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!

7 Muay Thai Gym & Beach Resort - Guest Review

Hey guys, I'm happy to share a guest review of the new 7 Muay Thai Gym in Rayong, which is only a two and a half hour drive outside of Bangkok. It's near Pattaya which is a bit of a wild area, but since it's in the next city over,  you should be able to have both the convenience of being near Bangkok without the craziness of neighboring Pattaya.

This review is from Gery Bavetta a Muay Thai fighter from Italy:

My name is Gery Bavetta, and I am a Muay Thai professional fighter and this year for the first time I have been at the new camp ‘7 Muay Thai’ just a few month after they opened.

My two month at the camp were very positive, because I felt at home and also because everything is organized seriously.

Location:

Even if the area is very quiet, a few steps from the camp there is a small supermarket open 24h, other than that after 9 PM the area doesn’t offer much, this is a flaw for who loves night life, but for me that I love Muay Thai, is an advantage. Being only 1 hour taxi ride from Pattaya, it can be decided to go there for some leisure.

Food and Services:

The camp has in program to offer Italian food and a massage service (already available on request) and I heard about a Yoga center and other things that I don’t know if they will do but I think they should.

The gym has a few strong professional Thai fighters but they should be more present and train every day to help fighters like me grow in level.

Near the gym there is a very good and cheap Thai restaurant which offers the camp’s guests a very convenient package.

At walking distance there’s a most often deserted beach, but since I had to train hard, I rarely went to the beach because after 2-3 hours of training even a 10 minute walk is scary.

Video of 7 Muay Thai Gym:

The camp has just opened and a part of it is still being built, but it is working under all aspects and day by day I saw small changes, this is positive because it means they are always trying to improve.

Other Gyms:

I think this kind of camp is a benchmark for Farangs, because unlike other gyms I have trained at (Sitsongpeenong, Luk Barn Yai,ecc) at 7 Muay Thai, other than training, Muay Thai theory and ring strategy is discussed, as well as scoring system and many other small things about fighting in Thailand that normally Thais don’t waste time saying as they are only interested in the Farang’s money.

I’m sure this gym will improve its flaws because I know there are serious people inside who work day and night and put their souls in it. Also, being the camp associated to the Muay Farang agency, who trains at 7 Muay Thai and wants to fight, has always the best fighting chances, so I think 1 or 2 years from now it will be a reference and important camp.

You can check out the gym at: 7muaythai.com

Gery Bavetta's Pro Muay Thai Fight

From Johnny:

I haven't personally been to 7 Muay Thai Gym as I'm based in Chiang Mai now and haven't been training much since last year, but it sounds like a great new gym to check out especially if you want to be near Bangkok/Pattaya but still far enough out of the cities to focus on your training.

If you're coming to Thailand to train Muay Thai, make sure you read my book 12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap before you do. It'll save you a ton of money and give you a good idea of what life is like doing a fight camp.

Find the book at 12WeeksinThailand.com 

Warm Regards,

Johnny

Help Build a Muay Thai Gym in Issan: Fight the Poverty!

I first heard of the poor rural province of Issan when I was living in Phuket and jokingly asked, "Why are all the trainers from Issan?" It turns out that growing up in the poverty, the main ways to escape are through Muay Thai or unsavory occupations.

When I heard that we could all chip in and help support this community, I knew I had to get involved. I interviewed Muay Thai fighter and advocate of the new gym Frances Wattanaya and asked why she decided to help build this new gym, what it's so important for kids to compete in Muay Thai and how it can literally save their lives.

I asked Frances more about Issan, here's what she said:
Our village is located in Nakhonratchisma Province in Northeast Thailand.  The area, more commonly referred to as Isaan, is by far the most under developed area of Thailand.  It is plagued by poverty, and low quality education.

With this systematic suppression endorsed by the Thai Government, it is hard for even the brightest of individuals to break free from this kind of isolation.

Aside from farming there are occasional labours job in the village.  If you are from a good family you have chance to get a government job at one of the schools or hospitals near by.  These jobs are difficult to get; in addition to having access to post-secondary education, you must have someone in your family who is already working within the government sign for you.  Nepotism is a big problem in Thailand, only further isolating the lower classes.

