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.
Thailand Trickery
September 25, 2008 by admin · 11 Comments
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..
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
Sasiprapa Gym Review
September 23, 2008 by admin · 4 Comments
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.
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
Living With A Showgirl. A Recipe for Drama?
September 16, 2008 by admin · 7 Comments
Kind of makes you want to book a flight to Thailand, doesn\'t it?
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.
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
Off The Beaten Path
September 10, 2008 by admin · 9 Comments
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..
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
Kimbo vs. Shamrock – Why?
August 30, 2008 by admin · 2 Comments
The contracts are signed and it’s official. On October 4th, the bout between Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock will be the main event on Elite XC’s “Saturday Night Fights” set to air live on CBS. But why was Ken Shamrock selected as the next opponent for Kimbo Slice? The answer is simple – money!
Shamrock and Kimbo are two of the most well known fighters to casual fans. That name recognition is sure to go a long way when it comes to attracting viewers. As a matter of fact, Kimbo Slice and Ken Shamrock have been involved in two of the three most watched fights in the history of the sport.
Ken Shamrock’s third encounter with Tito Ortiz (which aired free on SpikeTV) drew an audience of 5.7 million viewers while the recent Kimbo vs. Thompson clash pulled in an audience of over 6.5 million. Shamrock vs. Slice, live on CBS – this fight is going to be huge. It makes money sense, that’s for sure.
But Is It Going To Be Competitive?
Ken Shamrock is certainly the more experienced of the two but at age 44, he’s clearly past his prime. His latest string of fights are evidence that he is no longer the fighter he once was. He’s 2-8 in his past 10 fights. He hasn’t won a fight in the last 4+ years and now he’s landed himself in the main event on a event set to air live on national television? Something just doesn’t seem right about that.
The motives here are clear. EliteXC needs the “Shamrock” name recognition to not only draw an audience but also, to build up their “cash cow” in Kimbo Slice. A win over Shamrock will further enhance the perceived legitimacy of Kimbo amongst the casual MMA fans. If you consider the controversy associated with last EliteXC event that featured Kimbo (read here), this new match-up seems a little suspicious to say the least.
Ken Shamrock has (on more than one occasion), been suspected of taking “dives” in some of his fights. In his fight with Franklin, he awkwardly drops to the mat before Franklins oncoming punch was even delivered. After that fight, Franklin went on to become a UFC “posterboy” for quite a while and Shamrock collected an unusually high payday.
He has also been criticized for his “performance” in his most recent fight with “Buzz” Berry. Shamrock, who is a veteran of almost 40 MMA fights, got dropped from a jab. A jab! Shamrock has never been known for having a “glass jaw” either so something about that doesn’t seem right.
Although, to be fair, Shamrock claimed to be sick during the fight and recently issued the following statement ..
“It was serious enough to where I lost 20 pounds and I was probably sick for about four weeks after I got back from England. I was hospitalized for about four days. It was a bad sickness. We got the right antibiotics and got everything cleared. I got myself back on the track again and going in the right direction and got my weigh back on. We started pursuing a fight, the Kimbo Slice thing came up and we said, ‘Wow, this is the perfect fight for me, man. You can’t gift wrap one better than this.’”
If that’s actually the case, it explains the lacklustre performance and if anything, he should be commended for stepping into the ring while he was that sick. As for his upcoming fight with Kimbo, UFC president Dana White had some interesting comments about the match-up..
“Another fucking joke from Gary Shaw. This fucker is so clueless that it’s laughable. First he thought we protected our guys, which is bullshit. Then he gave us shit for matching up Brock against Frank Mir. Which would he rather us do? Obviously he’s in favour of protecting guys since Kimbo doesn’t seem to be fighting a good fighter anytime soon. Bo Cantrell? Who the fuck is Bo Cantrell? Tank Abbott? He was never that good, he just looked tough and always got his ass kicked. Now Ken Shamrock? When is Kimbo going to fight a guy who was relevant past 1998? Tito Ortiz, who sucks, destroyed Ken Shamrock three times. It’s clear that Gary is going to milk his YouTube cash cow for all he’s worth but true fans know that Kimbo is a joke and he would get destroyed against any UFC Heavyweight. Maybe that moron Ken Shamrock will expose Kimbo and he’ll go back to fighting guys at the local Burger King. Gary Shaw and his 3rd rate promotion have no fucking credibility”
Not that I commend that fact that Dana is running his mouth and disrespecting some of the fighters that helped build the UFC into the MMA powerhouse that it is today, I think he’s right when he implies that EliteXC is protecting Kimbo and as he put it – “milking his YouTube cash cow for all he’s worth”.
