Crawford, a seasoned Thai boxer, visited 18 countries in 15 months, gaining first-hand experience of several martial arts and exercise systems.

Previously he spent two years in Thailand, intensively studying Muaythai boxing, fighting professionally and completing further training at the Muaythai Institute in Bangkok.

He returned to England and worked at a health club linked to an exclusive Knightsbridge hotel, teaching Muaythai and building up a portfolio of high- profile personal training clients.

After three years he and girlfriend Ange felt ready to live their dream.

Lee Crawford writes: Our first destination was Africa. In Kenya we met a Masai tribesman who demonstrated the characteristic skill of being able to jump high in the air.

Despite many attempts I always found myself hitting the floor well before him - his explanation being that I was too heavy!

I had an unforgettable teaching experience in a small Malawian village, where we befriended a group of children playing by a waterfall. They had no shoes - let alone toys - but seemed happy and were always smiling.

They were extremely keen to learn and fearlessly agile, tackling jumps and spinning kicks after only a couple of sessions.

One evening, on the shores of Lake Malawi, we were entertained by three brothers who gave an energetic performance featuring a mixture of kung-fu kicks, acrobatics and circus tricks.

Their costumes, thrown together from donated clothing, mixed kung-fu and ninja styles. One looked quite the part in old white pyjamas with a black belt.

They told me all their stunts were self-taught and asked me to teach them some Muaythai, so we met up early the next morning.

The sun was already unrelenting, but within a few hours they had a good grasp of the master tricks. It was a privilege to have taught such talented natural athletes.

After three months in Africa we were India-bound. We were hit by a massive culture shock upon arriving in stifling New Delhi and couldn't wait to escape on the next train up to the Himalayan foothills.

We spent a week in an ashram (a place of spiritual retreat and communal living) by the banks of the sacred Ganges - a good place to recover from severe jetlag.

We then travelled to the holy city of Rishikesh, which has earned international fame as the yoga capital of the world. Here the locals still observe spiritual traditions by abstaining from meat, eggs and alcohol. Despite increasing development, there is still a very special atmosphere.

It is a buzzing city where you could never bore of people-watching, with a constant stream of pilgrims, street vendors, monks, soul-searching tourists, cows and mischievous monkeys.

We were fortunate to meet Yogi Sandeep, an endearingly humble and generous teacher who guided us through the month-long yoga teacher- training course.

It was a gruelling schedule with 5.30am starts, learning postures, breathing exercises, meditation and philosophy, but such a fulfilling and enjoyable experience as our bodies felt much more limber and detoxified.

Surprisingly to me, I found similarities between aspects of yoga and martial arts - the goal being to polish the mind and body and achieve harmony and balance in one's life.

In South India, I learnt about a traditional martial art called 'Kalarippayat', which although declining in popularity, is still practiced in the state of Kerala.

Some believe Kalarippayat was taken to China by Buddhist monks and became a model for the kung-fu system. We visited a few rustic training camps and it felt like stepping back into ancient times.

Taught by Master (Gurukkal) Sonil Kunnar, we trained on the soft cool clay of an arena that served as a gymnasium, armoury and temple. After undergoing a spiritual ritual and receiving blessings, I began training with 'meythari', a set of exercises to attain control, balance and stamina to withstand arduous feats with medieval weapons.

Part of the training involved a massage to help stretch and lengthen the muscles and tendons. I was expected to lie back and relax while the master clung to ropes suspended from the ceiling and applied deep pressure to my body using his feet.

I came away covered in oil and an impressive selection of mosquito bites, not to mention intensely sore muscles. It took a good few days before I could walk normally again.

The next part of our journey took us to China - I was instinctively drawn to the magical mystery of Chinese martial arts.
I met a kung-fu teacher in Dali old city (Yunnan province) where I was put through the motions atop the ancient gates overlooking the snow-capped mountains.
It felt like being on the set of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

My Master was a Daoist monk called Xiao Yun ('Little Cloud') and he introduced me to Wudang kung-fu, the style most commonly seen in Chinese martial arts films.

This was like a Jim'll Fix It moment for me.

En route to South America we stopped in Thailand to visit my old colleagues and masters at the Muaythai Institute. Sadly, I learned that Master Sannepare had passed away since my previous visit.

To him I give thanks for his guidance and wisdom.

On to Brazil, where the city of Salvador was on our itinerary - it was reputed for its capoeira schools. I began my training at the Associaçao de Capoeira Metre Bima.

It was huge fun - especially learning the cartwheel kicks - but due to a lack of rhythm it took me a little longer to grasp the basics and correlate my movements in time with the beat of the music.

Capoeira, a non-contact sport, combines elements of dancing and fighting. Afro-Brazilian slaves invented this fascinating martial art about 400 years ago. It went underground when slave owners discovered its existence and banned slaves from practicing it.

The slaves continued to hone their fighting skills, disguising it as a kind of dance. It was exhilarating to see the capoeira crowds in the street.

The pounding beat of the drums created an electric atmosphere: truly unforgettable.

Lee Crawford is the gym manager at Pure health club in Leamington, where he also teaches Muaythai classes. Contact 883679.