Muay Thai

I am doing alot of things this time in Thailand that I have never done before. In my attempt to do something new every day and to hold a deeper understanding of various aspects of this culture I call second home, I finally went to a Muay Thai match. I held the camera bfore my eye for the majority of the event, unable to comprehend the psychology behind a game where one gets clobbered. My travelers, who have joined me to study Thai yoga and indulge ina yoga retreat, loved the event: http://www.stressescapetours.com

Boys as young as seven swing in the dim lit ring. Drops of sweat splash on photographers as we kneel by the ropes to get the best shot. The shutters on our cameras unable to snap as quickly as the hits came.

Prior to the fight, each man (and woman also) performs a ritual, a gentle melancholy dance. Embracing each side of the ring and offering some sort of prayer or blessing.

Kicks are high, blows flying with certainty and force. On lookers cheer, waving tickets and money. In between the fights a group of girlie boys-far more beautiful than any woman I have ever laid eyes on perform lip-sync versions of popular Western tunes.