Kaewsamrit Muay Thai

The training is always the same.  I've done it countless times but it's always tough just to get through it.  I just had dinner and my last training session was about 3 hours ago.

Yesterday I arrived in Bangkok after one of the most grueling flights of my life.  It was so long and tiring.  My first flight took about 13 hours from SFO to Hong Kong.  I had to wait in Hong Kong for about 2 hours before I caught my 2nd flight which was from Hong Kong to Singapore.  That flight was about 4 hours.  As soon as I landed I literally had only 10 minutes to catch my last flight to Bangkok.  Singapore to Bangkok is no big deal as it was only 2 hours this time.  But together I spent about 19 hours in a plane.

After going through customs and immigration I was picked up by Ken from Kaewsamrit Muay Thai.  Four years ago Ken picked me up on my first trip to Bankok.  Ken looked hard and cool and that time four years ago asked me point blank "how many fights have you had?"  I was little perplexed but I said 10.  I wasn't lying but I was counting my Tae Kwon Do and grappling tournaments.  I've never kickboxed competitively.

This time around Ken picked me up, had a smile on his face, and whisked me away from the Airport and back to the gym.

Sunday was uneventful as I just checked in, paid my dues, and waited for the next day for training to start.  Monday morning I woke up at 6 am and ran for 40 minutes.  The marathon training came in handy as I was able to complete the run with no incident.  Afterwards I checked back into the gym, stretched out, and I was then told to wrap my hands.

As I was sitting there wrapping my hands the fighters all started to trickle into the gym.  I was then ordered to shadow box and after throwing a few techniques Cheng, the head trainer, stated to me "you lost weight didn't you?"  I told him that I had and he smiled simply saying "I could tell."

I was then told to get in the ring and start training with Ong.  Ong was putting me through the paces known as pad work.  Your trainer is holding pads and you throw whatever technique he asks you to throw.  Whether it be a jab, cross, upper cut, kick to the leg, you have to throw it and you have to throw it 100%.  In Muay Thai everything is thrown at maximum strength.  Even the combinations have to be thrown with full force.  For example a combination would be a one two (for me since I'm left handed it would be a right jab and then a left cross), followed by a right hook, and then a kick to the body with my left leg.

The pad work, although grueling, wasn't so bad at first.  It gets difficult during the later rounds when you're dog tired and your trainer is throwing techniques at you.  So you may be throwing your moves but after you're finished your trainer would counter with a kick of his own.  You're supposed to either check it, block it, or evade it.  For some odd reason I just can't react fast enough to check the kick to the body.  Ong always gets me.

Pad work is 4 rounds with 5 minutes in duration per round.  After that I headed over to the heavy bag to work on my timing and power.  Again that took about 4 rounds.  Then the morning session finishes up with the extreme physical fitness of sit ups and push ups.  The exercises wouldn't have been so bad if I could just push them out but we're all supposed to do them in unison and count after every rep.

After breakfast I went to sleep so that I can rest up for the afternoon session.  The afternoon session is just like the first except it is a little harder and longer.  You do pretty much everything like the morning session except you add a 2 mile run AFTER the session.

Dinner sucked, well at least for me it did.  There was nothing wrong with the food but I was just dead tired and sweating profusely.  I had already taken a shower a few minutes earlier but my body was just hot and dripping sweat.  In laymen terms they call this the after burn in which your body is burning calories after the workout.  The food was so hot and spicy that it made it even worse.  I didn't eat much, told the guys I'd see them tomorrow, and now I'm here typing away.

One day down and I already lost 5 pounds.  Crazy to think how much I'd lose after I'm done with this trip.      

  

The Journey Never Ends

The Journey Never Ends

Another year another trip.  I just finished dinner at a local Japanese Restaurant here in SFO.  I checked in a few hours ago now I am just waiting to board my flight.  I spent almost a year planning for this.  A lot has happened and now I am just itching to get on that plane and head off.

A lot has happened since I flew out to the far east.  My co-worker John was quick to remind me that I screwed up last year and I did not update my blog.  Last year was a little different as I trained at a different gym and spent a good two weeks in a different part of Bangkok.

