I’m a huge fan of photography; it’s something I’ve always been interested since I was about 10 or 11. I take photos of most everything.  My friends can attest to their annoyance I take my camera with me everywhere.

My favorite subject’s are nak muays.  I love photography because it allows you to hang about and still feel like you’ve got a purpose.  It feels more acceptable then just being a fly on the wall!  You can sit with people and snap away… people are initially very self conscious and taken back by the attention.  Eventually they get used to and even forget that you’re their snapping away.  That’s when you people let their guard down and start acting like themselves.

I got an email from a talented photographer named Tim Bowman last month,   If anyone is looking for a photographer you should get in touch.   Here are a few of my favourites:

More from the Rajadomnern Set

More from Lumpini

More from Sor. Vorapin

With the return of the Thai trainer came life to the gym.  Despite this, I still found it impossible to train muay thai.

In muay thai, conveying weakness is a liability, and I carry that sentiment in life.  I realize the benefits and limitations of this and it is something that at times, I struggle with.  In Japan, anger has acted as my weakness.  It came on slowly and stayed with me until I was consumed by it.  I’m stunted by it as I write this.  No matter what I’ve tried, it’s something I haven’t been able to shake.  It hasn’t caused me to lose my cool or break down – I’m not a snapcase – it’ more like a burning paralysis.  I wake up with it, baby it during my morning runs, attempt to reduce it to fifty percent during the day – then I show up to train.  On a good night, I’ll last an hour.  I’ll play with the medicine ball, work my core and stabilize my joints.  Some days I skip rope for about five minutes and leave.  Other days, I don’t bother.  Fifty percent of what I’m feeling is still too high.

There are many reasons for my current state.  The details of the entire picture, I won’t presently get into – I need to distance myself from the situation, observe it, and balance.  I want to ensure my final piece; Japan – Wrap Up is written with care and not tarnished by the ego’s need to serve itself.  I want to write it with a clean heart.

Last night I traveled to Differ, a venue located in Chiba to check out Break -2, an event put on by MA Promotions.  It was good to see some quality Japanese muay thai.  Two fighters worth noting:  Shunta fighting out of Taniyama Gym and Ryuji Kato.  I’ve included their photos in this piece.

I unexpectedly ran into a few people I know at the event, two Japanese nak muays and a Thai kru.  I met them independently in Bangkok and had no idea they knew one another.  I hadn’t seen any of them since Thailand.  To say I was glad to hang with them is an understatement.  Within an hour of reconnecting, I was offered training at another gym and sub sequentially introduced to a promoter who offered me a fight.  Unfortunately it was the second one I’ve had to decline – I fly out in 28 hours.

With most experiences, I seek the positive, with every obstacle comes a lesson to learn, something to grow from.  I’m still working with this.  If the fight I was meant to battle here in Japan was internal, if I was meant to learn how to channel my anger and make it work for me, or learn to diffuse it – I admittedly have lost.  Six weeks in and my conditioning is down.  I can blame the gym that brought me here for not fully abiding by what we agreed upon prior to my arrival, for not training me, for not sourcing fights for me, for not supporting me when I’ve found my own, or I can remember something I truly believe, it’s not what life throws at you, it’s how you react.  I realize, and have realized this entire time, I could have trained myself.

More about Laura

I’m a Canadian who decided to quit my job, sell most of what I own, pack a suitcase, and skip continents to pursue a martial art I’m not particularly efficient in. A minimalist. A modern nomad. A kid who just likes having a good time.

My attraction to muay thai is that it’s an art with no wasted motion. It has been the greatest vehicle for my continual education. It’s incredibly challenging to me – both the physical and the mental game. The latter probably more so than the former.

Currently I’m in Bangkok training muay thai fulltime. The plan is to be here for a few years, but realistically, I have no idea where this path is leading, or what the timeline is. I like change and pushing my comfort zone. A lot. Nevertheless, muay thai will be the constant among the variables.

Be prepared for updates, rambling, video content and anything I’ve learned that I think may of use to you.

This hasn’t been easy, but so far, its been a pretty sick ride.

