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Monday 24 November 2014
Dan Fraser - Charn Chai Muay Thai (Fight Video)
Here is a highlight reel I put together for another Charn Chai International fighter, Dan Fraser.
It was a great fight but his more experienced Thai opponent got the decision. Dan was far more aggressive and his boxing looked great, but his opponent knew how to score with powerful body kicks and knees during exchanges. These tactics put him ahead on the judges score card.
However, Dan is preparing for a fight career in K1 so this performance bodes pretty well for his future.
Saturday 22 November 2014
Adventure riding - Taking the Honda off road (Video)
Took the day and rode my bike in a loop from Pai over 2 mountains through a national park and down single track 'dry season only' routes mapped out by other bikers.
Our GPS tracked us and by the end of the day we had ridden 123km and elevated 3200m.
It was exhausting and dangerous but a lot of fun. Only minor damage to myself and the bike. Burnt calf from the exhaust and a snapped bolt that holds the exhaust on.
Here is a GoPro video I threw together using one of the GoPro Studio edit templates... probably why it's a more appropriate length, and not another self indulgent ten minutes!
Our GPS tracked us and by the end of the day we had ridden 123km and elevated 3200m.
It was exhausting and dangerous but a lot of fun. Only minor damage to myself and the bike. Burnt calf from the exhaust and a snapped bolt that holds the exhaust on.
Here is a GoPro video I threw together using one of the GoPro Studio edit templates... probably why it's a more appropriate length, and not another self indulgent ten minutes!
Ben Dewan - Charn Chai Muay Thai - (fight video)
Travelled down to Chiang Mai to film Ben fighting on a local show at the Kalare Night Bazaar.
Ben is one of the trainers/fighters at Charn Chai and as a favour I made a little souvenir video for him detailing his fight.
Below is a copy of that video:
Ben is one of the trainers/fighters at Charn Chai and as a favour I made a little souvenir video for him detailing his fight.
Below is a copy of that video:
Lantern Festival, Lai Krathong - Pai (Video)
I have now visited a couple waterfalls and a therapeutic hot springs. Still trying to make the most of the days when I am not training. Almost feels like i need to use up all the distractions so i can get them behind me and just know which are my favourite relaxation spots.
Also managed to take a trip to Chiang Mai and buy a Honda CRF 250L. Have totally fallen in love with this bike. Must resist the urge to be a boy racer.
We have just celebrated Lai Krathong (lantern festival). In buddhism it is a time to reflect on regrets and negative energy from the previous year, then take the time to process and let them go. This is done in two ways, firstly a floating candle wreath can be lit and released to be washed away by the river. The second is to light a candle within a lantern and release it to float into the sky. It was a really beautiful act and one that all of Pai turned out for. Filling the river and the sky with beautifully ornate lights that dotted the sky and the river.
The local temple and its grounds were turned into a large festival environment. Somewhere halfway between a music festival and a New Years celebration... but with a distance Thai flavour i.e. Muay Thai fights... Video below (sorry it's a little long):
Also managed to take a trip to Chiang Mai and buy a Honda CRF 250L. Have totally fallen in love with this bike. Must resist the urge to be a boy racer.
We have just celebrated Lai Krathong (lantern festival). In buddhism it is a time to reflect on regrets and negative energy from the previous year, then take the time to process and let them go. This is done in two ways, firstly a floating candle wreath can be lit and released to be washed away by the river. The second is to light a candle within a lantern and release it to float into the sky. It was a really beautiful act and one that all of Pai turned out for. Filling the river and the sky with beautifully ornate lights that dotted the sky and the river.
The local temple and its grounds were turned into a large festival environment. Somewhere halfway between a music festival and a New Years celebration... but with a distance Thai flavour i.e. Muay Thai fights... Video below (sorry it's a little long):
Tuesday 11 November 2014
Training in Pai
My experiences of training in Pai so far.
