Milk.Blitz.Street.Bomb.

Reader Q & A: On Decency And Sportsmanship In Muay Thai

ldf — Fri, 17 May 2013 04:17:58 +0000

Kru Muang, Buriram, Thailand, 2012

MBSB community member Artemis sent in the following:

Hi Laura,

I would like to ask for your opinion in regards to codes of conduct that promote decency and sportsmanship in the art of Muay Thai.

A friend of mine who is a fighter uses an aggressive fighting style that unsettles me. When he fights he aims to KO his opponent in the first round causing significant pain and injury. This has become his trademark and there are usually a group of Western spectators who are there in support of him who go wild and praise him as a good fighter. The spectators change from month to month as they are tourists passing through, profits are made from selling the tickets to the tourists with a small percentage going to the fighter. He is not connected to any of the gyms rather the tickets are sold through the resort where he works.

I have not seen the same style of fighting from any others, if the opponents are unmatched usually the better fighter will earn his/her points and the fight will end without any drama or significant injuries. Having seen one of his opponents post fight with multiple stitches that will surely cause long term scarring it made me question the sport and wonder what is taught in training as acceptable. In another example an opponent of his was a young boy who was clearly no match for him in experience or weight. The young boy hobbled off the ring in agony after a deathly kick.

I know that he views himself as too old to be fighting and he does not train so his fitness levels are questionable. To be fair to him I’m not sure if he feels that he cannot say no to the fights in the first place and is simply protecting himself from injuries as he is not training. I can’t help but wonder are the few minutes of glory worth it? Or do I just not get it? I would just like to ask your opinion as this is something that has bothered me for some time, thank you for taking the time to read this.

I thought I’d take the opportunity to share my thoughts and also to open up the discussion to other nak muays who have spent time in muay thai gyms in Thailand.

Hi Artemis,

I’ll begin with stating that the following is reflective of both my teachings and my experiences in muay thai in Thailand. Others may have been taught and experienced otherwise, but here it is, (in general) -

As a nak muay I was taught that respect is fundamental in the sport as is adherence to the established hierarchy. In terms of hierarchy within a gym, in order: the owner, the trainers and the fighters. Within that, there may be other people who are given a higher esteem than others, for example, if there is a promoter (who is neither the owner nor a trainer), or a matchmaker, and frankly, there was one guy in a gym that I spent significant time in whose role I never quite understood. I saw him as an enforcer. The man who kept people in line….he fit in somewhere above the trainers. Gyms are also reflective of general Thai hierarchies (the older fighters are given more esteem than the younger, etc.). In regards to respect between fighters from competing gyms there is no mean mugging, bullying, or disrespectful antics that is completely commonplace if not encouraged in fight sports in the West. It doesn’t mean everyone likes one another, but overt aggression between fighters outside of the ring is frowned upon if not grounds for dismissal. Nak muays are also taught humility (generally).

That being said, muay thai in the ring is a war. As long as fighters work within the rules of the sport they’re there to devastate their opponent. To give you an example, one of my trainers taught me two different types of elbows, one was a fast, slicing elbow meant to cut across someone’s forehead, ideally to blind them with their own blood and the other to knock them out. Some people get stitches and some are pulled out of the ring on a stretcher.

A huge component of muay thai is the gambling. Outside of tourist areas (and perhaps inside as well), gambling has kept the sport alive and thus has effected the game. The first round is generally a time for fighters to feel one another out and for gamblers to check out what is going on and start placing their bets. Some fighters do become aggressive in the first round looking for a KO but from my experience, it isn’t remotely the norm. Exciting fights where anything can happen make the gamblers happy, which makes the promoter happy, which makes the gyms and the fighters happy because they get to come back. The relationship is symbiotic. It’s not uncommon for gamblers to tell fighters if they knock someone out in a specific round they’ll receive a substantial tip.

Thais generally experience the sport as spectators differently than foreign, particularly Western audiences. Where Western audiences are apt to find aggression exciting, Thais appreciate ring intelligence and beautiful technique in ways a lot of Western audiences don’t get. It’s one of the reasons Westerners who are new to muay thai become baffled at who wins a muay thai fight on points. Fighters who throw the most weapons and who look dominant to Western eyes don’t always win. Aggressive doesn’t always equate to best.

My experience with fights for the tourist market occurred in Chiang Mai. It was mentioned to me on more than one occasion from Thai fighters that if the main audience was tourists (i.e. in beer bars), often fighters who found themselves in the ring with friends as opponents wouldn’t fight at full capacity. They knew and respected that the other fighter may have to fight again soon, so although they were there to win, they weren’t there to devastate. Tourists got their muay thai, the Thais got paid and everyone left happy.