I did not enjoy my trip last year as I have in years past.  2010 was worse and last year I left Singapore with a lot more to be desired.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed my stay at Kiatphontip Muay Thai and Evolve MMA in Singapore.  However, I went into those trips in the worse shape of my life.

From 2007 to 2010 I trained MMA (cage fighting) religiously 4- 5 times a week.  I spent days every week sparring hard and even thought about competing again.  I haven't fought since I took 4th at a submission tournament  back in 1998.  But I spent those days training hard and took pride every time I went in for a check up.

However last year I was just in the worse shape of my life.  Also, in the back of my mind I always knew that I could "just train in Thailand" to get  back in shape.  For my first 3 years I lost an average of about 25 lbs. in 3 weeks.  Two 6 mile runs a day, two 3 hour training sessions, and constant sparring will do that to you.  Add the clean diet of rice, chicken, and fish and your body becomes a metabolic machine.

But last year was different.  I couldn't train as hard as I could.  The gym was different and the routine was a little different as well.  I couldn't run as much I wanted because I feared that by the time I came back the training session would be finished.  In Thailand when you run you run.  Minimum distance is 5 miles.  After I did my pad rounds with my trainer I would be so exhausted to even commit to hitting the sandbag.  I sparred with Mas from Holland and he just beat the living shit out of me for 3 rounds.  After that happened I witness Mas getting his ass handed to him by a 15 year old Thai fighter.  Seeing that did not do any wonders for my confidence.

After spending two weeks at Kiatphontip Muay Thai (kiatphontipgym.com) I flew to Singapore to train at the world renowned Evolve MMA Gym (evolve-mma.com). The facilities are 2nd to none, training was great, but it lacked the edgy intensity you get training in Thailand.

When I was Seoul waiting for my plane to get back to SFO I decided then and there that being so out of shape wasn't going to happen to me again.  I enrolled in marathon training and I ran my first half marathon (13 miles) this past May.  I signed up for sports conditioning at pureform perfomance fitness training (pureformpft.com) this past August.  I lost 8 lbs. over the past two weeks.

So here I am at gate 96 in SFO waiting for my flight.  Waiting to get back to Kaewsamrit and train with multiple world champion Anuwat Kaewsamrit.

Waiting to train at Fairtex which is highly regarded as the most finest kickboxing training facility in the world.  And waiting to just let go and forget about everything else and just be selfish for myself the next few weeks.

World Warrior

Another year another trip.  I just recently checked in and now I am just waiting to board my flight.  I can't believe it's been almost a year since I went out to the Far East.  Since my last trip I've done a lot more travelling than I have in the past.  I stayed at the Wynn in Vegas and took a cruise to Ensenada. Both trips were awesome but both were just appetizers to what I am going to do in the next few weeks.

Over the past couple of years I've traveled to Thailand to pay a pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Kickboxing.  I spent the last 4 years training at world renown gyms Fairtex Pattaya, Kaewsamrit, and the Legacy Gym.  All three of those gyms not only trained me to death but also treated me well.  I could continue training at those gyms for years into the future.  However, I wanted to try something new and also the purpose of this trip really isn't training Muay Thai in Thailand.

The purpose of this trip is to really explore Singapore, spend some time with someone I really care about, and to visit some really great friends that I met last year.  I spent a a few days in Singapore last year and I really liked the area.  I really liked the clean metropolis, the classy buildings, and the hotel I stayed in was awesome.  I visited a local Seventh Day Adventist church and I was immediately welcomed and I ended up hanging out with a bunch of girls from the church.  They showed me around and I spent a great deal of time in Sentosa Island.

For this trip I'll be spending the tail end of it Singapore.  I really could spend more days in Singapore but I figure a week would be great.  But I always felt that one week in a foreign country is a little too short.  So that's when I figure I do some work in Thailand.

This year I'm training at the Kiatphontip Gym in Bangkok.  It's owned and run by a UK ex pat Rob Cox.  Rob is a journalist and after befriending him a few years back I feel really good to finally be able to train at his gym.  His gym was even featured on Anthony Bourdain's show No Reservations a year ago.

