Tam Wua Forest Monastery

Visa run time again, my last trip over to Mae Hong Son immigration office to extend my tourist entry visa by 30 days. This takes me past Song Kran (Thai New Year - Water Festival) to the end of April at which point I will be leaving Thailand.

Whilst on the road I saw a 'Rescue' vehicle. I am not exactly sure what role the Rescue service fulfils but I believe it is a volunteer service that is somewhere between an ambulance and a fire truck. I have only ever seen them respond to traffic accidents and emergency situations, but they don't seem to have any specific government provided equipment. From what I can tell they are just trained first aiders who dedicate their time to helping people in emergency situations. Either way... the rescue vehicle I saw was possibly the coolest most Mad Max thing I've seen. If I had a crash and that car came to my rescue I would feel in very good hands. Assuming they don't harvest my organs or strap me to the bonnet as a warning to other drivers!

Between Pai and Mae Hong Son lies 108km of mountain roads. 20km before you get to Mae Hong Son, nestled in a valley surrounded on all sides my magnificent mountains is Tam Wua Monastery. This is a buddist monastery with bungalows and dorms available for people who wish to come and learn more about Buddhism and Vipassana meditation. It is open to both Thai and Farang, men and women. 

The setting is absolutely stunning. Well manicured grounds featuring a peaceful lake with large Koi Carp, small stream, orchid and a small farm growing various vegetables for the kitchen. All this over looked by extremely steep rock faces giving the impression of complete seclusion from the world.

Nuns in white meditate in the shade.

Upon arrival at the main hall I meet a Thai lady called 'Sue' who gives me the low down on what to expect and how each day breaks down. 

5am - Wake and meditate in your *Kuti (*bungalow or dorm).

6:30am - Make food offerings to the monks at the main hall.
7am - Breakfast at the main hall
8am - 2 hours Meditation - sitting/walking/laying down
10:30am - Make food offerings to the monks at the main hall.
11am - Lunch (last meal of the day)
1pm - 2 hours meditation at the main hall. Incuding a longer walking meditation.
4pm - Work around the monastery grounds - cleaning/gardening/kitchen work.
6pm - 2 hours chanting meditation in the chanting room.
9pm - Must be back in your Kuti or dorm.
10pm - Lights out.

Once all this was explained I was informed of the rules that I must abide by if I wish to stay. Firstly you have to wear all white clothing. I don't own any white clothes, fortunately they are prepared for this and kitted me out. Seemingly I was not the only one who was not aware of this and as a result 90% of people are wearing the same white fisherman's trousers and loose fitting shirt.  This 'uniform' doesn't do anything to allay my fears that this is a cult. All laundry was to be done by hand. I just showered with my clothes and then let them dry in the sun. Pretty basic. But you are not exactly working up a sweat so the whites stay pearly white.

Other rules include, men and women sleep and eat separately. No smoking, drinking, electrical goods, music, swearing, lying and try to keep your voice low when talking. Also, all the food prepared is vegan. So although unsaid, eating meat is not an option.
I broke the electrical goods rule fairly consistently by using my phone as a camera. Guess what, I'm not sorry. All the rules are intended to help you strip away distractions and live a pious reverential existence. For me taking photos does not effect this. If anything it allows me better recollection of my time there and will allow me to gain more from the experience in the long term. Plus I also believe that any skills learnt here need to have real world relevance. They are of no use to me if I cannot include them in my life back in England. Piety and avoidance of temptation is great if you're a monk and you have no intention of jumping into the vipers nest, but I need to learn skills that I can use once surrounded by London life.

Some people had chosen to use their time at the monastery as a silent retreat. They wore badges that said 'silent and happy'. These people were also not allowed to read or write unless it was reading their chanting book. The experience these people had chosen to undertake must have been extremely challenging. I have a lot of respect for anyone who can be so strong willed as to overcome natural urges to socialise and be part of the tribe. In truth I am little jealous. They seemed to side step the social ranking of people. Although 80% of the people I met and talked too were extremely nice and wanted to share their knowledge and help each other progress, there was definitely a visible ranking of people. A subtle competition over who could be most reverential, who knew the songs in Thai, who bowed the lowest, who could sit the longest. I guess human nature is unavoidable. It's just disappointing to see people creating a 'scene' around something like this. Trying to create an in crowd of enlightened people, those with the right sitting posture and appropriate vegan hand woven scarf. All that just made me want to check out even more.

All in all I found the rules a little oppressive, archaic and overly familiar with all other organised religions. Perhaps this similarity between codes of conduct could be seen as a good thing, all religions agreeing on something! But I don't agree with any religious practices that don't modernise and remain relevant within a developing society. It all screams of tradition over function.

I think the reason I am a little over sensitive about this stuff is because the first meditation session I took part in was the evening chanting session. Monks at the front of class, then men, then the nuns and the women have to sit at the back of the class. This blatant sexism is odd. Especially when you have nuns sat behind farang new comers like me who have no idea what they are doing, yet somehow simply because of my gender I am seen as more valuable/superior. Maybe I am misinterpreting and its more about gender segregation than rank, but thats not how it felt to me.

The chanting began in Thai and after each verse was then repeated in English. Everyone chants along and tries to follow the script. Both the nature of a monk led sing-a-long and the translations made me very uncomfortable. The similarities between this and a Christian service were all too apparent. Although my family are not religious I went to a very strict religious Church of England school. A belief structure I never bought into. And yet here I am again singing and thanking a deity for knowledge and asking for forgiveness.
In retrospect the wording was not very severe, it was more about thanking and paying respect to the Buddha for his teachings and for passing on what he learnt. But at the time I felt like a fox in the hen house, saying the words but not meaning them in the slightest. For me spiritual exploration is about learning more about my own mind and using that knowledge to develop into a better person, trying to find as balanced an existence as possible not necessarily apologising for every experience I have had. Or being made to feel like I have led a distracted, shallow, hedonistic existence by a guy who has been a monk since pre-teen and could never understand the temptations or valuable life experiences that I arrive with.

