Loco Dice: Master of Muay Thai

Do you keep in contact with what’s happening in the music industry or try to make any kind of music while you’re there?

When I go to the camp everything is turned off. Of course I have to turn on my phone from time to time to see if there is anything important or urgent but everyone knows where I am so it's only for emergencies. I don’t do e-mails, I don’t check music, actually I don’t even have the time. We might just check our phones at breakfast or dinner but that's because we’re not even able to talk to each other because we’re so tired.

Do train outside of Thailand or when you’re on the road? What kind of healthy habits do you maintain regularly?

Of course, we just came from training [in Germany]. On the road, it depends but for example when I go to Toronto and I have two days off, the first thing that I do is I ask my PA or my TM to find a good Muay Thai gym. A traditional one, of course. They check, they connect and then I go and train. I always have my gloves with me and I’m always ready train, to spar and to fight. And if I can’t do Muay Thai, I still go to the gym and I have exercises that I do and that’s a full 1.5 hour workout that includes stretching, workout, cardio and this keeps me good.

While you have a lot of experience, Muay Thai sounds a bit intimidating to a beginner. So is this a sport and regimen that you might recommend to someone looking for a similar experience but is completely new to it?

This is the only sport I can recommend. It looks brutal, it IS brutal and it is hard but it is so much fun and when you’re immersed in the training, it doesn’t matter how aggressive it looks and how much tension is in the air, the trainers and everyone make a lot of jokes and it’s really friendly - they make it not hard. For a beginner, it’s the best sport to start because you can go over yourself and become stronger. A good trainer and a good crew knows exactly how to guide you through the sessions and through the lessons so you don’t just throw everything and say ‘I’m fed up, I can't do this’. They make you believe, love the sport and the culture. From the outside, it looks hard but when you’re in it, even the biggest fighter is the nicest guy and the coolest sparring partner even if you’re a beginner.

There are loads of places around the world to train but why are you drawn to Thailand time and time again?

I love Thailand. It caught me. When I was really young I went to Thailand for the first time, I stayed on a small island in the south called Ko Bulon Lae and it caught me. The food, the people, the culture, the Buddhism, the tranquility, the positivity, everything. But also the dark side, like when you go to the dark streets in Bangkok. Bangkok is such an interesting city and when you go from the south to Bangkok and then onto Pattaya...it's just crazy what this country has to offer. It reminds you of old-school Vietnamese movies in its diversity and depth in fashion and within the people. I made friends too during those years. Every time I’m there, I enjoy it even more.