1st Day Training BJJ at Team Quest Thailand with Professor Bruno Carvalho

I've been heavily focused on Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu these past few months but have been mainly doing open mat at the college as it's 2 minutes from my house. But this week I decided to drive over to Team Quest and check out their Tuesday night Gi BJJ class that is technique focused.

The classes are now lead by Professor Bruno Carvalho who is a 3rd degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt originally from Brazil. Here are my first impressions on the BJJ program at Team Quest Thailand and the training with Bruno.

The Facilities:

The gym is no longer brand new as I remember it but still a great place to roll. Just make sure you bring your own Gi as they don't have a selection of loaners.

Black, White or Blue? Just don't' bring camo.

The Class:

It's hard to say as I've only been to one session so far, but it seemed like a decent mix of regulars and beginners who have been there for just a few weeks or less.

The biggest benefit of training down in Southern California or Phuket would be having a ton of training partners to roll with. Right now Chiang Mai's scene isn't big enough to be consistent, but it's growing and by having a legit Jiu-Jitsu program at Team Quest now it's going to attract more and more students.

Professor Bruno Carvalho Teaching After Class

Professor Bruno Carvalho:

Even before I went to class, I already knew the the new trainer would be good to work with. I knew that he was a legit black belt originally from Brazil, and he's had a lot a ton of BJJ competition experience as well as 25 MMA fights, but that doesn't always means they are a good teacher or patient with new students.

 I happened to skype with my buddy Nicolas Gregoriades, another great black belt and as soon as I mentioned Team Quest, he immediately said that Bruno was super legit and that I would enjoy the class. Here's a highlight reel of Bruno's MMA fights, definitely worth watching. 

What really impressed me about Bruno was how patient he was even with the total beginners and when I was just not getting a technique he was teaching. 

I was also really glad to see that he would roll with students after class during the sparring sessions, and after 5 minutes rolling with him and being completely outclassed, I was reminded how big of a skill difference there is between me rolling with other white, blue and even purple belts at the university open mat club and rolling with a legit black belt. It was a humbling experience and was glad he went gentle on me as either way, his experience and skill showed me how much I still have to learn.

But what impressed me the most and really cemented how legit Bruno really is was after class after he took of his Gi and everyone was ready to go home. Two students, stayed around to practice one of the techniques they had learned in class, and instead of getting on with his day, Bruno was more than happy to jump back onto the mat to help them. 

Overall 1st Thoughts:

If I was coming to Chiang Mai for the first time, or if I lived closer to Team Quest, I'd go there as my default BJJ gym. With their great new black belt, and open mat sessions on weekends, it's definitely worth the membership.

I'd really like to see the BJJ scene grow even more in Chiang Mai as it's my favorite city in Thailand and much more affordable and livable than Phuket. We'll see how fast the scene will grow to a point where there are multiple training partners for all size people and belt levels, but so my experience has been positive enough for me to recommend it, and I'll be going back to Team Quest for their Thursday class tonight.

If you want to check out their schedule, pricing, and find out more info, you can go to Team Quest Thailand's website here.

See you on the mats!

Warm Regards,

Johnny FD

BJJ in Chiang Mai: 3 Month Update on my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Journey

I can't believe that I've been back on the mats for 3 months now after taking a 2 year break from Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. A huge part of getting back on the mats is in thanks to my good friend Chris Lioe who is a purple belt from Orange County, California.

Team Quest has been making a huge push to get more people doing BJJ in Chiang Mai and even started offering two open mat days a week that are completely free even for non-members. I think it's awesome they are letting people use their mats without a fee as well as offering classes taught by a legit black belt. There's also the BJJ Club at Chiang Mai University which has been growing in popularity. Here's my three month update on my personal journey, recovering from an injury and thoughts on the growing sport here in Thailand.

Chiang Mai vs. Phuket for BJJ

I'd love to say Chiang Mai is better for Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu simply because I prefer living here over Phuket, but that would be a untrue. There are so many more gyms and rolling partners down south at Phuket Top Team, Team Quest, and the new AKA Thailand.

If you're looking for the best Jiu-Jitsu program in Thailand, it would still have to be the program at Phuket Top Team with Olavo Abreu, a 4th degree Carlson Gracie Black belt. However, if you're looking to live in Chiang Mai for the overall better quality of life, lower cost of living, and access to the digital nomad community then be happy we have a growing scene here as well and bring your gi!

