Below are the 4 most recent journal entries recorded in phromthepmuay's InsaneJournal:

Thursday, December 29th, 2011
12:26 pm	PhromThep Muay Thai Phuket I love PhromThep Muay Thai in Phuket. It's in such a fantastic location near the sea and the camp itself is so peaceful and beautiful. (Photo from PhromThep Muay Thai Phuket website) If you are interested in burning off fat, getting much fitter and healthier and also have a great time - then you gotta check out the phromthep website. That will give you a good idea of what kind of stuff to expect and also you can talk to their staff who I know all personally and are very nice. (Comment on this)
12:25 pm	Thai Boxing Fighter American Muay Thai has experienced a huge growth in popularity over the past few years. As this has been happening, our stature on the world stage continues to grow as well. American fighters have fought top international talent and held their own. What we continue to see though, especially with the Thai fighters, is the huge disparity in levels of experience. It is not uncommon for an American fighter to take on a Thai fighter who has been fighting since childhood and has ten times the fight experience. The physical talent levels may be equal, but it’s hard for American fighters to compensate for the experience. How do we solve for this? Well in California, Bryan Dobler and others are leading a grass roots movement to develop a program for young Muay Thai practitioners to safely get experience in the ring. It is their hope that this program can be grown and eventually adopted on a national level. In the case of California, amateur level Muay Thai fights are currently governed by the California State Athletic Commission (CSAC). Many would argue that these amateur level Muay Thai fights actually resemble kick-boxing versus real Muay Thai. No elbows, prajioud or mong kol are allowed. However the CSAC’s reach does not go beyond athletes 15 years of age or younger. This leaves an opening for holding fully sanctioned amateur bouts for youths 15 and younger to be done without the involvement of the CSAC. Bryan Dobler believes that if this is done in a highly organized manner, a universally recognized sanctioning organization, and most importantly with the safety of the participants in mind, young American nak muays can have their chance to safely gain experience in the ring. On Saturday, November 19th 2011, Double Dose Muay Thai in Rancho Cucamonga held such an event. This American Youth Muay Thai (AYM) event was set up by Dobler through the Thai Boxing Association Sanctioning Authority (TBA-SA). Working with TBA-SA ensures a uniform set of rules and it also provides many of the organizational logistics necessary for holding a sanctioned event. The event was fully insured and there was a ringside doctor, nurse, and paramedics present. There were 12 fights with fighters ranging from ages 8 through 15, representing 15 gyms. By all accounts, the event was a great success. There were over 300 in attendance with heavy support from the fighter’s families and gyms. Tradition was on full display as prajiouds and and mongkols were worn and Wai Kru’s were performed. The best Wai Kru of the show was recognized with an award. Fully padded elbows were also allowed and all fights were closely officiated with very high levels of technique being demonstrated. In the end, no injuries were sustained by any of the participating fighters. Future events, using the same sanctioning organization (TBA-SA) and a strict focus on safety are being planned, with the next event scheduled for January 21, 2011 at (George) Valdez Gym. All fight results will be recorded with an eye towards maintaining unified youth fight records at a national level which could eventually support regional\national rankings and competition. (Comment on this)
12:25 pm	Getting To Where You Want To Be In the world of Muaythai there are many aspects of the art that can be taught to and learned by a student. Everything from technique and balance to ring strategy and how to score points. However, there is one thing that cannot be taught or learned, and that is heart. Heart is one of those qualities that a person is born with; a feature that you either have, or you don’t. Heart is what makes up the substance of a fighter. It’s that intangible force that reveals itself when adversity is at its peak. Heart is something that is tested time and again and grows with each obstacle it overcomes. Heart is what raises a champion off of the canvas when they have been felled in battle. It’s what motivates a combatant to step up and take on any and all challenges placed in front of them. Heart, when speaking in terms of the fighter, is what fuels and drives a person to be the best they can be both inside and outside of the ring, not only for themselves, but for everyone around them. As a fighter methodically moves under the bright lights of the ring canopy it’s easy to tell who has it and who doesn’t. It’s their display of heart which tells us a story of who they are, what they are capable of achieving, and just how far they are willing to push themselves. It’s a fighter’s heart which also inspires us, and in turn, causes us to look at our own lives and demand more from ourselves. As fight fans, we’ve all experienced this as we watch our favorite fighters do battle. Being from the New York City area, I’d experienced this every time I’d see Chris Romulo fight. As he’d make his way to the ring, draped in his trademark red cape which distinctly displayed the Philippine symbol for strength, heart was the weapon in which he drew to slay the dragons before him. If heart is about overcoming adversity than Chris Romulo fits the bill. I can vividly recall two occasions where Romulo surpassed previous expectations and showed New York fight fans that, despite being on the brink of defeat, it was his heart that carried him forth to victory. Even on shaky legs he managed dig the soles of his feet into the canvas beneath him, shake off the punishment from his adversary, and bounce back to end the fight early by scoring a knock out of his own. And let us not forget earlier this year when Romulo was the first east coast Muaythai fighter to publicly go on record and take the challenge that his west coast counterparts had offered. Having gotten the chance to do so, Romulo took on the seasoned veteran in Shawn Yarborough. Despite being the smaller, less experienced fighter, Chris Romulo showed fans once again exactly what his heart was made of. Mind you, throughout his fighting career he did this with the utmost integrity. In a land where trash talking pervades most combat sports, it was Romulo who resorted to keeping any conflict with his opponents in the ring. And upon talking with Chris you get the sense that he lives for something bigger than himself. This becomes evident as