The basics of the gym are as follows:  from approximately 6 – 8pm most days, children arrive and train muay thai, sometimes karate.  During that time, in previous weeks, the Italian nak muays and I would run, warm-up and begin our training session during the latter part of that time block.  On some nights, a few of the adults would come to train at around 8pm – some kickboxers, mostly guys training MMA.  Morning sessions generally consisted of the three of us training – pads were held near the end of the session.  The adult numbers have been small most days – this could be for a number of reasons.  Recently Japan had its ‘Golden Week’, a national seven day holiday.  As that ended, the resident Thai trainer returned to Thailand for a period of three weeks.  Currently he has been gone for a little over one. Since his departure, I have yet to work with anyone other than myself.  This is confusing to me.

Currently the Italians are having pads held for them as they are scheduled to fight.  I’ve resisted asking for pads being held for me for a few reasons: the primary pad holder I believe has little experience holding pads for muay thai.  By the time he’s finished with the Italians, he looks like he’s feeling it.  In addition, due to my size, or lack of, I’m wary of working with larger pad holders that are less experienced. I do this to avoid injury, as past experience has dictated this is in my best interest.   I was hoping to work with the more experienced pad holder, but I have yet to be in the gym when he has been training.  I have yet to see another female over twelve years old training at the gym or a kickboxer my size to spar and clinch with, so that’s not an option.

I’ve been using my time to take advantage of that which I may not have access to in Buriram.  I’ve been messing around with a medicine ball, doing pylometrics on the side of a Pachinko spot, and hitting the bag.  I’ve also been enjoying my runs in the mountains.

I was recently invited to check out Shidokan gym.  For those of you new to muay thai and/or Japanese kickboxing, I filmed the following as I felt it exemplified the difference between Japanese kickboxing/muay thai (as the two seem to be used interchangeably by most people I meet here) and muay thai.  The guy to the left, with the shirt on, is displaying Japanese kickboxing with some heavy hands going – most guys I’ve seen training here are lighter on the hands, meaning they have less impact.  The guy on the right is training muay thai.

More about Laura

I’m a Canadian who decided to quit my job, sell most of what I own, pack a suitcase, and skip continents to pursue a martial art I’m not particularly efficient in. A minimalist. A modern nomad. A kid who just likes having a good time.

My attraction to muay thai is that it’s an art with no wasted motion. It has been the greatest vehicle for my continual education. It’s incredibly challenging to me – both the physical and the mental game. The latter probably more so than the former.

Currently I’m in Bangkok training muay thai fulltime. The plan is to be here for a few years, but realistically, I have no idea where this path is leading, or what the timeline is. I like change and pushing my comfort zone. A lot. Nevertheless, muay thai will be the constant among the variables.

Be prepared for updates, rambling, video content and anything I’ve learned that I think may of use to you.

This hasn’t been easy, but so far, its been a pretty sick ride.

I’m accustomed to living alone.  I had an apartment in Buriram.  In Bangkok, being female dictated that I had to find my own living quarters – women couldn’t reside at the gym.  Although my room literally was about four metres from the gym’s door, I still had my own space, or more notably, I was accustomed to not having someone always in my business.  Too much in my business, yeah, but always…no.  This has not been the case for me in Hachiogi.

I’ve been living with four nak muays – two Italians, one Japanese and our Thai trainer.  Coming from Italian immigrant parents and rarely being around Falang, this has been great – I haven’t been home for awhile.  One day it clicked and I decided, I’ve been living in the cliché Italian household here in the mountains of Japan.  Five people living in a four bedroom apartment.  One guy always cooking and eating something; another in his drawers and swearing; another gold-chained, shirtless, in an unzipped tracksuit playing soccer/football on Playstation; and me bickering incessantly with the Thai guy like we’ve been married for thirty years.

Our kru told me he likes to argue.  Why? Because he learns about someone that way.  I asked why he couldn’t just ask questions.  His answer, “Because people lie”.  I told him I hate arguing.  So rather than stop nagging me and trying to control everything I do, he decided to teach me a few things I’ll pass on to you…

1. The importance of meditation.  Not only in daily life, but how it affects your game in the ring.  As a previous kru of mine once said, “If you get angry in the ring, you die. For sure”.

