ale opowiadanko fajne A day in the life of a Thai boxer
By James Fuller
King Mheng Rai built Chiang Mai in 1296. The city stands as the most significant populace of Northern Thailand.
As the sun cuts through the early haze, lighting the golden structures of Wat Doi Suthep, atop the mountain, sleepy limbs are stretched and prepared to run.
Near the foot of Mt. Doi Suthep, members of Kiat Busaba (a.k.a Lanna Muay Thai) boxing camp jog past the stoic monks who collect alms. They will climb the fluctuating gradient to the eight kilometre pick up point.
Stragglers who cannot meet the demands of the mountain are gathered on the way down.
By seven-thirty, the sun has risen to embrace the camp. Two younger members hail us as they leave the camp wearing crisp white shirts bearing their school logo. Their training will be made up in the afternoon session.
The boxers stretch again, before shadow-boxing, bag and pad work in the relatively cool shade of the roofed, open-walled areas.
Morning training focuses on leg strength through running and kicking drills, not to mention the abdominal workout that maintains an armour of muscle over the stomach. As round and sit-up quotas are met, the sound of shins slamming rapidly against leather wind down.
Bodies are soaped and bathed in the outdoor shower. Water scooped over heads refreshes the body after so much activity. Laundry is hung to dry. Wicker mats are rolled out for the brief breakfast.
Various curries and Northern Thai dishes from the local market are shared communually, and supplement the sticky glutinous rice that is squeezed into a ball in the hand and said to provide much strength. Sitting cross-legged in a circle, the boxers are unaware of the ritual impression made on western eyes.
With about two and a half hours of training per morning, and a further three and a half in the afternoon, there is plenty of time in the day. There are two priorities: the daily upkeep of the grounds is maintained by allocating chores; and schooling. Some of the fighters are merely boys, they attend the local school in mandatory white shirt and shorts.
The image of their youth and innocence is very different from the reality of having seen them spar and practise driving a pointed knee into the ribs of an opponent. These juxtaposing images are just part of everyday life. Other members trade English and Thai language lessons.
Western boxers enjoy using their learned Thai to reach further into the local culture, broadening the limited horizons that are for those who are merely passing through. The communities that inhabit the mountainous regions of the north are far away from the publicised beaches of the south and the bright lights of Bangkok.
The Thai boxers of the camp are from this Northern region where Muay Thai can be seen at its grass-roots stage. The boxing newspapers are read from cover to cover and five days of televised Muay Thai a week provide views of the competition and the heights to which to aspire.
Camcorder tapes of their fights are reviewed for the umpteenth time and met with enthusiastic approval. The relevant cameraman is held up to critical acclaim for capturing three successive brow-splitting elbows.
If you only see one movie this year, see "Den Kamons Winning Chiang Mai Championship Title Fight." Outside on the tiled tabletop, bottle tops slide from square to square to play checkers. Games are played quickly, but pass the time in the heat of the day. The heat is interspersed by heavy rain and thunderstorms that threaten to come and stay early this year.
Spectators feed on ripe mangoes from the two trees within the camp. Hunting the mangoes is as time-honoured as the offerings of food, water and incense to the Buddhist spirit houses that protect the camp and its inhabitants. A long bamboo cane can be employed to tip the ripe fruit from the branches, but more flamboyant hunters prefer the slingshot, with startling success.
Sleeping also takes a pole position in the ranks of preferred daytime entertainment. The ring proves to be the choice for those wishing to enjoy a cooling breeze. However, today's nap is cut short to repair the slackening ropes of the ring. Ropes are disassembled and re-measured to allow future tightening with the bottle screws in each corner. The youths take pains in taping the rope red, white and blue. New corner pads are hung with pride. In a couple of days it will be time to oil the bags. Until then, "sabai, sabai", a phrase that permeates Thailand - "relax, take it easy". Just as significant is the notion of finding all things, or the promotion of all things "sanook"- "fun". If it's not fun, why do it? If it must be done, find a way to enjoy it.
At four in the afternoon, the young boxers have returned from school, joining in the three kilometre warm-up run. Skipping rope and shadow-boxing warm them further for supervised rounds on the bags. Sporadic duels provide comic relief as kicks are blocked and a shin gently dropped into the thigh indicates what was potentially a dead-leg. Cheers of "o-ay!" meet decisive blocks and blows, just as they do under the string of lights at a stadium ring.
In the ring at Kiat Busaba, boxers work with trainers - former fighters themselves - who artfully pressure reactions and develop the instincts that will maintain the fighters technique in times of exhaustion.
Later, between drills of repetitive kicks, "teeps" and knees, members spar. Spectators and fighters alike offer encouragement. "O-ay!"
These spectators might be a fight promoter or a veteran Muay Thai boxer or a local neighbour with his young son, eager to enjoy the company of dedication and camaraderie. As the sparring boxers block and trade blows, their set jaws wear smiles, not scowls.
This is sanook. This is fun. The smiles can be menacing for the pure enjoyment that they relate. Night has fallen by eight o'clock in the evening in May.
Stretching will relieve some of tomorrows stiffness. But that will be relieved mostly by the milder run on flat ground. As a few remaining boxers finish practising grappling technique, soapy white figures are vaguely visible through the darkness, others drink water mixed with re-hydrating electrolytes to compensate the loss of fluid.
Once again the wicker mats are spread and the diminutive feast laid out. Dinner involves more conversation and with the day at an end, the food is eaten slowly. The boxers retire to their rooms or the wooden landing to watch television, in a comfortable stupor of accomplishment for their endorphin sedated bodies. Sleep comes quickly when it is this well earned.
Fajnie maja chlopaki :-) moglbym tak cale zycie
bez kitu
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