The first week was so damn hard. 3 days into training was our rest day and as a result we all went out drinking. The next 2 days heavily featured a hangover plus what I can only assume was sickness due to the water (probably melted ice in drinks). I was bed ridden for 2 days just being sick and sweating. Eventually when I made it back to training I was so low on energy I spent the entire morning session feeling nauseous.
This absolutely ruined my confidence. After the few days of hard training before the rest day I was hoping to find the sessions a little more manageable. It was really hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel at this point.
Being ill wasn't helped by my roommates... the Ants nest and countless mosquitoes and flies.
Laying in bed ill was rough, to then notice Ants all over your keyboard and laptop screen was an annoying reminder that my bed and all my clothes were clearly full of ants. No wonder everything itches and you constantly find little bites everywhere.
But the bugs come with territory as do the snakes. Only seen 2 so far, first on a road run, just had to hop over a little snake, probably 50cm long, that was braving the grass at the side of the road. Freaked me out because I thought it was a stick as I approached then it moved. Second was a tad more dramatic. Riding my scooter up the little mountain roads toward a waterfall I came across a snake sunning itself on the track. As I approached and beeped it moved off into the grass. This beast must have been 2.5m long and thick, oh so thick. Curled up as it moved off the road it could cover the entire width of the track. I thought I was going to have to run over it. Fortunately it moved quick enough. No idea what type of snake it was, but it was muscular and large. Very different to the little fella I had met days before.
I guess it just comes with the territory. It's sometimes easy to forget when sat in Pai that we are surrounded on all sides by tropical jungle. The nay reminder being the storms, although infrequent, when it rains here it really really rains. The poncho and bush hat were wise investments.
Tips for anyone else considering a Thailand training camp:
We do so much skipping. It really screwed my calf muscles in the first week. Seemingly over stretching my Achilles tendon (very familiar to bare foot running shoes). Skip before you come, stretch a lot and if possible use deep heat or tiger balm on your tendons before exercising.
The altitude and heat sap your gas tank like you wouldn't believe, both physically and mentally. I was comfortable running 12km a day in England. 5km here is a real struggle. Its all hills and it so damn hot and the air just doesn't seem to be rich enough to recover. A deep breath doesn't feel worth as much as it used too (altitude?).
When I arrived at the camp I paid for 1 month and didn't make it clear I was thinking about being here a lot longer. I regret this. Although the trainers are lovely and attentive when you get their attention, there is clearly a divide between what they see as tourists passing through and the people worth investing in. The level of training is still excellent but any interest in injury recovery, treatment or specific personalised training is non existent. The fighters get it. But you have to make it clear thats your goal to benefit from that level of attention. I made the mistake of keeping my head down and now I struggle to get the help I need. The head trainer Bee has never said 2 words to me. Never enquired as to my level, my progress, what I want to achieve. Happy to take the money but has not done what every other coach I have worked with has done, had the short conversation when you first meet "How long have you done Muay Thai? Have you done any other martial arts? How comfortable with sparring are you? Any injuries or weak points I should know of?"
Makes you feel like a pay cheque when no one seems interested in your progress.
The first week was so damn hard. 3 days into training was our rest day and as a result we all went out drinking. The next 2 days heavily featured a hangover plus what I can only assume was sickness due to the water (probably melted ice in drinks). I was bed ridden for 2 days just being sick and sweating. Eventually when I made it back to training I was so low on energy I spent the entire morning session feeling nauseous.
This absolutely ruined my confidence. After the few days of hard training before the rest day I was hoping to find the sessions a little more manageable. It was really hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel at this point.
Being ill wasn't helped by my roommates... the Ants nest and countless mosquitoes and flies.
Laying in bed ill was rough, to then notice Ants all over your keyboard and laptop screen was an annoying reminder that my bed and all my clothes were clearly full of ants. No wonder everything itches and you constantly find little bites everywhere.
