The Lanna Family
Posted in Alex's Blog on October 20, 2010
“Muay Thai in Thailand means family”
There’s one aspect of gyms in Thailand that differs from any of those you may have experienced in other countries. It’s not just being able to train alongside an exceptional group of fighters and individuals or the excessive knowledge these people have of the sport, it’s not the opportunity to become completely immersed in the sport and its birthplace, and no it’s not the chance to be immersed in lady boys either. What sets gyms apart in Thailand is family.
This occurred to me as I watched Tor a talented young teenager smash one of the heavy bags with incredibly smooth and crisp leg kicks, it was something he did with such ease and familiarity that it was almost surreal. It was then that I realized this wasn’t just a gym to the kids or trainers this was their home. Tor was raised and lived at the gym, he had grown up with these bags, with the trainers, the dogs, and the ring, and he likely had been kicking this same bag as long as he remembers kicking bags. Though there is a constant flux of foreigners through the gym every day, every month, every year, the one thing that remains consistent is the families that live there, his father Deng, the other teenagers, the rest of the trainers, their wives and their children.
I’ll use the life and times of Den Kamon to illustrate this point better.
Den’s father was a boxer, as was his uncle and when he was old enough he was sent to Lanna to follow in the footsteps of both. Upon arriving at Lanna, Andy the owner of Lanna became his surrogate father and raised Den as a son from that day onwards. Den’s early years were spent travelling around in the back of Andy’s truck fighting at different fairs and stadiums sometimes even twice in the one night. His tutelage under Andy paid off though and Den learnt fluent English and went on to become the Northern Thailand Champion, since then Den has been provided with numerous opportunities to both fight and work abroad through Muay Thai. Den has not only been raised in this gym but also has forged his own life from the opportunities provided to him through it. Recently Den celebrated his 36th birthday at Lanna, all those who lived at the gym and several of us foreigners who had been at the camp for the past while where there.
Also in attendance was Den’s nephew Boyy only 14 but already in search of that which Den had already achieved through his life at Lanna.
Of course no family is complete without its parents and Andy and his wife Pom serve as parents to all the children in the gym that have been sent many miles across Thailand to earn money for their families. Andy is perhaps the scariest yet nicest 52 year old man you will ever meet. He came from Canada 20 years ago and is the founder of Lanna Muay Thai. He’s the kind of character Clint Eastwood would play, older, darker, and more dangerous than those around him, he’s tall and thick with sinuous muscle, a prominent jaw line, shaved head, and his eyes contain an intensity that seems to penetrate when he talks to you. On first seeing you him you might feel a little intimidated and cautious of what you may say, but then he greets you with enthusiasm, a hearty slap on the shoulder, a quick comment, and gruff laugh, and you think “wow this guy may as well be your uncle”. The more you get to know him the more you come to understand that his life is Muay Thai. He’s a compassionate man. He takes good care of all those that work for him, and looks out for those training at the gym, he’s concerned not only in how your training is going but will also pry into why you may have missed some sessions, something I feel may be lacking in some of the gyms here. He’s experienced a lot in his life and in Thailand, he can provide you with endless advice and trust me he’s heard it all living out here. In training he’s perhaps the best person you can work with as he is an English speaker and can break down every technique into its individual movements and work you through the entire motion until you have ironed out all the creases. He will tell you exactly what you need to be focusing on depending on your skill level and ambitions, not that the other trainers don’t have the knowledge to do this, it’s just that Andy can convey it to you in such a precise, concise and convincing manner that you can’t help but take it onboard.
While at gyms in your home countries you may turn up 3 times a week or even every day what separates gyms out here is that within these gyms there are complete families, generations of families, that for them it is not a question of what career you will pursue, you are raised in your profession, experiencing it every day in the environment and people that make up your family, that surround you. While most instructors in western gyms may teach classes for some money on the side or as a hobby, out here boxing and all that goes with it is a life choice not just for a few of the better boxers at the gym but for every single one of them. Few owners of a western gyms will adopt others children, raise, clothe, house, and feed them until they are adults yet this happens every day in just about every gym in Thailand. Out here boxing is not about getting in shape, earning respect or showboating, it’s about making a living for yourself and supporting your family. If you don’t believe this ask the next Thai boxer you meet how many gyms he’s trained at, 9 times out of 10 they’ll have lived the majority of their life in the one.
Yeah man,,this is trus as far as family gyms like Lanna are concerned and not other Gyms at south,,i had been to few and they all suck to the core.Its all commercial and no one takes care of no one.All are on their own and trainers take students for granted and even humiliate the thai was with stinking guestures.I hope LANNA would be place for me to advance.