Kick It
Kick It
Muay thai, the ancient Thai fighting art, is reaching new levels of popularity at home and abroad. And as Bunyaporn Burechittinanta discovers, it’s even achieved a measure of cool ing hsinbyushin of Burma put it forcefully. “Every part of the Siamese is blessed with venom,” he wrote in 1774. “Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or 10 opponents. If his Lord had been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen.” 1767 was the year when the Empire of Ayutthaya met its second demise. Foreign troops pillaged the city and thousands of Siamese were rounded up as prisoners. Back in the city of Rangoon (now Yangon), a festival was organised to honour the Buddha’s relics, and as folklore had it, Nai Khanomtom was chosen to fight against the Burmese champions. He charged out, using a combination of punches, kicks, elbows and knees— the science of eight limbs—to pummel his opponents one after the other, conquering 10 in a row. The Burmese king was so impressed by Nai Khanomtom’s muay thai skills that he rewarded him with his freedom, an act that celebrates its anniversary in March every year. His memory and achievements don’t only serve as an epitaph to the glory of muay thai but also the Thai nation as a whole. “At present, those who are good at their studies are faster at climbing the greasy pole to a successful career,” says Sane
Tubthimthong, the all-round muay thai maestro who’s still sporting his training outfit when we meet him. “In the past, those who were adept at muay thai could easily rise to the status of masters. The better you were at fighting, the more you’d be rewarded by the king with rice fields and wives.” These were incentive enough to be good at fighting, but there were other reasons. The most accomplished warriors were needed to defend a capital the very existence of which was prompted by wars between neighbouring tribes and kingdoms. Although swords were part of their armoury, such weapons were often clumsy at close distance, and at times unarmed combat became more practical. In an environment where only the strongest survived, muay thai insinuated itself into every aspect of life. “The self-defence sport was something to live by—a tradition,”
Training well A daily drill is essential to hone the skills
124
thailand tatler . march 2015
thailand tatler . march 2015
1 25
whole line of ancestral teachers. It’s also a way of showing how much a fighter is in control of his movements, and a beautiful way to stretch,” explains Sane, also the choreographer for the smash hit film Ong-Bak, and director for Asiatique’s Muay Thai Live: The Legend Lives show. Indeed, such was the dignified elegance of rum muay that it was often used in the past as a form of apology to the monarch for the inevitable violence that would follow. A talent in the martial arts could undoubtedly get you far in the past, but what about now? Can modern fighters derive the same satisfaction that past warriors enjoyed? “Oh yes, if you choose it like I do. All that I have now—my family, my house, my trips around the world teaching commando units, are from muay thai. I couldn’t be more grateful.” Having been raised by monks, Sane was never short of food, but spare cash was hard to find. So he started his boxing sideline whenever there was a temple fair. “Muay thai is like something that watches out for me, the way parents do,” he says. He grew to love the sport so much that he quit being a civil servant the exact day the repayments for his scholarship loan ended, to be at peace with his soul. The master is never a mere taker though— he’s a giver too. He cares for the heritage
“Even if they’ve been raised at the camp for free since their parents placed them there, that doesn’t mean the camps own them.” Samart Malulim says Sane, who points out that the philosophy behind it is far more about defence than aggression. “If you knew the techniques, you could protect yourself. When you could protect yourself, you could then protect your family. When you could protect your family, you were in a position to protect your village and the nation.” From the Sukhothai to the Chakri dynasties, the role of muay thai in Siamese society has shifted from its original use in the military to entertainment and the arts. Despite this, one thing has remained unchanged: wai khru rum muay, a ritualistic dance performed before the fighters engage one another. To an uninformed observer, this performance would appear to be something akin to tai chi or even a kind of black magic hypnotism. “The dance is to pay respect, not just to the immediate teacher, but the
deeply and wants it to last. Currently he’s completing a treatise on the benefits of muay thai practice for the government. In summary the key elements are health (body combat, shadow boxing), self-defence, art and film (choreography), non-professional (sport), and the profession itself. “I’m doing this because I want to draw more attention to it,” he says. “Muay thai doesn’t need to care about the Thais. On the contrary, it’s the Thais who must look after it and preserve it,” he says. It wasn’t until the reign of King Rama VI that muay thai began to be organised as a proper sport. Back then, there were no timekeepers, no rounds, no fighting ring, no gloves—only fists bound in hemp ropes, along with no groin protection (and the groin was a legitimate target). It was bare-knuckle fighting, a real fight, the ancient art that is known as muay boran. “It was my granddad, Air Muangdee, who introduced groin protection to the Thai boxing scene,” claims Samart Malulim, the president of the World Professional Muaythai Federation, and a partner in his family business Luk Klongtan Diamond. “Air went to box in Singapore, and he started to import the invention from Britain. Prior to that, only
Top Fighters (Clockwise from top) Samart Malulim; Ariyawat Busarabavonwongs (2nd from left) with his champion at the K-1 World Grand Prix fight; boxers train at Luk Klongtan Diamond camp
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thailand tatler . march 2015
thailand tatler . march 2015
