Big Pay Day

I got up at quarter to seven this morning. I'd sent my alarm for 6:25am then snoozed for a while. It takes will power to get out of bed, luckily I found it, somewhere. I put on my shoes and went running. My run takes me through the business district of Sathon to and through Lumpini park and then back into the capitalist quagmire of Silom. My run took about 50 minutes. I bought some water and walked into the gym.

I've been going to fighting spirit gym for about a month and a half. The pros: close to my house, nice clean facilities (that goes a long way in Thailand), inexpensive (in comparison to other muay thai gyms), and the head trainer, along with the owner are good at what they do. Another pro is the animals there. The owner has three dogs of his own, two pit pulls and one little weiner looking dog, a bird that doesn't fly (its species are unable) and two large iguana looking things. Having animals around is nice, especially when the animals are taken care of. The beasts are given a fair amount of room to run around in and are given the care and affection that they deserve. I think having pets is difficult, and its even more difficult to adequately care for them. Its nice to see an owner that cares about their pets.

The cons: no free water, not a lot of other fighters, and a little difficulty getting fights. The gym is geared towards recreational and fitness use, not necessarily to fighters so the last two items are not super surprising. That said the trainers are pretty active in sparring, clinching, and boxing with me so its almost better than having a fighter who doesn't have as much experience.

While obtaining a fight has been a little bit of a run around I have one on the 4th of May. It will be at MBK a huge tourist mall that sells tons of discount, pirated, and generally cheap goods. Need some souvenoirs for family, MBK. Need some pirated dvds or software, MBK. Need some electronics and or cell phones, MBK. The mall is located in downtown BKK and has free fights every wednesday night. The fights are generally low caliber and for tourists passing by to gawk at, and hopefully it ushers people into the shopping center to spend their dollars there.

Fighting on the 4th means extending my stay about a week and a half. I'm pretty happy about that as things are going well out here, although of course I'm accruing more expenses than I'd like.

This morning I did pad work with Max, a 28 year old Thai who studied at Abac and got a degree in law. He decided to return to the sport of Muay Thai which he engaged in during his childhood. He is a tricky fighter and has a few simple but effective combinations that we went through. One of them was a very basic right push kick, right body punch. The other which was giving me a bit more problem was a double right kick into a jumping body kick. This series requires a fair amount of momentum and retreat on the part of one's opponent. Ideally the opponent backs up to the ropes and is stuck there for a moment.



After my morning training session I came home, slept, ate and read. The exciting life of a boxer. My afternoon session I worked with Tak the head trainer, and one of the better trainers I've had in Thailand. Tak has a simplistic style that is smooth and effective. He is particularly keen on left kicks. He has had me do some simple counters as well. When an opponent hooks I crash in with my opposite knee or I elbow. Today he told me to especially use my hips and to make space when kneeing. Despite having been told that in the past by other trainers I forgot.

A neat trick that I learned during knee sparring was when Num, the third trainer at the gym lifted his knee under my knee and pushed me forward when I went to side knee him. His knee lifted my leg up and unbalanced me and his push forward made me fall over onto my ass.

I got back up after falling down and had Num teach me the trick a few times. It reminded me of this video.



I'll be sure to write up about my fight, and it will probably makes its way on the internets somehow.

Bad Romance

"Nakano," I said, pulling on the lanky Japanese man's shirt. "Nakano."
"Wass," he replied. He kept his attention focused in front of him. The rottweiler mutt, Gleo trotted alongside of our small group of boxers.
"I don't want to go jogging anymore."
"Wass?"
"I don't want to go jogging anymore," I said with a sigh. "I hate jogging."
"Me too," he replied with a laugh. "No more jogging!" He raised his fist against the enemies of our condition.
Apisat and Apisit, twin brothers at Sitmonchai began jogging down the Thamaka road. Nakano followed. I groaned and pursued.
We came back to the gym after our 12 kilometer run down the side streets of Thamaka in rural Kanchanaburi.
Upon returning to the Muay Thai camp we sat down on a bench.
"Nakano, Nakano," I said.
"Wass," he replied.
"I don't like Muay Thai anymore."
He laughed. "Me too."

My training here at Sitmonchai is coming to a close as my fight is on sunday. I am slated to fight a much smaller opponent as my original foe cut his finger somehow. Who knows the opponent might be changed last minute again. I'm excited about having training being over with because I am getting burned out on it. In lieu of training this afternoon I have opted to watch Rocky montage's. Until then myself and Muay Thai are having a bad romance.