Phuket is the winner for best BJJ programs
Chiang Mai is the winner for best overall quality of living

Taken at Phuket Top Team a few years ago

Team Quest Thailand

A great facility with a Professor Bruno Carvalho a 3rd degree Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Black Belt leading the classes now. They also have open mat rolling sessions on both Saturday and Sunday which is completely free even for non-members.

At only 250 baht ($7us) per drop in class or 2,000 baht ($57us) per month for unlimited BJJ classes it's a heck of a lot cheaper than training in Phuket which charges an unbelievable 10,000 baht ($285us) a month. If you're wondering why BJJ is 3x the price in Thailand as it is back home, it's because people back home do it as a hobby a few days a week while at a fight camp, you're training 6+ times a week and really getting your money's worth.

Either way, with Team Quest now lowering their unlimited BJJ class prices coming to Chiang Mai combined with it's lower cost of living is a no brainer if you're on a budget.

BJJ Class at Team Quest Thailand in Chiang Mai

My 3 Month BJJ Update

Ever since my buddy Chris moved from California to Chiang Mai and convinced me to buy a gi, I've been super dedicated to rolling again. My grappling cardio went from 0 to a respectable 8 in just a few weeks and because of my background in wrestling, MMA and Muay Thai and the fact that I'm a lot bigger and stronger than most guys, i've been able to hang against some of the blue and purple belts which has inspired confidence.

I mainly train at the Chiang Mai University mats but solely because it's 2 minutes from my apartment in Chiang Mai and I'm currently more interested in open mat than learning new techniques but if I was coming here for an actual fight camp or to up my jiu-jitsu game I would have gotten an apartment by Team Quest and just trained their full time instead.

Instead of going to technique classes or trying to piece together techniques myself, I started following Nic Gregoriades' BJJ Building Blocks program online instead which is a 52-week online course that you can do from anywhere. I originally planned to follow the videos week by week, but then found myself watching 3 or 4 at a time right before class so I could try out the techniques that day. So far i'm only 1/4th of the way into the course but can already highly recommend it.

At Chiang Mai University's BJJ Club

Overcoming the Injury 

My grappling cardio was getting insanely good, my tech was improving every week and I started being able to be a danger even to purple and blue belts that were smaller than me while being able to submit fellow white belts my size.

But then...I got hurt. The stupid thing was, it wasn't even during rolling, but afterwards while stretching. I still believe it's healthy to stretch, but over stretching, especially when the mats are slippery from you dripping with sweat can be dangerous. I was doing a neck stretch I learned when I used to wrestle in high school and slipped forward on my shaved head and heard a loud popping noise in my spinal cord. It was a scary moment, but luckily I was completely fine with the exception of not being able to put any pressure on my neck without it being sore. I'm pretty sure I had tore some of the supporting ligaments or supporting muscle.

I iced it and let it rest a few days before testing it again, but every time I put the slightly pressure on my neck, I could feel it wasn't quite right. As much as I loved my progress in BJJ, I didn't want to risk further injury so I marked a date on my calendar for an entire month and didn't even consider rolling again until then.  In retrospect I should have continued my online training to learn technique, but I was so disappointed in myself for doing something so stupid that I didn't open it once. Luckily, I forced myself to go to the gym, do pull ups, strength and conditioning, hikes and even went to the university once to sprint on their track.

Pool side in Chiang Mai on the weekend with Chris

Back in Action

As of this week I'm back in action and back on the mats. So far after two days of rolling, my cardio is still suffering but I'm back on track and my grip strength feels like it is completely unused to what I'm trying to do, but it's an incredible feeling to back.

If you're still thinking about whether or not you should come to Chiang Mai to do jiu-jitsu, I'd say go for it and bring your gi. The Muay Thai scene up here has always been fantastic with Team Quest, KC Muay Thai and Santai all being great gyms but now BJJ is also growing. If you do plan on coming to Thailand to train, make sure you read my book 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap as it'll save you a ton of money and give you an idea on how to navigate life out here when you arrive. 

By the way, big thanks to Chris Lioe for helping lead the BJJ revolution here in Chiang Mai and for being a great rolling partner. Happy birthday buddy!

