Showing posts with label Videos and Highlights. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Videos and Highlights. Show all posts
Saturday, May 23, 2015
Pro Muay Thai Fighter Germain Yeap Pretends to be a Fake Nerd and beats up men.
Friday, October 31, 2014
Fight Vision: KC Muay Thai
I spent 5 months at KC Muay Thai in Chiang Mai and got to know the head trainer Chun quite well. He has the heart of a lion, was genuine, and an exceptionally good trainer. I was really excited to see Fight Vision make a nice little documentary about KC Muay Thai.
Take a look at it below:
Take a look at it below:
If you want to know more about training at KC Muay Thai, do a search on my blog on the left hand side or click Categories: KC Muay Thai to read all of the related posts.
I spent over 5 months there and loved it. It was a small gym, a bit far out of the main town if you didn't have a scooter, but the training was top notch if you wanted to learn traditional Muay Thai. I had two fights while training there and wrote about it in my book 12 Weeks in Thailand which you should read if you have an interested in coming out to Thailand to train Muay Thai and MMA.
Hope you guys enjoy this post and Thailand,
Johnny
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Packing for Thailand: What to bring with you.
When I came for my first long trip to Thailand, I was planning to do a mixture of Scuba Diving, Muay Thai and MMA. I was planning on staying at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket and travel around the southern islands.
Here is my original video of what I brought with me back in 2010, followed by my most recent trip now in 2014.
Things have changed a lot, especially since my iPhone and Macbook now replace a lot of the old electronics I used to have to bring with me.
Also even though I still do a bit of Muay Thai and BJJ for fun, I'm not living and training full time at the gyms anymore. My schedule is
1x Week Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
1x Week CrossFit
1x Week Sprints
1x Week Muay Thai or Rock climbing
If you want to know more about what the costs of living, daily life and gyms are like in Thailand. Make sure you read my book 12 Weeks in Thailand, it covers all of the details of my many 3-12 month trips and is a must read if you are planning your own trip.
Warm Regards,
Johnny
www.facebook.com/myfightcamp
Here is my original video of what I brought with me back in 2010, followed by my most recent trip now in 2014.
Things have changed a lot, especially since my iPhone and Macbook now replace a lot of the old electronics I used to have to bring with me.
Also even though I still do a bit of Muay Thai and BJJ for fun, I'm not living and training full time at the gyms anymore. My schedule is
1x Week Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu
1x Week CrossFit
1x Week Sprints
1x Week Muay Thai or Rock climbing
Here is my most recent packing video:
If you want to know more about what the costs of living, daily life and gyms are like in Thailand. Make sure you read my book 12 Weeks in Thailand, it covers all of the details of my many 3-12 month trips and is a must read if you are planning your own trip.
Warm Regards,
Johnny
www.facebook.com/myfightcamp
Friday, February 7, 2014
CMFC MMA - Chiang Mai Fighting Championship
Tonight is the first ever MMA Cage Fight in Chiang Mai, Thailand. The government banned MMA a few years back in Thailand, but it looks like it is legal now and this Thai promotion team is taking a big chance at setting up what might be huge in the future.
They aren't doing a very good job promoting it as I couldn't' even find a website for them aside from their facebook page, but sometimes that's just the way local business is run in Thailand.
Best of luck to everyone tonight.
Warm Regards,
Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp - Keep in touch.
They aren't doing a very good job promoting it as I couldn't' even find a website for them aside from their facebook page, but sometimes that's just the way local business is run in Thailand.
Tickets start at 1,000 baht which is $33US. It's cheap compared to MMA fights in the U.S., but this isn't the UFC and they would have fared better if they had lowered the ticket prices down to 800 baht. Standard tickets for Muay Thai fights in more expensive places like Bangkok and Phuket are expensive regardless so maybe people are willing to pay for this.
It looks like half of the fights will be Muay Thai with 4oz gloves and in a cage, while the other fights are full MMA rules.
CMFC's Facebook page is: CMFC
Here's a video of the guys over at Team Quest Thailand preparing for this event:
Best of luck to everyone tonight.
Warm Regards,
Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp - Keep in touch.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
Packing for Thailand - 2013
I just arrived back in Thailand the other night and made a little video with what I packed. I plan on training a bit of Muay Thai and No-Gi Jiu-Jitsu during this 6 month trip, but also wanted to pack light enough to be able to travel down to the islands to scuba dive and to other parts of SE Asia such as Cambodia. So this year's packing contents area bit different from previous year's videos
Check out the video below:
Packing List:
Clothes including dry-wick t-shirts, a few pairs of shorts, one pair or long pants, and a hat.
Shoes including one pair of flip flops, Luna running sandals, Vibram 5-Fingers, and a pair of New Balance Minimus tennis shoes.
Supplements including 5lb ON Whey Protein, Creatine, ZMA, Caffeine, Bulletproof MCT Oil, Fish Oil and Vitamin C.
Gear including one set of 12oz bag/pad gloves, hand wraps, custom mouth guard, muay thai shorts, and no-gi grappling shorts and shirt.
Electronics including Macbook Air, iPhone, Kindle, and Chargers.
Check out the video above for the full Sha-Bang. Anything I missed? Leave a comment below.
Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp - Like for updates
Check out the video below:
Packing List:
Clothes including dry-wick t-shirts, a few pairs of shorts, one pair or long pants, and a hat.
Shoes including one pair of flip flops, Luna running sandals, Vibram 5-Fingers, and a pair of New Balance Minimus tennis shoes.
Supplements including 5lb ON Whey Protein, Creatine, ZMA, Caffeine, Bulletproof MCT Oil, Fish Oil and Vitamin C.
Gear including one set of 12oz bag/pad gloves, hand wraps, custom mouth guard, muay thai shorts, and no-gi grappling shorts and shirt.
Electronics including Macbook Air, iPhone, Kindle, and Chargers.
Sending out some emails by my hotel pool in Chiang Mai |
Check out the video above for the full Sha-Bang. Anything I missed? Leave a comment below.
Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp - Like for updates
Saturday, July 27, 2013
Cliff Jump - Sundays at Red Mud Quarry in Chiang Mai
What random, fun and free things are there to do on your rest days when you're not training Muay Thai? Make a trip out to the Red Mud Quarry in Chiang Mai. The only thing Chiang Mai is missing compared to Phuket and the Islands is water...but being here makes you forget all that.
This video was filmed a few months ago, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to put it up. The awesome thing about seeing it now is seeing how much weight I've lost since I started eating Bulletproof/Paleo and doing CrossFit!
How to get to the Red Mud Quarry in Chiang Mai:
The Hang Dong rock quarry is about a 40 minute bike / songthaew ride from the city center in Chiang Mai, heading south along the canal road highway (Hwy 121) from Huay Kaew road and keep driving until you are about 10 minutes past Hang Dong. Keep your eye out for the green HANG DONG GOLF COURSE sign and turn right on the small bridge directly after the PT gas station on your left hand side. Immediately afterwards the PT Gas Station you need to make a right across a small bridge. Follow the road until it forks, and be sure to take the left fork. There is a very nice view at the restaurant on the cliff you can enjoy lunch at, or you can head straight to the quarry on the left. Allow for at least five hours including the drive and full enjoyment of the day. Bring water, sunblock and your camera.
I hope these directions to the quarry in chiang mai are good enough, but it's quite easy to find after you find the small PT Gas Station on highway 121 towards Hang Dong.
This video was filmed a few months ago, but I've been so busy I haven't had time to put it up. The awesome thing about seeing it now is seeing how much weight I've lost since I started eating Bulletproof/Paleo and doing CrossFit!
How to get to the Red Mud Quarry in Chiang Mai:
The Hang Dong rock quarry is about a 40 minute bike / songthaew ride from the city center in Chiang Mai, heading south along the canal road highway (Hwy 121) from Huay Kaew road and keep driving until you are about 10 minutes past Hang Dong. Keep your eye out for the green HANG DONG GOLF COURSE sign and turn right on the small bridge directly after the PT gas station on your left hand side. Immediately afterwards the PT Gas Station you need to make a right across a small bridge. Follow the road until it forks, and be sure to take the left fork. There is a very nice view at the restaurant on the cliff you can enjoy lunch at, or you can head straight to the quarry on the left. Allow for at least five hours including the drive and full enjoyment of the day. Bring water, sunblock and your camera.
I hope these directions to the quarry in chiang mai are good enough, but it's quite easy to find after you find the small PT Gas Station on highway 121 towards Hang Dong.
Have fun!
Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp - Keep in touch on facebook
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Cost of Food in Thailand: Eating Paleo on a Budget
Aside from rent and training food is going to be your biggest expense when living in Thailand. My monthly rent is 6,300 baht ($210US) a month, Muay Thai is around 8,000 baht ($267US) a month for unlimited sessions and food is between 6,000baht ($200US) and 12,000 baht ($400US) a month depending on what you eat.
Typical breakfast in Thailand is 30-60baht ($1-2US) if you get used to eating Thai food in the morning, which is typically fried rice with an egg on top. For an American or Western Style breakfast of Toast, Eggs, Bacon and Coffee you will spend close to 150 baht ($5US)
For Lunch and Dinner if you eat normal Thai food, basically anything stir-fried ontop of rice you will pay between 50-80baht ($1.67-$2.67US) per meal. However, I've started eating Paleo for the past 3 months and stopped eating rice which has been a lot more expensive. However, here in Chiang Mai you can find amazing food at really nice restaurants for under 200 baht ($6.67US) Here is a video of what I eat on a typical night.
Food in Chiang Mai is often half the price of more expensive cities such as Bangkok, Koh Samui and Phuket. But if you're eating Thai food ontop of rice you can get by anywhere in Thailand for less than 80 baht ($2.66US) per meal.
Around Phuket Top Team and Tiger Muay Thai there are restaurants such as Tony's Ja Ja House and Mama's who all have Thai food for 60 baht ($2US) but realistically, especially for dinner you will spend double that to get full. Most guys order two meals after a hard day of training.
My other favorite meal in Thailand is the All You Can Eat Thai BBQ's that are usually 129-180baht ($4.30-$6US)
Basically the cost of food in Thailand can be whatever you want it to be. Simple, delicious Thai food can be half for $1-2 and amazing western food in Chiang Mai can be had for $7. While in places like Bangkok and Phuket you can also spend $30US on a nice western restaurant.
