MMA Supplements - Essential Fatty Acids

With the popularity of mixed martial arts on the rise, some of the major supplement companies have already started to market their products to the MMA community. “BSN - the official supplements of the UFC” -
a catchphrase that has recently graced both the octagon canvas and the UFC website. But do their products truly benefit the mixed martial artist or is it nothing more than a well timed marketing gimmick. Well, most of the more popular supplements that have been used for bodybuilding and fat loss can benefit fighters and all sorts of athletes in general. Products like creatine, protein and beta-alanine are all musts for MMA fighters.

Throughout my years as a trainer, I would often get asked what the “best supplement” is. You would think that my answer would be “it depends on your goal and dietary deficiencies” - or something along those lines. Well, my automatic response to the ever-so-popular question would more often than not be - “essential fatty acids”. Why? Because they benefit everyone, regardless of their training goal. Not only that, but almost everyone who doesn’t supplement with fatty acids is deficient in omega 3’s. Goals and deficiencies - essential fatty acids got you covered.

What Are Omega 3’s Anyway?

Omega 3’s are polyunsaturated fats that are typically under-consumed in modern-day diets. This deficiency amongst the majority of the population makes supplementation essential. Alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which is the main component of an omega 3 fatty acid, along with its bi-products (EPA) and (DHA) have a vast amount of positive effects throughout the body. EPA and DHA are simply elongated, de-saturated versions of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). These ALA subdivisions are known as “fat burning fats”.

Both EPA and DHA help reduce your body’s insulin response following your meals. This notable attribute will help prevent fat storage. In addition to minimizing the insulin response to select foods, they have also been shown to boost your metabolic rate. They accomplish this by triggering a thermogenic response - meaning your body’s core temperature increases. This increased heat production occurs at the cellular level and will, in a sense, rev up your metabolic furnace and allow you to burn more calories throughout the day - even during periods when fat burning would normally be inhibited.

And What About Those Omega 6’s?

Omega 6’s are also polyunsaturated. While most publications state that the typical North American diet contains an adequate amount of omega 6’s, it is important to remember that all omega 6 fatty acids are not created equally. The main component of an omega 6 fatty acid is termed “linolenic acid” (LA) and from that, it’s bi-products gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and (AA) are created. However, keep in mind that consuming adequate amounts of LA does not ensure that adequate amounts of GLA will be created. Each of these omega 6’s have different effects and appear in different amounts in the foods we consume. Eggs, fish, meat and other common foods contain adequate amounts of AA. We don’t need to supplement with LA either as we get enough of it in our diets as well. GLA (Gamma-Linolenic Acid) however, tends to be under-consumed and supplementation is necessary to prevent deficiency. Evening primrose and borage oil are both rich in GLA. There are also oil blends that exist on the market that include various fatty acids in the proper ratios. These products eliminate the guesswork and ensure that your fatty acid requirements are easily met. “Udo’s Oil Blend” is one of the top fatty acid blends on the market.

The 3-6 Balance

The over-consumption of omega 6’s in relation to 3’s can lead to serious problems. An ideal ratio to shoot for would be between a 2-to-1 and a 4-to-1 of omega 6’s to omega 3’s. Many of us consume a ratio of up to 20:1. This omega balance is starting to get more and more attention amongst the fitness industry as of late. Even Health Canada has addressed the problem and has put out the ratio of 4:1. Although this ratio serves as a good guideline, particular attention needs to be paid to taking in enough GLA (as mentioned above). If this ratio is out of whack, as it is with the majority of the population, the chance of developing cancer is increased. When high amounts of the omega 6 (LA) are consumed, the growth and division of cancer cells is increased. Theoretically, the logical prevention would be to limit the amount of omega 6’s. The downside to this solution is that we require omega 6’s - particularly GLA, for numerous health benefits. The second and more effective solution is to simply increase your omega 3 intake. While linolenic acid increases the growth and division of cancer cells, omega 3 exposure to these same cells causes them to either die or be destroyed. Considering the prevalence of cancer in today’s society, this in itself is more than enough reason to supplement with omega 3’s.

That’s all great and all, but how will essential fatty acids help me as a fighter?

Bodybuilders seem to be pretty tuned into the benefits of essential fatty acid supplementation. One major reason why bodybuilders supplement with essential fatty acids relates to the effect fatty acids have on hormone production. Since the majority of the athletic population tends to gravitate towards a low-fat diet, concentrations of anabolic hormones such as testosterone may be decreased. Testosterone is a male sex hormone that makes boys ..men. It makes you strong, it makes you hairy, it makes you horny and it makes you aggressive. Increased aggression; sounds like something that would benefit an MMA fighter, doesn’t it?

