Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu
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Posts posted by Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu
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Candy Wu Ray's Muay Thai Gym vs Fah Yokkao - Hong Kong
This is my article on the fight as well:
The Coming Out Party: Fah Yokkao vs Candy Wu Ray’s Muaythai Gym -
I feel you. I'm smaller than 80% of my opponents in fights also. When I spar with these bigger guys I used to get really frustrated because I felt like I should do better, that I can't do anything I want to do, etc. Then I sparred someone smaller, which I'd never done before. A kid who is maybe 7-8 kg smaller than I am, which is a size difference I'm usually facing as the smaller person. Suddenly I could do anything I wanted to do. It opened my eyes to the fact that I hadn't been giving myself credit for the challenge of facing bigger people. And as the bigger person in that sparring session, I certainly didn't look down on my partner and think, "wow, he sucks," the way I was thinking about myself when I can't do what I want to do. So, give yourself credit. It will be less frustrating.
And go after the body. All my body-shot practice is against the huge ones at my gym because trying to hit their heads is like trying to dunk a basketball.
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There are no fights with shinguards in Thailand unless you do those Pro-Am tournaments like the IFMA.
Conditioning just comes from kicking a lot. Kick pads, kick the bag, repeat. They will get banged up in fights, but you don't really feel it in the fight. You feel it afterward and you can treat them afterward, they'll get stronger over time - but in a fight you don't feel it. Don't mess with "conditioning tricks" like rubbing sticks or bottles on your shins, that stuff is stupid. Just kick, kick, kick, kick.
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Iman Barlow vs Jeri Sitzes - FULL FIGHT - (Lion Fight 31) - (2016.09.02) - /r/WMMA(via Kristen)
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Lion Fight 31. Antonina Shevchenko VS Paola Cappucci. Lion Fight Lightweight Title fight. 2.09.2016
Jorina Baars Defends the Belt Once Again at Lion Fight 31
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2016 Destiny Six Muay Thai Fight 11 Sam Brown vs Yolanda SchmidtWBC Title fight. Sydney's Female Fighter Yolanda Springbok Schmidt Vs Brisbane's Best, Sam Nanu Brown.
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I just fought two fights in two nights, then drove 7 hours back down to Pattaya with very little sleep and not really eating properly for the three days I was traveling. The fights make me sore and you I have some dings, but the traveling and eating and sleeping really is what makes me tired.
I don't really take pain-killers. We have Ibuprofin in the house but I'm sore all the time, so I don't take it for soreness as I would be eating them all the time. Instead I rely on this post-fight medicine that Thai fighters swear by, "yaa nam la damphon," which is essentially a laxative but it flushes out your whole system and makes you heal up from bruises and soreness much faster. I took the medicine upon arriving back home last night and a little more this morning when I woke up, just to really flush out my body. The way laxatives work, however, is to pull water from out of your body to your intestine, so it's really important to drink a lot of water when you take this medicine, so you don't get dehydrated.
My weight dropped down from the travel, fighting and not really eating much (or training), so I'm recovering with some salt (the salmon is quite salty), quality protein and some easily digestible carbs of honeydew melon and a tortilla.
You can put your body through a lot. Being tired and sore is okay, just make sure that you take care of yourself when you're asking a lot of your body - my trainer at Lanna, Den, used to always say, "eat good, sleep good." That's really the whole of it, other than drinking a lot of water also.
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Please can someone give me tips on how to relax in the ring?
I haven't even fought yet, but even during sparring, as soon as people watch I freeze up
I've tried visualising winning and listening to music, or singing etc but I just end up a stupid frozen idiot, I'm starting to feel stressed before I even start training as I know I'll freeze, and I'm sure worrying about it just makes me worse
Relaxing is 99% how you breathe. When I get tense or feel like I'm gassing, I can always focus on my breathing and realize I was holding my breath. Kevin taught me a technique he read about in a combat (like, military) training book and it's very simple, brings your heartrate under control in about 16 seconds: inhale 4 beats, hold that breath 4 beats, exhale 4 beats, hold that for 4 beats... repeat.