If you haven't already, make sure you read the book, www.12WeeksinThailand.com where I breakdown all of the costs of living and teach you how to save a ton of money while coming to live and train Muay Thai, MMA or Travel Thailand.
Warm Regards,
Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp - Add me to keep in touch
Typical breakfast in Thailand is 30-60baht ($1-2US) if you get used to eating Thai food in the morning, which is typically fried rice with an egg on top. For an American or Western Style breakfast of Toast, Eggs, Bacon and Coffee you will spend close to 150 baht ($5US)
For Lunch and Dinner if you eat normal Thai food, basically anything stir-fried ontop of rice you will pay between 50-80baht ($1.67-$2.67US) per meal. However, I've started eating Paleo for the past 3 months and stopped eating rice which has been a lot more expensive. However, here in Chiang Mai you can find amazing food at really nice restaurants for under 200 baht ($6.67US) Here is a video of what I eat on a typical night.
Food in Chiang Mai is often half the price of more expensive cities such as Bangkok, Koh Samui and Phuket. But if you're eating Thai food ontop of rice you can get by anywhere in Thailand for less than 80 baht ($2.66US) per meal.
Around Phuket Top Team and Tiger Muay Thai there are restaurants such as Tony's Ja Ja House and Mama's who all have Thai food for 60 baht ($2US) but realistically, especially for dinner you will spend double that to get full. Most guys order two meals after a hard day of training.
My other favorite meal in Thailand is the All You Can Eat Thai BBQ's that are usually 129-180baht ($4.30-$6US)
Basically the cost of food in Thailand can be whatever you want it to be. Simple, delicious Thai food can be half for $1-2 and amazing western food in Chiang Mai can be had for $7. While in places like Bangkok and Phuket you can also spend $30US on a nice western restaurant.
If you haven't already, make sure you read the book, www.12WeeksinThailand.com where I breakdown all of the costs of living and teach you how to save a ton of money while coming to live and train Muay Thai, MMA or Travel Thailand.
Warm Regards,
Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp - Add me to keep in touch
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Video of 12 Weeks in Thailand - What would you do with your 12 Weeks?
From Muay Thai, Rear Naked Chokes, Feeding Elephants Bananas to Scuba diving and drinking liquor out of buckets, you can do a lot in 12 Weeks in Thailand. Here's a fun little video of the possibilities.
If you haven't read the book yet, you're seriously missing out. It contains everything you need to know about traveling, training and living in Thailand, and even if you don't plan on coming for a long long time, it allows you to live vicariously through the adventures. If you've enjoyed other books such as I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max, Vodkaberg: 9 Years in Russia by English Teacher X, Vagabonding, World's Cheapest Destinations or The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris, then you'll love 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap.
Enjoy and see you in Thailand!
Warm Regards,
Facebook.com/12WeeksinThailand - Add me on facebook
- White Sand Beaches
- Tons of Swedish girls in Bikinis
- Scuba Diving in warm clear water
- The Legendary Full Moon Party on Koh Phangan
- And of course Muay Thai and MMA
If you haven't read the book yet, you're seriously missing out. It contains everything you need to know about traveling, training and living in Thailand, and even if you don't plan on coming for a long long time, it allows you to live vicariously through the adventures. If you've enjoyed other books such as I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell by Tucker Max, Vodkaberg: 9 Years in Russia by English Teacher X, Vagabonding, World's Cheapest Destinations or The 4-Hour Workweek by Timothy Ferris, then you'll love 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap.
Enjoy and see you in Thailand!
Warm Regards,
Facebook.com/12WeeksinThailand - Add me on facebook
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Buakaw Por. Pramuk (Thailand) vs. Malik Watson (USA) - Muay Thai
Malik Watson is an up and coming Muay Thai Fighter from the USA. I had the pleasure of meeting him from his first day in Thailand at Phuket Top Team. His mentor Cyrus Washington had helped him plan his trip to Thailand to take his Muay Thai game to the next level. I still remember that first week, jetlagged and all, Cyrus made Malik wake up at 6am to run 10km before doing two sessions of Muay Thai. Malik wasn't even allowed to ride a scooter to leave the camp, he was forced to take training seriously. It paid off, two years later, Malik was scheduled to fight Yodsanklai Fairtex but was canceled due to injury.
Either way, it has worked in Malik's favor. Who knows if Malik Watson is ready to fight the greats yet, but either way, it's a smart move for him as it'll put his name on the map. And if Malik wins against a superstar, he will instantly become the most well known Muay Thai fighter in Thailand. He really has nothing to lose. Malik Watson is now scheduled to fight Buakaw Por. Pramuk on the May 6th MAX Muay Thai card.
Here's a highlight reel of Malik Watson's Muay Thai fights. Love him or hate him, he's here to compete against the best which is more than most guys talking trash about him on internet forums can say.
Edit: Malik Watson is now training and fighting out of Lion Muay Thai in Phuket.
Edit: Here is the video of the full fight Buakaw vs. Malik
At first it looks like it will just be an exhibition, but it soon turned into a real fight with elbows, knees and knockout punches. Was that planned or did ego's get the best of the two guys and they started fighting for real? Who knows.
