Tiger Muay Thai
Posted by landoman - 30/03/09 at 11:03:10 pmThe past three months here have been nothing short of fantastic. I had only very basic experience with muay thai before I came to TMT but three months of training has given me loads of experience. Between all the conditioning, technique, and sparring I’ve done I can say with certainty that I have a firm grasp of muay thai. I’m going to give a quick rundown of TMT for anyone considering coming in the future.
Note: long post.
Training Areas
Tiger has four different training areas. Beginners, Intermediate, Advanced, and MMA. Each area has at least four or five heavy bags and beginners and MMA have uppercut bags. Beginners and intermediate also have mirrors to practice shadow boxing and technique and every area has at least one ring. Each section also has padded areas for sparring and practicing. The current beginners area is brand new, having just been completed in early March. Go figure, the beginners get all the new stuff. As a whole, the equipment is a bit beaten up (pun intended) but all of it serves its purpose well.
The MMA section has a normal ring and also an octagon for grappling. The weight area sits immediately beside MMA and houses a wide range of equipment. Two full sets of barbells, two sets of plates, and two sets of kettlebells. There are a few incline benches, a few weight machines, and a stationary bike. My only gripe with the weights area is that the equipment is in poor shape. Either from the humidity or from its age, there aren’t many pieces that aren’t rusting somewhere. This can make exercises a bit difficult when you’re lifting something rusted or when one of the machines grinds from friction.
All in all, the training areas are more than adequate; only a few minor upgrades (mainly to weights) could be used.
Trainers
TMT has about 30 trainers between all the different areas. Most of the trainers rotate between each area monthly so if you’re staying for any length of time there’s a good chance you’ll get to work with just about everyone. As a whole, they’re fun to be around during/after training but they’ll definitely push you if they see you slacking off or if they know you can go harder/faster (which is exactly what I needed). All the trainers have been practicing muay thai since their youth so you’ll be learning from a great source.
But unfortunately, every trainer has his own style and will teach you a lot of the techniques slightly differently than the next guy. This can cause a lot of confusion and frustration. Someone may teach you how to do one thing one day and then another day someone else may come around, tell you you’re doing it wrong, and then have you do it a different way. It can be maddening at times.
I also had a few rather unfortunate experiences after I moved into intermediate. For whatever reason, one of the trainers named Robert Lek decided that his sparring opponents would be his personal punching bag for the day. Normally sparring is done at 50% power/speed but Robert made a habit of going all out on whoever was unlucky enough to get stuck with him. I came out of those sessions with injuries that lingered for a couple weeks.
But in stark contrast to Robert, one of the other trainers named Yon became my new best friend. He was tremendously fun to be around but also pushed me harder than anyone else there. I worked with him nearly every session in March. He’ll be missed.
With the exception of Robert the trainers were great to work with and, overall, are very effective teachers.
TMT Staff
The TMT staff were nothing but helpful throughout the last few months. My luggage got lost during my trip here in January but both Will (camp owner) and one of the staff helped track it down and brought to me in record time. I had a ton of questions that needed answers throughout my stay and everyone was always very helpful. They helped me find medicine, find stores, and answered all my passport questions before I realized I had been given an 90-day VISA. Samai is the guest relations manager and setup a few group activities every so often. And I recently found out that a westerner is being hired as the office manager. My only gripe would’ve been a few confusing conversations that arose because of the language barrier. But that will be resolved soon enough.
Camp Facilities
TMT has a wide range of rooms available to rent. Three types are available: dorm style, standard, and deluxe. The newly-introduced dorm style rooms are the cheapest; they include a bed, small personal area, and a central living area with a small kitchen. Standard rooms are a bit bigger with more privacy; they include a bed, fan, TV, and closet. Deluxe rooms are bigger yet and include all the aforementioned amenities, as well as a bathroom and A/C. Public facilities are located throughout the camp for dorm and standard rooms.
In the middle of the camp there is a small restaurant called the Tiger Bar and Grill. They offer reasonably priced food an drinks and one of the largest menus of all the little restaurants in the area. The food is predominantly Thai for reasons that are currently beyond me but there’s a decent selection of non-Thai food like sandwiches, burgers, salad, and spaghetti. I certainly grew tired of Thai food rather quickly so having alternatives was a life saver.
TMT also has a gear store that recently reduced its prices. You can pick up nearly everything you might need to train muay thai or MMA. Gloves, shin pads, tape, shirts/shorts, protein, etc… They’ve got just about everything you’ll need at [newly] reasonable prices.
Verdict
The two main things that I would like to see TMT improve on:
- Weight equipment is in rough condition.
- The trainers teach techniques slightly differently.
In the end, TMT is the best training I’ve ever had. I was pushed when I needed to be and I learned more in these past three months than I would have in a year of training back in the states. TMT offers extensive training for people of any age level and any previous experience. I would wholly recommend anyone come train here if they get a chance.
