Thailand Part 2

So I'm back in Southern Thailand, this time in Patong Beach on the tropical island of Phuket. Absolutely beautiful place, great weather, awesome beaches, wild nightlife, all the things one wants in a vacation spot. But for me, the draw is Patong Boxing Gym. I came here to live at this Muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) training camp for 2 and 1/2 weeks to immerse myself in Muay Thai training, and that is exactly what I have gotten (as well as bruised and swollen feet and legs, a decent tan, an obsession for spicy Thai food, and a big toe that may be broken ;-) )

Anyway, I train 2 times per day. The morning session is usually running and lifting weights, and the afternoon is reserved for pad work and/or sparring. This is my first experience with any martial art and it seems to be a good fit for me. I left the US in January thinking I would study Kung Fu but that proved to be impractical given my size. Also, Muay Thai is much more functional than Kung Fu and its easy to find a program in the US that teaches Thai boxing or incorporates it into a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) routine.

The trip has flown by, but I will leave with a new passion for fighting and a solid fundamental base of the sport. My trainers say I am talented and powerful, and that I can compete assuming I can drop into a reasonable weight class. I will look into K-1 kickboxing when I get back to the States, as their weight classes are more suited to Western body types. Still, the pros here want me to return next year to schedule my first fight at Patong Boxing Stadium, of course with representation from Patong Boxing Gym.

Also, I looked into changing my return flight to early June and it will cost $500! So rather than give Continental my precious greenbacks, I will return to Thailand (this time Pattaya) with an American fighter I met here. We will train at the renowned Scorpion Gym in Pattaya, and I will also spend a day at Fairtex Pattaya.

Return Date: June 21