Alexander C.

Hello everyone, Its been awhile since I've updated my experience with Sagat, and a lot has happened the past few months A basic recap: I contacted Sylvie in May, who put in touch with Sagat -Since then, I've trained with Sagat since mid may. During that time my stamina, technique, and overall fighting IQ have increased in ways I cannot begin describe. The amount of learning and mindset shift has been immense. Approaching Muay Thai with a scientific and academic and intensive perspective is how I'd describe my mindset In that time, I've trained with 5-6 days a week for 1-1.5 hours every day. Ive not trained with anyone else (up until last week), and I considered this first 6 months a kind of Foundation phase of fundamental skill building. Along with the sessions with Sagat, I do my own strength and conditioning, which is another 1.5 hours or so each day. (cardio and calisthenics and weights) Our training sessions are 100% technique focused, and the intensity has gradually increased. No breaks, no watching the clock, we go every day until Im in deep fatigue, and I don't stop until he tells me. Its only the two of us training, and I can honestly say I've gotten better every single day of the process. The one thing I've been unsure is how I compare to actual fighters, especially guys my size. The gym is always empty when we train, and while I watch tons of video and film, there is no way to objectively compare myself to anyone obviously SPARRING This entire time, weve not done any sparring. Only padwork, focus mitts, heavy bag, drills, and shadow boxing. I wanted to get a gauge on where my skill level was at, and as I wanted to take an island trip, I ended up staying in Koh Samui for a week, and I went to a gym called Super Pro. This is largely a foreigner gym, and I knew that larger fighters often train there. The difference in training was stark to say the least. Everything from how I punched to how I kicked to my footwork movements to shadowboxing, basically everything I did, the trainers were puzzled by and insistent that I needed to fix. It was almost comical, as I could hear Sagats voice in my head "Too many punch like THIS....No good. Kick like THIS...No Good. Why uppercut like this???? NO GOOD" I ended up skipping most of the morning sessions because I didnt want to have my technique changed at all. The afternoons were 10 rounds of sparring for monday-wednesday-friday. This was my first time sparring in over a year. Surprisingly, I held my own very well. My cardio was better than everyone I sparred with, and there were multiple foreigners my size (Im around 6'1 and 90kgs). I identified a lot to work on, but I was a bit shocked at how easily I gave people problems and how my the drilling with the Sagat carried over to the live experience. People were under the impression I was a Pro with fight experience already (Ive yet to have a fight) There is a lot that needs work, but overall it was gratifying that the Sagat Intensive had 10000% been worth it. WHERE WE TRAIN: I know Sagat was based at 13 Coins the past 3 years, but he decided recently he no longer wanted to train there anymore. The gym has not been maintained at all and while there are some young thai boys training there, the overall gym is in total disrepair. Sagat had some kind of friction with one the one trainer who still lives at the gym, and he told me we must change gyms. Ive realized he has something of a nomad personality and likes not being attached too much to any one place, so off to a new gym it was Currently we train at LKT Muay Thai, which is more centrally located in Bangkok, and is run by a former camp mate of his, Lukklongtan, who was a Rajadamnern flyweight champion https://lktmuaythai.com/ Sagat is fully open to doing privates with anyone, and he is an amazing teacher. If you want to get in contact with him, let me know and I can arrange it readily

It appears so. Its hard to get exact details from Sagat, but the clearest facts I've been able to establish 1. 13 Coins and the 13 Coins hotel resort are the same piece of property 2. The owner (Mr Coke) since passing, his widow did not pay utilities to keep either the hotel or gym running 3. The entire hotel itself has been gutted and is in a state of disrepair 4. While the property is not openly advertised as being for sale, Sagat has relayed the Widow has no interest in it and if someone made an offer it could be purchased (its quite a large piece of land, at least 3-4 acres from what I can tell) 4. The gym is still existing in limbo, and Sagat has mentioned the possibility of buying the land the gym sits on, and renovating the gym into a rebranded "Street Fighter" gym

Its largely a question of finances As I found out this week, there ARE in fact boys still training at the gym (about 8 of them, ages 10-19) The property the gym sits on is essentially abandoned, apparently the gym property is open for sale as well