If you find yourself feeling too tense in the ring, get out of your mind. When you drive a car, you're not all tense right? When you first start, yes, very nervous and looking around at everything and timid. But after a while you can sing to the radio at the top of your lungs and sip from your coffee cup while driving and you don't really think about it, but you're still aware of everything. If you don't drive, picture walking. You probably walk pretty well. That's what you need to compare your sparring relaxation to. It's not like, wow, I'm so relaxed I could take a nap. It's more like you're not overly focused on the mechanics. So, sing a song in your head; sing it out loud if you dare. Narrow down what you're thinking about and decide you only have to try kicking, or every time your opponent punches you're going to kick their leg. Simplify. When you're relaxed, you're not thinking 100 things, you're thinking a few things. Think about what you want for dinner, make a shopping list. I'm not saying "check out," you're still paying attention to what you're doing, but you need to flatten out the focus in the same way you do when you're driving or walking... not like, "where does my foot go?"
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Depending on where you train, the floors of gyms can range anywhere from really nice mats everywhere to absolutely no mats anywhere. The canvas of the ring can tear up your feet due to the heat and humidity (you'll see trainers watering the ring for this reason), the concrete floors can give you some intense blisters, and sometimes the only way to not slip from your own dripping sweat is to have a strip of carpet pulled up near the bag... which also tears up your feet.
For the first two years of training in Thailand I was always dealing with the bottoms of my feet getting blisters and then tearing open. Now I still get these slices occasionally, but it's more rare and it heals quickly.
Solutions:
1) toughen up your feet before you get here; walk around barefoot and build callouses. We wear shoes ALL THE TIME in the west and our feet are sissies for it.
2) when you get these blisters, keep your feet clean and put Vaseline or coconut oil on them before you go to sleep at night (wear socks if you can handle the heat while you sleep) to keep the skin softer. Tough skin that's already torn will tear more.
3) use bandaids and tape to fabricate some kind of buffer
4) eventually you'll have some blisters bad enough you have to wear shoes in training and look like a total goober
5) as you're getting used to the floors of your gym you can use some kind of slipper in an on-again-off-again rotation to build up the tolerance of your feet. I used ballet slippers during my first year, which helped when I already had blisters but I was too embarrassed to wear frequently enough to avoid the blisters all together. These "half toe ankle yoga grip" socks are a better option than the ballet slippers and probably better than socks due to the grips on the bottoms. If those barefoot running shoes are still a thing you can try those as well. Different price tag.
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Yolanda Schmidt wrote a nice piece on cutting weight that might offer some insight.
ETA: she reveals nothing in this article about methods or advice or tips. Sorry. Leaving it here anyway but this is a pretty useless article.
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This is all really good, guys! I'm learning a lot from reading these. TZ, can you keep us updated in a week or so? Also, good luck in the tournament, that's awesome!!
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I have been following your advice for a few weeks now and it has really helped. I never really took much notice of what I was thinking before and during training until I started to write it down. It became apparent that I had already decided how a session would go long before I even got to the gym and when I did get there I would make instant assumptions on how I would preform. Something as stupid as the wrong music playing or my trainer running late would start me thinking negative thoughts. Now I have become aware of this I find it a lot easier to catch myself on and change my thinking before entering the gym.
Thank you Sylvie.
Ah! That's great to hear! Keep working on it though, as it's something that you can easily forget once you are feeling better. I've been writing down the things I'm working on in each session, 1) so I can remember and be mindful to do it in the session and 2) so that I can give myself credit for having attempted something even if the session feels like a wash. I got my ass kicked by my sparring partner the other day and felt like I was a mess but when I wrote down that I'd been working on spacing, I realized that I had indeed done that. So, it was part of the practice rather than just getting tagged all day by a 14 year old.