But the bugs come with territory as do the snakes. Only seen 2 so far, first on a road run, just had to hop over a little snake, probably 50cm long, that was braving the grass at the side of the road. Freaked me out because I thought it was a stick as I approached then it moved. Second was a tad more dramatic. Riding my scooter up the little mountain roads toward a waterfall I came across a snake sunning itself on the track. As I approached and beeped it moved off into the grass. This beast must have been 2.5m long and thick, oh so thick. Curled up as it moved off the road it could cover the entire width of the track. I thought I was going to have to run over it. Fortunately it moved quick enough. No idea what type of snake it was, but it was muscular and large. Very different to the little fella I had met days before.
I guess it just comes with the territory. It's sometimes easy to forget when sat in Pai that we are surrounded on all sides by tropical jungle. The nay reminder being the storms, although infrequent, when it rains here it really really rains. The poncho and bush hat were wise investments.
Tips for anyone else considering a Thailand training camp:
We do so much skipping. It really screwed my calf muscles in the first week. Seemingly over stretching my Achilles tendon (very familiar to bare foot running shoes). Skip before you come, stretch a lot and if possible use deep heat or tiger balm on your tendons before exercising.
The altitude and heat sap your gas tank like you wouldn't believe, both physically and mentally. I was comfortable running 12km a day in England. 5km here is a real struggle. Its all hills and it so damn hot and the air just doesn't seem to be rich enough to recover. A deep breath doesn't feel worth as much as it used too (altitude?).
When I arrived at the camp I paid for 1 month and didn't make it clear I was thinking about being here a lot longer. I regret this. Although the trainers are lovely and attentive when you get their attention, there is clearly a divide between what they see as tourists passing through and the people worth investing in. The level of training is still excellent but any interest in injury recovery, treatment or specific personalised training is non existent. The fighters get it. But you have to make it clear thats your goal to benefit from that level of attention. I made the mistake of keeping my head down and now I struggle to get the help I need. The head trainer Bee has never said 2 words to me. Never enquired as to my level, my progress, what I want to achieve. Happy to take the money but has not done what every other coach I have worked with has done, had the short conversation when you first meet "How long have you done Muay Thai? Have you done any other martial arts? How comfortable with sparring are you? Any injuries or weak points I should know of?"
Makes you feel like a pay cheque when no one seems interested in your progress.
Monday 10 November 2014
Pai in the Sky
Life in Pai is a slow burn.
So many travellers come through here for 2 or 3 nights as they move across the north of Thailand and they seem to miss the entire point of the place. Slow down.
Pai has realised two important financial factors:
1. You can charge western tourists crazy amounts for alcohol and they will stay pay it out of desperation to get drunk, get laid and turn this little corner of the world into yet another Ayia Napa.
2. Chinese and Japanese tourists will pay through the nose for comparative luxury and a well staged photo opportunity with appropriate drinks vendors and cute souvenirs.
That is Pai at a glance, 2 or 3 days here and you would be forgiven for only seeing this side of the beautiful remote town. During the day the town centre is essentially 5 roads in a square all lined with restaurants offering both western and thai food, the modern conveniences you would expect, pharmacies, 7/11's, hardware stores and travel agents. Once night hits seemingly the exact same locations are replaced with massage parlours, themed bars and tourist novelty shops. The place comes alive with a night market full of street food all cooked to order. By all accounts safer and more hygienic than most of the restaurants due to quick turn over of stock. In the short time I have been here I have seen so many people come through the gym experiencing Muay Thai for a day or 2 at a beginners level before being distracted by the night life and then moving on. This isn't helped by the cliche of some trainers not only loving to drink their body weight but also their pursuit of the exotic flower that is the white woman. I'm talking in stereotypes, but thats because they seem to be important here. People stay so briefly that they get boiled down and over simplified time and again which only further perpetuates the stereotypes.
