Dragn

You can find reviews and links to a bunch of camps here: http://muaythailand.com/go2thailand/camps/index.php Personally I think a farang oriented camp is just fine. Unless you are a serious pro and have alot of time to spend there. I learned tons when I was there at the Lamai camp. The only down side is that there arent always Thai fighters to watch. The fighters at the keawsamrit gym were just awesome! But at a regular Thai camp you'll probably just end up getting put on a punching bag for an hour. They wont even bother to spar with you. At least at the farang camps you'll get personal attention and decent accomodation. Probably learn more too. An understanding wife is a great asset. I'm blessed with one too! Shes my biggest supporter! Thats another reason to go for a farang camp. You can take your wife with you. The beaches are great. She can get pampered at health spas and beauty salons while youre training! The people are great, and so is the food , if you like it spicy. Its my favorite holiday destination. Do it man. You wont regret it.

Basically I just do everything with alot more intensity. Sparring is harder than usual. Tonight my sensei sparred with me really punishing me with body shots to toughen me up and test my spirit. The pad work is super intense with sets of 10rep kicks to start off with, and just 30 sec breaks between rounds, which are filled with push ups and jack knives. I do more morning runs focssing on doing sprints. And some interval training, combining pushups, jump squats, jack knives, burpees etc. I'm also focusing on more specific counters and strategies for the type of competition. Using the gi to control my opponent, sabaki moves, clinching techs to counter throws etc. Plus more specific ground fighting strategies also. Everyday is just a gut breaking challenge!

I just had a quick look at the website. Looks nice. A typical farang (foreigner)oriented camp. I havent trained on Phuket, But I have trained at the WMC camp in Lamai on Koh Samui which is a similar looking setup. Also breifly at Keawsumrit gym and Jittys gym in Bankok. I wrote a review about my experience on the muaythailand.com site. So check it out there is lots of good info on there. I totally recommend going. 2 things I'm really glad i did: 1, visiting the Shaolin temple and training at a shaolin KF school for 2 weeks. 2, going to Thailand and training in MT. Both were deffinite highlights in my MA journey. I hope to go and train in Thailand again next year. Maybe I'll try Phuket out this time.

Stay relaxed. Dont try to KO your oponent with every strike. It'll tire you out. Focus on putting together combinations. combine hands and legs. Keep your guard up, even when you are attacking. Know that you are going to win and nothing will stop you.NOTHING! Good luck mate!

I found out today that only the top 4 guys from Tokyo were selected. I wasnt in that 4, but it seems probable that someone had to pull out due to injury, and I got selected as the replacement. I must say I'm flattered but man, I dunno if I'm ready. Going up against Japans top fighters in full contact is a dream I've had since I was a kid. And the Hokutoki( Daidojuku All Japan champs) is one of the most hard core Karate tournaments I know of. I nearly blew my chances of ever realising it when I stopped training for most of my mid 20s. Now at 35 I'm approaching the end of my competition career, and I've finally reached one of my long time goals. Theres just so much I need to work on though! Stamina is a big issue. I'm good for 4 or 5 rounds of heavy sparring, but after that, I start to get real tired and my technique just turns to slop. Its like hitting a wall. And all my old bad habits resurface. Today in sparring I was on fire! Landing combos, elbows, knees, and high kicks at will on my partners. It was like everything fell into place and I was in total control. That is until Kitazawa san, an all Japan kickboxing champ walked in. After sparring everybody else I had to put on the 16 ounce gloves and go a couple of rounds with him. Boy he just owned me! Felt like he could see what I was going to do before I even did it. Couldnt land anything. And he was crushing me with everything! What a feeling of hopelessness... From heaven to hell. My legs are all bruised up from his low kicks. And he was being nice! Tomorrow Ill head into the honbu (head dojo) to do some more sparring. See what I can learn there....

I just received a letter today saying that I've been accepted to compete in the all Japan national tournament! Wahoo! I didnt think I would get in, seeing as I lost my 2nd fight. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that my oponent went to the finals, or my good first fight. I dont know how the selection process works. But I aint gonna argue. It came as a real surprise, but I'm stoked! Well no more time for chatting. The tournament is only 4 weeks away. I gotta go train!

Watching the young kids fight in Thailand really had an impact on me. Little 9and 10 year olds fighting with the skill and courage of pros.. Just awesome! Realy inspired me to get a bit more seroius about getting in the ring.

Draw him to kick you by faking, moving into his range as if to attack but pull back quickly as he kicks. dont go too far , just enough to make him miss and be vulnerable.Then spring back in as he withdraws the kick, closing the range and fighting inside. If he likes to kick then he wants you at leg range. Dont give him that oportunity. Move in and out following his kicks. Or jam him as he goes to kick, and punch him. Good luck!

