Muay Thai- IN THAILAND!

My love, my passion, my dream, my…you get the point.

Let’s be blunt, I came to Thailand because I love Muay Thai. I began doing Muay Thai about four years ago. If you read my past post on Muay Thai, you will learn how it literally saved my life. I love Muay Thai so much I want to be in the land of its origin!

In America, I taught Muay Thai at a high school and local martial arts gym. I pursed the art with several different instructors. As I told my students, it is not uncommon to outgrow your instructor. Students all have different learning styles just as instructors have different teaching styles. If you truly love something, why not explore all the different systems and perspectives of your love? Opportunities are a revolving door and if you spend too much time looking at the closed doors, you will miss the ones opening.

During my Muay Thai training, I have encountered several closed doors. Some doors slammed in my face and some stubbed a few toes, but now I am exactly where I want to be. One of my friends was beaten very badly by her martial arts instructor and boyfriend, this is a man I trained with under the same master. After hearing her story, I immediately told my master I could not continue to be associated or train with the instructor whom had beaten my friend so mercilessly. My master’s response was crude and cold. He told me there is always more than one story and I should not turn my back on my family. Hmm….sorry, but anyone with the skill and position of a martial arts leader requires responsibility to uphold integrity and to be held accountable. If any of my “family” beat someone the way this man did my friend, I would report them to the police.  This was door number one slammed in my face; my master’s response was appalling and disgusting. I chose not to support nor participate in a system that protects martial artists that beat women.

The high school I taught at has a program called, Fund for Teachers. This is a grant or scholarship program that allows teachers to write proposals for projects believed to enhance teaching during the summer months. I wrote a proposal to go to Thailand for 3 months and train in Muay Thai, since I was after all teaching it to high school students. My principal at the time would not even sign her name on the paper. She had another agenda in mind and had requested other teachers to write a proposal for a project she wanted to support. She didn’t even want me to be entered in the assembly of applications!! This was door number two that subbed a few of my toes. I was down but not defeated.

 About two months later, one of the teachers at my school put me in contact with a Rotary Club member. This man spoke about his ten year history of work in Thailand. I was all ears. The possibility that I could make a trip to Thailand excited and frightened me! Eight months later I was boarding an aircraft to begin my Thailand adventure.

 I didn’t actually start doing any Muay Thai until mid-February. When I went to the camp in my providence, I was actually scared! I began sweating profusely, either from nerves or the hot weather, but most likely both. I couldn’t believe all my efforts led to what was right before my eyes. My current reality is an outdoor Muay Thai camp complete with Thai boys from ages 7-16 in their small shorts making strange sounds as they kick the hanging bags that must be filled with cement! I am the only American woman that speaks English. As I stepped out on the floor to perform my shadow boxing routine, my heart rate quickened to a pace that made me dizzy and almost ill. I kept telling myself not to pass out and just control my breathing. The owner of the gym was impressed, he told me…in Thai. Mae translated. After a few sessions of shadow boxing, they let me hit some pads. I finally began to accept the situation and feel more comfortable.

When most people hear about me being in Thailand, they think of beautiful beaches and lively parties. In actuality, I live in the center of Thailand in a small rural farming providence.  My Muay Thai camp is not one that has the fame or big name for training foreigners like Fairtex or Tiger. They train me like they train Thais. I do my clench work with a 14 year old boy who is stronger than most of the infrastructures around my providence and he does not hesitate to put me on my butt either. This is not new to me, right Montana?

The champ who has won three belts is 16 years old and a student at my university. He has been training in Muay Thai for 10 years and is incredibly kind, helpful and respectful. My workouts consist of three shadow boxing rounds, five pad rounds and five punching bag rounds. The time is set by my trainer. Afterwards, I have 10 minutes of clench work and conditioning. Everyone keeps asking me when am I going to fight? I promised my mother I wouldn’t fight; however, it is only a matter of time before my camp asks me. Sorry mom. I run 3 miles every morning before work at Bamboo Park. Mae’s father has become my morning workout partner as he drives us to Bamboo Park and rides his bike while I run. After work I head to Muay Thai for about two hours of training, this is my routine Monday through Friday.

 Some people say they are passionate and love Martial Arts and some people show it. I left a steady job of seven years, a house, a family and friends for my pursuit of Muay Thai.