Hope to see you all out in Chiang Mai and on the mats.


Warm Regards,

Johnny FD

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Buying a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Gi in Chiang Mai, Thailand

It's been a few weeks since I started training Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu here in Chiang Mai again and have really need enjoying it. Even though I've always prefered no-gi while traveling as it was easier, the guys that train over at Chiang Mai University almost all train in Gi's so I figured it was worth the investment.  The problem is, where would you get one?

Basically there are 3 options in Chiang Mai, I'll go over the pros and cons of each in this post.

In Store:

Look for it in stores. Unfortunately, even at the biggest sport stores in Chiang Mai, they only have Judo Gis which might be tempting as they are a lot cheaper and are still strong enough for BJJ, but don't get it. The reason why Judo Gi's aren't good for BJJ is because of their cut and collars.

By having huge easy to grab sleeves and easy to grab collars, you'll make it too easy for your opponent to control you, as well as make it dangerous for your partner to get their fingers or toes caught in your gi.

Online:

On Amazon most companies don't ship to Thailand, but if you look around enough, you'll find some that do such a Fuji. If you are willing to wait 2 weeks, and pay for the shipping + customs charges, you can get a Gi starting at $150.

Saturday Gi Class at Chiang Mai University

Team Quest:

Where I ended up buying my Gi is Team Quest Thailand near the airport.  They only had a few sizes left when I went, so I'd call them ahead of time to make sure they have yours but I was lucky that they had an A3 which is my size since I'm 5'10.5" and around 210-215lbs.

The price was 3,200 baht which is $100US and very reasonable for a high quality Gi that reminded my purple belt friend of an unbranded Shoyoroll. I've been washing it in cold water and air drying it on my balcony and it has only shrunk by a tiny bit but fits me perfectly.

The Shop at Team Quest Thailand

I'm getting ready to head to another session today, but if you're in Chiang Mai or planning on coming, definitely get yourself a Gi so you can come roll. I'd bring your Gi with you as I talked about in my previous post as it's a lot easier to get one back home but either way see you on the mats at Team Quest or at CMU.

Edit:
Someone mentioned that the Muay Thai and MMA gear shop in the Night Bazaar also sells Gi's and has name brands such sas Grips. Unfortunately their website doesn't work but it might be worth checking out.

Cheers.

Also see: BJJ is Back in Chiang Mai
My other blog: JohnnyFD.com

Johnny

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BJJ is BACK in Chiang Mai: Bring Your Gi to Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu!

It's been awhile since I've been actively training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu here in Chiang Mai, but guess what, I'm back! For the longest time, if you wanted to do BJJ in Thailand, you'd have to go to Bangkok or Phuket, but recently Chiang Mai has been developing the reputation of having a growing jiu-jitsu scene and I have a feeling it's just going to get bigger and bigger.

Two years ago, when a friend asked me if they should bring their Gi with them to Chiang Mai, I told them not to bother.  Even Black Belt legends like Nicolas Gregoriades would leave their kimonos at home when coming to Chiang Mai, but last week my buddy Chris who is a purple belt based in S. California asked if he should bring his Gi with him from the states, and the answer is finally YES.

That's me and my buddy Chris on the right!

Who's Here?

There are some legit blue and purple belts and even a couple black belts in Chiang Mai now. My buddy Chris Lioe who has been a purple belt for 2 years has recently moved to CM and will be training regularly.

Bruno Carvalho is the resident Black Belt at Team Quest here in Chiang Mai.

Roger Gracie's First Black Belt, Nicolas Gregoriades comes back and forth and spends a decent amount of time living and training in Chiang Mai.

BK Kesler is a Brown Belt based out of Gym Bangarang a bit outside the city but trains regularly at Team Quest.

Also there are a bunch of regulars and visitors who come through Chiang Mai on a regular basis, adding to the mix.  Who's here changes quite often, but there seems to always be a few really good guys to roll with now that BJJ is back in Chiang Mai.

Where to Roll?

There are two main places to train BJJ in Chiang Mai. The first is the only official and structured place to do it which is Team Quest Thailand located near the Airport Plaza in Chiang Mai.

Prices start at 4,000 baht ($133US) per month for unlimited MMA/BJJ classes and open mat sessions. They also sell basic Gi's at TQ but I would bring your own from home if you have one.  They have three Gi classes a week as well as a few No-Gi classes that's more geared towards MMA.  

