Getting Hit in the Face and Going Home...

So at the end of our session yesterday Greg and I decided that we would try sparing.  We are both new to the sport and basically at the same level.  Sparing is soooo different from training its crazy.  We were light sparing which means that we were not going at it full contact (aka light punches and kicks), but it still is hard to get over.  Two things I noticed: First I am not very aggressive....or aggressive enough.  Greg went at me whole hog with arms flying everywhere and I really didn't have an answer.  I would just back up which eventually put me in the ropes.  I really have to work on my angles and push kicks to get out of trouble.  Because of this I was off balance and not really able to swing back like I would have like to.  After a while Greg was getting gassed however and I was able to get a few kicks and punches in. This brings up the second thing I noticed, having huge lungs is a real advantage. Through out the whole thing I was not even breathing heavy which is either a credit to Ming or I was not working hard enough (I might be leaning to the latter). On one kick hit Greg square in the hip and my whole foot went numb even with the leg guards on.  All in all I would say Greg kicked my ass and I will have to work on the whole sparing thing...Its very, very different.  


I am writing this while waiting for my cab.  The cab driver is name Mr. Porn....yup....Mr. Porn. I am leaving here with still a ton to learn and I feel like I have just started to get fit.  I missed a lot of training time on this trip with the fat elbow.  I am very impressed with the family atmosphere that they have created here.  Everybody here, guests and staff included all want to know when you are coming back and genuinely want to see you again. 


At the same time I am looking forward to getting back to my life.  I have two new hockey teams to play for when I get back and I am going to be continuing training at a gym called Dynamic in Vancouver as well.  


I will update you on the flight....


Jordan

The Trainers

This place does have amazing trainers.  They are fun to chat with even though we speak different languages.  They are alway happy, smiling and laughing.  And they are amazing at teaching you their trade.  Most of these guys have had a crazy life and have grown up fighting.  It is so different from mine yet everyone seems to get a long so well.  Some of the trainers don't even have rooms here and actually sleep on the gym floor under bug nets. Holding pads is a super tough job and basically they are getting paid to get kicked and punched all day.  It is very hard on your body and it says a lot about the toughness of these guys that they can do this all day and still be smiling. Well here are some introductions.

First up is Ming.  His full name is Sonram Giatbutsaba which I have no clue how to pronounce. The head trainer and also my trainer. He is one of the few people I actually revere.  I have worked with him almost every day now for 4 weeks and still makes me nervous.  He is tough but actually cares.  His English is almost none existent but he is amazing at getting you to do what you need to do.  He also has a very wacky sense of humor. Basically he is straight out of a old ninja movie with crazy kicks and super fast hands.  I thinks he likes training the taller people too and that is why he grabbed me the first day.  He works super hard though training up to 4 people per session. Ming has 115 fights and has won 75 of those which is an amazing record here. He has fought multiple bouts in the Lumpinee Stadium as well, which is internationally recognized as being the 'pinnacle Muay Thai'.  He also has one of the cutest kids you will ever meet.  I imagine he is going to grow up to kick ass one day.

Next up is Gan or for some reason people call him Phillip. His full name is Anantasak Giatprasanchai, another mouthful. He is actually Teg's trainer. Gan has been in the gym for about 7 months and comes from the North-Eastern province of Buriram.  He has racked up a total of 60 fights at both the Lumpinee and Raja Stadums in Bangkok. Sporting the hugest pair of calves (seriously...its like he has melons strapped to the back of his legs), Gan is an amazing teacher. He is alway laughing and when you do something good like a kick or a punch he makes a noise that sounds like its right out of the Street Fighter video game (like when you toss a fire ball with Ryu)...Nerdy line there but it was the only way I could describe it.  Its awesome though.

And this is Pot.  Yup his name is that of a certain narcotic that BC is famous for.  I have no clue what his full name is but I am sure it is humongous and not pronounceable by me. When he is not holding pads you can find him playing guitar.  Spent some time teaching him how to do some fun hand shakes.  Trained with him for one day....it was very different from Ming but I learned a lot.

On the left is Lucky who I mentioned I watched fight a couple of weeks ago and to the right is Dam.  Dam is actually fighting September 9th with a few of the other guys from camp.  Both of these guys are intense trainers but at the same time you can still joke around with them. When they are training getting ready for their fights you see how far you have to go be for you are good at this sport.  I will try to catch it on video and show you....its crazy.  Both these guys have over 300 fights...

There are some other trainers too but I have not really had a chance to get to know those guys yet.  The trainers seem to change here quite a bit and are even different from the first time Teg was here.  Lucky is actually going to Greece next month to work at a gym there.  Its cool to see the international respect that they get and the skill they have.  I am lucky to be learning here.