How Phuket Top Team built my Bamboo Hut in 6 Hours. Short Video Documentary.

I spent a few months living in a Bamboo Hut in Phuket, Thailand while training and fighting Muay Thai at Phuket Top Team.  I loved it.  It was less than $100US a month for rent, wifi, and utilities and it was literally 2 seconds from the training area at the gym.  I had a hammock to lounge in to read and watch movies after training and it was surprisingly comfortable and cool.

But what impressed me most was how efficient the huts were and how fast they could be built. I don't remember the exact price but it was around $1,500US or so to build each hut and the could do it in less than 6 hours.  Here's a video of the entire build process, check it out.



I've always been impressed with Tiny Homes, Small Footprint Houses and loved watching videos of small spaces.  Actually living in one made me realize how little things we actually need and how freeing it was to not waste money on rent and "stuff."  The bamboo huts at Phuket Top Team are now reserved mainly for the Thai staff and Muay Thai Trainers, but it was a fun experience being one of the first to live in it.

It was actually really comfortable and allowed me to focus on training.  I don't know if I would do it again for a long stint of time but watching the video made me reminisce about the time I spent there with my neighbor Will "The Kill" Chope who had the Bamboo hut behind me.

Warm Regards and Good Training,

Johnny FD

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Read the Book "12 Weeks in Thailand: The Good Life on the Cheap" to learn how to live and train in Thailand for less than $600 a month!  Go to: www.12WeeksinThailand.com

Phuket Top Team 4 Month Review and New Video

I started training at Phuket Top Team in June 2011 a week before the gym officially opened, and I trained there for three months the first time around and came back to train for another month more.

There are pros and cons to each gym, but I really loved the concept of PTT.  Boyd Clarke the owner basically worked his ass off in the mines in Australia and saved up enough money to follow his passion which was to open his own MMA gym.  There was a ton of controversy with Tiger Muay Thai vs. Phuket Top Team when they first opened, but i'm glad it's over now.  I'm willing to bet that both gyms have more customers and are making more money now because there is that extra inventive and choice to train in Phuket.  PTT has to thank TMT for being the first and the original, setting foot for the MMA scene in Phuket and in Thailand in general.  

Who I recommend to train at Phuket Top Team:

If you want smaller classes and more personalized attention and if you don't want to be part of the huge fraternity house of TMT then Phuket Top Team is a great choice.  Personally I started training at PTT because I wanted to train at a brand new gym that has an indoor wrestling area.  Because of Phuket Top Team, Tiger Muay Thai stepped up their game and built one of their own, who wins?  Everyone, especially us, the customers.  Also I believe that PTT has the best Gi Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu program in Thailand as of right now so if your heart is in rolling with a Gi, then PTT is your best bet.  

Who may not like the gym:  If you expect everything that be organized like a corporation would, PTT isn't it.  Classes are smaller and more free flowing which you may love, or you may prefer a gym with more structure.  My only complaint while training at PTT was the rounds weren't properly timed ever, especially during sparring.  Instead of five 3-minute rounds, or three 5-minute rounds we would often get one 7-minute round followed by one 2-minute rounds.  So if you're the type that likes extremely structured workouts and office management PTT might not be the place for you.


Here's the latest gym tour video of Phuket Top Team:

What's New at Phuket Top Team:

The second ring in Muay Thai is complete.  It was just being finished when I left PTT but now it's up and running.  The indoor MMA Cage is also complete and brand new, a really great addition to the already awesome Phuket Top Team gym.  The MMA Strength and Conditioning program has also finally been put into full effect.


The Pros and Cons of Training at Phuket Top Team:

Pros: Family owned gym, small business management.  Doesn't try to nickle and dime you on everything.

Cons: Not always well organized with things like office stuff, accommodation, etc

Pros: No Egos, Only Dedication - The anti-fraternity, you'll make good friends and be at a cool gym, without the drama.

Cons: With only 8 rooms on site, not including the bamboo huts that some of the thai trainers stay in, PTT isn't as social as TMT other gyms as people live spread around.

Pros: A lot closer of a walk to the two most popular restaurants, Tony's and Ja Ja House.  A twenty minute walk from TMT is only five from PTT.

Cons: You'll end up eating at one of those two restaurants three meals a day, seven days a week just because it's so convenient.

Pros: Phuket is a beautiful island with access to beaches and other islands such as the Beach at Koh Phi Phi.

Cons: Everything is more expensive in Phuket. Things like accommodation, tours, and taxi rides are double the price as it would be in Chiang Mai.

After a BJJ Class last year at PTT.

