StefanZ

Interesting observation, and I myself think, in much a spot on. Because, its well known among serious students, to have "learning journals" helps much in learning, in getting the knowledge mature. And Sylvie together with Kevin does this, and in different forms. In written form, in discussing, in filming. In talking about it, including these car ride blogs,, inside Sylvie´s head it surely arouses new insights, and deepens up the knowledge. And in fighting, obviously. Just the talking on the task, none or very little of jolly joking around looking elsewhere. None or very little of just empty talk. Showing up the thoughs and films openly adds up in the same direction. Its as an artist or writer or scientist: You can paint or write for yourself, and its nice and worthwile. But the real test, the real insights come, when you publish yourself, make yourself open for kibitzing - and criticizm. Re social media. There are comments. I presume some of the comments may even be helpful, and helps to arise or deepen new insights? So this is a campain on many different fronts, more or less coordinated. Both physically and intellectually, and emotionally too.

Re Protectors of Muay. I have noticed, in the crowning ceremony of The King, He was clad all in gold. But He sat on His trone barefooted and with ankle supports on. I understand, barefooted may be a ritual, but ankle supports? So what I think, The King had Muay Thai clothes under all these golden robes. Is it correct? WAS The King clad in Muay Thai outfit? Is The King seen as a protector of Muay Thai?

As I understand it, its easy and fairly cheap to hire a scooter in Thailand. Several youtubers had mentioned this. Hire both for a couple of days or several months. Unless, of course, you by any reason cant travel by scooter. Say, you are uncomfortable with scootering in a city, with the left sided traffic at that. I understand your wish to have your room near the gym, so its just taking a walking max 10 minutes. But do hire a scooter anyway. It gives you an enourmous freedom if you want to take an afternoon free and go somewhere sight seeing or so.

How is it, do chokolate melts in Thailands warm climate? If not, chokolate from your country, or some good chokolate from, say Schweiz or Belgium which are renown for good quality... Good quality chokolate is healthy - as compared with most typical sweeties. Dark chokolade is healthy by itself. And 70% isnt too bitter. I myself like them. Is even OK with Keto diet. And its more manly than a sweet choklade. But 90% is quite bitter, so beware. I presume Thailand has its own chokolade brands (probably in some compostition it doesnt melts easily). But foreign chokolade will alwasy be seen as something rare, exclusive, even if its not any fancy brand by itself. PS. If the trainer has family, say kids, you can of course instead give these small gifts to the kids and or wife / partner. The trainer will be pleased! And thus, you can give a somewhat sweeter chokolade for them, than for a very masculine man....

How is it, do chokolate melts in Thailands warm climate? If not, chokolate from your country, or some good chokolate from, say Schweiz or Belgium which are renown for good quality... Good quality chokolate is healthy - as compared with most typical sweeties. Dark chokolade is healthy by itself. And 70% isnt too bitter. I myself like them. Is even OK with Keto diet. And its more manly than a sweet choklade. But 90% is quite bitter, so beware. I presume Thailand has its own chokolade brands (probably in some compostition it doesnt melts easily). But foreign chokolade will alwasy be seen as something rare, exclusive, even if its not any fancy brand by itself.

Something typical from your country? Preferably something useful.