CMU BJJ Club: 

There is also a BJJ Club at the local university. At last night's open mat session there were two purple belts on the matt with the rest of us white belts and beginners making it interesting and fun to both watch and learn. The training here is on the same mats at the University's Judo club and is pretty much free to attend.

However it's non-structured and geared more towards local college students and beginners.  Since it isn't an official class, think of it more as bonus mat time if you're in town.

Last night's open matt at CM University

If you're a fan of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu I can finally say that you should bring your Gi with your to Chiang Mai. Sure it's a bit hot here, but at least your Gi will air dry quickly after training sessions. =)

If you're looking for structure and training, I would 100% signup for a month at Team Quest and check them out. But if you're just looking for some mat time it's good to know that the BJJ Club at CMU is an option.

2016 Update: 

A new gym just opened a few months ago here in Chiang Mai and it's quickly replaced CMU as the go to place to roll. They have free open mat every Saturday and Sunday and great classes during the week in a brand new facility.

Check out the new Chiang Mai Fight Fit for the newest brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Thailand. They have a ton of rental gi's, a consistent amount of rolling partners and is overall a great BJJ club. They also offer Muay Thai and MMA classes but I only go for the Jiu-Jitsu. 

Here's their current schedule: 

Personally I've been training at Chiang Mai Fight Fit but mainly because it's close to my apartment in Nimmanheim. If I lived closer to the airport, old city or Hangdong I'd also train at Team Quest as they have a world class black belt there. 

Wherever you end up training, hope to see you guys on the mat!

Johnny

Author of 12 Weeks in Thailand: A Must Read if you're coming to Thailand to train!

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

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

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Sparring at Team Quest Thailand

My good buddy Nicolas Gregoriades is in town for a month doing some work and hanging out in Chiang Mai.  For those who don't know Nic is Roger Gracie's first black belt and is the founder the The Jiu-Jitsu Brotherhood.  He wanted a place to roll and Team Quest Thailand was the first and only name to come up.

Chiang Mai has plenty of Muay Thai gyms, but only one MMA gym.  Thankfully, it's also a good one.  With high quality indoor grappling mats, someone who cleans it daily and the newly installed industrial power fan, it's a great place to roll.

The crew after a great sparring session.

I've been to a few group MMA classes at Team Quest and they have great coaches as well as pro fighters to train with at every session which is a nice bit of motivation and challenge.  You can check out their MMA Class schedule at: tqmmathailand.com/tq-training-schedule/

In the sparring session we had Dylan Fussell who is the head MMA coach right now as well as Glen Sparv which is a rising MMA fighter originally from Finland.

For us it was just a free formed sparring session which sometimes I actually prefer.  Nic was gracious enough to show a couple of techniques but since he's on vacation and not here to teach, it was mainly a place to get some mat time in.  A big thanks to Team Quest for letting us use the facilities.  

If you're looking for a place to do Braziliian Jiu-Jitsu with a Gi, sorry but Chiang Mai doesn't have a place to do that yet.  But the guys at Team Quest are really open to new thing so if you're coming anyways, bring a Gi or two and I'm sure if even a few people were interested they would open up the mats to students to roll in Gi as well.

You can find out more info about Team Quest Chiang Mai on their website or email the guys there.

Warm Regards,

Johnny FD

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Things to do in Thailand: Chiang Mai's Art in Paradise 3D Musuem

Raining outside?  Sore from a weeks worth of training?  Want something fun and different to do?  Check out the new Art in Paradise 3D Museum in Chiang Mai.

For information and directions: www.ChiangMaiArtinParadise.com but it's pretty easy to find one you see it on a map.  We went on a random Tuesday afternoon so the place was pretty empty, which made it nice to be able to take our time messing around to think up funny poses and angles.

I would recommend you spend at least 2-3 hours there if you want to see everything.  I have a feeling i'll be back there whenever I have friends in town to visit.  It's only around $10US for the day, and it's by far the most fun I've had in a museum.

Enjoy and have fun, Johnny FD www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp

Review: First week training Muay Thai at Team Quest Chiang Mai, Thailand

After spending the summer back in the U.S. I was anxious to get back to my new favorite place in the world, Chiang Mai Thailand.  The reason why I love Chiang Mai so much is not only is it one of the cheapest places in the Thailand to live, it also offers the most variety and comforts of home.