I told the story once before on this forum about the time I threw a high round kick in a fight only to pull it back after only lightly slapping my opponents face. And he laughed at me and came rushing in. Years of pulling kicks in TKD had trained me to pull my kicks by reflex. Boxers and kick boxers do alot of heavy bag and mitt work to make them hit hard. We also, spar with large gloves and head gear and go at a bit harder prior to fights to help prepare ourselves. I say your body will react just how you train it to. Control is important but you need to include some heavy bag work and hard contact sparring in your training to really make the most of it.

Haha, I used to shout "kiaii" when I was a kid too! Now, "ESH!" Short n sharp, from the gut.

Well thankyou for the positive feedback. Its true it can be hard to get fighters to admit to the fear they feel before and during a fight. Alot more of us feel it than will admit. Its like any high adrenalin sport really. When I'm surfing and looking down a charging 10 foot wave that looks, like its going to just drill me, theres a rush of fear and excitement. A split second hesitation, that if you give in to, can mean you miss the ride of your life, and sometimes still get drilled anyway because you hesitated too long. And in the end getting drilled isnt that bad anyway. Its something you get used to. Fighting is the same. If you give in to the fear and hesitate, it gives your opponent the opportunity to take advantage. So your fears become actualised through your own inaction. And they can drain you of your will to fight when you most need it. On the flip side if your fears push you to over react and just try to KO, you end up telegraphing, losing balance, and wearing yourself out quickly. One of the most important issues for me in competition fighting has been finding that right balance of aggression and relaxation. You have to be aggressive enough to push forward when necessary and take the fight to your opponent, but maintain enough cool to be loose and fast ,see his openings, and not gas yourself out. And alot of the fear is just pshychological too. I used to really over react to getting hit. Especially in the face. In Daidojuku we wear head gear so getting hit in the face isnt really painfull, but the shock of taking the blow can freak you out a bit at first. Once you get used to it its not as bad as you thought. Of course I'm not saying that you should just let guys hit you and try to take the pain, or that you can condition your head to taking blows. You can get KOd. Its just that perhaps your own fears can cause you to over react a bit. I've found that I can actually take alot more punishment than I thought. The fear of getting hurt is a reaction inhibiting obstacle. When you overcome it, it gives you the freedom to react smoothly and efficiently and thus avoid receiving the blows you were afraid of. One of my dojo sempai competes as a pro kickboxer. I always admired the way he was so calm and calculated in all his fights. His confidence seemed to shine out of him. When my wife mentioned this to him he laughed and said he was always scared when he fought. Its just a matter of feeling the fear and doing it anyway.

OK I think I get the picture now. Its diferent over here. In Tokyo Dojos are usually tiny and cramped. High rent costs make it impossible to rent large spaces. I dont think its as commercialised as in the States I guess. Generally theres not alot of money to be made in running a dojo. Its something instructors do out of passion rather than for financial motives. In fact its often in spite of the lack of financial gain involved. When I first started traing with my present instructor, we were hiring a community hall, and training alongside breakdancing and jazz dance groups. Music blaring from all sides. It was tough trying to spar without crashing into anybody. Some of those hot little dancers were a bit of a distraction too. Not exactly what I pictured training in Japan would be like.lol. So just having our own dojo now feels like a real privelidge. Its like that for alot of groups here. Its not cheap. Generally you'd be looking at around 8000 yen per month. Which I guess is around US$70. But everything is expensive here, so its not a big deal. We pay around ¥4000 for gradings. But dont grade often. Only once or maybe twice a year. I get the feeling dojos are more like fitness gyms over there. The atitude seems very different.

Wow, this really leaves me in a state of culture shock. In Japan evrybody cleans the dojo every time after training. We dont even think about it as a chore. We respect our dojo and our instructor. Its our sweat and blood on the floor and our responsibility to clean it up. Traditional Asian Martial arts training is about more than just fighting. Perfection of character and self refinement are an integral part of the culture, and it is most stressed in martial disciplins. I never view my dojo as a business. Its more than just paying for a service. Its a way of living. I just dont get your attitude at all.

