Saturday Night. pt 1. Taywin
Posted in Alex's Blog on September 7, 2010
Taywin was barbecuing, Julien needed new gear, James was fighting, Nathan wanted to get laid, and I was just plain happy that the weeks training was over. We had a busy night ahead of us.
Taywin is someone you do not forget, and last night I found out that his persona outside the ring is just as memorable as his appearance within it. If you drop by Lanna at any point you will not miss this guy. His bald head sits atop broad shoulders, while dangling from his chin is a finger like wiry beard. His upper body is a myriad of iconography paying homage to Thailand , Buddhism, Rastafarianism, and a collection of other symbols and images. The combination of these attributes gives him a look that can only be likened to that of a witchdoctor or shaman. As a trainer he is precise, he will tell you exactly what you are doing wrong, and make you repeat it again and again and again until you do it correctly. All the time encouraging you with lightening fast kicks and jabs to the body and head. If a gazelle were to fight it would fight like Taywin, this man is quick and graceful. That is of course if you are lucky enough for him to want to train you. Taywin does not waste his time, he only seems to train those that are either there for a significant amount of time or will be fighting consistently. Alternatively though should you have a vagina you are in luck. This will gain you an all access pass to unlimited one on one training with Taywin, whether you want it or not. As you see Taywin’s love for muay thai is surpassed only by his love for falang (foreign) women. Like I said “Taywin doesn’t waste his time”. To get back to the point though, in the gym Taywin gives of the air that says “if your going to get help from me its because I choose to give it to you, but I’ll come to you not the other way around”. Regardless, it was the final training session of the week and Taywin appeared quite chipper insisting that we all come out to “Cafe Del Sol” a rasta bar that he pretty much lived in but would also be barbecuing at tonight.
Cafe Del Sol was situated in a lot at the corner of Ratwithi and Ratchaphationi within the Old City. The entrance to the lot was crowded with motorbikes, fairy lights hung from the rafters leading us into the heart of this “Little Jamaica” small bars clustered the lot all painted in the appropriate green, red and yellow and releasing mellow reggae jams into the cool night air. I spotted Cafe Del Sol, and there outside was our man Taywin cooking up a storm in his tightest bell bottom jeans and an even tighter white t-shirt to match. The bar was filled was scattered with murals of Bob Marley, Dylan, and other influential icons, fluorescent lights lit the interior highlighting luminously colored decor, Thais wearing Rasta hats and sporting impressive dreadlocks chatted happily around us, one guy in particular impressed us all by greeting each of us with an appropriate phrase or expression from our respective countries. Taywin welcomed us warmly and encouraged us to get comfortable, he talked expressibly about working at Lanna (he’d been there over 15 years), and of course he talked about falang women “you fuck my country, I fuck your country” he said as he eyed each girl walking by and invited them enthusiastically into the bar. In between serving us up platters of the most deliciously tender and succulent chicken and pork I had ever tasted, he talked with patrons entering, leaving, and passing the bar, it didn’t seem like there was anyone in this place he didn’t know. We enjoyed the feast while a Thai band performed a pretty dreadful rendition of “knocking on heavens door” and other similar songs, I wondered then whether a western band would fair any better performing a Thai song, and with that thought began to enjoy their take on it. After having our fill of barbecued delights we figured we better get a move on, we still had Juliens gear to pick up, James fight to watch, and friends to meet at a club on the other side of town,so with that we said our goodbyes “maybe you come back” and headed on to the night bizzare……