Team Quest vs. Phuket Top Team

Some people have been asking if they should train MMA at Team Question in Chiang Mai or at Phuket Top Team. If it's your first visit to Thailand if you are coming for three weeks or less, I would recommend training in Phuket.  However if you're here long term for 3 months to a year and want a much cheaper place to live, I love Chiang Mai for being more peaceful, authentic Thailand, less touristy and literally half the price for day to day living.  

As far as I know, Phuket Top Team has a more established MMA program especially with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.  Since I haven't had the chance to train at Team Quest yet, I would have to recommend Phuket Top Team for training MMA in Thailand, at least for now.  

In Summary:

I really enjoyed training at Phuket Top Team and recommend it to everyone.  I liked it so much that I went back for two training camps there.  It's hard for me to answer the "Which gym is better, Phuket Top Team or Tiger Muay Thai" question that everyone keeps asking me, because to be 100% honest, I liked both gyms equally.  I think I liked TMT better when I was younger, and as I get older I like PTT more.  So if you're 18-23 and it's your first time in Thailand, you might enjoy training at Tiger Muay Thai more, especially if you can get a room onsite.  However, if you're 24 or older, you'll most likely enjoy training at Phuket Top Team more.  

If you're really into Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and plan on bringing your Gi then Phuket Top Team is a no brainer, go with PTT.  They even have a 3 months from white belt to blue belt program.

As for MMA legends, you may not get big name UFC fighters visiting the camp, but Phuket Top Team has very active fight team.  And they're there to actually train for fights and not just show their face and teach one day seminars. 

I really enjoyed my 4 months training at Phuket Top Team and I'm sure you will as well.  Best wishes and leave a comment if you have any questions or anything to add to this review.

Warm Regards,

Johnny FD
Add me on facebook:  www.facebook.com/MyFightCamp

If you haven't already, make sure you read my Travel Guide to Training Muay Thai in Thailand before you come.  

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

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

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





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

Warm Regards,


Johnny Jen @ My Fight Camp

Video Game and Movie Room at Phuket Top Team

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

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

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

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

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

Warm Regards,

Johnny @ My Fight Camp

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warm Regards,

Johnny Jen @ My Fight Camp

Back in Thailand training at Phuket Top Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warm Regards,

Johnny @ My Fight Camp

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

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

THE OFFER:

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

- A former Olympic Boxing trainer

- 8 extremely talented and dedicated muay thai trainers

- A sambo and mma teacher

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

- Applicable and functional core and strength training

- 30 classes a week available (5 per day)

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

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

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

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

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

Silvu Vulc - Sambo and Boxing

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

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

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

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

Roger "El Matador" Huerta at Phuket Top Team!

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

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

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

Roger Huerta on the Cover of Sports Illustrated

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

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

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

What the Shared Bathrooms at Phuket Top Team Look Like

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

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




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

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

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

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

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

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

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

After One Month Training at Phuket Top Team

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

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

The Results after 1 month:

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

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

My Current Workout Routine:

Mondays - Morning Muay Thai (7:30-9:00am)
               - Boxing Sparring              
               - Upside down shoulder pushups
  
Tuesdays - Morning Walk/Run - I started with just walking around 5km then running 1km and have been stepping it each workout shortening the walk and running more of it.               
- Afternoon Circuit Training (CrossFit) - 3x 1 minute sessions of kettlebells, pullups, ropes, giant tire throws, hammers, etc then a 1 minute rest, repeated five times, for a total of 15x 1minute rounds.  Thanks to fighter Will "the kill" Chope for doing this with me.

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

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

Fridays - Morning Muay Thai
            - Sparring
            -  Explosive Pushups

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

Sundays - Rest Day
              - Spa and Massage

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

Warm Regards,

Johnny at My Fight Camp

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

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

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

Class Schedule for Tuesday is:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

Tiger Muay Thai vs. Phuket Top Team

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

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

Me and Ray after the Martial Combat Show 

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

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

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

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

Doing some pad work during Muay Thai Training

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

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

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

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

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

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp.

Update: If you want the full month by month breakdown and the final definitive answer to which gym is better Tiger Muay Thai or Phuket Top Team the answer is in my book at www.12WeeksinThailand.com

Video Tour of Phuket Fight Team - MMA Camp

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

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

Warm Regards,

My Fight Camp

Currently Training at PhuketTopTeam.com

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

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

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

The Muay Thai Boxing Coaches at Phuket Top Team

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

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

MMA Striking Class/Submission Wrestling at Phuket Top Team

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

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

Silvu teaching the MMA Class at Phuket Top Team

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

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

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

Peace out for now.

My Fight Camp.

My First Night at Phuket Top Team

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Muay Thai Boxing Ring and Striking Area at Phuket Top Team

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

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

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

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

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

My room at Phuket Top Team

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

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

And more to come soon,

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