Kicking (and punching) back in Bangkok
Jason Volker, Contributor, Bangkok
"Let's start with a basic kicking technique," says Charlee Kultharee, former kickboxing champion and head instructor at the Muay Thai Institute in Bangkok.
"But be careful you don't ... " I bounce off the concrete floor and rebound into position, "... slip".
The 12-year-old to my right is struggling to keep a straight face. His seven-year-old brother is bent double with laughter.
Welcome to Thai Boxing school.
A pony-tailed teenage girl is clubbing the kickpads with a flurry of poignant knees in one of the two full-size boxing rings. Rows of leather punching bags are being walloped by rows of brawny youths. A blonde Japanese man living in the school for the past five months is pummeling a speedball.
Flags from around the world donated by former students droop from the ceiling in the tropical heat.
Since watching my first Jackie Chan movie as an impressionable teenager, I've been fascinated by Oriental martial arts. So when the opportunity arose to spend a day experiencing Thailand's national sport under the tutelage of a national hero, I zealously laced up my gloves and placed myself in Master Charlee's rugged hands.
"OK, now try your moves on the heavy bag," is Charlee's next instruction. "Hup!" (I quickly learn this is the Thai Boxing equivalent to the Eskimo dogsledder's "mush").
Thud! Thump! Thwack! Ouch! Hamstring! Not! Good!
I soldier on till the pintsized lad next to me stops for a breather, then I slump like a limp Muppet into the nearest chair.
"You must be lionhearted if you want to succeed at muay thai," shouts the master to his pupils. I jump to my feet and boot the bag at least another half-dozen times before calling for refreshments.
"You kick like a child," wisecracks my grinning wife handing me a water bottle.
"Hey, this ain't as easy as I'm making it look," I quip as a comeback of sorts.
"Oh yeah, I've had pimples put up a better fight than that."
I bet Jackie Chan doesn't get heckled while he's training.
Cheerful Charlee, now in his mid-40s, has seen it all before. Since the age of nine he has been studying and perfecting his art. His softly spoken, friendly manner masks a blazing inner strength that once enabled him to hold five championship belts at Bangkok's Lumphini Stadium, the hallowed home of Thailand's boxing elite.
His professional career lasted an amazing 22 years, a rarity in this punishing sport where most athletes retire around the age of 25. When preparing for a bout, in addition to his grueling daily training program, he would run 12 kilometers with a car tire dragging behind him and swim dog-paddle for hours in a local canal.
His combat know-how includes numerous martial arts (karate, tae kwon do, kung fu, judo, etc.) and he teaches regularly throughout Asia, including a stint as self-defense instructor of a Mainland Chinese police force. "Little Thursday", Charlee's professional fighting name (pocket-rocket, born on a Thursday), is muay thai royalty.
But you would never guess this from the playful yelps he is emitting as a gangly beginner kicks him during a sparring exercise.
"Aim for my thigh, there's plenty of flesh there...no, not the knee...no, keep it down a bit...the thigh, son, the thigh," he pleads as he patiently ruffles the youngster's hair.
Earlier the boy's proud pop explained to me why his seven-year-old son is spending his school holidays beating up Master Charlee.
"He'd be parked in front of the TV if we weren't here. This way he's getting plenty of exercise, as well as learning about his cultural heritage. Suppose someday he goes overseas and he's asked to demonstrate some muay thai, at least now he'll make Thailand proud."
Systemized martial arts have been practiced in Siam for at least seven centuries. Ancient warriors were skilled in krabi krabong (battlefield weaponry) and muay kard cheuk (the hand-to- hand combat ancestor of muay thai that wrapped the fists and forearms with rope soaked in glue and crushed tiles).
Traditional training methods included splashing water into wide-open eyes to prevent flinching, and using the bare shins to kick banana tree trunks (which, Charlee jokes, resulted in a "nationwide banana shortage").
Age-old rituals used by warriors to prepare for battle remain an integral part of modern Thai Boxing. The frenetic three-piece orchestra accompanying all bouts is a vestige of the military music that once echoed across Southeast Asia.
The "rum muay boxing dance" is a rhythmic set of multipurpose movements designed to flex the muscles, focus the mind, pay homage to one's teachers, summon guardian spirits and cast spells against the opponent. Talismans, such as the "crown" and armbands worn into the ring and magical invocations ensure further protection.