I'm really looking forward to training hard this time around.  I don't plan on eating out as much as I did last year.  I brought a weigh scale with me to keep track of my weight.  I also brought a bunch of Clif Bars to snack on in between training sessions.  I've gained a lot of bad weight lately and I look forward not only to lose the weight that I always seem to lose when I'm out in Thailand, but to also use it as a springboard to my other training endeavors.  I plan on doing Crossfit and bootcamps when I  get back home.  My ultimate goal for the year is to look good in a suit again before Christmas.  It's been awhile since this has happened.

So for now, I just got to wait.  Gotta wait to board my flight.  Looking forward to the physical, mental, and spiritual cleansing that I seem to experience every time I enter the Kingdom of Kickboxing.

The Last Days

Tuesday was pretty much a typical day of training. There was no surprises as I worked out with Chai on both sessions. Pretty much my day here at Fairtex is that I wake up around 7 AM, I head to the gym at 7:30 AM to run and warm up, and by 8 AM I am in the ring doing my training.

For my training I work with my trainer in the ring for 5 four minute rounds. After I'm done doing the pad work, which can be bruising, I head off to the bags and I pound the living sh*t out of it for another 5 rounds before I call it a session.

I take a shower and head off to the restaurant for breakfast where I then eat my omelette, my cereal, and fruits. And because I take a late breakfast (it is all you can eat) I go back to my room to sleep for about 2 - 3 hours, totally skipping lunch, before I wake up at around 2:15 PM so that I can get ready for the afternoon training session which starts at 3 PM.

The afternoon session, like the ones in Bangkok, are the most grueling. Everything about the morning session is the same except after I hit the bags I engage in clinch training with my trainer. There is no misunderstanding with my trainer because he speaks English. There was a mild problem at Kaewsamrit in Bangkok which I couldn't tell my trainer what I did not want to do in the clinch. If you are not careful you can easily hurt yourself in the clinch such as being thrown or screwing up your knees. This time around I specifically instructed my trainer Chai not to throw or sweep. Because of this I was able to train hard without any worries of being injured.

After the afternoon session was over I took a shower but instead of heading off to the restaurant I head back to my room where I can sleep for another few hours before I go to dinner. At dinner, I'm given a menu (I already pre-paid all of my meals) and I typically order the spaghetti with meat sauce or fish and shrimp along with french fries. The meals all come with fresh fruit as well.

After dinner is over I typically head off to my room to use the internet here or I go to the internet cafe to hang out with the locals. After I'm done answering my e-mails I head back to my room where I watch TV before I head off to bed.

That was pretty much what I did yesterday and today. However, today with it being my last day I pretty much trained harder but also took photos with the new friends that I made. I have my same core of friends who just happen to be here when I am here. This time around I made a new friend from New Zealand. Laura, who just so happened to find the Fairtex gym on a whim decided to try Muay Thai. Laura reminded me so much of my friend Lynn from the UK. I never really go to hang out with her in the beginning but towards to end of our stay we hung out a little bit.

This morning after our training session we had breakfast. I was actually there first and I was eating 'in' the restaurant. Laura comes in and asked me why I always eat in, she always eats outside. I hate it outside as it is totally hot and humid. However, seeing Laura all by herself at her table made me reconsider and I ended up biting the bullet (my lip) and went outside and pretty much just chilled (not literally, I was sweating). It was a nice chat and I was kicking myself for not hanging out a lot more. I do have to admit, those naps during the day were awesome.

For lunch I went to the mall. However, the motorcycle taxi did not have any change for my 500 baht ($15 US). The driver then took me to the 7/11 where I still was not able to get any change. I was however able to see Laura who was getting ready to leave. She told me she was leaving at "one and a half" which I took as 1:30 PM. The time was about 12:45 PM at the time and I figured I wouldn't make it back in time and I just told her to have a safe trip.