There is nothing to do here.  The schools are poorly funded and offer just the bare minimum in education and extracurricular activities.  For many years locals in the Muay Thai community talked about building a gym here, but it is just never happened because of the lack of investment.

A simple carpet is the only ring they know 

It may seem crazy and almost immoral for young kids to be learning to fight, and even competing, but in Thailand, it's part of their culture, heritage and is their national sport. It's akin to Brazilians learning to play soccer and having football be their escape from poverty. 

Frances: Our focus remains the kids and local youth.  They are the most marginalized and need it the most.  What we are hoping with this gym is that we can create a balance between developing fighters, and offering after school actives for kids.  The community has really come together to show their support.  Everyday people stop by to watch, help clean up, or bring food.  It gives the adults something else to do, something that is fun and exciting.  Others come to use the exercise equipment, like the free weights or the sit-up benches.  Overall, the gym enlists a sense of pride amounts the villagers whether they are directly involved in it or not.  

What the reality of poverty is for these kids now?

Farmers in the area don't register their incomes; instead wealth is measured how many bags of rice are harvested.  The farmers here rely solely on the rain fall for their crops, making it a very precarious career. Rice farming is incredibly arduous, but for today's current generation, also very expensive.  Rice prices are kept low while farming costs are inflated.  Furthermore, there aren't other options in the village so, many people leave to work menial labour jobs in Bangkok.  In turn, kids are left behind with their grandparents who are only able to offer minimal care due to their own poor health from the back breaking labour they have endured for generations.  

Families in Isaan have now become dependant on relatives sending money home, putting a lot of pressure on those in the capital.  Minimum wage in Thailand is approximately $10 per day with no benefits.  

*That's around $1US an hour, sometimes people get paid even less. 

The escape begins with having a place to go and something to do.

The good news is there is hope, and for the cost of us skipping one night of drinks, you can help build a real Muay Thai gym where kids need it the most, and make a difference. I donated, and you can too. Here's how you can help.

How will my contribution can help and what it will go towards?

Frances: The reason we started the gofundme campaign is that Boom and I are not set up financially to build a gym.  We need to have the full cost of construction up front to get started.  Our goal with the campaign is to raise enough money to put a roof over these kids' heads and provide them with a ring needed for training.  However, your contribution is doing so much more: it is providing them with a safe space to participate in a structured activity, it is giving them a chance to get away from poverty, and a method in which they can improve the livelihoods of their families.  Whether the kids make it to the big time or not is irrelevant, we are giving them the chance to dream!

Without running shoes, kids in Issan run in $1 sandals

I was really interested in France's story and asked her to share a bit of her story with us:
Frances: I started training Muay Thai out of Pride Gym in Trail, B.C when I was 14 years old.  My trainer Glen Kalesniko encouraged me to go to Thailand and when I was 17 I was given a scholarship by Arjan Suchart to train Muay Thai at his gym in Northern Thailand.  After working construction for a little over a year I booked a ticket to go in 2006.  I was taken to a Muay Thai street gym in Bangkok, affiliated with Sor. Thanikul, and fell in love with the gym and the community there.  

Needless to say, didn't make it to Northern Thailand. From there I fought in Bangkok for a year before moving to Isaan with my husband Boom, whom I met at the gym.  I fought all over Isaan, farmed rice with the family, and lived in the village before realizing there was nothing there for us.  My husband came back to Canada with me so could attend university.  During that time I had my daughter, and now the we are back living in Isaan.  Being able to live both in Thailand and Canada really made Boom and I aware that we in a position of privilege; we can help these kids and that is why we are doing it!

Boom and I would like to thank everyone for the outpouring of support we have received and are continuing to receive.  Every donation, regardless of the amount, is making a difference.  We promise to develop this gym with the kids best interests at heart, and to take care of them as if they were our own.

Support the campaign: http://www.gofundme.com/worwatthana

Also check out their Photo Auction on eBay to Raise Money for the Gym.

Thanks for the support and please share this post with your friends!

Titan Fitness Phuket Review

Hey guys, my name is Josh and I'm doing a guest blog piece for Johnny on Titan Fitness in Phuket. This is my first time ever doing something like this so please humor me.