Click here for the original.

Do what?

Things here at Sitmonchai are progressing as they do. I've been training regularly sans two sessions in which I was too sleepy to attend. This valentine's day one of the fighters here had a bout. The fight was in a small town close to Thamaka and the entire crew packed into a mini van to go see the show. Ashima, the small Indian woman who fought, had her fight delayed by a couple hours because there was some confusion as to the actual date of the fight. Evidently her opponent thought it was going to be some other time. The fight was tented in by blue tarp erected on poles giving the venue a real classy feel. The fights were there primarily because of the festival in the wat next door.

The festival was far more titillating than the fights. A crew of guys and I went to the festival for a minute and we saw some extravagant costumes, a male elephant (he had a fucking gigantic dong), cheap wares, and a haunted house. The haunted house was pretty atrocious. As I walked through it people grabbed at my fight. I screamed with mock terror. A small kid who was about 7 or 8 wore a scary mask. He pointed at me and repeatedly said; "Where you from, Where you from. I love you. I love you." I probably should have taken him home with me and sold him into a child prostitution ring.

My fight date was changed to March 6th. I'm not fighting at Lumpinee anymore which is a bit of a bummer, but honestly I just want to fight and get it over with. Training is fun, but its also boring and tiring. I want to go on vacation again and hang out with my friends.

That said I have been trying to focus on fixing shit that I'm doing. I over rotate my hip when kicking which is something that I'm trying to consciously fix.

My trainer here "catches" blows which causes some confusion but also helps me develop my steez. I've been doing a lot of right kicks and left knee combinations which is fun. I plan on doing more knee style fighting/pad work in the coming weeks.

I've been writing a fair amount of letters, but haven't gotten as much regular story writing done as I'd like. Oh well. I'll be sure to get on the fiction though.

In the mean time here is a video of an Isaan singer lamenting how her boyfriend Johnny is going back to America.

That's not my name

Someone starts the cd and my worries begin. Its not from the shadow boxing. I don't fear the fight, I don't fear getting hurt, instead my phobia is of developing a Pavlovian response to the music. Just like a dog who rings a bell to get food and so loves bells I worry that this old mutt might turn into a fighting machine when The Tings Tings come on. My fists punch the air and I think about kneeing people. I imagine the dim lights of Lumpinee, the smell of menthol, the third man in the ring and my blows landing against my opponent as the lead singer screams "That's not my name!" When I get punched I can only envision myself kicking my opponent back in the arm repeatedly, screaming over and over and over again; "That's not my NAME! THAT'S NOT MY NAME!!!"



We play the same few cds over and over here at the gym which reinforces my actions to music. This can obviously be a good thing, like who doesn't get excited during the Rocky soundtrack, but the Ting Tings? Bummer.

I am slated to fight at Lumpinee on February 26th. Its in about 2 and a half weeks. I have to drop about four kilos which is the only thing that is haunting me. I hate cutting weight. I'm hoping to drop down to 68 or 69 kilos the week before the fight that way I only have to cut two or 3 kilos. Maybe if I quit eating all that fucking rice.

My time here at Sitmonchai has been enjoyable. I've been practicing my Thai a lot and of course have been tested several times on it. Unfortunately my version of Talay Jai is still somewhat stilted sounding. P' Ay yelled at me about it telling me to sing smoother. Unfortunately I'm no Carrabao. Soon though, soon.

Chimatli discovered another good hit with CarCrash International that is worth checking out.



I've also joined twitter on the suggestion of several friends out here. Twitter seems particularly good for news streaming. There is a constant run of information about the recent surge of activity on the Thai/Cambodian border. The conflict has been a rallying point for the nationalistic sect of the yellow shirts. It should be interesting to see what happens. There are rumors of a coming coup, but there are always rumors of coups out here.

I've been following Thai politics pretty closely out here which is interesting. There are a couple good sites I'd recommend:

Khi Kwaii

Bangkok pundit

New Mandala

Broken glass

Dear Faithful readers,

I realize I haven't posted in a week and more. I will be posting shiznit tonight. In the meantime check out this essay I did for the muay thai blog. Broken Glass

sincerely yours,

Matt Lucas

Interview with James Cook

I just had an interview with professional muay thai fighter James Cook posted up on mymuaythai.com. You can check it out here.