Less Than Two Weeks…
Posted by landoman - 22/03/09 at 03:03:04 amI have less than two weeks left in Thailand… : (
Things here have definitely slowed down in this last month but I’m in no way ready to leave yet. March has been a pretty good month as far as training goes. I’ve been able to develop a lot more speed this month and my techniques have sharpened considerably. Nearly three months here and I feel like I’m only just beginning to transition from “beginner” to “intermediate.” Arrrrrgh I need more time!
One thing I’ll definitely miss are the monthly barbecues at Tiger. Though I haven’t actually eaten the food there since the first one in January (eat beforehand and enjoy the fights/activities for free), seeing the exhibition fights and talking to everyone I’ve met over the past few months is always fun. And what’s even more fun is when ladyboys are brought in to put on a show. But it gets better! One of them came up to Jazz and tried to gently coax him into going out on the “stage” with him/her. But he was steadfast in his resolution and didn’t budge. Oh well, maybe one day…
Anyway, over the course of an entire evening I uploaded two minutes of video. This internet sucks. The first video is a fight between two guys training at TMT.
And the second fight is between one of the TMT trainers and an American. Surprisingly the trainer gets KO’d in the first round. Out cold, too. Totally unexpected.
First Month
Posted by landoman - 05/02/09 at 10:02:18 amI’ve officially survived my first month here. Thailand has been fantastic thus far and the next two months are eagerly anticipated. I’m getting fairly well-adjusted to intermediate muay thai now but I still get wrecked sometimes. And I’m settled into my villa with my own food so I don’t have to waste money eating out anymore.
But in my time here, do I miss home in the States? Yes and [mostly] no.
Yes because I miss the convenience of Sam’s Club — buying in bulk is something I took for granted. Also I actually do like snow; I was hoping to get a bit of skiing in this season.
No because I’m in a tropical paradise with perfect weather every single day. I get to train muay thai all day, every day. And everything here is incredibly cheap. And there are beaches and pools everywhere.
What can I say? It’s a rough life here. I suppose I’ll manage to pull through this…
Nocturnality
Posted by landoman - 31/01/09 at 11:01:05 pmWhyyyyy does 90% of the world operate so early in the morning? At about 6:30 Jazz and I walked down to a little market a couple kilometers from Coco. Before I left I was a bit hyper and way too full of energy. But after that leisurely 5km stroll I was even more hyper than before. It was about 8:00 at this point (already dark) so did a quick 4km run to expel some of that pent-up energy.
It was fun and all, but I would love to be able to do all my training at night instead of so early in the morning. I’ve always been more active at night…morning just plain suck.
Movin’ On Up!
Posted by landoman - 29/01/09 at 02:01:02 pmAfter roughly two weeks of training at TMT I moved up to the Muay Thai intermediate class yesterday. And man, I was not prepared. Intermediate amps up the intensity on pretty much everything we do. Harder/more bag rounds, harder sparring, more conditioning. It’s great! But I wish somebody had told me I would be sparring with a trainer minutes after arriving. I managed to stay on my feet the whole time…but that’s about all I managed to do. He was half my size, twice as fast and twice as strong. A few of the guys that happened to notice the sparring mentioned that he was going harder than they had ever seen him go on people; testing the newbies, I guess. I at least got a glimpse of what a real thai boxer can do. Maybe at the end of these three months I’ll give it another go…
In the meantime I’ll let a Bacon Explosion soothe my injuries!
Patong
Posted by landoman - 17/01/09 at 09:01:30 amA few new guys that showed up from California were planning to head to Patong to watch a few fights tonight. They invited me along so I hit Patong for the first time.
Essentially the Las Vegas of Phuket, Patong is host to a great many bars, clubs, and other “interesting” things. Anything and everything is happening in this place. There are tons of various theme bars lining the streets; we managed to find the Irish pub and enjoy a cool pint of…Heineken? It’s a bit ironic but you can’t argue with a pint for less than $2.
Like the beaches there’s are tons of little shops that sell just about anything imaginable. Occasionally you can find a few unique items (art, carvings, etc…) but for the most part it’s more counterfeits. The shopkeepers are like vultures; making even the slightest eye contact with them will pull them out of the shops and onto the streets to peddle their wares onto you.
The “interesting” things I mentioned earlier are Thailand’s famous “ladyboys.” The most attractive women in Patong aren’t, in fact, women at all – at least not in the traditional sense. Their name if fairly self-explanatory so I’ll allow the general populace to figure it out on their own. Where most of the world would pay good money to watch unsuspecting men flirt with other men, I can simply grab a pint, take a seat, and watch the hilarity unfold.
