Muay Thai

For nearly four years I trained with an amazing kickboxing school. I did a year of kung fu at that very same school. But martial arts? I didn’t know the HALF of it.

Part of the reason I chose to come to Thailand first, and spend so much time here, is because the past few years have seen me develop something of an interest in martial arts. I’m not fanatical about it, like some people are, but partaking in it has been of huge physical and mental benefit and I didn’t want to leave it behind completely on my travels. And where better to investigate it further than Southeast Asia, the place where it all started?

But really kickboxing is not a martial art, it’s a sport. And I’ve only done a year of kung fu. So basically I’m a complete novice in these things. That, and the one piece of knowledge I have about Muay Thai, Thailand’s native martial art, being that they do ‘shin conditioning’ so your shins don’t hurt when you kick, made me a little bit nervous about trying it out myself.

Firstly, a potted history of Muay Thai: Not much is known about its origins. Most of Thailand’s historical records were destroyed when the Burmese sacked Ayuthaya in the 18th century. But what is known is gleaned from provincial, or Burmese, records. The best known of the early fighters is Nai Khanom Dtom, a hardcore dude who, having been captured by the Burmese (yes them again), won his freedom by defeating 12 of their soldiers in unarmed combat. This impressed the Burmese king and he let him go.

It seems to have been a common practice to settle disputes this way. When King Sen Muang Ma died in 1411 his two sons were squabbling over the throne and after getting nowhere in battle, decided to let two of their best fighters slog it out for them in the ring. The first one to draw blood was the winner, and, after a fight that lasted some six or seven hours, the decision was made.

King Naresuan, the 16th century monarch who recently had a trilogy of Thai films made about his life, used Muay Thai as part of military training, and later, when the kingdom was at peace in the early 18th century, the sport became a national pastime. It was during this time that they started wrapping hemp rope around their hands dipped in glue to harden it. With the agreement of both the fighters, the glue was sometimes mixed with ground glass. Nice.

At the beginning of last century, Muay Thai was taught in schools – until 1921 that is, when too many serious injuries and some cases of brain damage forced its prohibition. In the 30s the sport took on the international laws of boxing and modernised dramatically. But it wasn’t until the 70s when it gained notoriety on a world stage. A host of martial arts black belts from Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong took on their Thai counterparts in a massive tournament. None of them lasted a full minute in the ring with a Thai boxer. The problem? None of them were used to being kicked in the face. Thai boxers get kicked in the face from the age of six.

I went along to have a look at a gym near Khao San Road a while ago – Sor Vorapin Gym, just off Chakaphrong Road – and you’ve seen the photos. It’s really hardcore training, and a bit different to what I’m used to. Kickboxing was continually frenetic and demanding. This seems to demand more energy in concentrated periods, and then you break, and then head back into it again. But I was reassured by watching, and by the gym’s philosophy that anyone can try Muay Thai, everyone will get something out of it. That said, it still took me awhile to get my arse down there and try it out, but when I did it was both as hard and as enjoyable as I imagined it would be.

After three months of no training whatsoever (after getting my kickboxing purple belt in December, Christmas and getting ready to leave the country kinda got in the way of training) my body wasn’t entirely happy about being thrust into the world of extreme exercise again. It was a bit of a slog, especially doing sit-ups. (At one later session two Thai girls are talking about how they have four-packs rather than six-packs and one of them points at my stomach and says, “Six-pack?” “No, no-pack,” I replied.)

My first session (and all those that have followed) starts with skipping. It takes me a while to remember how to skip. (Come to think of it, did I even know in the first place??) But then I get going in a manner that doesn’t seem too embarrassing. We then warm-up (although I’m already sweating buckets in the heat just from skipping) in the ring with lots of different exercises and stretches. It’s about half Thai people and half Westerners, all of differing levels of fitness. (I’m judging them on their bodies of course, not having seen them in action yet.)

Then we do some shadow-boxing in the mirrors. Most of the punches I know, though they show us the elbow punch which goes diagonally across and would probably hurt a bit to be on the receiving end. I did something similar in kung fu, but they want even more aggression in your training for this one. Then there`s the knee kicks (harder than they look) and the roundhouse, which is the main kick that everybody knows Muay Thai for, and why you need to `condition` your shins - they are supposed to land on the opponent`s side, winding them, or their head if you`re really good/lucky/nasty (delete as applicable).