Well, testosterone production is directly related to cholesterol levels, as cholesterol is the initial testosterone pre-cursor. Cholesterol levels are directly related to your diet and your intake of certain fats - starting to see the link here? Essential fatty acids will increase the amount of “good” cholesterol which is termed as HDL (high density lipoprotein). Even certain saturated fats (short and medium chain triglycerides) will increase testosterone production via cholesterol without clogging your arteries.

Bodybuilders also supplement with essential fatty acids to reap the benefits of the anti-inflammatory effects. A bodybuilding workout will oftentimes implement dozens of sets with the goal of stimulating a microscopic breakdown of the tissues. It’s during the recovery period that the muscle fibers adapt to the training stimulus by becoming stronger for the next workout.

Well, if you’re serious about your MMA workouts, it’s a pretty safe bet that you’re spending more time training than the average “bodybuilder” out there who’s trying to pack on some beach-bulk to impress the ladies. In which case, you can certainly benefit from the anti-inflammatory properties of essential fatty acids. Your recovery time will be sped up, your injuries will be minimized and you’ll likely feel more refreshed from workout to workout.

Still Not Convinced?

Anyone who’s ever rolled against a resisting opponent for 2+ minutes or done a few rounds of pad-work or sparring knows that the most important muscle for MMA isn’t your biceps, nor is it your triceps - it’s your heart. Good cardio is the best weapon you can bring with you into a fight. Relating back to cholesterol, supplementing with essential fatty acids will help you cleanse your arteries, which will reduce the workload on your heart as it’s trying to deliver blood (oxygen) to your working muscles. When people consume a lot of processed foods or foods that contain high concentrations of long chain saturated fats, it increases the LDL (low density lipoprotein) cholesterol that binds to the arteries, thus narrowing the pathway that the blood has to travel through. This strains the heart and increases your blood pressure.

The good HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol that is increased via supplementation with essential fatty acids removes the LDL cholesterol gunk that has binded itself to the artery walls. Of course, less corrosion around the arteries will make it much easier for your heart to deliver blood and oxygen to your working muscles. Making things easier on your heart will allow you to train at higher intensities and for longer durations prior to fatiguing.

To Wrap It Up

Supplementing with essential fatty acids will..

• Trigger a thermogenic response which will allow you to burn more fat.
• Help prevent cancer.
• Increase testosterone, which will in turn make you more aggressive.
• Reduce inflammation and speed your recovery time between workouts.
• Clense your arteries and help improve your cardio.

 
This is one of the most potent Omega 3 fish oil supplements on the market…certainly worth looking into.
 

 

Thailand Trickery

Make you look! The most common response I got when I told people I was coming to Thailand to train was simply “dawg, be careful, make sure you don’t fuck a tranny”. Transsexuals, or “ladyboys” as they’re commonly referred too here, are all over Thailand. They’re in the bars, they’re in the malls, they’re in restaurants, and as a matter of fact, my last haircut was courtesy of a ladyboy at the salon.

I was watching a newscast the other day and they were talking about a school up north that recently constructed a ladyboy-specific washroom to accommodate their transgender students. Throughout the country, there’s over 200,000 of these ladyboys walking around. How’s that for incentive not to over drink? A case of “beer goggles” in your home country may lead you to be waking up next to some fat broad but here, in Thailand, a lot of guys get a whole lot more than they bargained for.

During my first trip to Thailand last year, I remember seeing a couple “growing up gotti” wannabe’s walking hand in hand with a couple not-so-obvious ladyboys back to the hotel. They were walking with a “gangster-lean” thinking they were badass but if they only knew… As a matter of fact, they never found out! I asked the one of the ladyboys the following afternoon and she (or should I say, he) never told them.

Unfortunately, incidents like that are a common occurrence here. I’ve come to view ladyboys almost like reverse bodybuilders. Bodybuilders go to great lengths to look masculine and often times, take anabolic hormones as a means of speeding up the process. Ladyboys in the other hand, are just dudes that try to look as feminine as possible and like bodybuilders, they take hormones as well. Of course, they take estrogens instead of testosterone and oftentimes, they start doing so before they even hit puberty.