I was finally able to get some change at a mini mart only because I bought a snicker bar and the cashier broke my 500 baht. I then had a burger at the mega Central Festival Mall. After I was done eating my unhealthy goodness I looked at my watch and saw that it read 1:15 PM and I thought to myself that I can actually make it to see Laura. I told myself to at least try or I might just be kicking myself when I fly back home. I took a transport truck for 20 baht which takes you the length of the street. After I got off and paid my fare I walked back to Fairtex and into the hotel lobby where then my clock read 1:25 PM and I didn't see a hint of luggage or Laura. I smiled to myself, got my keys, and headed to my room. I forgot to ask the receptionist something so I headed back out and there I saw Laura and her huge backpack (reminiscent of a trekker) and another back pack. I then asked if she needed help and I carried the huge one to the gym where she met her trainer. Her trainer had volunteered to take her to the bus stop where she will then head off to Bangkok for another few days before she heads off to Myanmar. That place is crazy from what I've read, I hope she'll be ok. I'll have to see where this one goes.

At about an hour later I meet up with my good friend Ted. Ted is the manager of the Muay Thai division of Fairtex. He is a Japanese American that is living in Thailand. I recently saw some ads for the rental properties that Fairtex has for rent. I wanted to check the residential units out so we went for a stroll and looked up some residential units. The units are nice and I can see myself living here for a short term basis (2 weeks to one month) sometime in the future.

After hanging out with Ming, a pretty employee who is still here at Fairtex, I went to the training center to finish up my training.

After the brutal afternoon session I had dinner, a Thai massage, and now I'm sitting here getting ready to leave tomorrow morning. These past couple of weeks have been great in Thailand. They've always been good to me. I've never been to Singapore, I'm looking forward to what it has to offer me.

Fairtex

On Monday morning I woke up at 7:30 AM to begin the last leg of my training trip. I was pretty excited, Fairtex is the finest training facility in all of Asia. I was housed in a hotel suite complete with breakfast and dinner. Training started at 8 am so I was in a little rush to make it.

When I was finally ready, I walked past the in house restaurant, past the pool, and into the gym ready to get going. Training here is a little different atmosphere wise than training at Kaewsamrit. I saw Chai, the very first Muay Thai coach I ever had in Thailand. I've been to Fairtex every year for the past 4 years and every year it's still the same. The familiar faces all recognize me and it always feels good to be noticed.

While everybody else was having the trainers wrap their hands, I wrapped my own hands to the amazement of everybody else. Prior to last year I developed my own method to wrapping hands which saves time.

I then asked Chai if he could work with me and he obliged. Training at Kaewsamrit had you doing 5 minute rounds, at Fairtex the rounds were 4 minutes in duration. My pad work with Chai was awesome. When Chai saw that I was prepared he upped the pace and then some. Typically if you're new to kickboxing/thai boxing the trainer just has you throwing combos at the pads. However, Chai was throwing punches and kicks at me, so I had to work on my defense. I could block almost all of the punches and most of the leg kicks, however I had a f**cking time trying to check the body kicks. Chai was not throwing them at 100% but they still hurt. After 4 rounds of mayhem we then went to boxing techniques with my hands. This round was a lot better as I was just throwing punches. Towards the end of the round my trainer upped the pace and I banged my chest with my right hand signaling that I was ready. I have Kaewsamrit, Master Cheng, Ong, Ta, and Mao for my improved level of stamina. I finished my rounds without needing a sip of water.

It was then time for me to hit the bag. With Fairtex being such a prestine facility the bags were almost new and totally clean. I was able to bang the bag for 5 rounds before calling it a session. I then went into the locker room, took a shower, and headed out for breakfast.

Breakfast is provided at the in house restaurant. It is buffet style but you can have an omelette cooked for you which I did. I then had cereal and a couple of Thai dishes to finish up. I was then able to return to my suite to rest easy. I slept like a baby for 4 hours before it was time for the afternoon session.

The afternoon session went a lot like the first only this time my trainer realized that I was already in shape. The pad work is almost like a fight as my trainer keeps countering my strikes right after I throw them. The one thing he keeps getting me on is when I throw my left round kick to the body. I throw it right at the pad but then my trainer counters with a left leg round kick to my liver. I can't seem to counter or defend fast enough. However, because of the advanced training I received at Kaewsamrit I tend to be in a zone just so totally focused on getting the job done.

