Hello everyone! My name is James, and I would like to share with you my experience at a magical place in the great Kingdom of Thailand!
James
Ok, that might be a little dramatic. But in all seriousness, my stay at Kombat Group surpassed every expectation I had before arriving at their front gate on July 5, 2015.
I never imagined that I would be doing something like this, and when I finally got the chance, I was really glad that I took the opportunity. I really hope I can do this again in the very near future. So, without further ado, let me begin my story.
I am currently working as a contractor overseas, and had a month worth of leave saved up. I had been training in Muay Thai for a few months before I got my overseas job, and loved it.
Last year I was on my computer searching for Muay Thai videos, and somehow stumbled upon the Kombat Group website. After clicking on the website, I could have sworn I heard angels singing in the office.
I had an epiphany, and did a backflip (in my mind, because I’m too old to do real backflips now), and instantly began planning my journey to train at Kombat Group.
I have to admit that I was a little intimidated, and hesitated to go through with it at first because I wasn’t sure what to expect when I got there. Since I’m an older guy (45), I remember all of the 70’s and early 80’s Kung Fu flicks that showed insane Shaolin Temple training, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to sprint up mountains with a bucket of water on my head, or kick cement bricks that were set on fire for my vacation. However, as a kid I always wanted to experience training in a Martial Art while in the specific country of Martial Art’s origin. So, I looked in the mirror, said to myself “Quit being a punk”, and jumped at the opportunity. I’m so glad that I did.
Location
The camp in in Huai Yai, and is pretty close to Pattaya. If you’ve ever been to Pattaya, Thailand, you know that it has a great deal of distractions
I’m not sure that most people would be able to fully focus on their training if the camp was located on Beach Road.
Rented a scooter for the entire time I was there, and found that it took about 20 minutes (while riding slightly above the speed limit) to ride on a scooter from the camp to Beach Road. I feel that this is the perfect distance from the “action” because it’s close enough to get there if you really want, but far away enough to keep from being a distraction.
I feel the need to warn you that the local taxis always have a had time finding the place, so it might be better if you get Kombat Group to pick you up from the airport if you don’t already know how to get there yourself.
Accommodation
First of all, the compound is beautiful. It’s set up to loo like a resort, and the landscaping is awesome.
I had a single, air-conditioned room, and it was more than enough for me. It had a full sized bed, wall locker, free wifi, and bathroom, so I was more than happy with that. Keep in mind that Kombat Group is NOT a resort, so you’re not going to get a flat screen TV with cable or satellite channels.
You will be there to train, not party. However, if you bring a laptop or tablet, the wifi is good enough to stream movies or TV shows from any streaming sight you want, so you really don’t need a TV in the room.
Oh yeah, each room also has a little patio out front, so instead of having to bring your sweaty gloves and hand wraps into your room, you can leave everything outside on your patio to air out overnight.
They also come in and clean your room during the week, which was a surprise for me. All in all, I felt theroom was perfect for what I was there for.
Food
This is one of the main concerns I had before I arrived at the camp. I wasn’t worried about the quality of the food, but rather the QUANTITY.
I’m not a small guy, and feeding me “birdseed” wasn’t going to cut it. I thought that, since I would be working out so much I would need to eat a great deal of food just to keep energized each day. I must admit that I wasn’t confident that I would be getting enough food during my stay.
Well, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only was the food VERY good, but it was also served in pretty good-sized portions. The menu for each night is set, so you don’t have too many choices. However, the quality of the food was excellent, and the portions were more than enough. There wasn’t one time during my month long stay that I felt hungry after turning in for the night.
Also, I don’t eat pork, so I asked to be served something else during “Pork Night” and they happily obliged.
So, if there are certain things that you need in your diet (no pork, vegan, etc) you should let them know before you get there so they will be able to accommodate your needs.
Training
As I expected, the training was INTENSE!!! I signed up for the Weight Loss Program so I would be able to do ALL of the classes if I chose to.
But, I ended up sticking with the Muay Thai and Functional Training classes during my stay.
I won’t lie to you, the first week was VERY challenging. I’ve always been pretty active all my life, so I’m not a stranger to intense workouts. However, Kombat Group took things to a level that I hadn’t felt since Basic Training. Intense isn’t even the word.
I naturally sweat a great deal during my regular workouts, so I normally drink allot of water anyway. Well, during my stay at Kombat Group, I was drinking 6 liters (1.58 gallons) per day! That’s not an exaggeration. That’s how hard the trainer had me working out.
I was drinking so much water that I looked in the mirror one morning and could have sworn that I was growing gills. I also didn’t know how much kicks and knee strikes target your abdominal region until I trained Muay Thai at Kombat Group. I have to say that I’ve never worked out that hard in my life, but it was well worth it.
Now, from what I saw, most of the people that were at Kombat Group with me were there strictly for fitness purposes. However, if you want to become a competitive fighter, Kombat Group can prepare you for that too.
Christian (the owner) is a champion boxer and does his training on the compound.
The trainers are also fighters, and can help you prepare to compete if that is what you desire. While I was there, Kombat Group offered classes in Boxing, Muay Thai, BJJ, MAA, and Krav Maga, so whether you just want to get in shape, protect yourself, or compete, Kombat Group is the place to do it all.
Staff
Words cannot express just how AWESOME the staff is at Kombat Group.
O…M…G!!! Everyone on the staff is approachable, and will jump through hoops to square you away in the rare event that a problem might pop up. I was even told that I could receive mail at the compound if I wanted to. I was always greeted with a smile, and treated with the utmost respect.
Even though a few of the staff members spoke very little English, EVERYONE seemed to have a great sense of humor combined with an upbeat and positive vibe. The staff is what makes Kombat Group a great place to train. They make training at the compound worthwhile. The friendly atmospheres along with the calming landscape makes it easy to hang out and chat with the staff and other students, or take some time to yourself to relax after training. If the training is what makes you come to Kombat Group, the staff will make you want to stay longer.
So, I guess you can see that I was pretty impressed with my stay. I really enjoyed myself, to say the least. This was my 4th time visiting Thailand, and my stay at Kombat Group was the most fun I’ve had in Thailand thus far. If fact, I’m already making plans to visit again in the near future. I would like to thank Christian, Barbara, and the entire staff for making my stay incredible. Hopefully, you will see me again soon.
James H Christopher III
