It’s very bittersweet for us to announce that our July Muay Thai Fight Camp has officially ended. Over the course of four weeks there was a sense of unity amongst both participants and trainers. It’s not often that strangers will be able to eat together, train together, enjoy Thailand together, and stay in a resort with each other. We believe that strong bonds of friendship were made in July, and we enjoyed hosting each and every participant of the camp, and are excited to hear that most of them will be coming back for camps in the near future. As the next camp begins, we would like to highlight some of the greatest and most meaningful moments of July’s Muay Thai Fight Camp.
The Journey of A Muay Thai Fight Camp
Imagine your first day as an exchange student freshman in a foreign high school. No friends. No clue what to expect. Not sure where to go, what to do, or how to talk to the people around you that speak a different language. Typically at these camps everyone arrives at different dates and different times during the day. While shy at first, eventually campers began to gravitate towards each other and friendships began to develop.
Having Brett Hlavacek host the July camp was a dream come true for us at Khongsittha and the participants of the camp. He’s a two-time WBC World Champion and is going to be fighting in one of the world’s largest promotions in September. He came in with a complete understanding of how to coach and train each Nak Muay, assessing their strengths and weaknesses, and giving them his advice from years of experience. Outside of camp, Brett’s hospitality was amazing, partnering up with Khongsittha to make sure that everyone was having a good time and experiencing everything Bangkok has to offer.
Evan Khongsittha had pretty much quit everything back home and came to train with Khongsittha for two months. The amount of progress that we’ve seen him accomplish has been a thrill to watch and he will most likely be fighting within the next few months.
Kate Khongsittha, pictured here, had a very similar story coming into this July fight camp. She quit everything back home with aspirations to improve her Muay Thai skills and fight in Thailand.
During our camp, we had various visits from former and current champions of Muay Thai. Saenchai, the greatest pound for pound fighter of all time, came for a visit and our Fight Camp participants were able to get both group and individual pictures with the Muay Thai legend.
Later on in the camp, we took a journey to Ayutthaya, the ancient temples situated an hour outside of the city. It was an amazing experience for everyone involved, minus the lack of air-conditioning in our van at the time!
As the fight camp progressed, these were the typical training sessions that were scheduled. If you’re interested in what “Big Cock Fights” are at Khongsittha for the 10:30 a.m. session, you’ll have to subscribe here.
July’s Fight Camp participants were able to see over five fights during their time here.
- Thai Fight
- Thairath
- Lumpinee Stadium Fights
- Super Muay Thai
- Max Muay Thai Pattaya
Typical post-workout included stretching sessions. We carefully observed every person to make sure that no injuries occurred during this Fight Camp.
Throughout the entire camp, our trainers were able to give everyone a uniquely tailored experience. At Khongsittha, our motto is to give every participant elite-level training while also keeping things lighthearted and fun.
A quote from one participant:
“As for Trainers, I was quickly drawn to Rong. He made it a point to take care of me in every way possible. I am recovering from a shoulder injury and he and Pong (another Trainer) were quickly there to ensure I wasn’t pushing it too hard and taking the necessary steps to ensure I stopped or got the necessary treatment if I felt pain. He was by far the most knowledgeable and took us under his wing. Additionally, despite killing everyone with conditioning and rounds of pad and bag work, all of the trainers ensured we were also having fun, joking with us and making us all feel comfortable and happy to be training.”
We made sure to accommodate everyone’s gear needs and were able to create custom shorts for most of our fight camp participants. This particular pair reads, “Nana Nick.” Nana Plaza is an infamous area of Bangkok known for its lively atmosphere and great nightlife. It looks like Nick Khongsittha enjoyed his time with us!
Our trainers have a combined fight count of well over a 1000 and many were previous stadium champions. Throughout the course of a month, they crafted training routines that left everyone in the fight camp exhausted at the end of a session but with a genuine sense of accomplishment.
Towards the end of July, we were lucky enough to have Kaew Fairtex, a current K1 and stadium champion to come and hold a seminar for the Fight Camp. Again, our Nak Muays were given high-level training while still being able to keep the entire experience light and fun. Everyone was given the opportunity for a light sparring session with Kaew to test their skills.
At the end of the camp, we gave one dedicated Nak Muay a sponsorship for an additional month here at Khongsittha. Kate has been an amazing participant at our gym and it will be a pleasure having her here for one more month.
Until We Muay Thai Again
Unfortunately, most great times have an end date, and we sent off some truly remarkable people back home. July was an incredible month for us here at Khongsittha, and we’re excited to continue providing an amazing experience for our August Fight Camp and future camps as well. A special thanks to Nak Muay Nation and Brett Hlavacek for bringing their fighters to the camp. Our goal is to provide everyone with the opportunity to train hard, learn invaluable techniques, and also be able to experience Thailand – its culture, its food, and Thai hospitality.
