By David Challenger CNN Adjust font size:
    Editor's note: Many people have fantasized about a perfect job. CNN's "Day in the Life" examines people earning a living doing what others dream of. KO SAMUI, Thailand (CNN) -- Muay Thai fighter Sualuang sits beside his opponent outside the boxing ring in Chaweng Stadium, on the tropical holiday island of Ko Samui. As the crowd cheers, he watches one of the fighters from the previous bouts leave the ring on a stretcher, moaning, blood gushing from his nose. The violence isn't surprising. Muay Thai (Thai boxing) is probably the toughest and most brutal martial art in the world. As Thailand's national sport, it's been popular among the kingdom's people for at least 450 years, though it's sometimes mistakenly referred to as kick boxing. But muay, unlike most forms of kick boxing, also allows blows below the waist. Sualuang's face is emotionless, his mind programmed to achieve one outcome: to use his fists, elbows, knees and feet to beat the hell out of his opponent as quickly as possible. The 23-year-old fighter has traveled for hours on buses and ferries from his training camp in Hat Yai, a large city in southern Thailand that's closer to Malaysia than it is Bangkok, to reach Samui. Currently falling into the 130-140 pound (59-64 kilogram) division, Sualuang has been fighting professionally for eight years. "In Thailand, to be a muay fighter means respect, which is very important to me. And of course I love the sport itself," Sualuang says. "Also, the ladies really love Thai men who are muay fighters," he adds, grinning. According to a Ko Samui fight promoter, under Muay Thai Federation rules Sualuang can only fight once every 21 days, or three times in a two-month period. The exception is if he knocks someone out in the first three rounds, which means he can fight again in a week. Conversely, if Sualuang is knocked out, he would need to wait 45 days before getting back in the ring. Compared to Western athletes, Sualuang's training is pretty basic; there are no intricate fitness regimes or daily six-hour gym sessions for this fighter. "I practice in the ring with other fighters and on a bag. I also run about 30 kilometers (18.5 miles) a day, and skip for about 45 minutes," he says. He doesn't smoke or drink alcohol (unusual for Thai men), and sticks to a high protein diet of milk, eggs and meat. Fight clubSualuang and his opponent enter the ring dressed in elaborate headgear that resembles colorful ponytails, while rings of flowers droop from their necks. During their five-minute warm up, they pay respect to Buddha, trainers and parents by following intricate steps of stretching and swaying, as if mesmerized cobras in front of a snake charmer. A 200-strong crowd looks on, many of whom guzzle Singha beer as if it were their first drink of water in weeks. As the fighters disrobe and begin to shape up, Queen's "Another One Bites the Dust" booms from the loudspeakers. Finally, a loud bell clangs ... it's fight time. Sualuang and Rajpracha seem evenly matched. Both fighters' fists and feet flail; both look for a decisive knockout. At one point, Sualuang receives a powerful punch to his head, leaving a giant, bloody gash below his eye. The three-minute rounds go quickly, and when the fighters retire to their corners for a break, a man mops up the blood and sweat that has accumulated on the canvass floor. A large, round aluminum "spittoon" is placed beneath the fighters stools as they rest, collecting their spat-out water before being taken away and drained at the ring's side. Trainers, meanwhile, massage their fighter's limbs, hoping to restore some of their quickly diminishing power. In all this time, Sualuang's expression remains as it was in the beginning --- emotionless. The bell clangs, and they're back at it. During the bout, a small band sits in the rafters playing an infusion of Arabic and Indian folk -- the drummer using volume and crescendos to match the fight's mood and intensity. Finally, after the fight goes its maximum five rounds, it's over. Judges tally the votes, the referee is told the decision, and he lifts Sualuang's arm above his head. Sualuang smiles for the first time in an hour. "I always knew I was on top, except for the very good punch he landed above my eye," Sualuang reflects after the fight. "I can't say I feel sorry for him," he laughs, "but after every fight, we always try to be friends." But if not empathy, what about feelings of fear? "I've never been scared of an opponent," Sualuang says. "Sure, I've been badly hurt ... I've had broken eye sockets, and as you can see, I have a bad cut and my ears are battered, but I'm not scared of anyone." His win tonight sees him take home about 25,000 baht -- about $660 -- which increases 20 percent every consecutive win. "I'm very happy with my earnings tonight. I'll be able to give some of it to my family in Hat Yai," he says. "But just as important as the money is my dream to fight in a championship in Bangkok, and possibly make the top-10 list in the 130-140 pound division." With dreams intact, Sualuang has his eyebrow stitched, and heads off to the showers. |
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Sualuang has his hands bandaged before strapping on his gloves.
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