I highly suspect your friend is there to keep the tourists happy. If he can deliver a fighting style that caters to the Western eye, promote the resort and get paid well….I can see the draw in that, particularly if he can walk out of the ring with little to no damage. I also don’t doubt your thoughts that he feels he can’t say no to the fights. Although I don’t know his relationship with the resort, there can easily be a hierarchy within it which is reflective of Thai society as a whole. Note, the main motivation behind muay thai in Thailand is money. Most Thai fighters make at most, enough money to get by over the course of their careers and sustain a lot of damage, including long-term damage in the process. In addition, most tend to have few job prospects once their muay thai careers are over. If he makes decent money in these fights and gets additional perks (i.e. tourists treating him like a rock star because he’s knocking people out so quickly, etc.) without having to train at all and maintain a good relationship with his employers at the resort…it may beat his other options.

Thanks Artemis for writing in. If you have anything to add or if any of this resonates with you, I’d love to hear about it in the comments.

How about the rest of you?

Are there any nak muays who have trained in Thailand who want to add to this?

'Reader Q & A: On Decency And Sportsmanship In Muay Thai

Author Shawn Micallef Discusses Engaging With The City Of Toronto For Travelers

ldf — Mon, 13 May 2013 22:47:11 +0000

Shawn Micallef

In anticipation of the 1,000+ attendees of this year’s Travel Blog Exchange (TBEX) to be held in Toronto at the end of the month, I thought I’d touch base with the remarkable Shawn Micallef in search of advice for those traveling to the city. Some background on Shawn:

Shawn Micallef is a senior editor and co-owner of the independent, Jane Jacobs Prize–winning magazine Spacing, and the author of Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto and co-author of Full Frontal T.O.: Exploring Toronto’s Architectural Vernacular.

He currently writes a Friday column in the Toronto Star about the city, is completing a book in the Coach House Books Exploded Views Series, The Trouble with Brunch: Class, Fashion, and the Pursuit of Leisure and starting work on a new book about urbanism in Canada.

Shawn also co-founded [murmur], the location- based mobile phone documentary project, now in more than twenty cities globally. He was the 2011–2012 Canadian Journalism Fellow at Massey College and currently teaches a course on Citizenship in the Canadian City, part of the UC One program at University College, U of T. In the fall of 2013 he will be the writer in residence at the Toronto Public Library.

How would you describe the fabric of the city of Toronto for newcomers?

The older, central core of Toronto is a relatively dense place with a variety of building styles. Toronto is famous for its diversity of people, but its architecture is as mixed up. Often highrise condo buildings will be next to old Victorian homes, a mix that works fairly well in some neighbourhoods, especially along the Yonge Street corridor. There is no particular Toronto “look” — though it’s been argued that the radical heterogeneity of Toronto is the look —and Torontonians have long fretted that they’re not a beautiful city in the traditional sense that Barcelona, Paris or Buenos Aires is. Instead the city has an incredibly interesting “messy urbanism” that makes walking its main streets interesting. While the core of Toronto (running from approximately Bloor West Village to the Beach neighbourhood, and from the lake up to Eglinton) is quite big, there’s a lot more to Toronto, having just become the forth biggest municipality in North America.

Outside of the core the fabric becomes more spread out, but there are still many clusters of highrise buildings and messy urbanism that is replicated in many of the city’s post war stripmalls. Again, not the most pretty places, but in the running for most interesting streetscapes anywhere.

Sal’s Tattoo & Barber, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2010

What are your recommendations for travelers who want to engage with the city?

Toronto is a great walking city and one neighbourhood will lead to another without disruption in the urban form. Pick any of the great streets like Queen, Dundas, College, or Bloor and simple walk them. Queen West, from Spadina to Roncesvalles, is an incredible strip of art galleries and shops, and though higher rents are forcing some of these places to move, it remains one of the best city walks in the world.

Pick a few of the bigger tourist points, or even random neighbourhoods, and wander between them. Sometimes the “in between,” no-name neighbourhoods in Toronto present the best surprises.

If you want the cheapest tour in town, ride the Queen Streetcar from end to end (from the Beach in the east and deep into Etobicoke to the west) to watch the city change. If you buy a day pass (at a subway station) you can get off and on whenever a place looks interesting.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2010

Suggestions for often overlooked sites and/or neighbourhoods?

No trip to Toronto is complete with out walking Yonge Street for a while. Walk from the lake up to St. Clair and you’ll get a taste of the variety Toronto offers. Check out the Junction neighbourhood in the West end, along Dundas Avenue with it’s great 19th century streetscape. Take the subway up to North York City Centre station and wander one of the “suburban” centres. You’ll find they aren’t so suburban.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 2010

Check out Shawn’s TEDxToronto 2012 Talk On Toronto:

Connect with Shawn Micallef on Twitter.

'Author Shawn Micallef Discusses Engaging With The City Of Toronto For Travelers

The Next Chapter: Windsor – Toronto – TBEX – Peterborough

ldf — Fri, 10 May 2013 16:28:27 +0000

I’m currently writing you amidst piles of my possessions. I’m downsizing. Again. I arrived in North America from Asia with two suitcases and two carry-ons and I’ve decided to drop back down to one suitcase and two carry-ons. I tend to find the process of collecting my items and my thoughts in anticipation of a change of locations as though I’m preparing for a little death. I make peace with my present life, I appreciate those around me and I get ready for a new chapter.

