Muay Thai, The Art of Eight Limbs, is the national sport of Thailand. It is a beautiful art, with an extraordinary history, and a proven effectiveness such that virtually every mixed martial arts fighter is versed in the fundamentals. Further, street fighting has been prohibited in Thailand for over 100 years.
Unfortunately, a group in Bangkok called Fight Club Thailand is using their social network to arrange entirely unregulated stand up fights, with just a mouthpiece and MMA gloves, or taped hands, for protection. Rounds last three minutes, and the weight difference cannot be more than 5kg (12lbs). The rules prohibit strikes to the throat or back of the head, but allow punching, kneeing, and kicking, with shoes, and are done on concrete.
Falling on canvas over two inches of foam has killed a large number of fighters. Competing on concrete is reckless beyond description.
Muay Thai contains an enormously sophisticated standing clinching game, but it appears to be prohibited, in favor of simple brutish punching and kicking, with remarkably little skill shown.
It is reported that participants are as young as 16.
Police in the Thai capital are struggling to shut the dangerous fight club down, but the organizers are shielded by a loophole. As the referees don’t declare a winner, although crowds in the hundreds are turning out to watch them, the bouts can avoided being classified as illegal.
Organizers claim that rather than being illegal street fights, the bouts are just aggressive sparring.”
The atmosphere is simply electric,” says Joe Nok, 32, who sets up the bouts online. You have to be very brave to step into the ring. The crowd loves it.
This country is he home of Muay Thai. Do you want fairy kisses and cuddles? The fights are aggressive but they are safe. We have a referee to make sure nobody cheats and there’s always a medic watching in case anybody gets injured.
We’re just ordinary people with normal day jobs that like to fight. The police spoke with us and said it’s a bit dangerous because we fight on the floor without mats. But this is more like sparring and not an illegal match as there is no winner or loser declared. It’s just like fitness training, so we are allowed to carry on.
Police say they are working to shut down the bouts, and say under the Boxing Act B.E. 2542 (1999), organizers risk prison terms of up to a year, and fines of 20,000 Baht (around US $575).
The fights are dangerous because the only protection for the fighters are thin gloves and teeth guards,” said Bangkok police commissioner Sanit Mahathavor to The Nation. We will investigate whether the matches are illegal. We will find and prosecute anyone organizing illegal boxing matches that are not sanctioned by official bodies.
Defenders say Fight Club Thailand is where you can prove that you’re a real man. However, it is easy to fight. Any drunk can do it. The hard part, the part that turns you into a man with better character, is the training. So if you want to fight, don’t fight, learn to fight. Ironically, there may be no where better to do that on earth than Thailand.