The more I write about this the more I realise its not Buddhism or the practices taught here that were at fault, but more my own baggage that I bring with me.
I'm sure this experience is of huge value, but I couldn't get past my own discomfort with both authority and the idea of a religious guide.
The meditation practices taught and the opportunity to learn more about Buddhism directly from a monk will definitely serve me well as I try to develop my own meditation skills.
It was also great to hear what to expect at different stages of practice as I develop my ability to explore my subconscious and the relationship between my mind and the body. These things I will definitely take away with me and try to integrate into my own version of spirituality, my own version being a solitary pursuit which does not need a monk, a schedule or a shiny gold icon to focus on.

A most interesting lesson I did learn was the benefit of Muay Thai when trying to achieve a meditative, quiet mind. After the many hours of meditation practice and the description of the separation between mind and body into a relaxed void state, I realised the same state has always been more readily available to me in the gym.
When following the instruction of my trainer and repeating a strike to the point of exhaustion my mind shuts off and my body repeats the process in loop, and time and consciousness pause.
Perhaps my temple has always been the gym and the road.

In western literature it is often referred to as the 'Flow' state. But I have also heard it referred to as the 'Zen state'. This indulging of the subconscious and the quieting of the conscious serial processing mind is what we were striving for through meditation. I have found this state when road running and when hitting the bag. The channelled focus on my breathing whilst exercising seems to mimic the breathing practices the monks had us follow and the results I have felt were very similar. A temporary state of separation between body and mind, an ability to raise your consciousness above the sensations the body is sending the brain. Feel them but not be affected by them. Be sat on top of the fulcrum point of the swinging pendulum of sensation and emotion.

The dorm.

Up at 6am for morning offerings to the monks.

All in all it was a positive experience. But with my last 30 days counting down before I have to leave I was really looking forward to getting back to Pai. I really want to maximise my time in Pai before I leave. As much as the monastery felt like sacred ground, it also felt like everyone had their head in the sand. Turning a blind eye to the realities of the world we live in. I look forward to continuing the practices learnt in a real world environment with real world distractions.

Thai hair cut and a beautiful gift.

Putting the whole Cambodia incident behind me unfortunately required a fair bit of time and a lot of drinking.

But I'm back to training now. Currently only training once a day as my cardio is so bad and the smoke in the air is a real problem. But as I keep saying "Rome wasn't built in a day". Feels good to hit pads again, and now I have fought I am seen differently at the gym. One of the old guard almost. Trusted to show beginners the ropes, demonstrate techniques and lead the abs class. Ae (Bee's brother and head Thai fighter trainer) has taken an interest in me since my return and now singles me out to make sure he holds pads for me when he can. Its all 100% power on every strike. You coast and he notices. It's brutal. But amazing he cares enough to develop my Muay Thai by forcing me to elbow and knee so much more than before. Currently I have 2 cuts on my knee where I knee'd his pad and my knee slipped up and caught him in the teeth. It cut my knee and he just laughed it off.

Going and coming back seems to have endeared me to the trainers more as they have all been so nice since I got back. It's probably because I am being more social. Not just doing private lessons and never going out but actually making myself part of the Charn Chai family. It feels good.

Pet, a trainer and most devoted drinking buddy. Who always refers to himself as my bodyguard. Not because he protects me from trouble, but because he always ensures my glass is at least half full. One day whilst training he nipped off on his scooter and came back with this buddha necklace he had bought me. These necklaces are blessed and are seen as both a blessing, protection talisman and bringer of good luck. These are not cheap within the local economy and I treasure it massively.

Pet is at the front with the chest tattoo.

In other news. I went for a hair cut. This is my second haircut in Thailand on this trip BUT I had my iPhone for the last time and was simply able to show the guy an old picture of myself and say 'Same, same.'
With my phone currently in the possession of a Cambodian beach thief I had to rely on gesture and basic Thai. All went pretty well except for when trying to describe how high I would like the blade 2 shave to go. With one hand under the gown I used my free hand with a chopping like motion showing the height on the side of my head he should shave too.
All seemingly understood we progressed at great pace.
However, once he stood away and no longer blocked my view in the mirror it turns out he had thought I meant I wanted a line... a fake parting... shaved into my head where I had pointed.

Oooops.

So I now have a very trendy hair cut with a line shaved in it much like a teenage Thai boy.
It wouldn't be that bad except for the fact one of my trainers Kaew also has the line shaved in and he is 18. I now look like I am stealing style tips from an 18 year old... not a good look at 32.

One saving grace is my line is on the different side to Kaew's... and is massive, thick and not straight. So its more comedy than copying.

Can't remember if I posted about this or not but the young gym guys are going nuts for tattoos at the moment.
Whilst I was away Kong had his entire back done. 12 hours in 3 sittings. His first tattoo. In the picture below it is not finished. But you get an idea for size. The tattooist (Garth from New Zealand) said he sat like a rock. Showed no pain. Scary dude.

Burning Season

In Pai there is an annual farming tradition where they spend roughly the month of March burning the fields and dried jungle.
The point is two fold.
Firstly the controlled burns of the wild bush reduces wild fires.
Secondly it is believed the ash created by the burns fertilises the soil for the next planting season.

I don't know if the science backs up the tradition but it seems to make sense to me.

The downside however is also two fold.
Firstly the Thai people who are not farmers use the opportunity to burn their trash and garden waste which often smells very bad and adds to the ash cloud above the city which traps in heat causing very hot days.
Secondly the ash, pollen and other pollutants in the air get everywhere and you can see it in the air. The once blue sky now has a grey mask over it all day. When doing exercise you can really feel it. 3 rounds of pads and you get a burning in the centre of your chest and you can't catch your breath. I know a few of the fighters from the gym have had to stop running on a morning because they are just breathing in too much crap and it's making them ill.

