LengLeng

Yes for sure, sunlight and correction of circadian rhythms and treatment of depression and what have you not is well researched. Jack Kruse takes it one step further though . Interesting stuff.

Oh yes of course meditation. Most simplest thing to do, hardest to stick to. I have used epsom salt soaks a lot in the past due to sleep issues and trying to learn some wim hoff techniques. Where do you get epsom salt in Thailand? Or you just use regular salt? I wear glasses in the evening and bluelight glasses do not work with that but I use filters on my phone, but I am pretty sure I get way too much bluelight. For melatonin regulation Dr Jack Kruse (bit of an asshole on social media but also a genius) has interesting ideas on letting sunlight hit the retina in morning https://jackkruse.com/time-10-can-you-supplement-sunlight/ Thanks so much for the link, very interesting and I might go for her book as well.

THIS definitely makes a lot of sense. Thanks!

I'm curious to hear about what people do to recover. I believe in regular training and definitely into the "there is no overtraining only under recovery"-approach. However due to not getting proper recovery, mainly not enough sleep, I've struggled with all kinds of illness, fatigue and muscle strains. But to go to the gym 6 days a week even if I'm tired and fatigued has its wins and helps me to learn. And to battle my own mind. Sleep seems to be number one parallel to nutrition. Enough protein seems to be key for me. And warm showers after sessions. I can't say a particular supplement other than BCAA has done any magic trick. But I also do a lot of massage and have done regular chiropractic treatments in the past. I'm a yogic and used to do do a lot of yoga. When I stopped (because muay thai took over my life) my body felt it, getting stiffer more prone to injuries etc. and instead I opt for weekly thai massage and sauna. I've received the expert advice that body work (massage and the likes) is great for getting the muscles in order, the way they move under the skin etc. But I'm also constantly being told by trainers and fellow students to not get a thai massage more than 2/monthly. Because of toxins being released and so on. But massage has really helped me with my muscle issues. And it "feels" right. Curious to hear other people's views.

I agree with what has been said above. Just to add a few things. Prices in Bangkok can be roughly compared to Cape Town, but more expensive than Pretoria for example. International food and wine being more expensive than SA, especially wine (bottle of 2 oceans is like 230 rand, insane). In Bangkok you have to factor in transportation, it is getting a bit cooler at the moment due to the rains but the humidity simply makes you sweat a lot. A single journey with the skytrain or metro is around 15 rand. 15 minute walk would cost around 10 rand if you hop on a bike taxi. Cheapest option is regular taxi, however can get a bit tricky if you do not speak any thai and do not know the city very well. The second cheapest option is Grab motorbike (Asia's Uber). I use it everyday and it works fine, I pay around 45 rand (3.50USD) for a 15-20 minute ride. If you live elsewhere, for example on an island or in the north, renting a motorbike would be a good option and usually pretty affordable. Traffic in Bangkok can be a bit hectic. All in all, best option is to live within walking distance of the gym if possible. In Thailand it is very easy to go for the budget option. Cheap food from food stalls is delicious and the best option in case you do not care about msg or sugar in your food. The same with accommodation, plenty decent options available in all price ranges and more luxurious options will also be cheaper than SA. You do not have to be too concerned with safety when choosing a place to live. Obviously, do not be stupid, but Thailand is way safer than SA. For example, the taxis do not even lock the car doors while they drive you and nothing will happen to you while waiting for the robot to turn green other than that you either get super sweaty on the back of a bike or you stress out because traffic soooooo slow during peak hours. Thailand feels very cheap, but at the same time you find yourself constantly spending money as you depend on others for daily services and food. Especially in Bangkok where you will be in and out of 7/11s most of the time. To have a more controlled budget it might be a good idea to choose a gym package with training, accommodation and food. However, this will also likely be more expensive than arrange everything while in Thailand. Training fees and a place to live will be your biggest expenses. Training 2 sessions a day will cost you around 300-500 USD/month. Regarding earning some extra money by working. I have friends who have been able to increase their travel budget by working extra as a PT or some kind of fitness instructor gig or getting free training by helping out at the gym with social media or admin or similar. But this is not an option I would count on. There's a Thai Embassy in Pretoria and their visa clerk has been very helpful to me in the past. Happy to DM her contact details in case you need.

I can understand that. (Also because her gym seems incredibly nice.) But also gym culture being so dependent on atmosphere and the people training. A group of people coming to train can easily change things. I used to train with my husband, but now I am more or less alone training due to his work. And I feel my current gym changes with each group of people that comes and goes. I always wonder how it is for the thai fighters who sleep and train at the gym.

