The Journey of A Muay Thai Fight Camp
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 strong bonds of friendship were formed in July, and we enjoyed hosting every participant in the camp.
We are excited to hear that most will be returning for future camps. As the next camp begins, we would like to highlight some of the most significant and meaningful moments of July’s Muay Thai Fight Camp.
Imagine your first day as a freshman exchange student at 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 who speak a different language. Typically, at these camps, everyone arrives at different times of day.
While shy at first, campers eventually gravitated toward one another, and friendships developed.
Having Brett Hlavacek host the July camp was a dream come true for us at Khongsittha and for the camp participants.
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 offering advice based on years of experience.
Outside the camp, Brett’s hospitality was exceptional, partnering with Khongsittha to ensure everyone was having a good time and experiencing everything Bangkok has to offer.
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, visited, and our Fight Camp participants were able to take both group and individual photos with the Muay Thai legend.
Typical post-workout included stretching sessions. We closely monitored everyone to ensure no injuries occurred during this Fight Camp.
Throughout the camp, our trainers delivered a uniquely tailored experience to everyone. At Khongsittha, our motto is to provide every participant with elite-level training while keeping things lighthearted and fun.
Later on in the camp, we took a journey to Ayutthaya, where the ancient temples are situated an hour outside of the city.
It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved, except for the lack of air conditioning in our van at the time.
We ensured we accommodated everyone’s gear needs and created custom shorts for most of our fight camp participants. This particular pair reads, “Nana Nick.” Nana Plaza is a well-known area of Bangkok known for its lively atmosphere and vibrant nightlife. It looks like Nick Khongsittha enjoyed his time with us!
Our trainers have a combined fight count of well over 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 fortunate to have Kaew Fairtex, a current K1 and stadium champion, come and hold a seminar for the Fight Camp.
Again, our Nak Muays received high-level training while keeping the entire experience light and fun. Everyone had the opportunity to participate in a light sparring session with Kaew to test their skills.
At the end of the camp, we awarded a dedicated Nak Muay a sponsorship for an additional month at Khongsittha.
Kate has been an outstanding participant at our gym, and it will be a pleasure to have her here for one more month.
Unfortunately, most great times have an end date, and we said goodbye to some truly remarkable people back home.
July was an incredible month for us here at Khongsittha, and we’re excited to continue delivering a fantastic experience for our August Fight Camp and future camps.
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 experience Thailand – its culture, its food, and its hospitality.
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.”
