If you want things in your life to change,
you’ve got to change things in your life.
Source: destinasian.com
It was my lifelong wish to once learn how to fight, or at least how to defend my family and myself.
When I was trying to determine which martial art would hit the sweet spot based on several factors, i.e. availability, vicinity, cost, type, schedule, it really got me thinking...
Parallel universe wishes
I watched a great deal of Shaolin kung fu videos and movies and I wanted to train something similar.
Source: en.cnta.gov.cn Mount Song
I was fascinated by the things they were doing up there on that mountain. I watched plenty of documentaries, but there was one movie that I particularly liked for some reason: "The 36th Chamber of Shaolin".
Source: imdb.com
The film was about a young refugee running for his life . A Shaolin monastery up in the mountains seemed like a good choice for some reason. So the monks let him stay there but they didn't really throw a welcoming party. He worked as servant for a long time. To cut the story short, he somehow managed to get them to share their kung fu wisdom.
The lessons are taught through the chambers, each of them covering one important essence of their teachings.
Some of them were physical, some of them were mental.
I remember the one where they were supposed to carry a bucket full of water in each hand, but with straight arms and knifes on the elbows facing down. They also walked in line onto the some kind of pyramid that looked similar to Chichén Itzá where they would empty the buckets. The point was => shoulder strengthening.
The main guy learning the lesson
Then the one in which he had to head bump everything and everyone in his way => head strengthening.
Funny lesson was when they were required to hold a long stick with a rock on its other end. As if that experience alone wasn't excruciating enough, when he managed to hold it in the air, he was required to follow the chamber chief monks beat. Hilarity ensued. The point was => underarm strengthening.
Source: ign.com
In one he was required to follow a metronome thingy only with his eyes. Moving his head resulted in burning hisface because 2 fat Cuban cigars were lighted next to his face.
He is also not sure if anything good will come out of this lesson.
After all that and many more he became a Shaolin expert and decided to exit monastery which of course wasn't allowed.
The part I liked the most was when he showcased the techniques learned in real life (aka movie scene) situations. At that moment I was sure I want to train like those guys.
The only problem was that I wasn't born in Henan County in China so I couldn't be recruited as a newborn to start the tryouts.
Damn... I guess I will not be training Shaolin kung fu any time soon.
Real life wishes
As for workout concerned, my demands were for it to be physically exhausting and... that's it.
I am not an aggressive person. Any type of martial art would be cool because I've never trained anything similar. I've actually never visualized a fight in my life neither I was punched in the face. So there is that.
At first, I thought that I want to learn a martial art where legs are involved. After all those roundhouse knockdown finishes in movies, you can't help but wonder wouldn't it be cool to be able to do that? Also I trained dancing for quite a bit so I decided it would be a shame not to use legs.
(
Just a guy taking down a street lamp like it was on his work desk...
Then a sudden realization hit me:
"Oh boy. That leg thing is a double edged sword. If I can use them, my opponents can use them too..."
I'm too pretty to be hit like in the movies.
Therefore, I chose boxing as it allows only hand combat.
How I started training Muay Thai?
By accident. A friend brought me into it. He remembered that I was talking about boxing and mentioned his newly started martial art practices.
Later I realized the cool thing is that we were both total beginners with similar physiques and have a weight difference of only a few pounds. Ideal for training in pairs!
And so I went on my first training not knowing what do the words Muay Thai even mean.
What could possibly go wrong?
First training was free so I decided that the best source to learn how does it look like, is to actually experience the practice.
I just went for it. Maybe I should've googled it first. I mean I knew what it was, but I did not visualize anything further than entering the gym.
Muay Thai
Muay Thai or Thailand boxing is a martial art created as result of continuous conflicts of Thai people on their way from southeast China to the area of today's Thailand.
Because of constant disagreements with the rest of the nations that inhabited the Indochinese peninsula,
Thai people were in need of a martial art that would help them defend their country.
A skill which would be possible to learn in a short period of time and in the same time very effective in almost daily border conflicts.
Source: Wikipedia - Thailand
In the beginning Thai box was teached as a part of warrior skills which also included skills like sword and spear handling, archery and horse riding.