After hitting the pads it was time to hit the bag. There is a row of bags that you cannot find at Kaewsamrit but you can at Fairtex. The bag is almost from the floor to the ceiling and it is called a banana bag. With this bag you can throwing pretty everything at it and that is what I did doing my best Mike Tyson impression by throwing massive crosses and hooks. After my 5 rounds of bag work I then asked Chai if we can work on the clinch. Chai obliged and soon we were the object of everyone's attention. After about 10 minutes of clinch work a few other people were asking the Thai's if they could work it also and the trainers obliged. After a few rounds in the clinch I called it a day and had dinner.

After dinner I did all the customary things such as e-mail, internet, etc. I was able to sleep peacefully and look forward to another day of training.

Last Day, Superfight, and Pattaya City

I finished my last day of training at the Kaewsamrit gym last Friday. I knew it was going to be my last day training so I wanted to be sure to give it my best and to look good while I was training.

For the morning session I was paired off with Mao. I like working with all the trainers and Mao is no different. I was able to work the pads, pound the bag, and finish up with the customary cool down exercises.

My left foot was not bothering me but this time my left ankle is all black and purple. I did not twist it but it looks like the repeated kicking has kind of taken a toll. I said to myself that I might have to take it easy in the afternoon.

For lunch I wanted to stay local so I went to the Canteen which is right at the street corner. I ordered my usual Pad Thai with Pepsi (42 baht which is like $1.35 US). After I was done eating lunch I went straight to my room and crashed out for another couple of hours before training started.

The afternoon session is always the dreaded session. 30 minutes of rope skipping, 4 rounds of pad work, 4 - 5 rounds of bag work, clinch sparring, a 2 mile run, and the final thirty minutes for the customary cool down exercises. I was paired with Mao again and again I had a great session. However, during my work I couldn't help but notice Masashi from Japan banging the pads with Master Cheng. Part of me wishes it was me hitting those pads. Oh well, at least I got to work with him three times during this trip.

I skipped dinner because I had to go to Lumpinee Stadium to watch a couple of Megafights in downtown Bangkok. Lumpinee Stadium along with Raja Stadium are the two major stadiums for fighting in Thailand. However, Lumpinee has been regarded as the Cesars Palace of Muay Thai. Seating capacity is over 10K and I actually prepaid my ticket the week prior.

I was able to take photos with a who's who in the world of Kickboxing. I met Somrluck Khamsing (1996 Olympic Gold Medalist in boxing), Saenchai Sor Kingstar (The best fighter in Thailand today), Sam-A, and Nong-O AKA Superboy.

The fights are the major fights in all of Thailand and the top fighters themselves have fought all over the world. However, Lumpinee Stadium is Major league in all of Muay Thai. I actually took a photo with Somrluck Khamsing backstage and took another photo with a fighter who was fighting first that evening. When the first fight started I began to feel that I may have jinx this guy because he got ko'd via leg kicks in the first round. The 2nd fight was worse, the betting favorite took an elbow to the chin and was out cold. He was so out they brought in a stretcher and he was taken out of the ring. I sincerely hope he didn't get the Dennis Alexio treatment (movie Kickboxer).

When it was time for the major fights I was able to sneak backstage again and take a photo with Petchboonchu a current star in Thailand. I felt bad taking a photo with him a few minutes before he was going to do battle but he was gracious to take a photo with me.

After Petchboonchu's fight it was now time for current champion Sam-A to fight. This was billed as the truck fight as if Sam-A wins, Toyota will give him a new truck. Sam-A's opponent is actually sponsored by Isuzu, and if he wins then Isuzu will give him a new truck.

I was sitting ringside when Sam-A came in walking to the ring. There was a big red dragon reminiscent of Chinese new year walking in front of him with the drums and cymbals banging. Sam-A went into the ring looking business. The fight was even for the first 2 rounds until Sam-A just annihilated his opponent in rounds 3 and 4 with body and leg kicks. Round 5, which is also the last round was just a formality with the opponent needing a knockout to win, Sam-A just kept his distance and waited for the round to end. Sam-A wins the fight and a new truck from Toyota.