The period only lasts 4 - 6 weeks so we should be past the worst of it by the beginning of April.

I have bought one of those surgeon breathing masks for when I'm on the scooter. The combination of that and sunglasses keeping the dust out of my eyes seems to help but it also shows how much stuff is being breathed in. A short scooter ride and the mask noticeably turns grey.

The one benefit (aside from for the farmers) has been some amazing sights. At night the wild bush burns look like fire snakes making their way across the mountain sides. I can't capture it with a photo but amongst the low contrast grey view of the silhouettes of the mountain ranges you just have these glowing lines of fire highlighting the shape of the land as it is consumed by fire.

After spending the day at the river when riding home after the sun had set I ended up quite close to one of the burns. It was beautiful. Like something straight out of a National Geographic volcano special. The soft orange glow of the fire with flames jumping up behind the trees spitting burning ash into the air which glows then cools as it falls. It looked like lava bursting up over the hills with a sunset backdrop. If I had seen such a large wild fire like this in England it would have been the source of huge panic and there would be firefighters everywhere keeping you hundred of feet back. But here its just left to do its thing and your able to stumble upon these amazing views. A really unique sight.

Home at last.

Success.

Back in Pai.

Grabbed a scooter and found a bungalow for 4000baht a month. Dropped my bags and showered off the travel grime.

Immediately went to Joy's cafe and was welcomed with literal hugs from everyone. I've only been gone about 2 weeks and they had no idea what went on in Cambodia. They just didn't think I was coming back and so were happy to see me. Damn its nice to be back.

I told them the Cambodian thievery story and after much sympathy and shared horror stories it was decided a bottle of Sangsom would help cure all ills. It pretty much did.

'Joys Cafe' to 'Mountain Bar', 'Mountain Bar' to 'Boom Bar', 'Boom Bar' to 'Don't Cry', 'Don't Cry' to 7/11 for 4 am cheese toasties and chocolate milk. Old stomping ground thoroughly stomped.

Almost back to Pai...

I have managed to make my Western Union cash transfer last me a seemingly endless journey.

Got a coach from Sihanoukville to Phnom Penh, stayed 2 days whilst changing my flight back to Bangkok.  Flew to Bangkok, immediately travelled across the entire city from the airport via a train into the city centre then via taxi to the domestic airport. The taxi driver quoted 100baht for the trip which was half what I had been told he would charge. Once we got to the airport the fee was then 400baht. The toll road he used to get us there was 100baht.

Positive side of me says we just got lost in translation and the journey was always far longer than a 100baht fee. The guy who just got ripped off in Cambodia however didn't take it so well. So shouting match in the airport drop off section ensues.

I end up paying him and only just making my domestic flight to Chiang Mai.

Once in Chiang Mai I jump in a tuk-tuk and head to the familiar areas of town.

Damn it feels good to be almost home.

I'm staying in the guesthouse I stayed in when I came down to fight so i can now kick off my shoes and relax for the first time in what feels like forever.

Tomorrow I need to find another Western Union branch to collect cash and then it's the 3.5hour mini bus to Pai. Hire a scooter. Find a place to live for the next month or so. That sounds very doable. Home at last.

Cambodia... is shit.

Specifically Serendipity Beach in Sihanoukville.

After a few beers around 1am I went for a paddle in the sea. Found a quiet spot on the beach, took off my shoes and shorts, hid them under a sun lounger and waded in up to my calves. The sobering cold water made me realise it was a dumb idea so I turned back. Must have been in the water all of 45 seconds.

When I came back my clothes had been stolen. So thats my iPhone, all my cards, all my cash and my room key all gone at 1am. I had to walk back to my bungalow in my boxers.

As I'm looking around for my belongings thinking maybe the wind just blew them away I see a silhouette of a young boy about 30m down the beach come sprinting out from the closed bar front grab a stack of clothes off the beach and sprint back disappearing into the black lightless bars that lead to the shanty town of shacks and dump sites just behind the beach bars.

A moment later 3 Danish girls come out of the water screaming "no, come back, you have our passports!!". The kid is gone and not coming back. Any Cambodian bar owner or staff we can find didn't see anything and has no idea who took our stuff. We link through the back and find some tuk-tuk drivers who want to give us a lift. They did not see anything either. And don't seem to comprehend that none of us have any money left and so no we don't want a taxi ride.

The Danish girls are in tears but no-one cares or offers assistance. Fortunately for me I was staying in a bungalow at the back of a 'hostess bar' so when i get back there is still someone up to offer me a spare key. I couldn't sleep. Knowing I had an alarm set on my iPhone for 7am to make tomorrows ferry I get out of bed at 6:45 and head back to where my stuff got stolen. I talk with more bar owners and staff, explaining to the Cambodian staff that I am willing to buy back my phone an cards if by chance they can get word to whoever might have 'found them'. The western bar owners are sympathetic and explain how it works. The kids steal from the beach all day and night handing everything over to a handler who discards the bank cards keeps the cash and sells the phone at one of the local markets a week or so later once the original owner has left town.
I walk around hoping to hear the alarm or find my discarded shorts with my wallet nearby still with cards. 2 hours later I give up. No sign of anything.

The police were useless, well corrupt infact. When I arrived at the station i was in a queue behind other tourists who had also had their stuff stolen from the beach the night before. The idea that these police officers who work this beach front don't know who is doing this is just farcical. There is so much money getting stolen they must be getting a kick back. I was in Sihanoukville for 5 days and I could walk down the beach and round up 5 suspects simply after seeing what I have seen in 5 days.
But no the police have 'no idea' who it is and will not entertain the idea of walking the beach to find the kids. Instead they want me to pay for a translator so they can ‘provide’ a crime report for my insurance (which doesn’t cover anything i lost by the way!). Looks to me like the assumption is the tourist is insured and so they don't really lose anything and if they want to make a claim lets hit them again for a translator fee. Who oh so surprisingly they could provide but I would have to pay. Because my policy doesn't cover me I just left and didn't file a report. Their deterrent on paperwork worked.

