The Truth About Training In Thailand

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It's easy to idolize the fighters from Thailand. After all, we often read about their training routines that consist of 10km runs follow by 2 hours of training. And that's just in the morning.
But is that true? Are they always training like that?
Perhaps not. Today we talk about recent stories I've been told.
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[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

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[@schoschta4813]

All your advice in this video only applies to falang gyms. A good trainer will take care of you and prepare you for your objective.

[@UncleSamSiam]

I've lived in Thailand for seven years, I'm a father and master of my house first so I don't train like crazy however I have been to many gyms. The general "laziness" or what would be called Sabai level of Siamese is real. The true champions will excel and put in the extra effort in the gym and on the road, that's always the case anywhere. What do they champion and are they sidetracked by women, drugs and drinking smoking, etc

[@EpsteinsRope]

I lived in Thailand for 11 years. After graduating high-school I took a TEFL certification course (TEFL = Teach English as Foreign Language) because I wanted to be a teacher and travel the world. The agency I went through told me there was an opening in Thailand so I accepted it and moved there. Prior to moving to Thailand I didn't know ANYTHING about Thailand aside from their "Pad Thai" noodle dish. Long story short, I stumbled into a Muay Thai gym and started training 3-4 days a week purely out of boredom. Should be noted that I had no prior martial arts experience either. Anyway, I went from 220lbs to 170lbs in the span of about 3 months, and after training for about 6 months I spontaneously took an ammy fight on short notice,. I lost that fight by KO in the final round due to a knee. That loss devastated me but it ignited a hidden passion from within myself and I fell in love with the art & started taking it more seriously. What started as a hobby unexpectedly became my career and to this day that loss remains the only blemish on my 66 fight record. I was forced to retire in 2020 due to injuries, so I can confirm the training in Thailand is heavy and will take a toll on your body. It's not that the training is hard in & of itself per say, it's grueling more-so because of the consistency within the training. The extreme heat and humidity certainly doesn't help either. lol. I jogged 16 kilometers/10 miles every other day for 10 years. Sometimes I miss that life, but mostly I don't. PS: I got a wife, a child, a career and a lot of glory in Thailand. I highly recommend a vacation there, even if you have no interest in martial arts. The food is incredible and I found the friendliness of the people there unmatched, except for probably the Philippines. They were extremely friendly when I visited there too. Thanks for reading all this if you did!

[@nightclawer6679]

Train hard at younger age to build up endurance and muscle but afterward they just have to stay in shape. If you're Buakaw and Seanchai there's no meaning to grain more muscle or try to learn new techniques. More muscle mean more weight which is hard to control at their age and new techniques may fail them on the ring.

[@zefcypher]

If you don't go "Ouuwiiieeeee" are u even in Thailand

[@schoschta4813]

Saibai

[@jestfullgremblim8002]

​@@schoschta4813lmao

[@akramthegreat817]

😂😂😂😂

[@BlackMaskq]

Only in the Bed😁

[@mikeconneely6]

My thai gf keeps making me say this the last few days haha

[@TheMightyMcClaw]

I currently live in Thailand, and have trained both here and in neighboring countries (Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam). I've trained at six gyms here in Thailand, three in Laos, two in Vietnam, and one in Cambodia. The Lao and Cambodian gyms were doin Muay Lao and Kun Khmer respectively, but they are extremely similar to Muay Thai both in practice and in the space they sit culturally. I would say that there are three main types of gyms, based on the students they cater to. The first are "fighter gyms", which are probably what most people imagine when they think of training in Thailand; there are a core stable of very young and highly skilled professional fighters. These are, in my experience, actually kind of rare. The second are "community gyms," which cater to locals who are interested in getting in better shape, but aren't interested in fighting competitively. The training here tends to be the most relaxed, and most closely resemble Muay Thai gyms in the West. The only place where I encountered these was in Vietnam. The third are "tourist gyms", which cater primarily to foreigners. These are very common in Thailand, especially if you're in the areas which are more popular with tourists. It's not at all rare to go to a gym where the only Thais are the trainers, and every single student is a foreigner. The training at these tend to be pretty good, as most of the students are westerners who trained Muay Thai in their home country and have come to Thailand in order to step up their skills. Most gyms will be a mixture of these to some degree; most "fighter gyms" still have quite a few foreign students, as they're seen as the most desirable places to train. Ironically, Muay Thai is a not a particularly popular hobby among young Thais; I've met more Thais doing jiujitsu recreationally than Muay Thai. I once heard someone say that "the only people who care about Muay Thai are old people and foreigners."

[@armandoramos2887]

There is this KZbinr, Sakan Lam, who lives in Thailand and has said that rich Thai parents send their kids to TKD rather than Muay Thai because they see that latter as "ghetto".

[@sportmuaythaiv1045]

" I've met more Thais doing jiujitsu recreationally than Muay Thai. " These are ignorant fools who don't know muaythai. More and more young Thais are discovering real muaythai. You can find professional muaythai gyms all over the country. Here is a clip of my daughter training at 7 years and 2 months old. After training she would wear muaythai shorts to visit shopping complex. Young students of Taekwondo and Hapkido would make themselves small and avoid crossing path with my daughter. Remember, my daughter is not a professional fighter. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hmHKZ6N4opmWpaM

[@zerragut2969]

@@armandoramos2887 I actually have seen quite a few thai taekwondo gyms in Thailand online

[@mich722]

I was told most youngsters in school play soccer or regular sports. Muay Thai is seen mostly as a sport for the poor and 'people from Isaan'. Not considered very hi-so.

[@MaharlikaAWA]

​@@mich722I think most of Asia has lost their martial cultures and have become modernized and soft, and they chase social status with money. Taekwondo in Korea got just as bad as Taekwondo in the USA and have a similar belief about Taekwondo being for kids, stupid people who are not smart enough to get good jobs, and foreigners in other countries. Also most guys who want to do martial arts there do BJJ and boxing and Muay Thai, not Taekwondo.

