Shawn Jansen Interview

Shawn Jansen is a Canadian muaythai fighter, who has just spent a whole year training in Thailand. To find out a bit about him and his time there read on....

Hi Shawn,

When did you get started in muaythai?
I started MuayThai in the summer of '96.

Did you try anything else before that?
No

Can you tell us about your fights in Canada?
First fight I fought a cop from Vancouver. He was a blackbelt in Karate. I won a three round dec. and i learned how much running is important. Second fight I won ko in the third round. Third fight I got cut in the first by a head butt and it was stopped. I received 13 stitches. The fourth fight I lost in Seattle was a kickboxing fight. I was having troubles not grabbing and wanting to knee. Got a few warnings each round not to clinch.

So what inspired you to go to Thailand particularly for such a large amount of time?
I wanted to improve my MuayThai, the ticket was free as long as taught English, which I ended up really enjoying.

Had you been there before?
no

How long had you been training when you went?
3 years off and on

Did you up your training regime before going?
no

Whereabouts in Thailand did you train?
I trained in Thoen(turn) Lampang, which is a Northern Province, at Kai Sawtanang.

Was it expensive?
No, it was very cheap. In Bangkok they charge a lot more then they do up North.

What was the local area like?
The weather was hot. The people where friendly. The scenery was beautiful. Basically Thailand at it's best.

How did the training methods compare in different camps and compared to back in Canada?
Pretty much the same through out Thailand. Its more rigorous in Thailand than Canada and obviously a higher skill level amongst your training partners.

Can you tell us about your first fight out there?
I was nervous. I was bigger and ko'd him in the first with a right hook.

How supportive of a "farang" were the Thais with regards to both training and whilst you were fighting?
I felt treated just like I was Thai.

Did you watch a lot of fights as well? How did the standard compare to Canada?
Oh yeah. I went to at least 50 fights through out the year. There are some good trainers in Canada but the level of competition is low and therefor the standard isn't near the same level as Thailand.

What other fights did you have out there?
My second fight I won with a second round KO with a right hook and straight left knee to the face. My third I won in the third with the same combo. My forth I lost the dec. It was only a three rounder cause they where running out of T.V. time. I was only informed of this in between the second and third round.

Did the atmosphere whilst fighting feel different?
Yes. Much more intensity and the whole crowd cheers for one fighter or the other.

Did you manage to pick up the language whilst out there? How fluent were the Thais's English?
As I was teaching English I spoke mostly English but I learned enough to get around. The Thais English wasn't very good at all.

What were the highlights of the year out there for you?
MuayThai all together was the highlight. There was never a dull moment. Training and fighting was always fun.

Any bad points to the trip?
I was off my feet for two months with a foot infection from a cut on my toe. Anyone thinking of going make sure your tetanus shots are up to date.

How do you feel now that you're back in Canada?
I'm cold and I want to go home. Seriously.

What do you plan to do now with regards to training and fighting?
I plan on going back in the beginning of March to teach and train and fight again.