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TRAINING IN THAILAND
Author: Terry L. Wilson
Theres a good reason why the national sport of Thailand is muay Thai: The heart and soul of the nation are embodied in the history and tradition of the art. Experiencing muay Thai is perhaps the best way to experience Thailand.
Unfortunately for jet-setting Western martial artists, you cant just hop a plane to Bangkok, stroll into the nearest gym, fork over a few baht and join the fun. The Thais view their favorite fighting art as a serious business and a way of life. When they accept a person into a gym, they expect him to become part of the family. The owner becomes a father figure who provides food, shelter and training, and the fighter offers 20 percent to 30 percent of his winnings to the owner so the facility can continue to operate.
It is rare for a foreigner to be invited into a good gym, but because of my association with Bob Chaneywho for years has enjoyed a relationship with Thakoon Pongsupha, one of Thailands most respected trainers and owner of Sasiprapa GymI was afforded such an honor. I had always heard rumors of how muay Thai fighters train. ìInsidersî told stories of how they would bang their legs against iron poles until they were numb, of how they would cut the nerves in their shins so they could no longer feel pain and of how they would beat each other bloody during their workouts. With those lovely images bouncing around in my head, I boarded a plane for the Far East.
SETTING
Located in the suburbs of Bangkok, Sasiprapa Gym looks like any other house on the block from the outside. Once you pass through the iron gate that segregates it from the non-fighting public, however, you enter a whole new world, one designed specifically for teaching muay Thai the ìold schoolî way.
Unlike many American dojo that are lined with state-of-the-art mats, kicking dummies and weight machines, Sasiprapa boasts no frills. It is set up in a large, partially covered courtyard with a concrete floor, a couple of heavy bags, a variety of handmade weights and an old ring for sparring. The fighters sleep on straw mats or blankets that they spread out on the floor of one large room. They shower by scooping water from a cement trough and pouring it over themselves. They eat hearty meals of rice, vegetables and fish three times a day.
Despite its Spartan appearance, the gym has produced more champion muay Thai fighters than any other facility in Thailand. In fact, top-dog Thakoon Pongsupha is a second- generation trainer of champions. If you spend any time there, youll no doubt get a chance to see some champs or future champs in action. And youll learn firsthand how the Thais really train, how they play and how they will give the shirt off their back to any foreigner who is interested in their fighting treasureeven though he might not know a teep kick from a knee check.
UNLEARNING
Although my martial arts background spans more than five decades of jujutsu, judo and karate training, I soon learned that muay Thai is as different from those skills as night is from day. For me, the most difficult task involved ìunlearningî how to execute the roundhouse kick. Unlike karate practitioners who tend to kick with a snap and make contact with their instep or the ball of their foot, Thai fighters swing their leg like a club. They turn their hips up to 180 degrees for maximum power, and they drive their leg through the target. The first time I stood on the receiving end of such a blow, it shook me to my foundation and instantly made a believer out of me.
The next transformation at Sasiprapa Gym involved my punching techniques. In lieu of karates one-punch-one-kill methodology, I learned that its OK to KO an opponent through attrition. That means frequently bypassing the power shot and using jabbing, weaving and various other boxing moves and combinations in conjunction with leg kicks, high kicks and teep kicks (similar to a foot jab).
TRAINING
Although the Thai boxers of Sasiprapa train according to an impressive work ethic, I discovered that all those rumors about their brutal workouts were a lot of bunk.
Our fighters train very hard, but they try not to injure themselves or each other in the process of preparing for a fight,î Thakoon said. ìOur fighters earn their living in the ring. To ensure a long career, they must remain injury free. Plus, we are family here, and family should never hurt family. The average training day begins with a two-mile early morning run, followed by an intense three-hour workout.
Whenever the buzzer sounds, each fighter begins his particular routinesome pound the heavy bag, while others practice neck wrestling, elbow strikes or punching and kicking combinations. They execute each technique with maximum force, causing showers of sweat to fly from their bodies every time they hit or get hit. Two minutes later, another buzzer sounds and each fighter takes a one-minute rehydration break, after which the action resumes.
LEARNING
After the Sasiprapa trainers got through with me, Chaney, whom the Thais consider one of the finest instructors in America, stepped in to fine-tune the basics Id learned. ìYouve got to quit trying to snap your kick,î he said. ìRemember, unlike a traditional karate kick that uses a snapping action and delivers the blow with the ball of the foot, our kicks come down like a baseball bat.î
I felt like a duck out of water, but toward the end of the day I was landing more shin kicks correctly than incorrectly. However, my aging frame was not used to the contact Id been receiving from Chaney and the Thais. Although they were going easy on me, it still took its toll. At the end of day one, my feet looked like shredded wheat, my arms ached so much I could hardly eat, and my legs felt as if theyd been tenderized with a mallet.
In the weeks that followed, I was tutored in the art of muay Thai elbow strikes and neck wrestling. The elbow strikes are similar to my karate techniques except they are supposed to be delivered in a deceptive manner over the top of a hooking punch. One night while attending a muay Thai fight in Bangkok, I was ringside when one of Thakoons fighters landed an elbow on the forehead of his opponent, opening the guys head like a melon. It was all the inspiration I needed to return to the gym the next day and work on perfecting my elbow skills.
IMPROVING
By the time my training had come to an end, I was ducking and weaving and I could land a nice muay Thai kick to my opponents leg. However, I will be the first to admit that Chaney and the other Thai fighters were allowing me to execute my fresh techniques without countering me in the process. I was appreciative that they were giving me a chance to polish my new skills and that they would allow me to leave Thailand with all my vital organs intact.
When my ìtour of dutyî came to an end, I walked away from Sasiprapa Gym with a few more tricks in my martial arts bag, but the best part of the experience was the new friends Id made. While exchanging techniques, we got to know each other as individuals. Acquaintances like this often lead to lifelong friendships as styles and nationalities take a back seat to the camaraderie we share as martial artists. ...