In roughly two and a half weeks I’ll board a plane and arrive in Toronto, Ontario, Canada for TBEX (Travel Blog Exchange). The conference offers a venue for bloggers, writers, new media content creators and sponsors to network and discuss the travel blogging industry. MBSB began as a creative outlet more than anything but I’m interested in seeing where I can take it.

Sometime after the conference I’ll head to Peterborough, Ontario which lies approximately 125 km northeast of Toronto. It’ll be the smallest Canadian city I’ve ever lived in at approximately 119,000 people. I have no idea how long I’m staying but the intent is to reside no less than the remainder of the year. It’s here that I plan to work on my book about my time training muay thai in Thailand. Despite the stories I’ve shared on MBSB, I don’t think I’ve nailed down even 30%.

So where am I living? What is Peterborough like? I’ve found a spot in a beautiful old house my friends own. I’ve rented a room generally advertised to students and I’ll live with three strangers. I never did the student housing thing while I was in school, I had an apartment on the other side of town, so this will be new. I also haven’t been to Peterborough in about fifteen years. The last time I went, I believe I saw the Greyhound station then slid into a car to head out to cottage country. When I think of my last impressions of Peterborough, meaning the city, not the surrounding countryside, I recall the fourteen year old looking blonde girl who spent the entire AM return ride from Peterborough to Toronto puking until she stumbled off the bus somewhere around Scarborough. That being said, I spent a lot of time in the countryside as a child and it’s there that I first was able to swim in a lake, go fishing and really see the stars at night. I like the idea of writing my book in Peterborough. I suspect the process will be a bit messy and reflective. Seems a fitting place.

Some photos of the house:

Photo Source: Renovation Slaves

1800s filing drawers in the kitchen, Photo Source: Renovation Slaves

Photo Source: Renovation Slaves

My Room To Be, Photo Source: Renovation Slaves

Photo Source: Renovation Slaves

'The Next Chapter: Windsor – Toronto – TBEX – Peterborough

Random Travel Tip No. 12: Detoxify Your Liver

ldf — Mon, 06 May 2013 04:06:42 +0000

Sometimes we’re exposed to things we’re unaware are detrimental to our health. While traveling, we often don’t have the same control over our environment as we may have in our native countries. Eating in restaurants, buying medicines manufactured in areas with questionable standards, among any number of other situations may effect our bodies in ways we couldn’t have foreseen. Sometimes those effects remain in the body and sometimes, those effects can be lessened, even healed through the cleansing our livers.

Think of your liver as an air filter that traps all the dust, dirt, and other germs that circulate through the air. Imagine what an air filter looks like right before it needs to be changed. It is completely saturated with dust. The role of the filter is to trap and contain dirt so that it does not become a health hazard to those in the environment.

The liver works in a similar way, it is also the body’s filter and traps toxins that have entered the body through digestion, skin, or respiratory system. The liver is the hardest working organ in the body. Weighing around five pounds, it sits close to the heart and resembles a football. The liver detoxifies the body by filtering the blood, producing bile, and breaking down toxins and waste.

- Nacole, Yahoo Voices

More info on the function of the liver here, here and here.

Detoxing my liver became important after living in Thailand for a couple of years. One year spent in a gym that was serving me MSG, a chemical additive I’m allergic to, in conjunction with random hits of it afterwards killed my health and my face. I retained water, I had eczema and looking at old photos, my eyes seemed to be more swollen than not during that period. My allergy seemed to worsen with time. Eating MSG could lay me out in bed for days. It was awful. Some intensive research helped me realize that a liver detox was in order. Unfortunately, I didn’t have access to a naturopath nor the herbal detox supplements I was accustomed to and local remedies didn’t help the matter. I continued my research and eventually found the Hulda Clark liver cleanse and various versions of it. Here are some of the best that I found:

Websites

I created a simplified version of my own with what I had available:

For two days I sustained myself on 100% pure apple juice. On the third day, every hour on the hour I drank a shot (1 oz) of olive oil followed by a shot (1 oz) of pomello juice (lemons and grapefruit weren’t available in my area of Thailand). I believe I did this for twelve to fourteen consecutive hours. I don’t mind the taste of olive oil so I found the process easy. However, during the night I got hit hard with all of lovely effects listed in the above links. It was awful. I was nauseated, at times in pain and I had to spend a day in bed afterwards, but it worked. If I remember correctly, within a week or so my skin had healed and I no longer had swollen eyes. I looked and felt different. I was exposed to MSG again (and again, and…), suffered but not to the same degree. No eczema from exposure and my eyes didn’t swell. I tried the cleanse again, a few months later and it wasn’t as hard on my body. I’m incredibly grateful I found the cleanse and I continue to do it whenever I feel necessary. Generally every four to six months.

If you think you’ll benefit from the cleanse, please do your research. Check out the links I’ve posted and find some more. A number of people have blogged about their experiences with the cleanse. Connect with people on forums if you’re concerned. Figure out what will work for you. The intent of this piece is to aid those who don’t have access to a naturopath or a similar practitioner. If you do and are interested in detoxing your liver in this manner, I suggest consulting with them first.