Warm Regards,
www.Facebook.com/12WeeksinThailand - Read about the adventures of training with Malik Watson, Cyrus Washington and others fighters during my 3 month fight camp at Phuket Top Team and Tiger Muay Thai.
A lot of controversy is aimed at Malik Watson, saying that the fight was a mismatch and Malik is unknown. It doesn't help that Malik's style is very brash and comes off as cocky and arrogant. However, maybe that's why people said about ago boxing greats that were just as cocky when starting out.
Win or Lose Malik Watson is about to go from being a locally known up and coming fighter, to being well known for fighting the best in Thailand. If I was in Malik's shoes I would ignore all of the haters and the people saying he's not ready and fight my heart out.
Here's a highlight reel of Malik Watson's Muay Thai fights. Love him or hate him, he's here to compete against the best which is more than most guys talking trash about him on internet forums can say.
Edit: Malik Watson is now training and fighting out of Lion Muay Thai in Phuket.
Edit: Here is the video of the full fight Buakaw vs. Malik
At first it looks like it will just be an exhibition, but it soon turned into a real fight with elbows, knees and knockout punches. Was that planned or did ego's get the best of the two guys and they started fighting for real? Who knows.
Warm Regards,
www.Facebook.com/12WeeksinThailand - Read about the adventures of training with Malik Watson, Cyrus Washington and others fighters during my 3 month fight camp at Phuket Top Team and Tiger Muay Thai.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Video of my Fight - 5 Round Rematch War - Johnny vs. Jomerawe 2
My original opponent backed out last second again which kind of sucks because he would have been perfect for me. The same size, height and experience level which is hard to find in Thailand. He even had the exact same amount of fights as me, making it a perfect match up. Instead, I ended up fighting the one guy in Thailand that I really did not want to fight again. Jomerawe who I fought back in January, asked for a rematch. He was winning the first three rounds of the fight, had better technique, better kicks, elbows, reach, height and a ton more experience. The only reason why I won that fight was because I turned it into a street brawl and kept pressing forward until I ended up catching him in the third round with a knee to the face.
Why I lost:
I didn't have much motivation to win last night's match, as having two wins over the same guy doesn't really mean that much. So I decided to take the chance to gain experience by pacing myself and fighting more of a Muay Thai style than I usually do. As expected Jomerawe's Muay Thai was better than mine, but I learned a lot from this fight and I'm not ashamed to have lost. I showed up, found hard, and tried to finish the fight a few times. I also got to attempt a head kick and spinning elbow, both of which I've never done in a fight previously. Anyways, here's a video of the fight in it's entirety, it was a long fight as it went the distance so I cut out all of the non-action, pacing, and circling to keep the video from being too long.
Why I lost:
In Muay Thai rules, punches don't score points unless it results in a knock down. Kicks, knees and elbows score the most which is why my opponent won on points. He was also just better than me. =)
What I learned:
My opponent had 58 fights, and this was my 6th, somethings just take time and practice to get good at, including Muay Thai. It's funny that random guys that I don't know would give me advice after the fight. I tell them thank you, and keep it in mind. But honestly, it's completely different when you're actually in a fight. I know to keep my hands up, but when you are exhausted and the lactic acid is building up in your arms, and you know that your only chance to win is to rush in and throw everything you got, you too might drop your guard. But that's what the fight video is for, so I can review it and see what I need to improve on.
Honestly, I feel like I learned more from losing this fight than from winning the last one. I'm going to continue to work on my technique, cardio, and continue to lose weight. My record now is 4 Wins and 2 Losses.
A big thank you:
To everyone who came out to watch the fight, thank you. It means a lot to me to have support and familiar faces in the crowd. Thank you to my trainer Chon from KC Muay Thai, you genuinely care and push me to my limits. Thank you to Oliver and the grew from England for buying me drinks all night after the fight. I haven't drank for months before my fight so it was fun as hell and much needed to get some drinks in me.
What's next:
Saying my body is a bit beat up is an understatement.
What's worse than waking up with a black eye?
Waking up with two.
I'm going to take two weeks off to rest and recover. I knew that Jomerawe's kicks were going to be devastating to my shins and ankle which is why you can see in the video that I taped it up before the fight. My left foot is swollen up, my shin feels like it blocked a wooden bat, and my ankle is a bit fucked from checking the kicks. The good news is my lower back is completely fine now. Or maybe it could be just because every other part of my body hurts that I don't even notice it.
So a well deserved rest is in order. I'm going to finish updating the book, 12 Weeks in Thailand and fix the random spelling errors I didn't catch the first time around, then i'm going to meet up a friend at the Full Moon Party in Koh Phangan and party it up or a few days.
Warm Regards,
Johnny
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Video Tour of Team Quest Thailand, Chiang Mai and Review
I had a dream that I was doing Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu the other night and decided to drop in the new Team Quest Chiang Mai Thailand to do some grappling. While was there, I figured I'd make a quick video tour of the gym as a lot of you guys have been asking about it.
