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Published: January 1st 2006
"Don't ever show that you are in pain, don't ever show that you are tired. You do that in the ring and it's over, you are beaten. When you are tired, show that you are strong, in pain, breath and focus on your move, that is the way to win. This is not just in muay Thai but life..." - Pedro - Muay Thai Kruu.
My life as an experience junky has become all about variety and experiencing new things, there is a whole world to see and a lifetimes worth of learning available. In each part of the world there are histories, traditions, arts, crafts, languages, skills and sports that can be learned. I wanted an experience in Thailand that was authentic, hard work, and would teach me something about life and myself.
Muay Thai, Thai Kick boxing - has a long history, is the most popular sport in Thailand and has a reputation as a very effective martial art for self defence. I'd chatted to a few people who'd spent some time training in muay Thai and they'd said that really to actually learn something significant about a month of intensive training is needed. So a month of muay Thai training in
Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand was the next experience.
I made a tour of a few of the training centres in Chiang Mai, and was really lucky to find the
Muay Thai Sangka school. After watching a training session I decided that this was the place for me, I liked the style and philosophy, emphasising the martial aspects, respecting the traditions and involved a little meditation and chanting. I had a good feeling about the school, the instructor and the people I spoke with. I signed up.
Each day involved around 6 hours training, followed a routine, and my life started to revolve around it.
9-11, chanting, warm-up, technique
16-19, warm-up, working the bags, technique and sparring (if experienced), chanting
(over running by about 30 mins on each session to make up the 6 hours)
wake, eat, train, eat, work, train, eat, sleep
wake, eat, train, eat, work, train, eat, sleep
wake, eat, train, eat, work, train, eat, sleep
Week one was very tough, my body had to be taught to move in a new way, the training itself is physically demanding, during the course of the afternoon session I made around 300 pressups, and
400 stomach crunches - on top of the bag work and technique. The most important thing is to not get injured, there is nothing more frustrating than not being able to perform a move because of a twisted ankle or bad blisters. I skinned my shins slipping off my bicylce going to the training session and was unable to kick with my left leg for days. In the second week my feet became really sore from all the work on bare concrete and blisters appeared on my toes. In the third week I started to toughen up, the feet no longer hurt, the moves started to come and I could feel how far I had progressed since the first days.
If you are looking for a good place to train and have the time to dedicate to it - I fully recommend the
Muay Thai Sangka - everyone I met there was really happy with the training.
I made friends; Jay from England - planning to be come an instructor, Samael from Italy/Brazil - spending a year training to become a fighter, Claire, Josea, Desiree, Zeev, Tyson, Miguel, Carlson and J-J - like me looking for to either further their
Pedro's Party
7th December 2005 at the Indian Restaurant.training or a new experience in life.
Three weeks passed in Chaing Mai, I didn't go trekking, or do a cooking course, or learn massage, trying to work on websites on top of the training took it out of me. I only visited the tourist sights and temples in my final days, but I did have an interesting time; here are a few extracts from my paper and pen journal, small events and stories that became diary moments and I now share...
28th November 2005:
"Went with Phil to the night market, met with Ohm and Ber, Thai friends of Phil's working at the hospital.They're so generous wouldn't let us pay for dinner, talked about Thai language, Germany and England" - when I first arrived in Chiang Mai I met with
Phil (another travelblogger) he showed me round the first few evenings.
1st December 2005:
"Today I rest, it's Buddha's day, so no training which is a good thing as I work with aching and stiff muscles, sore bloody knuckles and feeling very tired from going out and trying to have a good time... The club from last night night 'Bubbles' was small, crowded and pretentious, played
a style of house trance that made very few people happy. It was the usual mix of Farang and Thai, the Thai's young and female and the Farang being older, male and enraptured by the Thai girls."
7th December 2005:
"Last night I briefly met a Frenchman and a Thai girl at the pad thai street vendor. The Frenchman had a full short beard, long hair held back by a band, must have been about 27 years old. The Thai girl whose hand he held was pretty with perfect hair, very feminine clothes and delicate high heeled sandals. It was only when she spoke I realised she was a lady boy.
'I really like this guy', says the Thai girl/boy, 'he's going to Pai though'. She isn't talking about the Frenchman or me, but someone she met recently.
'Oh', says the Frenchman sprinkling a ridiculous amount of chillies on his pad thai.
'So I'm getting a friend to meet him off the bus', the Thai girl says looking a little guilty. 'He's a policeman, I've been thinking so much about how to stop him'
'I don't think he will like the er policeman, people don't
like the police', says the now sweating Frenchman, chillies obviously too much.
'It's ok he doesn't have to, he just has to wait with him until I get there'
'You're having him arrested?!?'
'No... he just has to wait with my friend at the police station, my friend will make something up about drugs to keep him there', the Thai girlboy beams proudly, 'Then I'll come and meet him and get him out. What do you think, is it a good plan?'
Oh to be a fly on the wall at that reunion..."
11th December 2005:
"Training continues to go well, movements that were hard or impossible one week ago are now automatic and fluid"
18th December 2005:
"My last day in Chiang Mia! I've completed my three weeks training in Muay Thai and I'm still able to walk. Yesterday I trained as hard as I could knowing that I have days and weeks to recover, almost got my left kicks correctly made after a week and half of not being able to do them.
Tomorrow I start my journey into Laos, and adventures new."
Muay Thai training was a great
experience, one I hope to repeat in 2006, a two week stint in the new year seems likely. Chiang Mai is a great place to base yourself for activities, though the town itself has redeeming features the traffic is crazy, and the night life is dominated by gogo bars. The roof top bar is the best place for backpackers to meet away from the gogo girls and prostitutes.
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Patrick Michael
non-member comment
Savage sent me...
Nice story. Love Kali, Escrima and Muay Thai. Lucky you. Happy trails, Dude.