"More speed, more power." The Muay Thai instructor did not speak much English, apart from encouragements to increase the power, speed and strength of my punches and kicks to the pads. "Speed, power" he said again, as I used the last ounces of my energy to connect my gloved fist with the training pads he was holding against his body. "Break, water" he instructed again. I walked over to the edge of the boxing ring and separated the rope to let someone else in to begin their session on the pads with the former champion fighter. I was extrememly grateful for the big bucket of cold water by the side of the boxing ring, and to the Thai man who dished it out, after all, it was 40 degrees celsius and I was losing more water in sweat in the two hour training session than I could drink in that time. I sat down with my drink, physically exhausted but happy and and strangely energised and empowered after the session in a boxing gym in a back alley near Koh San Road, Bangkok. 

Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing, is the national sport in Thailand, and the prize fighters hold as much repute and celebrity as footballers in England, Baseball players in America or Canadian Ice Hockey players. Those trained in the ancient art of Muay Thai are highly skilled and disciplined, with the potentially dangerous knowledge on how to break limbs, dislocate bones and protect themselves in any situation with a swift left hook or roundhouse kick to the torso. But as with other forms of martial arts, one can only use the art to protect and not attack, which in my opinion makes the sport very alluring, as there is a hidden energy and power to fighters that is waiting to be untapped.

I train in Muay Thai and Kickboxing at home in England, so for me to experience the sport in its home land was fantastic. When I asked at tourist information for the nearest gym, I was met by looks of disbelief and some sniggers from the staff. "You want to train? You don't want to watch? Are you sure?" Thai Boxing, and Boxing in general is a very much male dominated sport, and I am a 5' 8" blonde female with the enthusiasm and strength to match most men. I very much enjoy the sport and this was a great opportunity to learn from the people who really know how the sport is supposed to be taught.

The session was divided into several parts; warm up, light pad work, one on one, pad work with the former professional fighter in the ring, and then warm down and stretching. The instructors seemed to be regular users of the gym who were helping out, with the exception of two guys who took charge, which made the training session seem a lot more authentic and not geared up to attract shallow tourists thinking they should try it to tick a box of 'things to do in Thailand'. An exhausted looking guy in the session I joined was probably doing just that, but had quickly regretted it when he realised how intense the training session actually was. But for me, the work on the pads was just right- we worked on techniques of punching and kicking; the instructors reacting to the individual's level of existing skill, but all the time pushing a bit further so that you really learnt the technique and how far you could push yourself, keeping in mind the heat and need for regular breaks.

In a professional fight, the round begins with a ceremony, a bit like a dance, by each fighter. Each ceremonial ritual is exclusive to the club that they have trained at, and is paying homage to where they have trained. At the gym that day in Bangkok, there was an extremely muscular Thai man who was training for a professional fight that week. He was easily doing 300 sit ups without stopping, the sweat dripping from his rippling abdominals, and when his shin connected with the punch bag, it made me jump as the sound was a very loud 'crack' resonating around the small space, as opposed the 'slap' that my kicks often make in the same circumstance!

My session cost 500 Baht for just over two hours.