First off, the location is fantastic. It's quite possibly the perfect location for being close to the city, but still in a quite, peacefully location. It's directly opposite the Airport Plaza Mall which houses the cinema, and tons of restaurants and three separate food courts. But the gym is down a small road just far away enough from the main street so there is no noise from the cars or traffic. The Muay Thai area was a lot smaller than I expected, but I think it is because Team Quest is trying to focus mainly on MMA. The indoor MMA room was a perfect size. It's only slightly smaller than the gigantic MMA room at Phuket Top Team, but it also has bags and a wall cage which makes it convenient for MMA classes. Here is a video tour of the new Team Quest Chiang Mai for you to see for yourself.
Aside from having a fantastic location, Team Quest is also the first MMA gym in Chiang Mai, so you have to give them credit for bringing it here a year before Tiger Muay Thai. However, the gym reminds me a lot of what Phuket Top Team was like the first year it opened. Even though PTT tried to concentrate on it's MMA program, most students wanted to do Muay Thai, which looked like the case in today's class. We had a really tiny grappling class today, with only myself and two others both TQ pro fighters. We did a ton of sparring today which is exactly what I both needed and wanted. I was told that the normal classes are structured a bit different with a lot more technique, and I'm sure some days there are a lot more students, but I wasn't complaining.
Muay Thai program is also really good, the twin trainers, Kru Joe and Gen have good reputations. They also have the biggest Thai trainer and fighter in Thailand, Kru Nut who stands 6’2” (190cm) Tall and weighsover 260lbs (120 kilo). I'm planning on dropping by Team Quest once or twice a week to do their grappling class. Check it out if you come to Chiang Mai.
Warm Regards,
Johnny F.D.
www.facebook.com/myfightcamp
www.12WeeksinThailand.com - Download a free chapter
First off, the location is fantastic. It's quite possibly the perfect location for being close to the city, but still in a quite, peacefully location. It's directly opposite the Airport Plaza Mall which houses the cinema, and tons of restaurants and three separate food courts. But the gym is down a small road just far away enough from the main street so there is no noise from the cars or traffic. The Muay Thai area was a lot smaller than I expected, but I think it is because Team Quest is trying to focus mainly on MMA. The indoor MMA room was a perfect size. It's only slightly smaller than the gigantic MMA room at Phuket Top Team, but it also has bags and a wall cage which makes it convenient for MMA classes. Here is a video tour of the new Team Quest Chiang Mai for you to see for yourself.
Aside from having a fantastic location, Team Quest is also the first MMA gym in Chiang Mai, so you have to give them credit for bringing it here a year before Tiger Muay Thai. However, the gym reminds me a lot of what Phuket Top Team was like the first year it opened. Even though PTT tried to concentrate on it's MMA program, most students wanted to do Muay Thai, which looked like the case in today's class. We had a really tiny grappling class today, with only myself and two others both TQ pro fighters. We did a ton of sparring today which is exactly what I both needed and wanted. I was told that the normal classes are structured a bit different with a lot more technique, and I'm sure some days there are a lot more students, but I wasn't complaining.
Muay Thai program is also really good, the twin trainers, Kru Joe and Gen have good reputations. They also have the biggest Thai trainer and fighter in Thailand, Kru Nut who stands 6’2” (190cm) Tall and weighsover 260lbs (120 kilo). I'm planning on dropping by Team Quest once or twice a week to do their grappling class. Check it out if you come to Chiang Mai.
Warm Regards,
Johnny F.D.
www.facebook.com/myfightcamp
www.12WeeksinThailand.com - Download a free chapter
Monday, January 28, 2013
Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai - Video Tour
This is the first look at the brand new Tiger Muay Thai in Chiang Mai Location. Before I went to see it for myself, all I knew were the rumors. It's supposed to be HUGE, bigger than TMT Phuket. It's also supposed to be an hour and a half away from Chiang Mai city. In my mind I was imagining a jungle camp in the middle of no where, miles from any town and in the middle of a peaceful forest. You would wake up to the sound of birds chirping and pads hitting. The air would be clean and fresh, and there would be absolutely nothing to do but train, eat, and sleep. After class you would relax in the swimming pool or go for a hike in the nearby forest.
Unfortunately, there wasn't much information on where the heck the new TMT campus is. All I knew was that it was somewhere in the Mae Rim valley, but supposedly it was way north of the actual town. My friend Erica from Canada was in town visiting me, so after having lunch at the Huai Tung Thao Lake near Chiang Mai, we were already on the road to get to the new Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai. We drove my motorbike up the 107 highway and kept our eyes out for Mae Rim and any signs of the new gym. Within half an hour we got to the town of Mae Rim but I was so convinced that the gym wasn't going to be anywhere near the city that we must have not been looking very hard and flew right past it. Not having a map, GPS or any modern technology, we just kept driving north on the 107. The city disappeared and suddenly an hour later we were in the windy roads of a forest. I was convinced the new gym was here somewhere as it was exactly what I had imagined in my mind, the setting was perfect. To my disappointment, I came across a sign that informed me we were now in Chiang Dao, which was about 30km past where TMT was supposed to be.
Luckily, on the way back we spotted the gym, literally right off the main road in the city. Here's a video tour of the brand new, still under construction Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai.
