We’ve all been there.

You have a plan in your mind and then something derails it completely.

(Shout out to Mike Tyson)

“Alright Dude, What the Flip”

So last week I spoke about flying to Bangkok to watch One Fight Night 16 - and what a ride it was!

Lumpinee and Rajadamnern in one day, watching so many great fighters and seeing Jonathan Haggerty, Erdem Dincer and Yothin FA Group win a belt each.

After that, I went straight into some amazing training:

Day 1 was FA group, the clinch wet dream - or should I say, sweat dream, because clinching + Bangkok heat + humidity = this

I really enjoyed myself and had an explosive session.

And, after clinching for 30-60 mins plus padwork with rounds that had no time limit, could see myself both learning a lot and getting in shape.

The gym was pretty intimate and you get great attention from coaches.

Plus, there’s also the option of private sessions and I really want to learn from Yothin.

Day 2 I woke up early for a session at PK Saenchai Muay Thai and got to see Tawanchai, Ognjen Topic, Muangthai and many others.

Again I had a really good experience on pads with Kru Anurak who kept saying “Roosh Boom Boom”.

Now, I’m going to assume this meant I had power behind my strikes, rather than the other ‘boom boom’ people talk about.

Anyway, PK Saenchai is a big gym, with 6 rings, a cage and lots of good quality equipment - there are also loads of fighters so it’s a really inspiring place to train.

Day 3 I woke up… and could barely move. No, not from muscle soreness after training, from being ill.

A tale as old as time, come to Thailand to train, and get ill instead.

This whole time I planned to use my previous experience as a strength, and start nice and slow with training.

Start with a session a day, with some rest days, not going at 100% while my body adapts to the new climate.

And then ramp up and become a Muay Thai destroyer.

Well, as a great fighter once said:

Mindset Matters

So you’re probably wondering how I got ill - did I eat something bad?

The answer is that I assume it’s just from being in close proximity to someone else who was ill.

There is ‘something going round’ which was confirmed at both of the gyms I visited.

I mean, Tawanchai was ill enough to be in hospital and postpone his fight with Superbon!

So sometimes, you just get unlucky.

I can’t pretend that it is all gravy, though. I was pretty annoyed and frustrated at the whole thing.

I had all these grand plans only for my body (and mind) to shut down before I could even get started.

I don’t get ill very often and this is pretty intense so I have to listen to my body and wait it out.

But, I always talk about the benefits of martial arts being resilience and mental fortitude, so now it is my time to put it into action.

I constantly remind myself how lucky I am to be in this amazing country, even if I am ill.

Like everything in life, I’ll come back stronger.

5 Tips to Avoid Getting Sick

In a slightly ironic turn of fate, let’s go over a few ways to avoid getting ill in Thailand.

And saying that, I have (fingers crossed) had a very happy belly in Thailand, I just happened to get unlucky with a virus.

• Water - don’t drink the tap water.

  • This is a pretty standard rule and also applies to anything which may contain water.

  • So, make sure any ice you drink is filtered ice. This is pretty easy because most ice will be.

  • Even the thai people don’t drink the tap water. But, avoid ice that looks sketchy/home made.

  • It also applies to freshly washed vegetables - if you eat a lot of salad, make sure the veg hasn’t been washed in tap water.

• Sharing - try and avoid sharing from communal items.

  • In a lot of camps they will have communal water jugs or cups for nak muays to drink from.

  • The tip on water applies here but the water is almost certainly safe to drink.

  • The real risk is sharing a cup with someone who is ill - they may be asymptomatic, or you wouldn’t know if they drank from a cup before you.

  • It’s best to stick to your own bottled water.

• Food Stalls - again, I have rarely had experiences with bad food.

  • I think most food vendors are pretty safe to eat at and the standard has increased loads over the years.

  • However, still keep an eye out for how the food is prepared.

  • Don’t eat anything which has been left out for a long time.

  • Especially meat - make sure it is made in front of you or looks freshly made and still hot.

• Disinfect - after training, you and your kit will be soaked through in sweat. I guarantee it.

  • Make sure you shower as soon as possible, and clean your body thoroughly.

  • This includes things like washing your feet and disinfecting any cuts or abrasions you may have picked up.

  • I even have an anti bacterial/viral/fungal spray I use straight after training.

  • Make sure to disinfect your equipment and leave it out in the open to dry.

• Prevent - The best way to prevent yourself from getting ill is to maintain a strong immune system.

  • I take vitamin d, vitamin c and magnesium to help with this (and more).

  • I also drink yakult in the morning to keep my gut microbiome healthy.

  • It also goes without saying that smoking, drinking and sleeping about make it more likely to get ill but hey, I’m not judging how you unwind.

So there you are, 5 ways to avoid getting sick. But, like I learned, it’s impossible to avoid getting ill with 100% certainty.

If you do get ill, make sure you listen to your body and don’t be wary of getting medical help.

Things can escalate quickly in a foreign country without your usual support network, so a safer approach is smarter.

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This week is slightly shorter cos, well, I’m half dying.

But let’s meet here next week for more Muay Thai goodness. I’ll have more fun updates, don’t worry.

I hope the start of your week is blessed.

TNT BABY 🧨