1. What I’ll call, the fifty percent rule.  Whatever extreme you’re feeling, rather than repress it, drop it down fifty percent.  This has been an incredible tool for me.  When provoked enough, I tend to go either way – super poke-me-with-a-stick-to-see-if-I’m-dead cold or possessed by the-spirit-of-Joe-Pesci-past.  This occasionally happens in the ring as well.  I’m either too unemotional where I get hit and I’m like, sooo whaaat?  But not in a good way, in that, I may take too many hits because I don’t care way, or alternately, at times, I get too heated, try to repress it, which leads to frustration…all while I’m trying to accomplish something.  This probably brings me back to point number 1 – the importance of internal focus…

Although I’ve meditated previously, I hadn’t practiced in the way I was recently taught – I’ve never concentrated on following my breath through certain points within the body.  I tried and was surprised by my results – all that came up was extreme anger.  Not frustration from having difficulty with the meditation, just pure, unadulterated anger.  I mentioned this to the trainer – has this ever happened to him before?  Was this normal?  Our conversation turned into a dispute – I was overtired, told him I had a headache and went to bed.

The following morning after training we hit the local wat.  He felt speaking to the head Pra (monk) was in my best interest.  I’ve been to the wat a few times before – they know me and I enjoy going.

We paused at a 7-Eleven, walked up the mountain path leading to the grounds which are under construction and I offered the ice tea and Coke we purchased.  The Pra then said to me, ‘I understand you have headaches when you meditate”.

This confused me.  My kru was sitting beside me.  I should have been at the gym sleeping and was exhausted (we walked six kilometers to the wat and had to walk six back) and I really wanted to say, ‘No, this mild mannered guy sitting beside me gives me headaches, I just want to know if unexpected bouts of rage are customary during peaceful, spiritual practice’.

Basically I didn’t know what to say.

The Pra was also being incredibly polite to me – using what many call ‘higher’ Thai language – this confused me as well.  I’ve been learning Thai in the gyms – I can list about ten words I know for whore, but when I was told to go eat and come back to speak with him afterwards– I had no idea what he was on about.

When I did return, a woman offered her assistance as my kru was doing manual labour.  The Pra spoke and she translated into the colloquial.  I listened, picked up what I could from both and nothing really got solved.  I didn’t want to bring up the anger.  We spoke about stomach problems, headaches, not letting anything bother me and muay thai.  The woman finally concluded, ‘I think your meditation teacher isn’t very good at it”.

Nop did a great post on meditation previously .

So, as my week concludes, I’ve been practicing meditation, training consistently and I ate pasta for the first time in over a year.  I’m also awaiting the return of our Thai kru.  He left for Thailand near the latter end of the week, to return in three.

I was told by the owner of the gym, “Next week, Japanese style training”.  This will be interesting, as I thought that’s what we’ve been doing.  Until next week…

On a murderously hot day just before the Thai New Year Songkran festival , I set off with muay Chaiya master Luang Pii Ta and his 63 year old mother for a 12 hour drive to the town of Mae Sod on the Burmese border. Our tiny car packed with five kilos of Isaan rice, a large rice cooker (obligatory) and a few changes of clothes and monk robes, we drove solid through winding mountain roads until we reached the small border town, which is a main gateway to Myanmar. Mae Sod is known for its population of Burmese migrants and refugees and — to muay enthusiasts — for its annual Muay Kaad Chuek event (gloveless boxing tournament).

Since I met Luang Pii Ta last year he’s been training his two newest students, Tee and Aae, to fight at the event. Because of his monk status, Luang Pii hasn’t been able to fight in the ring, so he teaches them with a dedication that I’ve never seen before, as if he were fighting vicariously through them. I had been training with Luang Pii, Tee and Aae and watching them spar for months now, but I still had little idea what to expect from the kaad chuek fights . Luang Pii told me beforehand that they were quite different to regulated MT bouts. I was also told by one of his older students that they would be very quick and violent.

We arrived late in the afternoon and went immediately to the muay sanam (boxing competition grounds) to register. A modest affair, the tarp-covered venue was comprised of a gravel field, a boxing ring, several plastic chairs and a massive PA system. The grounds were full of Burmese men, women and children when we arrived. Tee and Aae sat beside me in the front row and we started watching the fights. Like me, they had never seen muay kaad chuek, and we sat quietly sipping our Pepsi’s and taking it all in.

The first few fights were muay dtekor child boxers. There was one little guy in particular that stood out to me — a Burmese kid, maybe 10 or 11 years old wearing dirty ripped cotton boxers and no hand wraps. He was fearless – just kept going out and wildly using all his weapons at once. I had to laugh a little because he was so intense and it all seemed just so crazy. Then the big guys came out. Same deal – this kind of feral intensity that I hadn’t expected to see in the ring. Muay Thai fights are so graceful, rhythmic and technical by comparison.