But I managed to cancel my trip to the islands and get a refund on the ferry ticket I had for the next day, I used the money to call England and cancel my cards and get replacements sent to my family in the UK who are going to forward them to my gym in Thailand. They will take about 2 weeks to arrive so I am making my way out of Cambodia and back to Pai through Bangkok. Doing it on the cheap as I could only send myself £300 via Western Union. But it’s all fine. I’m all sorted now. 

Currently in Phnom Penh staying in an 8 person dorm and I fly to Bangkok in 2 days. 
But yeah I really cut my time short in Cambodia cause I just hate the people. I wasn’t a fan before this and now I can’t relax. Constantly think someone is about to steal from me. 
Even before my stuff got stolen I thwarted 2 pick pocket attempts on me and 1 on a girl I was with. A big group of kids come running up to you on the beach in the middle of the day all happy and smiling and grabbing at you and joking like some happy scene from an Oxfam advert (the bit after they have put the well in). But whilst this joyous encounter is happening the older kids are actually routing through your pockets and opening the zips on your back pack and helping themselves to anything they can find before they all run off.
Or even worse at night the kids come over to play or sell bracelets but once they get a female target the littlest one grabs at her breasts or groin and whilst she reacts to that distraction the other boys go through her bag. It's like a fucked up magic trick. All distraction.
I got so fucked off with these kids when they came near me I would just push them away by their faces. But with no punishment for their behaviour they just bounce right back and give it another go. So even when you're launching kids left and right you can still feel the one behind brush against your pocket. It's like that scene from 'Jurrasic Park: Lost World' 'where the hunter gets torn up by a group of tiny 'harmless' reptiles.

This place is just too much hassle. Everything from the tuk-tuk drivers giving you the hard sell on trips, MDMA, weed and prostitutes, the litter and pollution everywhere to the customer service being the worst I have ever encountered. Its exhausting. Not a fan of Cambodia. 

It has beautiful beaches but the poverty is just everywhere and the people don’t know to look after their natural resources so they pollute and litter like crazy. It’s proper third world. Shanty towns and sand beaches filled with washed up plastics. 

Anyway, sorry about that little downer. Just been a rough couple days. The 2-4 hour coach back to Phnom Penh took over 7 hours. Nail in the coffin.

If Thailand is the land of a thousand smiles, Cambodia is the land of a thousand out stretched hands. Perhaps this is the result of social engineering with genocide. Turns out you need the educated middle class.

Cambodia - Phnom Penh / Sihanoukville / Koh Rong

I am now in Cambodia on the coast in a port town called Sihanoukville. The idea was to come here and catch some sun and relax. This place has some beautiful secluded beaches and the water is warm like bath water. It really has beautiful coast line you can enjoy. Downtown Sihanoukville is back packer heaven. Western bars, themed pubs, cheap dorm stays everywhere and way too many tuk tuk drivers who pester like crazy offering taxi, weed, MDMA in that order. I keep my headphones in and try to ignore them... they don't respect the headphones at all... taps, waves, shouts, questions "where you from brother?"... it gets pretty exhausting.

Walk 20 minutes in any direction and it all changes but I have found myself staying slap bang in the centre of the party district. I didn't realise there were other options when I arrived. The bars stay open until about 1am at which point everyone moves down to the beach bars (Serendipity Beach). About 3 of which go on to 6 am all competing for the same people with free shots, fancy dress nights and fire poi. It can be fun but it's also a little try hard. There seems to be a problem with child beggars and pick pockets around this area but it's no worse than central London. As long as you don't have a soft spot for kids. I don't, I see them as working, good luck to them, but it's nothing to do with me and you damn sure won't be stealing my stuff.

I'm already starting to get a little fidgety here so I tried to find a Khmer Boxing gym to get some training in with the locals.
Unfortunately there is nothing offered here in this town. The closest thing was a fitness resort holiday spot run by a french bodybuilder who offered training in Muay Thai, MMA, Krav Maga and body building... I went and met him... I didn't train and I have not been back. It's not what I am looking for.

Talking with the locals I have found out that most of the Khmer boxing gyms are in the capital Phnom Penh. I fly out of Phnom Penh on the 13th of March so I think I'll head back there a couple days early to see if I can find a gym that will let a foreigner train with them. Their won't be any real fitness benefit to a one off session but at least I'll be able to compare the Cambodian style versus the Thai style.
I don't imagine they are at all different. But you gotta check right. Plus it might give me better memories of Phnom Penh which at first glance was pretty disgusting.

For now... it's catching up on emails. Eating unhealthily and walking along the beautiful beaches.

I plan on heading to the island Koh Rong in a few days to get away from the drunk back packers and stay in a bungalow on the beach. I think it will be nice to take a couple days on an Island that only has power for a few hours a day and is genuinely untouched. Fingers crossed it is that. If I get back and it was all 7/11's and themed pubs i'll be sure to let you know.

Post Fight analysis

Hopefully if you are reading this you took the time to watch the full fight video (it's a couple posts below).

In conjunction with the video these are my thoughts on the fight and what I was thinking whilst inside the ring.

