“Bored rich guy”.

Also, “Hi I’m rich and I’m doing nothing useful”

These are some of the responses I’ve had when I tell people that I have decided to travel to 100 Muay Thai gyms around the world.

Maximise Your Money

So I recently posted a new video which covers why I am doing what I do.

As always (and mainly thanks to amazing people like you) the response was a thing of beauty.

Support, encouragement, and general good vibes.

But, this time, I was surprised by a few comments on Reddit, wielding the term “rich” like it was a barbed insult.

(You can check out the post here, if you’re nosy)

Geo Arbitrage

Now I have no idea why (i) being called rich is an insult, and (ii) people automatically assume it’s true in my case.

So I wanted to talk about something called Geographic Arbitrage.

That’s just a fancy way of saying that your money can buy you more in different countries.

Essentially, if you earn in a strong currency (e.g. USD) in one part of the world, that money is going to buy you a lot more in other countries like Thailand or Indonesia.

You can then use this to access a higher quality of life.

So, as well as responding to small amounts of internet hate, I also wanted to give you a few life updates.

I now have an apartment in Koh Samui that I am renting for around 18,000 Baht a month.

That’s around 400 British pounds or 500 USD.

It’s not huge luxury but I have a living room, ensuite and access to a pool and coworking space.

The apartment is cleaned weekly and my laundry is done for 1500 Baht (£35/$45) per month.

I also have a motorbike for 3000 Baht (£65/$85) per month.

That is the major necessities, except for food, for about £500/month.

And food is extremely affordable, accessible and varied.

I could easily reduce those costs by living more of a backpacker lifestyle.

Living in London, rent prices were bordering on ridiculous.

Last year, I was being turned down to even view rooms in shared apartments for £1500/month.

And let’s not even go into transport, food, bills and all of the other costs.

Anyway, the point of this was to say that yes, the flights can be expensive, but that does not mean everything else is.

I have applied this concept in other countries - in Portugal I ended up paying around 700EUR for a month and a half of rent.

It doesn’t take being rich to do this. Sure, it would help.

But what it does take, and what I believe is the most important, is being bold and being comfortable with feeling a little unsure about how things will turn out.

But, that’s where faith comes in. Take a leap and see where it goes.

I think most of those comments were the result of limiting beliefs on the part of the person commenting.

It’s far easier to write someone off as rich or talented or lucky for doing something out of the ordinary.

So, dear friend, don’t hold yourself back.

Think about what is possible rather than thinking about all the reasons something is impossible.

5 Tips for Training at a Muay Thai Camp in Thailand

So, you’ve decided to train in Thailand. Well you are in for an AMAZING time.

The level of teaching available, the warm air, the people you meet… Strap in!

Here are 5 tips to make sure you make the most of the experience:

1. PACE YOURSELF - the first tip I ALWAYS give is to take it easy if you are here for more than a few days.

There is so much your body has to adjust to.

Not just the new time zone, but the intensity of training, the weather, the new diet, the new bacteria etc etc.

When I first trained in Thailand I spent two days training once a day and then switched straight to training twice a day.

That was a mistake and two weeks later I had different injuries AND it was easier to get ill.

If you have the time, spend a week training once a day, then ramp up to twice a day every other day.

Train at 50% at first and increase intensity as time goes on.

You might feel amazing after a few days and be tempted to go hard but that’s usually too early.

You get the picture. Take it slow. This will pay dividends later.

2. PRIVATES - Make sure you wear underwear.

Nah, I’m just kidding! (But wear underwear.. probably)

Classes are great but don’t forget that at many camps you can book 1 to 1 classes (AKA privates/PTs).

These are so incredibly useful if you have found either a trainer you gel with, someone who has specialist knowledge, or a famous fighter.

They may seem expensive in comparison to normal class prices, but think about what you are getting in return.

And, compare them to the prices of training in your home country.

The most expensive PT I did was roughly £200 for a session with the GOAT, Saenchai.

How much would you pay for a football 1 to 1 with Messi? Or a boxing 1 to 1 with Mike Tyson?

Do PTs - they can really level you up.

3. STAY CLEAN - Thailand is either very hot or very humid, or both.

Gyms have at least two classes of people covering the general environment in sweat, every day.

Add mysterious illnesses, bacteria, fungi, parasites etc etc.

Then add clinching and sweat going into your eyes and mouth.

Yeah. Showering is obviously a given but make sure to clean your body thoroughly after training.

I also have an antibacterial/viral/fungal spray that I use on my body and on my kit straight after training.

This is really useful for spraying any small cuts or scrapes you may get.

(Also remember we get 15% off Muay Thai gear - link here).

4. Rhythm - this is something I almost never see trained in western countries.

Try and work on your rhythm at all times.

There’s a reason they play live music at fights in Thailand.

Watch experienced (and especially Thai) fighters during training and you’ll notice a sway or a back and forth.

You can naturally develop this with your padholder. When you first start, try and gauge their rhythm and pace and match it.

After a while you might find you both sync up and techniques start to flow out of you.

5. Balance - this is something which, again, can go under the radar in the West.

Balance is very important in Muay Thai.

I have often been amazed at how much care people take with their foot placement.

You can see a fighter absolutely demolish the pads, throwing kicks that could stop a truck, but if you watch their feet every step is controlled.

This is especially important when avoiding sweeps or in the clinch.

But generally, there’s an emphasis on your body frame and your balance.

So don’t just focus on throwing techniques with speed and power. Practice mindfulness and balance - on the bag, on pads, during sparring.

What else would you suggest? Have I missed anything? Shoot me a DM or respond to this email!

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Let’s meet here next week for more Muay Thai goodness!

I hope the start of your week is blessed.

TNT BABY 🧨