Posts Tagged ‘Muay Thai camps in Thailand’

Yuth Pan Gym

Posted on: August 2nd, 2011 by admin 1 Comment

So my last post was about Pinyo Muay Thai, in my opinion the best gym to train Muay Thai at in Koh Samui. Although I loved the place there was still one more gym that I needed to visit. It’s between Lamai and Chaweng beach and you will see it on the top of a hill on the left side if your heading towards Chaweng. It’s a brand new gym called Yuth Pan and its situated on the inside of hillside, in fact the back of the gym is not a wall, but an outcrop of rock so it sort of feels like your training in a cave. They also have some weights in the back but they are not of good quality nor much variety at all. Kinda like the set up you get at crappy hotel “fitness centers”.

That’s about where the positives end because if Pinyo Gym is at the top of my list, than this place is on the bottom. I went there for the morning session to find out that they don’t do any pads in the morning. All they do is jump rope shadow box and hit the bag. Now you can do alot with that if you have a really good trainer guiding you, but no not at this gym. The trainer was terrible and didn’t even show the future potential that the trainer from Rose Gym (also a new gym) Chang had. This guy was stuck in his ways and those ways were not worth the money you pay to train here. He offered no advice while I was shadow boxing or hitting the bag and thats because he was so impressed with my skill level. I guess he assumed he had nothing to teach me which is totally wrong. All it means is that he is by no means a stadium level fighter nor a trainer. I did not even get the guys name. After my crappy morning session I came by in the afternoon because I figured it would be worth checking out the pad work before passing any judgment.

The padwork was all he same. In fact he gave me two punch combinations to repeat over and over again. Jab, Jab, Cross and Jab, Jab, Cross, Jab, Cross and of course the mandatory kick at the end. And he wasted my time like this for 15 minutes without offering a word of advice or throwing a single kick at me to even block and counter. Couldn’t even hold pads securely so that you would at least get that popping sound when you hit it properly.

Place was brand new and when I talked to the owner he was kind of embarrassed with the training that was going on and kept telling me how he was going to get new trainers.

Anyway, if it remains the way it is I don’t know how it will stay in business. If your curious, try out an afternoon session and let us know. But otherwise, it’s in your best interests to stay away from here.

Pinyo Gym

Posted on: August 2nd, 2011 by admin No Comments

Lamai Muay Thai on Monday, SuperPro on Tuesday and on Wednesday I headed to Pinyo Gym, also by Lamai Beach. I will tell you upfront that this ended up being my favorite gym during my time on Koh Samui. Great training and a great atmosphere.

When I went into the gym I immediately felt the same type of acceptance and camaraderie that I felt going to True Bee gym. In fact Pinyo gym touts the fact that even after one training session you become part of the family. I really felt this and actually read that on their website AFTER training there and getting that vibe.

Apart from the great vibe, the training is also top notch. The head trainer and owner Pinyo is a mad genius. One of the sessions I came too he was teaching everyone seminar style about reactions to kicks and the intensity this guy brought was something I have not seen from a Muay Thai instructor. He really, I mean REALLY wanted the students to learn and learn well. He was pacing around, dripping in sweat looking like a crazed cross between Richard Simmons and Mozart who happens to be a Muay Thai machine. Definetly one of the best instructors I have come across in Thailand and I have experienced many. He’s like that one professor you had in college whose class everyone wanted to attend. The guy is good. I promise you that.

The training is typical of any Muay Thai camp. Skipping, shadow boxing, pad work, clinch and calisthenics. Some of the other things they seem to do is a technique class three times a week in the morning and sparring three times a week in the afternoon.

My trainer  for most of the time there a guy named Lek, one of the most motivating trainers I have ever had and made me want to push myself really hard, really lit a fire under me. He really gets into the padwork and is constantly making you work not just in the sense making you do a million kicks but making you react and counter etc. I honestly have to say that I had my hardest pad work sessions in Thailand with Lek. If you see him let him know “Somchai” says hello. He looks kind of like Dan Henderson just in case :)

The rounds are three and half minutes long with 3 rounds on sparring days and 5 rounds on non sparring days.

The training is 300 per session with no daily rate, something which I hope they change and the weekly rate is 2500 which is substantially higher than Lamai or SuperPro which both have a 2,000 baht rate for training. However I personally would not mind paying that little extra to be a part of a gym where I am getting treated as a member of the team rather than some guy paying money to do his pad rounds. After the first time I trained here I knew I had found my place to train in Samui.

Definitely without a doubt, in my opinion the winner for best camp to train at in Samui. For more info, you can check out their website http://www.pinyomuaythai.com/.

Changes made in upcoming spring schedule

Posted on: April 26th, 2010 by admin No Comments

The May 16th scheduled Pakistan Warrior Challenge (PWC) has been canceled and has now been changed to a Shaheen Smoker. The next PWC is still to be announced and there is no scheduled tentative date as of yet.