Perhaps a better match up for Kimbo would have been Brett “The Grim” Rogers seeing as how he’s actually earned the shot by racking up a 7 fight win streak (he’s currently undefeated). Rogers, who extended a public challenge to Kimbo at the post fight press conference, has voiced his disappointment with the situation by issuing the following statement to five ounces of pain..
“As for Oct 4th; that was our spot. Shamrock with his name and giant ego butted in line to get a slice of Kevin. At 103 years of age Ken usurped our rightful place against the YouTube champ. Our sincerest hope is that Ken whips Kimbo and then we can finally euthanize the “World’s Most Dangerous Man” and relegate him to some MMA dinosaur exhibit. Maybe taxidermy him and Severn and place them on a rotating pedestal where they can endless circle each other.
If Ken proves to be more sham then rock and Fergi beats him, then the Slice hype grows even greater. Dude is already more of a myth then Sasquatch, Chupacabra and a fucking unicorn combined. Kevin is the black Yeti…So go ahead [Kimbo] and make us wait while you fight Tank and Shamrock. Hell, why not fight Hackney, Harold Howard, Fred Ettish and the rest of Jurassic MMA? And while your shuckin’ and duckin’ we will be hustlin’ and muscilin’ and when the bell finally tolls the only real question left is … do you wake up looking at canvas or arena lights?”
All in all, it comes down to money. Shamrock vs. Slice will draw a larger audience than a showdown between Kimbo & Rogers. Given the way EliteXC is protecting their “golden boy” investment, I’ll be throwing my money in Kimbo to win.
A Potentially Fatal Attraction
August 24, 2008 by admin · 22 Comments
While this is a Muay Thai Blog, I figure things will get pretty boring if all I write about in my entries is skipping and hitting the heavy bag. My vision with this is to not only to document the training, but also, the entire experience of coming to foreign countries to train. As a single 25 year old guy, part of that experience is of course – the ladies that you meet throughout the journey.
Which brings me to a girl named “Fon”. I met Fon about 10 days ago through a mutual friend and of the 10 days that I’ve known her, she’s probably stayed over at my apartment for 8 of those nights. At first, things were great. The thing about most Thai girls I’ve met is that they really take care of you.
She would bring me food, clean my room, fold my clothes, give me massages (she’s a masseuse) and even cut my nails. I’ve met a few girls in Canada that were similar, but I’d say that Fon tops the list in terms of how she takes care of a man.
She’s actually very beautiful too. Sort of like a Thai Barbie doll. She has blonde highlights, implants, tongue ring, belly ring and she’s incredibly fit (most girls here are). Here’s a photo of her and her friend at the salon (Fon is to the left in the black dress). Honestly, this photo really doesn’t do her justice. I find that most Thai girls aren’t very photogenic.
Anyway, about 5 days ago I was playing pool in a common area for the residents of the apartment and I was talking to one of the girls that works here (below is a nightclub). I told her that I was dealing with a girl and she almost immediately replied with “don’t say you love her”. That struck me as being somewhat of an odd comment and when I inquired as to why I shouldn’t say that (not that I’d say that anyway), she made the action of her throat being slit.
Literally about 15 minutes after the disturbing conversation, Fon sent me a text message and for the first time, after only knowing me for 5 days, she dropped the “L-bomb” (I love you). After what the girl at my apartment had just told me, I obviously didn’t return the affectionate words.
A couple days later, her best friend added me to msn and started asking me if “i love she” (poor English obviously) and when I tried to explain that I didn’t know Fon well enough to “love her” and that “love takes time to build” blah blah .. she really didn’t understand. After that conversion, she then tells Fon that I said I didn’t like her. Needless to say, that causes all sorts of drama.
Which Brings Us To Last Night
Since there’s no training on Sundays and I have nothing to do all day but sit around my room and well, type up these entries, I allow myself to go out on Saturday nights and have some fun. Due to how quick Fon was moving with things (her friend was even asking me about marrying her), I knew I had to slow things down a bit so when she asked me to go see her, I said that I just wanted some time alone.
