37opportunities such as yoga, cross-fit,
and Brazilian jujitsu. I chose this camp
because it’s focused exclusively on
Muay Thai,” he explained.
Situated a few hours south, on the
island of Phuket, is the high-octane
nightlife of Patong Beach. For a few
nights a week, a boxing stadium in the
heart of Patong fills with both tourists
and Thai people. I attended fight night
and sat ringside next to a local Thai
trainer who was there to support his
club’s young fighters.
“Many people have come to watch
the fighting tonight,” he said, flashing
a wide smile of pride as the first boys
entered the ring to perform the pre-fight
ritual. The signature high-pitched whine
of the Thai boxing music called sarama
echoed through the stadium. The Muay
Thai dance, known as wai khru ram
muay, is a pre-fight tribute performed
in honour of the local club and its
trainer. It is a tradition dating back to
a 16th-century fighting style that was
born from the battles fought between
Burma and Siam. The Siamese warriors
soon developed one of the fiercest
reputations throughout Southeast Asia
DAVID SHARABANI (LORD K2)
started out as a street artist before he
began documenting graffiti scenes in
Santiago, Buenos Aires and Tokyo.
He is currently editing his book on
sumo in Japan. http://www.lordk2.comJIM WELCH spends his time in
Southeast Asia capturing the life
stories of the region’s many cultures.
He also creates his own photo-wear
clothing line. new-worldimages.com.“I’m worried that the
success of Muay Thai is
changing the spirit of
the sport”in this extremely effective ‘eight limb’
offensive-based combat discipline.
The first round commenced with a
face-off between two boys of eight and
ten years old. Both boys had engaged
in previous fights and were beginning
what they hoped would be promising
careers. “This depends on whether they
continue with a strong heart and with
few injuries,” their trainer said.
The fighting was a violent reality
check: I witnessed several bloody
knockouts from connecting fists and
head-kicks that brought home the risks
involved in full-contact Muay Thai. As if
reading my thoughts, the trainer said,
“There’s a big difference between fight
night and padded training in the gym.
And I make sure that each one of my
students watches this before I allow
them to step into the ring.”The night’s fights ended with
two highly skilled opponents trading
powerful blows. All around the ring, the
crowd reached a deafening crescendo
as the Thai supporters cheered for the
victory of their local fighter. This was
Thai culture in hot-blooded action,
reflecting the strength, beauty and grit
of the ancient traditions of the Muay
Thai legacy. AGPtop left You can expect
to see several concussions
in a fight
bottom left An Eastern
European fighter pummels
a Thai rival in Bangkok
above Noknoy looks on
whilst Jirasak psyches
himself up for another
round of sparing