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Thank you so much for the information. I am definitely now decided this is the place to be. Can I pay monthly? It would be easier for me if I paid a month upon arriving there and then just pay as I go along. But yes! The motorbike would definitely be a great choice for me and I love the potential for exploring the surrounding areas!!!!!! Wow! This is so great! Cool! Sylvie! : ) :thanks:
Yes, there's a monthly option. Maybe send them a message on their website to let them know you're looking and you can ask any questions there. When it gets a bit closer to when you're coming out shoot me a message as well and I'll do what I can to make sure everything goes as smoothly as possible :)
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Hello everyone (first poster):
I'm learning mt primarily as a movement discipline and not for fighting. (I'm 49.) I learned kicking via Tang Soo Do and American full contact fighters years ago, but couldn't take all the bloody noses and thereafter have practiced for the joy of the movements.
I haven't found any free resources to help me on how to breakdown throwing a head kick in mt that makes it look much different than a TKD roundhouse. I've checked out Sylvie's video on this with Master K, and it almost looks like he is throwing a Tang Soo Do or Wushu style crescent kick to the head. (Perhaps I'm missing something though.) I found another video that breaks down the head kick, making it look like a TKD style roundhouse (knee up with chambered leg and hips square to target, then turn over hips and extend leg, the only difference from a TKD style being that the kick is delivered with the posted leg on the toes to allow more follow through.)
Any pointers/tips welcome and thanks!
A bit off topic, by learning the mt roundhouse (the variant with emphasis on turning out the posted leg and pulling up a straight or near straight kicking leg) I have seen that it is in a way a mirror of the Korean/Japanese/Chinese spinning wheel kick as far as follow through goes and leading with the hips of the posted leg. (With the spinning wheel kick, you lead with the internal rotation of the posted leg, as compared to the external rotation of the posted leg in the mt roundhouse.)
-T
This is an interesting question and it kind of stumped me for a bit becuase headkicks aren't common. The headkicks you do see are sometimes totally lame and "die" on the shoulder instead of carrying through. But when they wrap around the back of the head a bit it's lights out!
Just now on TV there was a beautiful headkick KO. The blue corner was backing up and red corner was chasing. Blue took a step back and fired that same foot that had just stepped back straight up the line of red's shoulder and landed the foot right behind the ear. Red fell like a brick, just OUT. There wasn't a lot of turn or chambering or anything, just a straight whip up and the head bent over a bit to make room for the hip.
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Hi Sylvie! Been watching your Youtube's super awesome! I hope Angie is doing well and getting ready for her next fight! I aspire to be like her since I spar with the boys at my gym....so I totally root for her success!!!!!! On in this matter, since my aspirations to go to Thailand are still pending (but not feeling rushed); I have been casually perusing several gyms. I have been reading some posts here on the forum and really today I came across the Royal Thai Residence and I love---that it is all inclusive! I would assume the food is not included but the living quarters, the training and transportation is all part of it. This seems like a dream come true. I love how they advertise that they will be learning traditional Muay Thai which is really what I am looking for. I definitely want the entire experience of learning the Muay Thai and maybe actually getting to go in the ring, just so I can say, yeah! I got to fight once or twice! That would be a dream come true! What can you say about Royal Thai Residence? It sounds perfect for my budget.
Hi! Royal Thai Residence is nice, it's off the main road so it's really quiet but it's close enough to everything that you won't be isolated. There's massage on site (I wish I had this at my building) and a small restaurant, so while food isn't included in the package it is easy enough to not have to go out when you're tired from training. There's a pool for swimming and lounging, a really nice area all around it to relax. All in all a really nice place.
The package includes training 2x per day and there's an option for a motorbike rental. If you don't rent the bike the cost is less, but unless you're terrified of driving by yourself I recommend getting the motorbike included. It makes transport between the gym and the hotel easier and it also opens up all kinds of exploration possibilities. If you don't get the bike and choose to walk to the gym it's about 20 minutes, or you can take a motorbike taxi but the cost of that every day will add up.
The gym in the package is my gym, Petchrungruang, and I love it there. It's not a gym for everyone but the women who have come and trained with me have absolutely loved it and if you can direct yourself through the sessions during the parts where you don't have immediate attention from a trainer it's a great place. I think it's a great deal.
