“Mali, where are you?” “I’m at work.” As I am every day, Monday to Friday 8am to 4pm. “Do you have any fighters yet?” “Yes! They are really new the gym just opened last…” “Yeah, I know, I know. Come see me at the temple. Write their names on a list with their weights. I’ll meet you at the fight ring.” Names? Our gym had only been open for two weeks, we didn’t even have a training mat, let alone fight names! I quickly wrote down a few localized names with some weights attached and jumped on a bike to head over to the temple. The temple tradesman who had made the call had already left, … [Read more...]
MUAY THAI
Muay Thai training information, fight videos and fighter interviews with an emphasis on traditional Muay Thai. Read about Muay Thai in Thailand with a focus on Isaan and Bangkok. This is the real deal. Not kickboxing with elbows and knees. Don't know the difference? Read on.
Muay Thai Grading in South Korea
Part 1 Muay Thai Grading in Korea Explained “They are ready for their first grading test,” my fiancé, owner and Head Trainer of K Club, Okbae Moon says in a decisive low voice, cocking his head towards the group of teenage boys trading playful punches at one another in the gym. Standing next to Okbae outside the training area, where he is observing his protégés carefully, I am temporarily befuddled. My confusion must have been written on my face, because Okbae proceeds to explain what grading entails. “It’s a test of Muay Thai ability. You demonstrate to the judges a set of prescribed moves. If you pass, you get promoted to … [Read more...]
Starting From Nothing, Training On The Ground And Building A Muay Thai Gym
A Muay Thai gym in rural Thailand can change a child's life. This is particularly true in Thailand's North East region of Isaan which is home to some of the country's poorest families. In such communities, Muay Thai offers an option for the children who have few. A Muay Thai gym in a small, rural community can make the difference between a child securing a future and a child choosing gang membership and/or substance abuse. Almost a month ago, we released that MBSB contributor Frances Watthanaya, in conjunction with her husband Boom, and longtime family friend and Muay Thai trainer Dam were opening a gym in Boom's hometown in the Muang Yang of Nakhon … [Read more...]
Capturing The Root And Soul Of Muay Thai With Jacob Klensin
I realized that I was seeing things that should be shared, and when I found myself learning how to do that properly, and feeling like I was good at it, I never stopped. -Jacob Klensin Through his detailed and emotive work, Jacob Klensin allows us all a deeper peak into the world of Muay Thai and MMA. The photographer, filmmaker and writer took time out of his busy schedule in Philadelphia to let us in on his work and his world. You're a photographer, a filmmaker and a writer...what drives you? I studied history in college and was always fascinated by the creation of the material that will one day define how the future remembers the … [Read more...]
Unraveling The Mystery Behind Sinbi Taewoong
Tracing The Little-known Korean Roots Of A Thai Fighter Even the most seasoned Muay Thai practitioners I know shoot me confused or disbelieving looks whenever I tell them that Thopadak Wanchalerm runs one of the biggest and most successful Muay Thai gyms in Phuket. However, their eyes quickly light up with recognition when I tell them that the person in question is actually Sinbi Taewoong (he prefers to be known as Sing), owner of the eponymous Sinbi Muay Thai Camp. What Is In A Name? “Sinbi Taewoong” is a Korean name formed from the Chinese characters 神祕泰雄, meaning the “Mysterious Thai Hero”, a namesake and identity thrust … [Read more...]
A Brand New Muay Thai Gym Is Being Built In Isaan
MBSB contributor Frances Watthanaya has been busy lately. She and her husband Boom have left Buriram to open a Muay Thai gym in neighbouring Nakhon Ratchasima Province (Khorat). The new Muay Thai gym is located in Boom's hometown (village) in the Muang Yang district. The village is extremely isolated and lacking the infrastructure common to larger villages (for example, paved roads). Additionally, plagued by a lack of governance, there isn't a local police presence in the area. Like many other villages in Isaan, adults from this village migrate to Bangkok to take up menial labour while those left behind tend to be the elderly, children, and those with addictions who … [Read more...]