In this first match between the older guys I noticed that one of the fighters kept dropping to the ground in a kind of submissive gesture – getting on his hands and knees and covering his head for protection. The ref would then come and break up the fight momentarily and it would continue like this every 30 to 40 seconds. Then I saw it happening in other matches. I turned to one of LP’s older students, who has been every year, and asked him what the deal was. He looked at me, paused to consider, and then pushed his glasses back on his nose. “Burma technique” he said with no trace of sarcasm.

It’s worth mentioning here for people that don’t know that there is a long history of unease between Thailand and Burma (or Myanmar as it’s known now). There is plenty of information to be found online, but it can be said that these fights are borne out of a long tradition of conflict between the two countries that predates the Ayutthaya period. Interestingly, however, this year LP’s students were amongst the only Thais there to fight – so most of the matches were Burma against Burma.

Anyway I came to see how the dropping for cover was a necessary move at times in these fights. LP had previously explained to me the kaad chuek matches just continue until there’s a knock out – there’s no judging of individual rounds. There are also so few rules that it’s ridiculously dangerous, and the fighters will use any tactic they can to get some leverage in the ring. The first guy I saw doing that was being dominated by the other fighter and I thought for sure he’d lose, but he ended up knocking out his opponent in the second round with a kick to the head. And by knock out I mean cold – like eyes rolling back in the head, timber falling . . . a few minutes unconscious. It was like watching a car crash or something – serious damage. Sure, you see that in MT fights from time to time, but this kind of KO was happening in almost ever other match.

When the afternoon fights were winding down, Tee and Aae were called into the ring so they could find their opponents for the fights the next day. This is achieved by the announcer inviting challengers into the ring from the watching crowds. There were about six or eight challengers in total, and LP signaled to each of them from the corner of the field which one they should agree to fight.

That night we all checked into a motel down the road and ate the yummy Yasothorn rice that LP’s mom, Tiw, prepared for us. She then patiently sewed all their special amulets into his students’ shorts and prajit (arm bands) while LP gave gamlang jai (the power of his heart) to them. I was beginning to feel some sisterly concern for the two kids having seen the fights that day, but I knew they were ready for this.

One of LP’s older students filmed the fights. I apologize for the quality of the video in these clips– he was too caught up watching the fight to pay attention to the camerawork. It might be hard to make out any of the technique because of this. Also it was a first fight for both of them, so Tee and Aae said they were challenged to practically apply everything they’ve learned.

You can however see Tee using a Korat style punch called wiang kwai to knock out his opponent around 2.28. This punch is aimed at the temple using the inside of the fist (where the thumbmeets the closed fingers) and it will mess you up. It’s one of LP’s favorites – he says practicing this punch will open your liver meridian and make all your punches more powerful.

Both Tee and Aae won their fights and are planning on fighting again next year.

About LP:

When he’s not teaching, he is often training to come up with new techniques and is committed to seeing Muay Chaiya and Muay boran in general evolve. He’s told me often that he is saddened that many people now think of Muay boran as an art form rather than the deadly combat sport that it is. It’s true that many of his techniques can be used in modern Muay Thai fights and a lot of the applications can be especially useful to MMA fighters.

On another note, Luang Pii Ta officially disrobed this week after 14 years as a Thai forest monk. He will concentrate now on teaching and living a secular life. He will also be fighting at the Kaad Chuek tournament in 2011. To find out more about training with him, you can email abigailmccullough@gmail.com

More about Abs

About a year and a half ago on a very fateful Saturday morning I walked into a sweaty little Muay Thai gym in San Francisco’s SOMA district to do an intro MT class with Neungsiam Samphusri and Bunkerd Faphimai at Fight and Fitness. I’ve always loved martial arts, in particular Shaolin gong fu, san shou and qi gong, but there was something that registered with me that August morning and MT has been a main feature in my life since.

After a few months training with Neungsiam I came to Thailand and -through a similar series of providential encounters — have been here since. I started training at Ingram gym in 2008 and now train with the Doctor at 13 Coins. I also continue to study muay boran with Pii Ta and cultivate my internal energy practices that I first learned with my Shaolin teacher, Shifu Shi Yanzi. I’ve taken a couple of extended trips back to San Francisco to train with Jongsanan at Fairtex, who has been my most inspiring and demanding teacher to date.

I guess I could say that Muay Thai has been the needle in my compass for the past several months and I am both suprised and grateful for all the challenges, experiences and opportunities it has provided me. It’s been quite a journey so far.

