it here in Phuket.

Chia Fresca Recipe: (Super easy)

Pour 1-2 Tablespoons of Chia Seeds into room temperature water.

Let it sit for 10-15 minutes - stirring occasionally

Add Ice and a squeeze of lemon juice (optional)

That's it. Technically, you could just pour some seeds in your water bottle, let it sit for a while and shake it up if you wanted to do it the easy way. By itself, it doesn't taste like anything, maybe a bit like watered down green tea. But that's a good thing that it's relatively flavourless, so you can drink it while working out and not get tired of it.

Where to Buy Chia Seeds in Phuket:

It was a little complicated to pick them up here in Phuket since there isn't a physical store, so I'm thinking about just getting it in bulk for myself and for my friends that want it. If you want some let me know, it'll cost 500 baht for a 300 gram bag which is enough to last a month. Just leave a comment here if you want in.

EDIT: Hey guys sorry but I'll be away from Phuket for 6 weeks until October and won't be able to help you guys find Chia Seeds.

All the best,

Johnny - My Fight Camp

Thoughts and Video of my Most Recent Fight: Maalai vs. Johnny

2011-07-22T01:26:00.000-07:00

Fighting Maalai, a veteran of 113 fights taught me a lot. I've always heard the quote, "Everyone has a game plan, until they get hit." And in this case it was true for me. My game plan was to keep a tight guard, pick him apart with jabs and straight punches and follow through with kicks.

It's hard to see it in the video but I got caught with a couple quick elbows in the first 30 seconds of the fight. It totally caught me off guard as Thai's generally don't throw elbows in the first round, and these hit me hard. I got caught once in the forehead, under my nose, and again on the top row of my teeth. Luckily I had a custom made mouth guard from Kombat Mouthguards, which saved my teeth.

Getting the Muay Oil applied before the fight - it numbs your nerves and loosens your muscles

With fresh flowers and a boxers robe - I just want to hurry up and take it off so I can fight.

I lost all of my composure and the Altered Beast came out in me. I wanted to kill the guy. I remember after the second elbow thinking to myself, "Fuck this, if he wants to elbow, I'll show him a fucking elbow." and proceeded to throw big right elbows, crashing through his attempts. That stopped him for a bit. Another thing that you can't see on camera is my facial reaction when he was in the corner. Out of no where he kicks me straight in the balls. Luckily I was wearing a metal cup. I gave him and the ref a "WTF" look and the continued to bash him in the corner.

I lost my composure and opened up with big right hooks to the body and head, opening myself for even more elbows to my face, until I finally got myself to calm down and keep my guard up.

Things I learned from this fight:

No matter what I cannot lose my cool, I need to keep a tight guard at all times.
No more big right hooks, I need to keep my punches straight and crisp.
I shouldn't try to go for the knockout too soon in the 1st round, I need to have more patience.
Pushing the pace like a Manny Pacquio at 205lbs is tough on the cardio.
I need to start punishing people in the clinch instead of giving them my opponent time to rest.
I need to start using the short left elbow.
I have a strong knee and need to start adding it into my game.

Anyways, here's the fight to check out for yourself.

My new official Muay Thai Record - 4 fights with 3 wins and 1 loss.

I'll keep training hard, see you guys soon,

Johnny, My Fight Camp

My Tough Mudder Circuit Training Workout Video

2011-07-20T20:23:00.000-07:00

I've been training for the 2011 Tough Mudder race in NorCal, near my home town San Francisco. It is a 16km (10mile) race up and down a ski slope with 22 obstacles designed by the British Special Forces. What makes this different from running a half marathon are the challenges such as climbing walls, wading through water, crawling through mud and carrying a log while you run.

Why the heck did I sign up for this? Well, first it sounded fun as hell, like Ninja Warrior on steroids, and secondly I did it as a goal to train for. You'd think training for a fight would be enough motivation but running is the one thing I hate doing most and this race is the perfect reason for me to step up my game. Also the Tough Mudder requires you to have functional strength such as in CrossFit, P90x, or Circuit Training and not just running fitness. Here is a video I made of my circuit training workout routine. Enjoy, I worked hard on this!

If you wanna sign up for the Tough Mudder they currently have events all over the USA and are expanding to Australia and Canada this year. http://toughmudder.com/

There are other simular races such as Spartan Race, Tough Guy and Warrior Dash, but I decided to do the Tough Mudder because it is the longest, and most difficult. I'll be doing it Sunday September 18th with my team the NorCal Ninjas. Let me know if any of you are going to be there.

Warm Regards and Tough Training,

Johnny, My Fight Camp/My Tough Mudder Training Camp

Preparing For a Muay Thai Fight

2011-07-18T08:07:00.000-07:00

It's official, the posters are up so I know I'm fighting in a few days. I've been training hard, and now it comes time for the pre-fight preparations. If it's your first time fighting, you'll have a ton of questions about what to eat before a fight, how many days to rest and what to bring to the stadium.

Luckily, I've been through all that already and this is going to be my fourth fight. My current record is 2 wins and 1 loss. Hopefully it'll be 3-1 soon.

Fight Prep Step 1 - Clear your head

The first thing you might notice about the poster is that it says I'm from Australia, i'm not. Also I was originally scheduled to fight on July 17th until they moved it back. The fight photo was also the 3rd one they took and probably the least attractive one of me. But none of that matters, and the worst thing you can do it let it get to you.

*Update: this step is especially important on fight night. For me everything that could have went wrong did, but staying calm and clear headed helped me get through it. First there was a mixup and they forgot my fight shorts, luckily I brought a spare in my own bag just in case. (they found the shorts 2 minutes before the fight) - My camera guy got high and almost didn't make it in time, the fight turned out to be at a different stadium that I expected, i found out my opponent has 113 fights and liked to fight dirty. They put us in the same locker room. Yada yada, I could have worried about each thing and stressed out, but luckily I remained calm and everything worked itself out. It always does.

I have no idea who I'm fighting, whether he is bigger or smaller than me, or if he's had zero fights or fifty. Of course all these things would be nice to knows, but here in Thailand, especially in Phuket, you just need to show up in shape and not worry about the rest. So what if they spell your name wrong, or put the wrong country - which is on purpose by the way. Even though the majority of fighters are from places like the UK, the majority of spectators that buy tickets are Australian and they love seeing people from their country fight. It's all for marketing.

Fight Prep Step 2 - Training

Assuming you've been training hard the past few weeks or months, the main thing you have to worry about is your cardio. Going five three minute rounds is extremely tiring for anyone. Make sure you've been running and sprinting. Also hit the pads hard for three minute rounds and see how you feel. Sparring is also an important way to gauge how you'd do in a fight. Use a round timer and do it like it would be for real. Just make sure you stop sparring a week before your fight, as you don't want any accidental bruises or injuries going into it.

Fight Prep Step 3 - Rest and Food

This is very important. Do not do anything on your fight day, or the day before that. For me I train muay thai in the morning two days before my fight and start my resting then, but even then it might have been beneficial to do nothing instead. My fight is on Wednesday, so my last training session is Monday morning. On tuesday i'll get a massage to relax. On Wednesday I will lay around and watch fights on my laptop all day until I need to get ready for my fight.

What to eat before your fight. Do not eat anything spicy for two days before your fight. Starting the day before you want to eat brown rice, eggs, chicken and vegetables. Load up on brown rice so you have some stores of energy for your fight. Don't eat or drink anything with sugars as it burns too quick. For me I like to drink half a small bottle of red bull an hour before my fight to get ready.