The last fight was the main event pitting living legend Nong-O and current champion F-16. With a fighter name of F-16 I figure he must be a major bad ass. I later heard that the champion's fighter name is F-16 because he is a major in the Thai Airforce. The fight was the best fight of the evening as it was pretty even for the first 3 rounds. However, towards the end of round 4 you could clearly see that Nong-O was gassed and pretty much done. The crowd towards the end of the round were shouting in Thai "All Nong-O is doing is running away." That pretty much sealed it for him. I felt bad because there even though there was no truck in the running, the fight was for 2 million baht ($80K US).

With the main event over it was then time to go home. However, I hadn't eaten since 12 pm that day and I was totally hungry. I didn't want to head back to the gym right away either, I wanted to go somewhere where I can find a fast food joint and then go home. With thousands of people trying to get a taxi, it would have been nuts trying to find one myself. Luckily for me, my friend Rob Cox was in attendance as one of the media photographers of the event. Rob told me he was going to take the subway with 2 of his fighters and then he could even drop me off by the gym. I told Rob that I did not want to go home and that I was mad starving and wanted to go to Khaosan Rd because a BK or a Mickey D's would be open. Rob recommended that I go with him to the substation, take the sky-train, and at the exit there would be a slew of taxi's available. I did just that, exited at the substation and then took a taxi to Khaosan Rd. and found BK right in front of me. I ordered a whopper meal (tastes just like home) and after finishing up another taxi was waiting to take me home which it did.

Saturday morning was horrible because it was raining like a typhoon. I really wanted to go to church but looking out I saw that had I walked on the road the water would be knee high and I totally did not want to walk in that for 20 minutes or more to get to a place where a taxi would pass. So when the gym asked me if I wanted to go to Siam Boxing Stadium in Omnoi where current ace fighter Singmanee was going to fight that day I obliged. And as luck would have it as soon as I got in the car, the rain had already stopped and the water had subsided I said to myself "damn, I couldn't gone to church." I already committed to going with the gym so I didn't say anything and just went for the ride. I've never been to Siam Boxing Stadium which is in Omnoi, Thailand. The ride was pretty cool, I got to see things that I haven't seen like the country side of Thailand. The Stadium itself looked ok, it didn't not look as majestic like Raja or as historical like Lumpinee. But the stadium looked nice inside and the local TV station was going to cover it.

Singanee won his fight via points. After his fight I was just flat out tired of watching fights. As soon as I got home I crashed for a few hours. When I woke up, the afternoon training session had ended and I was asked by Hsu Chiu if I wanted to go with her to Central World (Mega Shopping Mall) and Big C (Thailand's Target). I said why not so I accompanied her to Central World where she ended up buying a handbag for who knows how much. And we went to Big C where she ended up buying 3 big bags of Thai Coffee.

After she was done shopping it was then time to eat. I was pretty cool with going to McDonald's or KFC or something like that but something told me that we were going somewhere else. We ended up eating at Shabu-Sen a Shabu Shabu restaurant (Japanese style Hot Pot buffet). After dinner we went back home and with the internet cafe closed I invited Hsu to my room where she could use my laptor for a couple of hours. Even though it was late I really did not mind as I had 2 hours of laundry to finish up as I was leaving the next day.

The following morning Hsu woke me up to have breakfast with the team. It was my last meal with them as I was going to be leaving in about 3 - 4 hours. After breakfast I finished up one of my bags and I then headed out to pay my respects to the people at the canteen who took care of me, Jimmy from the internet cafe, and finally to the people at the gym. It sucked leaving these guys as the gym is like a family. I told Cheng that I was leaving to go to Pattaya and he asked when I was coming back. I told him sincerely that maybe next year and he thought I might be coming back to do more training with them in a couple of days. When the rest of the trainers knew that I was leaving they all gave me a hug and wished me the best of luck.