The upcoming Shaheen Smoker may also include kick boxing and grappling matches if willing participants are founds.

In other news, Shaheen MMA Academy should officially open in time for the Shaheen Smoker.

To get a better idea of what is going on behind the scenes please read the blog entry by PAK-MMA President and Owner of Shaheen MMA Academy, Bashir Ahmad

Read it HERE

PTV Seminar (with video)

Posted on: January 23rd, 2010 by admin No Comments

Apologies for the late delivery of this article. The website was down for almost a week and just got back online.

On January 17th, at Sukh Chan Wellness club in Gulberg, Lahore Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan partnered with Fite Selektor to hold an MMA seminar for Pakistan Television. The purpose of the seminar was to educate the Pakistani audience on what Mixed Martial Arts is as well as let everyone know that there is a reality show taking place and that we are looking for as many applicants as possible.

The exercise studio at Sukh Chan had about 40-50 people during the shooting. People from all walks of life attended the seminar ranging from domestic workers to those working for international firms. Children just starting their martial training were in the crowd alongside some of the top Martial Artists in the country.

The seminar dealt with the history of modern MMA, what MMA is (a form of competition), the sports rules and the latest news regarding Fite Selektor Reality Show. This was the first part of the seminar, the second part of the seminar had players from various Martial Arts put on demos ranging from Kata’s to light sparring. With each demonstration Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan gave commentary and analysis about what was going on as well as how each style contributes to MMA.

After the demo’s there was a wrap up where Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan summarized the days events and ended with the conclusion that there was a lot of talent in Pakistan that just needed a platform and outlet to be recognized. Fite Selektor is helping make that happen. Then came the issue of wether or not pakistan is ready for such a new sporting event in light of the current situation. MMA Pakistan is of the opinion that Pakistani’s just want to go on with their lives as they normally do, and this sport has such potential in the country that the current security situation will not pose an obstacle in it’s path to supreme popularity.

A special thanks goes out to all those who attended particularly those instructors who came with their students. Thanks, Shahbaz Ali Khan, Shafiq Awan and Aamir Butt for attending and to all your students. Thanks to all those who performed at the seminar helping make it the success it was.

Next up on the MMA Pakistan agenda is continuing to look for fighters from all around Pakistan to compete in Fite Selektor and to begin organizing an amateur MMA event in Model Town Lahore on the 14th of February. Details regarding this will be announced in the coming weeks. Those who want to fight please contact info@pak-mma.com or call 0334 413 7706.

Those who wish to take part in Fite Selektor please send the following information to info@pak-mma.com

Name -

Age -

Location-

Weight -

Experience -

Phone Number -

PICTURE in fighting stance -

Please keep yourself updated and take some time to look around the website and watch how MMA has developed in Pakistan! MMA Pakistan the original origin and destination of all things Mixed Martial Arts in Pakistan!

Enjoy the video.

Learn the Three Deadliest Submission Moves in Mixed Martial Arts

Posted on: November 24th, 2009 by admin 2 Comments

Some fight fans do not fully appreciate mixed martial arts (MMA), claiming that it’s boring and unexciting. This is completely understandable coming from fight fans that typically enjoy watching boxing or other contact sports. It’s highly likely that the reason they find MMA boring is because they love watching knockouts, which rarely happen in MMA competitions. However, if you’re a true student of the game, your preference may lean towards submission moves. Submission moves may not be as glamorous as knockouts, but they are more rewarding if you know how to do them because they involve a lot more skill and strategy. Just as devastating as a knockout, submission techniques require more discipline and patience in learning to find the perfect timing for these. There are many forms of submission techniques, but this article aims to discuss the four most effective MMA submission moves. If you master any of these, you can try it to the next guy who treats you like crap. He’ll regret what he did and apologize within seconds, guaranteed.

Rear naked choke
Despite its odd name, the rear naked choke has nothing to do with being naked, but everything with rear and choke, as it is a form of a chokehold that must be executed from behind an opponent. When your opponent is facing away from you, usually when his back is turned on you, you can wrap one arm around his neck with your forearm pushing against one side of his neck and your bicep against the other. Then use your other arm to push against the back of his head. You can apply more pressure by simply pushing the back of his head harder towards your wrapped arm.

Most chokeholds put pressure on a person’s windpipe. This can take a while before putting the person to sleep. The rear naked choke, on the other hand, pinches the carotid arteries, which supply blood and oxygen to the head. When done correctly, your opponent will tap out or lose consciousness within a few seconds. This is why this choking method is considered the quickest and deadliest technique in MMA.