A lot of them are easy to spot. They just look like Thai guys in dresses with breast implants. However, just because you can spot the obvious ones, don’t let your guard down. Some of them a nearly impossible for a first time visitor with a couple of beers in him to detect. Check out the “girl” that makes an appearance at the 1:48 mark of this random youtube video..

I’ve had my fair share of moments where I’ve seen a seemingly hot girl from a distance, checked her out and later realized that I was gawking over a dude in a dress. Some of them are so convincing that you’ll be left shaking your head and saying “what the fuck?!”. Luckily, I’ve polished my ladyboy detection skills having spent nearly half a year combined in this country but of course, I still find it entertaining to sit back and watch the unsuspecting tourists unknowingly venture over to the “dark side”.

So, aside from cupping their crotch in the nightclub, how can you tell if it’s a guy in disguise? Well, here’s a little 7-step checklist for you..

1) Ask to see their National Thai ID card.

Simply say “hey, I’ve never seen what a Thai ID card looks like, can you show me?”. The card will either say Mr. or Miss. If it’s a ladyboy, the card will of course still say - “Mr.”. However, as you can see from a photo I took of a fake document stand I took while in KhaoSan road in Bangkok - fake documentation isn’t hard to obtain here in Thailand. In which case, you can implement some of these other methods..

2) Check for an Adams apple.

You’d think this would be obvious but a lot of guys completely forget about this. It’s called an “ADAMS apple” for a reason. Adam & Eve. Adam ate the apple, hence, guys have it and most girls don’t. However, with plastic surgery being more popular in Thailand than it is in Beverly Hills, a lot of the ladyboys get their Adams apple shaved down.

EDIT: So apparently, Eve ate the apple and not Adam? My lack of biblical knowledge aside, if they have a bump in their throat, stay away..

3) Tickle Them.

Ladyboys go through great efforts do disguise their voice but when tickled, their natural, manly voice will no longer be masked.

4) Check How Their Arm Bends.

When a woman straightens her arm, it usually hyper-extends a bit at the elbow and the forearm appears to drift slightly to the right. When a mans arm is straightened, it doesn’t hyperextend as much and the upper arm and forearm are more aligned.

5) Over-exaggerated body movements.

Ladyboys are men and because of that, they don’t have the natural grace that a woman has. Sure they try, but often times, they try too hard and it’s quite obvious.

6) You go through 2 bottles of KY jelly

Post-op ladyboys have fake vaginas or more realistically - inverted penises. Sounds wonderful doesn’t it? Well, these “fake vaginas” don’t produce vaginal fluid the same way the real ones do so if you get down to the “boom boom” and you go through a couple litres of lubricant, it’s pretty safe to say you’ve bagged a dude. If you’ve only made the discovery at this late stage, well ..you had just better hope that your buddies didn’t snap and photos of you and your “girlfriend” at the club.

7) If they have a bigger cock than you!

Self explanatory. 8=========D

So, brush up on your ladyboy detection skills because in a future post, I’ll throw up photos of 5 Thai girls and 5 random ladyboys and we’ll see how you do. I guess I have to hit the street and get the photos - I don’t know how easy that’s going to be. I tried taking a short video of them for the purpose of this post and about 5 seconds into filming, one of them looked like she wanted to attack me. The last thing I need is a trannie causing a huge scene in a very public area. People would most likely crowd around and assume that I refused to pay for my “services” or something. Anyway, here’s the very short vid.. and remember, your ladyboy test is coming, so study hard..

And guys, although I figured this would be entertaining, I know checking out dudes in dresses isn’t really your thing so I’ll make up for it in the near future with a Thailand Temptations article that will showcase all sorts of beautiful Thai WOMEN..

Stay Tuned..

If you’re looking to incorporate some new, yet “MMA functional” core exercises into your workout routine .. CHECK THIS OUT!

Sasiprapa Gym Review

Sasiprapa gym is one of the big names here in Bangkok and if you have any doubt regarding their ability to produce quality fighters, your concerns can be laid to rest with just a look at one of the multiple trophy displays throughout the gym. Sasiprapa gym earned the “gym of the year” award in 2007 and it currently sits in the top 10 gyms as ranked by Lumpinee stadium. However, with all this prestige, there was a serious lack of students when I went. As a matter of fact, there was only one other “farang” training while I was there and I went for the afternoon session - which is usually the busiest time.

