At first foreign exchange trader Mark Palmer didn?t really know what ?Credit Crunch? meant, but he, along with the rest of us, was soon to found out.

Three years after those immortal words were screamed from a panicky banker the world is still reeling and suffering the aftershock.

In that interim Mark left behind his six-figure salary along with a lot of worry, ?I thought that if I was going to stay working, it would take 15 years off my life. It was an incredibly stressful time.?

Mark believed he left at just the right time, ?The week I left, in 2009, three people had committed suicide by jumping from buildings. One did it in style though, jumping while holding a glass of Champaign.?

At that time Mark also began questioning the worth of being a foreign exchange trader and by extension his life. So one day he decided he had had enough and booked a flight to China to spend a few months on Shandong mountain training with Shaolin Kung Fu masters at the Kunyu Shan Martial Arts academy.

Although Mark enjoyed his time in sub-zero temperatures up a Chinese mountain and occasionally being hit with sticks, he came up with the idea of opening up a more relaxed, accessible and fun camp that would not only bridge the language but also the cultural gap in Phuket.

?We will be opening up a small boutique resort in Nai Harn by the end of the year where people can learn mixed martial arts; Tai Chi, Muay Thai and Kung Fu in a relaxed and pleasant environment, ? he said.

Mark?s resort will be called 5 Elements in reference to the ancient Chinese philosophy that relates human interaction and relationships with the environment to Fire, Earth, Metal, Water and Wood.

5 Elements will be set on 4 rai of land in Nai Harn. ?There?s going to be two 2 bedroom villas that can accommodate up to four (with plunge pools) and then eight 1 bedroom cottages that will sleep 2/3 on site.?

Along with the comfortable accommodation, Mark believes that separating 5 Elements from, for example, the Tiger Muay Thai training camp and others around Asia, is the environment, luxurious facilities and accessibility of the courses.

He wants to open a centre where couples can come and attend classes together without fear of sticks, being misunderstood, or having to get up at 5.30 am every morning. They can stay for weeks, months or even a year.

It all depends on you and how interested in martial arts you are and what you want to actually gain from your time at 5 Elements.

?I?d like to offer something more relaxing, to where you can choose what you want to do. There?ll be both half day as well as full day timetables.?

A typical full day will incorporate the ?best? of what can be learned from the different art forms and suggested that a new attendee would do everything on the first day, so that he/she may choose a more tailored course later on.

Day One at 5 Elements:
Tai Chi
Breakfast
Kung Fu Lesson
Learning about forms
Weapons
Break
Yoga
Muay Thai
Dinner
Tai Chi in the evening followed by meditation on the beach.

At the end of that first day, Mark said, ?I will guarantee you will sleep like a baby.?
The team at 5 Elements will come from as wide and varied background as the courses themselves and include, two Chinese Shaolin masters who have been training for between 15?21 years. One Chinese translator, four Muay Thai guys and an Australian nutritionist who will be teaching yoga and detox courses. There will be massage and spa facilities provided by four local ladies.

They will also be offering detox and therapies that combine healthy eating with exercise, which according to Mark is much more useful than taking an elephant ride.

Both the internal (chi, meditation etc) and external components (Kung Fu) of martial arts will be taught at 5 Elements, which Mark believes will bring about an inner calm to his guests.

?In London, I was the kind of guy who would stroll into bars and clubs with a 3 piece suit on and judge people on what they were wearing. I?d buy bottles of champagne and just go and sit down with a table of girls like I could buy them that way.?

This all changed after his trip to China, ?After spending months up a Chinese mountain eating rice and boiled vegetables, it?s hard not to learn about humility.?

To invest, or become a 5 Elements partner, or just to learn more, please email Mark@fiveelementsthailand.com