All this bone-crunching agro is then tempered with Buddhist meditation and philosophy to produce practitioners that are healthy, calm, responsible and able to pound foes to a pulp should the need arise. As evidenced by Nai Khanom Dom, muay thai's all-time undisputed hero.
Master Charlee related the story to me: "Nai Khanom Dom was captured by Burmese soldiers during a border skirmish about 200 years ago. When the Burmese king learnt of Nai Khanom Dom's fighting reputation, he ordered a contest with his country's champion boxer.
"Nai Khanom Dom defeated their champion and another 11 fighters in quick succession, without taking a rest. This incredible feat moved King Mangra to announce, `Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom, even his bare hands.' The king was so impressed he granted Nai Khanom Dom his freedom."
I, however, am decidedly less merciful than old King Mangra. A little shimmy I picked up from watching Jackie Chan has Charlee on the ropes.
I think I see a knee buckling.
He is chuckling so hard he can barely stand up.
"Now I know how muay thai works," I flippantly declare to Charlee at the end of my exhausting session.
"Well actually no, but you do have an idea how fatigue works," replies the master. Ouch. Point to Charlee. It's obvious my kickboxing education is a little underdone.
Later that evening I get the chance to see how the pros do it as Rangsit Thai Boxing Stadium (home of the Muay Thai Institute) is hosting an international fight night.
Roughly 500 fans have gathered to watch a chunky Japanese lady batter a tall Thai girl, or as it's recorded on the card: "The opening bout". The clash is wisely stopped in the third round after the Thai woman receives a few too many elbows to the nose. So this is what Charlee meant when he described muay thai as a "war on stage".
The action now slides a few meters to the right to the men's ring, or in this case the boy's ring, for two elf-sized warriors are about to do battle. I can't help thinking how cute the little guys look as they whirl through their rum muay dance. A few rounds later and I can't help thinking how ferocious the little ruffians look as they land elbows, punches, knees and toes, knees and toes.
The scene sparks a feeding frenzy among the ringside touts. Fluttering hands and waggling fingers are scanning the stands for eager punters.
It's obvious a mysterious gambler's sign language is speeding large amounts of baht around the stadium, but I can't quite crack the code. I make a mental note to be extra careful how I scratch my nose for the remainder of the evening.
After several more bruising encounters, in which a selection of Thailand's 500,000 muay thai boxers strutted their stuff centerstage, a championship belt enters the ring closely pursued by two lemon-faced combatants -- Japan in the blue trunks, Thailand in the red.
An electrifying contest follows. Glowing welts where defenses were breached soon appear on the boxer's bodies. Each hefty blow in the ring is accompanied by a wild cheer in the stands. Each decibel of "advice" hollered from the stands is carefully ignored in the ring.
Adding to this hullabaloo is a live orchestra blaring what sounds like a groovy blend of The Beach Boys and Indian snake- charming music. The crowd is going crazy. The touts are already there.
But all this comes to a screeching halt in the fourth round when the hometown hero is sent sprawling to the mat by a storm of accurate uppercuts.
This championship belt is headed for Tokyo. What a lousy ending to a story on Thai kickboxing!
If you go
Where: The Muay Thai Institute (336/932 Prachatipat Thanyaburi, Pathumthani Rangsit, Thailand 12130, phone 662-992 0096, fax 662-992 0100, e-mail khuna@muaythai.th.net, www.muaythai.th.net) is located just north of the Bangkok International Airport.
Getting there: Thai Airways International (phone 21-230 2551, e-mail sales@thaiairways.co.id, www.thaiairways.com) has regular return flights from Jakarta to Bangkok.
When to go: Bangkok is at its best between November and February, when temperatures are cooler.
Lodging: Live-in accommodation is available at the Institute. There is also a fully equipped gym, library and cafeteria on the premises.
Currency: One Thai baht is equal to Rp 210.
Reading: Lonely Planet Thailand makes life on the road easier. For a comprehensive list of muay thai schools in Thailand visit muaythai.com/camps
Further information: Tourism Authority of Thailand, Singapore office (responsible for all Indonesian inquiries), c/o Royal Thai Embassy, 370 Orchard Rd, Singapore 238870, phone 656-235 7901, fax 656-733 5653, e-mail tatsin@mbox5.singnet.com.sg or visit tat.or.th.