Tiger Muay Thai, Day 3, Part 3
I did it!!
I can't help but be just a little bit proud of myself, even though my only real accomplishment is getting out of bed and attending classes that I've already paid for.
However, I accomplished many things today. I:
-- Sparred without freaking out at all, and was able to learn a little bit on my feet. Some of this is like re-learning how to walk, but I'm getting there.
-- Was able to complete more than one exercise where the trainer gave me the thumbs-up
-- Didn't have to drop out of the running-circle at the beginning of class ONCE
-- Was able to complete all 100 push-ups and 200 sit-ups we have to do before we're allowed to stretch.
-- Did not puke, fall over dead, cry (this almost happened . . . several times), or lose my cool at any point. Granted, in the heat of Phuket, "losing one's cool" can only be metaphorical.
Many of the trainers have taken me on as kind of a pet, and are teaching me some jokes in Thai. I really have grown to love the Thai sense of humor. Yesterday, one trainer was demonstrating a move on another. A common strategy in Muay Thai is to basically grab your opponent by the neck while blocking a punch, then drawing them into you, and kneeing them in the stomach. While demonstrating this, Peter (the 'head' trainer) drew in Sohn, and instead of kneeing him in the stomach, kissed him on the cheek. All the trainers bust out laughing.
It's this sense of play that appeals to me. However, the trainers have caught on to the fact that I can keep them laughing (which occasionally gets me out of precious seconds of bag-training or push-ups), and aren't letting me get away with it anymore. Well, some of the time. At the end of the day, I'm pretty charming!
TRAINER DAHN: Sassa! Why you stopping? Why no power?
MEGAN: Too tired! Too hot!
TRAINER DAHN: Why tired? More power! More power!
MEGAN: Too much fat! I die. I'm dead.
TRAINER DAHN: How much fat?
MEGAN: 200 kilos.
TRAINER DAHN: 200 kilos!
MEGAN: Lah-loh-lin!*
I doubt I'm doing any of it justice, but Trainer Dahn and I have this little spats several times per session. I do honestly love the chidings that we get because it's never done with any sense of malice. If they inadvertantly hurt someone's feelings, you can see that they get very concerned, and will say, "Joking, only joking!" It's all a good time.
Tonight there is a public match in town that I am missing, tomorrow night one of our trainers is singing at . . .somewhere. I told him I was a singer, so we're going together with some of the others from the camp. Maybe I'll get to rock out on my uke!
I'm so thankful for the presence of the other two girls . . Linda, the Swedish Boxer (not Australian as I thought), is insanely disciplined, and brings a real sense of dedication to the classes. She's crazy tough, but also encouraging. Zora (from like 80 countries, as I found out today), is just a delight and has a great attitude.
Dinner, shower, writing, maybe some BSG. THREE DAYS DOWN AND I'M STILL ALIVE.
In Thai, this means "Just kidding!"
I can't help but be just a little bit proud of myself, even though my only real accomplishment is getting out of bed and attending classes that I've already paid for.
However, I accomplished many things today. I:
-- Sparred without freaking out at all, and was able to learn a little bit on my feet. Some of this is like re-learning how to walk, but I'm getting there.
-- Was able to complete more than one exercise where the trainer gave me the thumbs-up
-- Didn't have to drop out of the running-circle at the beginning of class ONCE
-- Was able to complete all 100 push-ups and 200 sit-ups we have to do before we're allowed to stretch.
-- Did not puke, fall over dead, cry (this almost happened . . . several times), or lose my cool at any point. Granted, in the heat of Phuket, "losing one's cool" can only be metaphorical.
Many of the trainers have taken me on as kind of a pet, and are teaching me some jokes in Thai. I really have grown to love the Thai sense of humor. Yesterday, one trainer was demonstrating a move on another. A common strategy in Muay Thai is to basically grab your opponent by the neck while blocking a punch, then drawing them into you, and kneeing them in the stomach. While demonstrating this, Peter (the 'head' trainer) drew in Sohn, and instead of kneeing him in the stomach, kissed him on the cheek. All the trainers bust out laughing.
It's this sense of play that appeals to me. However, the trainers have caught on to the fact that I can keep them laughing (which occasionally gets me out of precious seconds of bag-training or push-ups), and aren't letting me get away with it anymore. Well, some of the time. At the end of the day, I'm pretty charming!
TRAINER DAHN: Sassa! Why you stopping? Why no power?
MEGAN: Too tired! Too hot!
TRAINER DAHN: Why tired? More power! More power!
MEGAN: Too much fat! I die. I'm dead.
TRAINER DAHN: How much fat?
MEGAN: 200 kilos.
TRAINER DAHN: 200 kilos!
MEGAN: Lah-loh-lin!*
I doubt I'm doing any of it justice, but Trainer Dahn and I have this little spats several times per session. I do honestly love the chidings that we get because it's never done with any sense of malice. If they inadvertantly hurt someone's feelings, you can see that they get very concerned, and will say, "Joking, only joking!" It's all a good time.
Tonight there is a public match in town that I am missing, tomorrow night one of our trainers is singing at . . .somewhere. I told him I was a singer, so we're going together with some of the others from the camp. Maybe I'll get to rock out on my uke!
I'm so thankful for the presence of the other two girls . . Linda, the Swedish Boxer (not Australian as I thought), is insanely disciplined, and brings a real sense of dedication to the classes. She's crazy tough, but also encouraging. Zora (from like 80 countries, as I found out today), is just a delight and has a great attitude.
Dinner, shower, writing, maybe some BSG. THREE DAYS DOWN AND I'M STILL ALIVE.
In Thai, this means "Just kidding!"