Written by Robert Bregante, Monday 30th May 2011
Living, training and studying in Thailand!

Most foreigners come to Thailand to escape the everyday struggles and pressures of their life back home, Phuket Thailand can often be a place where people escape from reality. I unfortunately bring mine with me.

As much as I wish I could devote a hundred percent of my attention to training, I am still a full time student. As such, my days typically consist of: training, eating, sleeping and homework. Im certainly not complaining however, while I may not always make it to the beach or out with my friends for some socializing, not many people finish there college degree while living on an island and doing something they love. Fortunately for me, my University offers all of the courses I need as a criminal justice major to finish my degree online. The other plus side to this, is that too much of anything can be a bad thing.

As much as I enjoy spending my time training Muay Thai and competing, there must be a balance. Otherwise, you get burnt out!!! Spending my down time writing papers for class and completing assignments gives me that balance, so when i finish training, I leave everything behind ( the good and the bad) and shift my focus towards something else entirely, and vice versa, if school is stressing me out, training provides a tremendous outlet and allows me to forget about any issue I may be having with school. There is one more benefit that I try to take advantage of while I am both training and studying full time.

Studying or learning in any way shape or form provides knowledge, knowledge that helps expand your mind and stimulate your brain cells. This can be a great advantage while in the ring. Although you may not be studying about anything that has to do with fighting, gaining knowledge of any kind helps exercise your mind. While training and especially while competing, one of the most valuable tools you can use is your IQ.

Aside from having to be in great condition and able to execute your techniques and game plan efficiently, your mind is going to need to be strong, so you can be prepared for any variables inside that ring. A strong mind will give you the focus necessary, which can sometimes be hard when you adrenaline is pumping, but your mind is connected to everything in your body, so in essence a strong mind is a strong body.

Lets not get it twisted, I definitely look forward to the day when I can turn on my computer without having to log into a classroom or write a term paper, but even after I finish school, I will never stop learning!!