Despite not having trained for the past three months, my gym insists on feeding me.  I’ve become the slightly chubby girl that feasts then occasionally hangs around watching soap operas with the seniors.  I never thought I’d be happy living this way, but I’m increasing my language skills, I’m learning more about the culture and quite honestly, I just like the ladies.  During one of these hang out sessions, I was complaining about how I tried to bring some friends from NYC to an Isaan restaurant in Siam Square.  I’ve been there a number of times and always request that they don’t spill MSG in the food.  I did so again on this occasion and the server informed me that it was impossible to not put MSG in the food.  If I wanted to eat, I could have som tam (papaya salad), otherwise, I was out of luck.  I was confused by this statement and politely explained how I had eaten there before and wasn’t served MSG.  She said it was impossible.

I was relaying this story to one of the neighbourhood ladies, most notably, the woman who cooks the food at the gym, when she told me that I indeed can eat MSG, I only get sick if I eat a lot of it…

..What?

She repeated herself.  She said something to the effect of ‘Lolah (because few Thais know me here as Laura), you can eat it.  Honestly, you only get sick if there is a lot in it.”

Some background info…how can I determine if I’ve eaten MSG?  Generally, the first indication is that there is swelling in my left eye, then heat in my blood, followed by waves through my veins.  Sometimes I see pixels; sometimes it’s the equivalent of hitting a car wash when some kid squeegees the windshield, except the windshield has been replaced by my eyeballs. Basically my vision is clear, there’s a wipe of weirdness, then clear again.  By the time this hits, should I have not noticed my left eye swelling, there’s a really good shot it has magnified to a varying degree of abnormality.  Sometimes a little bit, sometimes enough to make me look equally ten years older and senile in about fifteen minutes.  Then the following morning….ah, that precious time of day when I realize, I can’t fit into most of my clothing.   I’m bloated, exhausted and generally in a nasty mood.  This is rarely subdued by the guys at the gym when upon seeing me, ask why I’m so fat.

Living in Thailand with this allergy has been a challenge. I can explain to whomever is either serving or cooking my food that I have this allergy.  I can list off the additives/flavour enhancers that contain it (ie. Rotdee), and I can further explain that I can’t eat it because it will make me very very sick.  Despite knowing that they understand me, I will still occasionally be poisoned.  There are a number of reasons I suspect this may occur – they forget, they don’t care, they lie and say it’s not in the food, they think it won’t be flavourful unless they add what they think is a tiny bit of it….

When I was in Samui I was getting hit with this stuff so much, that all I wanted to eat was fruit and nuts from 7 Eleven (as I got hit with MSG by nuts I ate on the beach).  My Thai friends would try to help me, and I’d still suffer.  They would too because, aside from all the swearing I’d subject them to, I was walking around with this sort of post MSG shock.  Afraid to eat and paranoid that every food vendor in Samui was out to get me.  I remember one situation where one of my Thai friends had a long conversation with the cook. It went something like this

Hero: Don’t put in MSG or Rotdee.  She’s allergic to it and can’t eat it.  It makes her very sick.

Villain: Okay.

Repeat this sequence approximately three times.

When he repeated it for what I believe was the fourth time, the cook answered, while squeezing her fingers together:

Well just a little bit..it won’t taste good without it.

He finally told her that I would die if I ate it.  We were both paranoid eating dinner that night.

You want to know who I’ve become in a restaurant?  I’m that chick who obsessively touches her left eye during meals.  If I feel swelling, I hit the antihistamines; try to control my bitching and head somewhere to pick this up….

Ya-Hom Powder by Five Pagodas Co., Ltd.

Currently I’m sitting here with a half litre of water filled with about a tablespoon of it.  Why?  Because I ate at the gym tonight and was mildly poisoned.  The ladies picked up some food in Chinatown and I didn’t ask if there was MSG in it.  Even if I did, these good natured and wonderful women would probably have assumed there was only a little bit in it – I know they don’t want to poison me, I really believe they like me, but the cook’s recent comment makes me wonder if I’ve been sort of an experiment in the ‘what she doesn’t know won’t kill her’ vein…?  It would explain some of the eye swelling I’ve had to deal with that I couldn’t seem to figure out…

You can pick up Ya-Hom Powder at most pharmacies, grocery stores, and some 7-Elevens.  It’s as common as Tylenol is in North America and a small bottle, which will last for numerous occasions costs twelve baht.  It honestly is the best stuff I have ever used.