Round 1:
Bell goes and we meet in the middle. I was expecting my size to intimidate my opponent but looking in his eyes he could not have cared less. He looked really happy like he knew a joke I wasn't in on. Turns out the joke is, he had no intention of letting me warm up or go through a feeling out process. He wanted to win quickly and with flare. He wanted to knock me out with a head kick and had absolute confidence he could do it. He backs off to the ropes and baits me to come inside not preserving my reach advantage. Switch and left head kick, then again and again.
I blocked all three but the second really connected through my guard and had me stunned as I saw the third coming I knew I had to hit him with some powerful strikes and impose my will. Maybe it's ego but I wanted him to respect my power and not feel like he could intimidate me with flare moves that I wasn't used to from sparring. After blocking the third kick I moved forward with strikes. He covered up well but I just threw hard against his guard. I knew nothing would connect but I wanted to shake him up. He took the strikes, backed up and threw another head kick followed by a left hand which connected with my chin straight through my guard. Had me seeing stars. I tried to hide it as I backed out of range and I don't think he realised he had hurt me.
We both regained composure and worked outside against the ropes. Little exchanges but nothing making it through. He tried to bait me in and threw a spinning back elbow. Again more flare moves and showmanship trying to get me to make mistakes rather than just chopping the tree down with leg kicks.

He was very confident he could find an opening for the big finish. That came across in everything he did, the way he moved was so confident. Not setting things up, no combinations. Not earning the big strike just had faith if he threw enough I'd make a mistake.

Cardio was not an issue. The start stop pace of the fight meant I wasn't even short on breath. By pressuring him against the ropes I was able to step out and relax after flurries rather than punch myself out. End of round 1 I felt good, felt confident. Felt like as long as I defended the big night ending moves I was going to be able to find my chance with punches to repay the favour.

Round 2:
Again I walked forward and pressured him back. Watching the video I really don't use my jab enough. I should have been peppering his guard but instead I let him watch what I'm doing, giving him too much time to plan and execute his own counter strikes. I pressure forward land a body kick and we clinch, landed a poor knee but he didn't want any of the clinch with me and just shut it down waiting for the referee to separate us. In the short time we clinched I tried to make distance to elbow but he kept his head buried against my chest so my offensive options were very limited.
The fake teep had stopped working as I wasn't throwing any kicks. My back injury was still a big concern in the back of my head and I was scared to commit to a body or head kick with big hip movement as I knew there was a chance my back would give out and I'd be done. So I started throwing more teeps and low kicks to get him thinking. The lack of twisting in my lower back meant these felt like a safer option. He responded with a teep which I caught and swept easily as he was too busy thinking about defending my punches.

Once back up, a punch combination made him cover up but he bent over off the centre line exposing a clear run for the left uppercut. Although only a short strike there was power behind it as I had loaded it with bad intentions after the straight right off his guard. This left connected without slowing off his defence and earned me my first knockdown and an 8 count.

My opponent now with blood coming from his mouth started to threaten with elbow strikes. The range was all wrong but looking back now I think he was trying to earn some more recovery time and was using these strikes to scare back a guy who was utilising a lot of boxing but not too much Muay Thai and as a result was probably intimidated by elbows. I attempted a high kick from outside elbow range, it felt awful and slow and left me exposed to counters. My back was just too stiff to rotate properly.
As I pressured forward he lands a nice straight right and a strong teep which I try to shake off and walk through. He steps in and closes the distance which I didn't expect. By stepping in he was able to grab over my hands and land a strong right elbow that slid over my left upper arm and connected with my left cheek bone. It was a big shot. Didn't make me dizzy but immediately made my face swell and had me worried I was cut. I tried to repay the favour but I couldn't utilise the right range and just elbowed shoulder and thin air.

Back in the red corner (my corner) I could now for the first time hear corner instruction and they wanted body shots. I blocked a kick and threw a powerful right into his stomach which again knocked him down. Saved by the bell. Which I gotta say I was happy about. With 2 knock downs I knew I could put him away but I wanted to end things with a cleaner more technical strike. Something to be proud of.

During the round break the advice from my corner.
"He doesn't like the body shots, keep working them and when he kicks throw the left hand don't just let him kick you."

Round 3:
My opponent comes out with a much more forward pressuring style. Unlike previous rounds he isn't backing up to the ropes and watching. Instead he is trying to initiate his own strikes and get inside past my range. He still throws the left high kick but all the power has gone. I can afford to check and counter where before I was struggling to process anything offensive after blocking the leg. Countering the kick I earn some strong body shots. But this leaves my head exposed as I throw too many of the same thing. He counters with some hooks to my head but they fall short nothing landing. But I could see the aggression across his blood stained snarl, the body shots were hurting him and the punches aimed for my head seemed to come from lashing out. Almost a last ditch effort for the highlight reel ending he had hoped for in the early stages of round 1.

As I back out of range he loads another high kick and I throw a stiff left jab which connects with his chin. His head whips back and he falls to the canvas knocked out. I don't believe knocked unconscious. I just think it was a clean strike that had him spinning and he took the out offered. Makes sense. He was probably fighting again a week later. He'd tried for the big win and I'd beaten him down with enough strong strikes that he wanted out.

3 knock downs within 2 fight minutes, it was over. 

My first reaction.
Relief and disappointment.

 Relief the fight was over and I had won.

Disappointment the nail in is coffin had not been a more definitive power strike. I wanted to believe I had knocked someone out. But instead I had to talk myself into the narrative that I had beaten him rather than he had taken the pay day and just quit when he got tired. The Thailand fight game is a hard thing to read. Don't think I'll ever shake the demons that he opted out. Watching the slow motions of the 3 knock downs does help. I suspect it's my own self doubt coming through rather than an unbiased appraisal of the fight.

Perhaps I'll leave that to whoever watches the fight video and reads this blog.

Let me know.

Did he dive? Had I done enough? Was the fight ending punch a fight ending punch? Was his starfish pose pantomime?

                                                   

Fight Highlights (video)

Cut down of the fight featuring edit tricks to make things look more impressive.

Yes, slow motion, you got it.

