The following is a guest post by Carlos Navarro of Baan Singto Muay Thai gym in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Note: I met Carlos while training at Sitmonchai Gym in 2011. I noticed Carlos upon my arrival to Sitmonchai amongst the other Foreign nak muays but what perhaps marks the moment that he truly stood out to me was the following:
Carlos was sitting one the edge of one of the two rings at Sitmonchai watching a Foreigner shadow box. He stood up and showed the boxer how to follow through on a left hook.
That was it. That was the initial defining moment for me. It was in that moment that I realized I could see myself train under Carlos, which to say the least is a rare occurrence for me to genuinely think that way about someone not raised as a fighter in Thailand. Carlos moved unlike the vast majority of Foreigners I had trained with during my years spent in Thailand.
Incidentally, both Carlos and I suffered odd injuries while at Sitmonchai – I was taken out by a mattress and Carlos’ injury was similarly ridiculous. As a result, I had a great deal of time on my hands and got to know Carlos. Today I’m thankful to call him a friend.
In the weeks to follow, prepare for a spotlight on Mexico, more precisely, a spotlight on Baan Singto.
Now on to Carlos’ piece…
Muay Thai by Carlos Navarro
Today, pondering my life by talking to one of my best friends, I’ve realized much, how lucky I am. Working on what I like, to be able to live my dream life. I have traveled to other parts of the world throughout my career, especially the East and several times to Thailand, a place that I love as my home; where I have learned and known the art of Muay Thai and Thai culture, where I had the opportunity to be coached by the best masters of the art but also gave me the opportunity to meet people from all over the world, people with different cultures and traditions, different beliefs, different ways of living life, some similar and some very foreign to our way of life in which we were raised. But in the end, to have to deal with different cultures has enriched our minds, souls, and our knowledge in some form or another.
Today I realize that being a rebel with a cause is good, that often breaking with the established makes one first evolve as a person, and also provokes, directly and indirectly, the social order, and possibly more, if we work as teachers where many people follow and listen to alternative perspectives.
I have received a lot of criticism throughout my life by breaking certain rules established in our country and even more so to follow a dream.
I can remember one time in high school, a teacher asked us what we were going to be when out of school, I told him my plans, to which he replied, ¨That’s just a dream, you are a man and you have to mature, those are just peasant’s dreams, you have to go to college and study some truth! ¨ After some years passed, I ran into this teacher. He stopped me on the street and asked me what I was doing, to which I replied… ¨Living peasant’s dreams”. I told him that I have lived in the East, and I have my own gym, I’m a champion, and happy doing what I love, and living my dream.¨
I do not believe in the many things that society defines as being a ¨good man ¨ or ¨successful person¨. I do not think being a good person is synonymous with being a sheep, to be a successful person one has to forcibly go to college. I do not believe in keeping quiet if someone offends me, I do not believe that prudence is synonymous with doing nothing in front of an injustice, I do not think to physically defend oneself is synonymous with violence. I do not think that having a tattoo is synonymous with being a criminal. Thinking and living differently does not make me your enemy. I say what I think and do what I like. I live in accordance to my beliefs, and believing is the base of respect and a happy and healthy society.
I like to live with the philosophy of the mirror: If you respect me, I respect you, if you treat me right, I treat you right, treat me bad and I’ll be bad!! It’s that simple! I do not know the end of the day, the end results, as society does. The term ¨successful man¨ is very conceptual as well as being a ¨good man¨, I have committed many social sins mentioned above, and the worst of all has been to live my dreams. Many are hurt, and the only option left is criticism,
from my point of view the real success in life is to be happy, be yourself! To have pursued your dreams no matter what happens. Living congruently and respecting others.
Maybe breaking the already established rules makes me rebel and for many a bad person, but at the end of the day there is no good Lion in the land of the sheep.