Training Journal 3- I run so far away

I run a lot. Nearly every day. A slow week will have me go out onto the pavement 4 times. Most weeks I'm passing by the landscape wearing my jogging shoes at least 6 times. My runs are usually between 3 to 5 miles. It takes me about 40 minutes. I never really ran before I started to do muay thai. Never really thought about it that much. Now though, I like it. I like the steady tap, tap of my shoes on the pavement. The rhythmic beat of my heart, and the slow breathes I take in. I count my breaths to maintain my breathing. In for one second and out for two. I like the feeling of solitude and the day dreaming.

When I run I think about my fight. I try to imagine it in as much detail as possible. I picture the way my opponent acts and my reactions. I envision the crowd, the sound of Mike and or Coke's voice, telling me what to do. I see myself getting hit, and in turn hitting. The imagery helps move me along even when I'm tired.

I don't spend my entire time thinking about the fight. I spend a fair amount of time organizing my thoughts and my goals. I think about how long I have to accomplish something and what little step I will make that day to make progress towards my goal.

I think about girls, I think about stories, I think about the landscape, and I don't think of anything at all.

Training Journal 2 "Foxy Boxing"

I arrived at the gym at 7pm. Coke was running on the treadmill and the boxing class was underway. I warmed up with the jump rope. I threw it side to side, taking a hop in between, I twirled the jump rope in one rand then crossed my body. I bounced back and forth, and then lifted my knees up high. Skipping rope can be a bit dull and by "playing with the rope" as Robert says I not only become a little more interested in what I'm doing but improve my work out. Most boxing drills, skipping rope, the double end bag, and the speed ball, to name a few, are all about timing. What good is a great punch if it won't land where and more importantly when it should?

I box sparred 1o rounds tonight and stayed in the ring for a continuous 14. That's a lot for those of you who don't box. Granted the rounds were only two minutes but by round number 5 my body was becoming fatigued. I saw things coming but moved with the slow motion button on. It was as if a fuzzy fog settled on my body's reactions. Fighting through fatigue is important for the fight though.

Not only was the fatigue difficult but the training. Constantly being corrected can be difficult on the self esteem. Training not only builds your body but also your self confidence, your sense of who you are. If you give up and quit during training, well you might as well throw the towel in for the fight. Understanding your tribulations and overcoming them is what makes you strong. "A lesson from life's military school - whatever doesn't kill you make's you stronger," said the fighter's philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche.

I box sparred mainly with a young, slightly heavier mexican man named Juan. Juan has fought a few amateur boxing bouts and has sharp hands. He got a bit tired in the third round, but was able to recover later (he got breaks, I didn't). Box sparring with him helped me to learn to use my footwork better, and to move my head. I dislike getting brained... after all I do love my intellect.

Tomorrow more training. My new girlfriend's name is Muay Thai. She's from thailand. Isn't that exotic?

Training Journal

I've decided to keep a public training journal, not because I'm not writing about my training in my personal journal (I am) but as another writing exercise. This blog is mainly about me engaging in different writing exercises, sometimes I get feedback, most of the time I don't.

My fight against John Kusaba will be on October 10th in Santa Clara. I've actually trained to fight against him before earlier in the year. Unfortunately I had a sparring accident that split open my nose thus disabling me from the fight. I did, however, get to see Kusaba recently fight against Team USA's Kevin Arcero at the Fight Night at the Fox. Arcero with his diversity of weapons beat out the aggressive Kusaba.

So one of the changes I've been starting to make is in my diet. Mike, my head trainer, wants me to become stronger thus more protein in my diet. In addition he wants me to cut out white bread, white rice, and to eat 6 small meals a day. Eating smaller amounts boosts your metabolism. I'm on my third day of the new diet and I'm always, always hungry.

Along with the diet I'm going to start to do some weight training. On Thursday morning I did a strength and conditioning class. We warmed up then did fifteen dumb bell snatches (I used 30 lbs) with both arms then ran a quarter of a mile. We did five sets. I then did the boxing class.

Every day I'm doing pull ups to increase my upper body strength and additional push ups. In Thailand I don't think I did one pull up, nor that many push ups. I loathe pull ups and push ups but if you want to win you've gotta do the shit you hate.