So far the stereotypes I have witnessed to be true:
1. Muay Thai trainers drink lots, gamble lots and still make it to morning sessions.
2. To a thai man western women are very exotic and if successfully seduced provide great kudos.
3. Asian tourists are an absolute danger on the road.
I have anecdotal proof of all three points. 1 and 2 in the same story. Halloween night, friday night. After training we all meet at the gym for drinks and a BBQ before heading into town. About 70% of people have made small effort with costume. Once the trainers start drinking they get inspired and break out the face paints and turn themselves into ghosts and ninja turtles using belly pads as shells. We head into town and drink until 5:30am. At this point trainer Pet is so drunk he passes out in the bar. 30mins later he wakes up, stumbles to his scooter. Passes out again folded over the bikes seat. Sleeps there for about 30mins before disappearing. He doesn't show up to morning training Saturday morning. Largely as it starts at 8am and he will have only been home about an hour by this point. The head trainer goes and wakes him and drags him to training. When scolded for not showing up on time his excuse is "I was so close to having sex with this white girl, but then a big english came and stole her". All was forgiven. Seemingly a very understandable situation that we are to be sympathetic too.
Point 3. I have hired a scooter twice. On 2 sundays here in Pai I have seen more scooter related injuries and truly awful road decisions than i would in 2 months in London. Stuff that just leaves you dumb struck. Every single time i have been out on the bike i have witnessed several Asian tourists riding on the wrong road side of the road. I have had to catch up with them and flag them to move over, even when they are coming at you head on they don't put 2 and 2 together. Just blindly against traffic carry on. About 20% of Asian tourists on scooters are also sporting bandages on their knees and chins, and if you pay close attention at junctions you often see a bike off to the side and someone treating a bleeding elbow or knee from a slow speed fall. It's amazing to see. Almost unbelievable.
When i mentioned this to the locals their response was very candid "oh yeah, 2 died yesterday... the police don't publicise it anymore. It happens so often it would be bad for tourism". Makes me very appreciative for the years of riding in central London and the west of England. It has prepared me well for the roads out here. Put simply they are unpredictable. Beautiful stunning views and long sweeping corners followed by pot holes, sand left on the road and the most worrisome; pick up trucks coming the other way in the centre of the road with no intention of pulling back to their side of the street.
They love the racing line.
So far looping around Pai has brought back my love for motorcycling. Something that had wained since my last crash and all the resulting hand surgeries. Pai is situated on flat land surrounded on all sides by jungle mountain regions. Pai is a little concrete development on an otherwise unspoilt vista. Riding round the fringes and up the mountains on all sides just makes me want to keep going. I have loved the riding here and it's making me very tempted to get a bike and ride south. Take a week and just have my own little 'Long Way Down'. Maybe ride down and fly back up. Even on a scooter it is glorious. Maybe I'll do my visa run by bike and take a trip into Burma or Laos like that.
But for right now I am happy here in Pai, watching the world go by. Getting to know some locals and finding my favourite spots to spend my down time. The tourists come and go, drinking all night and then moving on. Or arriving in mini buses at beauty spots, taking all manner of selfies without ever stopping to appreciate the place. Too busy trying to share it on instagram. Pai really offers both, stop, slow down and enjoy the thai speed of life or plough through, drink the drinks, take the pics and then hit the road. Either is good. There is no right way.
So many travellers come through here for 2 or 3 nights as they move across the north of Thailand and they seem to miss the entire point of the place. Slow down.
Pai has realised two important financial factors:
1. You can charge western tourists crazy amounts for alcohol and they will stay pay it out of desperation to get drunk, get laid and turn this little corner of the world into yet another Ayia Napa.
2. Chinese and Japanese tourists will pay through the nose for comparative luxury and a well staged photo opportunity with appropriate drinks vendors and cute souvenirs.
That is Pai at a glance, 2 or 3 days here and you would be forgiven for only seeing this side of the beautiful remote town. During the day the town centre is essentially 5 roads in a square all lined with restaurants offering both western and thai food, the modern conveniences you would expect, pharmacies, 7/11's, hardware stores and travel agents. Once night hits seemingly the exact same locations are replaced with massage parlours, themed bars and tourist novelty shops. The place comes alive with a night market full of street food all cooked to order. By all accounts safer and more hygienic than most of the restaurants due to quick turn over of stock. In the short time I have been here I have seen so many people come through the gym experiencing Muay Thai for a day or 2 at a beginners level before being distracted by the night life and then moving on. This isn't helped by the cliche of some trainers not only loving to drink their body weight but also their pursuit of the exotic flower that is the white woman. I'm talking in stereotypes, but thats because they seem to be important here. People stay so briefly that they get boiled down and over simplified time and again which only further perpetuates the stereotypes.