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Sylvie,
How does it work if I want to train at a gym in Thailand for a day? Do I ask for a day fee and then ask for how much for one of the trainer for an hour or two of private? In Pattaya, which gym would you recommend? Is there places that I can rent for a room for a night in both Chiang Mai and Pattaya?
Thanks again!
AL
Every gym I've ever been to has a daily or "drop-in" rate. Just ask when you get there. Sometimes you pay per session and sometimes you get the whole day for one price. When you train the regular session you'll get rounds on the pads with a trainer, which is 1-1. If you want a full hour private session it's going to be considerably more expensive (300-500 for standard, 1000- + for big names and expensive gyms).
In Pattaya I recommend Sor. Klinmee Gym as a kind of in-between gym that is family style (lots of little kids and also bigger fighters) but also Western friendly. If you want something bigger and state-of-the-art, the brand new Venum gym is pretty cool. Huge space, really nice equipment, experienced trainers and some big-name fighters mixing in with beginners, intermediate and some fitness folks.
Where you end up training in Pattaya will determine where you should stay. On the same street as Sor. Klinmee is fairly nice, standard rental with air-con. It's pretty far off the main highway so you'd need a motorbike taxi or to rent one to get to the main areas of Pattaya, but there are markets for food and convenience stores within walking distance. If you're at Venum or want to be closer to the rest of Pattaya the Royal Thai Residence is a mid-range rental with air-con, an outdoor pool, indoor gym, on-site massage. It's off the main road so it's nice and quiet but it's within walking distance to a few attractions and a short motorbike ride to the beach, night markets, Max Muay Thai Stadium, etc. If you choose a different gym you'll be able to find something near to anywhere you go.
In Chiang Mai you can ask at whatever gym you go to where the best place to stay is. If you go to Hongthong it's about 18 minutes by motorbike to the main highway down to the Old City, if you're near to Lanna it's 10 minutes from the camp to the Old City, right next to the mountain. Tons of places to stay, nowhere in particular I recommend as I don't have a lot of experience in the hotels. I stayed in one apartment building the whole time and now when we go we stay at a place across from Lanna called Flora House. It's beautiful, nice rooms, quiet, but I hate the showers, haha. It's a bathtub with a shower head on a cord that doesn't get tall enough to stand like a regular shower and I hate sitting in a tub that isn't filled with water. But if that doesn't bother you, it's a pretty perfect place to stay.
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Hi everyone,
I'm currently in Chiang Mai and looking out for a gym to go. I have muay thai experience, although I've never actually fought. I'd like to. I'm around 80kg.
I've made my researches and I'm now hesitating between HongThong and Lanna. I want to improve my game overall, especially the boxing and clinching. Which one would be a good fit ?
Thanks
The two gyms aren't too far apart from each other, maybe 25 minutes on a motorbike. I recommend you try a full day at each gym and decide from your own experience which one you like. Gyms aren't only about the trainers but also who is at the gym at the same time as you are, so your boxing and clinching experience will depend on that as well :)
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OH, do you have any recommendation for training there? I might able to spend a day or two there! :)
When you say 2 hrs, is it by bus?
AL
Hi, it's 2 hours by car or bus, there are lots of shuttles from areas of BKK down to Pattaya. They can be pretty inexpensive (120 Baht) but you migh tnot have control over where they drop you off. Once you're in Pattaya though it's easy to grab a motorbike taxi and get anywhere you want to go. Pattaya is pretty small and everyone knows where Fairtex is.
I just visited HongThong Gym in Chiang Mai today and can say I highly recommend it. Really great trainers; I worked with Joe, who is a former Lumpinee champion and speaks very good English, but is just a very keen teacher.
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Thank you very much! Please feel free to post here more often on the different topics, we'd love for you to be part of the discussions.
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Hey everyone,
So I've been diving into a lot of videos, and I've seen alot of knockout kicks with shins, but even more so with the top of the foot connecting rather than the shin. Can someone tell me when it's acceptable to practice kicks on the bag with the top of your foot rather than the shin and does learning overall technique suffer?