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you that it was a way to settle disputes in fights on behalf of wealthy businessmen or royalty. Insiders nowadays would be quick to point out that muay thai is primarily a sport for gamblers—at an average bout, the vast majority of the spectators probably have some financial interest in the result. But what’s the perspective of the casual observer? “To lay people, muay thai is a form of exercise, or perhaps just an entertaining show,” says Ariyawat. “For foreigners, it’s a martial art. Muay thai is especially popular with mixed martial arts fighters. It’s considered to be the most effective martial art of all if you are in a standing position. If you’re wrestled down to the ground, Brazilian jiu jitsu would be more advantageous. However when that’s not the case, I haven’t seen anyone who’d rather opt for karate or tae kwan do.” This is a significant point—remember that the reality TV Ultimate Fighting Championship business is worth billions of dollars. The prospects for the muay thai industry and its growing complement of foreign combatants seems to be a bright one. Nevertheless the path is never
“Muay thai doesn’t need to care about the Thais. On the contrary, it’s the Thais who must look after it and preserve it.” Sane Tubthimthong
Muay Thai live Sane Tubthimthong helps muay thai go mainstream through the arts and entertainment
phenomenon—muay Thai only found its way to Thai highbrow social circles only because Westerners came to appreciate it,” observes, Ariyawat Busarabavonwongs, formerly known as Prem Busarakamwong, the heir to Pattaya’s Fairtex boxing camp, which opened a training facility in Arizona 20 years ago. Following the success of Buakaw Banchamek, a superstar muay thai champion who has crossed over to become a brand presenter, muay thai has become the sport of choice for many celebrities—suddenly the national sport is cool. History books will tell
Sure Beats the Treadmill People from all walks of life are taking up muay thai as part of their exercise regimes Ploenchan Vinyaratn, design director and owner of the interior design company Beyond Living I’ve been an exercisaholic for about a year now with a daily workout schedule. Two days a week I box, and as a rule of thumb, I do six rounds, three minutes each, and that’s just more than enough to get myself soaked in sweat. This routine would’ve been unthinkable years ago before I had my triplet sons, for I was too much of a lounger. But being a mum, I want to get rid of the back pain I had and be strong and healthy for my kids. Now it’s about five years since I started muay thai, and I’m still head over heels over it. Why? Well, I can’t do yoga because it’s too slow; and I hate cardio training, like running on a treadmill—it’s mundane and repetitive. In muay thai, there are so many things going on at the same time: punching, kicking and dodging. There’s no fixed, definite pattern to follow. It’s fun and more challenging.
128
thailand tatler . march 2015
Photography by manit dej
loincloths were used to wrap between the thighs.” Samart inherited his grandfather’s love for muay thai, and is determined to help it progress. In 2002, during his term as an MP, he endorsed the bill ensuring that boxers get their 50 per cent cut from the total fee for each fight while the camp gets the other half; and that boxers can change their camp’s affiliation after eight years. “Before that, an athlete could get as little as 1,000 out of 100,000 baht, and would have to belong to a certain camp for the rest of his career,” says Samart. “That’s exploitation. Even if they’ve been raised at the camp for free since their parents placed them there, that doesn’t mean the camps own them. I hate to see them living the life of a hunting hound.” This of course includes living the life of a homeless stray when their boxing days are over. The live-in system and the standard image of a muay thai fighter’s hard shins and tough skin mean that the sport has lost some of its appeal with the well-to-do. But centuries ago it was a required staple for the upper classes and royalty, especially Kings Naresuan and Suriyenthrathibodi (the Tiger King). Nevertheless, the art has raised its status significantly over the past 100 years, first charming Europe and the rest of the world during the First World War, when Siamese troops aided the Franco-British forces on the Western Front. “That’s an interesting
Initiation Ceremony Sane Tubthimthong welcomes a potential student by presenting him with the mongkon headgear
straightforward. “Yes, there are still hurdles to clear, most of them to do with immigration,” declares federation president Samart, who refuses to just watch the sport evolve—he’s committed to making himself a mechanism for it to happen. “The government should waive those red tape procedures and state that foreigners who come to learn muay thai can stay longer than three months. Otherwise they’re here for too short a time to make the air fare worthwhile.” In fact, why not go a step further and propose a subsidy? Muay thai is part of the pride of the nation and thus a cultural capital export. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” says Ariyawat. “We need support from all sides if we’re to forge the reputation of the martial arts. The strategy would be the same with that of muay thai itself: if your heart gives up, your body gives up also. If you don’t concentrate, you lose out on the opportunity.” In an effort to help, the Fairtex managing director sometimes works with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote muay thai abroad. People disagree over whether Nai Khanomtom, the vanquisher of the Burmese, was a historical figure or a legendary one created during the golden age of literature in the reign of Rama II (1809-1824). Nevertheless, he’s a symbol of what our nation is capable of, a special someone whose glory binds us together, just like the word muay (meaning hair bun, or an act of bringing together). Whether you know it or not, every time you practise muay thai, every time you pack a punch or throw a roundhouse kick, you’re upholding an invaluable cultural heritage that the legend has kept alive. Sane has the final word: “If you look at muay thai closely enough, when you look past the brutality and aggression, you’ll start to see the beauty at the core of it.”