Background:

Johnny and I met and became friends at Tiger Muay thai in Phuket about 4 years ago. Back in those days the now famous Soi Tiger(Tiger street) was much more basic. There was basically two muay thai camps (Tiger and Dragon muay thai) a few accommodations and a few restaurants. Fast forward 4 years later and the place has changed drastically. It has developed so much in the past few years. There are more and more muay thai camps and fitness camps being added there it seems every year. That street is truly becoming the fitness mecca of the world, which is why you should go there if you want to get fit,eat healthy, train muay thai, mma etc.

Josh at TMT a few years back

Review of Titan Fitness.

I trained there for 2 months from the end of March till the end of May and it was an awesome experience. If you have ever been to a cross fit gym you will feel right at home here. While they do not explicitly run crossfit classes they have an olympic lifting class, strength and conditioning, cross training, and a body 360 class.

They also have a military assault course which looks awesome. Here is a picture i took of the main training area. As you can see you can do all your barbell lifts there. They also have two dip stations, battle ropes, gymnastic rings, and not pictured is a full set of ketllebells. So there is more than enough here for your fitness/strength needs. For me personally i did the body 360 classes in the mornings, and open mat session in the afternoon doing a strength training program i have been following for a while concentrating on the 4 major lifts (squat,deadlift,bench,and overhead press).

The body 360 was a very intense 1 hour fat burning workout doing all sorts of calisthenics and plyometrics( lots of box jumps),sprints, kettle bells  etc. The trainers Kim, John, and Evelina are extremely knowledgeable professional trainers who really motivate and care about their students. Their classes really helped me to jump start my fitness and metabolism helping me shed a bunch of fat.

 The next picture is of the their assault course, while i didn't try it, it does look awesome and would love to try it the next time.They run classes for this course so you wouldn't just go run it alone.

The last picture is of their sprint tire flip area where they do strength and conditioning workouts etc.They have since added meter markers on the strip.

So this concludes my review. I highly recommend this gym and the trainers there. The equipment is top notch I was able to make solid fitness and strength  gains in the 2 months i trained there.In 2 months i went from 107 kgs to 100, or in pounds from 235 down to 220. Probably the biggest thing i really loved about this gym was the outdoor training surrounded by beautiful nature. 

You can't really see well from the pics but there's a lush green mountain in the distance and at the top is the big buddha. Here is a link to their facebook page https://www.facebook.com/titanfitnessthailand/timeline  where you can see more information about the price and schedule. 

Titan Fitness Thailand 

22/45 Soi Ta-ied, Chalong, 

Amphoe Muang Phuket, 

Phuket, Thailand

Phone number 

+66 76 540 933

- Josh

From Johnny:

A big thanks to Josh for taking the time to write up a review of Titan Fitness.  I know a lot of people have been asking about it and it looks like a legit gym.  I'm up in Chiang Mai and haven't had time to head down there yet but it looks great, especially with the outdoor areas and CrossFit style open workouts.  

If you guys are planning on coming out to Thailand to train Muay Thai or MMA make sure you read the book 12 Weeks in Thailand first.  Trust me, it'll save you a ton of time and money.

Warm Regards,

Johnny

www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp 

Alistar Overeem at Superpro Koh Samui

A lot of people including myself thought maybe going to Thailand to train for his upcoming UFC fight wasn't the best idea.  Coming off of a two straight loss, the UFC would have been forced to cut Alistar if he lost to Frank Mir.  Personally I thought Overeem is a fantastic fighter and he just got cocky and got caught.  Even his losses were great entertaining fights.

UFC Fight Camps in Thailand have never been the best idea.  The 18 hour time zone difference alone makes it extremely hard to get used to before a fight, just ask Ray Elbe when he auditioned for The Ultimate Fighter.  Or guys like Roger Huerta that came to Thailand and ended up relaxing more than training.

Alistar Overeem in Koh Samui Thailand

However, Overeem was the exception. He showed up in shape, fully rested, injury free and ready to fight.  His cardio was excellent and he fought smart against Frank Mir.  It was clear that Overeem could have tried to finish Mir but he was smart enough to know his career was on the line and taking a clear decision victory was a better choice than rushing in.

Video of Alistair Overeem in Koh Samui.  

So why was Overeem's Thai fight camp so good?

There are times to train hard, and times to train smart.  Maybe what Overeem needed more than anything was to get away from the stress, the media and to center himself and relax.  Either way, it's clear that whatever he did over at Superpro Samui worked.

