Muaythai training in Thailand?the life of a nak muay |
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| Muaythai training
has a completely different meaning here. In
Thailand, muaythai
is not a sport, but a way to escape
poverty. In rural areas, parents often introduce the most
promising son to
a kaai muay,
a muaythai
camp. Note that the word kaai
indicates in Thai language also an army barrack. It
won't
be far away
from home as
there are hundreds of such small camps throughout the country. Uusally
they are located near the village's wat
(Buddhist Temple), or an army compound.
Aspiring
fighters enter muaythai
training at a very
young age, often as
young as six or seven. Upcountry camps are populated by kids
that
often don't go to past primary school, either to help parents in the
ricefields or because the parents see a better potential as a
professional fighter. In the kaai
muay, the young fighters train, eat,
sleep and
grow
up together, like
little soldiers. This is perhas the main reason foreign muaythai fighters
have yet to defeat a Thai in the lighter categories. When a kid starts
kicking the pao
at the age of seven, it is scary to imagine his skills at the age of
twenty three. A foreign practictioner of muaythai might start early, at
fifteen or sixteen, taking boxing as a sport, a past time after schoo,
not as a lifestyle. The two realities really have nothing in
common. Sometimes orphaned children, or children from very poor families, may be taken into a camp instead of being sent to a monastery. Due to this social environment, muaythai training in Thailand is a world few foreigners manage to see or experience. The muaythai instructors, the kruu, has a very important role, more than the word implies: the kruu is a mentor, a fatherly-figure loved and respected by the pupils for life, expressed beautifully in the pre-fight wai kruu dance. In an atmosphere of a big, extended family, the young fighters train everyday, fighting against other kids from nearby camps, trying to make a name for themselves. With time, the cash prizes (always shared with the kruu and the kaai muay management) will grow and the nak muay will start earning a living fighting as often as possible to maximize his chance to bring to the camp some money. The few who will fight under the spotlights Lumpini or Rajadamnern stadiums can say they've made it, and will be moderately wealthy by Thai standards, while all the others, perhaps the 90%, will go back to the camp to work as trainers or assistant. In the old days, a retired Lumpini champion either opened a restaurant or started his own kaai muay, capitalizing on his popularity. But in past ten or fifteen years I've seen a different attitude among Thai boxers: they've discovered that there is a lot more money to be made by fighting outside Thailand, against foreigners willing to challenge them. The classic example is Buakaow Por Pramuk, a flamboyant nak muay who never quite made in Thailand but is a idol in Japan, and a K-1 hero. Another option is to teach muay thai abroad, conducting seminar and stages or by living abroad full time. The level of adulation and respect Thai fighters enjoy in the West in not even comparable to what they get at home: it is somehow strange to meet ex-fighters, who fought at Lumpini during their heydays, earning a living as gamblers or tuc-tuc drivers. In Thailand, a nak muay's place in society isn't high. Thais are proud of muaythai and regard it as a part of their cultural heritage, and cheer their favorite fighters, but any middle class family would be pretty horrified if the son wanted to be professional nak muay instead of going to college and find a job in a company. The reality is that muay thai is a very tough way to earn a living, filled with serious injuries, and only the poor and the uneducated take such life path. uaythai training The
life of a nak muay
muaythai
training Here below there is an example of a professional nak muay training schedule - not for amateurs! muaythai training Morning muaythai
training Afternoon muaythai
training Boxer's
diet So do you wanna be a nak muay star by
training hard in Thailand? muaythai training In comparison to the muaythai camps opened in the West, the ones in Thailand appear rustic, with more space open-air, obviously due to the hot and humid climate. The Fairtex camps in Pattaya and Bangkok maintain very high standards, comparable to those in USA, looking more like "fitness resorts" for well-off tourists than kaai muay. The camps where English is widely spoken are filled with dozens of devoted, passionate nak muay farang, often training for months or years in Thailand to improve their skills and/or to open their own gym back home. Many foreign champions spent years training in Thailand and fighting with Thais, too, but very few have had the chance to live in the small camps upcountry, the ones alive with poor kids marveling at the farang, a live attraction for all the villagers. In some places the kruu may be reluctant to take on foreign trainees because of the language barrier. Thais, from all walks of life, always feel shy if unable to speak English with the foreign visitor. Being good-natured and kind, they also worry the foreigner nak muay, even though very motivated and willing to sacrifice, will not be able to endure the harsh living and training conditions of the camp. Very pragmatically, Thais think that if a nak muay farang is unable to generate cash for the camp, why train him? If you want to test your determination, your humbleness and your fighting spirit, you may show up at a camp upcountry and ask to be accepted. The best way to persuade thesurely puzzled kruu is to learn the rudiments of the language first (it takes about 4 months, studying hard in Thailand) and then persuade him with your eloquence. When a farang speaks Thai well, any door may open and Thais immediately respect him for the effort. And their natural shyness will vanish. However, be prepared for total culture-shock. Forget about the lovely first impressions you had about Thailand (the Land of Smiles!) and the kindness of the pacific Thai people. Instead, be prepared to be challenged and tested in every possible way, not only physically but also culturally, by anybody. As you abandon your status of "wealthy tourist" to be among them, on a low social strata, then you become accessible, an intruder with a lot of money, not necessarily welcome. Your muaythai training will be the hardest, but the unique experience will definitely worth the struggle. Chok dee! (good luck)! The
following muay
thai
training camps have a website; therefore
they're foreigners-oriented. Consider this list as a starting
point to learn about training schedules, fees, accommodation
options, facilities, etc.
http://www.sinbi-muaythai.com/ http://www.mmaphuket.com/ http://www.martialartsphuket.com/ http://www.kombatgroup.com/ http://www.tigermuaythai.com/ http://www.sitpholek.tk/ http://www.fe-fi.com http://www.horizonmuaythai.com http://www.rawaimuaythai.com/ http://www.fairtexbkk.com/ http://www.lannamuaythai.com/ http://www.jittigym.com/index.html http://www.junglegym.co.th/ http://www.legacygym.com/ http://www.phuket-muay-thai.com/ http://www.siamnumberone.com/ http://www.bestmuaythai.com/ http://www.prapamuaythai.com/ http://www.muaythai-hillcamp.com/ training in Thailand, muay thai camps, boxing gyms, Fairtex camps, Sidyothong, sithpolek, khao san road, training schedule, muay thai schools | |||