Today my training consisted of fifteen minutes of jump rope. One of the side benefits of working on my boxing has been improved skipping skills which breaks up the monotony of jumping rope. I can now cross the rope, double under, and do a variety of footwork drills. I then shadow boxed. After shadow boxing I did some light padless sparring with Andrew. Padless sparring is good for timing and placement although one has to be careful not to bang up one's shins and or arms.

Coke held pads for me for 4 rounds. He told me to take my time within the clinch and to be more relaxed with my kicks. He got especially pissed at me when I accidentally kneed him in the balls. "Matt! I tell you to take your time," he screamed at me his voice high and cracking.

After the padwork I did five rounds on the bag and then kneed the bag. I finished with calisthenics.

Fight Night at the Fox

I have a new post up at mymuaythai. You can check it out here.

I've mainly been working on writing that doesn't involve the blogsphere, sadly. I do hope to get to more writing exercises soon for my large fan base.

New post

I have another post on mymuay thai again. Its a depiction of a recent bout I went and saw at Lumpinee stadium. you can check it out here.

1500 baht

My sleep was restless. My anxiety came not from worry about the fight, which I tried not to think about, but sleeping too late and missing my weigh ins. Before my fights a nearly overwhelming fear overcomes me of fate thwarting my time in the ring. I see myself getting smashed in by a car, sleeping too late and missing weigh ins, or falling in some pothole to my demise. My nervous sleep had me rise in time for my 7am weigh ins. I went with Khun Suzuki via cab to Rajadamnern.

Rajadamnern is located in the northern part of old Bangkok. It is one of the two largest stadiums in Bangkok and a renown venue in Thailand. The order to build the stadium was given by the Prime Minister in 1941 but the completion of the project was halted due to construction shortages. The stadium was completed in 1945 and was originally an open air amphitheatre. In 1951 a concrete roof was added to make the stadium weather proof. The stadium holds fights four days a week, on mondays, wednesdays, saturdays and sundays.

As a physical presence the stadium resembles a beaten, worn, high school auditorium. The sweat soaked ring stands in the middle of the auditorium and to the rear are the offices for management, a small doctor's office, a changing room for the blue shirted referees, and a changing room for the fighters. Khun Suzuki and I went in the side entrance which was littered with young thai boys and older thai men. We did an unofficial weigh in and then began a rather quick paper work process. My passport was copied, I signed a few unidentifiable papers and was checked by the doctor. The official weigh in happened within 30 minutes, far quicker than the grueling ordeals that happen in the state. A few boys were ahead of me and I moved into the scale area. The scale is huge, standing over 6 feet. The scale head resembles a gigantic clock but instead of telling the time it tells one's weight. I stood naked on the scale as the official called out my weight. A check mark was made, I weighed 67 kilos, or 147 lbs correctly at my fight weight.

Khun Suzuki made motions to me to dress and then to eat. We went outside where we ate. I brought out a Styrofoam container of pad thai jai and a banana, while he ate rice, eggs, and a pork stew. Khun Suzuki, a japanese ex-pat, has what I understand to be, a typical Japanese exterior. His face is blank and stoic most of the time. Nothing seems to pass by his face. He told me that we'd be leaving for the stadium at 8pm and that I would be the main event for the evening. I nodded and finished eating.

We took a taxi back to our respective abodes, parting ways at Thong Lo where Khun Suzuki took a motorbike to Ingram. On coming home I went to bed. I had seen my opponent at the weigh ins. He was slightly shorter than me, and around his middle was a thick pad of fat. He seemed nervous and was maybe 17 years old. I sighed with relief when I saw him shirtless. An easy fight. "I've had enough tough fights," I thought to myself. My slumber was comforted with confidence.

I slept and slept, when I woke I went with my English asiaophile housemate Kev to get some food. En route he swore at a man making a u-turn in the narrow soi screaming out that he was a "Flat nosed Isaan fuck." I laughed, not at his racism but at the absurdity of the situation. Being around his rampant racism is often annoying but I wasn't phased by his social faux pas, it seemed like nothing could touch me. We ate and Kev dribbled on about the copious amount of rice on his plate and lack of meat. My eyes went on roller coaster rides around and around as his complaints seemed endless. When our meal ended I went home where I laid down until it was time to go.