So it turns out TMT Chiang Mai isn't quite as far outside of Chiang Mai as we thought. We timed it and it took us exactly 35 minutes on motorbike to get to the city's edge and around 45 minutes to get to a destination in the city center. The gym definitely isn't in the hidden country side I had imagined it to be in, and the main road it's off of is actually quite busy with traffic as you can hear the cars zoom by as I'm filming. But the good news is the land is actually quite big so the rooms and training area are still quite a ways set back. I'm pretty sure TMT wanted this location on the main road so people could see it while driving by, but honestly, it would have been better if they had bought land further back away from the main road, and invested in some big street signs pointing the way instead. They could have gotten even more land, had room and money left over to build a swimming pool and really turned it into a destination gym. I have a feeling it'll still be a very good gym, but only time will tell.
How to get to Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai, Directions:
From the city center of Chiang Mai, drive around the moat until you get to the most northern point and go up the Chang Phueak Gate road past Chang Phueak Hospital. Follow that road until it turns into the 107N Highway which goes towards Mae Sa, Mae Rim, and Fang. You can also take the road towards Tiger Kingdom and then turn onto 107. Keep driving until you see the town of Mae Rim, it'll be quite a busy little city. Tiger Muay Thai is on your left hand side less than 10 minutes after you pass the town of Mae Rim. Look for the orange building. Here is a google map with coordinates of where the gym is.
I'm sure the new Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai will still be a very popular gym when it opens, and people will now have the option of going into the city more often. Personally, if I trained there I would save it for the weekends and actually get a cheap 120 baht ($4US) dorm room for the night especially if I was drinking. I'm looking forward to seeing the rooms as well as in the indoor MMA are when they finish it. They have no immediate plans to build a swimming pool, which would have been a nice addition. But they do have a lot of land, so I believe they will be adding an outdoor crossfit type area as well.
The Muay Thai area is currently open for training but you'll have to find your own accommodation. They discounted the prices for unlimited training to 5,000 baht a month while the gym is under construction. The good thing about training there now, besides it being a bit cheaper is you'll have more 1 on 1 time with the trainers since there are only a few people there. The day I was there I saw 3 trainers and 4 students. The bad thing would be the lack of sparring partners, lack of onsite accommodation, no MMA area yet, facilities, and social life. Personally I would wait until the budget rooms are finished building to train there. They were scheduled to open in February 2013, but I doubt it'll be complete for at least a few more months after that, even with the speed of building in Thailand.
Keep checking my blog for updates, I'll keep tabs on the progress. Until then, Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket is running in full swing with close to 400 guests training there at the moment, and if you really want to do MMA in Chiang Mai there's always Team Quest until the new Tiger Muay Thai MMA area is complete.
Warm Regards and happy training:
Johnny @ My Fight Camp
Facebook: facebook.com/myfightcamp
Download a free preview chapter of 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap
Unfortunately, there wasn't much information on where the heck the new TMT campus is. All I knew was that it was somewhere in the Mae Rim valley, but supposedly it was way north of the actual town. My friend Erica from Canada was in town visiting me, so after having lunch at the Huai Tung Thao Lake near Chiang Mai, we were already on the road to get to the new Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai. We drove my motorbike up the 107 highway and kept our eyes out for Mae Rim and any signs of the new gym. Within half an hour we got to the town of Mae Rim but I was so convinced that the gym wasn't going to be anywhere near the city that we must have not been looking very hard and flew right past it. Not having a map, GPS or any modern technology, we just kept driving north on the 107. The city disappeared and suddenly an hour later we were in the windy roads of a forest. I was convinced the new gym was here somewhere as it was exactly what I had imagined in my mind, the setting was perfect. To my disappointment, I came across a sign that informed me we were now in Chiang Dao, which was about 30km past where TMT was supposed to be.
Luckily, on the way back we spotted the gym, literally right off the main road in the city. Here's a video tour of the brand new, still under construction Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai.
Watch in 720p HD
So it turns out TMT Chiang Mai isn't quite as far outside of Chiang Mai as we thought. We timed it and it took us exactly 35 minutes on motorbike to get to the city's edge and around 45 minutes to get to a destination in the city center. The gym definitely isn't in the hidden country side I had imagined it to be in, and the main road it's off of is actually quite busy with traffic as you can hear the cars zoom by as I'm filming. But the good news is the land is actually quite big so the rooms and training area are still quite a ways set back. I'm pretty sure TMT wanted this location on the main road so people could see it while driving by, but honestly, it would have been better if they had bought land further back away from the main road, and invested in some big street signs pointing the way instead. They could have gotten even more land, had room and money left over to build a swimming pool and really turned it into a destination gym. I have a feeling it'll still be a very good gym, but only time will tell.
How to get to Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai, Directions:
From the city center of Chiang Mai, drive around the moat until you get to the most northern point and go up the Chang Phueak Gate road past Chang Phueak Hospital. Follow that road until it turns into the 107N Highway which goes towards Mae Sa, Mae Rim, and Fang. You can also take the road towards Tiger Kingdom and then turn onto 107. Keep driving until you see the town of Mae Rim, it'll be quite a busy little city. Tiger Muay Thai is on your left hand side less than 10 minutes after you pass the town of Mae Rim. Look for the orange building. Here is a google map with coordinates of where the gym is.
