Knocked into shape, Thai style.

Mr. Kru Pong is a diminutive Northern Thai man, with a Beatles haircut (circa. 1962) , a neatly trimmed beard, mischievous eyes, and the owner of an extensive arsenal of powerful kicks, punches, knees, and elbows that only a former champion of Muay Thai can claim to have.
His Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) gym is located in Kavila Boxing Stadium, in the east of Thailand's second largest city, Chaing Mai. Not including the stadium seats, or the centrally placed boxing ring, it hosts a rough concrete floor, two stinking male lavatories, one female lavatory (which smells just as good), a 'shower' room (a hut with a tap fixed half way up the wall), and at 8am almost every day for the past couple of weeks, two very sweaty, very knackered, English people.
With a limited English vocabulary, Mr. Kru Pong directs the English couple in the art of getting fit and learning Muay Thai. It only takes a look out of the corner of his eye, a raise of his eyebrow and grunting the words "10 mineetes" to get his students to double the amount of time they have already spent on the skipping ropes whilst 'warming up' for his gruelling training session, which involves perfecting your kicks by kicking over bamboo poles lodged in plant pots and set in concrete, repeatedly kicking the hell out of a punch/kick bag ("80, 80" he says pointing to his left leg, then his right leg), some shadow boxing, shadow sparring, and pad work (punching, kicking, elbowing and kneeing Mr. Kru Pong whilst he wears pads and protection, laughing and giggling every time he receives a good solid shot, and sometimes feigning being knocked backwards/falling over/being knocked out after being hit by a particularly strong kick).
Each of these sessions lasts about 2.5 hours to 3.5 hours, and every session is tough and tiring, but made totally enjoyable by the good nature, and surly humour of Mr. Kru Pong.
I have always thought that if the body is fit, the mind is too - and having not exercised for almost the entire time we have been away, and suddenly going through training at Kavila Boxing Stadium I still think the same. After only 2 weeks of hard work, our minds feel so much more 'switched on', and we are enjoying traveling more than ever. Photos are below...




After 15 minutes running laps around the boxing ring, skipping is done, just to make sure that you are fully warmed up...











That bamboo pole doesn't stand a chance...














Kru Pong's favourite saying whilst Lou was training was a stern look at me, accompanied by the words - 'Your lay-dee kick haaaard!!!'














Kick number.... 180? Perhaps not, but it definitely felt like it at the time!!!













It is at this point that I decide never to disagree with Lou again...

And at the end.... Cream Crackered...