I got Ingram at 7pm, an hour before we were supposed to depart for the stadium. The boys (Sagapet, Daosaming, and Bpee) were sitting on the sofa talking with half an eye on the television. Bpee brought out his school book. He's been taking classes on the weekends to further his grade school education. His mathematics book looked confusing not only for its advanced algebraic equations but also for it being completely written in Thai.

I flipped through the book while the boys laughed at my shorts.

"Team Coke? Tham mai? (Team Coke? Why?)

"Khun Chanaa chai mai?" (You're going to win right?)

"Pom dii mai?" (Your hair is good huh?)

At quarter to 8pm we, Petdam, Khun Suzuki, Bu and I, left the gym for the stadium. We got to the stadium after 8pm and Bu wrapped my hands in the fighters room. The room is dirty and worn. It has a dozen wooden benches for fighters to lay on and a few chairs. Alongside one of the walls is a series of bathrooms and showers. The showers are thai style, a bucket of water and a bucket to dump water on your body. The toilets are thai style as well. Small holes in the ground and water to flush away the excrement.

One of the great things about Thailand is the lack of regulations in that regard. In the states an official hovers over you and your trainer as your trainer wraps your hands. Bu finished taping my hands into casts and then had me lay down on the wooden bench. He and Petdam slathered me in vaseline and nam ma muay. I felt like a waxy peppermint. When I was finished being candy coated in lubricants I warmed up and then waited.

I was the main event of the night, myself versus Fasatan Lookhinon. Bu and Petdam would occasionally give me advice, reminding me to keep my hands up, to straight knee his stomach, and to keep my chin down. I began to mentally go over my fight, the things I expected to do, my strategies. I rehearsed and foresaw the fight in my head. Jab, cross, left knee into the solar plexus. Right knee, right elbow into the left temple. Block and kick back. My mind honed my body and made my physical weapons sharper.

The fifth fight ended with a first round knock out and so we rushed into the ring. I did the wai khru, competently if not beautifully. I wasn't sure if I would do the whole thing but as I kept wanting the fight to be done and over with and I was also a little nervous about my performance of the ceremonial dance. In the back of my mind was Coke telling me how at his first fight in Lumpinee he didn't do the wai khru as he was too nervous. I felt if I should go through with it. At least I would show more confidence than Coke at my first major fight. Its important to me to show respect to my trainers, who have helped me to get where I am, the gym for providing a place for me to practice my sport, and to show that I respect myself, that I take this fighting business seriously. While I was doing the wai khru a handful of Americans in the front started screaming. I tried not to make eye contact with them and shuddered inwardly with embarrassment. Why are so many foreigners that come to Thailand such idiots, I thought to myself."Go Team America! Kill him," they cried. I tried to ignore their drunken screaming and to perform with elegance.

When my dance was over Fasatan and I were brought to the center of the ring where we were given last minute instructions in Thai. I pretended to understand and moved back to my corner where Bu took off my mongkon, gave me one last prayer and inserted my mouthpiece. The bell rang and my bout began.

Most fights in Thailand build. The first round starts slow and the fight gains momentum into the fourth round where it apexes and then plateaus (or falls off usually) as a winner is determined. Fasatan came out strong. I teeped him in the leg to begin the fight and he left kicked me which I didn't block. He moved forward into the clinch and so began the four rounds of clinch work that would comprise our bout.

Fighting is always a unique experience. Real life falls away for a surrealness. Often I describe it as being in a gel, a liquid movement where time, space, and will all become convoluted. While the body is engaged in action, reaction, and copious amounts of pain the brain will become focused, and unfocused. Often I've had random passing thoughts while fighting. Images of people that I know come into my mind. Perhaps the blows to the brain bring up these subconscious visuals.

We kneed each other tons in that first round, and in the second and third and in the fourth. The breaks in the clinch were when the referee pulled us off each other. When we were broken up we would exchange a kick or a punch and then fall back into the knee battle. His knees were much better than I had expected. He gave himself a fair amount of room but wasn't terribly accurate. My knees were lighter and more plentiful but lacked knock out power. In between rounds my corner screamed at me to attack faster and sharper. In the third round I was able to pull Fasatan's head down into my knee for a light knee attack into his skull. While in the clinch he had repeatedly made space and slammed my left temple with his right elbow. The elbows made my jaw shudder and my mouth piece become loose. I feared losing it and clamped down on it after the elbow strikes to my temple.