Re concussions in childrens sports. It seems there are such dangers in many sports. Muay, although that violent, is possibly NOT the worst among them. (my personal impression is Muay has surprisingly low rate of serious damages, but its not scientifically). I shall give ONE example. Im often watching the sport of european handball, esp the teams in my town. Youth and adults. the sport is quite popular, and also many girl teams. I wont say its totally harmless, in almost every match there is somebody whom gets help to get off the plane, and rests a good while laying on the team bench. But they are cheerfully taking on this. OK, I mailed to a semi-friend, active in this sport, player, parent, coach for a girls team, also member of directors board in the handball club in my town. I wanted to tip her about the Lobloo groin guards. These must be very useful for goal keepers, whom take lotsa of hard shorts into their body. I mentioned of course, the Lobloo guards is extra excellent for girls and women, but they also do good guards for boys and men. Swell. But she responded and told me, their real problem is concussions. They often fall down, often backwards, and hit the skull into the hard floor. So there is some concussion almost every match.... And these whom end their carrier early, are often these whom got several concussions. OK, I could help her to find a part solution. I remembered, its very common ice skating girls use often a broad band on head. I was always thinking it was a band for keeping the hair in place. A popular whim in these circles. Suddenly it dawned on me, it was perhaps a protective device? After some googling I found, it was correct. these band are cushioned, and they ARE a protective device, working reasonably efficiently against such falls on the ice (or floor). And using them in the handball wouldnt be no big deal. No extra difficulties, just the cost of buying them. Let perhaps sponsors buy them?! There are also leight weighs helmets of different construction. Probably an overkill for the players, but surely useful for the goalies together with these groin guards. Goalies do get many shots on them. And also, there is a real danger of them crashing into the woodwork of the goal. Even jump up into it if they are long or sporty enough... I suppose these, esp the bands, could be used in Muay too, at least in the training and sparring. Anyway, this about dangers. When people are horrified kids in Muay fight without helmets. The fear is more or less correct. Even if it can be discussed if the helmets really help, or dishelp?? But its interesting to know, such a dangers are also in other sports, perhaps even really bigger dangers. Even in such a popular sport seemingly very suitable for girlies, as the european handball....

If it hurt that much and he had a dent, he should of course go look see the doctor for a check up and a X-ray. He could get hurt for real, even if it wasnt the purpose of this kick. S... happens, even if you arent planning on it. Unless such medical check up costs a smaller fortune, and he doesnt have the money. But this is perhaps another story; to engage in a quite dangerous sport without having possibility to adequate medical back up.

Re stress and destressing devices. To have a friendly cat does often miracles for destressing and giving harmony. It probably works with a loving dog too, but my personal knowledge is cats. So, a cat with whom you are its Ma or Dad, and whom takes you as a such, does much to soothe stresses. Its very pleasant to have it laying on you and spinning.... You get to sleep deeply and get refreshed. Also, its proven cats spinning helps to heal bone injuries. I imagine for example, stress fractures, which are fairly common with hard training top athletes. And if said atlethes are also beating mercilessly upon each other, there are surely even more damages... Its very common such a friendly cat , when it notices hishers Ma or Da is sick, ill or sad, comes, lays down with you, and does its best to comfort you... A good tip is to adopt a homeless cat (or dog). Even if the fostering may take some time and patience if the cat is shy. They know they were saved, and know to give gratitude. Such a cat/ dog may remain shy to visitors, but will be your eternal supporter and protector In this live and from the afterlife too.... I dare to say. This last is my personal belief, but the earlier parts its many whom had witnessed such.

I suspect its often even an advantage to travel in Thailand alone. (possibly in other countries as well, but here we do talk Thailand) Thai people seems usually friendly and helpsome, and they will of course sooner tend to help an alone foreigner, than a bunch of them talking foreing among themselves. Having a pleasant posture, a friendly or at least, shy smile, doesnt hurt. I have followed on Youtube travel experiences of a wannabe Muay pro. A nice, likeable fellow, decent english but barely some few words and phrases in Thai. Whom used free time between scheduled matches to take a several week tour from north to south, doing training at every gym he found on the way. (and yes, it was almost always possible to train, sometimes even for free one or two passes). OK, some of the incidents where he got extra help meeting nice people, just because he was alone. He goes by train. No air condition, but he is happy to find a seat near the fan. The older Thai women sitting around him, fellow passengers, are nice to him, presenting him with foods and non alkoholic drinks as gifts... They show him the wendor selling things, but he doesnt even need to buy from the wendor. He tries to hike (hich hike). An hour passes, no luck. He gives up, goes back, but somebody is running after him. A driver saw him, fetches him, he gets his ride. The drawer sees he is a foreigner, and has no water with him in this hot day. Driver buys him coffe and a minerale water bottle...When they come to this next town, it begins to darken up. Driver tells him it may be difficult to find hike in darkness, it will be better if he takes the bus. He drives to the bus station, helps him with finding the bus south. I dont remember if he also buys the ticket, but he did certainly gave lotsa of good help! Yes, I got touched by this mans compassion with the stranger. Next time, he is in an widespread tourist area. A man on a bike stops. He offers; You may ride with me. I will be your guide and interpreter during the day. You pay me just some money, my lunch and a drink to the lunch... An excellent proposal! The truth be said, this driver fastened in the lunch restaurang; they had good and cheap drinks there... But our hero could lend the bike, and do his own sight seeing without problems. So, if nothing else, a cheap way to lend a motorbike for a day, and an interesting experience... Etc... As our hero said, Thais are typically buddhists. Honesty and being helpsome is important for them. In the typical tourist cities however, there are many whom had learned to live on tourists, even using their inexperience and naivity. Occasionally even robbing. So you must look out some in such cities and places. Dont take stupid risks. But outside on countryside, and cities not typical tourist cities, there are hardly any such people nor real dangers... Of course, our guy being a serious Muay, never ever got drunk. Beer was the strongest he took and some occasional drink.