'Random Travel Tip No. 12: Detoxify Your Liver

How To Avoid MSG In Thailand

ldf — Fri, 03 May 2013 04:03:13 +0000

The Lovely MSG

Eating MSG free in Thailand can be a difficult task. Most restaurants and vendors use it and deciding to cook for yourself can prove to be additionally difficult as most sauces and condiments contain the additive. Few labels list ingredients in English. The following is the result of years of trying to not be poisoned and often not succeeding.

Some pointers:

In The Grocery Store

Assume anything savory contains MSG. Should a food label list ingredients in English, any ambiguous word for flavouring added should be assumed to include MSG. When in doubt, the safest course of action is to only buy savory products (i.e. sauces, potato chips, shredded pork, nori) and other pre-packaged foods that state they are MSG free.

OTop is a national Thai brand that promotes natural foods geared towards maintaining one’s health. Their products are MSG free.

Vegan products are safe and are don’t contain MSG. Large grocery stores such as Tesco and Big C generally carry some pre-made vegan meals. To identify them, read a previous post on the subject here.

At A Restaurant

It’s incredibly difficult to eat MSG free in a restaurant in Thailand. I have an intense MSG allergy and I can speak Thai – I continued to get poisoned for four years in the country. Some people don’t listen, some people forget, some people don’t care, some people fear the food won’t be delicious so they decide to put in less than they normally would, some people will prepare your food in a bowl with MSG in it from their last customer…the reasons are endless.

Only go to restaurants where you can watch the preparation of your food (i.e. street vendor and roadside shops).

Learn how to say the following phrase:

Mâi dtông sài pŏng choo rót nah. Mâi dtông sài Rotdee dûay kráp (for men) kâ (for women).

Rotdee. The powder itself is fine and white.

Essentially translated as, Please don’t add MSG. Don’t add Rotdee (a widely used seasoning powder which contains MSG) as well. Kráp (used by men) kâ (for women) are polite particles. Use them. I’ve been told that some people will add MSG in spite of the person ordering if they think they are pushy and/or high so (high society, which most people assume Foreigners, particularly if you are lighter skinned to be).

Really pay attention to the tones, ideally find someone who can speak Thai to teach you.

Support Muslim businesses. Thai Muslims are restricted from cooking with MSG – I haven’t been served food at a Muslim eatery, be it a restaurant, a shopping mall stand or a vendor in the market that contained it.

Be loyal to those that don’t poison you. I’ve found that if someone doesn’t poison you the first few times, there’s a good shot it won’t happen again. They may also enjoy having you as a regular.

Go vegan. To identify vegan restaurants and proprietors visit my previously written post on the subject here.

Skip the soup. The broth, the meats (unless raw) and the lukchin are dosed with MSG.

In General

Anything sweet won’t contain MSG, unless it’s sweet and savory (i.e. the small packets you receive when you purchase sliced fruit.)

MSG in the grocery store.
MSG is in a seasoning pack widely used, called Rotdee. The seasoning pack doesn’t have any English language on it (at time of writing). To avoid eating this, use the phrase listed in the post.

Really pay attention when going to a vendor of any kind for the first time. However, please don’t be obnoxious in doing so, you may really anger the cook. I’ve caught a woman adding MSG to one of my orders who refused to admit she had done so, with a spoon of the remaining additive in her hand.

Above all, trust your instinct, if you think you saw someone adding MSG in your food, don’t eat it. If you think it tastes too salty, buy another meal from somewhere else. I used to doubt myself, think I was being obsessive and on a number of occasions suffered for it. To give you an example, I lived at a gym in Bangkok for one year where the cook consistently added MSG to my food. She initially told me that she has stopped using both MSG and Rotdee after I mentioned my allergy. I trusted her. She lied. I eventually found out that she had been using less MSG and Rotdee. One of the ways I found out was that she admitted to it, after she informed me that I’m not allergic to MSG, I’m just allergic to a lot of it. Please note, my health suffered for it and my allergy became more acute as this went on for somewhere in the neighbourhood of a year. Looking at old photos from that period, I often have the inclination to delete them – swollen eyes, bad skin, not to mention it effected my stamina in the gym. I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what was going on, when all it came down to was a woman who lied. And my faith in her lie. Don’t let this happen to you.

You can’t see MSG and many can’t taste it.

'How To Avoid MSG In Thailand

Photo Series: Winter’s End

ldf — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 04:29:45 +0000

All photos were taken on Windsor, Ontario, Canada’s west side.

Zug Island in the distance, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 2012

Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 2013

Windsor, Ontario, Canada & Detroit, Michigan, USA, 2013

'Photo Series: Winter’s End

Gender And Power In Thailand’s Muay Thai Gyms

ldf — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 04:22:32 +0000

Anne Lieberman

Anne Lieberman was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Fellowship to study the role of women in muay thai in Thailand in 2010. That same year, Anne interviewed me as a participant while I was based in Bangkok. I thought I’d catch up with her to discuss her findings.