[@EpsteinsRope]

I lived in Thailand for 11 years. After graduating high-school I took a TEFL certification course (TEFL = Teach English as Foreign Language) because I wanted to be a teacher and travel the world. The agency I went through told me there was an opening in Thailand so I accepted it and moved there. Prior to moving to Thailand I didn't know ANYTHING about Thailand aside from their "Pad Thai" noodle dish. Long story short, I stumbled into a Muay Thai gym and started training 3-4 days a week purely out of boredom. Should be noted that I had no prior martial arts experience either. Anyway, I went from 220lbs to 170lbs in the span of about 3 months, and after training for about 6 months I spontaneously took an ammy fight on short notice,. I lost that fight by KO in the final round due to a knee. That loss devastated me but it ignited a hidden passion from within myself and I fell in love with the art & started taking it more seriously. What started as a hobby unexpectedly became my career and to this day that loss remains the only blemish on my 66 fight record. I was forced to retire in 2020 due to injuries, so I can confirm the training in Thailand is heavy and will take a toll on your body. It's not that the training is hard in & of itself per say, it's grueling more-so because of the consistency within the training. The extreme heat and humidity certainly doesn't help either. lol. I jogged 16 kilometers/10 miles every other day for 10 years. Sometimes I miss that life, but I don't miss running so much. lol PS: I got a wife, a child, a career and a lot of glory in Thailand. I highly recommend a vacation there, even if you have no interest in martial arts. The food is incredible and I found the friendliness of the people there unmatched, except for probably the Philippines. They were extremely friendly when I visited there too. Thanks for reading all this if you did!

[@jaysuryaraj]

Hello sir, glad to read your story. I wanted to learn martial art since my childhood but never got any chance and luckily never been in any fight situation. I am 24 now, and want to learn this art for self defence like in general and not to make a career in it or make a living out of it. So, what would you suggest me? What should I do? Thanks and regards 🙏

[@EpsteinsRope]

Find a gym that teaches whatever martial art you're interested in, pay the fee and train. lol. All you have to do is show up and take it seriously. There isn't a very big barrier to entry for Thai boxing, or any martial art for that matter. I've recently started training in BJJ myself. @@jaysuryaraj

[@salvatoreplacidoplumari3840]

@@jaysuryaraj hi, sorry if I answer to your question: Try several gyms or dojos, make crosstrain and find the right instructor for you, not the "best martial art". Of course if in your location is a muay thay gym, go there and participate with free training! I found "my" suitable martial art with casuality and friends, even with interests. End of the day: I train mostly in Matsubayashi- Ryu Karate, make crosstrain in Sicilian Stick Fighting and try here and there in seminars new ideas and impressions. Good luck, have fun.

[@jaysuryaraj]

@@salvatoreplacidoplumari3840 oh don't say sorry mate, u mentioned some valuable points. Thanks for your comment I appreciate it. 🙏

[@fionnmcnessa]

Enjoyed your story thank you Wish you and your family all the best

[@PedroHenrique-bh3xy]

What you have to analyze is why there's this difference in training between someone who's just starting and someone who already has 200/300 fights. Beginners do need to put in more effort and train harder than those who have been doing the same training and fighting for years. A coach I had always said, the Thais have the experience, you have to have the strength. Beginners can't compare themselves to them.

[@Eighteen19]

This comment 👌🏽👍🏽 most sensible way to look at it

[@walkaz]

At beginning level learning technique is the most important thing. You can’t master that going all out hard core traing

[@coke2679]

@@Eighteen19 Not sensible at all. Untrained people need more recovery time, that's just a fact. They also benefit less from 'harder' training as adaptations occur faster even with moderate training. The main factor here is age, young people can get away with a lot of dumb stuff, but it will become a problem when as they age. When you get older, you get wiser.

[@frederickdoyon]

I always tell that when I was at yokkao gym, Saenchai was preparing for a fight and he was training for 30 minutes max. It was 2-3 rounds of 8 minutes on the pads. He would then sparr a few random and lucky tourists and that's it. The round on the pads were hard and intense though. That being said, after that I went to a camp in koh Samui and the training was stupid hard.

[@Coconutjellyman]

Which gym did you go in samui?

[@frederickdoyon]

It was Jun Muay Thai

[@rico14]

That’s cause he’s an elite level fighter that always stays in shape. You don’t need to train as hard as when you’re on the come up

[@frederickdoyon]

@@rico14 of course. He also doesn't need to refine his skill so much anymore. He just needs to maintain his shape for a fight against less experienced foreigners.

[@schoschta4813]

Lol I want to see you spar 10 rounds daily against strangers. Harder than you think

[@Gongolongo]

Pro tip for training in Thailand: If you want to train with the fighters and get in on their inner circle, do privates with some of the big guys (Singdam, GAE, etc) and tip them a lot after every session. I eventually got to train with Superbon and Nong-O too. Pretty soon I had a pretty large selection of fighters to train with as long as they weren't fighting soon themselves. Nong-O even trained me when he was doing full camp for a fight!

[@daebibs]

wow spend money to get people to act as your friend? nice tip. might aswell pay chris brown a thousand for taking a picture with you.

[@FatherDinny]

@@daebibsYou pay money to get trained by a professional fighter. I don’t know where this negativity comes from but consider getting friends or maybe a hobby

[@daebibs]

@@FatherDinny thats a different story

[@EstradaDuran-sg6co]

@@FatherDinny incel

[@FatherDinny]

@@EstradaDuran-sg6co Is that it? Nothing of value to say? Strange guy lol

[@DeJuanchi27]

Even in Dragon ball when master roshi was training both Goku and Krillin, he tough them the most important part in training is to let your body rest and recover. Many young people ignored this and damage their bodies way too much.

[@theworldofwoo8320]

Lmao anime...okay Life lessons from Master Roshi

[@RonaldABG]

That's why I have focused my training exclusively to rest and recover

[@UltimateBallaPOM]

​@@theworldofwoo8320 Qualified MD currently doing a diploma in Personal Training, the literature supports what anime Sensei said 🫡

[@jhonwick1856]

I blame anime and a lot of videos on the Internet about it, after learning/ studying Khabibs training I came to the realization you need to rest a lot to keep yourself stress free and away from injuries. I would define it as finding your own body and learning when you have to rest

[@fi8088]

Thank you I'm a kru trainer in Thailand and this is what we have been saying for years nice to see you explain respectfully.