Well, she didn’t take that very well. She literally started screaming “you come see me now!” on the phone. I declined. She then responded with “ok, I kill you now”. Obviously, the death threat didn’t sit well with me so I told her off, hung up, went to the bar and started talking to some new girls just to spite her. She called non-stop for about 2 hours straight so after about the fourth call, I turned the volume off, set it to vibrate and put my phone in my front pocket (I’m not going to lie, it felt kind of nice .. haha).
Curiosity eventually got the best of me and I ended up answering to see what she had to say. When I did, she just started rambling on about the most random things. “You want me die?” she asked. “Why you want me die?” she repeated. At this point, it became pretty clear that there’s something psychologically wrong with this girl. I never said, nor implied any such thing. She’s the psycho that threatened to kill me, not the other way around.
Based on the things she was saying, I was a little concerned that perhaps this girl could be suicidal. I also knew she had been drinking so I just tried to be as nice as I could and I reassured her that while tonight wouldn’t be a good time to meet up, I’d could see her tomorrow (today) to talk about things. I also told her that I had booked a room at the Mariott so she wouldn’t show up at my room later on (she had done so before).
While I was walking back to my room, we were sending texts back and fourth and she kept asking me where I was, and when I was going home. I made it to my apartment and all looked well. I was expecting her to be standing outside my building to make sure I didn’t have another girl with me or something but no, the coast was clear.
I walked up the stairs, unlocked the main door and entered the building. The second security measure is a password protected door so I went ahead and input my password. From there, I walked up another small flight of stairs and approached my apartment. While I was in the process of sticking in my key, the door was pulled open from the inside.
My heart rate shot up, my stomach dropped and I immediately jumped back a bit and got into a fighting stance with my right fist cocked back. She then peered her head around the corner. I immediately charged into the room and checked to make sure she didn’t have any sort of weapon in her hands. She didn’t.
I then did a quick search of the room and made sure the safe was still locked and that my laptop was still where it was stored. Nothing was gone. Actually, not only did she not rob me but.. she cleaned my room. But as nice of a gesture as that is, it doesn’t quite overshadow the death threat and the B & E (break & enter).
I told her straight up that I thought she was “ting tong” which translated from Thai to English, means she’s crazy. Her reaction to that was nothing more than a creepy laugh. I knew I really had to get this girl out of my room but at the same time, I wanted to stay on her good side because after all, if she was able to get into my room so easily, I’m sure she could do it again while I’m sleeping.
I told her I was hungry and that I wanted to go across the street to get some food. Prior to leaving my room, I grabbed her purse did a quick scan of my room to make sure she didn’t leave any of her belongings behind. She strongly objected to the fact that I was bringing all her stuff with me (she knew she wasn’t welcome back at this point) but too bad, I basically nudged her out the door, followed, and closed it a.s.a.p.
I really needed to know how she got into my room so while we were eating, I kept drilling her with questions. If this girl was able to pick locks, I’d basically have to change rooms, move to Bangkok, fly to Phuket – basically just get the hell out of here. She finally admitted that she didn’t pick the lock but rather, my neighbour let her into her room since she recognized her.
From my neighbours room, she basically went out onto the balcony (keep in mind she was pretty drunk) and climbed from her balcony onto mine. She then got into my room via my balcony door. I guess it was unlocked but in my defense, I really didn’t think anyone would be crazy enough to be balcony jumping from a few stories up.
Here’s a couple photos. The first is of my balcony in relation to my neighbors and the second is of the distance from my balcony to the ground level concrete. If she had fell, she would have sustained some pretty serious injuries.
Right now it’s about 2am and I haven’t heard from her yet. I’m sure I’ll get a text message or a call within an hour or two though. I’ll give you guys an update on the situation in my next entry.
As for the Muay Thai, I’m still at it. I’ve been training at Scorpion gym lately and it’s been going really well. The owner (Rosalie) is cool. It’s on the baht bus route so it’s cheap to get there and the trainer I’m working with is pretty good about correcting my form. I’ll be here in Pattaya for another 10 days or so then I’ll be heading to Bangkok to check out Fairtex Bangplee, Kaewsamrit Gym and a few others.
Stay Tuned..
..and of course, if you have any tips on how to deal with crazy girls, feel free to leave a comment..
