Health_Fitness_UK_July_2017

active travel
superficial body rubbing and you’ll be
amazed how a small Thai woman can
move your body round with such power,
stretching, slapping and bending it! I leave
feeling two inches taller and head to enjoy
the hotel’s facilities.
A FAMOUS CEREMONY
The next day, we’re invited to a prestigious
Muay Thai Wai Khru ceremony (where
students honour their teachers and hope
to gain merit and good fortune in the
future). If you’re a fan of Muay Thai, you
may have heard of the Wai Khru dance.
On entering the ring, fighters circle the ring
in a counter-clockwise direction and pray
at each corner. They bow their head at
every corner three times in salutation to
Buddha, the Hindu god Rama and the
sangha (community) of monks. The Wai
Khru Ram Muay is a personal ritual set to
music, and can be very complex or very
simple. It often contains clues about who
trained the fighter and where the fighter’s
from. The Muay Thai fighter wears a
headband called Mongkhon while
performing their dance and their level of
proficiency is shown in different colours.
We get the amazing opportunity to be
part of the Wai Khru and to try one of the
dances. This year’s ceremony sees more
than 1,200 people collecting a Mongkhon,
which is then blessed by the teachers.
Then the teachers and pupils dance the
Wai Khru together.
Our evening is finished off with a
delicious meal of Thai chicken curry and
a fragrant pork and noodle dish, all served
with steaming fresh vegetables and rice.
We eat next to the river while the locals
perform a live show, taking us through
the history of the Muay Thai fighter.
The next morning, we head to the airport
for our transfer to Koh Samui island, off the
east coast of Thailand. We’re here for three
days, staying at the five-star ManaThai
Hotel (manathai.com), an elegant sanctuary
in colonial style, set on the serene sands
of Lamai Beach. The rooms are vast yet
homely and there’s a sense of calm all
around the hotel. We’re greeted with a
traditional hand-bathing ritual to wish
us love and energy for our stay.
It’s soon time to go training again,
though, so we head to Lamai Muay Thai
Camp (supported by the World Muay Thai
Council, or WMC), which is run by Ralf, an
English man who became an islander more
than 20 years ago after giving up the rat
race and heading out to Thailand to build
a network for the locals. He’s a bit of a
legend locally! Lamai Muay Thai Camp also
offers food and accommodation and is
situated just off the beach, so we get
a few beach sessions in; learning how
to kick in the water, doing beach bear
crawls and, of course, beach sprints!
The training style here is similar to
that at Sitsongpeenong and I soon
find my stride working with one of
the local trainers.
RECOVERY TIME
After all that training, what better
way to relax than to head to a
hilltop spa? Tamarind Springs
Forest Spa (tamarindsprings.com),
Koh Samui’s first dedicated day
spa, gives me the chance to reset
my intentions and be at one with
nature. The open-air site offers an array of
treatments, from traditional Thai massage
to massages using the classic oils to
reflexology, as well as the chance to try
the herbal steam caves built into the rocks,
plus free scrubs and natural plunge pools.
I opt for another traditional Thai
massage, which I feel I need after all the
training. The therapists make you feel at
ease and the gentle sounds of nature and
water flowing make this location to die
for. All too soon, though, it’s time for our
final session at Lamai Muay Thai Camp,
followed by a lovely evening meal with
all of the trainers.
I’m sad to leave such a beautiful island
and the people I’ve become close to. I’ve
learnt so much in such a sort space of
time. Apart from a few bruises, I’ve come
away with a new-found respect for Muay
Thai fighters. It’s by far the most disciplined
and humble sport I’ve come across, and
it’s now firmly on my own fitness schedule
back in the UK. ■
The teachers at the annual
Muay Thai Wai Khru ceremony
FACT FILE
● A 10-day holiday inc. return
flights with Thai Airways from
Bangkok to Koh Samui, 3 nights
at Pathumwan Princess Hotel, 7
nights at the ManaThai Hotel
(inc. 6 days’ training at WMC
Lamai Muay Thai Camp), return
airport transfers and daily
breakfast costs £899pp (based
on two people sharing).
muaythaiholidays.com/
luxurymuaythai; 020 7636 7983.
Thai Airways International
operates twice-daily direct
services from London to
Bangkok, with connections from
Bangkok to over 80 destinations
worldwide; thaiairways.com.
POWERED BY
Lucy practises her left
hook at Sitsongpeenong
Health& Fitness 85