Muay Thai
Muay Thai Boxing is the national sport of Thailand. A full contact fighting sport where striking is done with hands, feet, elbows, and knees, sometimes called fighting with the arms and legs.
Muay Thai boxers often become Thai celebrities, and boxing can earn a boxer substantial income, usually paid to the winners by those who have won large sums of money betting on the fighter. Obviously only a few boxers gain the fame, and the income of the celebrities, but as with any sport, there is that dream.
In rural Thailand where I live there are not many opportunities to attend and evening of Muay Thai, so when I get the opportunity I grab my camera and try and make the most of it.
When I do get the chance to go to a night of boxing it is usually a small ring set up in a rural location. The entrance fee is small, if any, and the crowd is not large, giving me a chance to be ringside with my camera.
I spent many years in the martial arts, and even had the opportunity in my youth to spar with some Muay Thai fighters, which comes in handy when capturing the fights with my camera. I can anticipate the action fairly well.
There is a down side to Muay Thai however, that someday I’d like to see changed. That is, children fighting in Muay Thai with the same rules as adults. Children fight with only boxing gloves as protection, the same as adults. Although injuries are not common, and deaths are even more rare, they do happen, and I believe a youngster’s head should be protected if they are going to fight full contact. We all know repeated blows to the head can cause damage that can show up later in life, I think the kids need to be protected.
In the photo above a child fighter is given a standing eight count, while fighting back tears from a kick to the mid section. Below is an image showing the child taking punishment against the ropes. To the credit of the referee the fight was stoped before any permanent damage was done … hopefully.
What follows is more shots of children Muay Thai boxers.
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