Omoplata
This is one of the toughest moves to execute but will guarantee an instant victory when done correctly. The omoplata works like this; after putting your opponent in a Kimura hold, you should lift your leg over your opponent’s shoulder and push under his chin. Then you should sit up, shift your weight, and lean forward so you can hyper rotate your opponent’s arm. If you’re on the receiving end of this submission technique, it is possible you’ll scream in pain. Which is why if your opponent does not submit within a few seconds, it’s very likely that he’ll be suffering from severe shoulder injuries.

Triangle Choke
The term triangle choke was coined because the head is trapped between three limbs; the other person’s two legs and his own arm. From the guard position, you trap your opponent’s arm and pull it forward. Then put your leg opposite to the isolated arm behind your opponent’s head and make sure that you lock that leg into place with your other leg. This makes your opponent trapped, and you can easily apply more pressure until the poor chap quits or loses consciousness.

Martial Arts Supplies and Equipment

Posted on: November 23rd, 2009 by admin No Comments

To do extremely well in any sports or discipline and especially the martial arts, the competitor needs the right training equipment and gear. There are hundreds of martial arts styles all over the world and a lot of styles use some sort of equipment, especially the competitive fighting arts.

The mixed martial arts, which are a blend of some of the combat arts from all over the world, like Judo, Karate, Thai Boxing, and kung fu make use of some traditional gear as well as boxing equipment.

Some mixed martial arts make use of a punching bag, a speed bag, and a double end bag or floor to ceiling ball. These fighting bags all help increase various skills in a combatant. The heavy punching bag helps with clout, the speed bag with hand eye coordination and the double end bag improves punching accuracy and tempo as well.

Some martial artist make use of the Thai bag, which is an extremely long bag, sometimes up to six feet, that allows martial artists to practice devastating lower leg kicks.

Another great piece of martial arts supplies is the kick shield. This is nothing more than a large leather shield that is used for blocking and absorbing blows and kicks during a workout. The shield is great as the target can be moved around the room and also used for low or high kicks to practically any part of the body, including the stomach, chest, and legs.

Mixed martial artists also use focus mitts, which are also versatile. The focus mitts are great for accuracy and endurance for long bouts; they can not only be punched, but also for skilled martial artist can kick them held in a variety of positions. The function of this particular piece of equipment is to help fighters develop fast and fluid combinations.

Another important training item is the protection gear that professional boxers and fighters wear. The mixed martial artist sport normally wear a four ounce glove or similar. The boxing gloves average around ten ounces. For both styles, hand injuries can end the fighter’s career and participation in the sport, so the correct training and protective gear is vital.

No matter if you punch, grab, grapple, or box, martial art supplies can help you get the most out of your training and fighting skills.

Mixed Martial Arts – Importance of Fitness and Nutrition

Posted on: November 23rd, 2009 by admin 5 Comments

Martial arts are more of a way of life and a life style that a sport. Even though awareness was lacking for a considerable amount of time regarding the role of fitness and nutrition in a martial athlete`s life, it has done wonders for those who were influenced by it. Today, sports nutrition has developed into a science and is responsible for the increasing number of athletes pushing their performance towards excellence. Athletes become faster, stronger and able to resist injuries owing to the influence of proper nutrition and fitness. Still, majority have not taken advantage of the nutrition that has done wonders for many others.

Mixed martial arts permit a variety of strikes and tactics which are not permitted in most sport events. Punching, grappling and kicking are part of these tactics. Here, techniques take a back seat and the stamina and strength of the body comes into play. That is why a school of thought puts high importance to nutrition in the life of mixed martial art athletes.

Another school of thought stresses that techniques comes first and giving undue importance to physical strength would mar the beauty and acceptability of these martial arts. They argue that these arts have been in place for many centuries and have developed into art forms. They further argue that physical strength never came into play earlier where smallish fighters could trip up heftier opponents by relying on techniques only.

But people participated in these martial arts for pride and not for monetary benefits. However, most of these mixed martial art forms have taken a commercial bend today and some are even recognized as Olympic sport events. This has fanned competition where the fighters look forward to latch on to any minute weakness of the opponent. Physical prowess started assuming more importance. Superior techniques still win you a spar, but being stronger, faster and having quick reflexes are seen as added advantages these days.

Carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, vitamins and anti oxidants play an important part in grooming the physique. Proper intake of these not only betters energy, they can sharpen minds too. Fibrous carbohydrate sources like vegetables, lentils and brown rice to name a few aids performance and reduces body weight.

Artificial nutrition supplements like Colostrum and Creatine, to name a few, are relied upon by many mixed martial arts performers to increase potency. However, these kinds of chemical supplements have their own drawbacks. Understanding one`s own body, its strengths, limitations and requirements is essential before he or she embarks upon the process of ingesting performance improving supplements.

Schedule for the next 2 months!