Fight Prep Step 4 - What to bring to your fight

Bring your Muay Thai shorts - wear underwear underneath. Also bring your mouth guard. Make sure you cut your finger and toe nails before your fight, and bring some water. Everything else will be provided including your cup/groin protector, handwraps, and muay thai oil. I also bring a change of clothes, a towel and a bar of soap. Also bring your camera.

Make sure someone video tapes your fight. Your gym might do it anyways, but if not, make sure you bring a non-idiot friend to film for you. Have them stand in the corner and not in the audience. You'll want a good copy of your fight, trust me.

Wish me luck!

Warm Regards,

Johnny - My Fight Camp

Overtraining - How many times a day should you really be working out?

2011-07-17T07:39:00.000-07:00

It's very normal for guys to come to Thailand and do Muay Thai twice a day, with maybe some Strength and Conditioning or Bodyfit in the morning and MMA at night. Some people even go to the gym and lift weights with the Thai Hulk between workouts and do a 6k run to warm up.

The Thai trainers will tell you that you need to train twice a day six days a week and you'll feel like you're not working hard enough if you don't. But maybe there isn't a word in Thai for "overtraining." The average Thai fighter retires when he is 25 years old and starts teaching because their bodies can't handle it anymore. Some trainers still fight once in a while, but mainly for some quick money.

What is Overtraining and how to do you know if you are:

"Overtraining is a physical, behavioral, and emotional condition that occurs when the volume and intensity of an individual's exercise exceeds their recovery capacity. They cease making progress, and can even begin to lose strength and fitness. Overtraining is a common problem in weight training, but it can also be experienced by runners and other athletes." - Wikipedia.

Loss of Muscle due to long training sessions:

Over training also causes muscle loss. Ever wonder why most Thai Fighters are super skinny and weigh only 60kg - it's because their sessions are too long and they train too often. There's a word for it that I can't remember right now, but it sounds like "emusculated" or something - where your body starts cannibalizing your own muscle, literally eating itself away for energy.

Studies show that you should never train for more than 1 hour. At 45 minutes your body starts to eat away at it's own muscle, so anything over 90 minutes is terrible for you. An hour and a half class is okay since you spend half of it warming up, stretching, wrapping your hands but anything more is terrible for your muscles.

Solutions to the problem would be: Make sure you sip something that includes BCAAs and Glutamine during your workout such as Scivation Xtend. Drink a Whey Protein shake immediately, as in within 10 minutes of finishing your workout.

100 Pushups After Every Muay Thai Session:

The other problem with traditional muay thai classes is they have you do 10 pushups between every round of bagwork and padwork during the 1 minute you are supposed to be getting water and recovering between rounds. Then at the end of the each workout every single day, twice a day, they have you do 100-200 pushups. The benefits of it is to push you harder during your workout, and develop punching power. However this eats away at your muscle as well since it never has time to grow or recover.

Solution to the 100 Pushups a day dilemma: Simple, instead of doing normal pushups every day, switch it up. Your trainer won't mind as long as you are doing something. You can do situps between rounds, and at the end of the session you can change it up daily. For me I alternate between explosive pushups one day, upside down shoulder pushups the next, normal pushups another day, chin ups, then pull ups.

I couldn't find a good video on youtube to demonstrate the explosive pushups and upside down pushups so I just made one.

Cortisol and Training Balance: "For many athletes the delicate balance of training and recovery poses a significant dilemma – to go fast, you have to train hard, but going too hard without adequate recovery will just make you slow. Push too hard and you end up with the undesirable elevation in cortisol and drop in testosterone. Athletes who excel are those who become adept at balancing the three primary components of their program - training, diet, and recovery."

So how many times a day should you train?

Well, if you're only here for 2 weeks then I can understand why you want to squeeze in as much training as possible, and maybe even a private lesson in between classes. My advise is that if you are going to train more than once a day, do it for technique. I personally think doing Muay Thai morning and afternoon is counter productive and will damage you in the long term. If you want to train hard, I'd suggest, Muay Thai in the morning, eat/rest, followed by any of the following: run/cardio, mma/Brazilian jiu-jitsu, weights, or strength and conditioning. Definetely not all of the above. And rest at least one day a week.

Unfortunately Thai's don't understand the concept of over training, muscle recovery, or growth, since it's just the way they've always done it. They will think you are lazy, especially if you are training for a fight. My suggestion is to find a good balance of being motivated to train hard, rest, and recovery and show them that you are training hard, just smart.

I used google translate to figure out how to write "overtrain, muscle growth, recovery" in Thai, hopefully it'll help the Thai trainers understand: ฝึกซ้อมมากไปกล้ามเนื้อการเจริญเติบโตของการกู้คืน

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

Muay Thai in Thailand - The good and the bad

2011-07-15T20:22:00.000-07:00

I often meet people who have done Muay Thai or some form of Kickboxing back home for a few months before coming out to Thailand to train. Their response is usually something like, "Wow it's totally different out here, I can't believe how much more intense it is."

Muay Thai/Kickboxing in America, Canada, England, Australia, and other Western Countries vs. Muay Thai Training in Thailand differ mainly because of culture, liability and language barriers.

If you arrive as a complete beginner in Thailand, expect to jump right into class the first day punching, kicking, and even sparring. In as little as 30-60 days if you are doing well and your school needs more people to fight, expect your trainer to ask you if you want to compete.

As a beginner in Western countries, you will often not spar for a few months, and you will not be asked or allowed to fight for real for years. You might not even get to kick pads for a while. However, what you'll get back home that you won't get in Thailand is someone that'll explain to you in English what you are doing and why you are doing it.

Thai trainers just start having you kick and correct you along the way, often it takes months before you realize what they actually want you to do. There are pros and cons of this obviously. In some countries people talk and explain way too much and end up spending half the class bullshitting. In Thailand, maybe because the trainers usually don't speak much English, you just do it. It gets frustrating once in a while but if I had to choose, I'd do it the Thai way and just jump into it.

Tiger Muay Thai has four classes: Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced, and Fighter's Class.

The beginners class is mostly cardio. Some people love it, others hate it. I think it's important to have a good cardio base in the beginning and since the beginners class is always the largest with up to 30+ students sometimes it's the only way they can do it.

The intermediate class becomes much more real muay thai and they teach you the foundations and basics well. However, it seems like the class is exactly the same every week and never changes, you'll get tired of clinching five times a week.

The advanced class is excellent, the trainers push you extremely hard but focus a lot on technique. The classes are smaller, especially in the mornings and the trainers seem to care a bit more.

The fighter's class is more of a place for sponsored TMT figther's who are staying for more than 1 year to do their own training.

At Phuket Top Team everyone is mixed into one class because of the small amount of students:

Since there are almost always less than ten students per class, it wouldn't make sense to have separate classes, and it works out fine. The standard class is jumping rope to warm up followed by a group stretch then half of the students go into the ring to do three rounds of padwork while the other half (usually the beginners/less experienced) do three rounds on the bags while the trainers pull some aside to give tips to. Then you switch.

After Padwork and Heavy Bags you either have boxing sparring, muay thai sparring, clinching, or technique. At the end of each class you have mandatory exercises which can include kneeing the bag, front kicks on the bag, pushups and situps.

