Muay Thai Boxing Camp
Recommendation: Honour Muay Thai in Krabi, Thailand
I first heard about Thai boxing while traveling in a small town in Northern Thailand called Pai. A fellow traveler recommended a place that offered drop-in classes. I decided to go give it a try because “When in Thailand”, right? The class proceeded to kick my butt, quite literally.
I continued my travels through SE Asia with the intention of eventually landing back in Southern Thailand where Muay Thai training camps are as popular as mango sticky rice. After frolicking in Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia, I found myself back in Thailand. I was ready to dive deep into Muay Thai so I signed up for a two-week training camp in Ao Nang, a small town outside of Krabi.
The gym I chose was unique because it had real fighters training at it. Every morning I would wake up alongside them to begin our day of training. It started off with a long-distance run (anywhere from 4 to 10 miles), followed by shadow boxing, drills, sparring, and SO MANY sit ups. After the 2-3 hour morning training, we took a break in the middle of the day. That way when I'd go for a swim, nap, and consume as many calories as my body to take to regain energy. The afternoon training session started with what I considered the most challenging - jump roping or as they called it “skipping” for 30 minutes. As a kid I remember jump roping for hours, but I guess the 10-year-old me hadn't developed a sense for pain in my calves. The afternoon continued with more drills, sparing, and core work.
By the end of the two weeks, I was ready to jump in the ring for a match. JUST KIDDING. I was ready to sit myself on the beach for at least two weeks to recover. Although the training was intense, I loved every moment of it. Getting to become friends with the local Thai fights was a lesson on what discipline, passion, and grit looks like. I'm eager to visit and train at Honour Muay Thai again!
