White Belt Abroad

23/08/2016

Month 14 - Kuala Lumpur

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/04/month-14-kuala-lumpur-monarchy-mma/

Another picture post of my final month before returning back to ‘the real world’ :-) I had a small checklist of what I was looking for in my last month as a place to chill out and take stock: cheap living costs good weather good training It looked like a return to Kuala Lumpur and Monarchy …

10/04/2016

"Ok, heads I go in, tails I don't", Mass says this and flips the coin in the air. He misses the catch and it bounces of the side of his hand and, after a quick spin, lands with Gandhi's head face up on the floor between Mass' feet. "God!", Mass says, seemingly disappointed in the coin-flipping gods, "I really don't want to do this!" [ 682 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/02/week-52-new-delhi/

“Ok, heads I go in, tails I don’t”, Mass says this and flips the coin in the air. He misses the catch and it bounces of the side of his hand and, after a quick spin, lands with Gandhi’s head face up on the floor between Mass’ feet. “God!”, Mass says, seemingly disappointed in the coin-flipping gods,…

26/03/2016

"I think I'm going to cry!", Mass says as he sit's across the table from me. We're into the 2nd week of our bike trip and our 3rd Indian State - Madhya Pradesh. After a morning ride we've pulled over after spotting what looks like a spot to grab some food in the middle of the Yawal Wildlife Sanctuary....a big open shelter with a laminated sign displaying some dishes and open beers. [ 2127 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/01/week-51-jhalawar-bundi-jaipur-agra/

“I think I’m going to cry!”, Mass says as he sit’s across the table from me. We’re into the 2nd week of our bike trip and our 3rd Indian State – Madhya Pradesh.  After a morning ride we’ve pulled over after spotting what looks like a spot to grab some food in the middle of …

20/03/2016

"I love my bike!", Mass says as we are walking out of the guesthouse over to the 2 motorbikes, about to start our usual morning ritual of strapping up our backpacks and getting the engines warm enough to start......"No....I think I'm in love with my bike....that sounds better......" We're fully into the bike trip now and getting used to bouncing around from town to town each day. [ 1552 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/01/week-50-aurangabad-kannad-chalisgaon-bhusawal/

“I love my bike!”, Mass says as we are walking out of the guesthouse over to the 2 motorbikes, about to start our usual morning ritual of strapping up our backpacks and getting the engines warm enough to start……“No….I think I’m in love with my bike….that sounds better……” We’re fully into the bike tr…

14/03/2016

"I hate my bike!" Mass says as he glances over at the gate of the guesthouse as we walk up to the balcony for breakfast. We're into the 2nd week and Mass is now the proud owner of a Yamaha Enticer which we picked up a couple of days ago. The bike looks great! It looks like a Harley! But at the moment that's the only comfort it's bringing Mass at the moment! [ 1334 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/01/week-49-rashing-pune-karegaon/

“I hate my bike!” Mass says as he glances over at the gate of the guesthouse as we walk up to the balcony for breakfast. We’re into the 2nd week and Mass is now the proud owner of a Yamaha Enticer which we picked up a couple of days ago. The bike looks great! It …

05/03/2016

'Bing!!' The metal, circular cup holder on the plane is the most satisfying sound ever if you balance it at a right-angle to the frame and then flick it with your finger! It's a few days into the new year and I'm on a flight from London to Goa, and this time I'm not alone. Sitting next to me, and assisting in this cup-holder-sound-creation of the god's, is Mass, best friend from junior school who is on his own travelling route (Sydney->London->India->New Zealand->Canada). [ 416 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/01/week-48-goa/

26/02/2016

I'm running late! It's my first day back in the country and after getting a few bits sorted in town I really wanted to drop by my original Manchester gym - Fighting Fit Martial Arts. The timing of the drop isn't ideal....my sleeping and eating patterns are still all over the place, but with the holidays coming up and my plans on darting around to see people this is going to be the only time..... [ 534 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/01/gym-34-fighting-fitness-martial-arts-manchester/

I’m running late! It’s my first day back in the country and after getting a few bits sorted in town I really wanted to drop by my original Manchester gym – Fighting Fit Martial Arts. The timing of the drop isn’t ideal….my sleeping and eating patterns are still all over the place, but with the …