Usually I get home sick or start missing the western comforts of home whenever I travel for more than 3 months at a time but not in Chiang Mai.  Here you can stay in modern apartments, eat southern style BBQ ribs, salad bars, and even prime rib.  Plus they have Rimping Supermarket which is the Thai equivalent of Whole Foods so if you're ever in the mood for your local beer from Oregon they have it.  

Why I'm Training at Team Quest:

MMA and Location sum it up.  There are other good Muay Thai only gyms in Chiang Mai such as KC Muay Thai and Santai but both are a bit out of town and hard to get around without a motorbike and are traditional Muay Thai only gyms.  You can search my blog for reviews on both.  

I was excited when I first heard about Team Quest opening up in Chiang Mai, to me they are like the equivalent to Phuket Top Team in the north.  Ever since Tiger Muay Thai Chiang Mai got ripped off and closed doors it has also become the saving grace to Chiang Mai for anyone who wants to train MMA and Muay Thai but doesn't want to live in Phuket.  

Map of Chiang Mai and Team Quest Thailand

Location: 

Team Quest Thailand in Chiang Mai is located in a quiet neighborhood halfway between the airport and the old city.  TQ is a short walk to the main mall of Chiang Mai, which contains three food courts, tons of restaurants, shopping, and a world class movie theater.  

Team Quest Thailand is in the perfect location.  It is a 5 minute drive from the airport, a 5 minute drive to the old city which is the main part of town and walking distance to the mall which has everything you might need.  It's also the closest decent muay thai gym to the Nimmanhemin area which is where all of the university students and entrepreneurs hang out, think East Village New York.  

Schedule:  

This trip I'm not training for any fights specifically so I'll only be training in the afternoons a few days of the week.  I'm starting with Muay Thai and plan on doing some Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as well.  This week i've done two Muay Thai classes and am planning on attending the saturday Jiu-Jitsu class this afternoon at 2:30.  

Click to enlarge - Note Jiu-Jitsu starts at 6pm

Training so far:

I've only done the Muay Thai classes this trip so far so check back next week for a review Team Quest's MMA and Jiu-Jitsu program.  As far as facilities and equipment go, Team Quest Chiang Mai is sponsored by Fairtex so all of the gear, pads, rings and heavy bags are top notch.

The MMA gear, mats and everything still look brand new from what I saw, but the Muay Thai equipment is starting to fade from being out in the sun.  However, after use I was happy to see that the equipment all in good working condition.  There are no sags or hard spots in the bags, the mats are good, and the ring is good as well.  

Typical Muay Thai Training Schedule:

During both Muay Thai classes we started off with skipping rope and running.  I like the area in front of TQ for running as it is long enough that you can shuttle back and forth and not even leave the camp grounds.  The jump ropes were nice and heavy, however most were too short and I had to search around for one that was long enough.  A bit of stretching, one 5 minute round of shadow boxing which I prefer over 3 short rounds, and then straight into technique.

The technique portions have been great so far.  They have been straight to the point and functional.  I hated long explanations of techniques that some gyms especially ones in the U.S. would give, making your muscles get cold by the time you practie them.  But at TQ they were straight to the point, useful and not too long.  

Then it was my favorite part, which is bagwork and padwork.  

Muay Thai Class at Team Quest Thailand

The Muay Thai Trainers:

I had Kru Nut hold pads for me both times, for those who don't know he is a the biggest Thai trainer possibly in the world at 6'2" and 265lbs.  I didn't realize how beneficial it was to have a guy my size, bigger than me actually hold pads for me.  On top of that he is actually really technical and skilled as well.  Big props to TQ for finding him and brining him on board.

I haven't had a chance to work with the other trainers yet but most of them seemed legit as well.  There are generally 3 rounds of padwork but on slow days when there aren't many students, they give you more rounds which is a nice thing.

Muay Thai Sparring:

My second favorite part after padwork is sparring and I was happy to see that we sparred both days I was there.  We did 4 rounds of Muay Thai sparring changing partners each round which was perfect. There were some good training partners there as well.  I even got to spar Kru Nut for a round which was a good experience. It was also nice that they have extra shin guards there for guys like me who didn't bring any.  I also had to borrow a pair of 16oz gloves as I only brought my 12oz gloves with me. 

