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Thanks for the advice !

@RB Coop I always feel this is the hardest part to deal with, how to manage injuries. You want to be responsible and so on, at the same time not risking that the trainer won't invest in you. Add some language barriers and it gets complicated I try to downplay any kind of injury but that's from a woman point of view. Some trainers are very traditional and think girls are much more sensitive so if I start talking about some issue it becomes a big deal. Anyhow in muay thai everybody is injured. If I were you I'd not mention it at first, try out the training, test your limits and how you can manage. Most likely your trainer will notice if you're in pain and if you need your asthma medication and will be able to determine whether you can fight or not regardless of you explaining your health issues or not. And probably you're not the first fighter with these issues he's trained. I've seen it many times where a newcomer arrives and directly goes to a trainer and explains everything about themselves and what they want and need and cannot do and the trainer is always like "yeah yeah" but my interpretation is what he's thinking is "let's first see you train". Just my two cents.

One more thing. From my reading and following fighters like Sylvie and a few others .... when you’re in Thailand and going to fight.... MY UNDERSTANDING IS the trainers PUSH YOU TO THE LIMIT. You do whatever they say. They are the experts. They say jump you say how how and do it. What if you get an asthma attack or experience pain in your injured areas? If they know they may be able to give you an alternative exercise or drill or work out. Or offer tips on helping it heal and working around your injury. If they don’t know they can’t do that and help you. And you might get injured more. If you have the heart to fight and the drive to train .... I’d think they see and respect that and will work with you and help you. And work around your injuries. ( I think over time all athletes have injuries to contend with. It goes with the territory and trainers know this) (reiterating I have no personal experience. But I’m experienced in other ways if that makes sense. I don’t want to state my age ) ( adding I do have experience with very tough mt trainers)

Hey Guys! I know it has been a long time since I posted, but I am now back from my trip and I AM GRATEFUL. I ended up at Yokkao and was kind of aiming to wing it for maybe a week, 10 days if it was really good. Well, I ended up staying for almost 3 weeks - the gym is great, the people are even better - so welcoming and playful. It was an amazing experience. I even ended up having food and beers with the man himself (Saenchai). I then heard bad things about Banchamek, so went to Manop Gym in Chiang Mai. What a hidden gem! This was easily the best muay thai instruction of the trip, and my life. Manop is such a youthful and caring individual - it's like being with an uncle who drives you around and is all-round badass. Sylvie was even due to turn up while I was there but then couldn't make it. I then went to Diamond MT, which wasn't bad but was very western compared to the former two gyms. My thinking was to wind down the intensity so I enjoyed the islands and safe to say I spent time in paradise. Sapphire beaches, powdered sand, great food and drinks and cool people. I also went to Vietnam but that isn't MT related, albeit being breathtaking. Overall, thank you so much for your help and advice. I could never have been as comfortable without you guys or Sylvie's website. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Alsooo, I decided to start creating videos from my time there, centred around MT & food. Please check it out and let me know what you think! http://tiny.cc/o0ijdz That's a link to the channel - please subscribe if you like it and you'll be able to see what I've described above. Chok dee and peaaace!

Gyms that I have heard positive things about, or which I visited and have qualities that might appeal to a certain kind of traveler/student/fighter. These are not gym reviews, just quick impressions. Sitjaopho (Hua Hin) - This is a gym in Hua Hin that is quiet popular with those looking for "technical" instruction. It has a strong Swedish connection, as well as a following with some from the East Coast (USA). I've have experienced one afternoon session here and was really impressed by the organization and work put in by everyone. Kru F is the captain of the ship and works directly with his students, sparring and padwork and clinching, and he seems to set the tone that is carried on by everyone in the space. There is a LOT of sparring (very light, very technical), padwork, shadowboxing, some students hit the bag but most didn't, and about 30 minutes of clinch (many participating, but not all), followed by group conditioning. Friendly space, dedicated students, Thai trainers and on this day all non-Thai students, but everyone on the same program from beginners to definitely-experienced fighters. Chatchai Sasakul Gym (BKK) - the former WBC world champion boxer Chatchai is highly recommended if you want to work on your boxing. Precise technician, great instructor. Probably the best boxing gym in Thailand, home of several current world champions. Private sessions are best. You can see a full private session with him here. They also have some nearby accommodation for longer-term stays as well. Dejrat Gym (BKK) - This is a hidden gem in Bangkok run by the coach of the Thai National Team, Arjan Surat. Watch our session together. It just is a very "Thai" gym, so I couldn't recommend it in a broad way, either in a cultural or instruction sense. It's no-nonsense Muay Thai that is focused on its serious Thai fighters. They have had experience with female fighters. Go here only if you want some sort of immersion, are prepared to work very hard, and be positioned in a traditional hierarchy. Not a lot of English spoken. My session with Arjan Surat: Arjan Surat 2 - His Old School Tough & Defensive Style (94 min) Burklerk's Gym (Lampang, contact here) - outstanding instruction from a Legend in sleepy and beautiful Lampang. He and his wife have opened up a brand new resort style gym in Lampang. I wrote about his original home gym here: Burklerk's Family Run Gym in Lampang. Burklerk has a beautiful, powerful style and each time I visit I learn things. Even 5 minutes with him is gold. It's a small community gym in a quiet neighborhood, but not a fighter's gym really. Go there for the time with Burklerk, but there won't be much sparring or clinching. My session with Arjan Burklerk in his original home location: Burklerk PInsinchai - Dynamic Symmetry (82 min) Keatkhamtorn Gym (Bangkok) - This gym is an authentic kai muay gym in Bangkok in that it is still very focused on growing Muay Thai stadium champions from an early age. This means that it is a great gym for small bodied westerners especially those interested in immersive clinch. Immersive clinch the way Thais learned, but be warned it takes a while.They have tons of young male fighters between 45-52 kg, and are a Muay Khao gym, which means that you'll be encouraged to develop proper clinch fighting habits. I will definitely make this my clinch gym when in Bangkok. The owner, Teerawat Chukorn is a Police Captain and very kind, and speaks English. You can contact them through their Facebook page which will respond in English. PK Saenchai Gym (Bangkok) I have never been to this gym during regular training at all, but it is a favorite of Westerners both who are seeking to train under a big name and those who have been in Thailand for a long while and decide to move over there for the fight opportunities and training alongside contemporary stars of Muay Thai. A head trainer is Detduang Pongsawang, who was a great fighter in the Golden Age. From what I understand it's a kind of "build a bear" method for training, so you can decide how much or how little you want to do by speaking with the manager and he works it all out for you. He sounds very personable and his English is very good. NungUbon: (Ubon) this is a lovely little gym just 10 minutes from the Ubon airport. There are fighter rooms, local fights, and NungUbon's son is a stadium fighter in Bangkok so trips down occur when he is fighting. It's mostly westerners, who for whatever reason tend to be tall, so if you are a larger person and looking for a more rural experience but want similarly sized clinch/sparring partners, this is an option.