However, even though I feel far fresher, this doesn’t entitle me to consume more calories. I still take care of my eating habits and try not to eat too much at dinner. MR Chularangsri Yugala, a captain in the 1st Division, King’s Guard Currently I only box once or twice a week, because I’m taking up cycling and golf too. Muay thai is great for my profession, which requires me to be strong and fit. It also helps me boost my stamina. It requires tremendous physical strength just to last throughout the workout session, and I’m talking only about kicking the mitts and not taking the blows. Even so, if I’m not fit enough, the exhaustion causes ringing in my ears, and joint pain in the knees and ankles too. I have to make sure that I’m ready when I go for a real fight, which absolutely wears me out. Three things got me into muay thai. The first one is that I always watched Khaosai Galaxy and Samart Payagaroon on TV and I thought these fighters looked super awesome in the ring. Next, I have lots of friends who go to training camps and they talked me into it. And finally, muay thai belongs to the Thai people and I feel it’s more than just an exercise or sport—the soul of our culture is in it.
thailand tatler . march 2015
1 29
Muay thai, the ancient Thai fighting art, is reaching new levels of popularity at home and abroad. And as Bunyaporn Burechittinanta discovers, it’s even achieved a measure of cool ing hsinbyushin of Burma put it forcefully. “Every part of the Siamese is blessed with venom,” he wrote in 1774. “Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or 10 opponents. If his Lord had been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen.” 1767 was the year when the Empire of Ayutthaya met its second demise. Foreign troops pillaged the city and thousands of Siamese were rounded up as prisoners. Back in the city of Rangoon (now Yangon), a festival was organised to honour the Buddha’s relics, and as folklore had it, Nai Khanomtom was chosen to fight against the Burmese champions. He charged out, using a combination of punches, kicks, elbows and knees— the science of eight limbs—to pummel his opponents one after the other, conquering 10 in a row. The Burmese king was so impressed by Nai Khanomtom’s muay thai skills that he rewarded him with his freedom, an act that celebrates its anniversary in March every year. His memory and achievements don’t only serve as an epitaph to the glory of muay thai but also the Thai nation as a whole. “At present, those who are good at their studies are faster at climbing the greasy pole to a successful career,” says Sane
Tubthimthong, the all-round muay thai maestro who’s still sporting his training outfit when we meet him. “In the past, those who were adept at muay thai could easily rise to the status of masters. The better you were at fighting, the more you’d be rewarded by the king with rice fields and wives.” These were incentive enough to be good at fighting, but there were other reasons. The most accomplished warriors were needed to defend a capital the very existence of which was prompted by wars between neighbouring tribes and kingdoms. Although swords were part of their armoury, such weapons were often clumsy at close distance, and at times unarmed combat became more practical. In an environment where only the strongest survived, muay thai insinuated itself into every aspect of life. “The self-defence sport was something to live by—a tradition,”
Training well A daily drill is essential to hone the skills
124
thailand tatler . march 2015
thailand tatler . march 2015
1 25
whole line of ancestral teachers. It’s also a way of showing how much a fighter is in control of his movements, and a beautiful way to stretch,” explains Sane, also the choreographer for the smash hit film Ong-Bak, and director for Asiatique’s Muay Thai Live: The Legend Lives show. Indeed, such was the dignified elegance of rum muay that it was often used in the past as a form of apology to the monarch for the inevitable violence that would follow. A talent in the martial arts could undoubtedly get you far in the past, but what about now? Can modern fighters derive the same satisfaction that past warriors enjoyed? “Oh yes, if you choose it like I do. All that I have now—my family, my house, my trips around the world teaching commando units, are from muay thai. I couldn’t be more grateful.” Having been raised by monks, Sane was never short of food, but spare cash was hard to find. So he started his boxing sideline whenever there was a temple fair. “Muay thai is like something that watches out for me, the way parents do,” he says. He grew to love the sport so much that he quit being a civil servant the exact day the repayments for his scholarship loan ended, to be at peace with his soul. The master is never a mere taker though— he’s a giver too. He cares for the heritage
