![]() In the first several years that I lived in the US, the Internet had not yet existed and overseas phone calls were too expensive. ![]() Many years later, when I went to live in America, Muay Thai became my spiritual connection to my beloved Thailand. (As the circle of life would have it, I had the precious opportunity to repay his kindness many years later P’Tu now works at one of my companies, EVOLVE, as one of our senior trainers). Over several years, under the careful guidance of our master Kru Yodtong, P’Tu passed down his knowledge of Muay Thai to me. He embraced me like a little brother instantly even though I had nothing to offer. Luckily, one of the senior trainers at Sityodtong Gym, P’Tu (or Papa Daorung as he is fondly known today), took me under his wing that day. Unfortunately, tourists dilute the seriousness of purpose, intensity of atmosphere and overall level of training). Today, most camps make money from both tourists and their fighters. Back then, camps only made money when their fighters competed. (The training atmosphere was far more single-mindedly serious than what most camps have today. In those days, foreigners and tourists were not allowed into Muay Thai camps in Thailand. ![]() My body was broken everywhere with pain, but my spirit was alive with joy. At the end of that day, my shins and feet were bruised, battered, and swollen. I don’t even know how I survived a 12 km run, 15 rounds of heavy bags, pad work, clinching, 500 situps, etc on my first day. With my lungs burning for oxygen, I had to sneak off to puke in the bathroom a few times. Training was brutal, and the intensity was insane. Heavy bags were filled and packed tightly with sand, and each kick felt like my leg was on fire. I had never felt so much pain in my life. Every fighter at Sityodtong Gym was a genuine monster, except for me. And our master, Kru Yodtong Senanan, was a living legend for producing the most number of champions in history. At the time, Sityodtong Gym was the #1 Muay Thai camp in Thailand with the fiercest reputation and the best fighters in the country. At an elite professional fighting camp like Sityodtong Gym, there was no such thing as a beginner’s class or structured teaching. I still vividly remember my first day of training. I did not know it at the time, but that first day of training ignited a fire in my soul that would forever change the course of my life. Love happens magically as if it were somehow written in the stars of destiny. In life, we don’t choose what or who we love. I was immediately awestruck by the beauty, the power, and the grace of Muay Thai. Much to her dismay, it was instant attraction for me when I first stepped into Sityodtong Gym. ![]() I started Muay Thai against my mother’s wishes when I was a kid growing up in Thailand. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |