Katie Toney
Thailand Impressions…
Many of our Elite Training Center Redondo Beach California instructors traveled to Thailand over the holiday break to train and experience Muay Thai in its birthplace. I wanted to share some of my personal impressions of this unique opportunity now that the jet lag fog is (slowly!) lifting.
It was fascinating to be in a place where the sport of Thai boxing is as common place as football or baseball is here in the USA. Our hotel in Bangkok had a ring and equipment in addition to the usual fitness center. Nearly every city has a stadium for Muay Thai fights and crowds fill them 2-3 days a week when fights are held. Camps where fighters live and train are everywhere…there were at least 4 on the mile-long road where we stayed on Phuket.
The training itself was unforgettable. All of the trainers were stadium champions at one point, some with well over 250 fights. As guests, we only had a taste of the training regimen that whips Thai fighters into incredible shape. Sample Advanced class: 2-3 miles of running, 20 minutes shadowboxing, 30 minutes technique, 3 rounds pads, 3 rounds bags, 3 rounds sparring, 300 knees, 20 minutes clinch, 200 pushups, 300 situps, stretching. Each session was around 2 ½-3 hours and there were 2 sessions per day. The heat and humidity were initially hard to get used to but I actually ended up enjoying them…they certainly help keep your muscles loose and injuries to a minimum. All in all it was very apparent how the rigorous training and environment combine to create extraordinarily tough fighters.
The camp we were at, Tiger Muay Thai & MMA Training Camp, also offered classes in Krabi Krabong (weapons) and Muay Boran, which are older military versions of Muay Thai. I really enjoyed those classes from a technical and cultural perspective…so cool to train arts that are over a thousand years old in the place where they evolved.
Despite the long and hard hours of training, the Elite instructors were very well prepared. All of us were placed in the advanced program after the initial group privates, and some were even invited into the fighters’ only class. Our technique was only rarely corrected, and although we saw some new combinations and ways of doing things, for the most part everything was familiar. The Thai instructors were very happy with us, which thrills me because it proved what I already knew intellectually…that we are learning authentic and solid technique at Elite, and most importantly that we are passing it on to the students in our own classes here at home.
On our last night we had ringside seats to fights at Lumpini Stadium, one of the most famous stadiums in Thailand. The fights and the fighters were unbelievable! The pace was so much faster than what we’re used to seeing, and every engagement is aggressive and brutal. There’s no playing around or feinting, and with the average size of the fighters we saw being about 115 pounds, the action is super fast! It was quite an education, as was the entire trip.
Continuing education is important in any profession, and I’m so fortunate that this time my education consisted of a training trip to Thailand! I can’t thank Elite and Shihan enough for not only making this experience possible, but for thoroughly preparing us so that we represented the school and ourselves in such a strong way. It was truly an unforgettable experience!