“Even if they’ve been raised at the camp for free since their parents placed them there, that doesn’t mean the camps own them.” Samart Malulim says Sane, who points out that the philosophy behind it is far more about defence than aggression. “If you knew the techniques, you could protect yourself. When you could protect yourself, you could then protect your family. When you could protect your family, you were in a position to protect your village and the nation.” From the Sukhothai to the Chakri dynasties, the role of muay thai in Siamese society has shifted from its original use in the military to entertainment and the arts. Despite this, one thing has remained unchanged: wai khru rum muay, a ritualistic dance performed before the fighters engage one another. To an uninformed observer, this performance would appear to be something akin to tai chi or even a kind of black magic hypnotism. “The dance is to pay respect, not just to the immediate teacher, but the
deeply and wants it to last. Currently he’s completing a treatise on the benefits of muay thai practice for the government. In summary the key elements are health (body combat, shadow boxing), self-defence, art and film (choreography), non-professional (sport), and the profession itself. “I’m doing this because I want to draw more attention to it,” he says. “Muay thai doesn’t need to care about the Thais. On the contrary, it’s the Thais who must look after it and preserve it,” he says. It wasn’t until the reign of King Rama VI that muay thai began to be organised as a proper sport. Back then, there were no timekeepers, no rounds, no fighting ring, no gloves—only fists bound in hemp ropes, along with no groin protection (and the groin was a legitimate target). It was bare-knuckle fighting, a real fight, the ancient art that is known as muay boran. “It was my granddad, Air Muangdee, who introduced groin protection to the Thai boxing scene,” claims Samart Malulim, the president of the World Professional Muaythai Federation, and a partner in his family business Luk Klongtan Diamond. “Air went to box in Singapore, and he started to import the invention from Britain. Prior to that, only
Top Fighters (Clockwise from top) Samart Malulim; Ariyawat Busarabavonwongs (2nd from left) with his champion at the K-1 World Grand Prix fight; boxers train at Luk Klongtan Diamond camp
126
thailand tatler . march 2015
thailand tatler . march 2015
1 27
you that it was a way to settle disputes in fights on behalf of wealthy businessmen or royalty. Insiders nowadays would be quick to point out that muay thai is primarily a sport for gamblers—at an average bout, the vast majority of the spectators probably have some financial interest in the result. But what’s the perspective of the casual observer? “To lay people, muay thai is a form of exercise, or perhaps just an entertaining show,” says Ariyawat. “For foreigners, it’s a martial art. Muay thai is especially popular with mixed martial arts fighters. It’s considered to be the most effective martial art of all if you are in a standing position. If you’re wrestled down to the ground, Brazilian jiu jitsu would be more advantageous. However when that’s not the case, I haven’t seen anyone who’d rather opt for karate or tae kwan do.” This is a significant point—remember that the reality TV Ultimate Fighting Championship business is worth billions of dollars. The prospects for the muay thai industry and its growing complement of foreign combatants seems to be a bright one. Nevertheless the path is never
“Muay thai doesn’t need to care about the Thais. On the contrary, it’s the Thais who must look after it and preserve it.” Sane Tubthimthong
Muay Thai live Sane Tubthimthong helps muay thai go mainstream through the arts and entertainment
phenomenon—muay Thai only found its way to Thai highbrow social circles only because Westerners came to appreciate it,” observes, Ariyawat Busarabavonwongs, formerly known as Prem Busarakamwong, the heir to Pattaya’s Fairtex boxing camp, which opened a training facility in Arizona 20 years ago. Following the success of Buakaw Banchamek, a superstar muay thai champion who has crossed over to become a brand presenter, muay thai has become the sport of choice for many celebrities—suddenly the national sport is cool. History books will tell
Sure Beats the Treadmill People from all walks of life are taking up muay thai as part of their exercise regimes Ploenchan Vinyaratn, design director and owner of the interior design company Beyond Living I’ve been an exercisaholic for about a year now with a daily workout schedule. Two days a week I box, and as a rule of thumb, I do six rounds, three minutes each, and that’s just more than enough to get myself soaked in sweat. This routine would’ve been unthinkable years ago before I had my triplet sons, for I was too much of a lounger. But being a mum, I want to get rid of the back pain I had and be strong and healthy for my kids. Now it’s about five years since I started muay thai, and I’m still head over heels over it. Why? Well, I can’t do yoga because it’s too slow; and I hate cardio training, like running on a treadmill—it’s mundane and repetitive. In muay thai, there are so many things going on at the same time: punching, kicking and dodging. There’s no fixed, definite pattern to follow. It’s fun and more challenging.