Posted on: November 13th, 2009 by admin 1 Comment

Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan is about to get very busy! We a lot of stuff planned over the next 8 weeks. Make sure to try and show up at any event you can and bring friends and family. If we don’t cover a city please let us know and we will try and include it on our tour. Please remember these are tentative dates. Nothing is finalized until we get feedback from fans on the ground. Remember Mixed Martial Arts Pakistan is YOU. You are going to make this happen. The fans and supporters of all Martial Arts are going to lead the way to a new stage in Pakistani sport. So, here are the tentative dates.

November 21st

Grappling session in Karachi – time and location to be announced

For those who want to get the most out of the seminars in Karachi it is highly recommended you attend these sessions!

December 1st

On Site Interview With Shah “No Pain” Hussain in London!

December 6th – 9th

Seminars in Lahore

Dec 9th – 12th

Seminars in Karachi

December 12th – Jan 3rd

Full time training in Lahore

Jan 3rd – 8th

Seminars in Islamabad

So that’s the basic idea of what will be going on for the next couple months

FiteSelektor tried coming to Pakistan for MMA show

Posted on: November 11th, 2009 by admin 1 Comment

This has been out for a while but decided it was worth sharing with the readers to give you some idea how big MMA is getting around the world and that there are already promotions looking to bring it to Pakistan and recruit Pakistani fighters.

Here is a press release from a Dubai based MMA promotion called “Fiteselektor.”

“Fiteselektor, the Dubai based Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) event will start it’s FITESELEKTOR GLOBAL TALENT TOUR in January 2009 in Pakistan.
MMA is a spectacular combination of wrestling and full contact kickboxing techniques.
Fiteselektor is the only MMA concept in the world where the audience decides, by means of SMS voting, who is fighting whom.
Fiteselektor’s first port of call will be Pakistan, where over the course of January 2009 fighters will be recruited all over the country.
These fighters will be selected in a reality tv program where they will undergo gruelling MMA training while competing with each other. The Fiteselektor jury decides who will make it to the next round. The ultimate winner will be awarded a professional MMA contract as well as a considerable amount of money.
More details will be provided in the press conference, scheduled for mid December 2008 in Karachi, Pakistan.”

Based on very reliable sources close to MMA Pakistan, FiteSelektor was not able to find anyone in Pakistan to aid them in their search for fighters. MMA Pakistan’s website came online just three months after this press release. However, that is ok. Next time they come, and it will be sooner than later, we’ll be ready and waiting with fighters from Pakistan

Grappling Fundamentals Part One

Posted on: November 3rd, 2009 by admin No Comments

This is not about BJJ, its not about wrestling, it’s not about judo. It’s about grappling or ground fighting. As an instructor once told me, “grappling at the highest levels is all the same”. What this means is that the fundamental concepts of grappling are the same no matter if your a judo black belt or a kushti wrestler. Of course the rules of your particular game may differ but the physical concepts of leverage, momentum, weight distribution etc don’t change.

In grappling there are two main facets to consider. One is positional dominance and control and the other is submissions.

Positional dominance is controlling your opponents body on the ground, an example of this is having someone in the full mount which is where you are sitting on top of your opponent. The person on top is in a dominant position because he can rain down strikes wit great effect on his opponent due to gravity while his opponent is pretty much helpless. Positional control comes into play regarding how effective you are in holding mount. You could get the mount position but then have huge problems staying on, constantly defending the chance of being bucked off. However, for someone with good positional control they can sit on top of their opponent and no matter how hard the other is struggling to buck them have total control with which to rain down effective strikes. Wrestlers are known for being very good with positional dominance and positional control.

Submissions are techniques applied on the ground (however they CAN be applied standing but are much harder to pull off, almost never see this in a pro fight) where a limb in manipulated beyond its normal range of motion causing pain and the potential for serious injury or when a choke is applied causing the opponent to lose consciousness. The most well known and utlized art form for this aspect of grappling in MMA is Brazillian Jiu Jitsu.

They are different animals but very closely related to each other with a few exceptions. The link between the two lies in the fact that generally speaking, a submission is much easier to obtain when you are in dominant position.

It’s all in the hips, is what my BJJ instructor always tells me. There is a lot of truth in that. To control an opponent, controlling their hips is very important. With the hips your opponent will try to get to guard, buck you off or scoot away to get to their knees. Controlling the hips is very important. This does not mean you should ignore the upper body, it just means that it requires more strength, attention, focus and technique to control a good opponents hips than it does his upper body.

A good drill to do for first time grapplers is to take turns with a partner trying to control each other in either side mount or mount. This will teach you to get used to being pinned underneath someone and remaining calm while looking for a way out. It will also teach the controlling partner how to remain on top of a resisting opponent without losing position. There are many techniques that are involved in this one aspect of ground fighting however this lays down the foundation of what is a long road of learning.

So they key point that one should learn from the article is that learn how to control position before submission. This is particularly true for MMA because from a dominant position you also have the added option of strikes making your top position all the more advantageous.