The main event of the night was the fighting at Bangla Stadium. There were eight fights: two were young kids (8-12), three were from Tiger, and the other three were…just other fights. Two of our fighters won (rather viciously, at that) but one lost after getting a nasty elbow cut right above the eye. The fights were great to watch but probably the most interesting event of the evening were the kids. The first two couldn’t have been more than eight or nine and the second two were a bit older; ten to twelve at most. These kids were impressive for their age; probably in better shape than I’ll ever be, too. As far as technique goes, they were almost as good as any of the adults fighting. They lack power due to their age but in a few years that will catch up to their technique. Regardless, I left feeling a bit smaller than the little kids that could undoubtedly kick my ass all the way back home.
Week One
Posted by landoman - 14/01/09 at 09:01:29 pmAfter the first week, I’m settling in quite nicely to my new surroundings. The Muay Thai sessions don’t tire me much at all anymore and my muscles no longer get sore from all the exercises. I’ve started lifting in the afternoon every other day to break up the monotony some. And possibly within the next few weeks I’m going to give Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu a shot as well.
The heat doesn’t phase me anymore. The first few days were pretty rough but now I’m well adjusted and even get a bit cold in the 24C/75F evenings. But even the warmest days feel perfect if even the slightest breeze is blowing. It’s only rained once since I’ve been here — one night for about 10 minutes. I genuinely feel sorry for people back in WV…
I’ve figured out all the good places to eat around here so I’m feasting like a king for next to nothing. Seriously, the food here is some of the best I’ve ever had. Nearly everything is some sort of rice or noodle dish but it’s all so good. Mommas and Flora are where it’s at. I still need to check out the Boxer Bar; apparently it’s one of the better restaurants too. We might even hit up KFC this weekend. Sometimes nothing can compare to good ‘ol American greasy food.
And the people here are just fantastic. There’s a constant influx of new people so every day I meet new/interesting people. I’m hanging out with a couple guys I met within the first few days: Jazz and Ryan, a Brit and Frenchman. I’ve had more fun just talking/listening to those two banter back and forth in their respective languages. Apparently I now know how to speak proper English and French slang.
Chance
Posted by landoman - 09/01/09 at 07:01:59 pmIf the first few days of my three month stay in Thailand are any indication of things to come, I’m going to know dozens of awesome people by the end.
I decided to hit the weights at 5:00 instead of going to the second session; and I ended up getting there just a few minutes later than I had planned. Afterwards I headed back to my bungalow to grab some food. I was still feeling good so I decided to go for a run.
A few miles down the road I passed a man who had just walked out of a little bar. We were both headed back to Tiger and I figured he was training like myself. We started chatting and I found out he was from Ontario. He had been here for the past five months and was going to visit a guy he had befriended at Tiger.
I talked to him a bit about Phuket and the ins and outs of the country. He told me about a few places to check out, gave me some pointers about various Thai intricacies, and warned me about some of the wildlife.
We talked for about 45 minutes but if I hadn’t went for that run I might never have ran into him. I’m beginning to think this is a pretty lucky country. Cheers, Tom!
Day One — Complete!
Posted by landoman - 07/01/09 at 08:01:35 pmDay one is behind me. What do I have to show for it? Agonizing pain. It hurts bad! The afternoon session was more of the same: skipping rope, bag work, and technique. But we did harder sparring than we had in the morning. It would have been a lot better if I hadn’t partnered with an Aussie four inches taller than me (go figure). Now I know what it’s like for Thais that have to go up against foreigners.
Seven hours of constant kicking and punching definitely make for sore muscles. I might as well have taken a hammer to various parts of my body. And I’m going to wake up tomorrow and do it all over again. Still no luggage so I won’t have to run yet — and in this condition my legs would shatter for sure.
This is great. The heat is tolerable now so things are gradually improving. Three months of this will be killer (probably literally).
First Training Session
Posted by landoman - 07/01/09 at 12:01:06 pmWell, my first session is behind me. And I can honestly say that I was prepared quite well. Thanks to Chanda and Tommy for that. =P
We started off jumping rope for 30 minutes. That would’ve been hell but I got there a few minutes late (and I’ll probably continue to arrive a few minutes late). Then we moved on to stretching. After that we started on technique. Foot positioning, combinations, etc… The group split off into smaller groups and traded off between sparring, bag work, and shadow boxing. That was the first two hours or so of the morning session. To finish up, we did a bit more technique and then cooled down with more stretching and 100 situps and 100 pushups. It’s not as bad as it seems; you can go at your own pace.
The trainers at Tiger Muay Thai are great. There’s no problem communicating (for the most part) and it’s easy to follow what they’re instructing. And throughout the sessions they’re constantly keeping things flowing smoothly from one exercise to the next.
The only thing I’m struggling with is the heat. It’s unbearable. I’m not the least bit exaggerating when I say that I was already exhausted 15 minutes into skipping rope and sweating more than I have in the past six months combined. And I downed well over 2L of water in the process. But the upside to heat is that I’m already adapting to the regular afternoon heat after having endured this firt morning session. The next three months are going to be glorious!
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