Hey guys,
For my latest Fightland article I spoke with the UG's own, Ray Elbe about moving from the party-heavy Thailand to a predominantly Muslim country, Kuwait, to set help develop an MMA program in the super-wealthy country. Here's the first part. If you like it please follow the link and read the rest.
Thailand has been a hotbed for fitness vacations for years. People from across the globe go to the country to train their national sport, Muay Thai, as well as stay at the more modern MMA camps while taking in the sun, beaches, and party scene. From professional fighters to weekend warriors, the camps are full of Americans and Europeans alike as they experience something new and exciting, all while under the guise of training. What most people don't know is that career martial artist, Ray Elbe, is almost single-handedly responsible for the newfound martial arts training camp popularity.
Ray moved to Thailand in March of 2007 to improve his Muay Thai kickboxing skills after losing to Erik Apple, and started an MMA program at the now standout gym called Tiger Muay Thai. He had been fighting in various MMA shows and trained out of a few different gyms in Phoenix, AZ, but decided he needed something new, and made the jump across the Pacific where he made the island of Phuket his home.
After training at Tiger Muay Thai and seeing how many foreigners came over to train in kickboxing, Elbe convinced the owners of Tiger to try something similar for MMA fighters--especially with the newfound popularity of MMA since the airing of The Ultimate Fighter TV show. Many other camps have since followed in Tiger's footsteps and have implemented MMA training into their traditional Thai boxing curriculums. But, never one to settle down, the jet-setting Elbe took a chance to spread martial arts to another region of the world and seized the opportunity. This time he traded the tropical climate of Southeast Asia for the arid deserts of the Middle East, and moved to Kuwait, where he's been building the MMA community one day at a time.
While traveling to compete, Elbe met Khalid Al Saleh and Ebrahim Al Fares, two Kuwaiti businessmen with an affinity for martial arts. Khalid was into Brazilian jiu jitsu and Muay Thai, and after many conversations Khalid asked Ray to move to Kuwait to help him build a combat sports brand in the Middle East. Ray agreed and has been living in Kuwait for the last year as he awaits the opening of the gym: Kuwait Combat Athletics--where he is the Director of Training.
Thanxs for the interview santino!
Mma is blowing up here in the Middle East, people really have no idea how big it's gonna be here 
Thank you, Ray. I think the thing that surprised me the most was not anything MMA related, but how life is in Kuwait--especially living in a predominantly Muslim nation while being a non-Muslim.
Very interesting.
Santino DeFranco - Thank you, Ray. I think the thing that surprised me the most was not anything MMA related, but how life is in Kuwait--especially living in a predominantly Muslim nation while being a non-Muslim.
Very interesting.
Somehow it seems that paragraph has been cut out.
It reads:
"Moving to Kuwait was a bit of a culture shock as it is a predominantly Muslim country where religion rules, and alcohol is illegal, but Elbe has found himself enjoying the new lifestyle far from the long nights and parties of Thailand. "Ray explained.
Otherwise, really interesting article. I understand Ole Laursen is in Abu Dhabi working on that same reality show with Elbe.
TH
hackett - Santino DeFranco - Thank you, Ray. I think the thing that surprised me the most was not anything MMA related, but how life is in Kuwait--especially living in a predominantly Muslim nation while being a non-Muslim.
Very interesting.
Somehow it seems that paragraph has been cut out.
It reads:
"Moving to Kuwait was a bit of a culture shock as it is a predominantly Muslim country where religion rules, and alcohol is illegal, but Elbe has found himself enjoying the new lifestyle far from the long nights and parties of Thailand. "Ray explained.
Otherwise, really interesting article. I understand Ole Laursen is in Abu Dhabi working on that same reality show with Elbe.
TH
Well, damn, I suppose you're right. What I sent in was heavily edited down. Sad, as I thought some of the most interesting stuff was left out of the final draft. Here is what was in the original piece:
But, for all of his MMA oriented tasks and whatnots, what I really wanted to know was how is life living as an American, a non-Muslim, in Kuwait, a very Muslim dominated country? His answer, once again, surprised me, and shows how my ignorance to life in the region, and perception of the region is far from reality. He seems to really be enjoying his time there and has had little, if any, issues.
"Muslims are very respectful as long as you are mindful of their culture and understanding of their traditions. I have not had any problems with being mistreated as a foreigner or 'non Muslim'. Kuwaiti's are very appreciative of American citizens, and, generally, as an expat with that passport you are subject to social benefits that someone with a Bangladeshi or Filipino passport might not receive. Kuwait is one of the safest countries I have ever lived in. Street crimes are almost non-existent, and with the ban on alcohol you don't see the drunk driving or violence associated with public intoxication. There is very little crime in Kuwait, and even less theft. I think overall most expats feel extremely safe in the country. The one area of uncomfortable complaints from expats usually deals with women being harassed by aggressive men. Expat women should wear a bit more conservative clothing, possibly even a wedding ring during their day-to-day activities--if they are respectful of the local culture it really limits the amount of attention they receive."
Moving to Kuwait was a bit of a culture shock as it is a predominantly Muslim country where religion rules, and alcohol is illegal, but Elbe has found himself enjoying the new life far from the long nights and parties of Thailand. "Now as I'm going into my 30's, it has really helped me improve my fitness and has become a welcome change of life," Ray explained.
Great stuff, thanks for sharing. Disappointing they edited it down so much, but still a nice piece.