From where I’m staying (central Bangkok in the shopping district), it’s quite the journey to get to Sasiprapa gym. I had to take the sky train, then switch to the subway, then jump into a taxi for another 15 minutes or so. The area where Sasiprapa gym is situated didn’t seem to have any foreigners. At least, not that I saw anyway. When I tried to get a light meal before my workout for some energy, none of the servers spoke any english whatsoever. Luckily, one of the resteraunts had photos of some of the plates on the wall so I was able to just point to what I wanted. So, if you come train at Sasiprapa gym, I suggest you brush up on your Thai a bit before coming.

As soon as I approached Sasiprapa gym, I was immediately greeted by my trainer for the day. Honestly, I don’t remember his name but in all fairness, he forgot my name as well since he’d just yell “you” to get my attention.

Unlike every single Muay Thai workout I’ve ever done in my life, the training session at Sasiprapa gym didn’t begin with skipping. Rather, he just had me perform light, rapid punches on the heavy bag while moving my feet up and down. Punch with the left hand, stomp with the left foot - and vise versa. I remembered seeing Yodsanlkai Fairtex doing it with his trainer so if it’s good enough for Yod - then it’s good enough for me.

After the warm up, he had me move right into padwork. I didn’t really get the chance to stretch which is one thing I didn’t like. The padwork was decent and we spent a lot of time working on blocking, countering and elbow strikes. Actually, throughout the workout, I did A LOT of elbow strikes as you can see from a photo I took about 5 hours after the session..

After the padwork, we did about 5 rounds on the heavy bag but what’s cool is that I had the trainer there watching over me the entire time. I did one round for regular Thai kicks, one round for front kicks, another round strictly for elbows, one for boxing and lastly, a full round dedicated to only low kicks. I was exhausted at this point so to finish up, I just did about 3 sets of narrow grip chin ups for clinch strength. From there, I called it a day and just walked around and snapped some photos and took a video of the place. Here’s a video tour..

Here’s a photo of my trainer for the day. I’m not sure how old he is but I’m sure he’s got a lot of fights under his belt.

So, for my final verdict on Sasiprapa gym - it’s pretty good. You get a lot of attention since there’s certainly no overcrowding and the trainers seem like they legitimately want to help you. There’s plenty of affordable accommodation in the area as the Sasiprapa gym is situated in a predominantly Thai residential area in Bangkok. For me personally, I just prefer not to train in Bangkok due to the dirty air but to each his own. If you’re in the area, Sasiprapa gym is worth checking out.

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Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar

Randy Couture has grown tired of the legal battles with the UFC and as he put it, he’d “rather fight in the cage, than in the courtroom”. Randy Couture has reportedly resolved his differences with the UFC and re-inked a 3 fight deal with the organization. For his first fight, Randy Couture will face the daunting task of squaring off with the strongest heavyweight that the UFC has to offer - Brock Lesnar.

The Randy Couture vs. Brock Lesnar showdown is set to take place on November 15th at the MGM grand arena in Las Vegas. The heavyweight clash; which is headlining the UFC 91 card, has the makings to set buy-rate records in terms of pay per view sales. Both Randy Couture and Brock Lesnar have both become household names and as we know, name recognition sells pay per views. Heck, that’s the reason why Kimbo is fighting Ken Shamrock instead of a legit, relevant fighter on CBS next month.

Brock Lesnar; who is coming fresh off an impressive victory over the much more experienced Heath Herring, poses a unique threat to anyone. Very few fighters can match his size, strength and intensity. Randy Couture on the other hand, is an experienced veteran who has seen it all before. His last two opponents (Gonzaga and Sylvia) both had significant advantages in size and strength but Randy Couture was able to neutralize them via superior wrestling and awesome game planning.

Unfortunately for Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar is no slouch on the mat as he won the NCAA championship back in 2000 in addition to racking up a total collegiate record of 106-5. When technical ability meets speed, size and strength - it makes for one scary opponent. Brock Lesnar has questionable submission defense but Randy Couture isn’t known for being a submission artist. Brock Lesnar’s only other potential downfall is his inexperience but with his WWE background, as fake as that was, he’s still no stranger to being in the spotlight and headlining big shows with millions of viewers. He’s handled the pressure before.

I’m not entirely sure where UFC matchmaker Joe Silva and the rest of the organization are going with this. They know what they’re doing and are always a few steps ahead when they’re setting up the fights. If Randy Couture pulls out a victory, it makes for a perfect set up for the long awaited Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko “super fight”. However, in doing so, it knocks down Brock Lesnar - who is a huge draw for the UFC. In fact, the UFC wants to hype Brock Lesnar so much that they actually allowed his fight with Heath Herring to remain on YouTube.