Most Muay Thai gyms I've trained at around Thailand have followed a similar schedule and it seems to work well. The class at TMT is 2 and a half hours long while the one at PTT is 1 and a half hours long. I have no idea where that extra hours goes as it feels like I get a simular workout in both classes. Personally my favorite part of muay thai class and the main reason why I need a trainer is for the three rounds of padwork and the sparring, everything else I could do on my own time. Personally I prefer the shorter hour and a half class, especially if you are training twice a day. But I'm sure there are pros and cons of each and to each their own..

Both Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team have great Muay Thai programs and trainers. I had decent training at Lanta Muay Thai in Koh Lanta, and very basic training at Island Muay Thai in Koh Tao. I'll keep you guys updated whenever I try out a new gym, there are a few more that I have heard good things about that I've been wanting to try, such as Sitmonchai near Bangkok and the gyms in Chiang Mai.

Warm Regards and Good Training,

My Fight Camp

After One Month Training at Phuket Top Team

2011-07-10T06:04:00.000-07:00

I arrived to train at the new Phuket Top Team gym here in Thailand exactly one month ago. It's been a tough month but it was definetely worth it. I arrived out of shape after backpacking around south east Asia for five months and working as a scuba diving instructor, so I had some catching up to do.

If I could do it all over again, I would have arrived being able to run 5k but then again, maybe it took me being here in the first place to have the motivation to even walk one.

The Results after 1 month:

As much as I'd love to show everyone a dramatic before and after picture, that's not the way things work in real life. However, what I did achieve is a building a great foundation for getting into that six pack shape that I desire to achieve. I've lost 3kilos so far, which is 6.6lbs which makes me extremely happy. I'm weighing in at 102k right now and my goal for this 3 month camp is to get down to 93kilos which is about 205lbs.

My cardio has improved dramatically and I no longer want to die after doing three rounds of pad work in Muay Thai. I'm also able to push myself through the MMA class and hang during the free rolling at the end of each class.

My Current Workout Routine:

Mondays - Morning Muay Thai (7:30-9:00am)
- Boxing Sparring
- Upside down shoulder pushups

Tuesdays - Morning Walk/Run - I started with just walking around 5km then running 1km and have been stepping it each workout shortening the walk and running more of it.
- Afternoon Circuit Training (CrossFit) - 3x 1 minute sessions of kettlebells, pullups, ropes, giant tire throws, hammers, etc then a 1 minute rest, repeated five times, for a total of 15x 1minute rounds. Thanks to fighter Will "the kill" Chope for doing this with me.

Wednesdays - Morning Muay Thai or MMA (Submission Wrestling)
- Muay Thai Sparring
- Push Ups

Thursdays - Morning Walk/Run 6.5km
- Afternoon Circuit Training

Fridays - Morning Muay Thai
- Sparring
- Explosive Pushups

Saturdays - Morning Walk to Chalong Gym - 2km each way
- 1 set to failure heavy weights for muscle growth
- Hill Sprints

Sundays - Rest Day
- Spa and Massage

My routine keeps evolving and changing, the best thing I've done for myself is write down everything I do each day on a 99cent wall calendar and track my results. My goals are to lose fat while toning muscle, improve my explosiveness for my punches and kicks, and improve my cardio so I can go 5x three minute rounds hard. I'll keep everyone updated. Thanks for following.

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

Cheapest Place to Eat in Phuket - 30 Baht Buffet (That's $1US homie!)

2011-07-08T03:23:00.000-07:00

Some people complain that food is more expensive in Phuket than in Bangkok or Chiang Mai, and it's true if you only eat at the western friendly restaurants and not the local thai spots. My go to restaurants are Tony's and Ja Ja house on the street where Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team are located. Mama's used to be the place to go a few years ago but it seems that Tony's is definetely the more social place to gather now a days. I'll do a full breakdown of prices at Tony's in another post but Thai dishes start at 40 baht for Chicken Fried Rice or Stir Fried Chicken and Basil over rice. Water is another 10 baht, making the cheapest possible lunch there 50 baht or $1.66 which isn't bad. However, most people spend closer to 100 baht per meal on average to get full.

This place however, is 30 baht all inclusive, including free water. That's one US dollar homie!

The owner is a guy named Khan and he's a cool guy with decent English. He used to work on cruise ships as a chef so he's used to keeping everything spotless and super clean because of US food inspectors at ports.

The way it works is you get a bowl for soup, there are usually two choices a day. Plus a plate of rice. It's technically buffet style as in you can go back and get more if you want, but if for 30 baht I try not to make him go bankrupt, so be respectful and only take as much as you're going to eat. If you want another plate of rice, it'll be another 30baht for the plate.

The four on the left are always some type of super spicy thai style curry. Usually one pork or chicken, one seafood, and one fish. Sometimes he even fillets a fish and makes his own fish balls with it. The one of the far right is always mixed veggies, and there are always two soups. The final two are the non-spicy ones and change from day to day.

Kale and Pork

Green Curry with Fresh Fish Balls

What I got one day - typical day

Another typical day's meal

Opening Hours:

It's open everyday expect Sundays, and it's open from 7:00am - 2:00pm but it's best to come early in the day as he cooks everything in the morning and it's cold by lunch time. What I normally do is wake up at 7:00am and have a protein shake for breakfast, then go to this place after morning Muay Thai around 9:30 when all the food just comes out and is hot. It takes some getting used to, eating thai food and rice that early in the morning, but it's what Thai's do and I've learned to love it.

Directions:

From Phuket Top Team, drive towards Tiger Muay Thai and make a left on the main road going towards Wat Chalong and away from Central Festival. Drive around 5 minutes and make a right on the first street that takes you to the Big Buddah. The easiest way to know when to make that right is to look for the yellow "Mata Pita" sign. The restaurant is just past the Chafong West Suites on the right hand side about half a minute away from the main road. Total drive time from Tiger Muay Thai, 6 minutes.

The Owner/Chef Khan and Myself.

Enjoy some good, cheap, and clean food! If you budget yourself right you can live and eat in Phuket on the super cheap. Plus my favorite thing about eating here is that the menu changes everyday and Khan seems like he truly enjoys cooking and he definetely doesn't do it for the money. Some days there are things like liver, pork blood, pork fat or seafood all which I don't eat, but I'm always able to find something, even if it involves me picking around it.

Do yourself a favor and check this place out while you're training in Phuket. It's as authentic as you're going to get.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

“At least one time in your life, train with the will to die.”

2011-07-01T02:50:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up, sore and tired from a week's worth of hard training and I wanted nothing better than to go back to bed. But I knew that I needed to push myself so I forced myself to attend the No-Gi Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu morning class which is a submission wrestling class taught by Silvu Vulc, a Sambo Fighter and Brown Belt Raphael Lopez from Brazil.

The new indoor MMA area at Phuket Top Team is air-conditioned but that didn't stop me from pouring with sweat just trying to get through the warm up. I thought hard about leaving class right after the warm up and apologizing to the coaches for simply being too fatigued. But there's a huge banner on the wall inside the gym with the quote by Enson Inoue - "“At least one time in your life, train with the will to die.”

As i'm typing this now, 6 hours later - my body is still destroyed. I'm sore all over, hungry and to be honest, it's the greatest feeling in the world.

What brought me over the edge was the four rounds of rolling at the end of class. I was dying by round three but kept pushing myself further. As a guy that practices both Muay Thai and MMA, trust me on this, MMA - especially submission wrestling and BJJ is much harder and more draining on your body. But this is why I'm here, to learn from top coaches, improve my strength and fitness and put it into practice.

