EX EYE OF THE THAIGER 2008

Following the huge success of last years development tour the RAF Martial Arts Association (RAF MAA) revisited Thailand to enhance and develop their skills training in the art of Muay Thai boxing. The 10 members, ranging from SAC to Flt Lt and from various martial arts backgrounds, trained at the Fairtex Academy in Pattaya, 2hrs south of Bangkok on the shores of the Gulf of Thailand. With little experience of Muay Thai in the group, this was going to be a challenging 10 days for all.

Fairtex is an excellent setup for Muay Thai training. With 4 Olympic size training rings, a full gym, pool, sports courts, comfortable rooms, good food and not to mention the great weather, it was the perfect training location. In addition, there was one-on-one training with one of the academies professional instructors.

Training consisted of 2 sessions a day, one in the morning and later in the afternoon. The morning session kicked off at 0830. First thing first, wrapping up the hands! The instructors were obviously proficient at this and every session there was a race to find an instructor to do the honours; their wraps were always much more comfortable! Others mastered the art themselves although sometimes learning the hard way receiving sores and blisters! After warming up, all had 5x four minute rounds with one minute break between. Doesn’t sound like much but the heat and humidity made it extremely challenging with temperatures well into the 30s every day. The more advanced progressed onto clinching and sparring, a daunting prospect in the midst of such professionals. Physically drained already, it was then onto the bags working on techniques and fitness using kicks, elbows, knees and general techniques. Instructors were keen to work you hard. The continual hitting of the bags caused more strains and bruises than the sparring. Exhausted and soaked in sweat the end was finally in sight finishing off with some floor work including sit-ups, press-ups and stretching. The heat and physical exertion resulted in around 2ltrs of water were being drunks per person during one session - thirsty work! Finally, time for a well earned breakfast, showering first obviously!

To assist recovery from the aches and pains most spent lunch time relaxing by the pool before mustering up the energy to repeat the session in the afternoon. 10 days of this was starting to feel like a very long time!!!

Evenings were a chance to experience the delights and culture of Thailand. The most popular pastime was the remarkably cheap Thai massages, a must to be able to move and function the next day! There was traditional Thai food (including cockroaches – girls, what were you thinking???) shopping in the local markets or hitting the particularly lively Pattaya night-life!

Several days solid training was beginning to take its toil and there was still much training ahead so it was decided to take a day off and experience the start of the Thai New Year, a festival that last 3 days and involves being sprayed with water and flour thrown at every opportunity. One or two decided to catch up on rest and chill out as they wished. Most took a leisurely boat trip to an island where they spent a few hours soaking up the sun and swimming in a bath temperatured sea. Two travelled to Bangkok for the day taking a boat trip along the canals, visiting the Grand Palace, Temples with building sized Buddhas as well as the traditional jewellery stores and tailors.

There was an added bonus training at Fairtex this year; one of their fighters, Yodsanklai, was competing in ‘The Contender Asia.’ A spin-off from the Sylvester Stallone boxing version, ‘The Contender Asia’ was the Muay Thai series shown on Channel 5 in the UK in April. Yodsanklia was training along side the RAF MAA group in preparation for his next fight. He was amazing to watch, extremely fast and very powerful. He fought against 16 competitors representing 12 countries to reach the final held in Singapore. Although his opponent from Australia gave his all he was no match for the technically precise Yodsaenklai who won the $250,000 prize, a significant amount of money in Thailand, and the title of Contender Asia. A fabulous bonus for the RAF MAA to meet. (www.contenderasia.com)

All in all it was a physically challenging tour and all learnt something to develop their martial arts skills as well as their fitness. This was especially beneficial with the RAF Championships and Inter-services competitions fast approaching. This was a brilliant experience and recommended to all martial artists. A future tour is already being discussed for next year. If you’re interested in joining future tours and competitions, come along to RAF MAA training. Competitive training is held every middle Wednesday of the month at RAFC Cranwell East Camp gym. All arts, all standards welcome. No invite necessary, just come along. For further information, see the website www.rafmartialarts.co.uk/

Exercise members: Flt Lt Julia Bruce (St Athan), Flt Lt Di Carbutt (Leeming), Flt Lt Mark Fitton (Wittering), Flt Lt Laura Morfee (Benson), Flt Lt Alun Pepper (Cranwell), Cpl Ian Carlton (Marham), SAC Lindsey Baker (Wittering), SAC Liz Green (Digby), SAC Robert Jordan (Marham) and SAC Sunita Kaul (High Wycombe).

Photos:

1. Group Photo.

2. Gallery