More Muay Thai photos & videos

So this long-awaited post may interest only me, (now back, and jet lagged), so I have to get rid of it before I get christmas spirit fever and can't remember any of it

here's a link to a good article about Yodsaenklai (pictured below) that was written while I was at Fairtex last week. He won the fight last night (was last night when I first wrote this- MAV), btw, and is now the undisputed world champ at 154 lbs. Maybe one day he'll be man enough to move up to 168 and challenge me.....

Here's some training vids of him, what doesn't come across in these videos is the sound of him hitting the pads - it is loud, very, very very loud, and very violent. That's my man Yak holding the pads for him, btw. He's the only thai at fairtex who's big enough to hold the pads for Yody without falling over/and or crying.

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Below is a series of photos and videos from Dec 9 at Lumphini Sanma Muay Thai - aka Lumphini Stadium which is the mecca of Muay Thai throughout the universe. It's sort of Madison Square Garden combined with the Super Bowl in terms of importance to the sport (ironically, it's named after nearby Lumphini Park, which is named after the town of Lumphini, Nepal, fabled birthplace of the decidedly non-violent gentleman Guatama B.) The stadium itself isn't much, kind of a large shack with a corrugated roof and some ineffectual ceiling fans that holds a few thousand screaming, gambling thais and a few hundred bewildered tourists most evenings. The downgrade nature of things there though in my opinion (I've been about 5 times in the last year or so now) only adds to its authenticity. Add in the music (traditional thai music is played during all matches), the crowd, and Friday night in Bangkok and you have the recipe for an intoxicatingly good time, especially if you choose to get intoxicated during it with access to free flowing beer chang

One of the really cool things about Lumphini's decrepitness (supposedly it is being replaced by a newer more modern facility that was to be ready two years ago but in typical Thai fashion, is shrouded in controversy that nobody understands) is that it has no real locker room. The hallway outside the concession stand and men's restroom on the lower level doubles as the dressing room for the fighters, so you have a backstage pass whether you like it or not if nature calls, which means you can get some good pics.

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Lumphini Sanma, the calm before the storm





respect..






Some wai kru action



game face





backstage

And here's a lot of action shots









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Here's scenes from the wai kru, the buddhist dance-ish thing that precedes every match. Allegedly afficionados use the wai kru to determine who to bet on (oh, but yeah, gambling is illegal in thailand, ha ha ha, and so is prostitution)but I think that's just some bullshit line they feed the tourist guide books as most of the fighters I know don't care much for it.

http://s41.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=329UGIEWK55OF3OSHU1F5BZD1F

And here's some regular action. Again, much louder in person

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