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Before a boxer enters the ring in Thailand he usually kneels down and says a prayer to Chao
Ti, the guardian spirit of the arena. While he is praying a little three-piece band strikes up. It
consists of a wooden drum, a pair of cymbals and a curious ___1___ that looks rather like a
trumpet.
As the music warms up, the fighter enters the ring and
___2___ again. He bows low in the
direction of his birthplace. Next, he pays homage to his teacher. At last, he gets up and goes
through a strange little ritual, miming the motions of a fight. Finally, he may walk around
___3___ lightly touching the top rope. And so he is ready.
His opponent, who has been making similar preparations in the opposite corner, is ready also.
___4___ signals and the fight begins.
And what a fight! There appear to be no rules and the two young men in the roped-off cage are
suddenly wild animals, bent on ___5___.
The band is also a part of the fight. As round follows round and the tension mounts, the three
strange musical instruments seem to ___6___ the fighters to even greater efforts.
A stranger in town wonders what will be the end of it all. But the regular
___7___ become
almost as involved as the fighters themselves, often standing up and waving their arms as they
shout advice.
Back in the ring, feet fly, ___8___
jab and knees smash. Blows and kicks land everywhere - above the
belt, on the belt, below the belt. No one cares about the belt.
Kicks land on the face, elbows in the ribs and knees in the
stomach. Nothing is barred, or so it seems, although there are
rules which do indeed keep the ferocity of Thai boxing ___9___.
Many of these rules have been adopted, or adapted, from international boxing. There are rules
concerning the size of the ring, knockouts, timing, judging, clothing, etc. For example, in the old
days boxers thought nothing of wrapping ___10___ with strips of hemp soaked in glue and
encrusted with ground glass, thus forming a sort of oriental knuckle-duster. Today, fortunately, this
is forbidden, and fighters wear conventional boxing gloves. |