Thanks for the reply bro. Glad someone could relate to it. Yes Mr Azuma was there watching my fight. I've listened to his speeches at a few tournies. Havent talked to him personally or trained with him though. Yes some guys do use palm strikes. Probably because those hard plastic face shields can really damage your knuckles! 1 guy broke his knuckle at the last tournie. Most of us get bruised, painfull knuckles, so palms are a smart alternative. Also some dojos are actually employing old kobudo techs to their training, so that could have some influence on the use of palms too. My dojo is heavily Muay Thai influenced. Not typical Daiaojuku at all, and I havent had the oportunity to check out what other dojos are doing lately. So I dont really know. Each dojo seems to find its own speciallities, depending on the instructors own personal preferences. Some are really good with throws and on the ground. Some use JKD like straight blasts, others use very traditional 1 strike attacks. Some employ TKD like spinning kicks. I even saw 1 guy doing the jinga (capoeira) at the last world champs! It really is MMA! Some guys (like me) bring their skills from past MA training and combine it with the Daidojuku techs thereby further diversifying the art. Thats what I like about it. The freedom to experiment with what works. But generally there is a strong Kyokushin, Muay Thai, Judo and BJJ basis to the training at most schools.

I was like you, earning my TKD black belt at 16, I went on to do a bit of MT and kyokushin, but I stopped training for 7 years, before getting back into it. I didnt get back into Muay Thai again till I was 30! I'm 35 now and competing seriously. I've given up any hope of turning pro, but there are some very tough amature MMA comps here that give me more than a challenge. After 30 I noticed a dramatic change in my ability to recover. Injuries tend to mount up easily, and work and family committments make it hard. But I think I can keep competing till my early 40s. I met a guy in Thailand who was 50 and still giving the young guns a run for their money. 21? You lucky young #***! I wish I got back into it when I was 21!

Hey thats great that you made it over there man! So many talk about it but never do it. Its a great experience isnt it. Yeah training twice a day is hard. I found I was in too much pain most of the time to get out of bed for the morn session. So I did beach runs too! I havent trained at Rawai though. How is it? Do the trainers give you plenty of tips on techs? Do you spar much? Are there any Thai fighters or mainly farang? Looking forward to hearing more about your experiences there.

Last Sunday I competed in the Tokyo region Daidojuku/Kudo open tournament. It was full contact MMA type rules, and I was up against a field of the top Daidojuku fighters in the Tokyo area, to decide the representatives for the national comp. It was my first time to compete under full Kudo MMA rules, so I was pretty nervous in the weeks leading up to it. To get an idea of the kind of comp, check out the "sparring video" thread in the Karate section. I was really happy with my first fight. I was aggressive and managed to keep the fight at the range I wanted, most of the time.(kicking range) Landing solid low, mid ,and high kicks, and combining them with good hand combinations, landing uppercuts and hooks. Also used my MT clinching skills to land some knees and even pulled of a nice "catch his kick" takedown. Unfortunately I didnt have the ground skills to finish. I secured a mount from behind but couldnt get my arm under his face gear to get the choke. If I had known a gi choke I could have easily scored an ippon tap out. In another ground clash he nearly got me with an arm bar due to me making the silly mistake of extending my arms at him while in his guard. A valuable lesson learned. I won the fight by unanimous decision. Second fight wasnt so easy. My oponent was fast and used range superbly to draw me in, catch me off ballance, and launch rushing punching attacks. I managed to tie him up and throw him a number of times, but again couldnt finish on the ground. He took away my best weapon, my kicks, while exploiting my worst weakness, punch defence. He won by unanimous decision. He went on to defeat 2 more fighters before facing my own dojo sempai in the finals. They fought to a draw and went into an extra round when my sempai, who was a Japanese rep in the last world tournie, tapped him out. So I felt no shame in losing to him. He was a tough cookie. I really learned alot from this tournie, about both my strengths and weaknesses. Its really given me a good understanding on what I need to work on to reach the top level in Kudo competition. When I first started competing in kickboxing and full contact Karate, lack of heart was a big issue for me. I just couldnt muster up the necessarry aggression ,and felt overwhelmed by the aggression of my opponents. Sometimes finding it hard to attack with confidence. Or sometimes going the opposite, and just trying too hard to KO, swinging wildly, in an attempt to end the fight ASAP! Even when I won , there were times in the fight where I was on the verge of just wanting to give up. Getting in the ring was something I feared, but I forced myself to do it because I was determined to face my fears and overcome them. I had heard arguements from people saying that heart was something you're either born with or never get it. Others argued it could be built through hard work. Well I chose to listen to the later opinion, and worked hard to forge my fighting spirit. Each fight I got a little stronger. This last fight I totally overcame my past inhibitions and fought with courage and determination. I know for alot of you that may just come naturally, but for me it was a great acheivement. I finally proved to myself that I have got what it takes, and I actually found the whole experience an increadible thrill. I cant wait to compete again! Heart can be attained through hard work. Anyway sorry for rambling on. I just felt compelled to share this and hope somebody out there can benifit from it.