[@Diamekod]

My coach, Bartosz Batra, is doing regular fight camps and trips to Thailand (first as fighter now as coach). He was there first time in 2008 I think. He said that a lot has changed during the last decade. In the age where Thailand was still a little behind and MT was just a poor man's sport, they'd do all this ridiculous shit - 10,20km runs everyday, 4-5 hours of tiring training everyday. A lot of people would just get injured or sick or mentally defeated. Only the truly granite guys would go on. Sure, the older guys would go a little lighter with training, but it'd still be tough. But the last decade, some money had flown in, better medicine, science. They had noticed that sometimes less is more and my coach says that nowadays the training really looks a lot like western training - a short run, 1-2hours morning and then 1-2 hours evening. If they do a really exhausting session - next day more technique, more chill. So I would just say that the legends are true, but times have changed. Probably for the better, better health of fighters and better skills cause they are more rested

[@SweetLuLund]

This is definitely extremely variable. I’ve been to the gyms why they run 10k in the morning and 5k in the afternoon. One gym would skip rope for 30 minutes a day. None of the westerners could handle it. We got shin splints so bad we just couldn’t do it.

[@BlacksmithBets]

Maybe if the westerners took the short cut they wouldn’t have the shin splints! 😂

[@giorgiociaravolol1998]

Rope skipping for 30 minutes is definitely fun compared to 15k of running. Throw me in the sea and let me swim 5k, but fuck me I ain't gonna run 15k daily. Who am I, a kenyan runner?

[@marshallmaia8130]

@@giorgiociaravolol1998 They run at an extremely slow pace, to target the aerobic system, borderline power walking where they can still hold a conversation. If they're running on a track maybe they'll do some sprints

[@snowjoe802]

​@@jakecollins4545 It gives you mental strength and conditions your shins allot. All the thai guys have rock solid shinbones.

[@hiyouseemcool]

@@jakecollins4545newer studies show running likely improves knees (doesn’t ruin them)

[@ned_right3440]

I love to hear a story about Thailand's experience. Even I'm Thai but I don't know any of these! (Because I'm not a fighter) Thank you so much

[@Thelucassiwy]

Interesting on the body breaking down. I’ve heard this from guys in karate as a reason not to do Muay Thai. Glad there’s a solution

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

Yes. I don't think there's any great reasons not to do muay thai. It's a fantastic martial art. Just don't train 100% all the time. Took me a while to figure that out.

[@markmessi9020]

​@@GabrielVargaOfficialI agree when you get to a certain skill level, less is more. Great vid sensei 🙏

[@antoniostrina82]

​@@markmessi9020 "Less is more", nice quote. This is valid for every sport and activity: intensity is better than volume.

[@solagratia1600]

@@GabrielVargaOfficial There are rigour and extremes if that's the right word for it in most martial arts, even Aikido. Repeated breakfalls, slight off timing in going with the flow, RSI build ups, with most martial arts lead to a short life practice. My take away is train smart and train for longevity. Really value your commentary, teachings and thoughts Gabriel! Keep it up. :)

[@jackdriver2195]

Thanks very much man! So i returned a few days ago from Thailand and also did Muay Thai Trainings there. One hour training, one technic per day - my coach said - thats enough, otherwise you ll forget a lot of them - step by step - and now i feel better, faster, lighter and stronger generally

[@bogdantrains]

I’m getting back into training after a 6 month spinal injury. Just discovered you. Amazing content, really grateful for this channel and your work.

[@KarteyKid1997]

Spinal!? What happened?

[@strahinjajovanovic2673]

Damn man. Spinal injurys are serious. Take care, good luck and welcome back into combat sports.

[@amang1001]

Best of luck dude...

[@bogdantrains]

@@KarteyKid1997 Bulged disc, almost had a herniated disc. Pretty much my back almost blew out lol. Thanks for the support guys, I’m getting back in shape and competing soon 💪🏻💪🏻

[@RodieLEE]

stronk man @@bogdantrains

[@sammyli9456]

Dear Gabriel ! ... As a Thai ever training Muay Thai but without anticipating a fight, I can guarantee that laughing at any westerners' training no matter how good they are is a bad manner in our tradition. I think it is the personal behavior of such a Thai trainer, but not all; and this kind of person regularly laughs at anyone , even a Thai trainee, who is not able to meet his own standard. BTW, pushing someone to train harder by hitting their ego is a traditional style that many Asian trainers do to polish their students. 🙏

[@dhitman250]

I just got back from Thailand last week. What I witnessed is that they do very little cardio. Short runs, skipping or tire bouncing for warm up and that’s it. They go super hard on the pads and bag. But most of the time do loads of light/playful clinch and sparring and that’s why I think they get pretty good at it. Also younger fighters go to local competitions up to 5-6 times per month. So by the time they are in their 20s they have loads of fighting experience. But at the same time as you said they retire early because their body gets battered by the age of 30. Basically Thailand is a meat grinder for Thai boxers if your body is strong and you make it to the top, great. If you fall apart after few years, next boxer will take your place.

[@nickhero6329]

Is it the competitive fights that wrecks their bodies by 30? How can your average muay thai enjoyer make sure this doesnt happen to them? Do we need to worry about this?

[@dhitman250]

⁠​⁠@@nickhero6329yeah mostly it’s from competitive fighting. In Thailand you don’t have N,C,B or A classes. The only difference between amateur and professional fights is round length, other than that anything goes. The guys who fight for a living and looking to move to a better paying promotions will fight every opportunity given to them, even if they have some injuries. If you’re doing Muay Thai but not looking to compete. My advice would be put 100% effort when you’re on the pads and bag. Be smart when sparring/clinching. Go light and treat it as an opportunity to learn rather than a competition. The harder you go in the sparring the more chances you have to get injured. Most important is to get your rest. Especially if you do some extra strength and conditioning because fatigue will catch up eventually and you’ll get injured or your performance won’t be that good during the classes, you’ll feel drained. But if you’re looking to fight, don’t rush to Thailand. Start at home where they have different classes (C,B,A)so you can compete with shin guards and elbow pads, gain fighting experience and minimise the risk. And then if you want to give it a shot and have an amateur fight without protection and all limbs included you can head to Thailand. A bit of a long reply but I hope it helps 🙏

[@episode6691]

@@nickhero6329 well these fighters participate in hundreds of fights before they're even 20 which is why they end up in bad condition.

[@ryanhudson1252]

I knew a guy that worked as a systems operations engineer in electrical transmission, who quit his job and sold his house and car to go to China to study Tai Chi. He had planned on spending a year out there but came back after 3 months, claiming the school wasn't what he was looking for; you would have thought he'd have done more research on the school before making such drastic life changes!