If Brock Lesnar pulls off the victory, that may “kill the hype” and marketability of the Randy Couture vs. Fedor Emelianenko fight. The UFC is taking a huge risk with this Brock Lesnar & Randy Couture showdown. I suppose that if that was to occur, then the UFC could look to set something up between Fedor and Brock Lesnar, as Fedor has also expressed interest in that match-up as well. One thing is for sure, Brock Lesnar vs. Randy Couture is an awesome fight and I for one - will be watching.

 CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LATEST ODDS IN THE RANDY COUTURE VS. BROCK LESNAR FIGHT

 

Sor Vorapin Gym .. Sucks!

Of course, that’s just my opinion. I ended up at the Sor Vorapin gym nearby Khao San road on a Sunday simply because Kaewsamrit gym (where I had originally planned to go) was closed. With its location in backpacker central, the trainers at Sor Vorapin gym have a lot of experience when it comes to teaching foreigners - which is usually a good thing as they can relate the techniques more effectively.

Well, in this case - it wasn’t a good thing at all. At Sor Vorapin gym, I felt like I was viewed as nothing more than an ATM machine. I was asked for 500 baht before I was asked my name. In fact, they didn’t ask what my name was at all! I was simply referred too as “you!”. And at 500 baht per training session, the Sor Vorapin gym is very overpriced. Especially when you consider that you can get a session at Sityodtong or Scorpion gym for half the cost. Fairtex was 800 baht per session but that price is justifiable when you consider how much money they invested into the place. Sor Vorapin gym on the other hand is nothing more than 1 ring and about 4 punching bags in a back alley.

Now, I’m not knocking back-alley type gyms or modest training facilities. All you really need is basic equipment and a good trainer. The trainer I was matched up with at Sor Vorapin gym didn’t know how to hold the pads at all. He would tell me to kick while standing about 2 feet away from me. So I’d kick (as to just be respectful and not correct his teaching methods) and my knee would hit the pads instead of my shin.

This annoying occurrence went on for about 10-12 kicks and I eventually just got frustrated and asked him to move back a bit. After all, I’m the one paying 500 baht for the session - I at least went to get off some decent kicks. Well, I guess he felt like he lost “face” or something because he told me to “go kick the bag”. That was fine with me. I’d rather kick the heavy bag with my shin then kick the pads with my thigh and knee like a goof.

Throughout my session at Sor Vorapin gym, the only bit of good advise I got didn’t come from a trainer, but rather ..one of the students. While I was hitting the heavy bag, he stepped in and started showing me some combinations that he thought would work well for me. I never caught his name but he told me that he had been coming to Thailand since he was 14 (he’s now 22) and that he has now fought in Lumpinee stadium 3 times with his fourth Lumpinee fight coming up in a couple weeks. Here’s some footage I got of him doing pad-work at the start of the session..

I also got some good footage of his clinch work with one of the Thai fighters. While I was watching the clinch-session, one of the other students pointed out the pictures along the wall and apparently the Thai-fighter is a former Lumpinee champion himself. However, it’s pretty bad when the highlight of your workout is watching other people train after getting only 2 rounds of sub-par pad-work in yourself.

I DO NOT  recommend coming to Sor Vorapin gym at all. It’s experiences like this that make it worthwhile for me to keep the fact that I’m a Muay Thai journalist a secret so I get to see how anyone who walks in off the street for a workout gets treated.

Again, there’s so many gyms throughout Thailand. Don’t waste your time and money with Sor Vorapin!

If you’re looking to incorporate some new, yet “MMA functional” core exercises into your workout routine .. CHECK THIS OUT!

Living With A Showgirl. A Recipe for Drama?

So, in a past entry I mentioned that I went to Issan with a girl that I met on my birthday. Well, after training at a few of the Muay Thai camps in Bangkok (reviews will come soon), I decided to come back to Pattaya to stay another month. I guess this is how it starts. There’s so many ex-pats here that visit once on a holiday, go back to their home countries, liquidate their assets and move back here permanently - it’s really THAT good. Not only that, but everything here is just so convenient once you’ve stayed a while and figured things out. Transportation and food can be cheap and if you look hard enough, so are the accommodations. The trick is just staying away from the drinking and the nightlife. But of course, for most people - that’s easier said than done.

