Febuary 2011 In Photos

A slow month on the muay thai scene for me. Not many fight nights, no visits to muay thai camps, nothing. It was more of a holiday month seeing that my girlfriend was over for most of it. A month without training and just eating, indulging and relaxing. And so here is another episode of Months in Photos!

Fire Blazing

Fire next to Sitmonchai

A fire blazes next to Sitomchai camp. Nakano, Ashima, Magaia and I rush to see what’s happening, under the assumption that it’s raging out of control. We find out that it’s the ginormous sugar cane that practically surrounds the whole camp. It’s purposely lit. Something that is done every 3 years. We watch on as the fire fighters keep it under control. I take the opportunity to snap photo’s of the fire. It breathes as the flames consume the sugar cane.

Visa Run!

Surprised to be let back in the country

Yes it was that time of the month. Not in the menstrual sense but in the same way a pain in the ass or . . . you get the picture. To Laos it is. Nakano and I pack some small bags, bringing only our money, mobiles, passports and our child like sense of wonder. I always pictured visa runs as dreadfully boring unnecessary travel to get a stamp in your passport all the time wasting your money and time. Well guess what? They still are. But this time it wasn’t all that bad. I’m happy to say that Nakano and I had a blast of a time. The people we met. What a diverse bunch. An English bloke who owns a resort in Kanchanaburri, A French girl who plays guitar and sings her own songs working here as a caretaker, an Australian retired hotel manager buying a small house on one of Thailands many islands, another aussie who grew up in Australia, Germany and France, now living in Bangkok as a singer in a rock band and finally a New Zealander who has an American accent from working in America and is an actor in Thailand. What a bunch! And what do we all have in common? We all like to drink. They say Laos doesn’t have much of a nightlife. I disagree. Plenty of shin digging pubs on the riverfront and a pumping disco on the rooftop of a Hotel.

For those looking for an organized and efficient Visa run company in Bangkok, i have to recommend http://thaivisaservice.com/.

Monkeying About

Catching a ride

What can i saw. Only in Thailand

I Feel Like A Business Man

Business Time

I finally make up my first batch of business cards for Michael Galvin Media. You can read up about it on the official website. If anyone’s in the Phuket area end of April, I’ll be down that way doing video highlights for everyone and anyone who asks nicely enough. Think I’m going to get more made up with different pictures and fonts just to keep things interesting.

Sitomonchai’s Expansion

New stuff weeeee

We have new toys to play with at Sitmonchai. The training area is bigger, there’s two new Windy, full length bags and a whole new ring to goof around in while pretending to train. This comes as a fantastic treat as the class sizes were getting bigger with the popularity of Sitmonchai increasing. As for now there are only two foreigners at Sitmonchai. Nakano and I. Nakano leaves on the 11th and so will I probably. Meaning, no Farang! Meaning YOU can be the next lucky farang to be training amongst Thais and only Thais.

Where Do You Keep Your Trophies?

Trophy Graveyard

This is the trophy stand at Sitmonchai. If you haven’t noticed it’s more of a trophy graveyard than anything else. It seems that the Thai boys have no interest in collecting a big shiny skyscraper of trophies to show off to their peers. Nothing for friends or family to see here. The only rewards kept and Thailand stadium belts and World Championship Belts. Their dedication and hard work is shown in the ring, not back home in a glass cabinet.

Just Another Day Running

Matt blows a kiss

Fields and fresh air

Moooooo!

Schools out

Food stalls are unbeatable for price and taste

The sex icon of Thamaka

More cows . . . moooooo

The run is a twice daily routine here at Sitmonchai. The run is highlighted by at least 20 dog’s chasing us in one day. You get to see the Nak Muays flirt with the school girls as we past the high school. You get to see sugar cane fields. You get to see banana trees we stop at and bash up “Kickboxer” style and you get to see the river. We have even seen people throw their dead dog into the river. I swam in it last week with the other Nak Muays.

Twins

Apisit and Apisak

No, not Danny Devito and Arnold Schwarzenegger. These are the two boys that i should be taking with me to Phuket. Apisit is far more succesful and talented than his brother Apirak. Apirak has lacked the experience of weight cutting and fighting in the bigger Bangkok stadiums. Apisit on the other hand has been fighting in the top Bangkok stadiums for years and is a current WPMF Champion. They will get to try their hand at MMA and see if it’s something they want to follow and continue with. Bringing some authentic Muay Thai to the world stage of MMA is something i knwo a lot of people want to see. Currently it is lacking. Malaipet tried his hand at it. But he’s lazy and didn’t do so well. Rambaa Somdet M-16 is taking amazing strides. Recently winning a Shooto title in Japan. He is getting old now and we need some new Muay Thai blood on the scene.

Cornerman Time

Standard cornerman pose

Nakano and I corner for Ashima as she fights for Sitmonchai at some fairgrounds. We have a few beers before getting to work and strike the “Cornerman Pose” before she heads into the ring.

Training Photos

Give me your lunch money!

I take a set of training shot’s for Grego before he leaves. This is one of my favorites. It’s nicely framed by the rope of the ring with Thai writing in the background. Greg’s showing great technique by keeping his left hand up as to avoid getting KTFO (knocked the F&%$ out). But what i like most when taking training and fight photo’s is of course the expression and emotion of the face that spills out on the photo. It just emits energy.

the rest of the set can be seen at my Facebook Fanpage

That is it for February. March has been a big month with a box full of photo’s ready for you. Seeing as it’s nearly ending the month, i don’t think you have to wait too long.

Born in Australia, training in martial arts since the age of 9. My first trip to Thailand was back in 2007. Since then i have made numerous visits back to the "land of smiles" to feed my addiction of Muay Thai. During the month of November in 2010 i had to decide between working a 9 to 5 job back home for the rest of my life, or sell all my worldly possessions and move to Thailand to live and train for the next few years. Thankfully i chose the latter. I now spend my time training Muay Thai, meeting new and interesting circles of people, sipping coconuts under palm trees on the beach and measuring the cost of everything on how much Pad Thai i could buy with that money.

Mike (Admin)

View all posts by Mike (Admin)
s website