Hello everyone, Its been 30 days now, this coming week will be the start of another 60 days I had to take a week off in the middle of last month after I got really really bad food poisoning (could not eat anything for 7 days without getting ill), but overall the past 6 weeks have been fantastic. I started from 0, and the improvements have been linear every lesson. Sagat is a master of teaching fundamentals. Ive watched as many of his pasts fights as possible, and his effectiveness I've realized comes from how skilled he was in the basics; punching and kicking technique, footwork, movement economy, maintaining ring generalship. His striking technique really stands out to me, he keeps everything incredibly tight and emphasizes power and placement over any kind of flashiness. He's very big on always being "organized" in every movement, never being off balance or out of place in any way. I paid him for another 2 months of training (60 lessons of 1on1s) Update with the gym-13 Coins is basically closed The issue is that there are no active fighters at the gym right now, and only two boys that occasionally come by that used to train there when it was open. Sagat is wanting to reopen the gym as "Street Fighter Gym". He's taken money and put it into trying to renovate the gym a bit. He's asked me to help him, but trying to start a Muay Thai Gym business is not something I want to be invested in and trying to manage. Its an unusual situation. I'd love to keep training with Sagat long term and build technique base, but training solo with him obviously is not going to prepare me to fight in the ring. My plan is to try out some gyms this month, and find a place that resonates and make that the home gym eventually as summer comes to an end.

I dont think he is. Sagat and a few of the younger boys seem to be the only ones there right now According to Sagat the gym might be changing locations soon as well...Im not certain on the story, but he relayed that the owner (Mr. Coke), since he died a few years ago, his widow has wanted to close the gym, and no one has been paying rent on the gym to the landowner for a year, and the gym might move soon

Thank you Sylvie! That was super helpful. I was making the mistake of not moisturizing thinking it would toughen the skin faster, the coconut oil made a big difference this past week

Does anyone have anyone quick healing tips for treating blisters? I had some 1on1s about 10 days ago on a very rough turf floor, and both big toes and balls of the feet blood blistered extensively They've been healing but keep retearing each day, I figure in a month they'll fully callous over, but if theres any way to speed up the process, Im all ears

Sagat has said he has an arrangement with the hotel for 500 baht a night, which would be 45,000 baht for a full month of 1on1s + accommodation

Its still officially closed, although I THINK the few younger fighters that live there are training By the looks of it I dont think any farang train out of there, Thais only. Ive only been doing privates, and cannot attest to what the normal training is like. The gym itself has a lot of charm, but its definitely NOT catering to foreigners. Shower facility is a faucet on a wall, lots of broken equipment everywhere, and no changing rooms other than a toilet inside a shed next to the shower

Hi everyone, Hopefully this is alright for a first post, wanted to share my experiences training with Sagat over the next few weeks. I arrived in Thailand in Mid-march coming from Egypt, I was in a mad dash to make it somewhere calm before the lockdowns took full effect. Over 10 years ago I trained Muay Thai while in college, and had always wanted to go to Thailand (the usual Muay Thai dream), although I didnt expect to arrive under the circumstances. I got an apartment and I spent the past month trying to condition myself as best I could (lots and lots and lots of burpees), and I discovered 8Limbs while watching Lawrence Kenshin videos on youtube, and one thing led to another and I became a patron and here I am Anyways, I got into contact with Sylvie, and I was able to meet with Sagat, and told him I want to train daily with him the next few months. Side note-Im going to be living in Thailand for the foreseeable future long term, Currently we are two days in, and I cannot recommend Sagat enough. I'm basically a total novice, and I was uncertain if I would even be worth teaching for him, but he was incredibly excited He is very 1st principle based in everything, and his way of describing things, you realize there is both the technique he's showing you, and the technique behind the technique of how it fits into a larger contextual picture. He teaches on a continuum, and he talks about most students that come to him for 1on1, there's no way to people to learn more than 1 or 2 details, and that really acquiring the skill takes time, "organization" is a word of his, both in how you move, and how build techniques Should you ever come to Thailand, you must train with him --13 Coins does have active fighters, He introduced me to two of the younger ones that are actively fighting (they've won some junior titles). Right now its only a handful of younger kids training there, although i got the impression its normally much busier minus the lockdown situation. Sagat has an arrangement with the hotel next door if anyone wants to stay there and train. Its very far outside any tourist area.