24/09/2022
Parole che toccano il cuore e ci spiegano il perché' i nak thai sono così forti.
If you ever see a Nak Muay at the highest echelons of the sport- take a moment to consider their journey. In Thailand, typically boys that train at Bangkok gyms are bought from smaller more rural gyms. There’s only so much the rural gyms can train their boys up. Sometimes it’s money, sometimes it’s other factors that would encourage the gyms to feed them into bigger gyms.
Rural gyms aren’t the glamorous gyms in Phuket with showers and air conditioning. Sometimes there are no rings. Just a fenced off piece of concrete with thin carpet on the floor. They might not even have proper bags. Rice sacks are not totally uncommon. Pads and kit are rare; broken and used. Trainers would use the bare minimum to get maximum impact.
It’s not an easy path but sometimes a path a family has no choice but to take. Kids will fight for 60 baht so that their family can have a meal. The guy is 5kg bigger? “No problem.” 3 more fights? “Never mind” 4 years older? “I’ll take it.” Move to Bangkok? “I’ll take the bus.”
Nak Muay’s don’t have the luxury of choice. You don’t get to 350 fights by picking all the winning ones- you get to that level by just getting in the ring.
The Nak Muay journey is filled with people. But often lonely. Sometimes you’re lucky, sometimes you’re not. Sometimes promoters pay you. And sometimes they screw you.
Fighters that do the best? Their Krus and team put fighter as their number 1 priority.
Don’t chase the hype- don’t chase the fame. You can’t get to the glossy, purpose built stadiums without going through the concrete floors and tin roofs.
And the glossy stadiums? They would be silent and stone cold if there is no real heart. This is Muay Thai.💙🥊🙏🏼
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