19/02/2016

"We've landed mate" the guy in the window seat next to me says as he gives me a nudge. I think this is the first time I've stayed asleep through the landing of a plane. I get up and grab my bag from the space under the seat in front of me followed by my drum from the overhead locker. Good job this doesn't work like a bus where you could sleep through your stop! [ 908 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2016/01/week-45-47/

“We’ve landed mate” the guy in the window seat next to me says as he gives me a nudge. I think this is the first time I’ve stayed asleep through the landing of a plane. I get up and grab my bag from the space under the seat in front of me followed by my …

15/02/2016

Quick picture post for gym 33....... During the days before the busking began and I was spending the majority of time either practicing or mooching around the island, I just stumble on the K-One MMA building in the middle of town :-) I stop inside. A big impressive reception area, but the only person about is the young woman behind the reception counter who tells me to drop by later. [ 212 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/12/gym-33-k-one-mma-penang/

Quick picture post for gym 33……. During the days before the busking began and I was spending the majority of time either practicing or mooching around the island, I just stumble on the K-One MMA building in the middle of town :-) I stop inside. A big impressive reception area, but the only person ab…

06/02/2016

Travelling gets you in the end! It just creeps up on you...... Before leaving, if someone had said the word 'Traveler' to me, it would conjure up an image of a young 20-something in yoga pants, dreadlocks, a maybe new-found, philosophical, and laid-back attitude to life, a big backpack, possibly a guitar slung over your shoulder, and maybe a freshly inked bamboo tattoo you have just received from a Buddhist monk in a Thai temple...... [ 1265 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/12/weeks-41-44-penang-and-kuala-lumpur-white-belt-busking/

Travelling gets you in the end! It just creeps up on you…… Before leaving, if someone had said the word ‘Traveler’ to me, it would conjure up an image of a young 20-something in yoga pants, dreadlocks, a maybe new-found, philosophical, and laid-back attitude to life, a big backpack, possibly a guita…

13/01/2016

Go with the flow......and flow with the go. 9 months ago, I put the padlock on a storage unit in Manchester for the final time, and that was the last time I saw the majority of nearly everything that I own. One of the big factors about wanting to start travelling was the idea of taking a break in routine… [ 716 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/11/week-40-yangshou-return-white-belt-busking-practice/

Go with the flow……and flow with the go. 9 months ago, I put the padlock on a storage unit in Manchester for the final time, and that was the last time I saw the majority of nearly everything that I own. One of the big factors about wanting to start travelling was the idea of …

25/12/2015

Short and sweet little picture post for gym 32 as I'm dropping into Shanghai BJJ. It's all a bit last-minute as I'm not in the city for that long and I haven't done my research. I send an email about 3 hours before class asking if I could please drop in. It's a bit short notice and I don't get a reply so I decide to just take a punt and head down anyway. [ 78 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/11/gym-32-shanghai-bjj/

Short and sweet little picture post for gym 32 as I’m dropping into Shanghai BJJ. It’s all a bit last-minute as I’m not in the city for that long and I haven’t done my research. I send an email about 3 hours before class asking if I could please drop in. It’s a bit short notice …

25/12/2015

Week 39, and the last of the big cities on my Chinese travels, Shanghai. And when I say big, I mean it! Shanghai is the most populated city in the China, coming in at a not-too-shabby 23 million people! I'm waiting in the busiest subway station yet on the way to the Xuhui district. One of the great things about travelling is the amount of chance encounters and friendly people you meet along the way. [ 364 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/11/week-39-shanghai-and-souzhou/

Week 39, and the last of the big cities on my Chinese travels, Shanghai. And when I say big, I mean it! Shanghai is the most populated city in the China, coming in at a not-too-shabby 23 million people! I’m waiting in the busiest subway station yet on the way to the Xuhui district. One …

13/12/2015

It's 10 minutes before class. I'm in the middle of a street in Beijing city, with a spa owner woman on my right and a guy operating a pizza stall to my left. Both of which are talking in chinese between them in an effort to get me to class on time :-) The drop in class today is at… [ 403 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/10/gym-31-beijing-jiu-jitsu-academy/

It’s 10 minutes before class. I’m in the middle of a street in Beijing city, with a spa owner woman on my right and a guy operating a pizza stall to my left. Both of which are talking in chinese between them in an effort to get me to class on time :-) The drop in …

