Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Muay Thai in Chiang Mai

It was a normal night in Chiang Mai: the wind blowing softly, the sky starless, and the occasional sound of the Tuk Tuk speeding on the street. Yet, who knew only one step could make a difference in atmosphere? One step into a place labelled ‘Thaphae’, and the difference in atmosphere was astounding. You could taste the excitement, the suspense, and the impatience exhaling from hundreds of mouths that sat around a ring. One step, the air was hot and no speeding Tuk Tuk heard. I held my breath in repressed exhilaration. The exhibition was starting soon. When the Pi Muay music started playing, I couldn’t help but smile widely. Muay Thai, it is.

Muay Thai, or Thai kickboxing, is a type of martial arts originating from Thailand. The name itself essentially means ‘the art of eight limbs’, simply called so because the sport uses not just a pair of fists and feet, but also elbows and knees. The match is uniquely accompanied with Thai music, played from Thai instruments. The music was played during the ritual of giving thanks to the old teacher and it keeps on playing throughout the matches.

 The ritual of praying and blessing the Muay Thai ring before the match

A bunch of my friends and I screamed, cringed, and squealed for two hours of a seven-match exhibition. We and a horde of other tourists could not keep our eyes away from the ring. The music turned out to be a clever factor as its tempo increased when the two fighters were in a series of locks and kicks, producing with it the sense of thrill that usually is found in watching scripted plays and movies; the movements of the boxers, with the addition of genuine Thai tunes, looked more similar to a dance rather than a brutal fight.

The height of the exhibition, though, was the ‘inter fights’—or the fights between a Thai fighter and a non-Thai fighter, latter usually being European or American. These fights illustrate how globalized the martial arts has become. These foreign fighters come to Thailand for the purpose of training or fighting, which is unlike others who come to Thailand for holiday and entertainment purposes.

Chamal, a fighter from Switzerland, claimed that the fight was his fourth fight, and it was his second time visiting Chiang Mai for the purpose of fighting. Pity, though, that he experienced his first defeat to Thailand’s Baibodh Au.rombodh that night. “When you have trained for two-and-a-half years, and you love the excitement, you just have to prove your skill and not let it be wasted,” he said between the flows of blood from his nose.

 Travellers watching in shock and awe

On the other hand, Annoud, a Belgian fighter, has good times in store. It was his first time fighting, after only five months of training—three in which was in Australian and the other two in Thailand. He was faced with Thailand’s own Hamraj Sithprabaht, who he knocked out after three rounds.

“When I got on that stage, hearing people calling my name and screams, it gives me confidence. I did not feel anything. I feel a rush, a thrill. And the music helps me as well. It’s different, you know, when you fight with music on, rather than just a crowd cheering.” Annoud explained.

The love for Muay Thai, it seems, has really spread around the world. The basic moves are taught in many gyms; there are classes and courses in most countries. There are Muay Thai tournaments outside Thailand. These inter fights frame how local culture can be global, vastly distinct but with similar styles to other forms of martial arts at the same time.

So this begs the question, why fight in Thailand when they can do it anywhere else in the world?

“This is the source of the fight. I have gone through boxing and kickboxing when I was younger, but Muay Thai is different. And I feel like the only way to actually learn this is to come to Thailand, and see it for myself,” Chamal answered.

“Yes, I have to go back to Belgium, because I am only 20 years old and I still have to study. But I assure you, this is not the last time. I want to feel the adrenalin again.” Annoud added.

 Fira excitedly interviewing Annoud after his first victory

Muay Thai is not just a sport. People come to Thailand to learn to fight, and some come as curious tourists of the martial arts. The Thai might feel that the sport is a part of the lives that the ability to knee and elbow are in their veins. The foreign fighters might feel that the sport is an exotic form of martial arts. But in any way, it cannot be denied that Muay Thai is a culture as much as it is a sport.

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