LengLeng
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Posts posted by LengLeng
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20 hours ago, Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu said:
I remember Natasha Sky, who was at Sinbi at the time, said her trainers did Apple Cider Vinegar, cinnamon or cayenne pepper, and salt, then wrapped it in plastic wrap with that concoction under it. Never done that myself, but there it is. The work you're doing should be all you need to condition them for more of what you're doing, but I don't know that there's any way to "hack" the process. Obviously not recovering between is just going to be sore shins all the time, but stopping and starting is the same. Maybe use the bottom of your feet to "kick" for a bit.
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.
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2 hours ago, TeepKwaa said:
I suppose I'm just looking to get a better idea about the expectations of various gyms including running frequency, distance, and pacing. Just knowing what to be prepared for so I don't crash and burn. I'm over 30 now so a major concern is the balance between pushing through 'hurt' and avoiding actual injuries because my time is running out and I'd rather compete at less than ideal than not compete at all due to injury.
Basically I'm getting old and trying to figure out how to deal with it while trying to fight before it's 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.
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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?
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5 hours ago, Banana36 said:
Just had a read. I dont consider myself heavy as i am 5ft 8 so weight never realy bothered me. I understand that ill probably struggle to get paired?
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.
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4 hours ago, Banana36 said:
Thank u and sorry for delay in replying. Yep im near 80kg so I did think I was heavy. Would I need to cut weight?
This guy weighs more than you and he's fighting soon
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On 11/24/2019 at 11:09 PM, Banana36 said:
Hi
So im 12.5stone. Am I considered heavy for a thai fighter?
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.
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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.
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On 11/3/2019 at 8:05 PM, threeoaks said:
Honestly this is just a bitch session. I have two gyms, one of them no one on this forum would know, so I feel safe griping (it’s a different martial art). The most advanced current student is throwing herself at the instructor, madly, irritatingly, obsessively. (Both married). I have no idea what is happening between them, likely nothing, but he’s just given her a huge amount of responsibility to run the school while he is away this week. I’m going full time to my other gym & training myself instead. This is not out of moral outrage; I’m no angel. It’s because in the course of sucking up his attention she routinely, compulsively throws other people under the bus which he seems to find appealing & funny. She’s also an impatient & selfish partner with zero teaching skills. I have so much respect for this instructor, but I’m losing it now. Men, can you not see this typically female behavior? Is this a real blind spot? For myself, I’ll just train til I’m as good as her then make her pay #motivation lol.
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.
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2 hours ago, gconley said:
well, tomorrow i leave. thanks for everyones help and input. much appreciated. i will hopefully take some good video and pictures if i can, to share with you guys when i come back.
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.
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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.
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6 hours ago, RB Coop said:
Thank you! I'm really only worried about the fight, might get stitches, and i bet for that they bring you to hospital, so i think i need insurance for that, need to call and ask.. Insurance won't cover the scooter accident just because our license is not valid there, won't be using one anyways. Do you know how the weight in goes? Is it the same day before the fight or is it 1day before, so you can rehydrate?
@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.
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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.
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On 10/12/2019 at 6:24 AM, 515 said:
Haha
But a lot of girls go (too) hard also in my experience (non intentionally I guess, but by lack of control?).
Giving front kicks to woman is also a bit hard for me, I don't want to kick them too high or too low...
But mostly I got no problems training with other males or females, unless they go too hard because they can't control themselves (or when you hold back because you would hit them hard on a good spot and they do counter super hard because you hold back
) or people that don't want to "loose" in training haha or if they are lazy/skip warm up/being late on purpose.
If you don't bring too much ego to the gym all is fine, I think.
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.
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12 hours ago, Oliver said:
Other friends say heavier gloves train your arms better in keeping your guard up, but that might be an Eastern European thing rather than Thai, dunno.
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.
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19 hours ago, RB Coop said:
I'm always around 80-85kg. What size gloves you get for the fight in the stadium? 8-10?
Sorry no idea. I'm around 60kg and woman and get 8.oz. Hopefully someone more experienced can answer.
