Milk.Blitz.Street.Bomb.

Where Martial Arts and Travel Meet

  • Start Here
    • About
    • Contributors
    • Contact
  • The Martial Life
    • Boxing
    • Brazilian Jiu Jitsu
    • Karate
    • MMA
    • Muay Thai
    • Silat
  • The Nomadic Life
    • Destinations
      • Asia
        • Indonesia
        • Laos
        • The Philippines
        • Russia
        • Thailand
      • The Americas
        • Canada
        • Cuba
        • Mexico
        • The U.S.
    • Memoir
    • Galleries
    • Photo Series
    • Random
  • Resources
  • Press
  • Shop
  • Thailand Help
Home » A Portrait of Yai in Lamplaimat, Thailand

A Portrait of Yai in Lamplaimat, Thailand

May 16, 2011 By Laura Dal Farra Leave a Comment

 

Yai is the grandmother of one of my muay thai trainers and friends in the city of Buriram, Thailand.  I had two trainers named Gai (Chicken), both working with me at the long defunct Tor Ratonakiat Gym.  I was training at Tor Ratonakiat Gym as a lone nak muay (boxer) for approximately one year. (Please note, this post has been updated, meaning what you’re currently reading is written retrospectively in 2014).  Tor Ratonakiat Gym was, at one time, the home of Sam-A Kaiyanghadao. Here’s more on Tor Ratonakiat Gym in Buriram.

 

Essentially, when my main trainer Gai was unable to teach me, his friend Gai would come and fill his spot. What usually kept my main trainer Gai from training me were trips to Bangkok to corner Sam-A Kaiyanghadao. At the time,  Sam-A Kaiyanghadao was fighting out of a muay thai gym in Nang Rong, Buriram (Province).

 

Confused yet?

 

The gym owner’s first wife, who lived alone with my main trainer Gai at the abandoned gym, occasionally wouldn’t know who I was talking about. Gai or Gai? On some days I’d arrive and ask if Gai had arrived to train me.  Usually she’d tell me that Gai was in Bangkok and wasn’t training me that day. Then I’d say something to the effect of ‘the other Gai’ and she’d have no idea what I was on about.

 

What did I come up with to distinguish between the two and communicate it in a way she would understand?

 

I began to describe the other Gai, not my main trainer as, ‘dtua yai’, which literally means ‘body big’.  So, essentially I began to refer to Gai, the grandson of Yai, as Big Chicken, when needed.

 

Gai, or for our purposes, Big Chicken, is from Lamplaimat and that’s exactly where we found Yai one day.  Gai and I had ridden to the village on his motorbike and made the rounds to visit his family and friends.

 

Yai was relaxing with her granddaughter Pear. There were some chickens and dogs in the mix, as well as a lot of laughs. Gai was incredibly happy to see her and began teasing her affectionately shortly after introductions were made.

 

I absolutely love this photo of Yai as I feel it captures the soft grace she exuded that day.

 

 

Lamplaimat Portrait
Lamplaimat, Buriram, Thailand

Filed Under: Images, Thailand Tagged With: Lamplaimat, Tor Ratonakiet Gym

Love What You’ve Read?

$
Select Payment Method
Personal Info

Donation Total: $1.00

Your support helps us to continue our work by contributing to the operational costs of Milk.Blitz.Street.Bomb.

About Laura Dal Farra

After a six month adventure training Muay Thai in Thailand in 2007, Laura Dal Farra returned to her native Canada, sold most of what she owned, and boarded a plane set for Bangkok alone. She spent the next 3.5 years training in traditional Muay Thai gyms, pushing her limits, and embracing the unknown. Realizing little was being written on the subject, she began to blog about it. Laura Dal Farra is the founder of Milk.Blitz.Street.Bomb.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Travel Thailand

How to Declutter and Make Money to Travel

Tips for Women Traveling to Thailand

Vegan? Vegetarian? Here’s How to Do It in Thailand

How to Avoid MSG in Thailand

Tips to Help You Book a Hotel, Guesthouse or Resort in Thailand

Muay Thai in Thailand

Things to Consider Before Training Muay Thai in Thailand

What Muay Thai Training Can You Really Handle?

Training in Thailand: Deciding How Long to Go

Determining Your Budget

6 Ways to Make Money to Train Muay Thai in Thailand

19 Ways to Save Money to Train in Thailand

Guidelines for Training in Thailand’s Muay Thai Gyms

Subscribe

MBSB delivered straight to your inbox.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
| Contact | Resources |
Copyright © 2023 Milk.Blitz.Street.Bomb., All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Terms Of Use | Affiliate Disclaimer |
 

Loading Comments...