So far the stereotypes I have witnessed to be true:
1. Muay Thai trainers drink lots, gamble lots and still make it to morning sessions.
2. To a thai man western women are very exotic and if successfully seduced provide great kudos.
3. Asian tourists are an absolute danger on the road.
I have anecdotal proof of all three points. 1 and 2 in the same story. Halloween night, friday night. After training we all meet at the gym for drinks and a BBQ before heading into town. About 70% of people have made small effort with costume. Once the trainers start drinking they get inspired and break out the face paints and turn themselves into ghosts and ninja turtles using belly pads as shells. We head into town and drink until 5:30am. At this point trainer Pet is so drunk he passes out in the bar. 30mins later he wakes up, stumbles to his scooter. Passes out again folded over the bikes seat. Sleeps there for about 30mins before disappearing. He doesn't show up to morning training Saturday morning. Largely as it starts at 8am and he will have only been home about an hour by this point. The head trainer goes and wakes him and drags him to training. When scolded for not showing up on time his excuse is "I was so close to having sex with this white girl, but then a big english came and stole her". All was forgiven. Seemingly a very understandable situation that we are to be sympathetic too.
Point 3. I have hired a scooter twice. On 2 sundays here in Pai I have seen more scooter related injuries and truly awful road decisions than i would in 2 months in London. Stuff that just leaves you dumb struck. Every single time i have been out on the bike i have witnessed several Asian tourists riding on the wrong road side of the road. I have had to catch up with them and flag them to move over, even when they are coming at you head on they don't put 2 and 2 together. Just blindly against traffic carry on. About 20% of Asian tourists on scooters are also sporting bandages on their knees and chins, and if you pay close attention at junctions you often see a bike off to the side and someone treating a bleeding elbow or knee from a slow speed fall. It's amazing to see. Almost unbelievable.
When i mentioned this to the locals their response was very candid "oh yeah, 2 died yesterday... the police don't publicise it anymore. It happens so often it would be bad for tourism". Makes me very appreciative for the years of riding in central London and the west of England. It has prepared me well for the roads out here. Put simply they are unpredictable. Beautiful stunning views and long sweeping corners followed by pot holes, sand left on the road and the most worrisome; pick up trucks coming the other way in the centre of the road with no intention of pulling back to their side of the street.
They love the racing line.
So far looping around Pai has brought back my love for motorcycling. Something that had wained since my last crash and all the resulting hand surgeries. Pai is situated on flat land surrounded on all sides by jungle mountain regions. Pai is a little concrete development on an otherwise unspoilt vista. Riding round the fringes and up the mountains on all sides just makes me want to keep going. I have loved the riding here and it's making me very tempted to get a bike and ride south. Take a week and just have my own little 'Long Way Down'. Maybe ride down and fly back up. Even on a scooter it is glorious. Maybe I'll do my visa run by bike and take a trip into Burma or Laos like that.
But for right now I am happy here in Pai, watching the world go by. Getting to know some locals and finding my favourite spots to spend my down time. The tourists come and go, drinking all night and then moving on. Or arriving in mini buses at beauty spots, taking all manner of selfies without ever stopping to appreciate the place. Too busy trying to share it on instagram. Pai really offers both, stop, slow down and enjoy the thai speed of life or plough through, drink the drinks, take the pics and then hit the road. Either is good. There is no right way.
Friday 7 November 2014
Wednesday 5 November 2014
Road to Pai and joining Charn Chai Muay Thai - Video
Second video documenting my travels through Thailand and my Muay Thai training.
This video sees me arrive in Pai and find my feet at the Charn Chai Muay Thai gym.
Monday 3 November 2014
From York to Chiang Mai - Video
Video thrown together using GoPro footage from my first couple days on the road.
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