Full Fight (Video)

Friday 6th February 2015 - Kalare Stadium, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Advertised as an 85Kg fight... although I was about 93 and my opponent 86... Weighs ins are not exactly encouraged in Chiang Mai.



This is my first fight. My opponent has had over 100 fights, and I was told just before entering the ring:

"Be careful of his head kick. Last Farang he fought he knocked out with it."

My witty retort...
"I'm too tall for that but thanks"

Pre-Fight

I arrived at the stadium at 20:30. First fight starts at 21:00... but they are always 30 mins late. Thai time.

I met up with Turbo and the Japanese fighter who is fighting out of Charn Chai (don't know his name), and we went through the check list of kit I was supposed to have with me. Agreed to let Turbo use my stuff because he hadn't brought any (Thai Oil, Vaseline etc). Turbo really could not give a shit, he was so relaxed. Just another day in the office for him. He was just sat on the back of his scooter having a cigarette.

Between the 3 of us there were 3 different languages so conversation wasn't exactly buzzing. But that's fine. I just had so many questions and wanted to get everything straight in my head. But there was no one to ask so I just had to swallow it and wait. I swear I was more nervous about the rituals and the order of things than the actual fighting. I genuinely believed everyone who said once the bell goes you just focus in and everything else goes away. I was really looking forward to that as in that moment waiting in the car park I couldn't shut anything out. I was making eye contact with the audience members and freaking out. I was eyeing up the other fights to see who was big enough that I could fight them. I was watching their pre-fight rituals and worrying that I should be doing the same stuff.

All this resulted in me finding a garden chair. Sitting down. Staring into space. Trying to ignore everything and just breath to relax. Which was probably for the best.

Bami arrived and with him all the answers I had been freaking out about. He got me sorted with the pre-fight doctors check (blood pressure and stethoscope). It wasn't exactly thorough.
Bami explained what would happen when and then found out the fighting order and who I was fighting. It was a Thai name at 85kg's... that's all we knew. I'm 90kg's so I knew I was going to have a size advantage, but knowing he was Thai meant I was at a serious experience disadvantage.
Turbo was up second, Japanese guy third and I was on fifth of a six fight card.
Feels like they roll out the heavyweights at the end of the night regardless of experience because of the freak show element. Plus it keeps other westerners in the crowd drinking, spending, waiting to see their nation represented.

Once the other fighters were ready Bami turned his attention to me and started to wrap my hands. Using tape under and over hand wraps changes the game completely. He turned my hands into hammers. Felt like I could punch through a wall. This gave me great confidence in my boxing. I knew these clubs had it in them to put someone down.

Turbo went out and won his fight by 5 round decision. He was show boating as usual and the crowd loved it.
Once he was back in our corner and changed into his street clothes Turbo and Bami turned their attention to preparing me. They oiled me down and massaged me, warming up all my muscles and loosening me up. Went through the fairly embarrassing act of putting on a Thai cup... or more to the point having it put on me. My arms and back felt good but I didn't get chance to stretch out my legs and hips. Their mobility felt a little stunted.

Japanese guy went out and beat a really good swedish fighter called Tobi by KO. Really good hard fight. I missed most of it due to getting ready but what I did see looked great and the fact he won by KO was really impressive. I've seen Tobi fight twice before and he won by first round KO both times. Tonight wasn't his night and that's great for Charn Chai. So far we were 2 for 2.

Whilst these fights were going on I managed to introduce myself to Sylvie of the blog '8 Limbs US'. We had spoken via twitter on the run up to the fight and it was really great to get to meet her. She probably won't realise what a massive influence on me she has been. Her blog answered all my questions before moving here and it is what made me choose Chiang Mai to move to. Fighting on the same card as her felt like things had come full circle. Whilst Bami was busy cornering the guys Sylvie came over to check on me. I was getting pretty nervous about the pre-fight rituals and how to enter the ring etc. I wanted to show the proper respect but I have never been shown any of it so it was a bit of an unknown to me. Sylvie took the time to talk me through all of the pre-fight rituals and explained their meaning. This helped me visualise what I was supposed to do and also passed the time as my fight approached without me really noticing. Stood there with Sylvie I felt like a bit of a fan boy, don't think she noticed but I was wearing custom shorts which are essentially a complete rip off of the shorts she had made for Phetjee Jaa. Camo with gold writing. In my defence it's because I was running late and when at the shorts shop there was too much to choose from so I just said I liked what Sylvie had done and wanted similar. Sylvies husband noticed my shorts and we had a little joke about me ripping off her style. Then before you know it. Its go time.

Bami put vaseline on my face, forced the Mongkon onto my massive head and cleaned out my mouth guard. He then told me to walk to the ring bow and pray at the steps then enter over the top rope. Bow to each side of the ring and return to my corner and wait for the referee.

I did as I was told, I have no idea if I did it right but I tried and thats got to be worth something.

The referee came over checked I had a cup and mouth guard on. Checked my gloves (10oz) were appropriate, safe and sealed with tape.
Next the music starts and I walk a lap of the ring praying at each corner and sealing the ring before returning to my corner to wait whilst my opponent completes his Wai Kru Ram Muay. The ceremonial dance to honour his teacher and camp.

Once completed we are called back to centre of the ring for final instructions from the referee (in Thai!?). We hug and wish each other good luck in the fight then return to our corners to pray for blessing and protection with our coach. We pray then remove the Mongkon hanging it in our corner. Then mouth guard in and final instructions from the coach before the bell goes.

Turn and face... approach... touch gloves... go time.

Fight Day

Didn't really get off to the best start. My stomach has been giving me loads of hassle for the last 3 days and it seemed to want to kick it up a bit the night before. Unfortunately I was up till 3am.

However it did give me chance to try some of my friend guy's pre-fight prep rituals. One of which I want to talk about because its brutal.