you enter his gym and take notice of the codes of Bushido plastered not only on his gym walls, but also in the minds and hearts of his students. However, these codes aren’t some cliché used to build up the allure of his gym. Chris asks that each of his students learn, memorize, and live by those codes. It’s as if Romulo leads his pupils like a master samurai, aiming to guide them through life, as well as through battle. By sharpening their swords Romulo is preparing his students for the woes of life. Similar to how Chris once approached the ring to duel with his own demons, he now takes the floor of his gym to instruct others on how to conquer theirs. Muaythai Preservation Project Fighting and coaching aside, if there is anything else that Chris Romulo knows best it is sacrifice. Romulo, being one of the first professional Muaythai fighters to help build up the New York fight scene, surrendered his time and life for the sport of Muaythai. Even as a fighter who couldn’t make a living wage from competing, Chris continued to train and fight for the love of the sport. To many, he was the hometown hero; a champion who became more refined each and every time he stepped into the ring. Now, having said farewell to the ring where so much was sacrificed, Chris Romulo sets out on a more noble venture – a sacrifice for his family. However, this family isn’t limited to the members of its nucleus. It extends into the streets of Rockaway Beach, Queens where Romulo passes on some the toughest lessons he’s ever learned. He has taken kids off the streets to give them something to live for; to teach them a thing or two about what it takes to be a person who stands for honor and loyalty. And whether it is through his words or actions, he instills in them the importance of personal sacrifice. If it were possible to measure someone by the size of their heart Chris Romulo would be a giant among humans. However, I am not quite sure they make a measuring stick big enough to encompass Romulo’s heart. For now, the only tools we can use to calculate just how big his heart is are the times when Romulo displayed it most; when he was in the ring on top of its canvas painting masterpieces. Chris Romulo may have decided that the ring will no longer be his home, but he is far from finished when it comes to fighting. A person who has spent the last 16 years contending for his place in the world does not turn in the fighting heart at the same time he announces he is turning in his gloves. After all, a heart like Romulo’s isn’t something someone acquires over time and can relinquish at a moments notice, it is something that a person is born with. If I have learned anything over the years watching Chris Romulo fight, it’s that it takes more than composure and calculated moves to conquer ones enemy. One can have all the technique in the world, or just the basics. It goes beyond preparation and readiness. It takes something deeper than what we see on the surface. All it takes is heart. (Comment on this)
12:22 pm	Keep In Fighting Shape Over Christmas Resident World Champion blogger, Rich Cadden sent me this short piece he wrote yesterday regarding the do’s and don’ts of Xmas in order to keep in fighting shape, and as we have featured his training blogs from time to time here on Muay Thai is Life, I felt that this one was definitely apropos for the holiday season. Many of us use theses holidays as an excuse to completely slack off from training and dieting because we feel that it’s a time where such excess is somewhat permitted. After all, it’s the holidays right? Well, not so fast says Mr. Cadden! While it’s completely O.K. to throw some caution to the wind and celebrate, it may not be a good idea to allow the good cheer of the holiday season completely derail us from our fitness goals. I know I sure as heck have let myself swell up into an almost Santa size pair of pants because of so much Xmas cheer. Don’t follow in my footsteps; let world champion, renowned trainer, and mind coach Rich Cadden set you on the right path, so that you can enjoy your holidays without the guilt and the pain of getting back in fighting shape in 2012. Taken from Rich Cadden’s Chok Dee York Blog… The Do’s and Don’ts of Xmas Do’s and Don’ts of Xmas ……..if you want to stay in shape Do 1. Plan your work outs If you plan your workouts you will be more inclined to stick to the plan, rather than your workout being a whimsical default through boredom. 2. Drink plenty of water In the holiday season, a regular problem for people working out is dehydration…..Whether this is through alcohol or even eating too much. One of the regular problems that people have during the festive period is eating too much which can cause blockages in your digestive system. By drinking plenty of water and eating fibrous food this will avoid any digestive blockages. 3. Eat properly so you are fuelled for your workout Over the holiday period, you will be breaking your body’s normal natural cycles, with times of breakfast, lunch and evening meals, so this may mean that you do not have your normal levels of energy. If you are planning your workouts (Lesson #1) then you will be able t plan your nutrition. As my MBN Clients will tell you, timing of meals is just as important as the requirements your desire from that nutritional energy. 4. Give away food gifts I don’t know about you, but I always get hundreds of chocolate bars and selection boxes, and this can lead to the poor nutrition mentioned in #3. An extension of gratitude and passing on these food gifts will keep that karma come back to you. Don’t 1. Sit on your butt all week Stopping training totally will grind your metabolism to a stand-still. This means that you will pile on the fat, and it will be easy to drop in to two of the main dieting problems • Unconscious eating • Eating through boredom 2. Go back for seconds Over Christmas, a sign of your hosts lavishness, is to put on more food than is necessary. Going back for seconds means that you are not regulating how much food you are taking on board. 3. Over-indulgence It takes over 20-mins for the ‘full sensation’ to get from your stomach to your brain, and hence you will tend to eat for a further 20-minutes, when you have already taken enough food on-board. 4. Get wrecked I am not saying that you have live this Christmas period as a monk….but what I do suggest is limiting the amount of booze you do drink. Drinking over 6/7-units of alcohol will mean that taking that many toxins on-board will make you feel terrible….But by following the ‘DO’ list, you will stay hydrated and be able to process these more minor toxic problems. This is a quick and easy guide that you can pass on to family and friends which will mean that your holiday break is more enjoyable and vibrant. Many thanks for reading my blog for this past eventful year! (Comment on this)