One thing that Sean really wanted to see in Thailand was Muay Thai fighting which is kind of like boxing that is done in the U.S. To be honest, Muay Thai wasn't high on my list, but I was interested to at least see what it was all about.
While we were down south we found out that the Krabi regional championships of Muay Thai fighting were going to be held near where we were staying on Koh Lanta. We bought tickets and headed to the stadium Sunday night.
Now, I don't know about you, but I think regular old boxing is violent enough, but boxing in Thailand is a different story. All surfaces of the body are considreed fair game and you can use any part of your body (except your head) to hit your opponent. Needless to say, the matches were very physical and we saw a lot of high kicks to the neck, elbow thrusts to the face, knee hooks to the ribs and kicks to the calf. According to my Lonely Planet guidebook, "a contestant may even grasp an opponent's head between his hands and pull it down to meet an upward knee thrust." The contestants box for five rounds of three minutes each with a two minute break in between. They wear smaller gloves than regular boxing, flashy trunks, a band around their head and taped feet.
I wasn't a huge fan of watching the blood and pain (we even saw a knockout and the smelling salts had to be brought out) but it was easy to see the spirit, competition and tradition in the sport. The stadium was packed with fans, Thais and foreigners alike, and there was much betting taking place. The matches were accompanied by loud and energetic music; at times it felt like the announcer was a DJ instead of a sportscaster and he had a talent for keeping the adrenaline high.
What I found most interesting about Muay Thai was the ceremonial dance that each boxer did before each match. To the same music, each competitor did a serious and methodical performance at the same time in the ring which is taught to him by his coach. The announcer said that if it was discovered that each boxer performed the exact same ceremonial dance it would mean that they had had the same coach and would not be allowed to box each other. What was also interesting about this championship was that we began by watching tiny Thais, ages 6-10, fight each other and eventually moved up to the bigger weight classes.
I've seen enough boxing to last me for awhile, but it was cool to witness a sport that is obviously very traditional and important in Thailand.
Hi Sarah,
Great post. I'm about to go out to Thailand to actually do some Muay Training....and maybe my first fight (!) so it was really interesting to read about the trip you just did.
Enjoy your travels.
Olivia Bevan
http://girlswhograpple.wordpress.com/