Please explain the awarded Fulbright Fellowship.

The Fulbright Fellowship is a bilateral exchange program sponsored by the US Department of State in partnership with participating countries. Fulbright provides funding for a wide variety of education and research related programs around the world. Fulbright funds students, scholars, teachers, professionals interested in graduate study abroad, independent research as well as opportunities to teach in universities and in elementary and secondary schools.

In Thailand, there are several different kinds of grants, from English Teaching Assistants (ETA) to doctoral research grants. Four full grants are awarded every year for independent research or research and study grants. I was awarded a grant to conduct my research and to enroll in an M.A. program at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand.

What is also interesting to me about the Fulbright program is that its inception was the brainchild of a Senator who was still reeling in many ways from the hatred and devastation of WWII. William J Fulbright (D-Arkansas) proposed the legislation that initiated the program, striving for “mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries in the world.” He argued – and won – that the US should sell its surplus ammunition and other military property in order to fund the program. So imbedded in the program’s beginnings is this idea of rebirth after war.

One of my favorite quotes from Fulbright is this one: “I’m sure that President Johnson would never have pursued the war in Vietnam if he’d ever had a Fulbright to Japan, or say Bangkok, or had any feeling for what these people are like and why they acted the way they did. He was completely ignorant.”

The man just so deeply believed in the power of exchange and building mutual understanding across cultures. He believed that this kind of exchange would build the foundation for a more just and peaceful society. (I’m not saying that it necessarily has, I just think – or the historian in me – is fascinated by his vision and the program’s trajectory.)

How were you able to connect with nak muay ying (female boxers) to discuss their experiences?

Connecting with nak muay ying – both farang and Thai – was one of the most difficult pieces of the research.

Let’s talk first about framework and making connections/introductions based on your framework. At the beginning, I really struggled with the framework because I personally didn’t want to do an anthropological study. (That’s not to say anthropology as a discipline isn’t good; it is when it is done well and with integrity). I didn’t want to go into the research doing only participant observation or interviews. I wanted to try to connect with people on a more even playing field – through oral history. Oral history of course poses similar issues with interviewer/interviewee dynamics, but I felt that at the very least, it would be nak muay ying telling their stories instead of me trying to tell or interpret stories for them. Connecting with people took time. I wanted to establish a relationship with people before I sat down and did an oral history interview with them. But of course dynamics change depending on who is interviewing them, who else is in the room, if the interview has to be done through a translator, etc.

I remember when I first got to Thailand. My predecessor, a Thai American man, had gotten a grant the year before to study music and Muay Thai. He did really great ethnomusicology work. He said to me, “Anne. In Thailand, it’s not only about who you know, but who introduces you to who you know.” And he took me to some people and made introductions and initial connections which was huge for me to even begin my research. His position as a Thai American man opened certain doors for him and, by extension, me. As a white American woman, though, certain doors that opened for Rawi would be closed to me. Rawi made an interesting point to me early on as well. He said that because I was not Thai, some people would say things in front of me that they would never say to another Thai person. So as you can imagine, identity politics were constantly in play.

After Rawi connected me initially, I just stayed and trained in different Muay Thai gyms and talked to anyone who would talk to me. I interviewed promoters and gym owners too, because you never know what moment – what conversation – will hold an “ah-ha!” moment or another vital connection to a potential nak muay ying or piece of the overall narrative.

Unknown vs. Reiko Mikami, Bangkok, Thailand, 2007

Were you able to find Thai women to speak to?

When I was in Thailand, it was incredibly difficult for me to try to find higher-level female fighters to connect with. It was of course harder to connect with the Thai fighters generally because often I would see them fight in Bangkok but they’d be from outside of the city, wouldn’t speak much English, and my Thai wasn’t good enough to go visit them on my own. In addition, the woman I had help translating for me was from a higher social class, so it could be an uncomfortable situation to discuss more sensitive issues when they were being translated through someone who is seen as “high so.”

I did find a few Thai women to speak to, but not nearly as many as I hoped to interview. The research that I did could use at least five more years. It’s such a long process! I feel like so much has changed even in the few years I’ve been away. Director Todd Kellstein released Buffalo Girls in January 2012, an entire documentary devoted to the stories of two eight year old nak muay ying.

Most recently, I’ve been floored by the emergence of and media coverage around Phetjee Jaa O. Mee Khu, the twelve year old nak muay ying who is fighting boys! Sylvie von Duuglus-Ittu has covered this really well on her blog, 8Limbs.US. I mean, in a country where women can’t fight in either Lumpinee or Rajadamnern stadium because their presence in the ring would, according to superstition, desecrate it and endanger the fighters – a young girl fighting a boy is shocking. Not only that it would happen, but that there would be so much interest in her and positive media coverage around it.

What were your findings?

San Kamphaeng, Thailand, 2009

Oh my! So much. I think that the piece I haven’t touched on is the most unexpected piece of the research I uncovered: the experience of the western woman living and training long term in Thailand.