As much as I wanted to quit early, and as much as I hated the coaches for pushing me into a 4th round when I was already exhausted, I'm happy they did and I'm happy I made it through what was one of the hardest training sessions of my life.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

5 Things I wish I brought with me to Thailand for the Muay Thai, MMA Camp

2011-06-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

When I first came out here, I had the idea in my head that I would dedicate every waking moment to training MMA and Muay Thai and nothing else. I quickly realized that even if I did two sessions a day, there were still 21 hours left and even I can't sleep that long.

Imagine if you were on "The Ultimate Fighter" and trapped in a house in Las Vegas for 6 weeks with a but of dudes. What would you have wished you brought along with you?

1. X-Box 360 or PS3 -
No one thinks of this, but everyone regrets not bringing out their gaming systems with them. If the Ultimate Fighter Contestants had a PS3, I'd be there wouldn't be as much drama and door breaking as there was. In between the morning and afternoon training sessions it's a great way to make friends by inviting them over for a game. And instead of being tempted to go out drinking and partying at night because you are bored, you can do your body good and stay home on your 360. Verdict, bring your 360, PS3, lots of two player games, or even just your PS2 if you have one.

Note: There are TV's in every room and the sockets take American plugs. Just make sure you use a surge protector and double check that your power adapter is good for 110-240v as the power in Thailand is 220volts while it is 110v in America. Most PS3's are multi voltage and work, while some 360's require a power converter. Look at the power brick so you don't burn it out by accident.

Games to bring: Think two player fighting games. UFC: Undisputed, Street Fighter IV, Mortal Combat, Mushroom Wars, Fight Night. Physical board games such as Risk have been fun as well.

2. A shit load of TV shows and Movies on an external hard drive - I'm talking about at least 1TB (terrabyte) of movies and TV shows, plus a couple USB memory sticks so you can plug it directly into your TV. After a long session of morning training, you'll just want to lay down and zone out to a movie, trust me. Some places have good enough internet to download, but don't take the chance and come stocked up.

3. Chocolates - I've never really craved chocolate when I was back home, but for some reason when I'm out here i'm a fiend for it. The problem is, good chocolate is impossible to find in Thailand. All the chocolates here are made with a special anti-melting agent that gives everything a waxy taste. Plus they are crazy expensive here. So trust me on this, bring a box or two of high quality chocolates from home and stick them in your mini fridge when you get here and you'll make tons of friends for it. I also brought a 3lb bag of raw almonds from Costco as they are a lot more expensive here and hard to find.

4. Running Shoes - If you have size US11 (UK45) or larger feet, it's next to impossible to find shoes here in Thailand so bring your own. If you want barefoot running shoes such as Vibram Five Fingers, you can forget about trying to find a pair in Thailand.

5. A Longer Visa and an Open Return Ticket - A 3 week trip to Thailand sounds like a hell of a long time, but once you get here, you quickly realize that it's no time at all. Most guys end up training for a few weeks and wish they could extend their trip. Most do. They make a visa run down to Malaysia to get another 60 days or some even go as far as signing up for Thai School to get a 1 year educational visa.

Other guys who have commitments back home or a fixed return plane ticket end up going home just to come straight back for a 3-6 month training camp. Knowing that 90% of people end up staying far longer than expected, plan for it. Get yourself a multiple entry (2-3) Tourist Visa before you come, sub-let your apartment and plan to stay longer. If you don't like it you can always go back early, but that seldom happens.

Everything else you can buy here in Thailand for super cheap. Boxing Gloves, Hand Wraps, Muay Thai Shorts, Mouth Guards, and all that can be purchased at your training camp. But bring that PS3!

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen, My Fight Camp

Roger Huerta and Mike "Quick" Swick are Opening a new MMA Gym here in Phuket Thailand!

2011-06-10T21:15:00.000-07:00

It seems that Phuket, Thailand is the new MMA Farm, or as guys in Orange County like to call it, the "Pharm." Guys come here to train and do three month MMA and Muay Thai camps all the time and it's the perfect place in the world to do it, and an even better place to open a gym for it.

I wonder how the guys at Tiger Muay Thai, especially Ray Elbe are going to feel about Roger Huerta and Mike Swick opening a new MMA Gym in their home turf, Phuket. Especially since both trained at TMT.

Roger Huerta

Mike "Quick" Swick

"So just getting the word out there for those that all ready don't know. Mike Swick and I have teamed up and are going to be opening a gym here in Phuket Thailand. more news to come. thx guys for the support." - Roger Huerta via Facebook Wall Post

Some people ask, why go to Thailand to learn MMA? Well, it's definetely not because it's cheaper. American Kickboxing Academy where Mike Swick trains in San Jose is $129US (3,870THB) a month for MMA. Here in Phuket, Places like Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team all charge the same price which is around $316US (9,500thb) per month. That's crazy isn't it!?

So why are training prices DOUBLE the prices in America? Well, first competition, there are only a few MMA gyms out here, so hopefully when more pop up, prices will go down.

But aside from that, you still save money on rent, accommodation, and food. So including training, your entire monthly budget including sports massages, eating out 4 times a day, and training can still be under $1,000US. Which is normally just the cost of rent back home.

Plus since you'll be living at the camp, you'll be training twice a day, up to 12 times per week, where at home, you probably would have just trained a few nights a week after work. When it comes down to it, here's the secret on how gyms make money. They want to you sign up, pay in advance and then stop coming. Which is why Phuket is the perfect place for MMA and Muay Thai Gyms to make money.

Relaxing on the beach with Roger Huerta in Phuket

Currently Tiger Muay Thai has around 200 paying guests, and during high season they can go up to 400 per month. Even though TMT is a huge gym, if everyone who paid monthly actually showed up to each class, it would be a madhouse and there wouldn't be enough trainers, bags to kick, or even room to stand. So luckily for TMT there is Patong, where training goes to die. Although I'm sure the owners of Tiger didn't plan it, Patong makes them money. Guys who paid for 3 months of training will go drinking over the weekend, hook up with some local Thai Bar girls and end up missing half of their classes the next week. Some will just stop coming to train all together, while others will crash their motorbikes and not be able to train even if they wanted to. Guys who saved up to stay out here for 6 months often blow their money in two and have to go home to work just to come back and do it all over again.

So that's the secret behind why Phuket, Thailand is going to be the next MMA Gym Farm. If you're one of the mature, focused smart ones, you can enjoy great weather, nice beaches, good cheap food, and a great place to train. For the 80% of the rest of the people who come, you can help support the local bar girls, alcohol and tobacco industry and the gyms who will happily keep your money even though you stopped training weeks ago.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

Grand Opening - Phuket Top Team - Free Training, Drinks, and Food!!!!!!!

2011-06-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

So even though the gym has been open to a small amount of people the past few weeks while the last minute touches were being finished, Phuket Top Team's official Grand Opening is next Tuesday, June 14th, 2011.

Everyone is welcome to tour the gym, eat some free food, have some drinks and if you come early you can attend any of the classes that Tuesday for free.

Class Schedule for Tuesday is:

7:30-9:30am Muay Thai Technique and Pads

9:30-11:00am Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (Gi-Preferred Class)

4:00-5:30 Muay Thai and Boxing Sparring

5:45-6:45 Strength and Conditioning (Climb Ropes, Hammers, Kettle Bells, etc)

If you want to join the class, I suggest you show up 20 minutes early as it may get full since it's free.

If you haven't been to the brand new Phuket Top Team gym, come by and see the inside of the MMA Area yourself, it's a lot bigger than you can see from the street.