One of the oldest documents mentioning Thai boxing is legend from 1548. and it describes a boxing fight between Thai king Naresuan and Burmese king.
Legend says that a big Burmese army was preparing to invade Thai kingdom, and trying to avoid unnecessary victims, two kings decided to have boxing match. Match lasted for a few hours when prince Naresuan was declared winner and therefore saved the country.
Source: kstmuayhthai.com
Thai boxing goes through prosperous period in the beginning of 18. century when it was introduced as an obligatory subject in all of schools in Thailand.
Source: Wikipedia: Lumpinee Boxing Stadium
Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is an indoor sporting arena located in Bangkok, Thailand. Opened more than a decade later than Rajadamnern Stadium, the Lumpinee is run by Royal Thai Army on behalf of Thai Government. It has become the symbol of modern Muay Thai.
Fight rules
In the beginning fighters were fighting barefisted (only with bandages) and the fights lasted 11 rounds each lasting 3 minutes.
Source: Wikipedia - High kick block
Today, they are fighting with 6 Oz gloves and maximum fight length is 5 rounds with 2 minutes of rest. The rules remained virtually unchanged.
This skill is often called the art of eight limbs because you are allowed to use your fists, elbows, shins and knees.
Source: deviantart mxxiii-photography
You can also hold your opponent without joint locks, push him or throw him.
How does the practice look like?
First you need to learn how to hold guard. Then you need to develop endurance to hold it throughout the practice.
So first problem you encounter is the strength of your shoulders. You need to be able to hold hands in the air like its nothing. Fun fact: they hurt like hell if you are not used to it. Luckily, dance also requires you to hold hands in the air constantly so I had some prerequisites.
Source: martialartsplanet.com
The beginners should hold a little higher guard because you are simply not used to hold your hands in the air. After a while, you can start experiencing as lowering your guard enables you to throw faster or a different kind of attacks. It also leaves you more vulnerable. It's a trade off worth exploring.
Next on the schedule is throwing your first punches. Important thing is to throw a punch with your whole body. This means that your punch comes not only from your fist, but from your shoulder, core, hip, knee and foot together. You need combined rotation of your whole body to land a hard punch.
Source: muaythaipros.com
I've never though of it that way before muay thai. But this explains how its possible to knock down a person with a single punch. If its performed accurately and with rotating whole body, it can be devastating.
After learning basic punches and movement, you can start learning about kicks.
After one practice where low kick was primary lesson, you will forget why did you want to train this in the first place.
This stuff makes you a man. Repeated kicks with your shin on your friends thigh. Precious moments.
You start to feel it after third consecutive kick in one spot on your thigh. That is also a goal, to be precise, to wear the opponent down.
After low kick, there comes knee kick, middle kick, stomach kick, high kick etc. Pawing your way from simpler to more complex ones.
Source: hghattis
Good trainer will add them one by one and diversify the combinations so you get general knowledge of all the movements.
I must not forget one important aspect of Thai boxing which often goes unnoticed, the clinching.
Kem vs Sittichai clinching at Sitsongpeenong Yokkao Training Center
Clinching is the real stuff. Here you see who doesn't let others throw him around. It's allowed to hold your opponent unless you hold him in joint lock. The main goals is to enter opponents space and land a knee or a elbow kick or to shorten opponents space and make him unable to throw punches because you are too close. Of course, you must protect your head.
Source: scifighting.com
For beginners, the point in clinching is to put your enemies head on your chest. That way you deny him vision and make his head a great deal closer to your knee, which on par with elbow is your most deadly weapon.
After basic introdution to clinching, there is a follow up in techniques, tricks, takedowns, balancing.
Basically the idea is that you must be like water.
I thought I understood this quote until I started clinching.
If life gives you a cup, you fill a cup. If a life gives you a bowl, you feel a bowl. Yeah, that was understandable.
But I was still wondering what exactly did Bruce learn through kung fu that made him say that. I realized (with the help of my trainer) that you waste your energy trying to break the enemy where he is hard, let him through on that side and attack from a different angle. Meaning adapt to circumstances.
If you've read carefully you noticed that I did not mention elbows until now. It's because they are to be used with caution. Elbow strike is the most deadly strike. You should not use elbow strike unless your life is in danger. It can leave permanent consequences.