I hadn’t expected to focus on western women as much as I did, but as I got to know more western nak muay ying and their experience with their male trainers, I realized it was an incredibly fraught and controversial issue. As I mentioned to Natalie in the Daily Muse piece, women experience a whole range of things – from sexual violence and rape to a consensual relationship with their trainers – but the point is that there is an expectation that western women will put out.

One of the things I want to highlight about the research is the fact that when you tell people the reality of what it’s like to train in Thailand as a western woman for an extended period of time (and there are always exceptions, of course), people don’t want to hear it. They think you did something to entice certain behavior from trainers. Or they think that you’re lying. They think that you’re “ruining” Muay Thai for them. These are the same people who tend to romanticize the life of a Thai fighter. It’s not sexy or fun to leave home at a young age, fight until you’re 23 (to 25 if you’re lucky) and then spend the rest of your life training dumb white people in a gym in Phuket who often disrespect you. Do some fighters love it? Sure. But there ain’t nothing sexy about being commodified like a racehorse.

And if you don’t think that’s true (not you, Laura, but you the MBSB audience) let’s talk linguistics. I’m not sure if you covered this on MBSB but I think you may have. Often, when promoters and fighters speak about fighters they use the same classifier that they would use for animals. What does that mean? It means that instead of putting fighters in the category of humanity, you disrespect them and classify them like animals.

But then there’s another side of it re: women in training. And we’ve spoken about this – which is that sometimes you have these incredibly uneven power dynamics where these foreign women will come in, have their young trainers think that they’re going to be together and will have a future – and then they up and leave back to their country. There’s a bitterness you feel from a lot of these relationships. So the complexity is just enormous.

After the interview on the Daily Muse, a woman reached out to me who had been training in Thailand for years and was happy about the article, and that so many of those issues were actually being spoken about. But she mentioned something really important. She said she felt like she was always hearing two conversations in the gym – what the trainers would say to the students and then what they would say to each other in Thai – often two entirely different conversations, one often more harsh than the other. They knew she could understand but were totally confident she wouldn’t say anything. “It’s like I’m stuck somewhere in between Thai and Farang and fit nowhere.” When she said that, it struck me. It so well articulated that feeling of limbo you feel as an outsider. It’s this weird purgatory that we find ourselves in. We know too much to be fooled, but we’re always one step behind.

I also found that there was a population of trans* men (or beginning to transition) trans* men doing western style boxing. There is no real money for women in Muay Thai, so many would fight in western-style boxing bouts to make money. This is one of the biggest gaps in my research, this population of trans* men and lesbian women in Thailand who did Muay Thai or boxed. What I have been thinking more and more about recently is the relationship between Muay Thai, sexuality/gender identification and protection: how perhaps the decision to take up a combat sport could relate to the increasing instances of violence against lesbians around the country and most certainly in more rural areas of the Thailand. Does or can Muay Thai give you a kind of negotiating power when you have no protection within your family, your community and certainly no legal protection under the law?

You were in a very interesting position. In one regard, you were an academic in Thailand, a position which culturally holds a great deal of esteem and in another, you were a nak muay, which holds very little. The first allowed you to navigate the world of Bangkok’s highest classes and the latter, the world of some of Thailand’s lowest. In addition, you are a woman and a Farang. How did this all meld?

You have teased out one of the most bizarre – often awkward, hysterical, sometimes infuriating – pieces of my time in Thailand. Whenever I would tell people that I would be researching women in Muay Thai, people would laugh and say, “WHY? Do women even do that?” I was sitting in a language class one morning and my teacher said to me, “Wait. What? Women are supposed to be cooking. Not boxing.” He said it in a very playful, silly way and had the whole class laughing, but it was very clear he was not joking.

Once people were done making fun of me for researching Muay Thai period, they would then ask me if I knew about Nong Toom. That in and of itself is fascinating – ok, we know about that one trans* boxer, but “real” women don’t actually do that. That also killed me – that somehow the MtF trans* population (specifically traditionally male-bodied people making the transition to a traditional female-body) and the experience of that population in Thailand wasn’t “real” that they weren’t “real” women. What does that mean? They’re not biologically women? What makes a woman “real” or “fake”? Those conversations, though, were not ones that I was willing to have with people because they were too exhausting. People don’t understand that although there is a visible trans* population in Thailand – specifically MtF or “lady boys” – does not mean that they are any less oppressed. It also doesn’t take into account the whole other range of gender and sexual expression that takes place in the country and that many of these populations face extreme violence (e.g. the Lesbian population).

Some people on the other hand found my research very interesting and were really happy that I was doing substantive research on Muay Thai. At a moment when a lot of higher-class Thai youth are doing martial arts like Karate and Tae Kwon Do, some people I spoke to where excited to hear that younger women around the country were participating in the sport.

