[Fighting in Thailand, insurance]

4 hours ago, Snack Payback said:

You should definitely take out insurance before you get there. A lad I knew in Chiang Mai when I was staying there a while back was telling me about a friend of his. He went back to his hotel room drunk and realised he'd left his key in the room. He tried to climb onto his balcony from the neighbouring room, fell and broke both his hips. He didn't have insurance and was given a $50,000 US bill. So yeah, insurance might be something you want to look into   

I don't drink, i don't get out at night and i don't do things like that, the main question for me was insurance when it comes to the Muay Thai fighting in the Stadium, injuries, stitches and so on .  

 

 

 

[Fighting in Thailand, insurance]

Hey guys, so i was searching for this topic, but couldn't find one, i hope this will be useful for me as much as for others who have interest in having fights in Thailand. I was wondering abouth health insurance. How do you go about it when you're having training and fighting in Thailand? What does it cover? Do you really need health insurance? Does stitching up coast loads if you have no health insurance? Sorry for so many questions, i just think not only me but many people who would go train in Thailand would benefit from these kind of questions considering they get injured and don't want to end up in the bad place where they have to pay loads of money just so they get stitched up or something. What does it take in the Muay Thai world in Thailand to get you to go to International Hospital? Can you train and fight without health insurance or it isn't worth it?  Thanks in advance everyone and have a nice day.

[Fighter and trainer bond]

38 minutes ago, Oliver said:

This is quite interesting, so many opinions out there on best gloves to hit pads with.

Some friends tell me small, for training better accuracy, and so they feel closer to the gloves you fight in, so just 10s or 8s for girls. 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.

Sparring 16s for the boys. At my gym trainers even went and checked our gloves and if somebody had 14s they made them change and use the gym's spare 16s instead. And they were super serious about it. 

 

Yeah for sparring it's def 16, but for training i'm not sure, 16 seems way 2 bulky. Maybe 12 or somth. 

[Fighter and trainer bond]

1 hour ago, LengLeng said:

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. 

I'm always around 80-85kg. What size gloves you get for the fight in the stadium? 8-10?

[Fighter and trainer bond]

3 minutes ago, LengLeng said:

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. 

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!

[Fighter and trainer bond]

11 minutes ago, LengLeng said:

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 .

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.

[Fighter and trainer bond]

2 hours ago, LengLeng said:

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/

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? 

[Fighter and trainer bond]

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. 

[Fighter and trainer bond]

4 hours ago, LengLeng said:

@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. 

Thanks for the advice !

[Fighter and trainer bond]

16 hours ago, MadelineGrace said:

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) 

That's me in the pic, thanks. I can go thru pain no problem had broken metacarpals , played basketball and some other shit until i find out i need a surgery. Asthma is the real deal, i couldn't manage the sympthoms if it went over the roof. Once i'm given a task i know i'll be able to do anything, the question is the price i'm going to pay. I remember back in the day i promised myself i'll run 5miles  ,there is 1 beautiful place on the start of the autumn, after like a week a got lung inflamation, but i didn't want to break my promise. The run was really hard, i almost passed out, but i did that 5 mile jog and the panoramic view from that spot was crazy good. I ended up in hospital because i almost died from lack of oxygen. As far as tasks go i can manage everything, it's just the price you know... I'd love input from people with more experience.

[Fighter and trainer bond]

Hi guys, so in December i'm going to go to Thailand, maybe i'll even get a fight if i'm lucky and in a good shape, but the question i want to ask is about the trainer and the fighter bond. The thing i'm concerned about is my health, i'm going only in December, and i have decent amount of health problems, but that doesn't stop me from wanting to fight, the main one's that are on the body that could really make me a little less than 100% in a fight would be not fully healed knee ACL ligament, was torn, also turn TFCC on a right hand and a 3rd degree sprained ankle, i'm strongly doing the rehab and i hope i'll get 100% healed, but it's not a sure thing. The 2nd thing is Asthma, i was diagnosed from childhood, it's not as bad as it was when i was little, but if there is cold or some wind, i can immediately feel it's way harder to breathe, also considering the adrenaline and how nervous you would be fighting there, i bet it would make thing's similar, i just had to relax as much as i can. What i'm asking is should i tell all these things to my trainer and let him decide if i can fight once he watches me, or should i keep this 2 myself ? I know if i fight i don't show my opponent these things, but how about the trainer? Thanks in advance guys. Also if you're wondering i'll be going to Chiang Mai's Manop Gym. Starting to get a decent training from monday going to try to rehab as much of my problems as i can, increase endurance as much as i can and learn some technique of thai muay thai as much as i can because i only know some of the boxing techniques i used 2 do. 

[Muay Thai scoring in Thailand - Do Teeps Score? Etc.]

16 minutes ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:

Only if you disturb your opponent, which means moving them off the spot, or psychologically affecting them. There is a secondary, more subtle way that it can score, and sometimes score highly. If you use it to "ring control" your opponent, meaning, juggling them in some way, appearing as if you are keeping them at the distance you want them to be, when you want them to be there. You can do this without disturbing your opponent physically or emotionally, and still score.