Training Muay Thai and MMA at Superpro Samui

While there are plenty of Muay Thai gyms in Thailand, along with Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket Top Team and Team Quest, Superpro Samui is one of the few MMA gyms. Located on the island of Koh Samui, Superpro is on the east side of the country.  The weather there is perfect all year round except for the monsoon season during November which is to be avoided. Read the book "12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap" for more tips on planning your fight camp in Thailand. 

An island over is Koh Phangan where the legendary Full Moon Party is held every month, and next to that is Koh Tao, the cheapest place to learn to Scuba Dive.

Koh Samui however, is known for being the luxury touristy island.  Expect to pay a lot more for everything including taxi, food, accommodation and even your flight into Samui's private airport. However if you can afford it and don't mind the upper crust crowd Samui is a nice island with a good mix of lifestyle and beaches. 

Superpro Samui

Costs of Training:

I don't like that Superpro Samui doesn't list their prices on their website.  But you can email them to find out how much it costs to train.  Basically if you're there for less than 2 weeks the price will be a lot, but you can rent out a cheap fan room and pay for a discounted monthly rate if you're staying for a while.  Their website is: Superprosamui.com/

Even though Koh Samui can be extremely expensive compared to the rest of Thailand, if you look around enough you can still eat and sleep like a local and manage to live and train for under $1,000US a month.  But don't expect it to be easy.

2018 Update: From the new webmaster of Superpro: "I liked the review you did back in 2014 of the camp. A Lot has changed since then like we now provide pricing on the page for example. 

We also do MMA, Yoga and Crossfit now.

Love your work on the site there - I've been following your endeavours for a while now."

The author with Overeem at the K1 tryouts.

As for Alistar Overeem, I'm excited to have seen him get back on his win streak and look forward to his next fight in the UFC!  

Warm Regards,

Johnny FD
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp -  Keep in touch
www.12WeeksinThailand.com - Read the book if you're thinking about coming to Thailand.

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

www.facebook.com/myfightcamp - Keep in touch

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

Doing BJJ and Muay Thai Back to Back - Sky Rocket Cardio.

As some of you long time readers may know, I took a few months off of anything Muay Thai, Jiu-Jitsu and MMA related after my last fight.  I had a few injuries, and took some damage to my shins.  I didn't want to completely stop working out, as it would take months to get back into shape, so instead, I started doing CrossFit, mainly for Rehab and to keep in shape.

Five months without kicking, punching or rolling later, I stepped back into the gym yesterday.  The results were incredible.  Something really amazing happened, as well as something negative that I didn't factor in and wish I knew about it earlier.

I decided to go to the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu class with a friend who is a purple belt.  We got there a bit late and didn't warm up and got straight into rolling.  I was wearing a Gi, and he was just in a rash guard and MMA shorts.  Surprisingly, I was able to hang.  I've rolled with him in the past and he would always end up catching me and having me tap.  But this time, he exhausted after the 5 minute round and we decided on a stalemate.  Immediately after, I rolled with another guy, a Judo brown belt who has been doing No-Gi BJJ for a short while.  

To my surprise, I had all of the cardio fuel in the world.  I was able to spin around, take his back, spin back around the other direction and go for another position in rapid fire.  I haven't been able to do that since I used to wrestle in high school.  I realized then and there that one big factor that has held me back in my jiu-jitsu process has been my cardio, and wanting to rest instead of attacking.

After the Jiu-Jitsu class, I decided to stick around for the Muay Thai class since I wasn't tired at all yet.  It started the same as any other Muay Thai class with a bit of stretching, warm up, then technique and ended up with some light sparring.

My technique was a bit rusty and my timing was off from having taken so much time off. But to my surprise, I was even more powerful than before.  My punches and kicks were straighter and I was able to do three and four punch/kick combinations in rapid fire over and over.  Having better cardio, stamina and endurance has helped me tremendously with being able to do the moves I wanted to do in my head, but have always held back on in order to save energy.  

I was on top of the world and wanted to come back for the night session as well to spar more.  I've never been able to do Jiu-Jitsu back to back with Muay Thai without being exhausted half way through and this time, even after months of not training, I felt great....until I got home.  Then it hit me, I had used so many small muscles that I normally don't train, even though I have been doing a lot of body weight exercises such as burpees, pushups and pushups, nothing is a substitute for doing Muay Thai and Jiu-Jitsu.  For the next three hours, I laid in bed, barely able to move, I almost had to skip dinner my body was so sore.   Luckily, this morning after a good night sleep, I'm functional, but now I remember very clearly what my first few days training at Tiger Muay Thai was like when I was just starting out.  