Watch in 720p HD
I'm sure the new Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai will still be a very popular gym when it opens, and people will now have the option of going into the city more often. Personally, if I trained there I would save it for the weekends and actually get a cheap 120 baht ($4US) dorm room for the night especially if I was drinking. I'm looking forward to seeing the rooms as well as in the indoor MMA are when they finish it. They have no immediate plans to build a swimming pool, which would have been a nice addition. But they do have a lot of land, so I believe they will be adding an outdoor crossfit type area as well.
The Muay Thai area is currently open for training but you'll have to find your own accommodation. They discounted the prices for unlimited training to 5,000 baht a month while the gym is under construction. The good thing about training there now, besides it being a bit cheaper is you'll have more 1 on 1 time with the trainers since there are only a few people there. The day I was there I saw 3 trainers and 4 students. The bad thing would be the lack of sparring partners, lack of onsite accommodation, no MMA area yet, facilities, and social life. Personally I would wait until the budget rooms are finished building to train there. They were scheduled to open in February 2013, but I doubt it'll be complete for at least a few more months after that, even with the speed of building in Thailand.
Keep checking my blog for updates, I'll keep tabs on the progress. Until then, Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket is running in full swing with close to 400 guests training there at the moment, and if you really want to do MMA in Chiang Mai there's always Team Quest until the new Tiger Muay Thai MMA area is complete.
Warm Regards and happy training:
Johnny @ My Fight Camp
Facebook: facebook.com/myfightcamp
Download a free preview chapter of 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Video from my fight: Johnny vs. Jomerawe (Chiang Mai)
It was my fifth fight, and definitely my hardest. It wasn't the most beautiful, yet I felt most prepared. It turns out that being able to run 10k or a sub 8 minute mile has nothing to do with having good cardio in the ring if you don't pace yourself. It also turns out that even if you have beautiful punches and kicks in padwork and on the bags, leather and sand don't hit back. Everything is different in a real fight especially if your opponent is taller and more experienced with 55+ fights verses your lonely 4.
I fought my heart out, and don't have any serious injuries. At the end of the day, that's really all I can ask for. Here's the video, I hope you guys enjoy it. But trust me, you have no idea how exhausting it truly is, and how much even checking those kicks hurt unless it's you in there. I'll give you a hint though, it's similar to blocking a wooden baseball bat with your shin. Enjoy! =)
After my fight, I went out and had my first drink in over 3 months. It was hard not drinking over New Years Eve and especially hanging out with friends on weekends when they open a bottle of Whiskey. But it was worth it. My cardio and overall fitness improved greatly from not drinking, and I was able to come to Thailand and train with the minimal savings I had while I finished writing the book. But this first glass of Whiskey and Soda was like heaven on my lips. A big thank you to the random Australian guy that bought it for me, I didn't know him, but he had bet on my fight and won so he insisted.
That night when I finally got home, my ankle was swollen to the size of a tennis ball. My shins were black and blue and for the first time in my life I have a black eye. Ice and Tiger Balm have been my best friend. To be honest, I went into the fight with too much ego as most fighters do. Part of it is a good thing, if you didn't 100% believe you were going to win, you shouldn't be entering the ring with a trained fighter in the first place. But I learned something extremely valuable. I need to fucking relax and pace myself instead of trying to knock the guy's head off with every swing. After the first round, I was exhausted. I didn't have time to warm up before the fight, which I regretted, but mainly it was just because I punched myself out too quickly. By the end of the second round, I wanted out. This is something that every fighter goes though, but no one ever talks about. But at some point of every fight, someone wants out. They wished they never stepped in the ring, or in my case, I decided that I never want to fight again.
Luckily, by the 3rd round bell, I had properly warmed up and caught my breath. I took control of my adrenaline and decided not to make any life long decisions while in the middle of a fight, but just in case this was going to be my last, I wasn't going to give up. I decided to give it my all and turn up the pressure on the guy. I left my heart in the ring, and changed it up by adding in knees when my punches and kicks weren't enough. I didn't throw nearly enough elbows even though my opponent threw at least ten. I had the stupid idea ingrained that it was somehow disrespectful by some comment I read online somewhere, in retrospect it was most likely written by someone who has never stepped into the ring himself.
At the end of the day, I learned a lot about myself, the sport of Muay Thai and how hard it is to be a fighter. I've decided to ask for another fight a month from now, and hopefully it was just the ring rust of not having a fight for 18 months prior to this. I've learned that even though it's good to be aggressive and keep going forward, and to go for the knockout. But there's a time and place for it, and it's not every second of the fight from the first sound of the bell. I'm planning on fighting more like a Thai next time and taking it a bit easier in the first round focusing more on combos and techniques instead of brute force and power. I'm going to continue to lose weight and train hard. This is the reason why I'm in Thailand, and as crazy as it sounds, even with all of the physical pain and mental anguish fighting brings me, Muay Thai keeps me humble. Fighting keeps me realistic, and training makes me happy.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported My Fight Camp by purchasing a copy of "12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap" I'm happy to announce that a portion of all future sales will go to an Education Non-Profit that I highly believe in, DonorsChoose.org where charitable donations go straight to what teachers need for their students.
Warm Regards,
Johnny @ My Fight Camp.
