A large number of new people have arrived at Sinbi this week. The largest contingent being a group of hardcore kick-boxers from Spain who look like they break concrete with their heads before breakfast. Though we still get trainer attention with a big group in camp (this is good as I've heard that other Muay Thai camps let this slip) the atmosphere has definitely changed. While I'm on the topic of the people who are training I might as we'll paint a picture on some of the others in attendance.

The people I hand out with are mainly American's, aged in their mid to late twenties. Justin is a scarily fit accountant who has been working in Australia for a while and is training in martial arts (not just Muay Thai) for the first time. His been around for a month or so and had got a month left. Garret is from Utah taking a month out of college holidays to come and train here which I think is just an amazing leap for someone at that stage in life. He is a Morman (honest I'm not making up a Utah sterotype!) and plays up to some redneck tendancies (though he is really a great guy). Then there is Muay Thai man who comes from Washington state and was born about 20 years to late for the seventies where he would have fit in well. His big claim to fame is his Muay Thai tattoo, which can be seen in my photos he got this in his first 48 hours in Thailand. Yeah man!!!! Then there is Patrick a who is from the German speaking part of Switzerland. He has been in a number of fights at home and is here to train for a months and have a fight. Patrick is crazy, but makes life interesting. There are a number of other regular faces who visit the gym to train once or twice a day and live elsewhere.

We have a Korean contingent of four at present. The most notable of this is Chi-Bin Lim who is a very famous K1 fighter (especially in Korea). K1 is an international kickboxing championship, the fighters who compete in it are pretty much elite. When you see Chi-Bin get in the ring and workout it doesn't take long to figure this out. In Korea he is like a movie star (he won the 2008 Asian K1 qualifier). This became apparent the other day when some Korean tourists came by during training and appeared stunned when they saw him, after mustering up the courage they sheepishly asked him for a photo and autograph. In the end they took about 20 photos with and of him. He is basically the Korean version of Booney less the moustash and half the weight (though I doubt he could match Booney's London to Sydney consumption record).