In the deep end...

They say you learn more from a loss then a win, especially in your first fight. Back home, Master Chana always says he doesn't mind if you win or lose, it's more important to put on a good fight and show heart, and this is something I strongly agree with. Well, my first ever muay thai fight this past Friday- in Bangla stadium, Phuket- was one hell of a learning experience...
With no training Thursday or Friday, and not wanting to expend too much energy doing anything else, I was left with plenty of time to consider what I was getting into. My only fight experience so far consisted of a few interclubs- basically rough sparring with fighters from other gyms using padding- but now I was making the leap up to full thai rules: 5x3min rounds, all techniques allowed including elbows. I had no idea who I would be fighting, but even if I did it would have just been a face and a name, I wouldn't know anything about him. Fights in Thailand are often subject to last minute changes, as I was about to find out.
I had little else to do the day of the fight, so I had a sleep in, helped myself to a big breakfast and sat around watching TV. In Bangla, the fights start around 9pm and its entirely possible to end up fighting around 11-12pm, so it was important to ensure I had sufficient sleep and food during the day. Unable to sleep in the afternoon, I watched the rest of the gym training. In the space of about an hour my mood went from nervous, to pumped (prompting a brief bout of light shadow boxing) to strangely calm, accepting whatever was about to come.
At 8pm we piled into the minivan- myself, Ruslan (a 19 year old Russian who was also fighting), the corner team of Sinbi trainers and a bunch of other students coming along to support us. I claimed a solitary seat by the window, feeling the need to be alone with my thoughts for a while. I'm usually not the chattiest of people, and this was not a point I had any desire to engage in smalltalk. As we pulled up in front of the stadium, the nerves hit with force, but they went away once we had entered the stadium and settled in the changing room- a small room next to the toilets, with one side half open to the stands. The changing room contained a few wooden tables, painted blue or red, and a rack of old looking 8 ounce boxing gloves, also blue or red. We were given a short form to fill out, then informed that Ruslan would be fight number five, myself number seven. I noticed on the list of fights that I was listed as Australian, which didn't surprise me but was amusing, given that according to all the posters around town I was Russian, even though I am English. It's just a ploy from the promoters to get more people into the stadium, with a high number of visitors to Phuket being Russian. I guess there was a decent Australian contingent there on the night, hence the change.
My opponent was set to be a Belgian, whose name I cannot remember. However, when he arrived and they stood us shoulder to shoulder, it was obvious he was significantly bigger and heavier. Weigh-ins are rare here, with fighters often just matched by eye. A flurry of Thai went between both sets of trainers, with both of us left standing there wondering what the hell was being said and if we were going to be fighting each other. The Belgian was led away but returned minutes later, with the promoter, and we were stood shoulder to shoulder for comparison again. Another flurry of unrecognisable words followed, until one of the trainers pulled me aside and said I wouldn't be fighting him. Several minutes later Dave- the Sinbi video guy- told me I would be fighting a Thai, a trainer from another gym. I was a little shocked- I never expected my first fight to be against a professional Thai fighter, who had probably been doing this since he was a young child. The thought of pulling out never entered my mind though- I was here to fight, felt confident and the last thing I wanted to do was cause the gym and my trainers to lose face. Besides, it transpired the guy hadn't fought in several years, and hadn't been expecting to fight so had not been training himself. I was also slightly bigger, though not much. My only thought was fuck it, I might never get another chance to fight a Thai!
The trainers wrapped our hands- mine done in slightly different styles by two different trainers, Jack and Bee- and given the usual pre-fight rub down of Thai liniment oil and vaseline.
Ruslan was called into the ring, and I found a spot just outside the changing room to watch. He fought well- this also being his first muay Thai fight- but unfortunately lost in the second round via leg kicks. With my fight coming after the next one, the trainers wrapped the silk Sinbi muay thai entrance cloak around my shoulders, and placed the sacred mong-kon headwear on me. A rush of adrenaline filled my body- not nervy or worried, simply confident and focused- and we made our way down to ringside. There are no flashy entrances in most Thai stadiums, the next fighters simply sit on a plastic chair by their corner whilst the preceding fight takes place. It's a wierd feeling, knowing that as soon as this fights ends, it is your turn. Especially considering fights can end in seconds. The fight before mine ended up going the distance, and as the final bell for the end of he fifth round rang my stomach clenched tight. Here we go.
Pausing by the steps to the ring for Jack to say a quick prayer- one of many traditions and rituals embedded in muay thai- I climbed less than gracefully over the top rope and into the ring. Another tradition is that fighters must go over the top rope to ensure his feet (considered dirty in Thai culture) never go above their head (considered sacred). The cloak was removed and the ref pulled us both into the centre to touch gloves. We went back into our corners and the distinctive, thin piping music that plays throughout all fights began. The wai kru ram muay is a traditional ritualistic dance that all fighters do before the fight commences, paying respects to their trainers. There are countless ram muays, running from the short and simple to the complex and intricately graceful, and each gym will often have their own. Before the fight I decided that, with enough things to worry about, it would be best to keep it simple and do the most basic- walking slowly around the edge of the ring to symbolically seal it, and then kneeling down facing my corner and bowing my head down three times. The ram muay is also designed to give the fighter a last opportunity to collect their thoughts and find a place of calm in their minds. Muay Thai is not about fighting with anger- it requires a cool head to find the rhythm and correct technique to execute good muay thai.
Standing, I returned to my corner and dipped my head for Jack to remove the mong-kon with another short prayer. He offered me a final sip of water, flicking some on my face and body, before the ref pulled me back to the middle of the ring. The bell sounded for the commencement of the first round, and we touched gloves once more. And just like that, my first fight was under way. I was half expecting my opponent to charge in and try to finish the fight quickly- although that's not the usual Thai style, he hadn't been training and was likely to tire in the later rounds. My plan was to start slowly, keep everything tight for the first couple rounds and then attack more as he slowed.
Quicker than I anticipated, he darted forward and before a punch or kick could be thrown, we were in the clinch- possibly the last place you want to be fighting a Thai. A few knees were thrown as we grappled for position, but nothing serious landed before the ref pulled us apart. It is strange how your memory works after a fight- you remember flashes of it rather than a continuous event, with things often recalled in the wrong order or even differently to how it actually happened. We mainly exchanged kicks during the first round, and I distinctly remember the feeling after I landed one sweet, strong kick clean to his ribs. If I can stay out of the clinch and do more of that, I thought, I might be able to beat this guy. With the round close to an end, he deftly brought us back into the clinch and landed a strong, sharp straight knee right in my gut. I don't remember it hurting too much, but the energy drained right out of me. Thankfully, the round ended before he could press the advantage, and I walked over to my corner. Sitting on the stool, Tun and Jack began rubbing my arms and legs vigorously and poured icy water all over me. Meanwhile, Fhad spoke rapidly from the side of the ring, telling me again and again to go forward and throw hard punches before I kicked.
The bell rang for the second round, and we came to the centre of the ring and touched gloves again. The ref signalled us to fight. Forward, punch hard, kick, I thought to myself. I landed some good punches, but he started to reply with elbows. Fuck, gotta be careful with those elbows, I thought after one flashed by my face. I thought it had missed, but moments later realized I could see a black swelling in the corner of my eye. Watching the fight back on video, I can see an elbow land pretty cleanly and knock me back, but I don't remember that at all. Looking to finish the fight quickly, he pressed forward and we clinched again. Here his strength and experience told, as he controlled me in the clinch and landed some hard knees. At this point, I started to head towards survival mode. This guy was in good condition, was clearly very good and obviously far more experienced than me. He aso started to pull out the flashy stuff, launching a Saenchai style cartwheel kick that I managed to avoid. The crowd cheered and suddenly I just let out a big smile and a laugh, nodding at my opponent. A jumping down elbow came soon after, and I was very relived to avoid that too as it can be a very powerful technique, driving the point of the elbow down on the top of the head with all your weight behind it. He managed to sweep me a couple times-first from the clinch and then by faking a kick and instead kicking out my right leg as I raised my left to block it. As I got back to my feet I thought to myself, it's ok, you're still completely in this, the round is nearly over and you can get back on the attack in the third. The ref had other ideas, however, stepping between us, placing one hand on my shoulder and waving the other above my head to signal a stop to the fight. Thai refs will not hesitate to stop a fight if one side is clearly outmatched in order to avoid them getting more hurt. I was surprised and disappointed, but at the same time sort of relieved that it was over and I wasn't particularly hurt.
My opponent came up to me and wrapped his arms around me, thanking me and apologizing at the same time. I returned my own thanks, getting down on my knees and bowing my head to the floor before him in a traditional sign of respect. He immediately followed suit and we shared another hug. It's funny how as soon as a fight ends, you go from wanting to hurt someone to being their new best friend. It is something I love about combat sports and particularly muay thai- respect and honour are at the core of martial arts.
The trainers told me not to worry about the fight, that I did well  and that my opponent had clearly had a lot of fights. It later transpired he had around 200 fights, and used to fight in the big Bangkok stadiums regularly! Dave said it was one of the worst mismatches he had seen- and I imagine you would see a lot here. The next day the gym owner, Sinbi Taewoong, apologised for the match up, but I was happy- I had shown the balls, confidence and physical and mental toughness to get into the ring with an experienced Thai fighter on my first fight. Not many people can lay claim to that! Sometimes, the best way to learn to swim is to jump in the deep end.
Back in the changing room, Tun and Bee started pulling my gloves off as Jack pressed a piece of ice to my eye. Only now did I begin to realise the extent of the injury there, and that it was most likely the reason the ref stopped the fight- another strong elbow there and it could have caused a nasty cut in a bad place, right under the eye. My body was full of adrenaline, and as I was given a few moments alone to continue icing my eye, I could not help but let a huge dumb smile cross my face. I was almost laughing at myself. I had done something I would never forget, and proven to myself that I belong in the ring and in muay thai. Thrown in at the deep end, there is now no reason for any opponent back home to hold any fear for me. This has been the icing on the cake for what has been a simply incredible experience. Thailand is an amazing country and coming here is without a doubt one of, if not the, greatest thing I have ever done in my life. I will certainly be back.
With the fight done, it was time to kick back and relax, enjoy a few beers and celebrate this defining moment in my life. But that will have to wait for the next post...