Hey Keith, the only times I've seen the top of the foot be a factor (in a good way) in a KO is when a headkick wraps around the back of the head, behind the ear. That's a KO for sure. Other than that I can't think of a time when kicking with the top of the foot is a better idea than the shin, as the bones in the foot are pretty fragile.
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a small note on Kem's gym, it's a fantastic gym as far as I can tell, but it may not be the best gym for solo female travelers. I've heard complaints from a few women who have had problems with aggressive flirtation/harassment from one particular trainer there, something that may not be easy to deal with or avoid.
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Hi,
My name is Simon and im from Sweden. I'll be going to Thailand soon and im looking for a good gym where there are a lot of big and tall thai fighters and trainers. I am 197 cm tall and fight in -86 kg so this has been a problem for me in the past.
Im not looking for a "farang gym" (and i think you know what i mean by that), i rather want a gym with high quality pad work, clinch and sparring who also has active big fighters, thai style.
I've only heard good things about Kems newly opened gym, any information on this gym would be great as it is on the top of my list right now.
I would also like to thank Sylvie who responded within minutes after i messaged her with the same question, and directed me here for more information. Keep up the good work, i can only speak for myself but it really is appreciated.
Thanks a lot, take care.
Simon from Sweden
I'm going to Kem's gym on Monday I think. I was really impressed with them when I visited to film with Yodwicha a month or so ago. It's strange but I have gotten several tall person gym clinch questions lately, it's the opposite of my small person needs. It is a very clinch heavy gym, and has some of the best clinch fighters in Thailand. But for those who are taller, Yodwicha is the reason to go. He is an incredible clinch fighter and is very tall for a Thai. Not only that, he is incredibly kind and a very good instructor. I'm small, but we filmed 30 minutes of clinch instruction with him, and he was able to communicate all the technique despite all the angles being wrong. This is very difficult to do, and only the best can do it. Dieselnoi was like this when I trained with him.
You can see our size difference here:
He isn't an instructor there, he's a top level fighter, but I'm sure he would help technically if you had any questions. From what I saw they clinched a lot, and the padwork was very good. I've also heard that they are a very pro-fight gym for the westerners there finding fights not only around the Khorat area, but also on MAX and other promotions. It's in the middle of mountains, incredibly beautiful. I'll be putting up footage for my supporters and also writing a blog post about the gym for everyone in the next weeks.
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Yeah, you're marching in place rather than stepping forward. Letting the bag come to you. I probably should have made that clearer, haha.
well, you just did :)
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There's a drill I've always used, but unfortunately I don't have a video of it. I'll do my best to explain:
Teep the bag with your front leg, then after that foot reaches the ground, step with the other leg, then again with the front foot, and teep with the opposite leg. So it's a continuous marching movement - teep (left), step, step, step, teep (right), step, step, step, teep (left)..etc. It'll get you used to getting your feet in position to time the teep for when the bag comes.
As far as technique goes, I always make sure I'm coming up on the ball of the foot on my standing leg, and bring the knee up first, as close to my body as possible, then shoot it from there. I also try to bring it back in the same way and avoid dragging it on the way down. A really good way to get used to this movement is to put a chair in front of the bag and teep over it.
I'm intrigued by your marching teep. Are you marching in place or stepping forward, because when I picture this one runs out of space in front of the bag super fast. Is it "step step" like how you showed me when doing that drill of left, right, kick; right, left, kick on repeat? Like stepping your feet in place?
Questions for Saya Ito
in Open Topics - men and women - General Muay Thai Discussion and News
Posted
How has she adjusted her goals due to her injury? Is she still training and what adjustments has she made in that realm?
She expressed desire to fight against opposition from all over the world; was that in the interest of visiting other countries through Muay Thai or is there an interest in the variety of how different countries perform Muay Thai?
Is she coming back to Thailand for a stint in training anytime soon? Where will she train?