Jump to content

Alcohol and Muay Thai - Moderation or Abstinence?


Recommended Posts

Hey everyone 😊

Wondered what people thought about an issue that doesn't get raised much if ever in the open - but noticed fighters have strong opinions either way in private. You guys all sound fairly well schooled in Thai in your countries, so be interested to hear ideas 

On the subject of drinking, do you guys follow the traditional old school view of no alcohol at all, or the more modern everything in moderation view. 

Personally, never drank in training for  fights, but still loved to kick back and party afterwards. But even this is having a horrible effect on my body and ability to feel right and in tune afterwards. 

Oh yeah, also tend to be living in disturbingly alcohol cultures the last few years, where it's a huge part of every day life and everyone expects you to be part of it. Even ppl in the gym

Thanks a lot 😀👊🏼

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure one can advise about mind- or mood-altering substances over the internet, but it is pretty amazing how devastating alcohol can be to ex-fighters in Thailand. Of course alcoholism a problem all over the world, but there is something about it and Muay Thai that has a deep cultural groove to it, and a fairly strong moral judgement as well, it seems.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Cheers man, yeah have seen older trainers who day drink and smoke a pack a day, and been shocked when they offer me a can or a smoke. So have you found good active fighters still maintain a no booze at all approach?

Have trained with some Thais like this, who probably wouldn't touch a drop on their birthdays, and some who stack up on Leo after a win and get together to get fucked up. But then back to being sober and training right after.

Wondered which was more common. And to anybody reading, how you find drinking affects your body's ability to recover.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

 Since I started working out six times a week sometimes twice a day I gave up my moderate ( at most ) alcohol consumption and now I just drink on a very infrequent basis. I can’t afford to not feel my best at my workouts. (If I was still young and single I’d probably drink a little more) but now I focus on adequate sleep, fuel, hydration and very limited/infrequent alcohol 

i want to feel my best. Sometimes I get

’ tired’ during the work outs or class but don’t give up. ( plus there is no option to give up during my Muay Thai class. You do what he says. Period. Only exception is an injury 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️)  If I drank I’d think i’d just suck wind and not be at my best. Not worth it to me. 

  • Like 1
  • Respect 1
  • Gamma 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
On 12/9/2019 at 8:32 AM, MadelineGrace said:

 

i want to feel my best. Sometimes I geti 'tired’ during the work outs or class but don’t give up. ( plus there is no option to give up during my Muay Thai class. You do what he says. Period. Only exception is an injury 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️)  If I drank I’d think i’d just suck wind and not be at my best. Not worth it to me. 

Agreed, 💯.

Since first posting this question on the forum, have given up all booze for good now. Feel way way better, and don't even miss it.

But maybe wasn't much of a sacrifice, never was a big drinker anyway. Seems like it's one of those things that's just socially expected of you.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 hours ago, Oliver said:

Agreed, 💯.

Since first posting this question on the forum, have given up all booze for good now. Feel way way better, and don't even miss it.

But maybe wasn't much of a sacrifice, never was a big drinker anyway. Seems like it's one of those things that's just socially expected of you.

I hate that part. Some people even act like their fun is gone when you don't drink... hahaha

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, 515 said:

I hate that part. Some people even act like their fun is gone when you don't drink... hahaha

Exactly. Worst is when you're only with one other person and you tell them you don't mind if they drink, that they should go for it. But then they get all butthurt and miserable and confused.

Like wtf, why does it matter to them. 

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This is a somewhat complicated question in that, especially in Thailand, there's a moral component to alcohol consumption that will be included in how it's viewed by your gym. Trainers who drink aren't viewed as super dependable by those who don't, students who drink are socially engaging with those trainers, but will also be dismissed in some ways by those in the gym who don't. If you're showing up and working hard, you'll be appreciated for that. If you're tired and drained - even if it's occasional - and it's known that the reason behind it is that you were out drinking, you'll be judged for that in addition to what you'd be chastised for if you were just having a "bad" day. 

I'm in the same school as Madeline, where I just can't afford feeling shittier than I would if it were simply a rough night of sleep or being tired from the work I'm already doing. So, I abstain for the same reasons I don't eat sugar or stay up too late to watch Netflix or whatever else. If it's compromising my training, it goes. But people have different goals and different motivations. The 5AM runs make me a total asshole for the day and I still go do those, so we all make compromises, hahaha.

  • Like 7
  • Cool 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 weeks later...
On 1/16/2020 at 9:43 PM, Oliver said:

Agreed, 💯.