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3 hours ago, RB Coop said:
Ahh so i'll have to get 12oz, thought so, nice! Have couple of ideas already that i want to try, will have to talk with the guy's i'm sparring so they don't get hurt tho.
Thanks for the information!
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.
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9 minutes ago, RB Coop said:
do you use the tape in training or only when you have fights and only wraps in the training? also vaseline, gauze, liniment and mongkol for fighting i guess or do you also use it for training? i only have 16Oz gloves, i guess that could be for sparring, for training might need a smaller size.
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.
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7 hours ago, RB Coop said:
the only bad thing for me is when it's really strong wind or when it's cold, the air quality doesn't really do much when it comes to asthma. Also a quick question, do you use groin protection and shin guards always? Should i get some?
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
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15 hours ago, RB Coop said:
It's not like i'm trying to die, i just always give 100% for everything i'm doing, it's only been so bad only once , so that's not 2 bad considering i had asthma from 3 yrs old, so it's like 22years and only 1 bad asthma attack.
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/
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2 hours ago, MadelineGrace said:
Based on this I’m retracting what I posted above! Disregard it !
. Lengleng would know better than I!
As a human being though- please don’t be foolish re your asthma - I don’t want you to die!
Asthma is no joke!
No no please don't
. I think it depends on context and how he feels about his trainer.
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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.
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6 hours ago, gconley said:
Thanks so much for the input guys. Much appreciated.
couple more questions...
1. Can you explain the SIM cards or send me a link. I have Verizon but am assuming it would be crazy to go through them for an international plan for the month.
2. What is the general consensus on their version of uber? grab I think it is called?
3. i guess this next one isn’t so much a question but more of a concern. My biggest concern is being rag dolled and exhausted to the point of surviving and not learning as much. I would imagine I can just go at my own pace to some degree? I don’t want to be a bother to anybody Or an annoyance but I know I will have so many questions about technique. I don’t want to overstep their boundaries or interfere with the flow of the class. Am I thinking too much into this?
You can buy thai sim cards in every 7/11 so you can stay online during your stay. At the airport they have some spaces where you can buy them, I think it's TRUE and DTAC stands just close to the exit (either same exit as taxi or one level below).
Grab is Asia's version of Uber. When I arrived end 2017 you had both but if I'm not mistaken Grab purchased Uber and now there's only Grab. It is currently being (or will be) legalised and for that reason taxidrivers have been protesting outside Ministry of Transport lately. There are reported cases on taxi drivers having beaten up grab drivers. Regular taxi is cheaper than Grab taxi. Grab motorbike cheaper than regular motorbike taxi. Obviously grab has the advantage of the customers not having to explain where to go, which can be tricky with regular taxi. I use Grab motorbike every morning to work. Home from work I use the bike taxis standing there to support them but also becauss, as almost every taxi driver, they're big muay thai fans :).
I don't think you need to worry about being rag dolled or exhausted. If by this you mean being swept and thrown a bit yeah that happens (for fun but no serious) but if you are an MMA guy you already got that advantage. They will pair you up in clinch and it's either gonna be with a trainer or student and it would be a dick move to go hard on a new guy.
Thai gym trainers are used to westerners being tired just having arrived. The big risk is if you say you are tired but the trainer can see you are not (they know for sure) they might not respect you. But they will see if you are super tired and really try. If you are new they not gonna try to break you. Except padrounds and to some extent clinch training pace will be up to you. Personally I'm more concerned with getting easy padrounds and not being pushed at all. It happens I get a trainer who thinks I'm not strong enough and will give me short padrounds with very few speed kicks and never tell me to do pushups or anything in between. That hurts more than being so exhausted from padrounds. If you only stay 2 weeks unfortunately there's a risk trainers won't invest in you too much to push you too hard.
Just be yourself, make sure to give an effort and enjoy your time. Let me know when you're there I look for you during the morning run
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9 hours ago, gconley said:
Hello everyone, first post here, just joined. Just want to start a thread on my upcoming Training. This is going to be a life changing experience and im super excited/nervous.