07/12/2015

Week 38 - Beijng and Camping on the Great Wall of China

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/10/week-38-beijing-camping-great-wall-china/

Week 38 and me and Lee have arrived at our 3rd large City in a row: The Capital, Beijing! We are both a bit groggy from the 21 hour train ride, with little sleep from Xian. Apart from the hard seats with no adjustable backrest (which seemed to make you lean forwards opposed to back!)….we were …

01/12/2015

Short and sweet, picture post for week 37 Before leaving the Sichuan province, me and Lee have one final stop 75 miles South of Chengdu to the small city of Leshan, which literally translates to 'Happy Mountain' :-) The only item on my and Lee's agenda is to grab a peak at the largest stone Buddha statue in the world... [ 205 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/10/week-37-leshan-xian/

Short and sweet, picture post for week 37 Before leaving the Sichuan province, me and Lee have one final stop 75 miles South of Chengdu to the small city of Leshan, which literally translates to ‘Happy Mountain’ :-) The only item on my and Lee’s agenda is to grab a peak at the largest stone …

22/11/2015

I love China! I had no expectations coming here, but up until now I have nothing to complain about at all! Nice weather, beautiful views, mountains and lakes, friendly people, new friends, new experiences....the past 4 weeks have been a real pleasure..........however............ Where is the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?! Where, I ask you!!? After probably missing a good opportunity to find a gym in Guangzhou, the Chinese towns in Yunnan have been remarkably lacking in places I can get choked out! [ 630 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/10/gym-30-chengdu-bjj/

I love China! I had no expectations coming here, but up until now I have nothing to complain about at all! Nice weather, beautiful views, mountains and lakes, friendly people, new friends, new experiences….the past 4 weeks have been a real pleasure……….however………… Where is the Brazilian Jiu Jitsu?! W…

22/11/2015

I'm in Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province. I meet up with Lee in the hostel. We're both feeling a bit worse for ware! I flew in from Lijiang, arrived at 1am and tried to sleep on one of the benches until morning. Lee had just come on a monster bus journey from Yunnan and arrived within the hour. [ 555 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/10/week-36-chengdu-pandas-packages/

I'm in Chengdu, the capital of the Sichuan Province. I meet up with Lee in the hostel. We're both feeling a bit worse for ware! I flew in from Lijiang, arrived at 1am and tried to sleep on one of the benches until morning. Lee had just come on a monstor bus journey from Yunnan and arrived within the…

21/11/2015

"Does it feel like we've been on this bus a bit too long?", Lee asks. I'm half asleep, with my head on my backpack. "I'm not sure. How long have we been on? Have we even stopped yet?" We're on the bus after a few days in Lijiang, on our way to Hutiaoxia town, the stop off point and start of a Hiking trail over… [ 795 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/10/week-35-shangrila-and-tiger-leaping-gorge/

The city, once called Zhondian, was renamed to Shangri-La at the turn of the century, based on the mystical (and fictional) land of the 1933 novel, 'Lost Horizon'. The things China will do for tourism! This is the furthest North-West I have travelled in China. A couple of hours away from the Tibet b…

20/11/2015

I'm on my way to Lijiang! We are now fully into national holiday week, and you can feel it! The only remaining spaces on the train are 'standing tickets'....fortunately this train journey is my shortest so far in China at a cheeky 2 hours :-) I take a photo of everyone crammed together in the carriage and hear behind me, [ 1796 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/10/week-34-part-2-lijiang-jade-snow-and-jumpsuits/

One thing which has taken a while to get used to since visiting China is the amount of times you have your photo taken by complete strangers. Sometimes you will be approached for a photo or a selfie, other times you can tell that someone is trying to get a sneaky photo in without you knowing.....how…

18/11/2015

"Where's the best place you've visited so far?" You hear that question asked all the time in hostels and guesthouses. It's really common ground when chatting to new people...Where have you been so far? Where are you going?.....any advice? :-) And I never know what to say when I'm asked this question about the 'best' place I've visited up to now. [ 836 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/week-34-part-1-kunming-dali/

Dali....is.....beautiful! The ancient city is placed directly between the large Lake Erhai to the East and the vast Cangshan mountain range to the West. Unlike the karst and dotted mountains throughout Guilin, the ones here in Yunnan are large and imposing. Just walking around the town you can be un…