Getting choked out by Royce Gracie at Tiger Muay Thai, Phuket 2010

Lessons Learned:

CrossFit is AMAZING for cardio and functional strength for Muay Thai, MMA and Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, especially for rehab purposes.  

Eating Paleo / Bulletproof diet has given me a ton more energy, lowered my body's inflammation which allows me to recover faster the next day, and has shed off 20lbs of body fat, making me faster, lighter and more efficient. 

There is no substitute for training the unique muscles only used in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  You have to grapple and roll regularly to build up those muscles.  No amount of functional or body weight exercise with target them.

Muay Thai six days a week is terrible for building strength, muscle, or long term fitness.  But it is amazing for developing toughness, discipline, timing, technique and skill.  

At one of my fights in Chiang Mai

My ideal plan for my specific goals would be as followed:  

Yours may be different based on what your goals are.  But mine is to get in the best shape of my life, for the long run, be healthy, have energy, and develop my skills for both Muay Thai and MMA.  

Diet - Eat 100% Paleo and follow the high fat Bulletproof Diet with sweet potatoes a few times a week.  

Muay Thai - 3 sessions per week for technique, timing and sparring.

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu or MMA - 2 -3 times a week for technique, rolling experience and to develop the small muscles only used in rolling.

CrossFit - 1 - 2 times a week for strength, cardio conditioning, the social aspect, and being able to push yourself to 110% without having to pace yourself.  I would also do CrossFit in the weeks after fights when my shins are bruised and you are burnt out from over training. 

Rest and Recovery - I would rest 2 days per week with nothing but walking.  I would also sleep 8 hours a night, eat buffets 1-2 times a week to re-feed.  Take a tablespoon of pink Himalayan sea salt per day to rehydrate and combat adrenal fatigue.  

I hope some of this info helped you guys out there planning to train intensely for a 3 month fight camp or just to get in fight shape.  Keep in touch on facebook with me and let me know how your progress goes.

Warm Regards,

Johnny FD

Author of the Ultimate Guide Book to Thailand, Muay Thai and Travel on the Cheap.

Muay Thai Training Camps in Holland: The Netherlands

I recently toyed around with the idea of going to Holland to live for a 12 weeks and train Muay Thai.  They practice more of a K-1 style there with more emphasis on leg kicks and punches and less on clinching and elbows.  Best of all, Holland and Amsterdam sound like a really cool place to live for a few months.  Surprisingly, training is much cheaper there than it is in Thailand.

There are tons of Muay Thai gyms in Holland to choose from.  Meijiro gym where Andy Souwer comes from. Vos Gym with Ernesto Hoost and Antoni Hardonk.  Chakuriki Pancration has Badr Hari.  Then there's also Golden Glory where Alistar Overeem used to train at.

Best of all, each one of these gyms costs between 50 - 80 Euros a month for unlimited training, which is around 1,900-3,000thb.  In Thailand expect to pay between 5,000-10,000 baht a month for unlimited training which is around triple the price.  The downside however is the costs of living including food, transportation and accommodation will be much more expensive.  One of the best things about Thailand is you can just show up and rent an apartment as easy as renting a hotel room.  There are no contracts and sometimes not even a deposit is required.  Food is cheap as well as getting around.  One good thing about the Netherlands however is that everyone speaks English and Dutch girls are hot.  There is a great electronic music and party scene in Holland and Amsterdam is supposedly a really fun city.

All of the Dutch people I've met while traveling in Thailand have been friendly and funny, and most of the girls have been pretty damn good looking.  So it sound like a no brainer, and I should plan my next trip for 12 Weeks in Amsterdam instead of Thailand.  I may still do it someday but the main reason why people still prefer to train in Thailand is because Muay Thai camps here are still more immersive.  