Well, it looks as though I’ve managed to bring a slice of walking street to my home life via living with a Thailand showgirl. Throughout my bus-ride from Bangkok, me and the girl I met on my birthday were sending text messages back and fourth. When I told her I was on my way back to Pattaya, she extended an invite for me to stay with her at her apartment. I decided to take the plunge and move in. She seems cool; her apartment is in a perfect location as it’s just a 2 minute bus ride from Scorpion gym; the rent is only 200 US a month and of course, let’s not overlook the fact that she’s so hot that if while I was a chubby, horny, 16 year old, someone somehow showed me what my 26th birthday hook-up looked like through a crystal ball, well ..let’s just say I’d probably be willing to skip an entire decade of my life just to rush to this point.

So it’s been about 30 hours of so since I officially unpacked my suitcase and with the exception of a couple minor arguments, things have been going pretty good. Actually, come to think of it, I suppose arguing prior to even completing day 2 isn’t a good sign of things to come. Either way, regardless of what happens - living with a showgirl surely make for some interesting entries for you to read and of course, it‘ll make for some interesting evenings for me to enjoy  : )

Seeing as how the only other 2 girls I’ve officially “lived with” are my mom and my sister, this should make for a unique experience. As for the camps I trained at while in Bangkok, I’ll get the reviews up very soon. I went to Sor Vorapin and Sasiprapa. One was good and the other was absolute shit. Stay tuned for the reviews and camp tours.

If you’re looking to incorporate some new, yet “MMA functional” core exercises into your workout routine .. CHECK THIS OUT!

Back to Bangkok

So I’ve went from a modest, all-Thai village in Issan to the huge, mega-city that is Bangkok. I arrived here yesterday via a bus from Pattaya that cost me a mere 128 baht (about $4.50) - not bad for a 2 hour ride. To be honest, I really dislike Bangkok. Sure, it has it’s positives. The shopping is incredible and the girls that you see on the sky train in their university uniforms are really, really hot but .. The air here is very dirty and like any big city, the traffic is insane. I spent about an hour in the back seat of a taxi last night to get from Lumpinee stadium back to my hotel near the MBK shopping centre (a ride that without heavy traffic would have taken about 5 minutes).

I went to Lumpinee simply to check out the stadium (I didn’t have the 2300 baht to shell out for a ticket). It just so happened that there was a fight-night and the atmosphere was really live. There’s a bunch of cool Muay Thai shops all around the place and I picked up a pair of “King” MMA shorts for about $15 (I’m not really a big fan of the traditional Muay Thai short-shorts that ride up your leg while you’re doing your hamstring stretches, thus almost putting your nut-sack in display for everyone in the gym to see). Okay, that’s an exaggeration I know, but I just don’t like short-short shorts. I think I’ll get a pair of the longer Thai shorts custom made. I know Scorpion gym will let you customize your order.

Anyway, back to the topic at hand (I got a little side tracked there) - I’m going to Kaewsamrit gym this afternoon. I have no idea to get there but I have the address so I’ll just give it to the taxi driver and a) hope that he doesn’t rip me off and b) hope that he doesn’t simply disregard my desired destination and take me to see a variety of “ping pong shows” and “soapy massage” venues so he can collect a commission. I’m excited about it though. Kaewsamrit won the “gym of the year” award twice (see video to the right) and it’s where former Lumpinee champion Anawut Kaewsamrit still currently trains as well.

As always, I’ll be bringing my camera along so I’ll get a video tour of the place and hopefully, some good footage of the fighters training as well. My plan is to visit Kaewsamrit gym today and perhaps Sasiprapa gym tomorrow. Sasiprapa also has a very good reputation amongst the Muay Thai community for delivering quality training. After Sasiprapa gym tomorrow, I really have no idea where I’ll be going. I might check out Fairtex in Bangplee or I might check out Ingram or Eminent Air here in Bangkok. I might even fly down to Phuket or I might hop a bus back to Pattaya. I honestly have no idea at all.

Anyway, check back within a day or two for the pictures, videos and camp review for Kaewsamrit and in the meantime, check out this video I took of one of the car stores in the Siam Paragon shopping centre. Siam Paragon is certainly the biggest, cleanest and most expensive malls I’ve ever seen in my life..

Off The Beaten Path

My 26th birthday was on the 5th of this month so I obviously went out to celebrate. I’m not going to sit here and claim that I went to the bowling alley or out for ice cream either. Fuck that! I was celebrating my birthday in Pattaya, Thailand so I went right to the gogo bars. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Pattaya, I’ll tell you this - this place is known as a “Disneyland for adults” and askmen.com has it ranked as the top “sin city” in the entire world. I train hard and don’t let the temptation get to me but on my birthday - I wanted to let loose.

