FALL SHORT OF THIS, AND THE FAILURE IS YOURS.

RUNNING - 10 kms a day, around 1 hour. You need this for endurance, and this is a must; if you want to fight, this is not negotiable. Running will build your endurance and help with breathing. You also need this to build your leg muscles for both power in your kicks and to withstand contact from your opponent in a fight.

TRAINING - 5 - 6 hours a day. This will involve daily training at your camp with your trainer and fellow fighters. It will involve many exercises, bag and pad work, grappling, sparring, endurance training, and other activities, depending on the camp you train with. Your trainer will push you to your limits every day; you can never be fit enough for a fight, and you will need to prove to your trainer that you are ready. No trainer in Thailand will put a fighter up who is not ready to fight. WHY - Because trainers have reputations the same as fighters and won't be embarrassed by fighting someone they know will lose, Foreign or Thai. If you want to fight, you need to earn the right to do it, and you do that by getting through your training every day. The trainer will know if you are ready. Remember from day one: this is serious, and you need to compose yourself as a fighter from the start. This is your new life. Boxing is a huge commitment if you want to be a successful fighter.

DIET - You will need to become a health freak. The good thing about Thailand is the variety of food available; there is healthy food everywhere, but there is also food that is not so healthy. A big part of fighting pound for pound in Thailand is stripping your body of any excess fat so you are not fighting overweight. Body fat is a handicap, and you will need to avoid excessive sugar, salt, and fat to prevent this. We are not dietitians to give out advice,  but you will need to get the healthy stuff into your body. Chicken, pork, eggs, rice, and vegetables are all readily available anywhere in Thailand. You will burn through the carbs fast from the extreme training. Eat fruit daily. Healthy foods like Muesli and cereals are also good if you can get them from a supermarket, depending on your location. Vitamins, minerals, supplements: we recommend a daily multivitamin plus whatever else you need. Again, we are not experts on supplements, but anything else you feel will help. Calcium: you will need very strong bones for this. Magnesium, Iron, Fish Oil, etc.? Do your own research or get professional advice before you go, as it can be hard trying to buy this stuff at the pharmacy when you don't speak or read Thai. Anything to give you energy and well-being, you will be glad you took these with you when you start training.

VICE - Alcohol, cigarettes, drugs, it all has to go. Forget about it if you can't commit to this. If you take medicine prescribed by a doctor, seek advice before you start. Professional athletes avoid all this, you need to as well. This isn't a sport to see how you go in your first fight, it's very dangerous, and you can get hurt if you're not ready. Your mind needs to be 100% clear and focused the whole time.

NEVER SIT IDLE - Stretch, shadow, and visualize when sitting idle; make the most of your time. You can always do this while watching a movie or during other types of relaxation. Stretch your groin muscles for as long as you can to help with flexibility. Technique: knees and elbows; shadow practice these when possible; keep your arms up like you're fighting when you are walking around the house or anywhere other than in public. Think through, in your mind, the technique and combinations you will use in a fight; run through what you will be doing in a fight, both attacking and defending. Read, keep your mind functioning at all times, study and learn anything you can about Muay Thai. Rest is a very important part of the healing process, but it doesn’t mean lying down and going to sleep. Use your time wisely. This will all come together naturally as you progress into a fighter.

HOW TO KNOW IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT

There are 3 types of people,

- The ones who know they want to fight.

- The ones who know they don't want to fight.

- And then there is the middle ground, the ones that are not sure.

We don't need to worry about the first two, but if you're in the third group, I am going to ask you a question, and I do not want you to overthink this,

Do you want to get in the ring and be a successful fighter?

Now I KNOW YOU DO, so I'm going to give you this advice.

If you have read through this content and are still interested in fighting and thinking you can do this, then you can do this. It will take everything you have to get to the stage of becoming a fighter. But when you do, you will know yourself that you are ready. By this time, you will be fluent with the technique, your strength and endurance will be by far the strongest it has ever been, and you will be challenging the other fighters in your camp through sparring, grappling, and training regime. Both you and your trainer will know you're ready.

YOU WILL WANT TO FIGHT - Believe me, you will know inside yourself, there will be a strong desire and need to fight. You will want to fight, and you will want to show everyone how good you are. This is an opportunity to do something that most people can't. You will be very confronting and confident in yourself. You will know how to handle yourself in a fight, both attacking and in defence. You will be competitive, you will want to show all the people you train with that you can do what they can, you will do this for self-respect and the respect of your trainers, your family and the camp you are fighting for. That is what will happen when you get to this stage.

If you can commit to these two things, GET BACK UP and NEVER QUIT, all this will happen naturally. You will naturally turn into a fighter if you keep going through this day after day of extreme training.

YOU WILL BECOME A COMPETITIVE FIGHTER.