Free food and BBQ starts at 6:00pm on that day with a live band. But come during the day and check out the gym, there will be monks there doing blessings and a Buddhist Ceremony you can watch. Tell your friends and spread the word. If you're like me, I love free food. =)

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

Tiger Muay Thai vs. Phuket Top Team

2011-06-07T07:30:00.000-07:00

Which one is better? Which gym sucks? Personally, I really don't care. I'm just here to train and get in shape. But there seems to be a bitter rivalry between the two gyms especially between Tiger Muay Thai's head MMA coach Magical Ray Elbe, and one of the owners of Phuket Top Team's Boyd Clarke.

If you read the older entries of my training blog, I have nothing but good things to say about my time at Tiger Muay Thai. I trained at TMT twice, once for a 10 days and then again for 3 months. As for Ray Elbe, I can understand why some guys dislike him, but personally I've always been cool with him and he has been good to me. He even gave me free tickets once to see him fight at Martial Combat in Singapore. I paid for the flight and hotel myself but it was very cool being backstage, ringside and being invited to the after party as part of his entourage.

Me and Ray after the Martial Combat Show

So as far as Ray Elbe goes - I respect him as a fighter, and he has been good to me. If it wasn't for him I never would have met guys like Royce Gracie who taught a 1 day seminar at TMT (I paid the full 2,000 baht) and Nicolas Gregoriades who ended up becoming a very good friend of mine.

As far at Boyd Clarke goes - I don't know him very well yet but he seems like a guy who is very passionate about MMA and had a dream to open a MMA gym and do things his way.

Whatever rivalry there is between Ray and Boyd, and if either did something to screw each other over, shame on them but that has nothing to do with me and I do not want to get involved.

My only goal here in Phuket is to train Muay Thai and MMA and to get in shape. And the only reason why I am currently training at Phuket Top Team and not Tiger Muay Thai is because it's next on my list of gyms to train at. After this I may train at Santai or Lanna Muay Thai in Chiang Mai, Sitmonchai near Bangkok, and maybe even Fairtex if I can afford it.

Doing some pad work during Muay Thai Training

Bottom line on Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team: Which one is better? And Should you switch gyms?

Both are good gyms with excellent facilities and great trainers. Tiger Muay Thai is a bigger gym with more members and has the pull to bring in big name guests to do 1 day seminars. Phuket Top Team is a smaller gym with less members.

Unless you are unhappy with where you are now, there is no reason to change gyms.

At the end of the day, remember that just like me, you are a paying customer here to train and this isn't high school. You do not need to pick sides or get involved with the drama.

My suggestion to Ray, Boyd, and the owners of Tiger Muay Thai and Phuket Top Team - squash the drama. There is enough of a market for both gyms to be successful and having both gyms here only attracts more people to come train in Phuket. For me personally, I was on my way up to Chiang Mai.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.

Actual Monthly Living Costs - Training MMA and Muay Thai in Thailand

2011-06-05T21:09:00.000-07:00

The actual living costs of a fight camp is often very different from what guys budget for. Living in Thailand can be very very cheap but there are also many ways to blow your six months savings in half that time. Here is a breakdown of actual real life costs. The monthly training costs are roughly the same whether you are training at Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket Top Team, or even the smaller gyms like Dragon Muay Thai and Suwit. Places like Fairtex are a bit more expensive and places in the north like in Chiang Mai are a bit cheaper, but the training cost itself is only half of it.

Monthly Budget for Training Muay Thai and MMA

Strict Budget - Cheapest Possible per month

Monthly Training - Muay Thai and MMA - 9,000 baht ($300US)
Accommodation: Fan Room with Shared Bathroom - 5,500 baht ($185US)
Breakfast - Eggs, Omelette or Oatmeal with Fruit - 40baht per meal x 30 = 1,200 baht ($40US)
Lunch - Thai Food - Chicken Basil with Rice, Fried Rice Chicken, Mixed Veggies with Chicken and Rice 50 baht x 30 = 1,500 baht ($50US)
Dinner - Chicken, Broccoli and Brown Rice - 100 baht per meal x 30 = 3,000 baht ($100US)
Drinks - Only Water which you refill yourself from 10 liter jugs - 80 baht ($2.65US)
Entertainment - Visit temples, the big buddah, relax on the beaches, go hiking, sneak into a resorts pool, play board games, watch TV and DVDs, internet - all free.

Total Cost for Month for Training on a Strict Budget - 20,280 baht - $676US Dollars

Photo of my basic fan room at Phuket Top Team

So yes, it is possible to live super cheap out here in Thailand which is what I've been doing for the past three years now on and off. After reading the book by Tim Ferris, "The 4-Hour Workweek" I decided that for the cost of one month's rent alone back in Los Angeles, I could live, train and eat out here, I made the move.

However, here are common add ons that will eat into your budget: Some of them are necessary to live and others are out of convenience and comfort.

Pharmacy - Ibuprofen, Muscle Relaxers, Pain Killers, Anti Biotic Cream, Tiger Balm, and Re-hydration Powders (powdered Gatorade) 570 baht a month on average. $19US

Motorbike Rental - If you want to get around the island you'll most likely rent a scooter. Learn to ride a semi-automatic (manual) and save yourself tons of money, it only takes a few days to get used to. 2,000 baht a month for a manual, 3,500 for an automatic. $67-$117US a month. (Prices are current as of June 6th 2011 but are a bit higher if you rent through some gyms)

Tips on motorbikes: What Thai's call Manual bikes are actually semi-automatic since there is no clutch. If you are staying for three months or more, it is much cheaper to buy a 2nd hand motorbike because you can sell it when you leave for roughly the same as you paid for it. Buy a Honda Wave, Honda Dream, or a Suzuki Swift for easy repairs and resale for about 10,000baht $334US and sell it for 8,000-10,000baht when you leave.

Typical Honda Wave Motorbike Semi-Automatic (scooter)

Massages - If you are in Thailand and you are pushing your boxing in Muay Thai and MMA, you really should treat yourself at least once a week to a Thai Massage. Prices range from 150 baht an hour if you go to local places, and up to 300 baht an hour at Phuket Spa, where you get to use their steam room, jacuzzi, and swimming pool for free. $5US - $10US per hour.

Movie Theater/Cinema - The theaters in Thailand are very nice, play new western movies in english (with thai subs) and are much cheaper than back home. On Wednesdays it's even cheaper at only 80 baht, normal price is 140 baht. $2.65-$4.65

Actual Comfortable Budget per month including Training, Accommodation, Food, and Extras - 24,110 baht per month including weekly massages, movies, and a motorbike. $804 US Dollars.

Patong's Bangla Road - The Las Vegas of Thailand

However, there is an evil that will kill you budget and about 50% of guys that come train Muay Thai and MMA end up falling for it. It's called Patong. If you start going there, you will not stop. Luckily most guys will only go on Saturday nights, but many end up going a few times a week. Here's what to add to your budget if you do.

Taxi - 100 baht there, and 500 baht return, as going there you'll be in a big group but coming back you'll usually be solo or with one other person. $20US

Motorbike Accident - If you think you'll save money driving there, you have a big chance of getting into an accident, even if you only have one or two drinks. 20,000 baht or more. $666US.

Alcohol - Drinks are much cheaper in Thailand than back home. But if you compare it to food it's actually really expensive and it's terrible for your training. 60baht per drink $2US.

