THE MUAY THAI GUYS PODCAST: EPISODE #39

By Sean Fagan

Most of the time us nak muay have the patience to explain what “Moo Thai” or “Mai Tai” is and how it’s different from UFC fighting.

However, on fight week it is a completely different story. Fortunately, the Muay Thai guys are here to show you the proper etiquette for talking to your Muay Thai friends when they have a fight coming up.

First and foremost, understand that the week of a fight is a mental power struggle and can be very stressful at times. Your teammate or friend is getting ready for a fight and is focused on the fight itself; this primarily includes finishing up his or her’s lovely weight cut process and getting their mind right for fight night.

As a fan and supporter we are sure you mean well, but just keep in mind that what you say and do affects his/her focus and mentality for the fight..

Here are just a few of the things you should avoid...

OLE LAURSEN & THE ENDLESS PURSUIT OF PERSEVERANCE

By Kyle Gilmore | All images courtesy of Ole Laursen

The building blocks of a world-class fighter are numerous and depending on who you ask, quite varied. Some may focus on the tangibles, the math — "What’s their record?" Some might look closer at technique and coachibility, while still others believe it’s all about natural skills and ability.

If you ask me, it’s the fighter’s heart and determination to keep going that count the most — what I call the "endless pursuit of perseverance." A paradigm of this approach to the game is International fighter Ole Laursen.

Born in the Philippines and raised in Denmark, Laursen took up Thai boxing at a young age. He burst onto the fight scene by capturing wins and becoming the champ in both the International Kickboxing Federation and International Muay Thai Championships, as well as snagging the prestigious King’s Cup in Thailand in 2002....

Body Weight Circuit to Build Full-Body Strength

Body weight training is the best measure of your pound-for-pound strength.

Georges St. Pierre, one of the greatest MMA fighters of all time, uses Olympic weightlifting, track and field, and gymnastics to prepare for his fights.

St. Pierre and his legendary coach Firas Zihabi both believe that gymnasts are the strongest and best athletes in the world. And what weights do gymnasts use? Their bodies.

Today, Sean Fagan will show you a body weight workout designed to build full-body strength, just like a gymnast. And because you are only using your body weight, the difficulty of the exercises determines your pound-for-pound strength. The easier the exercise, the stronger you are, pound for pound. Now, let’s build that strength.

Supersets

Perform each exercise pair in back-to-back sets.

Set #1

• 5 x 5 one-arm push-ups (or wide grip)
• 10-second break
• 5 x 5 fast, half-ROM explosive push-ups

Set #2

• 5 x 5 assisted one-arm pull-ups
• ...

“Fighting is 90 percent mental, and the rest of it is in your head.”

The psychology of fighting has spawned more Yogi Berra-style quotes than I can count, but they all seem to agree on one thing: mental toughness is key.

Throughout the history of combative sports, certain fighters have found ways to “weaponize” their minds, using mental toughness to break their opponents in the way others use speed, conditioning, or technique. This article aims to give you tools to add this kind of psychological weapon to your arsenal.

In today’s special guest post, the Warrior Punch team offers up three psychological techniques you can use to build an iron mindset.

Whether you’re a boxer, nak muay, karateka, or a white-collar worker trying to build up the courage to ask for a promotion, these mental strategies will help you manage self-doubt, maximize performance, and find strength in scary situations.

1. Draw Strength from Your Skill; Trust Your...

What’s in a name anyway?

Marcel the Shell: Guess what I want but I’m not gonna beg for it?

Guy: Uh…what?

Marcel the Shell: A nickname. Because you can’t—you can’t make it for yourself like you can make
yourself a new hair style, but you can’t say well now I go by the name of the general or whatever…

If you haven’t seen Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, go watch it. Now.

Not about quirky animal videos? It’s cool. (You’re missing out.)

Anyway, the little crustacean makes a valid point. You can’t just go out and give yourself a nickname. I was asked to make a list of my top ten favorite Muay Thai fighter nicknames—funny thing is I have been trying to figure out mine for a while now. But as Marcel says, “you can’t make it for yourself like you can make yourself a new hair style…”

So, while friends of mine tried out some on me (Killer Kale, Violence, Watch Out, Ninja...

Plant Power

There’s a new type of fighter that’s been quietly taking the world by storm. They’re faster, stronger, healthier, and have better mental clarity—all thanks to what they put on their plate.

This new type of fighter is having much success eating vegan. They all have their strengths and reasons for choosing a plant-based lifestyle. Vegan athletes are proof that you will not be frail, weak, protein-deficient just because you decide to leave meat, dairy, and eggs out of your diet.

They put an end to the idea that being a great athlete and eating plant-based are mutually exclusive. So here is an attempt to show exactly why these fighters have so much success in their training, recovery, and performance in the ring.

Don’t you feel weak?

How do your muscles grow?

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR PROTEIN?!

There is an unhealthy obsession in this day and age over protein intake, or, more specifically, how to get as much protein as...