Towards the real Muay Thai: Doubts and fears of a beginner | Part 1

Ok, You took a decision. You are going to book your flight to Bangkok, following the dream of learning real Muay Thai in Thailand. Maybe you have already practiced this discipline near your home, or maybe you’re a newbie. Whatever your level is, it’s quite natural that before arriving to the camp you’re going to train, some hesitation may flow in your head. Will You be able to stand a training specially studied for professional athletes? Will You be able to be in tune with the Thai trainers who have hundreds of fights on their back? How will You feel with the local food? These are the typical questions that could come up in your mind and make you esitate during the final stage of your booking. Personally, I know it very well: I lived through it too! Thinking clearly, there are questions that we come across every time we get close to something we don’t know, every time that we exit our “comfort zone”, but exitting this “comfort zone”, is a fundamental key to achieve a personal improvement.

One of the first questions could be, is it complicated to reach a camp outside Bangkok? (advisable choice if You’re looking for a calm place to totally dedicate on Muay Thai). It could not be easy, but in my case, “7 Muay Thai gym” staff, the camp located in Rayong province where I spent my stay, helped me to win my worries.  They gave me indications to easily (and economically) reach Rayong, with coaches that were leaving directly from Bangkoks airport (Suvarnabhumi). The “7 Muay Thai” camp could have also organized me a taxi to come pick me up directly at the airport and leave me at the camp, for just a few more bucks, but I actually preferred a DIY solution.

And once I got to the camp? Maybe You’ve heard that Thai gyms are particularly dirty, and you’re expecting to face a unhygienic environment.

Otherwise, since you’re going to cross a territory populated by real ‘warriors’, you could think that you’re going to spend the holiday in company with grumpy and threatening people, but actually, these fears didn’t come up in my case. Where I’ve been, the environment cleanliness was one of the camps excellence points, that stands out from other camps, so much that every day the staff was cleaning the common areas and the guest rooms.

The people who accompanied me during the trainings were professional athletes or Muay Thai lovers like me who were there with the simple goal to mutually improve. During my stay, the champions were always kind on giving me suggestions and improvements. Indeed I also had the possibility to spar with them sometimes, with no possibilities of hurting myself, since their extreme ability to “calibrate” themselves in front of a beginner. There were no exalted wrangler or crazy people, as you can find in western gyms, but only human beings immersed in their passion with a true heart! All the negative and bad people are kept away from places like this one.

Second part soon on MuayFarang.com!

(http://www.muayfarang.com/towards-real-muay-thai-doubts-fears-beginner-part-2/)

Author: Michele Basile