The problem with all Muay Thai schools in America, England, Australia and even The Netherlands is that people there have real jobs and real lives to focus on.  In Thailand, everyone's full time job is to train, which gives you a different type of motivation, drive, dedication but also it speeds up your learning as a beginner.  Even in Holland you still just have one trainer leading a big class.  You might hold pads for each other, but unless you're paying for an expensive private lesson, don't expect the trainer to ever hold pads for you.  You also won't be sparring very often if at all, especially as a beginner. Take a look at a class filmed in Holland.  

The instructor and techniques maybe awesome but it'll take years to get good at Muay Thai this way.  In Thailand, they throw you to the wolves.  You're sparring from day one and you're fighting within three months.  You may not have the best technique, and you may develop some bad habits, but you fast forward your progress.  I may still visit Holland one day and if I do, I'll definitely want to train but I still think that at my level of Muay Thai I'll benefit more from being in Thailand.  Maybe if I ever get to a really high level and want to technique I'll go there.  I think if you're training with the pro fighters and sparring a few days a week you'll do very well in Holland.

If you live in Europe and are part of the EU, I'd highly consider doing a training camp in Holland.  It'll be a lot cheaper to travel there, you won't have any visa issues and it'll still be a fun adventure.  The biggest problem would be accommodation as it would be impractical to sign a contract for an apartment, especially if it's unfurnished.  If anyone knows of any Muay Thai gyms in Holland that provide accommodation let me know in the comment section..

Warm Regards,

Johnny
www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp
www.12weeksinThailand.com - Read the 1st chapter for free if you haven't already.

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

Tristar vs. Thailand: The Ultimate Fight Camp

I just watched an amazing documentary about what it's like to train at Tristar in Montreal  Canada.  I looks like every fighter and UFC fan's dream to end up there.  George St. Pierre, Rory McDonald, and tons of other amazing fighters living together, eating together and training everyday.

It reminds me a lot of what happens here in Thailand.  Only, it's cheaper here, the weather is better and it's easier to get beginner and intermediate fights here in Thailand.  Watching that made me think though, how much would it actually cost to find a cheap apartment nearby the gym and pay for monthly membership and train full time.  For the first 3-6 months you'll be in the lower level classes with the general public, the guys that have 9-5 jobs, but you take it seriously and they see that you are there to train as a pro fighter, eventually they'll move you up into the big boy classes.

What really made me start thinking was when they showed the guy that used to train and fight out of 13 coins in Thailand and how he made got recruited to train at Tristar.  Maybe that really is the best way to do it.  Train in Thailand on the cheap, get tons of fights under your belt, and then make the move to MMA.  I think the one thing that that guy could have done differently was train some Jiu-Jitsu while he was here to mix it up.  I'm fortunate that I wrestled in High School and I did a bit of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu in the states, so even though I'm focusing 100% on Muay Thai this trip in Thailand, at least I always have it in the back of my mind and know how important it is.

I've met a lot good Muay Thai fighters who fought MMA and got taken down and held down for five rounds, having no idea how to get up.  Firas Zahabi, the head coach at Tristar is right when he says you have to at least be at par in everything.  If you have zero wrestling, you're fucked.  If you have zero Muay Thai, you're also fucked.  You need to be at least decent at all four major disciplines which are Boxing, Wrestling, Muay Thai, and Brazilian-Jujitsu

My fifth fight ever, and my first fight here in Chiang Mai has been scheduled for Monday January 21st here in Chiang Mai.  Not sure which stadium yet, who i'm fighting or any of the details, as this is Thailand and it could all change but I'm ready and I'm excited.

My head coach Chon said to me last night,

"I knew you were ready when I saw you sparring with Mirkko today.  If you can spar him without going down or giving up, you're ready."

What Chon doesn't know is I almost skipped yesterday's sparring session.  The day before I had the brilliant idea to bike to the base of Doi Suthep mountain here in Chiang Mai and hike to the top, which is 1,676 m high and around 40km round trip.  I'm sure it was good cardio, but it was more exhausting that actually beneficial for Muay Thai.  I know some people do the Doi Suthep run, where they normally park their motorbikes at Chiang Mai zoo at the base of the mountain and run the 12km up to the top but man, that is physically draining.

The photo is of a Monk I met half way up the Mountain that showed me a hidden path through the forest to hike the rest of the way up Doi Suthep. 

