I first saw Muay Thai Boxing on Euro Sport. What I saw was amazing, a full contact ring sport that incorporated boxing but with knees, shin kicks, elbows and really good defensive work. The next day I started looking for a Muay Thai boxing club and found one in the Rainbow Leisure Center Epsom the club was called Jakapong and run by a Thai man that called himself Master Boon. He described himself as no3 Thai trainer in the whole of Thailand and Chief Instructor to the Thai army. He said he had left Thailand and set up his club over here 15 years before (please bear in mind i was really green at this stage and had never seen Thai training at this time).

I was quite impressed at this time and felt I must be really lucky to have found such a famous Master a mile from my house.Within six months of training there I was the best in the club and within two years he had graded me up to a red Khan Instructor and told me the reason for my fast progression was my previous Martial arts experience that had helped me (alarm bells should have been ringing at this time but I never really knew any better)......

...... Anyway I had been entered into a fight on the 7-6-92 and the night before, Boon comes to my house and takes me to the gas club in Epsom, persuading me that a drink would help me relax and make me stronger for the next day.

I had one drink, but he kept bringing another and another and another until I was legless (I must admit, now I was starting to here the alarm bells).After waking up on the 7-6-92, I went to Epsom to get on a coach heading for Maxims night club in Wigan, Manchester, with a terrible hangover.

My opponent was Shawn Johnson an already experienced fighter with some of the best Thai trainers in this country in his corner (Master Toddy Master A Master Pices ect). As I went to get ready, Boon says he has forgot to bring bandages, so he improvised and wrapped my hands with two rags and some brown box tape.

When the fight started I finally realized I never knew the first thing about Muay Thai boxing, I could kick punch and knee a pad but I had no Thai style no body conditioning never taught to grapple and was about to face the worst nightmare of my life.

Every time Shawn locked on and kneed me he lifted me of the canvas I was lucky to only come off with two broken ribs from the knees, every shin kick he gave me hit me in the head, jaw and thighs.

I was lucky the fight only lasted two rounds and I only came out with two broken ribs, two ripped thighs a black eye, a bruised jaw and a headache that lasted as long as the ribs - about eight weeks.

What was worse was the realization that I had just wasted three years training with one of the worst cowboys in Muay Thai that this country has seen.

After healing I started training in the Thai Temple, Wimbledon and in Manchester, then one lucky Sunday at the Thai Temple, I met Sammit Murnramon, we were talking about Muay Thai and he invited me to come and train with him at his Bangrajan camp in Kent.

The evening I started, Sammit asked how long I had trained for and what I knew about Muay Thai? After telling him I am supposed to be a red Khan and how long i trained for he said "show me and tell me every thing you know" - I did - he laughed and said "you will be starting again from the beginning".

So I started training with Sammit three normal classes a week and trained privately in the day time. Within two months of training with Sammit I learnt more then I had learnt in years of martial arts and it just kept getting better.

Sammit brought his brother over from Thailand to live here and train us, also Sammit had lots of Thai friends visiting that were Thai boxers - he would get them to train with us and teach us. I soon became so confident that I started fighting again.After training with Sammit and his brother I never got beaten again, not in the ring or working some really tough nightclubs as a doorman. In fact I only lost one fight in this country upon a really bad decision.

Just when I was really happy with my training and thought I was reaching the end, Sammit brought over Bonart Krongsak, 6 times Lumpini Stadium Champion and 3 times world champion of much heavier opponents like Rob Kamen.

Sammit arranged private lessons for us and six on one lessons and Krongsak really gives true Champion style knowledge and training.

Next I was asked to represent England as the light heavyweight in 1998 Kings cup with the added bonus of traveling round Thailand with Sammit and Kronsak. This really did Finish of my training and fighting in Thailand.

Even though I knocked my first opponent out in the second round I sustained a couple of injuries and when I entered my second fight with a double silver medallist from Sweden, Holms had had 200+ fights and even though I broke my foot in the second round I carried on fighting to the end of the fourth when the ref stopped the fight after seeing my toes had ballooned up and turned black.

I must say even though I didn't win that fight I enjoyed that fight more any I had won, as the skill and power that the fight was fought at was the greatest rush of my life.

After returning from Thailand the students in my own club asked if I could start training them five nights a week so they could start competing themselves, so I decided to give my training up in order to get them ready.

I will always remember Jan Hart Sammit Murnramon his brother Bonart Krongsak and the Bangrajan camp that taught me the real meaning and spirit of Muay Thai boxing and I will always remember that Scorpions success is an extension of Sammits success.

Anybody reading this that has trained with and got hurt by a cowboy of our fantastic sport, always remember, there isn't bad students just bad Instructors.

I'm not saying every one is cut out to fight, but a Instructor is paid to train you and shouldn't put you in until you are ready for the fight in hand, and even if you don't get the decision you want, at least of had a chance and come out enjoying the experience.