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
Back to the Basics
August 21, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Not as luxurious as Fairtex Pattaya, but a good workout nonetheless
I suppose I lucked out because I looked to my left and noticed a small sign that said “Thai Boxing”. I turned down the volume on my Ipod and immediately heard the grunting and sounds of shins smacking against the pads. At first, I was somewhat apprehensive about going in as the place didn’t look like a public gym, but rather, it looked like someone just had a ring set up in their backyard.
After a minute or two of watching from a distance from what appeared to be a garage, I figured I might as well walk through and introduce myself. After all, the chances of me finding the gym I had originally been looking for weren’t very good. As soon as I made myself visible, one of the trainers immediately stopped, mid-round, with the kid he was training and inquired as to what it was that I was looking for (I’m sure he assumed I wanted directions or something).
“How much for training?” I asked. He paused and thought for a second, “300 baht” he replied. I have a feeling he just pulled that price out of his a@s but it sure beat the 800 baht I paid at Fairtex so I obliged, got changed and started skipping. I don’t think I’ve ever heard the word “farang” (non-offensive Thai word for foreigner) being tossed around so much. When you’re the only white guy around and the Thai’s are talking are dropping the “F-bomb” (falang) in your presence, it’s a pretty safe bet they’re talking about you.
Not that they were saying anything bad, I’m sure they were just talking about how awesome I am (right?). Anyway, once I was warmed up, I was told to kick the heavy bag 30 times per leg. When you kick the heavy bag, you usually have someone holding it for you and often times, you’ll be kicking it along with someone else (you kick with your right leg, the other guy kicks with his left), then you switch after.
Well, I was trading heavy bag kicks with a 9 year old. It was a unique experience to say the least and in no way am I ashamed to admit that in terms of technique, he was better than me.
With great difficulty, I finished up the 30 kicks per leg and while I was pouring water all over myself and struggling to catch my breath, the kid, who showed no signs of even having an elevated heart rate, came up to me and said “very good” with a big, innocent smile on his face.
Once I re-gained my composure and caught my breath, I stepped into the ring and went through my usual 5 rounds of pad-work. We then moved on to the clinching and again, I’m not ashamed to admit – I got owned. As a matter of fact, it’s been a few days since I trained there and my neck still hurts. I guess that’s a testament to how effective Muay Thai actually is. Right now I weigh around 210lbs (formerly into bodybuilding) and I got tossed around the ring by a Thai guy who weighed no more than 170lbs.
It’s funny to think about all those “roided up” guys in the gyms thinking they’re tough based solely on the amount of weight they use when performing preacher curls. It’s not often you see the “juicepigs” of the gym performing neck extension exercises. It doesn’t matter how much someone can press, curl, row – whatever! If they get into a Thai clinch and get their neck pulled down (because it’s a weak-link for most people), they’ll be defenceless because where the neck/head goes, the body follows.
I learned that the hard way as my strength advantage was completely neutralized when I was “clinched up”. I’m just glad that it happened in training and not an actual fight or else I would have taken some serious knees to the face. Overall, it was a beneficial experience though as I now have an even greater appreciation for the art.
When training was over, I sat for about an hour or so and just talked to my trainer. He spoke very good English and as yet another testament to the hospitality of the Thai’s, he took me on a little tour through the house. He showed me some of the videos he had of the kids (wait, that sounded bad, let me re-phrase).. he showed me some photos and videos he had of the kids that train at the camp FIGHTING..
I then saw a trophy case and walked over to it. He followed and told me some of the stories behind each one. He then pointed to a championship belt that was lying next to the trophies and told me that he was “number 2″ at lumpinee stadium back in the day. I guess that’s Thailand for you. Randomly stumble on a side-street camp and end up training with a formerly ranked fighter at lumpinee stadium. Overall, it was a really cool experience and although I only have a couple weeks left here in Pattaya, I think I’ll be going back.
Here’s a short video tour I took of the camp..
Now, in my last entry, I said I had some information on the status of a potential fight between Buakaw Por Pramuk and Yodsanklai Fairtex. Well, I didn’t say it was GOOD news. Although I’m sure the fight will eventually happen (just makes money sense), things are not looking good for the moment.