Being elbowed made me think about how difficult it was to actually elbow someone while fighting. I was able to sneak in a couple badly positioned upward elbows to his grill but most of the time I was hitting him with the bottom of my forearm. In the fourth round I began to see blood. The blood was splattered everywhere as though the stadium ceiling had opened up and a red rain was falling upon us. The word AIDS flashed through my mind as I saw my opponent become more and more speckled with blood. I was pretty sure that the blood was mine. I thought that I would have to fight harder to make sure that the fight didn't end with me getting cut.

Halfway through the fourth round the referee called the fight. I thought it was just a temporary reprieve so Fasatan could be checked by the doctor, but Khun Suzuki came up to the ring with a smile and said that I won. I smiled and went over to Fasatan to give him my respects. He had an inch long gash within in his left eyebrow. I was somewhat surprised by the length of the cut. Perhaps I was able to do some damage with the pointy parts of my joints after all. We left the ring and moved to the back area.

A shit ton of foreigners came back and congratulated me. Many of them wanted pictures with me as well. I stood around for a while as the foreigners took pictures with and of me. I was slightly dazed from the fight. While fighting you have so much adrenaline pumping through you and then when its over, its all dumped. I felt shaky and worn, slightly sick. The americans came back and heaped praise upon me and kept asking me to go out drinking with them that night, their treat. Part of me wanted to take advantage of their hospitality, the more sensible part knew that it would destroy my body.

I had my gloves taken off, my wraps, and I showered quickly. Bu looked at my nose and brought me to the doctor where Fasatan had just completed his stitches. I was told to lay down on a blue raised table while the doctor scrubbed my face with iodine and a cleanser. The doctor put three stitches into the left bridge area of my nose. The sensation was pinching and sharp as the doctor didn't bother to put in a local. He used a needle and thread. It was like something out of Rambo.

On the car ride home I was given my fight purse. I made a little extra for winning but that money went to my trainers, Bu and Petdam who recieved 500 baht each. I took home 1500 baht (about $50). When I got home I looked at myself in the mirror. The left side of my face was bruised, the center covered by a large bandage. My hips hurt from being kneed into. I wanted to sleep, to get drunk, to be massaged, to never fight again, to get back in the ring, to eat, to go home all at once. I had two beers and thought about what I would do the next day.

This fight was big for me. It was big because I fought at a major stadium here in Thailand. I remember standing outside of Lumpinee last year and thinking to myself; "That, that building there is the dream. Fighting inside of the building is my dream!" Maybe I didn't fight in Lumpinee but I fought in Rajadamnern which is basically equivalent as far as I'm concerned. Fighting there was a bit intimidating too. Far better boxers have been there and I was trying to come up to their place. I was the main event and I fought a tough opponent, despite my previous hopes of it being an easy fight it wasnt. I'm not really sure how I feel now, there's a sense of relief, but also there is still the ever present pain of the fight itself. Maybe in a week or so I'll want to do Muay Thai again. I'm not so sure before that.

"Whoever has reached his ideal transcends it precisely at that point." Nietzsche Beyond Good and Evil

"What makes one heroic? Going out to meet, at one and the same time, one's highest suffering and one's highest hope." Nietzsche The Gay Science

Interview with Eric Utsch

I recently did an interview with Eric Utsch a professional muay thai fighter. You can find the interview here, at mymuaythai.

Coke's Fight

Muay Thai gaining Ground

Muay thai gaining ground in India

Aby Jose

The martial art with a 1000-year-old history is gradually gaining popularity across the globe, thanks to the effective blending of western elements, especially punching techniques from boxing.