01/11/2015

It's 2am and my phone beeps, waking me up. I reach out for it and knock it off the side of my bed, the top bunk. I'm hoping that's not the 2nd screen I'll replace in a month! I make my way down and find my phone, still intact and open the message: "Tomorrow 9:00am, the climber will come to the hostel to pick you. [ 2880 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/week-33-guilin-and-yangshou-rooftops-and-rock-climbing/

A couple of days ahead, and I move on to Yangshou Town, a couple of hours South of Guilin. Yangshou is a recent tourist hotspot, and for good reason. All the mountains and natural beauty of Guilin but on a smaller scale in a town - it's like the mountains are on top of you, dotted around and inside…

28/10/2015

It's my last night in Hong Kong and my second gym for the day! I'm heading over to Hong Kong Jiu Jitsu after emailing with Makoto Aramaki, 2nd degree black belt and founder of HKJJ. Hello Craig. Thank you for your contact. I am sorry for late reply. I have come back to HK this morning from Asian Open in Tokyo. [ 415 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/gym-29-hong-kong-jiu-jitsu/

It's my last night in Hong Kong and my second gym for the day! I'm heading over to Hong Kong Jiu Jitsu after emailing with Makoto Aramaki, 2nd degree black belt and founder of HKJJ.

26/10/2015

I'm asleep I think! Everything seems a bit surreal! I must be still in Hong Kong, dreaming that I've sucessfully been granted a 4 week visa for a 6 week plan to travel China, and I have just alighted the train at my first stop - Guangzhou. The train station is more secure than most airports I've been too. No words are spoken but my bag and passport are checked 3 times before I get to my platform. [ 1084 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/week-32-part-2-sleeping-and-skateboards-guangzhou/

I have just alited the train at my first stop - Guangzhou. I'm asleep I think! Everything seems a bit surreal! I must be still in Hong Kong, dreaming that I've sucessfully been granted a 4 week visa for a 6 week plan to travel China, and

11/10/2015

What better way to spend the time waiting for a Chinese visa, then by dropping in for a BJJ class or 2? It's my last day in Hong Kong, and I've got a couple of drop in sessions lined up for the day. My first stop is at Epic MMA, a high-end, Hong Kong based gym chain. With over 5 locations in Hong Kong, specialising in a number of martial arts disciplines such as BJJ, MMA, Krav Maga, Boxing, and Muy Thai as well as a number of fitness, crossfit, and yoga programs. [ 309 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/gym-28-epic-mma-hong-kong/

It's my last day in Hong Kong, and I've got a couple of drop in sessions lined up for the day. My first stop is at Epic MMA, a high-end, Hong Kong based gym chain. With over 5 locations in Hong Kong, specialising in a number of martial arts disciplines such as BJJ, MMA, Krav Maga, Boxing, and Muy Th…

07/10/2015

It's week 32, and I've taken a flight to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a melting pot! Hot, humid, and absolutely bustling! With over 7 million inhabitants, it is ranked as one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and you can tell as soon as you get off the plane! With my backpack across my shoulders I am ducking and dodging around the passing human traffic on the way to the hostel. [ 889 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/week-32-part-1-hong-kong-skyline-vistas-and-chinese-visas/

It's week 32, and I've taken a flight to Hong Kong. Hong Kong is a melting pot! Hot, humid, and absolutely bustling! With over 7 million inhabitants, it is ranked as one of the most densly populated areas in the world, and you can tell as soon as you get off the plane! With my backpack accross my sh…

29/09/2015

Well, I've arrived in paradise :-) As part of my mini surfing 'holiday' in Bali, I needed to find a gym which was close by to get a few BJJ sessions in during the week :-) I send an email over to Niko Han, founder and head instructor at Synergy MMA and receive the following response. Dear Craig, [ 637 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/gym-27-synergy-mma-bali/

I send an email over to Niko Han, founder and head instructor at Synergy MMA. As part of my mini surfing 'holiday' in Bali, I needed to find a gym which was close by to get a few BJJ sessions in during the week :-)

24/09/2015

I'm not a surfer....that is no longer how I define my self! :-( After my short stop in Singapore, I'm planning on planting myself in the same spot for 5-6 days to just stay put and chill out.......like a holiday within a holiday :-) Well, I say chill out, but I do have a bit of a plan. Step 1… [ 822 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/week-31-bali-humbled-by-waves-grateful-in-life/