More about Laura

I’m a Canadian who decided to quit my job, sell most of what I own, pack a suitcase, and skip continents to pursue a martial art I’m not particularly efficient in. A minimalist. A modern nomad. A kid who just likes having a good time.

My attraction to muay thai is that it’s an art with no wasted motion. It has been the greatest vehicle for my continual education. It’s incredibly challenging to me – both the physical and the mental game. The latter probably more so than the former.

Currently I’m in Bangkok training muay thai fulltime. The plan is to be here for a few years, but realistically, I have no idea where this path is leading, or what the timeline is. I like change and pushing my comfort zone. A lot. Nevertheless, muay thai will be the constant among the variables.

Be prepared for updates, rambling, video content and anything I’ve learned that I think may of use to you.

This hasn’t been easy, but so far, its been a pretty sick ride.

As some of you may now today is Nai Khanomtom Day.  Today people across the planet will be performing the Wai Khru.

This ceremony is the time when students pay respects to their teachers.  Every year I write the same post…  I feel that it needs to be written and it’s an important part of our tradition.

Whether you are aware of it or not, you are playing your part to preserve and carry on the traditions of MuayThai.  It’s important for us to show gratitude and thanks to our teachers.  So when you are done training tonight, show some love!

For those of you who are new to MuayThai and don’t know who Nai Khanom Tom is, here you go.

Happy Boxers Day!

For those of you who are in Bangkok or heading to Bangkok, things may get interesting in the next couple of days.  The PAD (Red Shirts) are planning on mass protests and demonstrations today.  If you are in Bangkok or near one of the rallys,  I would suggest you stay clear and to not get involved.

I’ve got friends in BKK who belive that the military will actually get involved, which always makes me a bit nervous.  If you don’t know the situation, the Thai Supreme court recently ruled against the outsted prime minister and has subsequently seized his assests ($1.4 Billion).  The Red shirts who are mostly rural Thais are supporters of Thaksin (former prime minister).

I sincerely hope things get resolved peacefully.  If any of you are out there, stay safe and keep us posted.

I was just reading MuayMag.com and I saw that the official MuayThai Museum of Thailand was just recently opened in Bangkok.  Have any of you been yet, or have any details?  I think it’s a great idea and I’ll be making a visit in May.  I’m not sure what they’ll have on exhibit, but I think it’s important to preserve what artifacts footage, and pics are left.  I think any sort of preservation that had been done was mostly on the part of gym owners and fans.  I’m glad that they’ll be an official place that we’ll be able to visit and support… it’s important.

images by pimchanok  of MuayGallery.com

I’m still trying to figure out where it is.  The article says it’s next to the National Stadium.  I don’t think they mean the National Stadium next to MBK, but rather Rajamangala National Stadium.  Rajamangala is out by Ram Khampang, and unfortunately doesn’t have decent transport links out there.  Can someone clarify?

The opening ceremony had a few legends in attendance, Samart Payakaroon, Saen Sor Ploenjit and Denkaosan Kaovichit.  Apparently Somluck Khamsing was supposed to put on a demo, but missed it because he slept in, classy…

image by pimchanok  of MuayGallery.com

If any of you head out there, send pics!

Run around a muay thai fight out here, actually, run around just about anywhere working class people chill around here, and you’re apt to find someone clutching one of these things.  It’s the Poy-Sian Mark II inhaler and if you’re training out here, it’s a useful piece of hardware.

Comprised of four ingredients; eucalyptus oil, menthol, camphor and borneol, this little smelly stick will set you back eighteen baht.  You can pick it up at any 7-Eleven, pharmacy and various spots on the street.

Listed as ‘relief of vertigo’, the Poy-Sian inhaler is much more than that.  Possible uses…..You’re tired.  It’ll give you a small boost.  Headache.  It helps clear your head.  Catch something way too hard to the cranium in the ring?  That’s where the ‘relief of vertigo’ comes in.  And that’s only the inhaler end…

The bottom can be screwed off and the oil can be used topically.  I use it to stop mosquito kisses from itching like madness, and it acts as a repellent.

It’s about 2ml of goodness and apparently so ergonomically designed, it can be used handsfree…I caught a chick on my street just hanging with one sticking out of her nose.  For a long time.  A really, really long time.

More about Laura

I’m a Canadian who decided to quit my job, sell most of what I own, pack a suitcase, and skip continents to pursue a martial art I’m not particularly efficient in. A minimalist. A modern nomad. A kid who just likes having a good time.

