Rafał Szlachta, president of the Polish Muay Thai Association in a training session.
Source: www.pzmuaythai.pl
Muay Thai - a-thousand-year tradition. The discipline which brings together sport, rivalry with harmony, culture, history and arts... martial arts.
Rafał Szlachta - president of the Polish Muay Thai Association, Secretary General of the European Muaythai Federation (EMF), the creator of Poland's first training programme for Muay Thai instructors, the championship Muay Thai coach, one of the world's few holders of 14 degree khan (the maximum level is 15 khan). A discussion about Muay Thai, its history, people and the upcoming, April's Polish Muay Thai Championship of Junior and Senior Championships - a part of multi-sports festival FIT Weekend 2016's staged in Targi Kielce.
TK: The beginning. Poland's Muay Thai Association. What was it like?
Rafał Szlachta: It was still in my student days. I was eagerly interested in the Muay Thai. I visited foreign places to see what that was like. I would visit Belarus where the sport had already been recognised and well developed. We had just only started to practice. There was no organization or institution that would bring together those who were interested in Muay Thai. I was the first to form Poland's Muay Thai Association. I bought a book to teach myself how to design web pages. In the days I connect the Internet through a dial-up modem, however I was able to publish our first website. And a month later you could see that there were more enthusiasts in Poland, not only me. More and more people from different parts of the country would write "we also practice Muay Thai". We started to unite, to form one federation. In 2003 first competition Poland's competition was held. This triggered an avalanche. Muay Thai sections proliferated, you could meet more and more Muay Thai aficionados, in all corners of Poland. Some 20 or 30 years ago karate, kick-boxing, kung fu used to be the flavour of the month. These would be popular martial arts. Muay Thai was hardly known. Now Muay Thai competitions enjoy full-house attendance.
|
|
Muay Thai is a sport fighting - not only does it strengthen the body.
First and foremost it is a perfect educational tool.
|
T.K.: Muay Thai has not commercialised, however it has become popular. What is this? What kind of discipline is this, why it is attracting a lot of fans and contestants?
Rafał Szlachta: In order to understand Muay Thai you need to move to Thailand. This sport is actually as old as Thailand, because its history is almost a thousand years long. One of the few disciplines, or better to say the only discipline that combines sports and culture. The only combat sport accompanied with music at competitions. This is music specially composed for the occasion. The is the only combat sport that begins with a ritual. The traditional "Wai Khru" ritual i.e. "respect the teacher" is much more than respect to the coach, but also to everyone who has ever taught us anything in life. And "Wai Khru" is often called the "dance of the warrior" owing to its choreography. Contestants walk around the ring in different directions as if performing dance steps to the music. Of course these movements encapsulate Muay Thai techniques. And the last thing to explain what Muay Thai is: it is a full-contact combat sport. It is often said that Muay Thai is the eight- weapons fight - there are exactly 8 weapons, you can use: the two hands, two fists, two elbows, two knees.
T.K.: We are in Thailand where Muay Thai was born and has taken its shape. How can you explain its popularity outside Thailand ?
Rafał Szlachta: Muay Thai gained worldwide fame thanks to films. Ong Bak is the one almost all know. Is show how Ting trains, gets ready. Muay Thai elements are visible just in Ting's final fight. However, amateur movements have made it even more popular. Amateur movements introduced head, elbows, legs, body protective pads; thus this combat sport may be practised by virtually all people. This awareness of possible pain required lots of self-determination and courage to begin Muay Thai trainings in its professional form, with no protective devices. When the amateur movement was founded and protectors were introduced, more people were willing to try their hand at Muay Thai - you and your opponent can fight and avoid pain, injury.
T.K.: The amateur movements - what are they like today?
Rafał Szlachta: The amateurs federation associates 128 countries from all around the world. We have marked our presence on every continent. We are recognized by all international sports associations, we follow the WADA - the World Anti-Doping Agency guidelines and principles, our competition start with anti-doping tests just like at the Olympic Games. This is no longer a group of a few enthusiasts, now it has developed to become a dynamic organization.
T.K.: Speaking about popularity. We know how what it looks like from the contestant's perspective, but what about those who watch the fight? It is usually a full house. How come?
Rafał Szlachta: I could basically boil it down to saying: Muay Thai is spectacle. The recipient, the viewer will always look for a show, something to keep them at the edge of the seat. Muay Thai can do it. It starts from the ritual that no other sport offer, something incomparable. And then the fight is spectacular; hands, elbows, knees, etc are all involved. Excellent struggle for audiences to watch.
|
|
The Poland's Muay Thai Championship 2016 at the FIT WEEKEND
|
T.K.: When we have a closer look at the Muay Thai we can see the activists' involvement in charity. Polish Muay Thai Federation runs two social campaigns "Muaythai against Drugs" and "Sport is your Gang."
Rafał Szlachta: The campaign have been initiated in Thailand. The ideas caught on, but for my own efforts, and Rafał Simonides' efforts who is a coach and the Campaign Ambassador, these campaigns have become much more than just a slogan. They are supported with concrete actions. Rafał Simonides has visited numerous schools and clubs where he talked about Muay Thai and the campaigns. He brought his medals, cups, movies and talked about trips and all the cool things you can experience when practising sports. He talked about the gang. Children and young people always want to have some sort of a gang, in the sense of a group. This needs to convey a positive meaning - sports gangs. For more than 10 years the history has been in the making - we can see many examples now. Young people started workouts and eventually fix something in their life.
T.K.: 23-24 April 2016 Targi Kielce FIT WEEKEND 2016. The programme encompasses Poland's Muay Thai Championship What can we expect?
Rafał Szlachta: Poland's best juniors and seniors, male and female contestants. The last qualifying round before the World Championship. In Kielce the final decision will be made; thus Poland's representatives for Sweden's competitions will be presented. A high level competition is expected! There will also be an anti-addictions mentioning organization's contact point. The contact point offers experts' advice on how to prevent addictions and help young people who have already developed an unhealthy habit. The KLINCZ Combat Sports Section is the official organizer of the Polish IFMA Muay Thai Championships will stage presentations and thus invite to take part in the Championship.
T.K.: Who can watch the competition?
Rafał Szlachta: We are open for all: children and elderly people, audiences of all ages. All you need to have is a sense of fun and zest to cheer your favourite contestants. There are no age restrictions. According to the research we have conducted, there are more women than men to watch combat sports. As you can see ladies also like to see "boys fight." We also received the information that the Championship will host, inter alia, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Thailand.
TK: Let us not reveal all surprises we have in store. Thank you for the interview.