En Español: Muay Thai – Un Ensayo De Carlos Navarro De Baan Singto
Hoy reflexionando mi vida al platicar con uno de mis mejores amigos, me doy cuanta de lo afortunado que soy, trabajo en lo que me gusta, vivo mi sueño de vida, he podido viajar a otras partes del mundo gracias a mi carrera, en especial a Oriente y en varias ocasiones a Tailandia, tierra a la que amo como mi hogar, lugar donde he aprendido y conocido el arte del muay thai y la cultura tailandesa, donde tuve la oportunidad de ser entrenado por los mejores maestros del arte, Pero también me dio la oportunidad de conocer gente de todas las partes del mundo, personas con diferentes culturas y tradiciones, diferentes creencias, diferente forma de vivir la vida, algunas muy similares y otras muy ajenas a nuestra filosofía de vida en la cual fuimos educados, pero a final de cuentas tratar con culturas diferentes habré nuestra mente he enriquece nuestro conocimiento y nuestras almas de alguna u otra forma.
Hoy me doy cuenta que ser un rebelde con causa es bueno, que muchas veces romper con lo establecido hace que evolucionemos primero como persona y también provocamos de forma directa e indirectamente la evolución social y más si tenemos un trabajo como maestros donde mucha gente nos sigue y escucha.
Yo he recibido muchas críticas a lo largo de mi vida por romper ciertas reglas establecidas en nuestro medio y más aún por seguir un sueño, recuerdo en una ocasión en la preparatoria un maestro nos pregunto a que nos íbamos a dedicar saliendo del bachillerato, a lo cual yo le dije mis planes, a lo cual el me contesto; eso solo es un sueño, ya eres un hombre y tienes que madurar, esos son sólo sueños guajiros, tienes que ir a la universidad y estudiar algo de verdad!!! Que tal he??? Después pasaron los años y me lo tope en la calle y me pregunto a que me dedicaba, a lo cual yo le conteste a vivir sueños guajiros 😉 le dije que viví en Oriente y que tengo mi propio gimnasio, soy campeón y vivo feliz haciendo lo que me gusta.
Yo no creo en muchas cosas que marca la sociedad en cuanto ser un buen chico o persona de éxito, yo no creo que ser buena persona sea sinónimo de ser una oveja, que ser una persona de éxito tengas que ir a la universidad forzadamente, yo no creo en quedarme callado si alguien me ofende, yo no creo que la prudencia sea sinónimo de no hacer nada enfrente de una injusticia, yo no creo que defenderme físicamente sea sinónimo de violencia. Yo no creo que el tener un tatuaje sea sinónimo de ser un delincuente. El pensar y vivir de forma diferente no me hace tu enemigo. Yo digo lo que pienso y hago lo que me gusta, vivo congruente a mis creencias y vivo creyendo en el respeto es la bace de una sociedad feliz y sana.
Me gusta vivir con la filosofía del espejo: Si me respetas te respeto, si me tratas bien te trato bien, trátame mal y te tratare mal!! Así de simple!! Yo no se a final del día como ve la sociedad, el termino hombre de éxito es muy conceptual al igual de ser un buen chico, yo he cometido muchos pecados sociales ya mencionados y el peor de todos a sido vivir mis sueños, a muchos les duele y la única opción que les queda es la crítica, desde mi particular punto de vista el verdadero éxito en la vida es ser feliz, ser tu mismo!!! Persigue tus sueños pase lo que pase. Pero vive congruente y respetando a los demás.
Tal vez el romper las reglas de lo ya establecido me haga rebelde y hasta para muchos una mala persona, pero a final del día no existe León bueno en tierra de ovejas.
XXX
Carlos Singto Navarro is a Muay Thai fighter, teacher and owner of Baan Singto Muay Thai gym in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Contact Info:
Baan Singto/ Carvhalo
Av. Inglaterra 3222 Plaza Exhimoda local 9 B Guadalajara, Jalisco, México
333.808.93.73
Krab_navar@hotmail.com
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