mark l,

yes correct training like a machine would never bring you in correct way...

and i can also image how many thais could have been overtrained in the history with very hard,long training routines...thanks to the high number of fighters in thailand so that still the best could be found...
however,it seems today that there are also some of camps in thailand who are aware from the scientific training methodology and health and adopt their routines accordingly...

however, what is strange to me is that there are many westeners training 2 times per day each at least 2 hours...everyday running, weight lifting etc etc...and the general appereance of those fighters say that they are "average fighters" ...
why so much training?...

by the way, we have also done such mistakes in the past like "no pain, no gain"...

i think for a qualified fighter an intensive training of 1.5 -2 hours x 4 days would be good for staying ok, and then with a 1.5 months prefight notification ,another 2 days of 2 hours per week cross training would make the fighter ready for any fight...however,it should not be exactly like the traditional long, relaxed thai way ( 2 x 3-4 hours / day)...it may be something between with the "intensive way" of the dutch...the belarus,russian trainers are very lucky in this concern since they have seen both thai and dutch way of training so that they make the arrangements accordingly...