I wonder if this running out of gas - a quite common feature, even among experienced Thai fighters!- is caused because you tension up your belly muscles... Lotsa hits goes into belly, so apparently you must have them tensioned up to max... This must take its toll, no? OK, is there some trick to have belly muscles tensioned up, but not drawing off energhy? I dunno, but thinking about it, its few female Muays whom do seems to have sixpacks. Although obviously they do have enormous belly muscles, per definition so BUT the same women may have them when they exhibit for photo sessions on free time, but not during the fight... An extreme example is young Jodie McCarthy. A phantom of cardio, furious attacks all five rounds even if getting heavy beating by bigger opps. During the fights (end Wai Kru) she has a childish big belly, but on her free time photos we see she has a grandiose well muscled belly... So its my theory, its some sort of a trick, to tension up her belly muscles, but without losing any bigger energhy nor air on it... Ps. The changed breathing as already mentioned, is of course also surely a part of this, so learning a proper breathing technique is too a must.

Sounds awesome! And yes why not. If you are quick enough to effectively block the kicks with your shins and knee,, you are probably also quick enough to avoid most of these kicks if you train for this. If Saenschei(?) can, so can surely many others, if the wit is quick enough, if reflexes are good enough, if the training is good enough. Its of course good to combine with being sturdy, becuse a quick opponent may foresee your avoiding duck and will give you a blow now and then... Awesome you had found such a master to follow and learn from, and him accepting you as his disciple!

I saw there is another idea. The swedish 45 kg master, Camilla Danielsson (camilladanielsan on insta) do often uses something looking as such a neopren warmers when sparring. So I asked her, exactly why she uses these warmers, and Camilla very kindly answered: its not neopren warmers, its compression sleeves! She uses them not for protection, but to help out her blood circulation in the muscles, when they are extremely tired out, as its often with top athletes with theirs massive training... (I would guess she tends to get cramps in the calves.) I presume its an useful tip with these compression sleeves! And unlike Camilla, Im pretty sure they too give some protection for the shins, even if its not why Camilla uses them.

I wonder if a good compromise could be such a warming neoprene shin-protectors. these made by Vulcan are the most known but there are surely other producents too... They dont compromise your balance nor speed sitting on you as your extra skin. You get also nicely warmed if you have any tendency to shin splits or other inflammations there. Similiar protectors exists for almost any limb parts. Useful if you had some contusion or local inflammation there - protects and warms up. They doesn protect as well as a real shin guard, but better than nothing. It doesnt protect the feet either, unlike a well made shin guard which has a flap covering most ot the feet. But you can use an ankle protector, either a traditional one, as even the King himself uses at coronation ceremony, or again, such a one of neoprene. If a neoprene cover is supposed to protect your carryable computer against mishaps, it should be able to give some protection to your shins too.

Which ones does Kero uses? IF she uses...

You could perhaps swim? Forceful swimming develops cardio and muscles at least as much as running and some weights lifting. But goes easier on your body. Its no traditional Muay extra training but as long you dont train in a Thailand gym this is no problem....

What about swimming instead of running? I understand its usually not done in Muay in Thailand. But it spares the body and skeleton much compared with running. And if you swim forcefully, it trains the muscles and cardio not less than any running... would you get OK and approval from the trainers if you presented a solid swim program? Of course there must be a suitable swimming stadion or lake nearby...

