Three Months in Thailand: Day 10 at Sitmonchai Gym

I'm currently sitting down at the Amazon Cafe (exotic, I know) reflecting on the first 100 pages of Thomas Pynchon's Inherent Vice. Old man Eisman recommended it to me with the following addendum: 

 "I don't know, man. One minute they're talking about eating pussy and the next they're looking for a member of the Aryan Brotherhood. I don't remember the 60's being like that. And the main detective only eats chocolate bananas... I hate Thomas Pynchon. He's a genius. But I hate him." 

As you can tell, the man was born to be a book critic.

Okay, onto trip logistics: I'm staying the grand majority of my 12 weeks here training at the Sitmonchai gym in the Tha Maka district of the Kanchanaburi Province (about 120 kilometers west of Bangkok). The area is quaint, and offers very little in the way of entertainment. Which for aspiring athletes coming to Thailand to train, is ideal. Aside from not being anywhere near a beach, I couldn't ask for a better environment to supplement the daily grind. 

In recent years the Sitmonchai gym has garnished a healthy following around the globe for it's warm welcoming of foreign nak muays and it's notoriously lauded 'Sitmonchai' style of kickboxing. A signature pattern for fighters that hail from the gym consists of putting a heavy emphasis on boxing and powerful outside low kicks-- a game-plan that rarely allows fights to go past the second of third round.

Because of the high demand of people who want to train at the gym there is a twelve person limit on how many foreigners can stay at any given time. Needless to say I was very lucky to have been able to book my spot when I did. 

After roughly a week and a half of gradually acclimating to the training schedule (two hour sessions, twice a day, six days a week) I can say with confidence that I will not be training at any other gyms for future trips. The Sitmonchai gym is unheralded in its' acceptance of foreigners and in the trainer's enthusiasm that comes with seeing you get sharper day by day. While those are both important traits of a gym you want to train at I think the most impressive aspect of this place is the owner. Pee A has owned the gym with his family for over over thirty years and despite nearly a generation worth of seeing fighters come and go he monitors all newcomers with a close eye to make sure you are getting enough food and rest while adjusting to the climate/training schedule. To put it simply, his commitment and care for our small community is unimaginably giving. Coupled with Abigail's incredible work as the gym's chief manager, the duo creates a near perfect training experience for everyone. 

While my primary focus here is training and eventually lining up a fight in Bangkok, I am still very much determined to be able to cover some semblance of the political upheaval that has recently left its' mark throughout a large portion of the central/northern region of the country. When the opportunity presents itself to ask locals questions about how it has affected daily living the feedback is nearly universal:

"This happens every single year. The relationship between the monarchy and the military will always be strained. We find it unusual that the US all of a sudden has become so interested in our affairs when this sort of unrest has been a growing concern for ages."

I may be completely out to lunch, but this response took me by surprise. Calling the local's opinion on the entire situation apathetic would be a generous adjective. But I'm not going to lose faith just yet. The details of this military coup aren't gone, they're just lying dormant. And at the end of the day, that sounds like a much better scenario than Bangkok gradually becoming the next Cairo. 

That's it from me, guys. I miss each and every one of you. As well as Chipotle, DP Dough's, the Flatirons, college girls, Pearl Street and my Honda. I'll have another post up within ten days or so. One love, everyone.