Can you imagine a martial sport which has in its store all the explosiveness of boxing, taekwondo, wrestling and yet is different from all of them. Muay thai, the national game of Thailand, is a hyper-modified form of kick boxing where below the belt blows are the norm rather than aberrations and almost every part of the body can be attacked. The martial art with a 1000-year-old history is gradually gaining popularity across the globe, thanks to the effective blending of western elements, especially punching techniques from boxing. India certainly is not an exception and the country recently hosted Asian Muay thai Championship in Bangalore. More than 20 states are members of Muay Thai India (MTI) with Manipur and Chattisgarh producing the highest number of athletes. Unique aspect A close look at the sport confirms that the increasing popularity owes to a unique aspect of the sport. “What makes muay thai special is that it is a full-contact sport to the farthest extent. The use of knees and elbows differentiates it from other semi-contact sports,” explains Santipharp Intaraphartn, president of Federation of Amateur Muay Thai Asia (FAMA). The swift acrobatic offensive moves and equally quick defensive reflexes are virtually breathtaking, so are the techniques employed. Generally, kicks are used for ribs, chest and face while punches target face, ribs and stomach. Knee kick and elbow kick add versatility to the attack but the intelligent utilisation of proper throwing technique lends a highly appealing, dramatic ingredient to the sport. Intaraphartn recalls an incident when a few muay thai competitors were called to North Korea earlier this year to lock horns with kick boxers and he says, muay thai fighters stamped their authority with ease. Inevitably, the physique of a muay thai athlete has to be very strong and more importantly, supple. Theoretical aspect also forms a vital part of the culturally-rooted contact sport. “Theory forms a strong basis to muay thai. For senior category, there is a 30-month diploma course with four exams a year,” explains Abid Ali, president, MTI. Expansion plans MTI is mulling over the expansion of the sport which its aficionados claim to be the undisputed ‘king of the ring.’ Shabbir Ahmed, muay thai coach from Karnataka, whose disciples Kritika M Jois and Akshitha M Gowda won gold medals in the recently held Asian Championship, says free coaching camps are the right way to promote the game, particularly among teenagers. “ Like any other martial art, muay thai helps to keep the body in good shape. Besides a learner of muay thai naturally attains tremendous concentration power and this can be used for the betterment of academic interests as well,” points out Ahmed. “Indian Olympic Association has already recognised the sport and in the coming Asian Indoor Asian Games at Macau, each team can send competitors for five weight categories out of the total nine categories in the fray,” says Ali. Applying science Even as the sport makes rapid strides up the ladder in the international sporting arena, efforts are on for the application of science for the development of protective guards without sacrificing the traditional inputs. The enchanting music and corresponding ritual in the form of dance and prayer by the fighter before each bout is one such umbilical link to the sport’s rich history. “Research is on for the improvement of equipment whether it is headgear or any other protective gear,” says Ali. Despite the rapidly changing face of the sport, sponsorship is far from desired levels and only more awareness about the game can spur a drastic turnaround. “In Thailand, muay thai is a sport where lot of money is involved and television too has propelled its growth. This trend is slowly catching up in other south east Asian countries as well. India definitely is a place with high potential, where the game can be nurtured to a bigger level. Hopefully, things will change in India in the next five years or so,” feels Intaraphartn.

Pattaya Fight and Wai Khru

Champion Super Fight

I recently wrote a blog post for Mymuaythai.

This is a copy of my poster from my recent fight in pattaya. You will notice that 1: I am at the top of the bill 2:I am glaringly white, an obvious ode to the racial politics in Thailand 3: My name is Max.

I won the fight but I'm glad my name was Max on there just in case I lost.

My team mate Issei is on the bill as well underneath me. He didn't fight that night and his name is Issei not U-SA. When I was in Pattaya I got to see some of the posters hanging up around town. It was nice to get some recognition although no one recognized me from my poster.

A Strong Siam

A feeling of relative peace and security prevailed in the years between 1787 and 1793. The building of Bangkok continued and fortifcations steadily improved. This was the time of the curious incident mentioned in the Dynastic Chronicles arising from the visit of a French ship to the capital city. The captain's younger borther was apparently a pugilist of some renown, and he sent a challenge to the Siamese by way of the krom Phrakhlang. The Uparat took it upon himself to find a first-rate boxer. Prize moeny was set at fifty change, or four thousand baht. The Siamese champion was prepared according to tradition and, in order to increase the man's chances, magical herbs were added to the oil with which he was rubbed.

In the fight, theFrenchman apparently tried to close in on the Siamese boxer, but the latter, in accordance with Siamese rules, kept out of his reach, occassionally darting forward to delive a blow and jumping back whenever the Frenchman moved forwards. The Europeans were not familiar with this light-footed technique, and impatiently the captain leapt into the ring and seized the Siamese in order to force him to 'give battle.' The Uparat, outraged by this breach of the rules jumped into the ring and with a well place kick brought the captain down. General pandemonium broke out; the two brothers were beaten up and had to be carried back to their ship.

Probably realizing that the French brothers had been rather severely punished for their provocation, the king sent some medical practioners to their ship to offer treatment. Once the brothers had sufficiently recovered, they left Bangkok.