Strippers, Bar Girls, Whores - If you're a single guy, drinking in Patong, after spending all week with a bunch of dudes in a house training, you spending 2,000 baht won't seem like such a bad idea. $67US.

Actual Monthly Cost if you go to Patong once a week - 35,710baht (1,191US Dollars)

So even with going crazy every weekend, it's still relatively cheap to eat, sleep, train, and have fun in Thailand. But if you're serious about training and getting in shape, I'd suggest you make a pact to yourself to not go to Patong until the last week before you leave, which is what I'm going to try to do.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.

Currently training at: www.PhuketTopTeam.com

Video Tour of Phuket Fight Team - MMA Camp

2011-06-04T08:50:00.000-07:00

What's up guys. I just made a video tour of Phuket Top Team for your viewing enjoyment. Check out the air-conditioned indoor MMA area where they teach Submission Wrestling, both Gi and No Gi Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Sambo, and Mixed Martial Arts.

Check it out and leave a comment to tell me what you think.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

Currently Training at PhuketTopTeam.com

First day Training at Phuket Top Team - Muay Thai and MMA Class

2011-06-03T08:02:00.000-07:00

Waking up ten minutes before the morning Muay Thai class starts, I realized that since I'm living on camp, I still had plenty of time to get ready. I quickly gulped down a protein shake, took a quick shower, put on my Muay Thai shorts and was ready for action.

Since Phuket Top Team just opened, the class ratio was awesome, with 5 trainers and 4 students, we each got paired off to do pad work, clinching, and had someone there to walk around and help correct our stance, and technique the whole time.

The Muay Thai Boxing Coaches at Phuket Top Team

My favorite thing about the class at Phuket Top Team was that the trainers really seemed to care and were excited to teach. All of the trainers personally came up and shook my hand to introduce themselves and we had a nice time hanging out between classes. Talking to students from other Muay Thai Gyms the most common complaint is that sometimes they get stuck with a trainer that doesn't care. The problem with that is it's disrespectful to ask to change coaches so sometimes you just get stuck with someone that isn't the most helpful. Luckily at Phuket Top Team it seems like every single one of their coaches is passionate about teaching and helping you improve.

Even though I had been doing Muay Thai for a year now and have had three fights under my belt. The first thing my trainer did was fix my basic kick by having my use my hip more and come up on my toes. It was great that he forced me to have good form and proper technique. Over all the Muay Thai Class at Top Team is very good and I'm impressed.

MMA Striking Class/Submission Wrestling at Phuket Top Team

My first MMA Class at Phuket Top Team was a success. The head coach is Silviu Dorin who used to compete in the Romanian Olympic Boxing Team and Combat Sambo. He then moved on and fought for the Red Devil Fight Team in Russia with Fedor Emelianenko and Vladimir Voronov.

I've done a bit of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the past, and combined with my Muay Thai it is technically MMA however, this was the first class where the forms where truly combined and Silviu taught me striking combinations ending with takedowns and transitions. One of my favorite moves was the footwork for the left jab, left hook, right cross to take down that we practiced today.

Silvu teaching the MMA Class at Phuket Top Team

Phuket Top Team also has a Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu coach Rafael Lopes all the way from San Pablo, Brazil. The great thing about having Rafael coaching is that he is an active fighter and not just a coach. He's also had a near flawless record in Vale Tudo, Muay Thai, MMA and Boxing. Plus having a BJJ coach that grew up and trained in Brazil makes the experience feel that much more authentic.

The first day back training is always tough on the body so I'm taking it easy and popping ibuprofens. I'll post more about the training at Phuket Top Team soon. Their website is PhuketTopTeam.com or check them out on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MMATrainingCampPhuket

Update: Phuket Top Team is currently doing a raffle to give away free prizes including Twins Muay Thai Shorts and Phuket Top Team T-Shirts - To enter just go to their facebook page and click "like" to enter.

Peace out for now.

My Fight Camp.

My First Night at Phuket Top Team

2011-06-01T09:57:00.000-07:00

I knew I wanted to do another 3 month training camp to get in shape before I left Thailand....and I had been looking at camps in Chiang Mai, thought about doing it in Koh Tao, and considered going back to Tiger Muay Thai. I had a great experience at TMT and would definetely go back again, but I wanted to try something new this time.

Luckily, I heard about Phuket Top Team's Grand Opening and knew I had to be a part of it. Looking through their website www.PhuketTopTeam.com it looked like a great gym with lots of potential. I liked that they had on-site accommodation and they had an indoor MMA area. When I arrived, I was blown away. The camp impressed me more than I had even imagined.

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

The first thing you notice are all of the MMA posters and motivational quotes on the walls, paired with the Fairtex bags, I felt instantly at home. I knew at that very moment, even though it was 21:00 at night, that this was going to be an exciting three months.

While getting checked in, I couldn't help myself and started kicking some bags. It was the first time seeing Fairtex Bowling Pin style heavy bags and I had to give them a go. All brand spanking new and lined up nicely around the gym, there were more styles of heavy bags that I even knew existed, including a giant one that must have weighed more than me at 100kilos.

Just a bit of late night bag work, courtesyof Fairtex and Phuket Top Team

I met with the owner Boyd and he gave me the late night tour. The grand opening is tomorrow but this being Thailand there were still some last minute touches being put up. Boyd is a bit of a perfectionist and it shows. I told him that the gym looked like a dream come true, and he said, "it is...it's my dream."

Muay Thai Boxing Ring and Striking Area at Phuket Top Team

I didn't get photos of the indoor MMA Area yet but dude, it is twice the size than I thought it would be. It's freaking huge and matted from top to bottom for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Judo, Sambo and Submission Wrestling. I can see why Phuket Top Team is truly Thailand's first purpose built MMA gym, and not just a Muay Thai gym that added BJJ and MMA later.

But by far my favorite thing about the gym so far is how close my room is to the training areas. I am literally ten steps away from training.

On the left is my room and on the right is the training area.

The reason why I had originally chose Tiger Muay Thai was also because they had on camp "fighter's budget rooms." And now at Phuket Top Team I'm also staying at one of their rooms at the camp. If you watch UFC's reality show The Ultimate Fighter you'll know the reason why I want to live, breath and train with other fighters. It's great motivation and fun since everyone is into the same thing as you. Training, eating well, working out and watching MMA events such as Pride, UFC, Strike Force, and WEC.

My room itself is bigger than I thought it would be. Clean, bright, and has everything I need. It's nice to have a big double bed, a mini-fridge and a TV with DVD player. Especially since the DVD player has a USB plug. So if you're coming to the camp, make sure you load up your hard drive with TV Series, Movies, UFC, so you can stick them on a USB Memory Stick and watch them on your TV while laying in bed. There are six bathrooms all with hot water showers right next to the rooms, dorm style. So far, so good.

My room at Phuket Top Team

Right now there are five guys living at the camp and a total of ten rooms built. They are planning on building more in the future, but if you want in, you better book it soon or they will fill up fast!

I can't wait for a nice sleep and to wake up for my first day of training. I'll keep you guys updated and take some more photos, but if you are already in Thailand. I would highly recommend you come down and check it out yourself. There are a lot of perks to being in the first class of founding members, smaller group sizes, more personal one on one attention, and just the feeling of being there when it all started. I for one am wishing Phuket Top Team the best of luck and I'm pretty confident that this is going to be one hell of a great gym.