My name is Gary and I am 35 and from Chicago. On October 30th I leave for Fa Group. I will be there for 2 weeks by myself and staying at the SL residence that they set me up with. I would of stayed at the gym but they didn't have private bathrooms as an option. My wife will be coming out at the end of the 2 weeks and we will stay another 2 weeks but not in bangkok. we will be traveling to phuket, krabi, and koh samui where i will be training morning sessions only at the nearest gyms to our hotel.
I have been doing only muay thai for 3 years now but have done mma since my early 20's, on and off. I always enjoyed the muay thai portion of the mma training the best as im 6'1" and skinny lol. never fought, just do it to stay in shape and because i never enjoyed lifting weights lol.
I must admit i am very nervous. I have been running every day but i run about a 10min mile and haven't been able to push myself past 40min yet. I run right before my class starts at the gym. since the running i have absolutely felt gains in my training sessions at my gym.
I will be running every morning and afternoon with the guys from fa group, but being 4.5 weeks out and only at 4miles, I imagine i will be left behind during the run and will have to just keep at my pace and end it when i need to. My biggest fear is pushing myself too much for the run to where I will be too exhausted for clinching and the rest of the session. Im only there 2 weeks so i want to soak in as much knowledge I possibly can.
I have a couple quick questions.
1. what is the best means of transportation from the airport to the gym? taxi or their version of uber? i will be arriving very late (11pm)
2. is it best to convert my usd to baht once I am there or here in the states? i have never been anywhere near that side of the earth lol
3. tips on food in that area? things to stay away from or things that i must have?
4. tips on training in general? i do not have an ego so i will absolutely not be trying to prove anything.
5. maybe a silly question for some but i am very very white, almost ghostly lol. i must wear sunscreen when exposed and im a bit worried that it will be disrespectful to train with sunscreen on? is there rinsing stations?
my main concern is being rag dolled and exhausted to the point where learning things will be too hard and i will just be in survival mode.
thanks so much guys, looking forward to feedback and i am excited to share my experiences with you.
Hi Gary!
I've trained very briefly with FA group and joined the morning run and they do not run together. Basically walk from the gym to chatuchak park together and then run at own pace. But not everybody running. I'm now at a different gym but I live in the area so I run regularly in chatuchak park in the mornings and I see their fighters running and so far never seen a group run together but instead at their own pace. I don't think you need to be nervous about that.
Re sunscreen oh I don't think that's an issue at all. I'm super white too and I wear sunscreen too but I never felt it was an issue at all. Yes they have a rinsing station (like a shower thingy) and it's considered polite to rinse off before or after clinch (although at my gym almost none of the thais do this just maybe 1 of 10).
Best option for you is to get baht at one of the atms at the airport where you pick your bags. Follow the signs and instructions for taxi (no grab service for pick up allowed). You can also get sim cards there. Have a print out of address to hotel in thai with you for the driver. It should be around 500 baht to chatuchak area.
Re food no idea about street food but if you google restaurants+saphan kwai you will find some good options. I can recommend Cat on the roof-bar in saphan kwai for great thai food and beer.
Have a great time.
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20 hours ago, Oliver said:
Never trained at FA but did think about it - is it true that it's very overcrowded? People tend to say this so wasnt sure how much truth there is in it. Small gym isn't a big deal but the numbers being too high can make me think twice.
Obliged
On Facebook (where photos from their training are posted daily as they have a professional photographer - which I felt was distracting) doesn't look too crowded atm. When I was there yeah it was many people, more westerners than thais which made it very "western" but the amount of people did not feel like an issue. Training is good lots of clinching, sparring and pads and your own bag work. Trainers especially Kru D and Yothin are great. They have an American manager who handles admin stuff so easy to get help with stuff if needed. One thing that was annoying was that mats get superhot in the afternoon and doing pads on them was tough. FA group is close to Ari and Saphan Kwai. The former being a thai hipster neighbourhood and the latter an up and coming area and in my view nicest areas to stay in Bangkok.
If you like or not probably depends on the people currently training.
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Drilling without shin guards - do's and don'ts?
in Muay Thai Technique, Training and Fighting Questions
Posted
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.