But just a single, well placed teep that has no visible effect doesn't really score, at least by my observation.

Thank you! Appreciate the time you take to respond!  Have a beautiful day.

[Muay Thai scoring in Thailand - Do Teeps Score? Etc.]

3 hours ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:

Sylvie has written and spoken a lot about this. Here is a list of articles that will give you insight, it's a very different scoring system that prizes balance, dominance but not necessarily aggression, and what is called Ning, the performed in ability to be affected, check those articles out:

8 Limbs Us - Muay Thai Scoring

But yes, you can be hit in the back, and even the back of the head, which is why there is very strong advisement to never turn your back in the ring.

Thank you! Does teep also counts for scoring as a kick to the body or not?

[Muay Thai scoring in Thailand - Do Teeps Score? Etc.]

Hi everyone, i've looked it up and it seems like in Thailand scores are way different than western fighters, any idea where could find in depth scoring system, or would be kind be enough to elaborate on that? What gives the most points? I've also noticed that you can kick someone in the back? how about punches to the back? i'n our country it's illegal to do such thing's, any more insight on things like these , what's not allowed , what's allowed and what gives the most points. Appreciate the time you take to respond! Thank you and have a beautiful day!  

[Beginner fighting in the ring in Thailand]

4 minutes ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:

Sylvie and I have no knowledge of Phuket. PTT is a huge, successful gym there, but there is no way for us to know what that means in terms of opportunity.

How about the places you would recommend to visit for Muay Thai training? I could travel to the other side of Thailand.

[Hard vs "Technical" Sparring - Uses and Control]

I think both are great, in hard you become stronger mentally and psychologically and you learn to remain calmer when someone is going hard with you, while technical is esential to learn and hone your skills. Also depends the level you're at. I think it's important for both fighters to be on the same page before they spar so there wouldn't be any bad blood after this. 

[Beginner fighting in the ring in Thailand]

On 5/29/2019 at 2:15 PM, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:

The quality of your experience may really depend on the camp you go to, and the area of Thailand you go to as well. We have tons of experience up in Chiang Mai, and none in the very popular islands in the south (so no comment on happenings down there). Chiang Mai is awesome because there are just tons and tons of fights, and because of that the process of placing a fighter against someone who won't be a mismatch is well thought out. Simple math, the more opponent options available, the higher chance of a great first, second or third fight experience. Also, some of these gyms are really experienced with beginner level fight introduction. Kru Daeng at Lanna Muay Thai has been shaping westerners towards first fights for probably a decade. Having someone who has guided that process for years is a huge thing. We haven't spent time with Joe at Honthong Gym, but that gym also seems to be one that is very fight friendly.

In general though, the best thing about Thailand is that fighting is seen as part of the training process, not some elite thing you do once you are really, really good. Everyone fights. So you are entering a kind of fight culture that can support what you are hoping to do.

I totally agree with James about letting your gym know that you really want to fight, so they can put you on that training path from the beginning. But disagree a bit with the "at the end" or "near the end" of your trip strategy. Lots and lots of people do the "at the end" bit, and its often a mistake. I can't tell you how many people we've seen make "at the end" plans and have their fight fall through for a 1,000 reasons, and get nothing. Also, the at-the-end mentality really puts fighting in the wrong context, as a culmination, instead of a part of your overall training and development. Both Sylvie and I strongly recommend that if you want to fight once you should really aim to fight at least twice. That way you don't put too much pressure on yourself to prove yourself, but it also allows your trainers to see you on a path. With a 2-3 month stay that is definitely long enough to fight twice, and maybe 3 times. I would suggest, as long as you feel comfortable, and your trainers are on board, to try and fight your first fight fairly early if you can, so you can soak it all in, make adjustments, come back to training. This is what is special about fighting in Thailand. Because there are so many fight opportunities and the culture is so accommodating to fighting itself (not only elites fight), you can fight in different ways. 

 

Is my Top Team in Phuket a good choise or should i go to Chiang Mai? Any recommendations?

[Beginner fighting in the ring in Thailand]

12 hours ago, Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu said:

You don't have to be previously experienced to fight in Thailand, but the promotions you'll fight on will be determined by your abilities in Muay Thai, as determined by wherever you train. And, of course, that gym's connections and availability of shows near you will shape those possibilities/opportunities as well. 

I've known a handful of people who come to Thailand as day-1 beginners and fight within a month. It's just experience, it's not going to be a big show. But you do have to let your gym know that you want to fight, and then demonstrate your commitment by how you train.

I agree with Kevin that you shouldn't leave it to the end. Not only because in Thailand things change very quickly and you might miss your chance altogether, but also because having only one fight at the end of your trip puts too much pressure on the experience. If you plan to have one in the middle and another a bit after that, it takes the pressure off of both. Plus, whatever happens in the first, you can learn from it and apply it to the second. 