And more to come soon,

My Fight Camp
Now officially a student at www.PhuketTopTeam.com

Chiang Mai Muay Thai Camps - Lanna, Santai, and Chay Yai Gym

2011-05-31T09:43:00.000-07:00

I had such a great three month camp at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket that I decided to do another three months. But this time, I figure I'll explore my options up North in Chiang Mai, just for a change of scenery.

So why not Bangkok you might ask? I'm sure there are some good Muay Thai gyms in Bangkok such as Sasiprapa and Keatkhamtorn. However, I don't like the city itself, Bangkok is too busy, crowded, and full of scammers and harrasing tuk tuk drivers. For my well being and to focus on fight training, I need to be somewhere peaceful, such as Chiang Mai or Chalong in Phuket.

I heard some good things about Lanna Muay Thai in Chiang Mai so I looked up their website. Accommodation is very cheap at only 3,000 baht a month for a basic shared fan room, but monthly training is surprisingly expensive. At 8,000 baht a month for just Muay Thai and no MMA it's like paying $267US, which is triple what I would pay in America. I was expecting camps in Chiang Mai to be significantly cheaper than in the southern islands, but maybe it's because Lanna Muay Thai hasn't updated their pricing page since 2006 where the exchange rate is 37 baht to the dollar still. (It's currently more like 30 baht to $1)

www.LannaMuayThai.com

Also in Chiang Mai there is Chay Yai Gym and Santai Muay Thai Gym. All the gyms seem to have set a set price of 8,000 baht a month for unlimited Muay Thai classes, however, what makes Santai stick out is that they offer free accommodation! Sure it's just a backroom with a bunch of mattresses and a shared bathroom. But living and breathing in the camp with the Thai fighters is a great experience and motivation. Plus you get a locker to store your valuables. The other cool thing about Santai Muay Thai is their meal plan. Ridiculously cheap at only 100 baht a day ( $3.33US) you get to eat with the local staff and not have to worry about ever leaving the camp.

muay-thai-santai.com

Chiang Mai itself is a lovely city with a small town feel in the north of Thailand. The only thing missing is the beaches that the Southern Islands such as Koh Tao, Lanta, and Phuket have to offer. Food is much cheaper in Chiang Mai as well as monthly accommodation. So even though the training is the same price, you'll save a bit day to day.

I'm still trying to decide which route to take, but just judging from their websites alone, if I end up choosing Chiang Mai for my next 3 month fight camp, I'll start at Santai because of their onsite rooms and their cheap meal plan. Then I'd work my way over to Lanna Muay Thai and decide which gym was best.

But for now, I'm still leaning on going back to Phuket and going to an MMA Camp instead of strictly Muay Thai. Plus I hear there is a brand new gym opening called Phuket Top Team that'll teach Muay Thai, Boxing, K1 rules kickboxing, Sambo, Submission Wrestling, and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Until Then,

My Fight Camp

Western Boxing at Tiger Muay Thai - From Zero to Hero in 2 weeks.

2011-05-30T09:13:00.000-07:00

I remember vividly the first day of Western Boxing class at Tiger Muay Thai, because, well, I got my ass handed to me. Even though I was getting pretty decent at Thai Kickboxing, I had never properly learned how to throw a punch, and more importantly, how to take a hit.

On the first day, I was matched up with a true wanker of a sparring partner. He was 6ft 5inches, about 188cm tall, much taller than me with a good 5 inch reach advantage. He also seemed like he was picked on a lot in school with his face covered in pimples, which explained his rage. I asked him to take it easy as it was my first day, but he responded by knocking me around for three minutes. When I asked him again if we could please take it slower, he flat out said "no" then promptly punched me full power in the face.

The wanker sparring "partner"

I haven't felt that bullied or helpless since I was a kid. So I turned to the Chok Chai, the head western boxing coach, who happened to have fought Manny Pacquiao back in the day, and asked him for some tips. Luckily there were some other experienced boxers around the camp that were more than willing to help me out, and by the next class, I at least knew how to properly cover up, keep my chin down, and block.

Chok Chai (Tiger Muay Thai Boxing Coach) vs. Manny Pacquiao (the legend!)

The guys helped me formulate a game plan against a taller opponent with long reach. To be honest, I was a bit hesitant to get my ass kicked by him again, so I avoided him in class for a week until I felt like I was more ready. A week later, we got matched up again, but this time, I covered up, pushed forward and punched as an in-fighter would. The plan worked. I worked his body, as his long torso made it difficult to block his kidneys, and as soon as he opened up, I swung for his head.

He was shocked, and I was delighted. Not even two weeks before that, I couldn't land a single punch on him, and now, with some proper training and a game plan, I got my revenge. I was a bit angry at him for being an asshole and beating me up on my first day of class, but thinking back, if he didn't do that, maybe I wouldn't have had the drive to excel as fast as I did.

Anyways, if you're training at Tiger Muay Thai or any other MMA Gym that offers a Western Boxing Program, do it, as it fills holes in your kickboxing game. For me personally iit gave me a huge upper hand in my last Muay Thai Fight since most Thai guys don't practice their punches.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.

Day to Day Schedule during a Fight Camp - Training, Rest, and Repeat

2011-05-28T11:13:00.000-07:00

Do all three sessions a day, start with a morning run, then MMA, followed by afternoon Muay Thai and end the night with Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu?

Well that was my plan too, until I realized that my plan was much bigger than what my body could actually handle. I looked at the schedule on Tiger Muay Thai's website, and thought cool, I can do this.

Yoga at 7:00am followed by Beginners MMA at 9:00. Take a break for lunch then do a few hours of Muay Thai in the afternoon.

Yoga for Fighters, Stretching and Mind Focus

Sounds simple enough right?

Well, dude....trust me...your body will hate you if you try. Most days are spent laying around rubbing tiger balm on your sore muscles while watching movies on your laptop. Training once a day is more than enough for most people, and by the time Saturday comes along, the only thing on your mind is heading down to the party beach of Patong for a big night out.

My actual typical training schedule:

Yoga every morning from 7:00-8:00 - I did this for the first month and quickly decided to trade it for extra time to sleep and to eat breakfast.

Mondays/Wednesday/Friday I would do beginners MMA from 9:00am - 11:00am which would normally leave me sore for a day after from all the grappling.

Tuesdays/Thursday I would do Muay Thai from 8:00am-10:30am and do some sort of strength and conditioning such as kettle bells, pull ups, or weights in the afternoon.

Western Boxing was also one of my favorite classes which I'd sometimes do from 4:00pm-6:00pm

Sparring Sessions with friends started forming every Friday after class, where we'd take turns beating the crap out of each other, filming it and seeing how we could improve..

The rest of the day:

We'd be too tired to walk to the restaurant for lunch so we'd ride out scooters to Tony's for $2 dollar Thai food. Then it was back to bed, where I'd lay around and watch a movie on my laptop. So make sure you load up your hard drive with plenty of movies and TV shows before you come out, you'll need it.

One of the best things about MMA Training Camps is that everyone is into the same things you are. UFC Fights, working out, and eating healthy. I made some really good friends during those three months.

Weekly dinner outing with the crew

So you want to do a fight camp?

Do it, you won't regret it. And aim for the stars, try to fit in three training sessions a day if you can. Who knows, maybe you are in much better shape than me and can recover like an 18 year old.

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.

Fighting for Tiger Muay Thai - After three months of training

2011-05-28T10:26:00.000-07:00

I didn't get into Muay Thai to Fight.