Then we do some bagwork. This, I love. Now, I’m not really a fighter. Whenever I train with someone in front of me - even if they’re padded up and expecting to get hit or kicked – I find it hard to let go and punch or kick properly. I worry that, if I let my aggression and strength take over, I won’t be able to control my punches and kicks so well and one of us will get hurt. So when I train I like to concentrate on technique instead, at least get that right even if I’m never going to be a good fighter. Put a punch bag in front of me however and all bets are off. There’s nothing more satisfying (and therapeutic!) than kicking the shit out of an immovable leather bag that isn’t too bothered about the volley of punches and kicks it’s receiving. So I`m okay at and quite comfortable with this, and I can get some good exercise out of doing it.

we do some padwork with the Thai guys in the ring. I get an older dude called Kingsak who is brilliant fun. He keeps shouting `one beer, two beer`, depending on how strong my kicks are, and `power` when not strong enough. He`s great fun and his enthusiasm keeps me going, even though my body is not at all happy about what I`m putting it through.

Then there`s a `warm-down`, which is basically the same exercises as the warm-up, just with some sit-ups (I manage ten of the requested 50 and get serious cramp) and push-ups (not so bad at these) thrown in. Afterwards my body is exhausted, but it`s that lovely satisfying exhaustion that I have so missed from doing kickboxing.

When I go back the next day I pay for 30 sessions, in the hope that that will make me attend it regularly. What I don`t think about is how it will fit in with work and whether I`ll have time to do 30 before I leave Thailand, but I`m so hyped up by the whole idea of it at that point, it doesn`t cross my mind. And Kingsak is pleased I`ve signed up for so many. He seems to think my technique is all right.

I don’t really chat to the other people that train that much, mostly cos it’s usually different each time. But there’s one woman who goes regularly – a Canadian called Jasmine (of Asian origin) who used to compete but damaged the arch of her foot. She’s only training now because she is due to appear in some photo shoot about Muay Thai for a sports magazine. But she’s training dead gently, worried she’ll do her foot even more damage.

The second day I train is actually a little easier, although I have to do the roundhouses with my other leg as my right shin and foot are still raw from the day before. It’s weird, it doesn’t hurt your shins when you’re actually kicking, but then you look later and they’re covered in bruises and red skin. The second day I do pad work with this short bulldog of a lad – amazing body (they all have) but he only comes up to my shoulders! He’s friendly as hell as well, reminds me a little of my mate Andy. He’s a bit more aggressive than Andy though!

While I’m doing more padwork with Kingsak he talks to the tall guy that also works there. Now this guy must be the star player in the place. Unusually tall for a Thai – he’s nearly six foot I reckon – he has the look of Muhammad Ali about him. And his kicks are just amazing to watch – relentless and powerful. As I said, Kingsak spoke to him in Thai while we were training and I got the impression they were a little impressed with how quickly I’d picked up the Muay Thai technique of the roundhouse kick. Or maybe I’m just massaging my own ego!

The third time I go I train with the guy I probably fancy the most out of all of them. About my height, he has the most perfect body I’ve ever seen. And this amazing set of intertwining tattoos that cover his shoulder and arm. As is typical with the blokes I fancy he’s arrogant and aggressive (and straight as a die) and my time with him is as unpleasant as it is enjoyable. He keeps mimicking the ‘one beer, two beer’ phrase that Kingsak was using, taking the piss, and, unlike training with Kingsak, he’s immensely critical of everything I do. But I realise immediately that it’s nothing personal (except maybe the ‘one beer, two beer’ remarks), he’s just trying to fine tune my moves, and that’s exactly what he does.

The fourth and last time I go this month they’re all a bit half-arsed. Someone they used to train with is in a match on TV, which they’re all watching round the side of the gym. I do get to train with Muhammad Ali dude though. He makes me do 10 roundhouse kicks on each leg, after 10 minutes of full-pelt training with him. You have to use the strength of the full centre of your body for these kicks and it’s an absolute killer, but I manage it. After that the rest of the session feels like forever, I’m so exhausted. But I’m enjoying it though; it’s so different from kickboxing yet familiar enough for me not to feel totally out of my depth.