But when Mirkko asked me to spar with him, I knew I had to say yes since I have a fight coming up.  It was a bit different from Wednesdays session.  We sparred Muay Thai again, but this time, I was a bit more relaxed and focused than last time.  My goals were to keep my guard up and to pick my shots when there were openings.  I ate a few leg kicks, and got caught a few times with punches but overall, I was quite happy with the session.  Even though I went into it already exhausted, especially since I had already gave it 100% on the pads with Chon, I hung in there, traded big blows and never gave up or lost heart.

I really love it here in Thailand, and training hard, sparring hard, and preparing for my upcoming fight is a dream come true.  Even if I won the lottery right now I wouldn't do anything differently, I perfectly happy exactly where I am right now.


Enjoy the video,

Johnny at MyFightCamp.com

Gyms are full and are turning away students for high season.

When I was at Phuket Top Team, the owner Boyd mentioned that he would cap the student count at 50 so training would never suffer.  Having too many students and not enough trainers leads to poor training for everyone.  Gyms like Tiger Muay Thai sometimes has up to 300 students training at any given time during high season, which is December through April.  The only reason why TMT is able to do it without training really going down the toilet is because they have so many classes and four separate levels of Muay Thai, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and fighters only.  The beginners and intermediate classes suffer the most during high season as even if they have 10 trainers, it's still hard to give 50+ students attention.

As for Phuket Top Team, I don't know if they ever actually had to turn anyone away, but there's one gym here in Chiang Mai that recently did.

Much respect goes out to Santai Muay Thai for actually turning away business and valuing good training more than money.  I recently met an English guy that started training at KC Muay Thai because Santai Muay Thai was too busy and actually turned him away.  He originally wanted to train at Santai because it was far away from the city and distractions and offered a really peaceful area to live and train.  They told him that there was already 30 students training and that was their maximum limit so they could keep a 3:1 student to trainer ratio.  I always knew Santai Muay Thai was good gym, but hearing this first hand really made me respect their gym even more.

Santai recently posted a thread on muaythailand.com's forums entitled "High season, make a reservation."  They got a lot of skeptical people on there thinking it might have been some type of clever marketing trick but I can vouch that it's actually true.  I'm not sure if you would get more priority if you plan on staying for a few months or longer verses if you're just staying for a week or two.  It would make sense if they did.  Either way, if you plan on training there in the next few months, email them at info@santaimuaythai.com first.

On a side note, the reason why I try to avoid all internet forums, including MuayThailand, Sherdog, and others is because 99% of the people on there don't actively train or fight.  They often don't know what they are talking about but make it seem like they do, and it's easy to believe them.  When it comes down to it, a good rule of thumb is never listen to anyone's advice or opinion online if they are posting anonymously.  If they don't have a recent photo of themselves, aren't using their real name, and have nothing to lose and no credibility, they might as well be a 13 year old kid and very well might be.

On a super side note, training today was excellent.  I went for a run and make a right this time instead of my usual left, and ended up running through a really nice nature path that lead to a helicopter hanger.  It was nice to run somewhere totally away from cars and buildings, and the best part was on my way back, I saw a big herd of goats and sheep.  I had actually seen the same herd during the day, on my way back from lunch and ended up spending an hour breaking down tree branches so they could eat the leaves, and herding runaways back into the group with my bicycle. I really love Chiang Mai for the nature aspect.

After the run, we shadow boxed as usual, then went into boxing sparring.  Today's class was huge, I counted 15 students total, which is more than double what we normally get at KC.  I know I've been promoting KC Muay Thai a lot because I think it's a great gym, but honestly, maybe the reason why it's so good is because they don't have a website and never more than 5-10 students per class.  They hired a new trainer, an ex-lumpinee fighter, just in time for high season, but I'm still not sure if that'll be enough if more people start training.

We did 5 rounds of Boxing sparring, I had all really good sessions with 4 different partners.  Then instead of doing bag work for 2 rounds, I asked one of my partners, an American guy if he wanted to spar a bit more, and he agreed so we ended up doing 7 rounds of sparring each, which was really good.  I'm glad that even though it was busy, we still all got 3 rounds of pad work, which I think is very important.  Overall, the small KC Muay Thai gym and staff handled having a large class very well, and I hope it continues this way though this high season.

Warm Regards, and happy training.


-Johnny @ MyFightCamp.com

P.S. if you haven't already, make sure you like MyFightCamp on facebook as I often post things on there you won't see on the blog.