Phuket Muay Thai Boxing Camp

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This trip I shall be mostly sweating. There were so many times when I turned to Jaggers (my EX travelling buddy) and said "I've never sweated this much in my life" - the first time in Bangkok, trekking in Chang Mai, climbing the steps of the Angkor temples.... but, no. That was a mere dribble compared to what I'm producing on a dailing basis at boxing camp. They make you skip for 20 mins as a warm up. And I don't mean the girlie kind (which will instantaneously produce a group of Thais mimicing you) - the fast Rocky Balboa kind with heavy ropes which wreck your arms and toes. On day 2 I got out of bed and fell over as my calves gave way. On day 3 I fell over and didn't get up again. Broken. But I passed the pain barrier and the masochist in me signed up for week 2 of being punched in the stomach in between sit ups.

The trainers are incredible. The head trainer, Chun, is smaller than me (yes, really) and is 5 foot of solid, deadly, hard as nails muscle. These are undoubtedly the fittest, toughest guys I've come across in the sports world. And they're all over Thailand. Even the little kids train at Muay Thai. So I'm coping, surrounded by perfect physiques (and the English and Aussie lads training are shaping up nicely too in fact) with a cycle of morning persecution... I mean training, massage, lunch, sleep and afternoon torture... I mean training. There are 3 types of massage here. 1) The oil kind. The kind you get in spas and stuff at home which I still think should be reserved for foreplay. 2) The Thai kind. Pressure points and pummelling and twisting which makes you wince but leaves you feeling like a lovely rag doll after. Although I'm still not convinced it's good for a back to crack that many times. And 3) the kind your trainer does with tiger balm on whichever particular muscle is too sore to even touch which they proceed to knead and pound as you punch the canvas in agony. I must confess. It does seem to get you standing again.

So only a few more days. I shall be sorry to leave my little wooden bungalow, my torturers and my fellow torturees. It has certainly been a bonding experience. Malaysia next. Home soon.

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Photos

Snake show - Phuket
Cobra kissing

Comments

[Wes]

What camp did you go to.
Hello, I was thinking of coming there to train. What camp did you attend?

[Trudy Harn]

Boxing camp
Hi It was half way between Kata and Chalong - I think the website is www.phuketmuaythai.com. There are a few on Phuket - there's a big one called Tiger which is outside Chalong. Our place was very friendly though and not as out in the sticks as the others. Would definitely recommend it! Trudy