This past month I've been training really hard to prepare for the tournie. Nothing special really, just doing everything more intensely. My dojo is very heavily Muay Thai influeced so the training is pretty typical of a MT / MMA gym. Shadow boxing/ Pad work/heavybag/technique drills/ sparring/clinching/ground fighting. Plus lots of push ups/sit ups/ squat jumps. And I've been doing sprints and hill runs when I can. Also I've been focusing on various techniques from MT clinching to use against Judo throws. We do practically no Judo in my Dojo, so I have to be prepared to deal with guys who are going to try and grab and throw. Stamina is a big issue for me, so I've been doing lots of interval training. i.e. going full on max output for a certain length of time then take a short rest, and repeat over and over. This can be done on Thai pads for 3 min rounds with 30 sec breaks, or on the heavy bag. Sometimes I'll do a 30 sec rush of balistic attacking, rest 10 secs ,and repeat, for the lenth of a couple of rounds. Another method is to do a curcuit of 4 or 5 exercises for a round. rest 30secs and repeat. I usually do squat jumps, running on the spot, pushups, sit ups, burpees, doing each for 10-15 reps and going straight to the next one.Keeping it at max pace all the way. Oh and the secret to stopping your plastic face mask from fogging up is... Dishwashing liquid! Just put a little on a rag and wipe the inside of the mask.Not only will you be able to see but you'll smell like lemons! It wont help you breathe any easier though. Man its hard to breathe in those things! It takes a bit of getting used to. And they're cumbersome on the ground too. But the benefits of using them makes it worth it. I'm curious about whether there are any styles in the rest of the world who use full face gear and fight without gloves. Anybody seen it?

Haha. Its good to hear these opinions of Daidojuku, cause thats what I do. Great clip! I remember the first time I saw it I thought it was too messy and "brawly" too. But thats what happens when you take all the restrictive rules out of karate competition. Real fights are messy brawls. Theres no room for pretty form, its just a matter of doing what works in the situation. And when you compete with these guys, you realise there is actually alot more technique to it then it appears. We combine karate, Judo, Muay Thai, and BJJ into a full contact knockdown format. You can clearly see techniques from each of these arts being used effectively against fully resisting opponents in the video. Its a good way to find out what really works against someone whos trying to knock your head off. Also, the video only showed clips of intense clashes. The whole fight isnt all like that. Well, maybe sometimes. As far as spectating goes though, I'd rather watch a good muayThai match. Alot more strategy and precision involved. But for my own training I enjoy the freedom and realism of Daidojuku. I'm going to be competing in the prelims for the tournie showed on the vid next week. Starting to get those pre comp nerves already.

I think we have to consider the various deffinitions of sparring in this discussion. Some of the styles mentioned as"no pads", dont allow hand strikes to the head. And possibly no low kicks for some too. If realism is your goal, I think you have to allow punches/elbows/whatever to the head. Try doing that with realistic contact and no pads and you're going to have a dojo full of very ugly fighters! Pads allow you to train with a certain amount of realism without severe injury, on a regular basis. Occasional competition without pads will give you a feel for real contact. Put them together and you're on your way to becomming a very proficient fighter. No pads usually means retricted targets and contact. Which doesnt teach realistic reactions.

Sorry I've been slow to reply. I totally forgot about this thread. I train at the kichijoji branch. Its on the Chuo line. Although we are a Daidojuku dojo we are heavily Muay Thai influenced, and compete in kickboxing events too.

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Butterfly twists are from wushu. Capoeira has awsome arials but the butterfly is not from capoeira. Ice scating also has butterflys but without the twist. And I'm pretty sure this was inspired by wushu performances. Karateka who do butterfly twists are combining karate with wushu and acrobatics. I wish they'd call it performance MA and not karate.

A book like that will probably give you a good intro to the basic techs of body building. Good enough for a start. But once you get seriously into strength training you'll want to look for something more specific for athletes. Body building and power training for sports are quite different. Pretty bodies and big muscles arent always as strong as they look. Following a body building program can actually have a negative effect on your progress.

Knowing bits and peices of various arts can give you a wider perspective, but it dosent qualify you to teach them.It dosent even mean you really understand them. In order to teach an art effectively you need to know its intracasies and theories intimately. Just cause you can 'beat' some of your seniors in sparring dosent mean you know your art better. After getting my 2nd dan I went on to dabble in various arts. Often I found my skills were superior to many of the MArtists I met, and I had more knowledge of various theories and techs than them. I starting thinking about starting my own style. I was young and naive. And there are alot of poor quality dojos around. After looking around more I eventually met people who showed me how little I really new. I've been training around 15 years now and I still consider myself an intermediate student. If I had tried to start my own style back then I would've ended up just another low quality teacher living in the illusion of my own ego. 17 is barely out of puberty. Trust me, you've got a long way to go, and you dont know nearly as much as you think you do .But thats what being 17 is, so dont take it personal. We've all been there.