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Published: November 23rd 2012
Oh yeah, two weeks in a row! Well, three days late, but I'm still impressed with myself.
At first I didn't really know what to write about this week. We were tuckered out from our Phi Phi trip, and, thus, had another slow week at school. Nothing of too much note happened there, although I am getting very sick of the hokey pokey, while the kids just seem to be loving it more and more. Oh, I also tried my first story time with the kindergarteners. I read them the English book, Five Ugly Monsters. You know the one where the five ugly monsters are jumping on the bed and one falls off and bumps his head? Yeah, so I get to the part where that one ugly monster bumps his head and then scream at the kids "NO MORE MONSTERS JUMPING ON THE BED!!!!". They loved it, well, the ones that followed the story, at least. The rest probably think I'm nuts, but what can you do.
Anyway, I realized that I have been neglecting an important detail in my blogs: our health. As in, how John and I are doing physically. Neither of us has been sick in quite some time; finally getting used to the Thai germs. But even when we weren't sick, the first two months in Thailand involved very little exercise. Going from running a marathon to doing no strenuous activity whatsoever took a visible toll on my body- I got soft really fast. I will not comment on John's physique, though many of his family and friends made it clear to him this summer that he hadn't quite maintained his Marine abs….
This brings us to today's topic: Muay Thai.
As some of you probably know, John joined Bang Tao Muay Thai Boxing Gym at the beginning of October. The coach, a former champion of Northern Thailand, offered him a very cheap deal on Muay Thai training with the agreement that he would put the practice to use in real fights. Hosting fights featuring white people draws in the crowds, tourist and locals alike. More viewers equals more tickets and beers sold, and more bets placed. Oh, and did I mention the fighters get paid? So John paid about $200 for his first month's training, $100 for this month, and next month will be free since he will be competing in his first boxing match. He will earn all the money back and more within the first two fights.
His trainer is a very generous man and offered to let me train for FREE, with no expectations of me actually fighting. Thank goodness, because it's not going to happen. Instead, I get to go workout, practice on the bag, and get one-on-one ring time with the trainer, for no cost. It's only been two weeks but I can feel myself getting stronger, more flexible, and more toned everyday. I think I'm seeing faster results than my marathon training! While I personally do not want to fight, the exercise is great. I had no idea how much technique and skill went into boxing. Muay Thai uses eight "points of contact", unlike kickboxing and other combat sports which have two or four points of contact. In this sport, you can punch, elbow, knee, or kick with each of your two arms and legs. There are also different forms of each move (push kick; low, middle, or high sidekick; hook, jab, or uppercut punches, etc) to add to the whole complicated process. The best fighters are not only strong, but quick and creative with their moves. John is very good at thinking on his feet and has learned the skills very quickly, making him an excellent boxer. Coach tells him everyday that he is ready to fight, and he should be doing so in about two weeks. Being a Marine, John has the "kill" mind and knows how to take people out. Being a pacifist, I just stand there and take the swings, frozen in fear and completely forgetting all my training. So when I get in the ring I just follow what the trainer yells out for me to do ("punch, punch, elbow, knee, knee, knee, kick, double kick, ok!"). Needless to say, I will not be making any money off this hobby, but getting in shape is enough for me.
Now before you go thinking this is some brutal fight-to-the death type sport, let me give you some background. Muay Thai is the national sport of thailand and is deeply revered in this country. It's comparable to baseball in the states, where every little boy (or girl) starts playing at a young age. I truly do not believe that this makes them a violent culture- though these kids rough house much harder than American ones! Muay Thai is like any sport; you train, you practice, you build strength and technique, then you compete. Here, that just happens to be inside a ring while hundreds of people cheer you on and place bets on you. This is a third world country, I'm not going to make any judgements on the corruption here. But Muay Thai is more than just violence; it is steeped in tradition and respect. Each match begins with what I can only describe as a "dance"; a prayer ceremony, involving an elaborate combination of moves made around the four corners, middle, and then four sides of the ring, while prayers are said along the way. It is fascinating to watch, and hopefully I can add a video for you at a later point.
After spending two weeks in the gym- running with the 8 year old boys, getting tips from the 15 year old girls, getting battered around the ring by Coach until my arms feel like they're going to fall off- I've gained a deeper connection with the sport and an important part of Thai culture. So I was excited to get the chance to attend the first fight of the high season this past Tuesday night at Bang Tao Stadium. John, Connor (an English guy who started a few weeks before John), and I all helped with the preparations and translations. We set up benches, wiped down chairs, advertised by word of mouth, explained details to tourists, and Connor acted as announcer for the big event. That evening, the parking lot of the gym filled with motorbikes, the vendors set up food carts, and the locals swarmed the gym, dragging the whole family with them. Men, women, and children, Buddhist and Muslim, filled the bleachers. Now the Thai people get to attend for free, with the hopes that they are buying beer and placing bets. A few farangs showed up, though the price is set much higher at a pretty $40 entrance fee. When the fights began, so did the madness; cheering, yelling, betting, punching, and kicking. The first fight was between two 9 year old boys, but remember, they don't even have much strength at that age, so they mostly just wrestled each other into the ropes, occasionally tripping one another to the ground. Each match is 5 rounds, with the winner at the end being declared by some kind of point system I am still working out. It was all very exciting, so we stayed through two more matches: a pair of 15 year old girls, and second pair of 12/13 year old boys. We chatted with the locals, talking about the hard hits and taking guesses on who would win. After watching a live match, I must say it less brutal than I had imagined (American boxing seems much more dangerous), and more entertaining. I can't wait to see John get up in the ring and put his handwork to use!
Unfortunately this blog is incomplete because my camera has been on the fritz (like I need more technology problems), and I couldn't get any pictures of the fight. So, hopefully next week I can snap some photo evidence and add it for your viewing pleasure. And if you have any questions, comments, opinions about Muay Thai feel free to leave them here or message me privately 😊
I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving. We were sad to be away from family, but ended up having a very special celebration here. More on that next week!
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Muay Thai Boxing
Interesting Story. I like this. thanks for shared this