[@joesr31]

Just like most elite athletes in all sports, there's often the "in-season" and "off-season", its not sustainable to go all out all the time. They still train, just not as intense, its more about maintaining fitness and muscle memory

[@marcusfenix4769]

Most thai fighters fight atleast once a month, many do every week(Saenchai, for instance, has 382 fights). Maybe not the top ones who have already made a name for themselves, but the ones still climbing the ladder do, and for those there's not really an "in season" and an "off-season", so if you train too hard you won't have anything left for the fight and are more injury prone, not to mention your career won't last long.

[@scw1980]

While I'm not looking to do Muay Thai training this is good info to pass over to some people I know that left my dojo and started going to Muay Thai gyms in hopes to train in Thailand.

[@govegan562]

you’re someone who’s proven that it doesn’t matter where you train, but how much thought and strategy you put into the fighting...training obviously helps too

[@gerym341]

Great video, Gabriel. Very interesting and insightful. Thank you.

[@elserpientethechamp2122]

Woahh, I did not know most of these things about Thailand, thank you so much for sharing this Gabe!

[@forlua9211]

I think latest fight between Smokin' Jo and Tawanchai confirms what you said a lot. Jo had only one week for the fight camp, but before that he was already physically fit because he kept doing workout everyday. He also mentioned that he indeed trained very hard as a kid, but nowadays, he uses a lot of time doing something else apart from training. You're right, how one should train, it depends on that person's age and experience.

[@xmnia2726]

Absolutely love your content! It's helped me get so much better!

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

I'm so glad!

[@learnpianofastonline]

This was really good! There is a time to dial it back, for sure.

[@thelaughingphilosopher2421]

Surprising! Thank you!

[@user-hq9ly4oh4l]

not running all of that and taking a shortcut is so funny to me 😂

[@GabrielVargaOfficial]

I was blown away when Buakaw did it. Shattered my illusion of him being a monster who training 6 hours a day.

[@ismailh-dw4dh]

What a scene that must’ve been…you and Buakaw secretly taking a short cut 😂😂😂

[@KarteyKid1997]

@@GabrielVargaOfficialsold a dream 💀💀💀

[@earthphoenix7068]

Buakaw no longer cutting weight, carrying all that muscle is different 😂

[@daquayatcherson]

Very very true about the running. Also, as someone still training in Thailand, behind the scenes foreigners are thrown into 2 categories. Those who you invest time in, and ATMs.

[@mitchellgould]

replacing runs with hill sprints have been great for my body

[@gachacorto6522]

Interesting information. Thanks.

[@canarc1]

So l was trained for almost 2 months 6 days a week at a camp in the south. I was one of the few farangs and yep getting in with these guys was a tuff nut to crack. Most of the fighters did 8 km at least once a day, it was surreal being one of the only foreigners run with the Thai fighters. The training intensity was hardcore, the sparring was usually light. They have to fight, and can’t tolerate sparring injuries. Within my time there, ebbs and flows happened, if a belt holder or two were in camp, things turned like life or death intensity. I am looking at it with 30 years of training at many different western schools in my time. There was absolutely zero comparison.

[@Real1Tv]

Thanka bro sick video

[@princeaikins8274]

The emphasis is on consistency. That’s the hard part. Anyone can show up a few days a week and ‘max out’. Doing what these guys do, training day-in…day-out…that’s the hard part. Tbh that’s how most elite athletes train. A mix of moderate and intense.

[@TheChattounet]

i had already heard that in Thaïland every clubs, from top elite to average, had their very own "secret" and ways to proceed and that they would only give sample to the tourist and other foreigners. But i guess it's a bit the same for everyone club in the world.

[@ven.clydejarudhammo9716]

You did an excellent job of explaining the Thai way of training.

[@walter431]

Just came back from 3 weeks training in Thailand and yes, its exactly how you said it is. I was a little underwhelmed since we didn't even do any clinching in most of the sessions.

[@muay_khao]

Depends on where you go.

[@dazdavis7896]

PROBABLY because they’ve fought hundreds of times. Foreigners going over there HAVEN’T.

[@groenpaardje]

I’ve been to a bunch of different gyms and I’ve noticed that most of them (with a few exceptions) only do clinching with people who want to do an actual fight.

[@ismailh-dw4dh]

What gym did you train at?

[@walter431]

@@ismailh-dw4dh Lamai Muay Thai on Samui. When i went to MAA Gym on Phangan it was different. That's a really great gym. Lamai was cool too but not what you'll expectsince so many tourists train there.

[@RK_peace]

Great video and great insights. Like you said, the hard training by the Thai fighters occurs/occurred in the younger years where the body becomes very conditioned.

[@user-ep2dw6yy8n]

great advice, thanks so much for this (Y)

[@countlessbathory1485]

Thailand seems awesome nonetheless and I'm still happy to visit and train there. The food is also a bonus those priorities may reverse if the gym isn't quite right. Anyway I'm 1 month into my Muay Thai journey and it has been fantastic honestly wish I started sooner. If you're on the fence about training hop off and find the best gym in your city. Thanks Gabriel.

[@intp-akil3127]

I’ll put it like this, Thailand isn’t the hardest training but it’s the most beneficial. What’s funny is I’m not even training Muay Thai, I’m training at a Russian international gym with Dagestani And Chechen wrestler/striker hybrids. I’m getting a year visa now, second favorite country ✊🏾💯

[@f.a.1680]

hows the gym called brother?

[@alexmccullough1961]

Amazing video, you're saving a lot of people money

[@ReallyStrongGuy]

Great info! Same with bodybuilding… Smart = Longevity

[@Thermolizer]

When I was out in Thailand I ran more outside of the training sessions than during. During training it was 3-5km max

[@nathanschwartz4993]

Just a recreational fighter, but had a decent career as a low level strength coach. This makes a lot of sense from a specificity and periodization context similar (though clearly different) to how we structure strength and conditioning cycles. Pretty cool to learn about, thank you.

[@bobbob-dg1kt]

Makes me think of Michael Bisping, saying he loved training in Thailand, and he also loves running.

[@joshuafranz391]

When I went to Thailand and trained at two different gyms, we didn't do any long runs. We ran, but it was for a warm-up that included jump rope, planks, calisthenics, and something new to me: jumping/bouncing on tires. Then we'd do technique work - mirroring the instructor, followed by five rounds on pads and sometimes rounds on the Heavy bags. Then we'd finish with a circuit including battle ropes, kettlebells, dumbbells, TRX, various drills, etc. And always end with abbs and stretching.