My thoughts so far:

Pros: 

• Great location
• MMA Program 
• Good trainers 
• Good equipment (fairtex baby!)
• Great scheduling (both the class times and the actual classes themselves)
• Nice class size (both classes so far had 8 students and 4 instructors)
• Free water during training (Although I would rather have them charge an extra 200 baht ($7US) per month and have a sign that says drink as much as you want and fill up your bottle too, than have it be free and have a sign that says please only drink out of cups during training times only.

Cons:

• Shared hand wraps - As with most Muay Thai gyms people hang their hand wraps after class to dry and students just grab which ever pair they choose.  Some people don't mind but I personally think it's a bit nasty to use someone else's smelly handwraps and really don't like the idea of other people using mine.  I would prefer if TQ made everyone buy their own pair, since they are cheap anyways, write their names with a marker and be responsible for using their own and washing their own.  
• Mouth Guards - It would also be a good idea to force everyone to buy a mouth guard before sparring, even a cheap boil in hot water one.
• Not enough onsite rooms - One of the reasons why so many people go down to Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket is because they like the idea of living, eating and sleeping at the gym.  At least that was the case with me when I did my first fight camp.  One easy solution for TQ would be for them to book out an entire floor of a closeby apartment and use that as base for everyone to stay at.  That way there will be a good sense of community at the gym.  
• Impossible Plank/Pushup Burnouts - I like the idea of a burnout plank/pushup at the end of workouts as it tests both mental and physical toughness.  But since the Thai trainers aren't doing it along with you, it is easy for them to have you do it for an impossible amount of time without going into bad form or cheating.  I timed it at 2:33 with a total of 20 pushups without resting, which I would bet is impossible for even the really fit fighters while maintaining good form.  I would like either the trainers to do it along with us so they know what it feels like, or at least try it once themselves, time it and use that time as a goal.  That way people can keep good form and have a test that they can actually pass instead of hurting themselves or cheating.  

Give it a try:

Set your phone time for 2 minutes and 33 seconds, no with good form hold a plank and every 10 seconds or so doing one pushup, but don't touch the ground or rest.  Keep holding the plank and doing pushups, how many can you get up to?

Hold that for 2 minutes and a half and do 20 pushups without resting.

Final Thoughts:

So far so good.  Team Quest Thailand is the perfect mix of great location, good training, and both MMA and Muay Thai.  Check back next week for a review on the MMA program at Team Quest Chiang Mai.

Warm Regards,

Johnny FD

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www.12weeksinThailand.com - The must read book before coming to Thailand.

Check out my new Apartment for ideas on where to live while training in Chiang Mai, Thailand

I just arrived a few days ago and am getting ready for my first training session today at Team Quest Thailand in Chiang Mai.  Normally I try to live as cheaply as possible and live as close to possible to the gym.  But this trip, I've decided to mix it up a bit.

First off I'm going to be training both BJJ and Muay Thai.  I'm also not specifically training for any fights, but instead, just training to get in shape and out of passion.  I really missed training full time and love both Muay Thai and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  I've also decided to live closer to the city and to the trendy Nimmanheim area which is the Chiang Mai equivalent to the east village in New York.  I've been focusing these past six months in building my online business so I wanted to be close to my co-working office space, PunSpace.  Luckily, business has been doing well and I'm able to afford to step up my living game and stay somewhere a bit nicer this time around.

Here is a video tour of my new apartment, which is actually just a hotel that I booked for a month:

If you're looking for a cheaper place to stay around Team Quest, I would contact them and see if they can book a room for you.  There are a bunch of places within walking distance of the gym.  The great thing about Team Quest's location is that they are directly across the street from Airport Plaza which is the main shopping mall of Chiang Mai, complete with an awesome food court.

You are also only a 5 minute scooter ride away from the old city.  Basic Thai style rooms can be found for $150US per month and you can live in nicer, "Serviced Apartments" for much less than you would be able to back home.

Stay tuned for some training updates. It's great to be back in Chiang Mai and in Thailand.  The weather is perfect, the food is amazingly good, cheap and life is fantastic.  

See you soon,

Johnny FD

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