I've only been to three gyms in Thailand over the past 4 years since I started flying to Thailand. I met a friend Richard this time out and he just goes to like 3 -4 gyms in 3 - 4 weeks. There is nothing wrong with what he is doing and I've always wanted to check out the other gyms as well. However, when you do not commit time (2 weeks minimum) to a gym you do not form any bonds with any of the people you meet. Out of the gyms that I go to, almost everybody remembers me. When my taxi finally came, most of the fighters and trainers were gone as there was a fight at Bangkok University and 4 of team's boxers had a fight. The girls who were left behind carried my luggage to the Taxi. I said my farewells and one of the girls who goes by Ai said, "see you next year right?" I just smiled and off I went.

Pattaya is like an hour and a half away. When I finally got there I was dropped off at Fairtex, the finest kickboxing training facility in all of Asia if not the world. I checked in, paid my dues, and went to my room to crash before having dinner. I woke up, had dinner which was fish and chips at the in house restaurant. After dinner I went for a foot massage and then a total body Thai massage at the local parlor. I then crashed knowing that I better rest up for the carnage that was going to happen tomorrow.

The Zone

Here at Kaewsamrit Gym, you do not really need an alarm clock. Once the bells rings you'll immediately hear the sound of kicks hitting the pads and grunts from the fighters who yell them. That typically tells you that training has started for the Thai fighters which is typically at 6:30 AM.

That is what happened to me today as I normally start training a good 30 minutes after the Thai fighters start. I drink my cold green tea beverage, get dressed for training, and head out to the gym.

Surprisingly there were not a lot of people that came out for the morning session. I was then called out to the ring by trainer Mao who I've worked with a few times during my stay here. I was able to stretch but I was not able to warm up the way that I wanted.

During the first round of my training there was nothing significant as it typically starts slow and then builds and builds until finally towards the end you're at a pace that was a lot faster than when you started. However, it was during the 2nd round that I realized something and it was something I haven't felt in so long. I realized that I was not getting tired and I was not getting winded. It was the same feeling when I was on the Delta College wrestling team. Wrestling is another grueling sport that I participated in my youth. Three weeks into the season I realized that not only was I in great shape but that I had what seemed to be an unlimited gas tank.

When I competed as a Shootwrestler (combat sport made famous in Japan) my strategy for competing was what I called "taking them out to drown." The analogy was like taking somebody slowly out to sea until they couldn't get out. I would push a pace that my opponent could not match until after 10 minutes I would make them fold and I would score a submission with a leglock, armlock, or a choke.

During the middle of that 2nd round I felt alive. I started to push to the amazement of my trainer. My body had adjusted to this great training and I wanted to take advantage of it. Did I want to spar with anybody there? No, that was would be crazy...The fighters from Thailand would've killed me. But it was great finishing up my training that morning. Only small problem was that I think I pushed it a little too hard. After breakfast I couldn't resist sleeping.

I slept for a few hours before the afternoon session began. Again, I slept so good that I missed lunch. I trained with Ong this time and had a decent session. However, after the bag work and the clinch training it was time to do drills. Master Cheng had us do one drill in which we would throw a "one two" and a "rear leg kick" (left jab, followed by a right straight, and finally a rear leg round kick to the body). We would run that combo 20 times at Cheng, who was holding pads. After that combo we had to throw 20 front leg round kicks at him as well. I was able to do both. After that we had to run about 2 miles, do 60 push ups, and 100 sit ups. Honestly, I was able to do them all. It kind of sucks because I'm scheduled to leave in a few days to go to the Fairtex Gym in Pattaya City. I'm now getting used to the training and have been acclimated over here.

After training we had to saw good bye to one of my friends. Sloan, from Sydney, Australia, left today to go back home. Sloan was a great bloke and training partner. I hope to see him again someday in the future.

After dinner I went out to the internet cafe to hang out with the locals and to just chill out. Now, I'm here just typing away. It's about almost 12 midnight here in Thailand. I'm going to catch some z's and charge up again. Tomorrow is my last day training here at Kaewsamrit.