When training at Fairtex Pattaya, I was informed that Buakaw’s camp was on board at first providing they fought under K1 rules and not full Muay Thai rules. Now, it seems as though they have backed out because, as my source at Fairtex put it, Buakaw has too much to lose at the moment (with him coming off a KO loss at the hands of Yoshihiro Sato). Of course, that’s only one side to the story. Hopefully I’ll make my way to the Por Pramuk gym at some point and get their perspective on the potential match-up.
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
Rashad Evans vs. Chuck Liddell
August 20, 2008 by admin · Leave a Comment
Set to headline the UFC 88 card in Atlanta on September 6th, the Chuck Liddell vs. Rashad Evans showdown is an interesting match-up to say the least. Both fighters have a lot on the line. Liddell, who’s coming off an impressive victory over Wanderlei Silva, is in a sense, fighting for his legacy. He’s turning 39 in December and one would think he’s nearing retirement (although you never know). After going 1-2 in his last 3 fights, he needs a win over Evans to get himself back into title contention.
However, as his near perfect 11-0-1 record indicates, getting a “win over Evans” is no easy task. Granted, Evans has never faced an opponent as tough as Liddell. If there’s anything we’ve seen that may potentially indicate the outcome of this fight, it’s the two Liddell vs. Ortiz fights. Liddell had no problems finishing off Ortiz in both fights and Rashad and Tito have nearly identical skill-sets (as seen when they went to a draw at UFC 73).
Here’s Where It Gets Interesting
Although Rashad and Tito “had” nearly identical skill-sets, Rashad Evans has been working with Kru Phil Nurse. Phil Nurse is a Muay Thai champion and he’s the man behind the much improved striking of Georges St. Pierre. Rashad has yet to fight in 2008 and being the gifted athlete that he is, he’s always improving. While on the Ultimate Fighter reality show, he was primarily a wrestler who could box a little bit. Since then, he’s been constantly improving and has now evolved into a mixed martial artist.
It’s also worth mentioning that Chuck Liddell’s latest defeat was at the hands of Keith Jardine – who is one of Rashad’s training partners. Both fight out of “Jackson’s Submission Fighting” and if they beat Liddell once, who’s to say that they can’t devise a game-plan to do it again. When you consider the fact that Liddell had a hard time defending Jardine’s Thai-style leg kicks and you take into account all the Thai boxing that Rashad’s been doing with Phil Nurse, it makes for an interesting match-up. And of course, you can’t forget the fact that Liddell was sidelined due to a severely torn hamstring, Rashad was in the gym training with some of the best fighters in the world.
So Who’s Going To Win?
I hate the sites that “pick the winners”, so I’m not going to just throw out a random guess. I honestly don’t know who’s going to win so I’m not going to pretend too. Chuck Liddell always seems to prove me wrong. When I pick him to win, he loses and when I pick him to lose, he wins.
I’d say the best thing for you to do is to consider the facts and of course, consider how the betting odds weigh against those facts. Make the appropriate bet based on that. And of course, as always, trust your gut instinct.
Fairtex Pattaya – “Be Inspired”
August 15, 2008 by admin · 7 Comments
So, I finally made it over to the Fairtex camp here in Pattaya. I’ll be honest with you, I went to the gym today with the intention of basically picking the place apart based on what I had read in some of the other forums. It seems as though the general consensus amongst the Muay Thai community is that the Fairtex Pattaya gym is nothing more than a resort that just happens to offer some Muay Thai classes.
Upon entering the facility, you basically get treated like royalty. The doors get held open for you, the Thai staff all offer a traditional greeting and of course, the female staff are all quite attractive and dressed in flight attendant-like uniforms. No complains so far. Time to pay for training. “How much?” I asked. “800 baht please” she replied.
800 baht for training? I’m used to paying around 250 baht at Scorpion and Sityodtong. 800 baht by Western standards isn’t so bad (it’s only around 24 US dollars) but this is Thailand. For 800 baht I can get 2 nights in my hotel or 26 meals from the restaurant across the street. Well, I paid the fee anyway so I could do the review for the site.
Before I go any further, check out this video tour I took of the facilities. As you can see, they put a lot of money into this place. Also, look closely and see if you notice the guy who’s training in one of the back rings. More on that later though. As a toured the facility, and saw how nice it was, the daily cost for training seemed to become a lot more justified. This place looked amazing!
