Lei

Thanks for the info. We plan to travel about so how do we best obtain the following? "An invitation or confirmation letter to clarify the purpose of travel issued by the concerned organization."

My partner & I both want to stay in Thailand for a year for the sole purpose of training in Muay Thai. We will have more than enough cash between us to support ourselves without needing to work which we will obtain from the sale of a property. What we are not sure about is how to obtain Visas to stay for longer than the 30 days were are granted upon arrival. I'm struggling to understand exactly what needs to be done, especially seems Visa runs appear to have been clamped down on. Is it possible to apply for a 1 year Visa from the UK? Or do we have to apply on arrival? How simple is the process? Thanks.

The main thing I don't like about fighting a friend is the feeling of holding back because I don't want to hurt them. When it's someone I don't really know I tend to care less about their welfare and health.

In the UK fighters punch more because of the different rule systems. Interclub - N - C -B Class rules are all no elbows to the head so punches tend to be more dominant up until A class (Full Thai Rules). Up to that point it's a case of old habits die hard. Muay Thai rulesets vary alot in different Western countries at anything below A - Class (Full Thai Rules).

Storm Gym in Luton do regular interclubs. Their next interclubs are 14th May, 16th July and 15th October. You should join a reputable club that knows this information. If your gym knows this information, but isn't putting you forward, then there is likely good reason for it.

Primarily I like to train without gloves on in as relaxed a manner as possible. It allows me to get a better feel for the technique without resorting to trying to overpower with strength. You appreciate this a lot more when the smallest guy in the gym throws you around like a rag doll without even trying. Techniques feel different when performed with gloves on and I think it's important to experience the difference once you've gotten a grasp of how the technique should feel without gloves. I see no harm in the odd session here and there with gloves on but you can usually do this type of practice during sparring really (at least from a western training perspective anyway).

One thing I really struggled with when I went out to Thailand last month was keeping my footing on mats and canvas during pads or sparring (there's good reason Yokkao fights always seem to take place around the edges of the ring instead of the centre), and getting good solid purchase with teeps on heavy bags,that were slippery from the accumulation of sweat. Especially when it was humid during training. Any advice on how I can try and prepare myself for this back home for when I return to Thailand for training again next year?

I've heard nothing but good things about the trainig at Yokkao gym from one of the lads at the gym I train at who just came back from Thailand. I've tried making enquiries with them but they aren't very quick to reply to emails. They gave me prices for training and accomodation but have been waiting a good week nearly for a reply from them regarding more info about their on site accomodation. We found somewhere close by to stay for a fair price but its a bit frustrating their only form of contact being an email or a very expensive phone call, taking into account you have to book via email with them unless you take the chance on drop in. Hope to hear back from them soon because my partner really likes the idea of training there, especially as it's actually a fair price and a good standard of training.

Thanks for your feedback everyone. Seems like the camp is pretty bang on then by the sounds of it. So we will definitely give it a look in if we can find somewhere reasonable. We're both fighters as already stated so for our benefit the fighters sessions sound like they will do the job, especially with us intending to take more fights when we get back. Might even have a blast our there yet, who knows? :) Pretty wary of getting apartments due to paying deposits and attempted scams that I've heard horror stories about. Last one I looked at wanted two months deposit upfront. Seems its our first time travelling to Thailand we are understandably being cautious about our money.

Hi. My girlfriend and I are travelling to Bangkok next month for training for one month. We've both fought here in the UK but it's our first time travelling and training in Thailand. We're planning to go to try out Sitsongpeenong in Bangkok. We got a generally good vibe from them when chatting with them about training there. The only downside is that on gym accommodation is very pricey considering we want to share a room together as they charge us both each. We didn't feel like we wanted that either as it ties into staying at the gym if we didn't like it. Can anyone recommend any fair priced hotels that are close to the gym? (walking distance is preferable, but not essential if easy to reach by other modes of transport). Also if anyone has any experiences of training there we would love to hear of them! Its worth noting that we haven't committed to any money to the gym so we welcome recommendations and suggestions about any other gyms also. We did have Sasiprapa under consideration also. Thanks.