20.01.2017 - Jordan

 

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The Muay Thai,

This national sport, is a local boxing, which is known in the world. It's different from Khmer and Burmese boxing, where the rules are not the same.

While reading a bit more about the subject, we learn that many people live from this sport: it is a real way to get incomes for boxers, coaches, television channels, etc. A bit like football in Europe!

Knowing that Muay Thai fights are happening everywhere in the country, and that it is a must to see in Thailand, we decide to watch matches! And it must be said that none of us ever attended a boxing match in real situation. We take two tickets to the 'Kawila Stadium'. An old stadium, which had burned and has been rebuilt.

Tonight, it's United States vs Thailand! While we get in, we discover for the first time a stadium, with a central ring and its wooden benches. A television channel, up on a podium, is ready to broadcast the fights.

The smell of tiger Balm, omnipresent in the room, burns our nostrils.

The stadium is divided into two parts: the sits in height and the area around the ring. Which gives also: the tourists and the locals. The first, curious, came to attend something new, while the second came to bet with his friends and make a little money.

The different fighters come out on ring and the speaker introduce each of them to the public. In fact, many of them of are women ! Young girls, about 14-17 years old, make up half of the teams. The last fighters correspond to huge guys, who are, for some, particularly scary!

We discover that Muay Thai isn't just a fight between two boxers, but also a whole ceremony to 'greet the ring'. They run some sort of dance, the Ram-Muay to get into a 'trance' state, with a 'Mongkon': a textile tightly bound around the head and that creates a kind of braid in the back. Then they come to every corner of the ring to commune with themselves.

It's pretty amazing and we were not expecting so much respect between fighters. Well, it must be said that this is contrasted with the fights which are particularly violent! Knee, elbows, fists punches. Everything is used to have a chance to beat the other one. Most of the Thai win against their opponents, but we also have the right to see a beautiful K-O from an American. So violent, that with Sixtine, we are afraid the guy ends up in a hospital...

The evening is becoming more and more animated as the stakes grow up: a final battle between two professional Thai boxers. Tourists are gone, but it's the most intense one of the evening. The music, based on percussion and flute, is becoming more and more strong and drive the fighters movements. The crowd of locals explodes with joy at every punch in the ribs. They bet at an incredible speed from one side to the other of the ring, with finger signs. The tension is rising. The fight is near the end, a lot of money is at stake. Even for the smallest punch, the voices can't control themselves anymore. The locals sweat more than the boxers. One of them will break down for sure! Everyone thinks so. It has to!

And here it is, the blue short boxer wins! It's over.
The pressure that was lighting up the air, downs all of a sudden. Money flies from hand to hand. The boxers get off the ring, breathless. People come to thank them and slide them a note, won thanks to their talent. But they have to make room : the next fight is coming.

It is time for us to go back home. We walk by night, in the empty streets from Chiang Mai surroundings. Sometimes, we pass over a tuk-tuk full of drunk tourists who scream. We fall asleep fast, tired as if it was us who had fought on the ring.