As I was checking the place out, I was greeted by a guy named “Ted”. He spoke perfect English (which was a nice change of pace) as he’s originally from Los Angeles. I’ll go out on a limb here and say that “Ted” is one of the nicest guys I’ve met since I’ve been here. After a quick meet and greet, I started my skipping and bag-work.
After about 20 minutes or so, I was called into the ring for pads. One thing I noticed immediately is that above the ring, there’s a fan that that blows moist air downwards. Since the rounds at Fairtex are 4 minutes, rather than the 3 minutes I’ve been doing at Sityodtong and Scorpion, the fan helped for sure. That extra minute makes a huge difference.
As for the quality of the pad-work, I have to say, the trainer was awesome. For everyone that posts in the forums claiming that the trainers at Fairtex Pattaya just run you through “tourist pad-work” without focusing on technique, that’s not what I experienced at all. He corrected my stance, he corrected my switch-kick technique and he was really good and holding the pads during the two rounds of pure boxing we did.
When my session started off, I was in the ring with two foreigners (one Japanese girl and another white dude). After the third round, the foreigners had finished so I was in the ring by myself. I then saw a Thai guy step into the ring out of the corner of my eye. I looked again and WOW – it was Yodsanklai!
For two full rounds, I was sharing the ring with Yodsanklai Fairtex (one of the best Muay Thai fighters in the world). I try explaining it to my friends who don’t know who Yod is by saying it’s “like shooting around with Micheal Jordan” or like “being stationed next to Tiger Woods at the driving range”.
It’s one thing to see Yod hitting the pads in a Youtube video but when you’re standing 10 feet away from him while he’s training, it’s just unbelievable. I really don’t know how to describe it. It’s like he’s some Muay Thai robot or something. He’s technique is just amazing. He kicks the pads and you just cringe at the thought of being on the receiving end of the shots.
One thing I noticed too is that in person, Yodsanklai is very built. His calves are massive which I’m sure makes the kicks even more devastating. I took a couple videos of his padwork, here’s one of them..
So overall, I had a really good experience today at Fairtex Pattaya. The facility is top notch, the atmosphere is very friendly, the trainers are great and you get to train alongside some of the best Muay Thai fighters in the world. The Fairtex catchphrase “be inspired” certainly rang true today as I was training 5-10 feet from Yodsanklai Fairtex himself.
The Big Question: Is It Worth The Money?
I’ll admit, I was pretty stoked after today’s training session. I got to witness Muay Thai at it’s highest level and it’s actually pretty “inspiring”. I’ve been telling all my buddies at home about the “Yodsanklai sighting” today to make them jealous (geez, I sound like some Muay Thai groupie!)
At 800 baht a session, it’s a little out of my price range since I plan in training every day and staying here in Thailand long term, but if money wasn’t an issue, I would absolutely love to train here again!
If you’re staying for a longer time or if finances are a concern, you can easily find quality training for under 300 baht a workout and you can find a quality room for about 400-600 baht per night. Even then, I still recommend at least a visit or two to Fairtex Pattaya simply for the experience.
By the same token, if money isn’t an issue and you’re staying at the Fairtex Pattaya resort, I also recommend that you train at some of the gyms off the beaten’ track like Sityodtong for a less luxurious, but an “authentic” Muay Thai experience. Overall though, I’d absolutely recommend training at Fairtex.
On Another Note..
I finished off my last entry right before heading out for a night on the town. As predicted, it was a wild night and wow, the things you see in Thailand! I was eating at a Thai food stall when a big fight broke out. By the time I saw what was going on, stood up and got my camera out, the majority of the fight was over. However, I did manage to get at least a little bit of the end on video. I’m pretty sure that the “girl” being attacked is actually a ladyboy.
So, that’s it for now. Either tomorrow or sometime next week I’ll be visiting a camp here in Pattaya that offers Muay Thai, Western Boxing, Sambo, BJJ and MMA. In my next entry, I’ll also share some inside info. I got today on a potential fight between Yodsanklai and Baukaw.
THINKING OF GOING TO THAILAND TO TRAIN?
I’ve developed a 70 page guide that profiles everything you need to know about training in Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya. In the manual, I discuss the visa issues, the Muay Thai camps, the different areas, the transportation, the food, the culture and customs, the girls, the scams, the safety issues and most importantly, how to save a ton of cash along the way!
