Dan McGowan receiving his pre fight massage ahead of his historic win over Rungarai at Yokkao 28 A vigorous rub down with Namman Muay massage oil (boxing liniment), was a key part of my personal pre-fight preparation. And I think every Thai boxer has an amusing story about [...]
Many Thai boxers dream of making it big in Muay Thai, but in reality not many will... And not because they aren’t physically capable of doing so, but simply because they lack the motivation or the process to do so. They fail to achieve simply because they don’t know how to succeed. There is [...]
You might not be ready to hear this, but I’m going to say it anyway. Guess what, everything that happens to you is your fault. …I can feel a wave of aversion rising – “but” what if this, or that… Ok, to pander to this argument a little... other people can affect what happens to [...]
Over the Bank Holiday weekend I was privileged to spend 2-days with Joel Jamieson of 8weeksout.com, widely recognised as one of the foremost experts on strength and conditioning for combat sports, and someone that has heavily influenced my personal approach to athletic training and energy systems conditioning in particular. This was his first time [...]
Every element within your being constantly swings between two opposite extreme states like a pendulum. This fluctuation is normal as your body strives to maintain balance. But, if the pendulum swings too far, balance is lost, problems arise and breakdown is inevitable. This principle is true at every level of existence, from the solar [...]
My early morning run was feeling easier today, my pace was quicker than previous outings and my mind was sparking - thoughts, ideas where hitting me without conscious effort as I sprung along. At last I was beginning to feel myself again after a training hiatus. As I neared the end of the run [...]
It's commonly known that a fighter must be focused. An unfocused, mentally distracted fighter doesn't perform well. But, what isn't commonly known is there are two types of focus. One that can help a little (or potentially overload and paralyse you), and one that taps into your flow state, unleashing your full potential. This [...]
In this post I'm not comparing the modern-day MuayThai ringsport with it's origins in the battlefields of ancient Siam. I'm going to explain my thoughts on how any sports person can transcend beyond a biomechanical system of levers and physiological power plant. When does physical action become an art? What are the benefits and [...]
Yodsankai Fairtex showing the sak yant on his hands -designed to make his hands fly trueImage source: MyMuayThai Thailand is a very superstitious country, and this crosses over into all areas of life, none more so than Muay Thai – Thai kickboxing. Thai boxers perform all manner of prefight rituals from sealing [...]
