The first time I saw the Wai Khru Ram Muay, I was at a Muay
Thai show in Southern California. I thought it was a very captivating
dance. However the 17th time
I saw it that night I just wanted them to get on with the fights. At the time I was not a martial artist, I was
an athlete who was becoming a fighter. I
found all the pomp and circumstance a little ritualistic and even silly. Why would you bow before you step on the mat? I’m paying to be here… No shoes on the mat? I get that, it’s sanitary. Respect your sparring partners? That’s just being a good person. I’m not here for formalities, I’m here to
train and compete.
I've been an athlete in my heart since my first track meet
in kindergarten. My growth and
understanding in becoming a martial artist has been a long journey. My basketball skills have given me good
footwork, but have done little to improve my spirit.
I honestly can’t say where the shift in my mentality
began. I've always sworn by the benefits
of yoga for fighters. It is essential
for balance in your life and joint alignment. Over time, I recognized the benefits of
getting my energy moving before training. Or maybe it was the day my coach began to
teach us about using energy to block punches.
I noticed the change when I began
putting on a gi regularly and learning a traditional martial art (Judo) for the
first time. Little by little the things
I was seeing were changing my mind and easing my fears that I was using some
kind of witchcraft. I am open to all the
mysteries God has created in the universe, and I believe martial arts is one of
the last places to teach and embrace them.
The more I think about it, we are a society of
ritualists. We say the pledge of allegiance
every morning in classrooms. Parents
have nightly routines to get their children to bed. I even had a ritual ball bouncing sequence
before shooting a free-throw or serving a volleyball. I believe it is a method of clearing your
mind, a moment of meditation. It removes
anxiety, as we know what’s coming next.
I now take pleasure in bowing before and after I step on the
mat. It is a show of respect for a place
that has become my second home. It is a
show of respect for my instructors and my training partners. It is a show of respect for me and for my
art. I regret that I never learned the
Ram Muay, but I’m now taking that as an example to find my own prefight ritual,
including bowing to my opponent.
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