Copper Country Karate Institute

03/04/2026

02/11/2026

02/04/2026

Stop Treating Elephants Like Ubers: You Are Not a Maharaja, You Are a Burden

We need to talk about the cast-iron park bench you are sitting on.

I see you up there, Jessica. You posted a photo with the caption "Connecting with Nature 🌿🐘." No, you are not. You are connecting with a rusty steel sofa that is strapped to the spine of a grandmother.

Look at the situation. You are sitting 10 feet in the air, wobbling back and forth like a drunk sailor. You are clutching the safety bar with white knuckles. You are not a Maharaja surveying his kingdom. You look like a terrified colonial administrator who got lost in a parking lot behind a 7-Eleven.

Dao, the elephant you are riding, is 60 years old. She has arthritis. Her spine is literally collapsing under the weight of that metal chair and your desire for a "cool profile picture."

But let's be real. It’s not just your fault. You are just the clueless wallet funding the operation. The real tragedy is that the Government still allows this to happen. It is 2026. Why is this still legal? The authorities slap "Amazing Thailand" on every billboard, using these majestic creatures as national icons, yet they still issue permits that allow them to be treated like oversized tractors.

They call it "Cultural Heritage." It is not heritage. It is a hustle. There is no law stopping the bench. There is no ban on the hook. The powers that be are happy to look the other way as long as the tour buses keep rolling in. They are selling you a lie, and you are buying it for 1,200 Baht.

So, the change has to start with you. If the laws won't stop it, the market has to. Stop buying the ticket. Elephants are not ATVs. They are not taxis. They are intelligent, emotional giants who hate that chair as much as you do.

Do us all a favor. Get off her back. Go to a sanctuary. Feed her a cucumber. Watch her take a mud bath. But stop treating a living legend like a theme park ride.

01/22/2026

The Copper Country KIA will be closed tonight due to the weather.
Stay home and do KATA to stay warm!

01/12/2026

01/05/2026

Kuzushi 🥋