128
thailand tatler . march 2015
Photography by manit dej
loincloths were used to wrap between the thighs.” Samart inherited his grandfather’s love for muay thai, and is determined to help it progress. In 2002, during his term as an MP, he endorsed the bill ensuring that boxers get their 50 per cent cut from the total fee for each fight while the camp gets the other half; and that boxers can change their camp’s affiliation after eight years. “Before that, an athlete could get as little as 1,000 out of 100,000 baht, and would have to belong to a certain camp for the rest of his career,” says Samart. “That’s exploitation. Even if they’ve been raised at the camp for free since their parents placed them there, that doesn’t mean the camps own them. I hate to see them living the life of a hunting hound.” This of course includes living the life of a homeless stray when their boxing days are over. The live-in system and the standard image of a muay thai fighter’s hard shins and tough skin mean that the sport has lost some of its appeal with the well-to-do. But centuries ago it was a required staple for the upper classes and royalty, especially Kings Naresuan and Suriyenthrathibodi (the Tiger King). Nevertheless, the art has raised its status significantly over the past 100 years, first charming Europe and the rest of the world during the First World War, when Siamese troops aided the Franco-British forces on the Western Front. “That’s an interesting
Initiation Ceremony Sane Tubthimthong welcomes a potential student by presenting him with the mongkon headgear
straightforward. “Yes, there are still hurdles to clear, most of them to do with immigration,” declares federation president Samart, who refuses to just watch the sport evolve—he’s committed to making himself a mechanism for it to happen. “The government should waive those red tape procedures and state that foreigners who come to learn muay thai can stay longer than three months. Otherwise they’re here for too short a time to make the air fare worthwhile.” In fact, why not go a step further and propose a subsidy? Muay thai is part of the pride of the nation and thus a cultural capital export. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” says Ariyawat. “We need support from all sides if we’re to forge the reputation of the martial arts. The strategy would be the same with that of muay thai itself: if your heart gives up, your body gives up also. If you don’t concentrate, you lose out on the opportunity.” In an effort to help, the Fairtex managing director sometimes works with the Tourism Authority of Thailand to promote muay thai abroad. People disagree over whether Nai Khanomtom, the vanquisher of the Burmese, was a historical figure or a legendary one created during the golden age of literature in the reign of Rama II (1809-1824). Nevertheless, he’s a symbol of what our nation is capable of, a special someone whose glory binds us together, just like the word muay (meaning hair bun, or an act of bringing together). Whether you know it or not, every time you practise muay thai, every time you pack a punch or throw a roundhouse kick, you’re upholding an invaluable cultural heritage that the legend has kept alive. Sane has the final word: “If you look at muay thai closely enough, when you look past the brutality and aggression, you’ll start to see the beauty at the core of it.”
However, even though I feel far fresher, this doesn’t entitle me to consume more calories. I still take care of my eating habits and try not to eat too much at dinner. MR Chularangsri Yugala, a captain in the 1st Division, King’s Guard Currently I only box once or twice a week, because I’m taking up cycling and golf too. Muay thai is great for my profession, which requires me to be strong and fit. It also helps me boost my stamina. It requires tremendous physical strength just to last throughout the workout session, and I’m talking only about kicking the mitts and not taking the blows. Even so, if I’m not fit enough, the exhaustion causes ringing in my ears, and joint pain in the knees and ankles too. I have to make sure that I’m ready when I go for a real fight, which absolutely wears me out. Three things got me into muay thai. The first one is that I always watched Khaosai Galaxy and Samart Payagaroon on TV and I thought these fighters looked super awesome in the ring. Next, I have lots of friends who go to training camps and they talked me into it. And finally, muay thai belongs to the Thai people and I feel it’s more than just an exercise or sport—the soul of our culture is in it.
thailand tatler . march 2015
1 29
