Live Muay Thai

With a whole day to rest up I was excited about training Thursday morning.  Instead of running I decided to skip rope instead.  Once I got to the gym I see a new face.  Eddie from Liverpool had just arrived and was promptly skipping rope already.  Eddy's big, tattooed, and gave off an aura that was just all business.  I find out that he's strictly in the gym to train for a fight.  To be fair, Eddy's totally polite with me so I don't have a problem with him.

Sherryl and I both started skipping rope but later on Sherryl decides to do her own exercises to warm up.  After shadow boxing Sherryl gets paired with Yot and I get paired with new trainer Nimnoi.  He's new at the gym but he's not new to me.  I met him before about 4 years ago at Legacy Gym in Ubon, Thailand.  He was former World Champion Ole Laursen's trainer.

That session with Nimnoi was probably the best session I ever had at the gym.  It was similar to the session I had with Kru Ram at the Fairtex Gym last year.  It was a session full of offense and defense.  For example he would throw a left jab at my face.  If I leaned back I would then counter with a left cross and immediately throw a right hook.  If I slipped to the right to avoid the jab I would then counter with a right hook and then throw the left cross.  Another one he would have me do is to leg check his low right leg kick.  After I would I check it with my left shin I would then follow up a right jab, left cross, and a left low kick combo.  It would be 4 rounds of that kind of stuff and I never learned so much.

After 4 rounds of punishment I was then put through the grinder of conditioning exercises.  It was just way to tough and exhausting and I almost passed out.  I then see Sherryl just blasting the bag with leg kicks at the supervision of Yot.  She would later tell me that her leg became numb and she think she broke her toes.  

After resting up both Sherryl and were taken to a local shop and we sampled what was called the "best Pad Thai."  For me I don't know if it was the best but it was very good but for Sherryl it definitely is the best and definitely world's better than the Pad Thai that we get back home.  For the record the Pad Thai back home isn't bad but it's full of noodles.  In Thailand it's low on noodles and high on ingredients.

After eating both Sherryl and I had to walk back to the gym.  It was just so hot and we both decided to eat some ice cream at the local 7-11.  We end up getting ice cream bars before walking back to the gym.

We make it back and not too many minutes pass when we then realize we have to get ready for the afternoon, and potentially last, training session.  We head out and I started skipping rope and Sherryl does her own warm up exercises.  I was then asked to get into the ring with Liam and Sherryl gets paired with Yot again.  Sherryl would later tell me she ended up cracking her toe nail on her right foot.

My session with Liam was similar to my morning session with Nimnoi.  It was tough but my cardio held up and I was able to throw everything that I was asked to throw.  I end doing a lot of defense and countering.  It was tough to be sure but these are the kind of sessions that you can only get in Thailand.

After I was done with Liam I had to do my bag work.  It was then that I see Yot putting shin guards on Sherryl.  I was like 'wow, that's weird they're probably getting her to kick the heavy bag with shin guards to protect her legs.'  I was so wrong, I then see Sherryl paired off with of the younger Thai fighters and she was asked to spar with him.  I then see Sherryl politely tell the fighter, 'Easy ok'.

After seeing her handle herself quite well in the sparring I continue my work on the heavy bag.  I was then summoned by Rob to wrap it up early because we're going to Ratchadamnern Stadium to watch the big Muay Thai event.  It was a big event simply because it had big names competing on the card.

Myself, Sherryl, Oliver, and Sam were confirmed to go.  But then Themo, from Finland, was dressed and ready to go as well.  Later on, Andre from Indonesia would later meet up with us at the stadium.  It created a little problem because Rob's car, a nice one, could really only sit 3 people in the back.  Unfortunate with Themo coming it created quite a problem.  Oliver, Sam, and Themo are all over 6 foot.  And they were all squished in the back seats with Sherryl.  I on the other hand was sitting in the front.  Nevertheless we were able to make the trek and we finally made it to the stadium.

We were VIP's and escorted ringside.  Sherryl was excited because it was her first live fight period.  When the first fight started Sherryl mentioned to me how the guy in blue trunks was just "so cool."  The guy was cool, had supreme confidence, and ended up winning his fight.

During the event there were two knockouts.  The first one the fighter that lost was getting kneed to the head and body until he just dropped.  He then had to be carried off on a stretcher.  Sherryl's smile was gone, she really felt bad for the fighter that lost.  The second knockout was worse, the losing fighter ended up taking a kick to the head and almost fell out of the ring.  He too was carried off on a stretcher.

A few fights later Saenchai Sor Kingstar was fighting.  He's been recognized as probably the best Muay Thai Fighter pound of pound on the planet.  After the first round Sherryl even told me, "he's good."  But later on his opponent, who was much younger and taller, and ended up pulling off the win with superior conditioning and aggressiveness.

After the event was over Oliver was showing us the picture he took with Saenchai.  It was a nice one and I've taken a few pictures wit Saenchai in the past.  I told him that both Sherryl and I did one better...we took pictures with the guy that beat him.

After hanging around to avoid the after event traffic, we then went back to the gym.  Rob ended up stopping by 7 - 11 to get something to eat.  Both Sherryl and I bought some food but after we got back to the gym Sherryl ended up eating Lansones again.  These days, it seems like that's the only thing she wants to eat.

Just a couple more days.