I've trained a few different places in a few different styles and met fighters of every level of skill, experience and dedication; I've also heard plenty of stories from those who've trained at more places and seen more, so I knew kind of what to expect walking into the Muay Thai Academy of Master Somboon in Surat. I knew the Thais started fighting at a young age, that it wasn't something seen as a recreational activity so everyone's a professional, and that they train as rough as they fight (which can be pretty brutal at times). However, knowing what to expect and then finally seeing it for the first time are two completely different animals.
I arrived at the school along with another teacher (M for now) from my school and her boyfriend (K), a trainer at the gym and local athletics school for boys. With their help I was able to communicate my interest, living and working situation (most importantly the schedule) with the master. He's a well known and respected former champion who splits his time running the school pro bono for local boys wanting to enter the professional ring and travelling the world (He's leaving for a month or two soon to run sessions across Europe).
Somboon is a serious man, who seems to take everything head on. His gym is also his home, his bathrooms and shower are the same as the trainees. When asked if he trained the boys for free out of a love of muay thai, he said something along the lines of, "Love muay thai? No. Not at all. They're just poor and need the training". He can appear and disappear without a sound and each time I looked and saw him I wondered how he got there (Thai ninja?). He spoke frankly of everything from the boys, muay thai in general (He gave me a stack of books to browse after which he said flatly, "These books are all old and no good."), the other farang, and even politics.
I was pretty worried because K and Master Somboon both told me about all the problems with other farang training at the school in the past: they had often abused the Thai concept of hospitality to take advantage of the gyms equipment, arriving at odd hours, bringing friends to use the equipment, distracting the more serious Thai students and leaving the place a mess. Due to this history Somboon was very likely to say "No" and that would be it for my chances of training Muay Thai at all in Surat (and in Thailand for at least a year). After the initial meeting Master Somboon had to begin his regular class and said he'd finish with me afterwards.
So between meeting him and my actual processing into the school M and I watched K and the other trainer teach a class. These kids (they were all between the ages of 11 and 15) were incredible. I'd never seen children work so intensely on other than video games. All were built like little Bruce Lee's and each time one his a mitt or bag the "SNAP" reverberated through the place. They moved with such casual speed and power it was difficult to comprehend how anyone could attain such skill until we were informed how most had at least a few fights already and some as many as 20 or more.
I cannot say enough about the difference between these kids and the kids (of the same age or older) who I trained in karate back when I was a teenager. While both are supposed to be learning the martial arts the Thai's are truly little warriors in every sense of the word. They have the strength, speed, attitude and toughness of a fighter that makes the soft and unchallenged karate kids look like spoiled kids in a dance class instead of the martial arts. It's not about ranks and belts and cool looking moves that are like the Power Rangers, but about learning and perfecting the moves they need to win in the ring and succeed in the harsh world of professional combat sports.
After Master Somboon got back from training and his errands and on hearing about my intentions and interest and learning that I am, in fact, half Thai (something that has frequently opened otherwise closed doors in Thailand) he not only graciously allowed me to stay and train, but to start later that day (and at local rates as opposed to the killer foreign rates, which I would have not been able to afford) then took all three of us out to lunch. At lunch he ordered for everyone first, spoke little (when he did it was to the derision of the various parties in the upcoming elections or inquiring a little about me and K). I felt pretty honoured though I had no idea what he was talking about usually (the food was fantastic).
Next Post: My first class, and return of the sweat monster!
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