I'm planning on planting myself in the same spot for 5-6 days to just chill out...after a bit of research I have myself a flight to Bali, Indonesia

22/09/2015

I'm only planning to be in Singapore for a few days, but I'm keen to get a gym visit in. Up until now, Laos is the only country I've been unable to find a place to train in and I'm very keen to keep that stat to a minimum :-) I send an email over to Evolve MMA, ranked by many sources as the #1 martial arts organisation in Asia! [ 261 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/09/gym-26-evolve-mma-singapore/

I'm only planning to be in Singapore for a few days, but I'm keen to get a gym visit in. I send an email over to Evolve MMA, ranked by many sources as the #1 martial arts organisation in Asia!

16/09/2015

A short and sweet little picture blog post for week 30. My final wanderings around Kuala Lumpur - A trip to the Petronas Towers - Formerly the tallest buildings in the world until 2004. Time for the next stop, and a visit to a country which was not on the original plan, Singapore - The Lion City! Singapore is a tiny melting pot of success in South East Asia. [ 251 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/08/week-30-kuala-lumpur-and-singapore/

Time for the next stop, and a visit to a country which was not on the original plan, Singapore - The Lion City! It is a tiny melting pot of sucess in South East Asia. The country is around in the top 5 of every measured list around GDP per capita going.

12/09/2015

"What's the dollar to ringgit exchange rate today?" I ask Ren as I slide into the passenger seat. He has just pulled over in his car to pick me up. Ren looks at me, shaking his head. "I didn't check....it's annoying me too much, I don't want to know anymore" It's coming up to the end of my time in Malaysia, and after a… [ 817 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/08/crowds-cash-and-chicken-goggles-wandering-around-the-bersih-protest/

It's coming up to the end of my time in Malaysia, and after a full, awesome week of training I'm looking at finding a new destination to fly out at the weekend. Ren is about to give me a reason to stick around for another couple of days. "It's Bersih 4.0", Ren tells me. "No training this weekend! I'…

10/09/2015

Week 29 - Gyms 24 & 25 - Monarchy MMA, Kuala Lumpur

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/08/week-29-gyms-24-25-monarchy-mma-kuala-lumpur/

Malaysia was not part of the original travel plans but after recieving a newsletter from matsurfng.org on potential places to train and BJJ people to meet, I send an email to Ren Chew, a BJJ purple belt, living and training in Kuala Lumpur.

02/09/2015

Mainly a picture blog post this time. This topic has been written about countless times, and by people who have far writing and expressive skill than I posses! I arrived in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia and took a trip for the day into The Killing Fields and the S21 museum. I had done a bit of research beforehand and, for the large part, knew what to expect. [ 61 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/08/week-28-part-1-phnom-penh-s21-genocide-museum-and-the-killing-fields/

I arrived in Phnom Penh, the capital of Cambodia and took a trip for the day into The Killing Fields and the S21 museum. I had done a bit of research beforehand and, for the large part, knew what to expect for the day. However, even though there were no 'shocks' that I experienced.......the sadness…

01/09/2015

My tuk-tuk driver is talking again to the other drivers to the side of the road. This is the second time we've been up and down this street, where my phone is beeping the address of the gym should be. Luckily for me, my driver is doing me a solid and is trying to ask the other local drivers if they know of any nearby gyms. [ 856 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/08/gym-23-angkor-fight-club/

We speed off again, find a side street, and we have arrived - Angkor Fight Club, Siem Reap

31/08/2015

"You can wait here....the airport is still closed" "The airport is closed?" It's my last morning in Hué, Vietnam and I'm bobbing along in the back of a tuk tuk on the way to the airport. We pull up at a small building in an empty car park. I think this is a first! I always imagined the setup at an airport needing hours of preparation for all the security, airport staff, customer service, pilots etc. [ 1442 more words. ]

http://www.whitebeltabroad.com/2015/08/week-27-siem-reap-bayon-and-buckets/

After everyone (well, a few people) arrives to get the airport running, and one smooth flight later I arrive in Siem Reap, my first stop in Cambodia and grab a taxi on my way over to my accomodation. Over the last few months, I've gotten used to tuk-tuk, motobike and taxi drivers being a bit pushy o…