[@theironforce3000]

Great trivia, never would have guessed.

[@MrBuculis]

never understood long 10km+ runs for your stamina, can get same or better results with sprints.

[@darkchild130]

Do ten rounds on a heavy bag, consistent high intensity, will work harder than a long distance run and do better for your fight endurance

[@irlmaier1635]

Clearly you know better than actual champions. Look into zone 2 training.

[@krystofcisar469]

Exactly what i´ve thought about the running :D i can see kicking heavy bag for 45 mins way more both exhausting and practical for fight than 10km run.

[@jacksolarmusicmastering]

thank you for saying this, this is why i switched to karate, in thaibox my knees would hurt all the time, the light head aches, etc, it felt like too much for too little in return, doing karate with a muay thai mind set feels more like my thing, way easier on the body and i still train for functionallity (muay thai mindset)

[@mikuspalmis]

What style of karate?

[@enginerikli5895]

I like this Varga guy. Seems like a nice person and he is very mature. I'm sick and tired of seeing grown-up men act like clowns or 8-year-old brats on KZbin.

[@GalactusOG]

My favorite female fighter is Stamp Fairtex. God bless her. Such a wonderful human being and such a warrior.

[@Subfightr]

Where were you when i was doing stupid stuff like kickijg trees and tetherball poles? So glad you shared this reality with the world.

[@andersolsson1139]

I have been to maybe 10 gyms in Thailand. At the majority of them the fighters were running at least 7-10km in the morning and 3-5km in the afternoon

[@letsgotoe2toe]

that is prep before a big fight. they won’t do nothing like that normally

[@andersolsson1139]

@@letsgotoe2toe No, every day actually

[@Xheph]

From other comments I gathered that younger fighters would do these regular runs, but older fighters would somewhat reduce the quantity - was that your experience too, or did everyone consistently show up? Do you also mind if I ask your age (because it feels relevant)?

[@zerg_burger]

i train at a gym in chiang mai, and the morning run is 10km and then 5km at night. everybody there is really good fighter, thais and foreigners alike. there are a few pros, and some trainers that participated in the olympics. some people only show up in the morning, and some people only at night, but there is a large handful of people that run the 15km 6 days per week. i have only ever run 1mi at a time before i came here here and my knees, ankles, and hips are so sore that it gets into the way of training. my advice is to not blow your load too fast, it takes time to reach that level of conditioning. a lot of people there eat, sleep, and breathe muay thai, and continue to to train after the second session. all they do is train and sleep. nicest people i have ever met, thai's and foreigners alike. my 2c

[@gymkhana1128]

I am going to Rawai Muay Thai next year in Khao Lak, about an hour from Phuket. A gym that's been around for 20 years and in the middle of nowhere no big cities nearby so no distractions. It's a gym catered for Foreigners to enhance their fitness, learn Muay Thai or to fight if they want to. Ths video is a good insight into what to expect. Thanks!

[@FactsNoFictions]

Well happy that someone has explained what I’ve been doing 😅

[@Docinaplane]

Way back in the day, when I was in my surgical residency, one of the junior residents was Thai. Because of my martial arts training, I asked him about Muay Thai. As it happened his home was very close to a training facility. He said that the Muay Thai fighters were so damaged, especially to the head, by the time they were 25, they could barely function.

[@JWMCMLXXX]

Nonsense.

[@blessed8543]

@@JWMCMLXXXwdym nonsense. The rates of CTE and TBI are exorbitant among Muay Thai fighters. As it turns out getting kicked in the head thousands of times over a career starts to subtract significantly from your brain.

[@JWMCMLXXX]

Data > Second-hand opinions on the internet @@blessed8543

[@Diamekod]

I'd say this is also because they basically never go to a doctor or get proper rest - they live fight to fight which is usually once a month and just can't afford proper medical care and rest times. It's sad.

[@Sol-gl3nl]

@@Diamekod but what is the doctor going to do? youre not getting any extra therapy or drugs to cure cte from getting your head jarred by the thousands of jabs or crosses that push your head around. genuine question.

[@thraxxlaflare]

Would highly recommend anyone who hasnt to try training at PK Saenchai Muay Thai gym in Bangkok. Been training there for 2 months now and I love it

[@Fa11eNM3N]

I’ve been beating myself up recently thinking I don’t run enough for my camps ( 2miles 3x a week) and cheating by using an exercise bike instead of running after training. Always thought I wasn’t doing enough ,even tho I felt great in my most recent fight, because I wasn’t doing as much as some of the fighters I look up to, Buakaw being one of them. But this kinda shattered all those expectations lol. Blessed to be still competing at 28 and now know it’s because I train smart not just hard.

[@alltidvanlu7888]

long story short: If you go to a tourist location, you will find gyms aimed at tourists. If you go to a rural/poorer region, you will find gyms that want to get their fighters to Lumpinee or Raja. Ive been to 6 gyms in thailand and i can tell that being in the suburbs of Bangkok is very different to being on an island. Find a gym that work for you. And also, most thai fighters have 2-300+ fights by the age of 23. Thats reason enough to cut back on the intensity in trainings.

[@cacaf8989]

it makes sense, you don't need conditioning when you are already top form and ready to fight on any day.

[@interestedparty7523]

They already have an elite foundation and know when to tighten things up.

[@Desperate.Daniel.24-7]

Recently ran my first 50km and interestingly, I had a similar "Expectaction Vs Reality" experience even though it's a completely different sport. When I was just fantasizing, planning to get into it and in my first few months of actually doing it, I thought all those elite runners go hard everyday doing multiple marathons a week. But when I really started researching into it and getting in touch with pros/coaches, I found out that most (about 80%) of their training are easy runs- a pace where you can talk comfortably. Ofcourse when they go hard, they really do. But that's exactly why the rest of the time they go super easy to give their body the time to rest/recover well. Also, running at a lower heart rate is the best way to build aerobic base. And I've learnt the exact same stuff from my own experience in the past one and half year of consistent running, with all the shin splints, injuries and burnouts 😅 Used to be all about the grind mentality and running streak challenges but the more I run, the more I realise that consistency often matters more than intensity. Listening to your body is absolutely critical. Another important thing is- you make much more progress with stable uninterrupted training than highly fluctuating bouts of training and injuries. That said, finding that balance between grinding hard and recovering well is tough. Takes years, even decades to find what works for you, through trials and mistakes. I genuinely believe that, this skill of understanding oneself is likely what separates the greats from the good, especially in sports. Tbh probably in business and finance fields too.