Add me on facebook: www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp
Download a free chapter: www.myfightcamp.com/12WeeksPreview.pdf
I fought my heart out, and don't have any serious injuries. At the end of the day, that's really all I can ask for. Here's the video, I hope you guys enjoy it. But trust me, you have no idea how exhausting it truly is, and how much even checking those kicks hurt unless it's you in there. I'll give you a hint though, it's similar to blocking a wooden baseball bat with your shin. Enjoy! =)
Make sure you watch it in 720p HD
That night when I finally got home, my ankle was swollen to the size of a tennis ball. My shins were black and blue and for the first time in my life I have a black eye. Ice and Tiger Balm have been my best friend. To be honest, I went into the fight with too much ego as most fighters do. Part of it is a good thing, if you didn't 100% believe you were going to win, you shouldn't be entering the ring with a trained fighter in the first place. But I learned something extremely valuable. I need to fucking relax and pace myself instead of trying to knock the guy's head off with every swing. After the first round, I was exhausted. I didn't have time to warm up before the fight, which I regretted, but mainly it was just because I punched myself out too quickly. By the end of the second round, I wanted out. This is something that every fighter goes though, but no one ever talks about. But at some point of every fight, someone wants out. They wished they never stepped in the ring, or in my case, I decided that I never want to fight again.
Luckily, by the 3rd round bell, I had properly warmed up and caught my breath. I took control of my adrenaline and decided not to make any life long decisions while in the middle of a fight, but just in case this was going to be my last, I wasn't going to give up. I decided to give it my all and turn up the pressure on the guy. I left my heart in the ring, and changed it up by adding in knees when my punches and kicks weren't enough. I didn't throw nearly enough elbows even though my opponent threw at least ten. I had the stupid idea ingrained that it was somehow disrespectful by some comment I read online somewhere, in retrospect it was most likely written by someone who has never stepped into the ring himself.
At the end of the day, I learned a lot about myself, the sport of Muay Thai and how hard it is to be a fighter. I've decided to ask for another fight a month from now, and hopefully it was just the ring rust of not having a fight for 18 months prior to this. I've learned that even though it's good to be aggressive and keep going forward, and to go for the knockout. But there's a time and place for it, and it's not every second of the fight from the first sound of the bell. I'm planning on fighting more like a Thai next time and taking it a bit easier in the first round focusing more on combos and techniques instead of brute force and power. I'm going to continue to lose weight and train hard. This is the reason why I'm in Thailand, and as crazy as it sounds, even with all of the physical pain and mental anguish fighting brings me, Muay Thai keeps me humble. Fighting keeps me realistic, and training makes me happy.
A big thank you to everyone who has supported My Fight Camp by purchasing a copy of "12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap" I'm happy to announce that a portion of all future sales will go to an Education Non-Profit that I highly believe in, DonorsChoose.org where charitable donations go straight to what teachers need for their students.
Warm Regards,
Johnny @ My Fight Camp.
Add me on facebook: www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp
Download a free chapter: www.myfightcamp.com/12WeeksPreview.pdf
Tuesday, November 13, 2012
KC Muay Thai Tour - Video (Chiang Mai, Thailand)
Video tour of KC Muay Thai in Chiang Mai. Check out the gym, pad work, sparring, accommodations and meal plan. KC Muay Thai is a small gym in Chiang Mai with a large wide open floor plan, a vegetable garden, and a restaurant.
Located a 10 minute taxi from the Airport, a 15 minute bike ride from the Central Plaza Aiport Mall and Food Court/Cinema, and a 15 minute walk away from Big C Megamart. Old Town Chiang Mai is a 15 minute drive away.
Unlimited training costs 8,000 baht ($267US) a month or 5,000 baht ($167) a month if you only want to train once a day. Rooms across the street from the gym start at 3,500 baht ($116US) for a Fan Room, or 4,500 baht ($150US) for an A/C room with TV, WiFi including all utilties.
Training sessions are 7am - 9am and 4pm - 6pm Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.
KC Muay Thai's website used to be http://www.KCMuayThai.com but they took it down.
You can check out their facebook page instead at http://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-MuayThai-Gym-Chiang-Mai/124691457596092
Have you been to KC Muay Thai or know any else about it? Leave a comment below to discuss.
Warm Regards,
Johnny @ My Fight Camp
Located a 10 minute taxi from the Airport, a 15 minute bike ride from the Central Plaza Aiport Mall and Food Court/Cinema, and a 15 minute walk away from Big C Megamart. Old Town Chiang Mai is a 15 minute drive away.
Unlimited training costs 8,000 baht ($267US) a month or 5,000 baht ($167) a month if you only want to train once a day. Rooms across the street from the gym start at 3,500 baht ($116US) for a Fan Room, or 4,500 baht ($150US) for an A/C room with TV, WiFi including all utilties.
Training sessions are 7am - 9am and 4pm - 6pm Monday to Saturday. Closed Sunday.
KC Muay Thai's website used to be http://www.KCMuayThai.com but they took it down.
You can check out their facebook page instead at http://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-MuayThai-Gym-Chiang-Mai/124691457596092
Have you been to KC Muay Thai or know any else about it? Leave a comment below to discuss.
Warm Regards,
Johnny @ My Fight Camp
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
New Pornsaneh and Yodkhoopon Sitmonchai Documentary
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.
Thursday, July 21, 2011
My Tough Mudder Circuit Training Workout Video
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
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
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