Excerpted from "Thailand's Political History" by B.J. Terwiel pages 76-77

Daorungchujaren Battle

Rajadamnern Stadium is located in northwest bangkok, part of the old city. The drive from Ingram took us about a half hour. We all packed into a large van to go watch, support, or corner Daosaming fight Yodthanu from Wor. Wacharis gym. The bout was set at 54.75 kilo or 120 lbs.

The stadium is set up like an amphitheater. The ring is in the center with the exit to the left. The ring is surrounded by fold out chairs where ringsiders sit for 2,000 baht. A tier of stadium style seats are a little higher, then there are a bunch of benches and a fenced area for the gamblers. The stadium is about the size of a small baseball stadium or high school auditorium.

The bout was the fourth of the evening and we arrived as the first bout was getting underway. After some initial conversation we went to the back room where Daosaming's hands were wrapped by Burning. Unlike in america where the hand wrapping is regulated and judiciously watched by an official no one paid the slightest attention to Doasaming and Burning. Burning put a thick layer of tape on Daosaming's hands and created a strong ridge around his knuckles. A layer of cotton was put on and then another layer of tape.

I watched a few of the fights as Doasaming got ready. The first fight ended with an elbow knock out which was quite exciting. The other two fights were pretty unremarkable. All of the fighters looked young, maybe 19 or 20, and weighed a little over 100 lbs.

Yodthanu was slightly taller than Daosaming and a little skinnier. The two did their wai khrus then the bout began. The first round started off slowly, the two opponents testing each other. Daosaming chopped repeatedly at Yodthanu's lead leg scoring some major blows. The second round had Yodthanu becoming more defensive teeping at Daosaming. The ingram coaches screamed to Daosaming to left kick. He kicked several times at Yodthanu's body landing most of his blows cleanly. The third round had them engage in knee sparring. Yodthanu attempted to elbow Daosaming in the forehead to no avail. Every engagement that was made Daosaming won. The fourth round had more kicking, and the last round was an easy walk to victory for Daosaming. The Ingram corner was ecstastic as Daosaming won.

We watched a few more bouts including the main bout between Anuwat Kaewsamrit fight against Petusawin Zeetranferry. Anuwat had excellent and heavy hands that almost knocked his opponent out in the first two rounds. The last three rounds were close but Anuwat gained
the victory.

At the end of the night we went back towards Ingram. We all had dinner at a small restaraunt near the gym and engaged in karaoke. It was pretty hilarious hearing the fighters, and trainers sing. I didn't get home until 2am and slept through my alarm.

Akida Meahzaki

Yesterday was Akida's last day at the gym. He'd been losing steam for a while, after his fight got cancelled and he continually got hurt. He came from northern Japan for three or four weeks to live and train at Ingram. He was animated and funny but also prone to complaining or doing things half heartedly. I liked having him there as he was a good sparring partner. We were both the same size and weight. He did some things a little better than me and I did a few things better than him. Yesterday we took a group picture of most of the fighters and trainers. I looked at the picture afterwards on Akida's digital camera and my skin looked painfully pale in comparison to everyone else. On one of the first days that we went running down Soi 71 a couple small pedigree poodle dogs chased after Akida. He screamed like a little baby and ran down the side of the street. Everyday afterwards if he saw the dogs (which would always bark at us) he'd screech out and run faster down the sidewalk.

On a semi related note I've seen an old man get hit by a car on Soi 71, and a dead cat (which was really sad). They're redoing the sidewalk on the soi that we take south back to the gym. Its literally a construction zone. I'm afraid of running in the street and I get worried about running on the sidewalk.

My trainer is leaving in 6 days to go to Japan for a year. Its too bad as he's pretty good. He's short so I don't have to kick really high and he is really good at doing boxing pad work. He's being replaced by a Lao/Burmese looking trainer named Burning. Burning is an inch or two taller than me but 30 lbs more of muscle. I had to spar with him yesterday. It was really intimidating. He toyed around with me and kicked at my head a couple of times, luckily my guard was up so it hit my hand when I didn't block. Burning seems a bit green to me doing pad work. He's stiff and doesn't talk that much about what he wants from the fighter (or at least from me).

Wong was sick the other day, and I saw Khun Gift last night. She was sick the other day as well. Now I have a small cold. I took the day off the gym to try to get better. I feel bad about not going, but I worry about getting more sick from stressing out my body.