2014 – What Happened, What’s To Come and The Year’s Bests
Good Bye 2014, Hello 2015 2014 brought with it a lot of change to MBSB and with it, growth. The time had come where I decided to spend more time working behind the scenes of Milk.Blitz.Street.Bomb. in an effort to expand readership. Additionally, I needed to fix site related weaknesses that I was unaware of creating when I built the site. With that decision came the desire to add new voices; 2014 was a year of multiple perspectives. I'm incredibly grateful for all the contributors who took the time to let us all into their worlds. We worked hard and it paid off. Traffic to MBSB has increased and with it, my commitment to continue the trend. In … [Read more...]
The Life Of A Bangkok Fighter Cut Short
We always trained late at Bor. Breechaa Gym. The trainers all had day jobs unrelated to Muay Thai, a situation rare in Bangkok gyms but a reflection of the surroundings: a working-poor neighbourhood in Sukhumvit 93, within walking distance of the legendary Sor. Thanikul Gym. The young fighters lived with their families at the apartment complex. Parents came to watch training, cook for the fighters, and bring rice from their relatives up-country. There was one kid, though, who always came alone. His name was Rambo. His parents had abandoned him. He lived a few streets away from the gym with his aunt, who did the … [Read more...]
Cock Fighting: Beyond the Blood
Let’s start with the facts. Cock fighting is a sporting tradition shared by many Asian countries. In Thailand, cock fighting has its roots deep in history. Many Thais often refer all the way back to the sixteenth century, to King Naresuan, a much loved monarch famous for defeating the king of Burma. Historically, the two are supposed to have had a royal cock fight in their youth, the result of which made it clear to a young Naresuan that the Thais had to fight for their independence from Burma. The Thais view this cock fight as a key historical moment, so much so that in the recent production of The Legend of King Naresuan Part I: Hongsawadee's Hostage, the film poster … [Read more...]
The Perils Of Dating Your Trainer: Is He Cheating?
PART 7 Note: This is a work of fiction based on the author's experiences training muay thai in Thailand. FEBRUARY Phuket, Thailand I don't hear from Gong until the next morning. He calls right after morning training. "Called you last night," I say. "Why didn't you answer?" "I was already asleep. You train this morning?" "Yeah, it was good. They all know you here." Morning training had been productive, a focus on clinching. The trainers at this Phuket gym talk to me between rounds. A couple of them flirt halfheartedly, mostly harmless. I smile without engagement. The ones who know Gong … [Read more...]
Age Over Gender At A Muay Thai Gym
Training in Thailand is not only intense, it is very intimate also. Many gyms provide accommodation for their fighters. The accommodation usually consists of a large single room with a few beds, thus fighters end up sharing everything: bathrooms, equipment, clothing, and sometimes even toothbrushes. Unless a family member is closely attending to the livestock, the habit is almost always strictly male. In the rare case there is a female fighter living at the gym, she is usually taken care of by an older brother, uncle, or the matriarch of the gym. Living at the gym, versus living outside the gym can change how people interact with you. This goes for both foreigners … [Read more...]
The Perils Of Dating Your Trainer: Everyone Lies And Everyone Cheats
PART 6 Note: This is a work of fiction based on the author's experiences training muay thai in Thailand. FEBRUARY Phuket, Thailand Hollie parks her motorbike outside the restaurant and I jump off the back, relieved I'm still alive. Even with my responsible friend driving, and even being allowed to wear her helmet, I still hate riding on motorbikes. "You just have to use motorbikes if you want to get around in Phuket," she said. "There isn't a good public transportation system. Taxis are expensive. They're run by the mafia." A couple cars cut us off on our way to the restaurant. I suppressed a gasp as Hollie swerved to avoid … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- …
- 12
- Next Page »