This did not end up well
My trainer told me that not if, but when elbow goes through your guard, only bad things happen. That's why we don't use elbows that much while sparring. We use them mostly while training on heavy or focus bags or when we slowly present techniques.
Of course, on par with attacks, there is the same set of defensive moves.
Main shields being your forearms and shins. So i.e. when expecting a middle kick you would raise appropriate knee towards your hands so the shin would block the attack. If you think that hurts, try not raising your leg.
Source: ockickboxing.com
Training schemes
As I see it, there is five types of training and every week is a mix of following:
- technique practice - shadow boxing, working on bags. Learning how to throw a proper punch.
- endurance practice - it's something entirely different when someone else dictates the tempo. Person holding the pads is your master for 3 minutes. Exhaustion ensued.
- strength practice - general strength exercises adapted to thai boxing for developing needed muscles. Obligatory pushups, sit ups, sprints and squats.
- clinching - self explanatory. Special kind of soreness comes after this part.
- sparring - real time action. Combines all of the above and more.
Before the first practice I thought to my self I must be crazy if I would ever like to get in a ring and fight someone as a training. After three months, the training started as usual, with warm up and some basic stretching. And before I could realize what is happening, I was in the middle of the ring with a guy. The training has just started, how can I say I'm not for it, I haven't even tried.
Source: muaythaiguy.com
I survived to tell the story, that's important. Every time I have to go in a ring my heart skips a beat, but every time I exit a ring, I feel a little bit tougher.
How do you feel after a practice?
Like a God from Olymp. I've never tasted more delicious protein shake or felt more amazing under a cold water shower.
You also feel bruises on your shins, and on your forearms.
(
Buakaw Banchamek conditioning his shins on a bambus tree
And maybe sore quadriceps from a number of low kicks, or your stomach hurts because of muay geri's in your belly. Maybe you feel your neck is alive because of some clinching you did yesterday.
Or your nose bled during workout because you didn't hold your guard.
This is a full contact sport and it consequently consists of strengthening your body parts to endure more pain than average Joe could undergo. But it does come with a price.
Classic look of a shin after a workout
Mind game
Trainer would come to me during the practice:
Trainer: "Mislav, is it hurting?
Me: "No." (It's a trick question so I'm trying to act tough)
Trainer: "Then why are you making a grimace?"
Me: "I don't know."
Trainer: "Don't make grimace. Maintain same expression throughout the round. When you make a face, you reveal emotions. When you reveal emotions, your opponent can read you."
Another time, we were running for a warm up. I was breathing heavily from sprints and jumping jacks.
Trainer: "Who is the dying cow?"
We keep running in silence. No one understands what he meant.
Trainer repeats himself: "Who is breathing so loud?"?
Me: "I do."
Trainer: "What were you thinking Mislav? Are you tired? Find appropriate rhythm and maintain it. Power down your breathing. You must not show to your opponent that it is hard for you, especially when you're tired. It's the worse time to show it."
One important aspect I failed to mention is maintaining the eye contact.
This guy does it the best
I cannot emphasize enough how important and hard this is. For a beginner, it's really hard not to close your eyes while being punched. Hell, first two months I couldn't even throw a punch with my eyes open.
It's important to watch your opponent. Maybe the most important of all aspects. I realized I close down when the punches and kicks start raining. In that moment, I can't see a thing and they only keep coming and I'm more vulnerable.
Conclusion
Muay Thai has taught me invaluable life lessons:
- You learn how to accept a punch
- You learn how to throw a punch
- You learn not to fight outside of the gym
- It physically exhausts and makes you change your life habits because you don't want to burn out 10 min into the training
- It keeps you in the moment. Teaches you that if you lose focus on 5 sec during 3 min round, you can end up on the floor
Source: tigermuaythai.com
There is plenty of where that came from but I would need another post to explain what are the benefits of Muay Thai. There is so much I did not mention. Hope you liked this post.
I'm looking forward to your feedback. Are you guys training some kind of martial art?
Maybe something completely different like jiu-jitsu, aikido or krav maga?
Have a nice day.