Essentially the night before you eat a healthy but large meal so you fill the fuel tank. Then before bed you take a shower which you make progressively colder and colder until its just pure cold water and you're freezing. Hop out of the shower and apply tiger balm (all over if you can, to problem areas otherwise) and then wrap yourself up in a tracksuit and hood and get into bed and try to sleep/relax.

The idea being, the cold freaks out your body and your blood is sent to your internal organs to maintain body temp. The subsequent heat from the tiger balm and clothing then sends fresh new blood back out to the muscles in an attempt to cool you down and regulate temperature. The combination of both acts gives your metabolism a massive kick in the pants and you process the food you ate very quickly and your body gets started on repairing itself ready for the next day.

I can't speak for the science, but this definitely gave my body an adrenalin shot and gave me temporary relief from my dodgy stomach. It was brutal because the tiger balm gives the sensation of extreme cold and so your sat in bed with freezing cold skin, sweating... and there is no way to stop it except wait it out. Plus I applied tiger balm to my groin so it felt like I had an ice box sat on my nuts that I couldn't shift. Unpleasant.

Fight day itself I spent in my hostel room watching movies on my laptop. I stepped out a couple times to buy water and get some sushi but I had stocked up on almonds and dried fruit so I was pretty well self contained. I just shut out the world and tried not to watch the clock. Which was easier said than done.

Eventually 7pm rolled around and my alarm went off. I had another cold shower and applied tiger balm to my hamstrings, groin and lower back before getting dressed into my fight gear underneath my tracksuit.

Headphones in I hopped in a tuc-tuc and mad my way to the stadium.

Fight Week

Its fight week and I have travelled down to Chiang Mai and found a cheap guesthouse for the next few days.

Upon walking out of my guesthouse I noticed the poster advertising Friday's fights. The card I'm fighting on. Really surprised to see some Charn Chai fighters on there that I know are not available to fight... good old thai advertising!

Also on there is Sylvie of the blog '8 Limbs US'. The blog which inspired me to choose Chiang Mai/Pai and to move here to train and fight. Her blog was pretty much the information bible for my trip out here. Everything from where to go, gym politics to injury treatment.
This is a really bizarre coincidence as she no longer lives and fights in Chiang Mai so it is very unusual for her to be back in the north of the country. Looking forward to meeting her and watching her fight live. Hopefully I can grab a ridiculous photo with her... I say ridiculous cause I already know i'll be a giant next to her. Think Sylvie fights at 48kg's... I'm 90...

Unfortunately I didn't make the poster as the promoter did not have a picture of me. I have since been to the stadium, met him and posed for the picture. I doubt they will re-print so i'll probably just be making guest appearances on fight nights I have nothing to do with for the next few months. Ah well, nothing wrong with a little legacy.

As for preparation I have squeezed in a work out at Go Gym just to stay as loose as possible and a little active. That gym is turning into some kind of Ruff Ryders training mecca. Its ace. Such thug workout style.  

Physically I don't feel great. My back is still very stiff and causes me pain if I cough or sneeze. But I'm hoping the pre-fight massage and thai oil will loosen things up and allow me to twist and kick. Failing that I'll just rely on my boxing and some powerful straights to get the job done.

There is also a really strange feeling in my stomach, pressure behind my solar plexus. I have had this tight pressured almost indigestion feeling for the past 2 days. I suspect it's just a physical manifestation of the nerves which is fine as I actually don't feel consciously anxious. I feel pretty relaxed about the fight, just a little nervous about stepping out in front of all those people at the beginning. I really don't like to be centre stage, especially when i don't know what I'm doing. The fight I have trained for but I have no idea about the Wai Kru or what I'm supposed to do about sealing the ring or when. Fear of the unknown. A dress rehearsal of all that would have been useful to answer these questions. As it stands I'll just have to figure it out on the night. So my fight video will probably feature me dropping the Mongkon, walking the wrong way round the ring, tripping over the other fighter and then punching him when the referee brings us to the middle to review the rules and touch gloves.

Ah well... stumble through...


Shopping list for fight supplies:

3 x 25mm Sports tape
Hand Wraps
Gum Shield
Thai Style Metal Cup
Lycra under shorts
Fight Shorts
Thai Oil
Tiger Balm
Vaseline
2 x Ankle Guards
Counter pain gel
Ibuprofen
Bottled water

Overtraining

I'll leave the sports scientists and nutritionists to argue whether or not this exists.
All I can talk about is my own personal experience.

Currently my routine consists of 3 sessions a day. A run in the morning, break, morning training at 10:30 and then afternoon training at 15:00.

The individual sessions are exhausting but manageable. They push you as you would expect. Increasing your skill, endurance and fitness by consistently taking you to the point of failure. Forever pushing that little marker further and further back.

What I didn't expect was the cumulative effect of these sessions.

Emotional exhaustion.
There have been days where the physical exhaustion has directly translated into an emotional depression. The love for the sport gone, the ability to socialise, non-existent, the desire to even get out of bed - not happening. At first I tried to push through this knowing it was part of the experience and that this ability to force myself was what separated people.

I have since learnt it's better to listen to your body.
Mental fortitude is great, but when it's at the cost of your meat wagon it's not a good decision. Seemingly every time I have gritted my teeth and powered through it has led to an injury that holds me back way more than skipping a session or dodging a run.

At 32 I find the training and recovery schedule very difficult to keep up with but I plug away and I do what is asked of me. So right now it's sprained toes, pain deep behind my shin bones and a pulled muscle in my back.

It's also worth noting that the over training makes dieting way harder. Because you are training so much you get hungry all the time. Unfortunately combined with the low mood this tends to lead to bad diet choices.

Blessed with Venom

Here is a link to John Wayne Parr's Muay Thai documentary.

Now available to stream on YouTube:

Thai remedies that I have tested.