I want to mention, as a good alternative to drinking water when you sweat much because of heat or hard work; the so called minerale waters. You see on the label if it contains lotsa of different salts. Along the same lines, the so called minerale kitchen salt, which contain less of the usual NaCl, but contains instead also K (potassium) and Mg iones. If unsure, you see it on the label. You can sprinkle a little salt on anything you drink or eat. If you salt just a little, it wont taste salty, but may even enhance the taste of the drink (and food); coffe for example may get a richer taste with a sprinkle salt. Its dangerous to drink lotsa of just water without salts when its hot and or you train hard, because drinking that much water, you dilute the salts (=electrolytes) in the body fluids... And collapse sooner or later, not because of lack of water but because of lack of salts... You also swell up Somebody mentioned sugar in sport drinks etc... Sugar is an enemy in many diets. True. Although perhaps not so bad for most active sports people. But, glucose sugar / dextrose, is usually OK, its the body´s natural fuel and the body grabs it already in the mouth. - you see on the label what sugar its in. If its glucose sugar, its OK, the only exceptions is perhaps if you are on a strict keto diet. If its some other sugar - you must decide. Its the common table sugar which is our common "enemy". Fructose is a common alternative sweetener, as its natural. BUT Fructose is not good either in more than small amounts (its in fruits and honey, so these small amounts are OK, especielly as both fruits and honey are healthy by itself - especielly raw honey is good!. But fructose used as an active sweetener isnt healthy - it fattens you up! The body knows well how to handle glucose sugar and use it as fuel and spare the unused leftovers as glykogene, but it barely knows how to handle fructose in more than small amounts, so all excessive fructose goes immediately into fat... Perhaps not a big problem for an active athlethe, but a big problem for all whom need to mind their weight... Persons living on active Keto diet, will need even more of electrolytes, especially K = potassium, so the advices above arent enough - they will prob need additional potassium source (Kevin did told me). But these minerale salt and minerale water are a good starter even for the Keto-ists.

Your narratio about how it was for Sylvie in Lanna, ie being de facto excluded from much of the training, although her high ambitions and tries to train clinch, is very interesting. It is as a picture, a witnessing in real time of what women has historically always got to deal with, say in science or other traditionally male roles. Or say, politically interested women before the time women got full voting rights. It may still be so in some degree... Why, men can too get similiar difficulties - changing the traditionale roles is often difficult! But its often a little easier for men. A nice piece of work and witnessing. Very balanced and with deep insights. With just some rewriting, it could easily pass into a paper send to an academic journal on Ethnology... Btw, much of Sylvies and yours writings and witnessing would pass as such examples of participating observation studies in Ethnology.... / StefanZ

Interesting, I had always the impression polish sport in overall, and female sports especielly, is of good standard. With able, strong bodied, tough in mind and body, well trained girls... Apparently with some exceptions as here. Now, its well known a friendly mixed training girls with boys, is good for the girls. They tend to get better and stronger. But what you probably are saying, the mixed training is no drawback for the boys? If nothing else, it trains up their technique?! /StefanZ

Lotsa antioxidants of different types must be useful during heavy continuous training...

Re the typical "snake charmer" music, which isnt everyones cup of tea. Esp not with the newbes. - Although you get used to it with time! You often hear the same newbees comment and even critisize the music, that is why I do comment. OK, my point. What is the alternative? The risk is big, they would instead play such a loud "training friendly" music, as they often do in warming up - even sometimes in Thailand, before the matches... Is this "music" better? I myself dont like it, and I dont understand how you can perform optimally with such a meaningsless loud "music"... It may be just me, but I cant with this sort of music if I shall focus on anything more than superficial routine work. Classical music would probably be better. Best probably something especially composed for such purposes. Anyway, as long there is no especially composed / choosed, suitable music - lets keep to the traditional Thai "snake charmer" music. And if it can be done by a live orchestra, whom is deeply knowleable with the Muay culture and Muay fights, and thus, can skillfully adapt, follow and lead the matches - yes, it may easily be the optimal - having the traditions and culture as heavy plusses...