Nak Muay Nation is putting on organized two and four week Muay Thai camps at Khongsitta Gym in Bangkok, the camp is always hosted by a well-known western fighter. In fact the last camp was hosted Sean Muay Thai Guy, and from all I heard was a tremendous success. Not only did seriously high profile Muay Thai talent show up to the camp to give instruction, names like Petchboonchu F.A. Group and Saenchai P.K. Saenchaimuaythaigym, what really struck me was how much people who attended seemed to get out of it. Big, organized group events aren’t really my thing, I’m kind of a loner type; but one thing I believe that I’ve forgotten a little now that I’ve been here for four years, is how incredibly alien Thailand can be for people who are just getting off the plane. It’s just a huge adjustment for some people and a camp with top level, engaged instruction, and nice rooms in a quieter area of Bangkok might be just the way to enter into hard training Thailand style. Or if you’re just someone who prefers a more organized approach – many Thai camps are fend-for-yourself. Mostly though, I heard how much Kate Sholy enjoyed her time there and it convinced me that this is something I should maybe try to be a part of. You can see her fights and vlog in the video below:
So I contacted Sean and asked him if it would be okay to attend the August Khongsitta camp for a few days. It will be hosted by Paul Banasiak, who I haven’t yet met but who seems like a pretty cool guy online, so why not give it a shot? The full Paul Banasiak camp runs from July 31st to August 28th (2016), and it is an option to purchase the entire 4 week camp ($1,350), or to just attend for two weeks ($800).
My Clinch Seminar – When I’ll Be There
So the plan is this: in the last week of the camp (22-28) I’m going to come and train for a day, morning and afternoon, just to be around everyone. I’ll spend the night and then the next day I’ll train morning and afternoon again, but also will be giving a seminar in clinch. Now, some of you may be saying: Hey, we’re in Thailand, what’s this little western chick going to show me about clinch? Fair enough. But this is the thing about clinch in Thailand: clinch technique is very rarely “taught” in Thailand, at least not in a formal sense. Yes, some basic clinch positions may be shown, or a trick or two (an escape, a lock, a trip, etc), but the basic principles and how these principles are related to advanced tactics are rarely covered in an instructive sense. You learn by doing for hundreds and hundreds of hours. So while there are indeed many, many Thais with better clinch than I have (yet) – it is learned through years of drilling since a child – I’m particularly qualified in that I have been systematically studying clinch, cataloging typical western mistakes, and perfecting my own approach it it for 4+ years. I’ve put in a lot of hours, made lots of mistakes, spent a lot of energy getting back up from being thrown on my ass, and I can explain what I’ve learned through that process. I’m a muay khao clinch fighter in style, and am about to fight my 140th fight in Thailand. So I’d like to pass whatever knowledge I’ve gathered thus far on to you, if you are in attendance. Foot position, hip position, wrist position, variations in locks, turns, low clinch, long clinch styles, clinch entry, thoughts on how clinch is scored in Thailand, and how to clinch in ways that score heaviest. There is a lot to relate. I think I can break this down into something really interesting. Consider me a knowledge bridge.
It’s a passion of mine to try to learn, record and try to pass on clinch technique, especially to western women who may find a very hard time receiving high-level instruction or enough practice time to develop their own strengths and techniques.
So hopefully this will inspire some of you to join the Khongsittha camp, and I’ll be seeing you there! Below is a day in the life video put together by Sean, showing just what it is like at Khongsittha:
You can read all my clinch related posts here. I’ve probably written more on clinch than anyone else in English, over 24 articles, if only because so little is to be found on clinch.