My first fight was a year after I first started training. I was not "prepared" to fight at all. I'd only sparred 2x in my life, a couple of weeks before my actual fight. The way I trained in the US, in Master K's basement, I'd had no real contact - fighting was, in a rational sense, a terrible idea. My teacher didn't want me to, either. But I was "ready" in the sense that I really, really wanted to fight. And that's a difference I think is most important when thinking about any of this "stepping into the ring" process. It's about wanting it. Readiness and Preparedness are not the same thing, and the first is way more important because it drives you. You can do your best to be prepared, which is how you train, but in the end it's not as important as just wanting to fight. If you wait until you're "good," you'll never get in the ring, haha. I've done it 241 times without thinking I'm "good."

There's nowhere else in the world that you can train and fight the way you can in Thailand. Nowhere else in the world is fighting PART OF training, the way it is in Thailand. It would be a shame not to experience that, especially since you have a significant chunk of time to be here and train. Some folks only come for a week. A couple of months allows for tons of experience, especially training 2x per day. It's exciting!

Appreciate such a well rounded and detailed info... Any advice where should i visit to get the best  possibilities/opportunities to get some fights and learn  Muay Thai? Thank you in advance! :)

[Beginner fighting in the ring in Thailand]

11 hours ago, Kevin von Duuglas-Ittu said:

The quality of your experience may really depend on the camp you go to, and the area of Thailand you go to as well. We have tons of experience up in Chiang Mai, and none in the very popular islands in the south (so no comment on happenings down there). Chiang Mai is awesome because there are just tons and tons of fights, and because of that the process of placing a fighter against someone who won't be a mismatch is well thought out. Simple math, the more opponent options available, the higher chance of a great first, second or third fight experience. Also, some of these gyms are really experienced with beginner level fight introduction. Kru Daeng at Lanna Muay Thai has been shaping westerners towards first fights for probably a decade. Having someone who has guided that process for years is a huge thing. We haven't spent time with Joe at Honthong Gym, but that gym also seems to be one that is very fight friendly.

In general though, the best thing about Thailand is that fighting is seen as part of the training process, not some elite thing you do once you are really, really good. Everyone fights. So you are entering a kind of fight culture that can support what you are hoping to do.

I totally agree with James about letting your gym know that you really want to fight, so they can put you on that training path from the beginning. But disagree a bit with the "at the end" or "near the end" of your trip strategy. Lots and lots of people do the "at the end" bit, and its often a mistake. I can't tell you how many people we've seen make "at the end" plans and have their fight fall through for a 1,000 reasons, and get nothing. Also, the at-the-end mentality really puts fighting in the wrong context, as a culmination, instead of a part of your overall training and development. Both Sylvie and I strongly recommend that if you want to fight once you should really aim to fight at least twice. That way you don't put too much pressure on yourself to prove yourself, but it also allows your trainers to see you on a path. With a 2-3 month stay that is definitely long enough to fight twice, and maybe 3 times. I would suggest, as long as you feel comfortable, and your trainers are on board, to try and fight your first fight fairly early if you can, so you can soak it all in, make adjustments, come back to training. This is what is special about fighting in Thailand. Because there are so many fight opportunities and the culture is so accommodating to fighting itself (not only elites fight), you can fight in different ways. 

Thanks for the reply, i thought i'd love to fight in the end just because i thought it would take loads of prep, but if you say i could fight 3x in that period, i'd def do that. I'd love to fight even more, but i doubted i have enough experience in sparr's and skill to go along with that. I don't really think i'm a good fighter or whatever, but i know i'm brave. I started k1 in my country and i trained for 2 weeks, i went into the ring and fought a guy who had 6years of experience. Even tho i lost i was happy because for me it was learning experience, 1st time ever geting into the ring, and consdering he was training for 6years and i was only there for 2weeks , i didn't give the victory away for nothing, he had nice amount of souvenirs on hi's face. I really noticed the skill diference tho, he cornered like a pro and i was 2 tense. What place would you recommend for me to start training Muay Thai? I was thinking Phuket Top Team, but if Chang Mai is a better place for a beginner to learn and have some fight's, i would be down!

[Beginner fighting in the ring in Thailand]

10 hours ago, Coach James Poidog said:

Not sure if this question was meant for Sylvie particularly or open to anyone, but Id go and train at a gym letting them know from the beginning youd like to fight at or near yhe end of your trip IF they felt you were ready. More than likely they'll train you specifically for a fight and find you someone of equal skill to compete against. The cool thing about muay Thai is you can compete as you learn and grow. One doesnt end when the other begins, so you can compete as a beginner and grow from there. 

thanks! appreciate the reply! sounds good! :)

[Beginner fighting in the ring in Thailand]

Hey, i've noticed you started Muay Thai a while back, i have a question for you... I have a plan to go 2 Thailand for 2-3month's because that's the time my visa would allow to stay, i'd love to have some training and i'd love to have some fights, but as i would be a complete beginner in this sport, i don't know should i enter there. I have some experience in boxing and a little experience is kickboxing, but considering this is Muay Thay....Do beginners get to fight or do you need to go all the way to the advanced before you can enter the Muay Thai ring? What level were you when you entered the ring for the first time and how long did you train before that? What was your experience like? Appreciate the time you take to respond, bless you people.