Throughout the night, I checked out about 15 of the seemingly countless of gogo bars on walking street. My final destination was a bar called “new living dolls showcase”. The girls in this place were all incredibly beautiful but there was one girl specifically who caught my eye. Not just because she was beautiful, but because I actually recognized her from a video on youtube I had seen about 3 months ago and I’m not going to lie - pretty much everyday since I initially viewed it. As a matter of fact, I used to send the video link to my friends while I was in Canada to a) make them jealous that I was going and b) encourage them to book a damn ticket and join me. Here’s the video ..

Anyway, she sat down next to me but started talking to the dude on her right hand side. That went on for about 10 minutes or so but when he got up and walked off (I figured to go to the washroom) I took advantage of the opening to start a conversation. “Hey, how are you?” I said (I’m not very creative when it comes to pick up lines). In true Thailand showgirl fashion, she went right for the wallet - “I’m ok, but I’d be better if you bought me a shot of tequila” she replied. The girls here get a percentage of all the “lady drinks” they sell. I bought the tequila to keep the conversation rolling…

After talking to her for about 5 minutes, the guy who she had been previously talking too walked back but she sort of brushed him off. Awesome! I thought. I drank with her for about another hour or so then we went over to a couple after-hour nightclubs. Unlike a lot of the other girls I’ve met, she actually speaks very good English but not only that, she has a good sense of humour and will joke around with you as well.

Since then, we’ve chilled quite a bit and since she had to come home for a few days to take her dad to the hospital, she invited me to come along since it was an 8 hour drive and she didn’t want to be bored. I took her up on the offer simply because I’m here for an experience, so coming to a place where no other foreigners come too is exactly that - an experience. I seem to get a lot of attention here. As I was driving to her house, we were tailing a mini bus of young Thai army trainees and they got excited and started waving and pointing while saying “farang farang”! The term farang, as mentioned on other entries, is just a non-derogatory term for a foreigner here.

So right now, as I’m typing this, I’m at an internet café that’s located about an hour from “Khan Kaen”. This is the real Thailand (village style). As a matter of fact, the majority of her neighbours built their houses themselves with wood they collected from up in the mountains. The toilets don’t flush (you have to manually pour in a bucket of water). Most people don’t have showers (again, they just use a bucket of water) and her neighbours have a bunch of live chickens in their backyard and when it’s time to eat, I guess they just go out there, grab one, slit its throat and boil it up. It’s definitely been a culture shock for me.

I’ll be taking some plenty of photos and videos while I’m here (I’ve got some good ones already) and I’ll be uploading them for you guys once I get access to a faster internet connection. I should be in Bangkok within the next few days so I should be able to throw up another update then..

Oh wow, just as I was typing this .. My friends sister showed up with 2 chicken/rice meals for me. When you hear people say that they fall in love with “the people” of Thailand - that’s the sort of thing they’re talking about..

If you’re looking to incorporate some new, yet “MMA functional” core exercises into your workout routine .. CHECK THIS OUT!

Scorpion Muay Thai Gym Review

When I first arrived in Pattaya, Scorpion Muay Thai gym was the first camp that I visited. As I mentioned in an earlier entry, it was tough to find at first but now that I know my way around, it’s actually very convenient to get to since it’s on the baht bus route - which is a major reason why I’ve been going everyday.

Further adding to the convenience factor is the fact that Scorpion Muay Thai doesn’t have “set” training times. Rather, you can just show up (anytime between operating hours) when you want to train. This is Thailand and a famous motto here is “Sabai Sabai” - which basically means relax and take it easy. Shit happens - it’s easy to get side tracked here and I like the fact that I don’t have to rush to training.

Another thing that I like about Scorpion Muay Thai, aside from the convenience, is the fact that it’s not overcrowded. When I’m doing my pad-work, I don’t feel as though the trainer is rushing through the rounds and trying to get as many students in and out as possible. I trained at one gym here in Pattaya and I got 2 rounds of pad-work. In between the 2nd and 3rd round, the trainer called the next student into the ring and I was left standing there (with my gloves still on) wondering what the hell was going on. Needless to say, I never went back.