No doubt the training is hard and it takes its toll on your body. Impact injuries and muscle soreness are a daily occurrence.

Normal treatment aside (Ice packs, elevation, Ibuprofen, massage, anti inflammatory cream)

There are 2 main 'Thai' remedies discussed around the gym.
Thought I would give them a go.

1. The Hot Springs:
About 6km out of Pai there is a natural mineral hot springs within a national park (200baht entry).
Although 'natural' it has still been developed to allow for tourist visitors. Pretty much ruins the experience as it's no longer a hot spring but rather the hot water piped off into cement pools for people to bath in.
Outside of the national park there are a couple luxury resorts filtering off some of the water and offering a spa style bathing experience.
If you are going to bath in the mineral water in a man made pool, why not make it a nicer pool?

Twice now, post training, I have gone to the spring and bathed in the hot mineral water (smells of egg) for over an hour.
Although relaxing due to the heat and putting time aside to do nothing, I have not noticed any healing properties.
My bruises and tight muscles are the same if not worse.
My hyper extended elbow has not improved at all.
My right shoulder remains buggered.

2. Thai Laxative - cleanse:
The idea being that on your rest day (Sunday) you neck a bottle of strong laxative and 'cleanse' yourself. Supposedly this is good for bruises and inflammation as well as cutting water weight.

My basic understanding of gut inflammation caused by food allergies and undigested food made me want to give this a go. I was hoping for a 'cleanse' resulting in a lighter, leaner feel with the added benefit of less gut inflammation allowing my swollen joints to recover quicker.

What happened was a day of hanging out by my bathroom.
Felt no better for it.
If anything it left me washed out and lacking energy for Mondays training.

Won't be doing that again.

So yeah, think i'll stick with the western approach.... pop pills and try and just get more sleep.

Clinch training with Turbo and Gong

In an attempt to fight less like a farang I have started doing private lessons with 2 of the Thai trainers focusing purely on clinch work.

So my day breaks down with the run in the morning at 07:30... which is getting longer and longer... we are now up to 11km.

Private lesson with Bami at 10:30 focusing on pad work, ring craft, combinations, conditioning and working my kicks into my techniques.

16:00 back to the gym to meet up with Turbo and Gong. Here we focus purely on clinch techniques, trips and making space to throw knees (I also do an hour of my own conditioning).

(Trainers from left to right; Moohin, Gong, Turbo, Yo, Bami, Pet, Bee, Tree)

It works well so far as I have 2 trainers in the ring with me, they can show me in detail what to do by demonstrating on each other. This is a great way to get around the language barrier as you don't need detailed verbal descriptions. They just show me in a way where I can watch as opposed to just being the victim of a clever trip and seeing it from my back looking up.
Only communication issue so far is trying to ask when and why you would do certain things, I can copy the moves but knowing how to implement them in a fight and how to capitalise on the resulting position is proving harder to explain.
Physically it was bloody hard as they would switch in and out so i'm always working against a fresh guy. No surprise my neck is killing me and I am starting to get swollen ears.

I am learning a lot but it doesn't feel natural yet. I really have to think in advance what each position means and what my options are. Probably doesn't help that i'm a foot taller than these guys so can compensate for bad technique with power and leverage.
I'm hoping I'll be able to get more comfortable with the simple moves in the next couple weeks. By no means do I expect to be any good at the clinch, but i'm hoping I can survive it to shut down my opponent and earn a referee re-set to work my distance and range advantage.

So far Turbo is really happy with my progress and keeps commenting that I am remembering everything quickly. It's funny to learn how detailed the clinch is when it comes to hand position, earning space and specific grips and holds you can use whilst wearing gloves. So far it's going really well and I'm enjoying learning it a lot.

Here you can see Turbo in action on one of the local fight cards. Turbo is wearing the blue gloves.

Training with Turbo and Gong is fun but very different to working with Bami. Bami is preparing me for my first fight and has invested a lot of effort in me. Although I'm doing a little clinch work with Turbo and Gong it's Bami I really don't want to let down with a poor performance come fight night.
As it stands my hands are getting better but i'm still struggling to work in the kicks. So if my fight goes to the judges I am going to have a rough time on the score card.

Charn Chai video - Interview with Kru Bee

Just found this video on Youtube. Features a nice little interview with Kru Bee.

Paul Clark - Youtube channel - Go subscribe!!

Paul was one of my coaches when in London and is possibly the most diverse and knowledgeable martial artist I have ever met. He still remains one of the best trainers I have ever had the pleasure of working with, if anyone is reading this in London go look him up. Time well spent.

I just noticed Paul has started up a Youtube channel linked with the Bob Breen Academy where he teaches.

Please go check it out and subscribe:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1YmVt5pLItgfrkIZB8rUNg

Back in Pai - Back to Training

The Thai embassy has screwed me out of 4 months in Thailand. This forces me to go to Laos to pay for it all again on February 14th.

At training today Bee said he wants me to fight on February 6th. So I might still get the last laugh! Get my fight done before the visa runs out then leave the country if i choose too or head to Mae Hong Son for a 30 day extension and not get involved with this whole mess of going to Laos and applying and waiting for a new multiple entry visa.

Seems like a scam to get more money out of tourists and i'm not down with that. Especially as the entire time your in Thailand it feels this way. Everyone has a hand in your wallet the entire time.

I say this with one notable exception. The entire town of Pai. Pai is not like that. Yes you pay for stuff but you don't feel harassed or taken advantage of. Things seem to be charged their value here.

I do love Pai, and I do love training at Charn Chai. But i feel like after i fight i need to do something different for a couple weeks just to break the repetitive schedule so my time here feels a little longer. Right now the 3 months feel like 4 weeks because most days are exactly the same.

Maybe I'll go Cambodia for a week of beaches and swimming. We'll see. See how I feel after the fight.