Muay Thai: A Savage, Stunning Dance

Entrancing drum beats roll deeply and languish in the damp air of the enormous room. Women bustle the seated onlookers with offers of ice cold local Thai beer and numerous savory snacks. The smell. A scent of hot human skin intermixed with the refreshing sting of Tiger Balm which permeats the air so intensely that a deep intake of breath causes tingling in the nostrils.

This was my first Muay Thai match to attend, and it was worth all 1,700 Baht (appx. $50) I dished out to get the ringside seat. By the way, that was the “farang” (foreigner) ticket price, Thai people get in for 200 Baht- Do the math. I can’t complain about the proximity though, so close to the contestants that I could hear the violating pulsating of their breath as they battled to overcome the fatigue in between rounds.

Everyone watched the fighters- the way they shifted their bodies, swaying in rhythm with the drum’s pounding, watching them as they carried out the dancing ritual before their moment of supreme potentiality. Their eyes clouded over with brutal thoughts of what they would endure in the next 15 minutes. Their eyes said it all.

A fierce beauty exists within the ring of Muay Thai kickboxing. In some ways grotesque, savage even in its ferocity, and yet all of that which is required in the most skilled of dances- precision, complexity, and concentration- all which are deeply interwoven within every thrust, jab, and kick of this fatal choreography

For those unfamiliar with Muay Thai, it is an advanced form of kickboxing unique to Thailand which incorporates not only the use of fists and kicks in its arsenal of attack, but knees and elbows as well- which causes it to be one of the deadliest styles of boxing in the world.

My own fascination with the sport began as a junior in high school when I travelled to Thailand to compete in a Far East Rugby Tournament, hosted by a well-known British prep school within Bangkok. While there a teammate, who had been raised in Thailand, brought its fierce grandeur to my attention, and I have been fascinated ever since.

The night was an extended bout of nine matches which all have become streamed into one fantastic event in my mind. I went away from the fights feeling both exhausted and exhilarated from the evening’s occasion. I left feeling as though I too wanted to become one of them, a Muay Thai fighter, and learn this brutal art.

And then I remembered that I needed to go home and finish lesson plans- I guess I will be forced to extend this dream of mine towards another lifetime.

“Congratulations, Mr. Chris Marin”

Essentially, that is what the teaching award had emblazoned in striking gold ink across its formal heading (for those of you who are not aware of this, my last name is actually Martin). Last Friday, which happens to be Teacher’s Day in Thailand, saw me attending a 4 1/2 hr awards ceremony that started 8:00 in the am. This would not have been so bad if it weren’t for the fact that Teacher’s Day is a national holiday here in Thailand (especially for the teachers one would assume), so the rest of my fellow teachers took off for a beach resort island while myself and another teacher attended the awards ceremony

And I really shouldn’t complain about the misspelled name- the other teacher’s name had been peppered with additional vowels and syllables, morphing it into something that closer resembled a title allotted for a shrub through the binomial nomenclature naming system- so everything in perspective, I suppose.

Just one of the perks of being a teacher in Thailand, I suppose- having your name pronounced, spelled, and interpreted in ways you would never have imagined on your own creativity.

Not all was dreery, however. On Saturday night, I finally made a long-overdue appearance at the Saxophone, a premiere jazz club that has distinguished a name for itself as being one of the hottest spots for live music in Bangkok’s scene. A creme-colored Les Paul wailed out fabulously complex blues riffs, sometimes with an aggressive, lightning tempo and other times a soft and soulful cry, artistically pumping the wah pedal to create that resonant moan that perfectly embodies the wrenching soul of good blues.

As my fingers swayed and tapped in steady synchrony with the 12-bar tunes, my wandering thoughts began to stitch together the striking similarities between the life I have presently chosen and the music reverberating within my ear vessels. The lack of resolution.Wandering solos that never seem to ground themselves back to earth. The infinitely complex strains of sorrow intermixed with the simplicity of beauty. Aimless yet purposeful. Intricate, albeit effortless.

Blues is like that for me- in its base form, it is a monotonous amalgam of three basic seventh chords combined in one repetitive pattern upon which to layer exquisite melodies of sound. At times, my life feels both aimless and well, simplistic. And yet maybe- like the music coarsing through my hot blood last Saturday night at the late hours of the Saxophone- maybe all of my past experiences and journeys are being woven together for something far more sophisticated and satisfying than I could ever have possibly conceived through my own intellect.

However, until the time comes, I suppose I will simply continue to tap my fingers in sync with the fine music.

Heck, I’d even whistle along if I blasted knew how.

Eeny, Meeny..Ah, That Island Sounds Nice.

“Sorry- but all trains heading south are booked out for at least the next three days.”

Translated from its Thai origin, these are precisely the words you do not- on any circumstance I can imagine- want to hear uttered from the ticket master after attempting to purchase tickets for your week-long vacation in southern Thailand.

I did.

With our bold plans for exploring the savage inner regions of Koh Sok National Park thoroughly upended, we did what any two young men in desperate need of an daring exploit would do- we turned to the solace of my Lonely Plant Guidebook! An hour later, we found ourselves heading towards the bus terminal, in search for a bus that would carry us to the ferry which would bring us to a distant island on the Eastern side that neither of us had been- Koh Chang.

We didn’t know what to expect, but thankfully, everything worked out fairly well and within 24 hours, I was snoozing in the woven hammock clinging to our beach bungalow porch. A hard life, I’m fully aware.

Honestly, Nate and I had the time of our lives while there. Between us, we had many conversations concerning life, relationships, and women of course (come on, do you really expect two single guys not to talk about that?) Also, we rented motorbikes and explored the island, relaxed on the beach, and ate good food- though I came to the conclusion that no one makes more fantastic cashew chicken than the mom and pop shop I frequent near my school.

The best part of the whole trip I can sum up in three words: Laura, Leah, and ofcourse, Jose! After meeting these three fantastic individuals during our second night there, they became our inseparable companions for the rest of our time on Koh Chang. Laura and Leah were two German young ladies who spent months backpacking around Thailand before beginning university in the coming fall. Jose was a Portuguese environmental engineer working from a British company in Beijing and was spending the holiday with his Mother in Thailand.

Together we explored the island’s natural waterfalls (alright, so truthfully only two of them and one was just a trickle!) had plenty of laughs, and played games late at night, such as “spoons” (which involved chili sauce for the loser of each round- I won’t go into any more detail).

Ofcourse the Koh Chang New Year’s Eve party was great, especially if you are a huge fan of unstable fireworks, fire throwers who miss their torch-catch every so often, and building-sized speakers that spewed techno hits from six years ago.

A winning combination on all occasions.

Classes recommence in approximately twelve hours and can you believe I feel unprepared? Possibly because I am exactly that- so is the life of a teacher. Truly, it is hard to look far forward when the last glimpse backwards is such a savory one.
Anyhow, I hope you all had a fantastic Christmas and brought the new year in with dearly-loved family members and the best of friends. Let us approach the year with an attitude of curiosity, vigor, and grand expectations, shall we?

And by the way, does anyone have with them some pre-written lesson plans for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade English class they would care to send me?

Hmm.. I though as much!