Pulling Out of a Fight
I’ve been lucky when it comes to pulling out of fights—I’ve only had to do it once, two years ago. And when I did, the promoter told me they hadn’t put me on the card in the end anyway. But of course, it was only a matter of time before it happened again.
Recently, I was scheduled to fight on January 28th. This would have been my fifth fight in five months. As you can imagine, I was looking forward to it. The plan was simple: take a full week off after my last fight, then get back into training.
At first, everything was going great. I recovered nicely—until, two days before the new year, I got a big boil on my leg. It was obviously staph. The swelling got worse, and eventually, I had to go to the doctor for antibiotics. Right from the start, I knew making it to the fight would be a huge risk.
At that point, I had to ask myself: what mattered more? Keeping the streak going, or taking care of my health so I could perform well in February?
I chose the logical option—take care of myself. I’d never be able to get properly ready in time. Some fighters would push through no matter what, even if it meant stepping into the ring at half capacity. But in a place like Thailand, where you can fight Muay Thai every day if you want, that kind of mindset isn’t always worth it.
I still don’t fully understand where this attitude comes from. Maybe it’s ego, desperation, or just love for the grind, but I don’t get it. Some people go into fights completely diminished.
Take care of your overall health. Your fight career will only be a small part of your life—no need to make it even shorter or risk dealing with long-term health issues after. The goal is simple: get in, win, and walk away healthy. Nothing else matters.
That said, when you are healthy, how you train matters just as much as whether you fight. And unfortunately, a lot of people get that part wrong too.
What People Get Wrong About Old-School Thai Training Camps
When people talk about old-school training in Thailand, most of them have no idea what they’re actually describing. They assume it’s all about grueling, non-stop, hard training. And sure, the training is tough—it’s a camp, after all—but that only covers the conditioning side of things. What about the technical aspect? Fighting is a skill-oriented sport after all…
What people overlook is that even in those camps, skill acquisition and refinement were the real priorities. It wasn’t just about pushing your limits but ensuring you left the camp as a better, smarter fighter than before. During the golden age, shadowboxing was a cornerstone of training.
Now? Shadowboxing feels like a lost art. Fighters today rush through it just to get to the “fun” stuff—hitting pads, smashing the heavy bag, and sparring hard. The result? A generation of well-conditioned fighters with poor development. Fighters with no fight IQ, no sharp eyes, no refined skills—just heart.
Refining your skills is tough. If anything, it’s harder than doing 20 repetitive kicks or whatever flashy drills make you look good for Instagram. In my last two camps, I went through an old-school training program under the founder of Pinsinchai, whom we call “The General.”
The training was simple but effective. Pad work, sparring or clinching, and finishing the session with jump knees on the bag. That’s it.
The goal of this training was straightforward: improve balance, develop strong posture, and refine key technical skills, most of which were developed through shadowboxing.
The golden age of Muay Thai wasn’t special because fighters trained harder; it was special because they trained smarter. They knew how to create technical, adaptable fighters, and that knowledge is something we’re losing in today’s era.
Padworks is essential for…
Recently, I sat down with the general to talk about my progress and to see what I needed to work on in the future. During our conversation, I asked him about the importance of bag work since I barely hit a bag in the last few months. He mentioned that bag work is essential, but only once you reach a certain point. He said padwork is the most essential for beginners because it’s easy to teach them but less important for more experienced fighters. Because pads are mostly a tool for conditioning at a certain stage.
For more experienced fighters, shadowboxing and sparring/clinching are the most important.
Luckily for us, the Golden Age still gets a lot of attention, especially from non-Thais. I want to end this post with an interview where Karuhat talks about his training routine during the Golden Age.
If one of the biggest superstars of the Golden Age swears by shadowboxing, maybe it’s time to take it seriously.
Karuhat interview:
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Until next time.
Alex