I am also surprised, but maybe they do not market heavily as they focus on their thai fighters? I also heard something about 24000/month for training and accommodation (and food at the gym if I am not mistaken). I haven't heard from anyone who has been there long-term though. I have never been to yokkao but the image they send out on social media is not really what I am looking for. And I feel a lot of thai gyms do not get the reach what they deserve, but maybe that is why they are so nice haha. For example, there is one gym in Saphan kwai (Punrith) I used to go to when I first started out. Only girls working there including admin, PT and two tomboy trainers, one of them a member of the thai national western boxing team who also became a friend. Sadly both trainers left and I have not been there to try it out since. Back then I did not understand how great that was for me to have women as trainers. It is not a camp though and currently targeting Thai middle/upper class.

Have not tried it myself but a friend has and yes, seems open to foreigners. Apparently very nice and clean. If you look at their instagram there are some westerners training, but I do not know whether there are certain conditions attached.

Hi there. There are quite a few options in Bangkok, as you mentioned most cost around 8000-12000 month for 2 sessions/day. My advice is to check gyms you are interested in on facebook or instagram to get an impression of what kind of people train there at the moment. It is so hard to recommend a place as trainers change, students change and so on. Organize accommodation for the first few days in Bangkok and visit a couple of gyms to get the feel for it. And then pick the one you prefer. If you want to fight, ask other foreigners at the gym if the gym helps you arrange fights and how well they prep you. Some gyms let their students wait forever, promising them fights that never happen... Also at the moment it rains quite heavily now and then in BKK and some places get flooded easily. Might be worth to keep in mind when looking for a place to stay. Some gyms in the city that might be of interest to visit are: FA Group in Chatuchak (thai fighters and foreigners, they sometimes have quite a few larger guys) Attachai (Onnut) Muay thai academy/Rompo (Klong Thoey) Superbon trains there Numponthep (also in Klong Thoey. Mix Thai fighters, Japanese/Chinese and some westerners. Currently no one heavier than 65-70 kilo training there) PK Saenchai gym (Thawanchay, Rodlek and others train there) Sathian gym (Sangmanee trains there if I am not mistaken) ...and then all the camps found here: https://muaythaicampsthailand.com/category/bangkok/ You can also ask here: https://www.facebook.com/MuayThaiCampsThailand/ Good luck!

I have a colleague who recently spent two weeks at a temple as a monk. I asked him if he could help me and he sent me a pic of three monks and told me to pick and choose . My advice would be do the same, ask a thai person you know (maybe use google translate?)to help you. Or simply bring your mongkol, visit a temple and ask. My experience is that most thai people are incredibly helpful about these things.

No worries I feel more educated than before :). Thank you for this elaboration. I think I grasp the concept the way you do. I say grasp because i is more the feeling of having them on the tip of my tongue. I remember this post very well. I am not sure to what degree Vipassana, yoga philosophy and art of sak yant overlap, but to me it all seem to stem from the same idea of accepting what is, instead of trying to escape from it. Surrender to the now. Most of my yoga teachers have emphasized the necessity of stop trying to escape from the present (the difficult, uncomfortable pose) and simply breathe into it and just accept what is. By pointing out how, when being told to stay in a difficult pose, our minds keep trying to convince us to think about other things or trying to calculate how long the teacher will hold us in that pose, we discover how we all try to escape from the now (what is). Adding the physical experience to the mental thought process is very effective for understanding. The same teacher I paraphrased also once told me that the most skilled martial artists are not the ones who can endure the pain, but the ones who choose not to absorb it. Sort of pain is inevitable, suffering is voluntary kind of thought.

It always takes a while for me to get through your texts. There are many expressions used you leave undefined. And many references (although I speak German fluently 555) I'm not familiar with and I have to ask myself whether this is an English word I don't know or another reference I'm not familiar with(555×2). This text I read backwards and then uh the normal way (forward?). And it was so worth the effort. I can somewhat grasp it, the space, the dramatic pause and how well the fighters can endure it and manage it. Maybe I'm interpreting what you wrote differently than how it was intended, but it reminds me of a yoga teacher I had some years back. Who would keep us in poses forever encouraging us to feel and fully embrace the discomfort and later in shavasana repeating how we now are comfortable, we feel pleasure ONLY because "there was discomfort before and without discomfort there can be no pleasure. Everything is two. They come together. Except yoga. Yoga is one" (imagine an Indian accent). Obviously you can understand this intellectually, but feeling the contrast between discomfort and pleasure and resisting the urge to run away from the discomfort makes you understand it in a different way. And to me this how I can see great fighters (after having read this). Not only the unreal body control and fluidity. But who can endure and manage the uncertainty + extreme discomfort (=fear) caused by what you call the gap.

I would be more than pleased to help in any way I could be useful!