[@cigarcitysyndicate5710]

Running 8plus miles a day 5 days a week before training sessions absolutely destroyed my body.

[@mr.q337]

Very Interesting. I agree with you. For pro Thai fighters, Muay Thai is not just a sport, but it's a lifestyle, it's a career. Maybe they do train really hard as kid to be that good, but once they got to a certain level and have to fight every other week. They always in shape, and don't want to risk unnecessary injury by over training. This doesn't apply to most of us beginner tho. If we want to get better, we still need high intensity training, since most of us don't get fights that often if at all

[@TomFooleryTheAustere]

The timing on this is an interesting twist; I’m currently looking for the cheapest flights around February to spend a month in Thailand to train. I’m 48 years old and have been involved with Muay Thai for almost 20 years. I even cornered for Bazooka Joe in his amateur days back at Ultimate (looking back, one of the highlights of my Muay Thai journey), but never had the opportunity to visit Thailand due to being a single dad with no money, and really, not all that talented. This trip is more of a bucket list endeavour than anything else, I’m wondering how watered down the experience will be, particularly given I have no interest in fighting, nor have anything but westernized training to compare it to…?

[@jtames9040]

I wish you a nice trip to Thailand, take care and protect your self against the disease spreading mosquitos with cream and also avoid the sparring where you hurt each other to avoid damage to the brain. I pray and wish you all the best to you and your child. Also we need to have The truth in life which is in the Orthodox christianity religion only btw. The orthodox version of Christianity is the original and true form of christianity that Jesus taught us when he came to earth, and you can feel God’s grace through the holy sacraments in this church after baptism , repentance-confession and holy communion in the orthodox christian church through the grace of the apostles that was transferred from generation to generation to what we have today as the orthodox christian priests, something that completely changes your life and turns you into a happier person with a meaningful life and also saves you by strengthening your bond with God. You can also watch the miracle of the holy fire that does not burn that happens every year, I suggest you get baptised at an orthodox christian church near you, receive the holy spirit and live a spiritual life through the church’s sacraments like confession to the priest and holy communion and God will protect you, in this life, and the next, the eternal one, 😊may God Bless you!

[@sammyli9456]

Welcome to Thailand! I am Thai living around BKK, Thailand. I am the same age as you. I did not train hard in Muay Thai; but ever spent time training it for years. Very happy to learn that many foreigners love Muay Thai training. 🙏 🙂

[@smallcheddar3012]

@@jtames9040bro as a Christian in college I can tell u first hand just trying to sneak in a whole paragraph abt the faith is more likely to turn ppl off if anything, tho I respect the evangelizing regardless

[@maybeakron4367]

Hah. I'm 48 too. My coach and I are going in February to a gym called Lionheart for a week. It caters to western tourist enthusiasts but is supposed to have some decent instructors. A real deep dive would probably come with a much longer time investment. Hope you go.

[@SorenCicchini]

@@jtames9040 please consider that evangelizing for your chosen religion instead of learning about traditional Thai cultural beliefs is extremely disrespectful. Muay Thai is steeped in spirituality, as reflected by the ceremonial rituals and accoutrements fundamental to the sport, such as the wai khru ram muay, mongkong, tattoos and pra jiad.

[@TheFitnessWarrior-dd4we]

Saw a video of Cory Sandhagen reaction to volk vs islam where he showed a way of defending high kicks by raising hands above head.. Just wanted to hear your thoughts abot the same.. Hope you see this comment.. Love you videos as always

[@alexsmith6271]

Its good to do. You just have to watch out for the body kick switch.

[@JoshAllenberg]

I block with my elbows. I try to match the height of the kick. If it goes to the body, I don't raise them that much. I raise them to armpit height for a head kick. Someone has to come in from really wide out to get over my extended elbow, and if they do, I just raise it a lil more and turtle my head

[@mynameismynameis666]

what about staph prevention at thai gyms. i ve never heard anyone complain, yet the conditions for staph infections are more than perfect

[@GBabyGencher94]

Got a Staph infection my first time in Thailand, a few weeks before my first fight. Luckily, I got on antibiotics and was able to proceed with the fight. Memorable experience, but not fun hahaha.

[@mattgoodwin3788]

I got Staph in Thailand, can confirm it sucks.

[@toemasmeems]

Bisping said his Thailand coach used to get hammered the night before he would go fight or even train lol

[@TTAG01]

Sounds like they are training smarter not harder as they get older. That’s sensible. I will be there in January for 3 months so will see. Thanks for the heads up 👊🏽

[@bwar9027]

How was it? Can you tell us about your experience? Thanks bro hope u had a good stay there!

[@TTAG01]

@@bwar9027my dear brother thank you for your reach out. Thailand was a great experience for 50 days of the 63 days I was there. The other 13 was spent in a detention centre for overstay. Which was not good. As to the people on a whole in Chiang Mai I’d say good but in Bangkok not. I received one to one tuition from the top student of a senior Muay Boran instructor. Training was good. But she was busy so training was cut short. But the 4 weeks one to one I got was just what I needed. So that’s good. Thailand is a great place but those in position of power need to learn about humility is all I will say 🙏🏽 Love my bro 👊🏾❤️

[@josephkelly6681]

I'm in Thailand. 100% You have to find the right gym for you and accept it for its strengths and weaknesses I go to a boxing gym and a MT gym to get focus on their strengths.

[@brokentubing]

Great share

[@LukeKomlosy]

Hey Gabriel! Your legs are looking big, have you been weight lifting? If so what and why? Also, I know that you don’t normally weight train but I was hoping you could do a video on it? I weight train twice a week and am interested in building an atheistic physique but my main focus is getting better at Muay Thai. I am aware though that weight lifting can slow you down and want to know how I can combine both. Maybe you could do a video on why fighters lift weights? If you should be doing so ? How to balance it with combat sports? And also how fighter (particularly in the ufc) have so much muscle mass but are also fast and functional! Sorry for the long comment, just thought maybe u could do video on this as it’s something you haven’t really gone it to depth on in your channel

[@MatterInMyMind]

Great little doco with information and jokes. I also thought their spurs were venomous. You don't even need a stick but... As they are swooping towards you just point your arm and fingers in their direction, they bail out everytime... Well it's work fot me since l was a young fella 🤙🏼

[@grunt12394]

Hey Gabriel! Can you do a video on training kickboxing in Japan and or the Netherlands?