In terms of navigating the “high so” dynamics and the Muay Thai world – this was difficult because I was often with a very high so crowd due to my connections at Fulbright. One of the most telling experiences for me regarding the class divide here was when my friends and I had an art opening at a gallery outside of Bangkok. I invited some of my friends from the gym to come because I wanted to extend the invitation but I also knew that there was a potential that it could be very uncomfortable. One of the young men who was a trainer came with the woman he was dating who I had become close with. He was so visibly uncomfortable it killed me. And some of the women there were incredibly unkind to him and it made me so angry. I didn’t know them, but their sense of entitlement and their disdain for him was so palpable it made me sick. I realized in that moment just how much he cared about his girlfriend to put himself in that situation with a group of high-so Thais.

Regarding the identity politics associated with being a white farang woman – ohhhh my. I don’t even know where to start. At the time I was researching, I wasn’t fighting yet, so I was seen as a very nonthreatening little sister type. Also, because my Thai got better, I understood more of the dynamics. One time a trainer said to me after I had a particularly ugly round on the pads, “He said, don’t worry, Nong Anne. You’re still doing well.” And I said, “but that was so ugly!” and then he explained to me on the spectrum of Muay Thai skill, women could only get so far – and that actually I was doing pretty well. That I think underpins a lot of the feeling about women in Muay Thai in Thailand. We can only be so good, so there’s no point in aiming too high.

'Gender And Power In Thailand’s Muay Thai Gyms

6 Ways To Make Money To Train Muay Thai In Thailand

ldf — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:19:57 +0000

Somewhere in Chiang Mai Province, Thailand, 2007

The previous piece in this series focused on assisting you to save money to train muay thai in Thailand; this installment will help you make money to fund your muay thai training. Take from the list what you will and adapt anything to suit your needs. Create something new and let us know about it. Here we go…

1. Sell What You Neither Need Nor Care About- I began with what I wanted and needed the least and continued. Check out the piece I wrote on how to declutter and sell your things to learn about the process.

2. Sublet/Rent Out Your Home – Find someone to rent your home while you’re in Thailand. This works for essentially any duration of time, dependent on the dynamics of where you live. Some of you live in higher demand areas than others. This worked well for me while I was living in downtown Toronto, Canada. On my first trip to Thailand in 2007, I subletted my apartment to a friend of a friend moving in from Vancouver. In 2008 I purchased a condo, rented it with the help of a property manager from early 2009 to late 2010, then decided to sell it. The first tenant was found online and the second was a friend. Both moved to Toronto from other locations. For those of you planning short-term trips to Thailand; tourists, students, lecturers, those in the midst of a separation and/or divorce, and contract workers are all possible short-term tenants.

Put the word out via family, friends and your social media platforms; Facebook has groups specific to people looking for short-term rentals. Place an ad on Craigslist, in your local paper or online. I suggest researching the specifics of subletting and renting in your specific location. Here are some guidelines for subletting your apartment and renting out your house.

3. Find A Roommate – Consider renting an extra bedroom to fund your muay thai training. Remember, the rental arrangement doesn’t have to be a long one, it’s up to you. Often people assume that renting a room in their home will be a long-term and/or possible indefinite arrangement when it doesn’t have to be. Depending on where you live and what your situation is, you may be able to find a short-term renter. For example, I’m nomadic. My preference of nomadic living is spending time in a new location as opposed to constant travel. I like having a base which could last a few months to a year or even longer (from which I could make subsequent trips). The possibility of renting a room for a predetermined amount of time without being locked into a (Canadian standard) one year lease is an ideal situation for me. This is particularly true if I were to rent from a friend. It’s a low commitment deal that benefits all parties involved.

Do you know anyone who may be interested in a short-term rental? Put the word out and do your research. You want the arrangement to be stress free. Another option is to list your space on Airbnb. Airbnb matches individuals renting out rooms in their homes with travelers looking for alternative accommodations to a hotel.

4. Rent Out Whatever Works – Have room in your garage? A barn? Land? Is there anything you can rent out that will be a source of income which doesn’t require you to do anything other than collect a cheque? Research the necessary insurance and contracts for your particular geographical area if you take this course of action.

5. Become Employed. Again. – Can you secure additional work that requires minimal hours and pays relatively well? I started DJing once a month at a local bar and worked security at a club once a week, in addition to my fulltime gig. Please note, taking on additional employment benefits you financially if you don’t burn out and buy things and pay for services you wouldn’t need if you weren’t overworked.

6. Freelance - Do you have any skill(s) and/or services that you can market on a per project basis? For example, do you have a vehicle to help people move whatever it is they want to move but don’t want to hire a moving company for (i.e. furniture, building materials after a renovation, etc.)? You can market yourself by placing a Guy/Chick/However You Define Yourself With A Truck type ad on Craigslist.

There are loads of freelance sites online for various skill sets not limited to: administration, bookkeeping, graphic design, coding, website development, data entry, writing, blogging, etc. Some notable sites to check out are oDesk, PROBLOGGER, Elance, Guru, 99 Designs and Behance. For those of you planning to be in Thailand indefinitely, digital freelancing may work well for you. You can secure projects on a per need basis.

Figure out what works for you. Determine what will get you to where you want to be. If you can add to the list in the comments section, please do.