My attraction to muay thai is that it’s an art with no wasted motion. It has been the greatest vehicle for my continual education. It’s incredibly challenging to me – both the physical and the mental game. The latter probably more so than the former.

Currently I’m in Bangkok training muay thai fulltime. The plan is to be here for a few years, but realistically, I have no idea where this path is leading, or what the timeline is. I like change and pushing my comfort zone. A lot. Nevertheless, muay thai will be the constant among the variables.

Be prepared for updates, rambling, video content and anything I’ve learned that I think may of use to you.

This hasn’t been easy, but so far, its been a pretty sick ride.

It’s the dawn of a New Year and a couple of Falang nak muays I know are returning to Bangkok to hang out.  This excites me – being out here alone can be isolating.  This excites me enough that I brought it up to a crew of the guys here at the gym – to dial them into the fact that certain people they know will check in for a brief visit.  One of them, with his eyes averted towards the ground, shyly asked if it was possible to go out together when they got here.  Translation, he wants to party.  He isn’t in a position to take us – the way the words were selected weren’t an offer, rather a request to be included in our plans.

This reminded me of something I suspect a number of you would benefit from knowing about regarding going out for dinner, a movie, a club, whatever falls into the category of going out for pleasure…essentially, if you ask people to go (I’ll use party as the example), be prepared to pay, for everyone.  This, from my understanding, is customary in Thai culture.  Generally, the person who asks is offering, particularly if they’re older and/or wealthier.  Most Falang are assumed to fit into the latter category, particularly within the context of a muay thai gym.  Despite what a lot of you may think, most of these guys, including champions, don’t have a lot of coin to throw around.  It’s not because they’re cheap – it’s due to a number of factors, one being their percentage of the payout isn’t as large as a number of you may suspect.

At times, others will add what they can to the bill, but it’s not implied like it is in the West.  Again, this is within the context of the gym.  I have Thai friends who are in a different socioeconomic bracket and who are more accustomed to Falang culture – they generally split the bill – sometimes everyone, sometimes those with the most money.   It’s a mix out here, but from my experience, I’ve seen it go more in the direction I’m talking about – the person who offers, foots the bill, particularly if it’s a Falang.  I’ve known Falang who thought they were being exploited because they were expected to pay the bill every time we hit the bar.  Personally, I’ve been on the receiving end enough times.  It’s not always a, let’s-see-how much-we-can-squeeze-out-of-this-Falang trip, but it can be.  Use your intuition.

I was in Ko Samui for the first time in October.  I didn’t train but the culture out there is completely different than what I’m accustomed to.  It’s a lot more Western, including the Thais that I met.  I have no clue if this applies in the South/Islands – anyone have any idea?

More about Laura

I’m a Canadian who decided to quit my job, sell most of what I own, pack a suitcase, and skip continents to pursue a martial art I’m not particularly efficient in.  A minimalist.  A modern nomad.   A kid who just likes having a good time.

My attraction to muay thai is that it’s an art with no wasted motion.  It has been the greatest vehicle for my continual education.  It’s incredibly challenging to me – both the physical and the mental game.  The latter probably more so than the former.

Currently I’m in Bangkok training muay thai fulltime.  The plan is to be here for a few years, but realistically, I have no idea where this path is leading, or what the timeline is.  I like change and pushing my comfort zone.  A lot.  Nevertheless, muay thai will be the constant among the variables.

Be prepared for updates, rambling, video content and anything I’ve learned that I think may of use to you.

This hasn’t been easy, but so far, its been a pretty sick ride.

My love for food runs a very close second to muaythai, in fact I’m really thinking about starting a street food blog.  I’m one of those people can navigates a city by the location of taqeria’s and hole in the walls.

My love of MuayThai and grubbing is completely symbiotic.  I train so I can eat…  (see what happens to your metabolism when you get  past 30)

I did a post on this place a couple of years ago… but I was just recently there with DiiMak.  DiiMak is a Gai Yang and Somtam connoisseur (ask him about his Gai Yang, SomTam regiment) can back me up when I say this is one of the best grilled chicken places in the city.

The beauty of likit is that it’s located about 100 feet away from Rajadomnern stadium.  If you’re headed that way to catch the fights, get there 40 mins early and grab a seat at Likit.  You will not be disappointed.

Stick to the basics, a whole grilled chicken, som tam thai, pork larb, pork neck, and a tall bottle of Chang.