[@toddianuzzi9296]

Honestly i think that much Long distance running can be counterproductive for fighting at any age.

[@matt54321100]

I have trained at 6 different gyms totalling 10 camps and they all vary. It all depends on the head trainer and what your goals are. I am yet to see any hard sparring for upcoming fighters but they sure do go hard with the pads slapping the fighter if their guard is down.

[@THEYDONTKNOWMESON111]

Very cool, thanks! Hate running, haha

[@vbabu2019]

Gabriel - can you please do a video showing how to attack and move laterally across the body? I'm really struggling!

[@dontblink3042]

My coach has been in thailand on and off for the past 6 months. Great stories they kick a little bit harder now lol.

[@otakoob]

I'm not a fighter, I just run for exercising and joining marathon at times. Finishing over 10K run everyday do you no good. I used to do that for 3 days and my legs were destroyed, had to take 2 months of recovery. So, from my experience, you should never run over 6-8K in 1 go on your regular basis

[@itsasher5833]

Pro boxers do this everyday when they wake up

[@otakoob]

​@@itsasher5833 I don't know if you watch the video or not, but he said pro fighters do a full 10K run only a few weeks before they are about to have a fight. Going hard all the time is putting yourself through unnecessary risk of injury

[@ehisey]

This matches what my coaches told me. They were both former Thai champs that had come to the states because their wife's wanted to move here. They had us do very technical work and practical conditioning drills, but it was never the crazy stories you heart about training in Thailand. Sanchea would tell us "no go to big city gym, find village gym if you have to go", for pretty much exactly what you said, there is a huge market of selling an experince to Westerners and that experince is completely different than what the serious fighters actually do. Really if you think about it, guys fighting 2 to 3 times a month are not going to be trying to beat the body up every day in training becuase they don't have time to recover.

[@chizzlemo3094]

great video, but also immense wisdom in these comments.

[@briane9238]

I agree with everything but the last point could be expanded. There is a WIDE variety of the experience at the gyms. I tend to break them into “commercial” and “family style”. I much prefer the “family style” and you are accepted (and expected) to be a part of the family. The commercial ones arent too much different than what you see in the US. I saw a lot of foreigners are commercial gyms but few foreigners at the family style (it’s a bit of challenge since they may not even have anyone that speaks English). I will be back again soon and have little interest in the commercial gyms. For me, it’s family style all the way.

[@LiaHing-on5do]

Do you have names of family style gyms ?

[@briane9238]

@@LiaHing-on5do Id rather not say, but I can tell you some signs. They may be run by older guys or passed on from a prior generation. The equipment may be a bit rusty and look unpolished (though not always). If you look in the golden age of Muay Thai, the guys from that era will be around these gyms (not usually at the big name gyms unless it’s for a seminar or something). Also if kids live at the gym, it’s probably going to give you an idea. At my main gym, there are about a dozen kids that live there from ages 6-23 or so. Some of the trainers also live there.

[@briane9238]

@@HG-ui8gf it’s a major challenge, but not insurmountable. Many speak at bit of English (enough to train foreigners). There may also be someone who can translate and there is google translate (only somewhat helpful). And there will probably be some foreigners that speak English. But it’s worth it to me since the experience is more authentic and the Thais at those gyms are just great to be around. They love Muay Thai and it’s their life. Plus having the kids around makes the grueling training a lot of fun. You don’t need to speak the language to play around with the kids…you just play. But it’s not for everyone.

[@zen_jah]

You put into words what I had experience with in Phuket. Thank you! There are big crowded gyms like Tiger MT, AKA Thailand, Sinbi MT which are super commercialized. But I really enjoyed the other kind.. the family ones😅 Rattachai or Phuket Singha are like this

[@LiaHing-on5do]

@@briane9238 thanks you widened my horizons i too would prefer those kind of gyms.

[@kupnuch]

In my gym in Thailand we did 2-3k runs before the main session and (sometimes!) finished with the same loop

[@alexanderokak5112]

you must have not been shown the secret route

[@BlacksmithBets]

We used to do that on my boxing club from day 1 with no experience so that sounds quite mild tbh.

[@marshallmaia8130]

@@BlacksmithBets Factor in the scorching sun and hot and humid weather too.

[@IanTheEarlobe]

I’d love to hear more about running frequency. Is it the running + the Muay Thai that damages the body? There are tons of long distance runners that are just fine and do it for years.

[@Tan12]

Pro runners have built up their running work capacity incrementally over many years, their joints have had lots of time to adapt. People who aren't running specialists that suddenly try to drastically increase their weekly mileage tend to get injured because the joints can't adapt that quickly.

[@VinOptimaxxx]

Not many people can put in the training that high-level distance runners can. Most people just aren't built for it

[@sammyli9456]

If you just do the 10-k routine running without other fight trainings, it should be fine. The problem is that they do 10 k.m. running before training hard on fighting / sparring everyday. (I guess there is a day of rest for a week) A mere 10 k.m. running/day does not damage the body.

[@1100BFK]

Not only the runs but the fights as well sparing hitting pads etc… it’s hard on the joints very hard plus injury’s and still running etc…

[@juandenz2008]

It's probably the over-training that does it, plus the damage accumulated in fights. Long distance runners are going to be doing predominantly running, not all the other stuff like sparring, padwork, heavy bag etc. Also long distance runners are careful about overtraining and will mix up long and shorter runs and have days off. If you look at training plans for marathon runners, on many days they will only do a single run of 8km or 10km. I would say very few marathon runners would do a 10km run in the morning and then another 5km run in the afternoon. Too much risk of overtraining and injuries.

[@Brenso__]

Fought in thailand this summer and prepared there, ran 8K morning and 3/4k afternoon before trainings every day but Sunday, I also met and sparred with Tommy Liu witch I believe is a friend of yours, awesome time. I really felt in shape but yea you need to listen to your body and sometimes take your time.

[@marshallmaia8130]

Do any Thais train once a day or is it always twice a day?

[@Brenso__]

@@marshallmaia8130all the times I’ve been there always witnessed twice a day but as I said if you not at 100% you adapt so maybe someday you only train the morning or the afternoon depends how good you feel takes abit of self awareness

[@10secondsrule]

Every time I see someone preparing for a marathon my heart breaks a little. Why would you do this to your body? A friend of mine had this dream to finish Maraton de Sables. He eventually done it in his late 30’s but said after this his body aged like 40 more years.