To your success…

'6 Ways To Make Money To Train Muay Thai In Thailand

How To Declutter And Make Money To Travel

ldf — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 04:15:36 +0000

2006

My first trip to Thailand in 2007 lasted six months. Previously I had traveled twice to Cuba in addition to number of other North American locations, mainly in the U.S.. I predominately traveled to see bands. I was the person that would get a call and be asked, “Hey, we’re playing in Whatever City next month. A bunch of people are coming out. You should come.” And off I’d go with a crew. Sometimes we slept on someone’s floor, if I was lucky I got a couch or an extra bed. A number of additional trips were to visit people I’d met in various locations. I wasn’t well traveled in the traditional sense.

Deciding to spend six months in another country was the result of visiting Cuba for the first time; I experienced a more fluid way to live. That, I believe was in 2004. I returned to Cuba to investigate Havana in 2006. I wanted to feel the city before I asked for a leave of absence from my job which would potentially result in its loss. The thought at the time was to spend six months writing and boxing, but I wasn’t feeling Havana. I returned to Canada, changed course and landed in Bangkok shortly after midnight on New Year’s day, 2007.

Havana, Cuba, 2006

The process of making it all happen was a lengthy one which included downsizing what I already owned. I suppose I always knew I wanted to lead a nomadic life, as a child I would daydream of it, but my first trip to Cuba infected me. I couldn’t let it go despite the complacency that would occasionally creep in. I can’t currently recall if my first trip to Thailand was meant to begin a fully nomadic life, but I do remember that it was meant to fulfill a dream. I had started working in the ninth grade and I wanted a break from everything. I wanted a shot at freedom, I wanted to fully immerse myself in what I wanted to do. I wanted to create. I had been in some really violent and potentially fatal situations more than once in my life – all a reminder that life was short. Too short not to at least try. So I did.

I didn’t focus solely on making additional cash. Working more than I already was could burn me out and prove to be counterproductive if I resorted to purchasing items and services to help ease the exhaustion. Rather, I decided to sell most of what I owned. This continued subsequently over the years; it was a long process.

Some pointers to get you on your way:

Start With What You Want And Need The Least And Continue

List all of the items you really don’t care about, forgot you had, and/or are happy to sell. Start with these. You can always repeat this entire process at your discretion.

Organize Your Items Into Groups

I found that selling like items concurrently helped increase sales, regardless of the platform I was using. For example, I had a stack of demos I sold on E-bay. Individually, each demo was worth $5 – $10 USD. I listed them all at the same time. Not only were some sold to the same buyer, I had other buyers inquire if I had additional demos to list. In regards to my vinyl (records), I set up a table at a record show in Toronto. My friend was the promoter and put the word out that I unloading a lot of rarities. I made a few grand that day, most of the money within the first couple of hours. The same was true of my furniture. I found if someone liked one piece, they sometimes inquired about others, whether they were listed or not. Lastly, from my experience, vintage stores were more apt to buy when I came in with a collection of gear.

Don’t Assume There Isn’t A Market For What You Have

I sold a broken hand held cassette player on Ebay.

Research

Research what your items are worth and what the main selling points of each item are. Ebay is a decent place to start but if you have something possibly worth quite a bit, find a reputable guide, forum or appraiser. I’ve used a number of resources to determine the pricing of my items. It’s worth taking the time to do the preliminary work.

Find The Appropriate Venue To Sell

Ebay, Craigslist, Kijiji, Etsy, Amazon Marketplace, local papers, community postings, swap meets, markets, independent brokers, consignment shops, thrift stores, pawn shops, a yard sale and your social media platforms are all venues to consider. There are plenty more. Find the one that works best for your specific circumstances.

A 1977 Rolling Stone Magazine I sold on Ebay.

List Your Items

Consider the main selling points for your items. Highlight the attributes and be honest about any defects. Why be honest? Aside from honesty being a virtue (would you want to be lied to?), it weeds out people who wouldn’t be interested in it due to defects and people who’ll verbally chastise you for wasting their time. In addition, potential buyers will know what to expect and can’t use the omitted defect as reason to haggle for a ridiculously low price. Take great photos. If you’re selling on a platform that only allows one photo, consider making a composite image or upload more images to Flickr and link to them in your ad.

Best of luck!

'How To Declutter And Make Money To Travel

Working Class Kids: Early 90s Skinhead Portraits

ldf — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 04:12:23 +0000

The following is Part II of a two part series of portraits found in a box under the stairs in my parents’ basement. All shots were taken with a Canon AE-1. I originally developed a number of these by hand.

Windsor, Ontario, 1992

Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1993

Pist-N-Broke, Detroit, Michigan, USA, 1995 or 1996

Shane of The Lager Lads, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1993

Luther of The Lager Lads, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1994-1995 (?)

Perry of The Templars, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1994

Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1994

Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1993

Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 1994

Gabe of Nadsat Nation + Pist-N-Broke, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA, 1994

Windsor, Ontario, Canada, 1992

'Working Class Kids: Early 90s Skinhead Portraits