To be honest, I just wanted to get in shape, lose some weight and have fun hitting bags. But after watching "The Ultimate Fighter" reality series I got pumped up. I also realized that training for a fight made me push myself a lot harder than training just for the hell of it.

So I signed up for a Muay Thai Fight and forced myself to run, which I hate, and train twice a day, which was killing my body. Mentally I was prepared. After losing my first fight and watching the fight tape over and over again, I told myself never again will I let a fight go to decision and in the judge's hands.

I also wanted to see what kind of damage I could do with them in the ring with my kicks. It's hard to really know what you are capable of and what you are made of before you step in the ring across from another man who wanted to knock your head off.

Me getting ready for my fight at Patong Stadium, Representating Tiger Muay Thai

I was scared. I was nervous.

And I asked myself why the hell did I sign up for this in the first place. But I knew I was in shape , and I knew my skill level in both boxing and Muay Thai had increased dramatically since my last night in Koh Lanta. I was prepared, and I was ready. Training six days a week for three months at Tiger Muay Thai got me more ready than ever for this fight.

My opponent, a Thai guy. A bit smaller than me, but much more experienced. Most fights with westerners vs. Thais end up this way and it usually ends up being fair. He had 18 previous fights, and I had 2. But I was ready.

Johnny (black trunks) fighting for Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket

My official record after that fight is 2 wins, and 1 loss. Compared to my previous two fights, I was a lot more aggressive and confident this time, and my striking became a lot more accurate. Also I had a game plan.

Royce Gracie once told me: "Some fighters will say, first round i'm going to soften him up with some strikes, then take him down, do some ground and pound, then transition into a submission. But that's not a plan, that's a wish."

So my game plan was simple. Stay out of his clinch. My plan was to jab and throw straights instead of big hooks and to keep him out of clinch range. I know my clinch work sucks, as I get thrown around by my Thai trainers who are exactly half my size. My plan was also to lead in with punches and throw strong kicks to the body. Turns out having a game plan, and more importantly sticking with it, actually works. Who would have thought?

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.

Three months training at Tiger Muay Thai

2011-05-28T09:55:00.000-07:00

I have all good things to say about training and living at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket. It's a big gym, and with any gym that popular there will be good as well as bad reviews. My best advice is to go check it out for yourself with an open mind and decide for yourself. I personally had a great time there and it was exactly what I was looking for.

The reason why I chose TMT over the other gyms is mainly because they offered both Muay Thai and MMA/Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Also because they had a really good website that made it extremely clear what I would be paying and what to expect. Most other gyms in Thailand don't have very descriptive websites. I looked into training at Fairtex Bangplee but Tiger Muay Thai was much cheaper.

Cost for 1 month of accommodation and training at Fairtex Bangplee/Pattaya (including 2 meals a day)
Fan Room + MMA and Muay Thai Training: 16,100 a week or 64,440 a month.($2,148 US Dollars a month)

Cost for 1 month of accommodation and training at Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket (calculated to include 2 meals a day)
Fan Room + MMA and Muay Thai Training: 15,000 a month + 6,000 for food. ($700 US Dollars a Month)

Why is Fairtex so much more expensive than Tiger Muay Thai?

I have no idea and can't say because I haven't personally trained at Fairtex. I've heard great things about Fairtex, especially the one in San Francisco where my friend trains at, and the one in Bangplee, but I could never afford to play that much for a training camp, especially not in Thailand where things are supposed to be cheaper.

Training at Tiger Muay Thai with Yod and UFC/Bellator's Roger Huerta

Definetely one of the coolest things about training at Tiger Muay Thai is the people you meet. TMT has a lot of pull and some great connections. Plus the Head MMA Coach Magical Ray Elbe is a current and active fighter, which is very cool. I also had the pleasure of meeting and being taught by some legends during my three months at TMT including the one and only Royce Gracie who came by to do a one day seminar.

The Legendary BJJ Black Belt Royce Gracie putting a rear naked choke on me

The Training at Tiger Muay Thai was Great.

I started in beginners MMA and even though I had some experience in Muay Thai already, because I was out of shape I decided to start from scratch and do the beginners Muay Thai as well. In the three months I moved up to Intermediate, and then to Advanced Muay Thai. I also improved a ton in the Western Boxing class, taught by Chok Chai who once fought against Manny Pacquiao.

Brazillian Jiu-Jitsu turns out to be something that is going to take me a couple of years to get good at, so I was pretty happy just staying in the beginners class, which was more of an intermediate class anyways.

I had a fantastic three month training camp at Tiger Muay Thai and recommend it to others. It's worth coming to Thailand for as many people did from the UK, America, Denmark, Sweden and Australia.

MMA Class at Tiger Muay Thai with guest trainer from Gracie Barra

Dragon Muay Thai and Suwit Muay Thai:

On the same street as Tiger Muay Thai, there are two Muay Thai only gyms, Dragon and Suwit. Both are a lot smaller and don't have the facilities or MMA program but from what I heard are good gyms and are a little bit cheaper than training at Tiger. I personally chose to stay at TMT because I liked having the option to do Western Boxing, BJJ, Kettle Bells, and I really liked the facilities itself.

Plus I found out the secret discount at Tiger Muay Thai. Well, it's not really a secret, but most people don't know about it. Just pay online on the Tiger Muay Thai website using Paypal and you'll get a 5,500 baht ($183usd) discount on three months of training!

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.

Who am I? And why did I decide to do this?

2011-05-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know, but maybe that's why I fight?

My three month fight camp all began with a short three week vacation to Phuket, Thailand. Luckily I was reading the 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferris on the plane and just happened to be stressing out from my normal life back home. If everything was perfect, maybe I wouldn't have come?

Either way, I decided to quit my job...which was tough! Sell my stuff, and go to Thailand for three months.

I had never done Muay Thai or really any martial arts before I came. But I used to wrestle in high school and loved it. I figured, why not? But my first three month trip to Thailand wasn't for a fight camp, it was to learn how to scuba dive. It just happened that there was a little gym, Island Muay Thai on the island of Koh Tao.

Island Muay Thai - Koh Tao, Thailand

It was a good experience for a beginner and aside from kicking a heavy bag in my friend's garage, it was all the experience I had with fighting. At that time I wasn't even into watching UFC. Island Muay Thai is a medium sized muay thai gym in a island full of tourists, mainly there to scuba dive. It was pretty cheap and Koh Tao really nice island to live on, but in pursuit of better scuba diving I ended up in Koh Lanta and trained at a gym called Lanta Muay Thai.

I trained there for three months and even had my first fight. I thought it would be easy, but boy was I wrong. I'm actually really happy I lost my first fight, as it taught me to put in the effort during training, instead of suffering in the ring.

Koh Lanta Stadium - My first fight

The fight went all five rounds, and my cardio lasted about two. I thought I was ready for it, but as soon as I got hit, I realized that mentally I was not. It's a different feeling when you are across the ring from someone trying to take your head off, and there is only two ways out. Regrettably I chose the option that a lot of beginners make, and did everything I could to hope the five rounds would end and no one would notice that I wanted out of the fight long ago.

The days after the fight, I really had to be honest with myself, and decided to ask for a rematch and really do it properly this time. I added running to my daily training, something that I hate doing, still to this day. But fighter's run. And every time I would want to quit, I'd tell myself that I'd rather suffer now than in the ring.

Here is the rematch, exactly one month after the first fight.

And that was just the beginning, and where I discovered the importance of hard training and the quote:

"Train hard, and Fight easy."

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.