[@hampuswallin5942]

Read David Goggins book or listen to a podcast with him and you will learn that a lot of people do it for the mental training more than the physical. It's actually amazing what the mind is capable of when pushed to the extreme.

[@10CPS]

@@hampuswallin5942 sure, but then afterwards all you’re left with is a fucked body, and unless you’re able to pay for expensive surgeries, you’ll live in pain til the day you die. There are plenty of physical tests of strength you can do that won’t cause lasting damage

[@HamishGray]

Look up Ryan Crawford, his nickname is "the white Kenyan". He was a professional Muay Thai fighter that used to run 3-5 marathons a week, he's now an ultra runner.

[@Rose-bg6pf]

Thank you for saying that about running. Do you want to be a fighter or a runner? There are so many other ways to get your cardio and endurance up without hitting the pavement for guaranteed joint problems over time. How will you be able to keep fighting if you sacrifice long term mobility for short term cardio?

[@wawawawa919]

Hi Gabriel, what fights of yours would you recommend to watch to learn your style?

[@markmcallan973]

If you want a camp that trains hard go to sangmaracot camp in Bangkok! It's hard to find but they train crazy hard!

[@mynameismynameis666]

running is counterproductive. it works when you are young, but your knees and hips are not consrtucted for long distance running after 30

[@realshyttttt]

I'm about to be 32 and I ran fine, everyday at 5:30 in the am only ran for about an hour around chatuchak

[@mynameismynameis666]

32 is still pretty young in aging terms. wait a little. it will catch up to you at the point when your cartilage does not regenerate as fast as you work it - which you will find out when you're past the point of no return. same goes for metabolism&digestion. It just naturally slows down with age. Meaning: eating as much as you used to will just present issues for your blood circulation and insuline-production cycle. if steady state cardio, then i go cycling. if i want to train my legs and increase bone density i do weightlifting leg days with forcus on form or just plain sprints, just because there is more focus and neuromuscular connection.

[@Tan12]

There are many thousands of counterexamples to that. Problems with the knees and hips generally arise from trying to do too much too quickly, poor running form, and general weakness in the hip, core, and leg muscles. Average adults tend to lose their ability to tolerate running due to sedentary lifestyles, but those who never got sedentary tend to never totally lose the ability, and even those who did can get back into it if they're willing to take the time to learn good form, build up distance very gradually, and properly strengthen the right muscles to minimize injury risk.

[@mynameismynameis666]

@@Tan12 i'd rather go with orthopaedic statistics. and the person that does not sit and adapt to it, is a pro-athlete who does not work outside of a gym. such people are the statistic outliers and even they struggle with ageing cartilage. i m absolutely not against running per se and in fact humans were built for running and climbing. but the humans that were built for it and practiced it to hunt as a lifestyle rarely got older than 37. and it is the fact that we had capacities to find time to sit and think is why we are getting way older today. Older than the regenrative process that keeps our physical structure intact can become. Our mental capacity has outpaced our physical evolution

[@notdanroth]

At my gym they write 10k on the white board "no run no fight" but I don't see the fighters doing this. I think it's meant as an obstacle for the new people that think they want to fight

[@grizzlybear8250]

I live in thailand and train since 10 month straight. I'm wordering because i hear of "hip soreness" first time from gabriel. this is exactly what i'm facing in the last couple of weeks...it looks like a very old men when i just walk. my glutes are permanently sore. Food and suplements are setup good in my opinion - how to handle that issue and get back to full kicking power? - Thanks for any tips!

[@batmanhood9233]

As someone who trained dutch kicboxing on the highest level, I went to Thailand thinking it's going to be different but at least on similar level, as I joined and tried with different highest level gyms. I was actually very surprised. My honest opinion is that their style of training didn't evolve at all througout the years, and the reason is, they are very dissrespectful and close minded to other martial arts/combat sports. They think their way is the best way, and almost laugh to other sports. Training is boring as fuck. Every single training is the same, you do jump rope, (i don't give a f about 30 minutes of running before training), then 3 rounds of pads, then sparring and clinching. In between you do bags. There are no streching, or strenght and conditioning, or any high level technique training, you do everything on pads. While sparring a lot, in a slower pace than dutch, can be a good thing, with this tempo you get better at a very slow rate. Not to mention their boxing skills are on a very low level, it's just not their thing.

[@ondrej_misek]

I trained there in many gyms and my experience is very similar to yours, some trainers just don't care at all, I have seen people (foreigners) training there for many months, even years and their technique was so bad. There were a few good gyms though, those with a solid base of young Thai fighters, and there were several skilled trainers, even trainers who focused only on western boxing, strength and conditioning as we know nowadays not really but sprints, smashing tires with a hammer, dumbbells, and other stuff. I think it really depends on the gym you end up in, it can be a great experience but also a disappointment.

[@klub7justin]

A klasse?

[@George-ri6vg]

Amen 🙏 in all reality, if somebody wants to train in striking, it makes more sense to travel to Canada instead of Thailand. Canadian kickboxers have a long history of success in the sport.

[@letsgotoe2toe]

it’s ten times the price

[@Sevensliders]

Even though I have no plans to compete professionally in Muay Thai but just want to be extremely competent leisurely, this is very important info to know. Been at Bangkok and trained in Lat Phrao and even though I was in the motherland, it was more of the experience for me at first. Maybe if I visit next it's to learn more. Thank you for the info! 🙏🏼

[@thomasfowler8212]

where did you go in Lat Phrao i live very close, looking to start training but its difficult to know where i will fit in hahs

[@Sevensliders]

@thomasfowler8212 Khongsittha was the name. Tourist-friendly but if you are serious about competing there are other more focused (and affordable) options.

[@user-zz4xt1bn4i]

i lived there for 4 years. i still live here half the year although im not fighting anymore. the guys most definitely do train that hard. you didnt see what i saw cause you stay in the tourist places. dont be a tourist.

[@Patrick-sh9tt]

It’s such an incredible country, a beautiful culture and environment. I hated to see some Westerners taking advantage of the poverty in certain areas but my experience there for a month was completely positive, and most foreigners I met were, like me, in awe of the beauty and sophistication of the culture. Seeing Muay Thai in the flesh was amazing too…superhuman stuff.