Since first posting this question on the forum, have given up all booze for good now. Feel way way better, and don't even miss it.

But maybe wasn't much of a sacrifice, never was a big drinker anyway. Seems like it's one of those things that's just socially expected of you.

I quit drinking several years ago, except for once or twice a year when I have one or two. A few things happened. First, I feel so, so much better and my sleep got so, SO much better. I actually feel less stressed than I did before when I drank to relax. And my friends and family who drink started being weird about it. I don’t try to convert people but it seems as though they take it that way when I turn down a drink. My mom hasn’t seen me with any type of alcohol for probably 5 years but still tries to get me to drink during the holidays. 
 

The culture around alcohol is strange. Well, at least in the US which is the only place I can speak with any authority. Lol

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think your answer will revolve around your reasons for training in thailand whether you should be drinking or not... however I do recall a thai trainer saying, for every drink you run an extra km!

A bit of punishment to acknowledge before you sip 🤣

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
  • 5 months later...

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Most Recent Topics

  • Latest Comments

    • Hi. Sorry about your situation. Rest assured that everyone (me too) unearths a revelation about a bad habit or poor technique once in a while. Main thing is you've found out and want to fix it. IMO and experience (25 years including teaching), it's an issue because it's every single kick as you said and this detracts from good technique and power and balance etc and longer-term development. It also stifles ability such as kicking and then following immediately with a Thai leg block or follow up weapon e.g. another kick (but I gather you are aware of this though from your post). My advice would be to spend a lot of time on the bag and drill the kick lots in a conscious state of mind so you're aware of how your standing foot behaves on each kick and force the ball of the foot to stay in contact with the floor. Set targets of getting 5, then 10 in a row without jumping. The mind and body will adapt over time. With pad work you'll loose the discipline and repetitions need to correct this - plus a lot of pad holder partners just won't see or bother to correct you. So try and cut that down for a while. Good luck.    
    • Hi. You can't go wrong with Twins or any good, reputable Thai brand like Fairtex. They will last you years if you air and dry that out after every session. I bought a Fairtex pair in 2017 in Thailand and they are still in great shape (I train 2/3 times a week). Before that I had a pair of Windy Sport I bought from the shop near Raja Stadium in BKK, that again lasted me years. For your size and stature, 16oz are perfect, and good all round - so you can spar/play and hit pads and bag comfortably. Don't cut corners with price or quality. If you've got good gear the experience will be more enjoyable. For the record I've been involved in Muay Thai since 2000, lived in Thailand and taught in London. Enjoy the MT journey 🙂
  • The Latest From Open Topics Forum

    • I can only comment on Perth. There's a very active Muay Thai scene here - regular shows. Plenty of gyms across the city with Thai trainers. All gyms offer trial classes so you can try a few out before committing . Direct flights to Bangkok and Phuket as well. Would you be coming over on a working holiday visa? Loads of work around Western Australia at the moment. 
    • Hi, I'm considering moving to Australia from the UK and I'm curious what is the scene like? Is it easy to fight frequently (proam/pro level), especially as a female? How does it compare to the UK? Any gym recommendations? I'll be grateful for any insights.
    • You won't find thai style camps in Europe, because very few people can actually fight full time, especially in muay thai. As a pro you just train at a regular gym, mornings and evenings, sometimes daytime if you don't have a job or one that allows it. Best you can hope for is a gym with pro fighters in it and maybe some structured invite-only fighters classes. Even that is a big ask, most of Europe is gonna be k1 rather than muay thai. A lot of gyms claim to offer muay thai, but in reality only teach kickboxing. I think Sweden has some muay thai gyms and shows, but it seems to be an exception. I'm interested in finding a high-level muay thai gym in Europe myself, I want to go back, but it seems to me that for as long as I want to fight I'm stuck in the UK, unless I switch to k1 or MMA which I don't want to do.
    • Hi all, Does anyone know of any suppliers for blanks (Plain items to design and print a logo on) that are a good quality? Or put me in the right direction? thanks all  
    • The first fight between Poot Lorlek and Posai Sittiboonlert was recently uploaded to youtube. Posai is one of the earliest great Muay Khao fighters and influential to Dieselnoi, but there's very little footage of him. Poot is one of the GOATs and one of Posai's best wins, it's really cool to see how Posai's style looked against another elite fighter.
  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      1.4k
    • Total Posts
      11.5k
×
×
  • Create New...