NewThai

Hmm, electrolytes, vitamin C, adequate rest and protein?

I think you’re overcomplicating this. :) Unless you have a membership contract that needs breaking, there is no reason to feel guilty for moving somewhere that better suits your location. That’s too far when you have closer options that are viable.

I think Sylvie made a blog post about Thai visa runs a while back (not on the forum). I believe when I looked at US visas they had a 90 day option that would require leaving every 90 days to then re-enter Thailand. I stayed less than 30 days so I didn’t need any special visa when I went. aaaaaaand I’m jealous! I wish I were in a place that I could go for such a stay. If you can do it, fucking go for it! Make your dreams a reality!

When I was in Chiang Rai I added extra cash to my envelope at the end of my stay to both tip my trainers and cover gas costs as they drove me around town a bunch on their bike. I also bought them 4 chickens because they cooked for me several nights (the trainers were brothers and their mom cooked for the family plus me the hungry farang). I am not sure what the proper etiquette is in Thai culture, but they were very thankful for the extra cash/gifts, same as I was very grateful for the extra care they showed me.

For me, I’m too practical to pay such a high price when there are so many wonderful trainers in Thailand to learn from. If you can afford it and you want to then it may be worth it. This is not a helpful comment at all.

What does your coach think?

I don’t have personal experience with that region, but my GoogleFu turned up Pajonpai and Gumpun gyms. Try checking into those gyms for more info. Kem Muay Thai gym is halfway between Khon Kaen and Bangkok if you want a bigger name gym and aren’t married to a particular location.

I can’t advise, only state that I’m jealous haha.

ไม่เป็นไร :)

I am on my phone and can’t add a link easily, but we have a thread on this exact topic with several resources shared throughout the discussion. I will try to find it now, but if you use the search function it should pop up easily.

1. Breathe 2. Have fun That’s it. :) Nothing will ever go according to plan in your first match. Your opponent is also goimg to be quite green. I’m not saying you will door poorly. I just mean that even after 5, 10, 50+ fights you will look back and think about what could have been better in your performance. So don’t let apprehension stop you from enjoying something most people don’t have the guts to do! Get in there, BREATHE, and have fun!

I cracked a rib once and it took a good 6-8 weeks to feel better. I second the advice of no spar and/or no kicks thrown at you for a while to let it heal up. Sorry you’ve got this nagging injury.

Very comprehensive, thanks!

Any favorite quotes you’d like to share? Muay thai related or not?

Jealous of your upcoming trip!!! I hope you’ll get to fight at least once while you’re there? I’m currently waiting for an opponent on a local show next month. Hopefully I can get my first non-tournament fight of 2018 on the books! :)

I would like to add the HelloTalk app to ways you can learn to read and speak Thai. HelloTalk is a free phone app where you create a profile listing your native language and the language you would like to learn. The app then starts matching you with people whose native language is the language you want to learn and vice versa. You can pay for premium app benefits such as learning more than one language, but the free tools are more than adequate. Once you get a match list, start messaging people! You can correct each other’s text messages with the correction tool, send audio clips, translate their messages with the app tool, and more. I have found there are a multitude of Thai business owners and managers there looking to improve their English, meaning they already have a pretty solid English base and you won’t be drowning in Thai text unless you’re advanced enough for that and text them exclusively in Thai.

I think the charges for rides are relevant to the review. If they did not drive you, what would a taxi have cost for the same trip? Are there many taxis out that way or are you stuck depending on them for rides? When I was in Chiang Rai my trainers drove me several places and did not charge me for the ride (though I added plenty of cash to my envelope at the end of my stay to cover those costs). I also used GrabTaxi several times and paid cash to my drivers. Anyway, everything I've previously read about Kem’s gym mentions free airport shuttle so it’s good to know that may not actually be the case.

Thanks for sharing. It sounds like you had a mixed experience there - hopefully your next visit to Thailand will be a better fit.

If I have a cold I usually work the bag and bleach wipe it down after so I’m not sharing too much with everyone.

In 2018 I’d like to move down a weight class and have at least 3 non-tournament fights and also enter a tournament.

Kaitlin makes a good point. It took me years to work my way into the core team at the gym and be recognized as a legit member ... something I’m sure many women probably relate to in a fight gym. She may have reacted as she did to keep her position in the pack (knowingly or not). Good luck working this out.

There are a few guys on my team who can behave somewhat the same (get angry during spar and consequently go quite hard) and I’m still working out how to deal with them. My coach does step in if it reaches a certain point, but I’d rather it not even get heated at all since we’re sparring often. I try to keep calm and avoid them if I can, but of course one of the more emotional guys is my size so I have to go with him fairly often. I spoke with my coach about it once and he did talk with that guy. Over time he’s gotten a little better at controlling himself, but it’s still an issue that comes up. I think you should let your coach know how you feel. They may have let it go on to see how you handled the pressure (unintentional smoker?), but that kind of thing will lead to unneccessary injuries in training. There’s no need to go hard like that all the time, and there’s reason to believe this will be an ongoing issue with her.

Kill it with fire? I also do dryer sheets and powder (and I wipe with bleach wipes after training, then leave to air dry). Hopefully you can make a dent in the stench.

We basically listed to Labanoon and Justin Bieber in the truck while I was in Thailand ... I appreciated the Bieber so I could sing along haha but some of the Labanoon ballads are stuck in my head and I need a mixtape stat: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=2dg9oc78Kv4

If someone is looking for a smaller gym and some one-on-one training then I have to suggest Kanongsuk Muay Thai in Chiang Rai.