LengLeng

Hey interesting advice, thank you. Had no idea it's the heat that also adds protection, but of course it makes sense. I currently use ankle protectors on my shins for some extra padding. But once I get access to better shopping opportunities I might try these things as I've struggled a lot with shin splints in the past and they always on the verge of reappearing.

Hi Kevin this is gold! Thank you so much. It's this kind of advice that is like 'yeah of course it's like that/why on earth I didn't consider it yet it's so obvious'. Game changer advice. Use your legs as you use your hands (duh) with control. Makes 1000 percent sense to me and I'll try it immediately.

To catch kick at top of shin would that mean to not raise leg as high as one would regularly do? Or do I sort of angle the leg/knee? I was considering the low kick destroyer (I'm not really good at it yet or tbh not at all) but wouldn't I hurt my partner?

It's actually a lethwei gym in Yangon, Myanmar and I don't have a my gear with me and I have not been offered shin guards and I'm just going with the flow and doing what I'm told. In general the trainers are pretty rough with me compared to Thailand. Not violent, they just a bit rough including that shin guards are not offered to me. The trainer put on one shin guard after some sessions but he uses both his legs so it's still painful. Not sure if it is this gym, or these trainers, or me, or lethwei, because I have nothing to compare to. I have the feeling I'm being tested for toughness (this is like a fitness gym but I'm getting different training than the fitness students). So out of pride I'm refusing to ask for protection. I like it as it makes my kicks faster and more elegant and I think more before I move, but I also noticed I automatically stopped blocking and instead catching kicks which might not be great. I also started sparring and doing bags and pads without gloves as this is how you fight lethwei. It's a cool feeling. But I can't say I prefer one or the other.

Thanks so much Sylvie. I've never heard of the apple cider spice mix I think I'll give it a try. Sounds fun. The goal is to have the same experience as @Kero Tide describes above but it might be too late.

I see it like this. There are two main reasons you want to run. 1. Show dedication so the gym invests in you. 2. Build stamina for a fight. If running causes injury there are other ways you can show dedication. And there are other strategies to build stamina. In my experience Thai trainers notice dedication and acknowledge it. I wouldn't be too worried if you can't run so and so many miles, but still show up and demonstrate dedication.

Found this thread while I was searching for info on sparring without shin guards. I'm currently sparring without shin guards (and mouth guard lost it cannot get hold of a new one for a while) and although I love it, the pain is getting to me. Obviously it's light sparring but we block shin on shin and my partner has the boniest hardest shinbones I've ever experienced and while my shins are full of dents, swollen, puddle of blood and stuff between skin and shin bone he doesn't feel it. My shins are burning most of the time. I do the hot water towel massage thing. And put liniment on before training. And tiger balm before bed. Anything help to help speed up the hardening process? I've heard something about luke warm salt water should help?

It's impossible to answer this as it depends on where you go and what other guys are training where you'll train and whether you'll fight a thai or foreigner. It won't be impossible but it might not be super easy.

This guy weighs more than you and he's fighting soon

My experience from watching fights in Thailand for almost 2 years and training in Thailand for a year and a half tells me yes. I go to watch fights in Bangkok quite frequently and I don't think I've ever seen anyone above 72 kilo (if even 72 kilo). I don't have the exact weight classes for Lumpinee and Rajadamnern but mainly it ranges between 48kg and 72kg or around those numbers. Same at MBK for example (but you can see guys weighing around 70). At shows like Max and Muay Extreme SuperChamp etc weights tend to be a bit higher but above 76kilo I'm not sure... The guys at my gym fight at the national stadia, asiatique, and superchamp and the heaviest (foreigner) is 72kg and the heaviest thai 66kg (he mainly fights 64kg). One of my previous trainers who is known internationally (Nonsai sor. Sanyakorn) fought at 165lbs. Buakaw, who I dare to say is considered "big", fights around 72 kilo same for Yodsanklai if I'm not mistaken. So I would say, at almost 80 kilo, yes you are considered big in Thailand. It doesn't mean though you don't get fights or good training.

I've been explained that when flexing foot you have the benefit of your shins being harder/stronger which is beneficial when it comes to blocking for example. But it also opens up the risk of breaking your feet if it lands the wrong way. I keep my foot flexed (or try to) during blocks for this reason and balance. Not flexing when kicking as I feel it affects speed and can cause injury if I land the kick in the wrong spot.

There will always be assholes to avoid in a gym. No matter her behavior, it is the responsibility of the coach to manage this so it doesn't affect the class. Perhaps you can talk to other students to see if others feel the same and if yes, talk to the coach? It is really annoying to see female peers using their looks or sexual power to get attention from the trainers. It feels like they're cheating or using short-cuts. And it affects every female student if teachers stop seeing them as students and instead as objects for their sexual desires and means to get some ego massage. But I can understand it. It's not easy being taken seriously and flirting is a handy strategy. Or taking the role of daughter/female protege or whatever. But it's their choice and the responsibility of the coach to manage depending on his level of professionalism You will just waste precious energy and focus to get upset about her.

Safe journey. I'll try to spot you during morning runs in Chatuchak park. I'm injured so I'll be the one run-limping.

@Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu Thanks for sharing this. I am deeply sorry for what happened. I once had my home broken into and I thought when this happened that it must have felt like that. A violation and attack on your space that you built and nurtured. I'm grateful and happy you could rebuild it. You two are doing so many amazing things that no one ever done before and it's beyond me how you can be so generous not only sharing it, but also package everything you do in a way we can all learn from it. You always take care of putting things into a context, ensuring the right message comes across for everyone to absorb the knowledge. It also struck me more than once how you two never really take any time off and I have no idea where that energy and productivity and discipline come from. First doing all the things. Then sharing it. Repeat and repeat.

@Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu has plenty of experience re stitches hopefully she can give an overview. All I know they usually have a doc ringside and I've seen people being stitched up after fights at location (no hospital).. Weigh in is fuzzy. I have limited experience but. Depends on skill level. Rajadamnern (I think...) and Lumpinee weigh in same day (early morning). Other places no clue but if you're not that experienced they probably won't check weight at all. A friend of mine is fighting at Lumpinee tomorrow and weigh in is around 6am fight around 8pm. It is very common at less prestigious fight venues to have weight difference. A guy at my gym (64kg) fought at Asiatique BKK yesterday, weight (never checked though) was 70kg. I've been asked to fight someone 15kg heavier than me. Hopefully you'll have a trainer you can trust and consult on this. It's not super easy getting a fight in Thailand so you might not have the opportunity to be picky about it.

@RB Coop I have private insurance and have to pay out of pocket when seeking medical care which has given me an idea of what things cost. I've never had surgery in Thailand or got stitches but I go to the doc frequently and compared to other countries care is very affordable. I also recently needed to be taken by an ambulance to nearest hospital and got some urgent check and treatment done after an obstacle race injury. The event organizers took care of the bill so I don't know the exact amount but I don't think it was that much judging by the look at the guys who accompanied me and insisted to pay. Anyhow at international high-end hospital in Bangkok I've payed 20 EUR for expert consultations (orthopedic, ENT, cardiology, dermatology). 30 EUR for X-ray. 90 EUR for ultrasound scan plus surgeon consultation. 28 EUR blood test. Most expensive was a thorough heart check including stress test and loads of other tests for 1200 EUR. I had to drain my clinch ear, total cost 60 EUR. Physiotherapy following a muscle strain was 40 EUR/session. Treatment for the shingles was pretty expensive, medication cost me around 100 EUR. In general, imported medication will be pricey. But this is at a really expensive hospital and I could've opted for cheaper clinics or cheaper medication. They usually inform you about pricing before you say yes to anything. When I lived in the EU as EU citizen I managed to get really affordable and great travel insurance for when traveling outside of Europe, around 8 EUR/year. I would go for one of those that will cover emergency care. You might already have insurance if you booked your trip with visa or Mastercard, worth looking into. Depending on location you might need medevac (but it's not like an helicopter will airlift you out of the jungle, you'll still need to find your way to nearest airport). Thailand has excellent hospitals and doctors. I don't have any stats but my impression is that most common issue for tourists are scooter accidents.

I am not sure this is because lack of control. Where I have trained in Thailand there is always this belief that regardless of her size, a woman is always weaker (and somewhat fragile) that you tend to believe it yourself so you think you are not strong as a guy and your strikes won't be painful. I also feel that whenever I am smaller than the person I am sparring with, that I have to go harder because they can take more pain or whatever. So I am not sure this is about having a lack of control but rather not understanding your own strength. In my experience, women spar harder than men. I sparred with this woman fighter some months ago and I felt she went hard so I went hard too. She usually trains with guys and she told me afterwards no one had hit her as hard as I had. While I felt she went super hard. Eh haha.

Using 12 when training I feel this effect too, that I'm getting stronger. And when I'm using 10 I have more energy left after padrounds.

Sorry no idea. I'm around 60kg and woman and get 8.oz. Hopefully someone more experienced can answer.

Oh please don't take my 2 cents as a rule . Just my observation from training. I train with 12 oz which is slightly more than other girls but not overly so. I fight around 60kg and fight gloves are 8 oz. A lot of times the thai fighters at my gym (48kg-64kg) just take any gloves to do pads could be 8 or 12 or 14.

Liniment many use during training and you can get it at 7/11. At my gym we sometimes use vaseline during sparring when we do hard, serious sparring (like mock fights) but not sure how common it is. We never spar with elbows or knees other than in a very very controlled way. Vaseline also in every 7/11. Tape and gauze and mongkol only during fights and mongkol gym can provide. I wanted my own as women have to enter ring crawling in under bottom rope and only get the mongkol put on after we have entered the ring so somehow I wanted to counter this bs with having my own headpiece. 16 oz. we use during sparring mainly. And men 12 or 14 during training. Women 10 or 12.

Ah ok sounds good. When it hits 170 and above I get a headache and nausea and also got a rash in my throat. But it's manageable and December should be fine. No idea about groin protection as women rarely use them when fighting although some do. Some guys will use during clinch but not very common. But during fights of course. I have my own shin guards but of the softer kind (like socks) and some trainers don't like them so I usually get the regular ones from the gym when sparring (always used during muay thai sparring IMO but I know some gyms do sparring without). But shin guards from gyms are of varying quality so it might be good to get your own. I bought all my equipment in Thailand (training gloves, fighting gloves, mouthguard, wraps, shin guards, tape, liniment, vaseline, gauze, mongkol) so I'm not sure how western prices compare. But I assume prices in Thailand are ok. And you can always get most stuff from the gym (except mouthguard of course) but they can be smelly and old. As the Thais say: up to you .

Not to scare you, but since you have asthma just to let you know the air quality in Bangkok has been awful lately. I think Chiang Mai was ok. Usually air is bad Feb-Mar but this year it's been worse lasted well into May and started earlier. Might be a good idea to invest in a mask for runs. You can check PM 2.5 using apps or here: https://aqicn.org/city/chiang-mai/