At Scorpion Muay Thai, I get a minimum of 5 rounds of pad-work. Three of those rounds focus on Muay Thai techniques (kicks, knees, elbows) while the other 2 rounds focus strictly on boxing with the focus mitts. When I first arrived, I was talking to Rosalie (the owner/professional fighter) and she said that as long as you still have “power”, you can continue on beyond the 5th round if you’d like. Five rounds is enough for me since I’m still trying to work on my cardio but if your conditioning rivals the likes of Urijah Faber or Sean Sherk - you can do all the rounds that you need to do. Here’s some footage I took of 2 of the trainers working with 1 of the students (keep in mind, they don’t have to do that).

Since Scorpion Muay Thai doesn’t have “set” training times, the workouts differ somewhat from a lot of the other camps. You’ll notice that when you look at other Muay Thai camp websites, they have a typical day of training laid out for you to view. The training usually involves a run, skipping, shadowboxing, heavy bag work and then simulated rounds with the trainer.

Well, at Scorpion, if you’re not in the ring doing pad-work, you’re sort of left to do your own thing. I don’t mind this at all because I can skip, stretch, shadowbox and hit the heavy bag on my own. I just throw on my iPod and go through the motions. My routine at Scorpion Muay Thai is currently as follows..

Skipping (3-5 rounds)
Shadow Boxing (2-3 rounds)
Boxing on the Heavy Bag (3 rounds) - although cut short if I get called into the ring -
Stretching
Simulated Pad-work with the trainer (5 rounds)
And as of late.. I’ll finish up with about 2-3 rounds of sparring.

I personally enjoy the freedom of not having to run 10K everyday and do countless push-ups when I’m still sore from my workout at the gym the night before. And it’s not because I’m some fatass that can’t handle the workout. It’s because, honestly - I believe those training methodologies are outdated.

Back at home, I earned a living via a day job as a personal trainer (in addition to working at a nightclub), so I enjoy designing my own workout programs. The typical workout I outlined above consists of between 15-24 rounds (all of which are done at varied intensities). 24 rounds of cardio - I’d say that’s quite enough to prepare yourself for a 5 round Muay Thai/MMA fight. So rather than run an additional 10K, I find it to be more beneficial to go to a traditional gym and perform “fight functional” exercises to develop power.

By “fight functional”, I don’t mean bicep curls and leg extensions either. I’m talking about compound, multi joint exercises such as dead-lifts and the bench press. And of course, as any fighter will tell you, you need to develop the rotary strength of the core - and that’s just not something that regular sit ups accomplish. I usually implement some of the exercises from a manual I got a while ago - check it out if you want. Unfortunately, it’s not free though.

Anyway, back to the Scorpion Muay Thai gym. Overall, it’s pretty good. Nice facility, friendly atmosphere, it’s not overcrowded and most importantly - the trainers know what they’re doing. In addition to all that, it’s actually one of the cheapest Muay Thai camps that I’ve seen. A single session is 250 baht (which is on par with most of the other camps around here) and if you pay monthly, you can get once-daily training for 3800 baht. If you want to do two-a-days, it’ll cost you 7300 baht. Most of the camps only offer the two-a-day price regardless of how often you train.

Now for the “Fon” update

Well, she called me a few days and asked if she could come over. I don’t know why, but I said she could. Actually, I do know why - when a hot girl calls you and wants to come over at 3am, it’s tough to say no (crazy or not). Anyway, when she showed up, I got a weird vibe from her. Before I let her in, I talked to her for a bit to feel things out and I came to the conclusion that she was obviously drunk or high.

I told her that I changed my mind and that she had to bounce because I didn’t feel comfortable with her staying at my apartment while she was like that. She refused to leave. Since she wouldn’t leave, I figured I’d just walk back upstairs to my room and just lock the door. When I tried to do so, she kept blocking off my path so I couldn’t get by.

I really didn’t what to do at this point so I just stood and tried to explain to her, over and over again, why she couldn’t come up. Nothing was really getting through to her and I honestly just wanted to go to bed at this point so I literally had to grab her and try to escort her out the door. In the process of doing so, she flipped out and started slapping me..

Anyway, I got her out, locked the door and luckily - I haven’t seen her since. I told her best friend via msn that I went to Bangkok. I even went to an internet cafe and got her on webcam so the Bangkok story was a little more believable (I have WIFI in my room and usually use my laptop).

Next Entry..

I honestly don’t even know. My birthday is on Friday so I’m sure I’m going to have a lot of crazy stuff to talk about. Also, I’m heading to Bangkok this weekend to check out Kaewsamrit gym. Hopefully I’ll get some footage of Anuwat training..

Stay tuned..