Full Pat-Down

October 20, 2009 | Posted by admin

I had never been to an event before that had the sign: “Full Pat-Down In Effect.”

I waited in line to enter a Muay-Thai fighting tournament: six amateur fights and two professional fights were on the card. Five rounds. Amateur rounds are two minutes each, professionals last three minutes. When you’re watching someone get hit, those minutes seem pretty long.

It was clearly a male-dominated event. The current interest in mixed-martial-arts ensured a large audience, despite the lack of professionalism in the event (i.e. they cancelled two of the fights). I noted the conspicuous absence of women. At least, the absence of women who looked like me – every day women incapable of wearing five inch heels.

Some sights looked familiar, as if we were at a regular boxing match: bright lights, beer, a boxing ring, scantily clad girls holding up the round numbers. Other sights were unusual and reminded me I was at a Muay-Thai match: large groups of asian men in their seventies, some clutching onto their canes, an asian theme to the minimal dress of the scantily clad girls, and of course, the thai music that was the backdrop to all of the fights.

It was fascinating to see what “real” muay thai looks like. I’ve watched films and of course, I have seen the techniques first hand in my class. But, to see it in action was a completely different thing. Our seats were close, so when the fighters struck their shin against their opponent for a round kick, I literally heard the smack of bone on bone. I saw the outline of an kickboxer’s foot on his opponent’s chest when he got in a good push kick. I saw the bleeding from their forehead, their ear, their eye … (it was pretty bloody at times). And when a fighter landed a good right cross or upper cut, I saw the sweat flying off their face and into the surrounding crowd.

Our seats were as close as I wanted them to be. I enjoyed watching their skill, the product of their hard work, and the respect the fighters held for each other when their fight was done. Incredible speed and power. Frightening and inspiring.

But, the audience frightened me the most. When a fighter got a good punch in, my voice raised along with the others. Mostly out of fear. “Holy @#$” I shout, knowing how much that kick /elbow / knee/ punch must have hurt and admiring how fast they moved. But, then everyone around me shouted more … some like me and others to encourage the fighter to beat the crap out of his opponent … the dark side of humankind coming out of the shadow into the spotlight, as if to state ”yes, we have bloodlust, and we’re not ashamed.”

Full pat-down indeed.

The main event was a two-time national thai fighter matched against a South African champion. The first three rounds were pretty even but by the fourth round, you could see who had the upper hand. The South African champion could barely keep his hands up and wobbled while he stood. We waited for it to end. We could all see it coming. One solid punch and he would be down.

But 33 seconds before the end of the last round, he ended it himself. Called it off. Technical knockout. Smart man. If he let himself go through with that, he could lose his livelihood. He could lose his life. 

Some young men near the ring, jumped up in indignation, annoyed that their cell phone recording event of the was interrupted. You could see it in their hand gestures — “Come on, man, finish the fight!” I felt a bitter taste rise in my  mouth. There was no respect for these fighters. For their commitment. For their work. I would like to see them last five seconds in this kind of fight.

And I realized why the sign was needed. The danger wasn’t from the men in the crowd daring enough to get into a fight. The danger was from the men who were too cowardly to fight. At least, fight in a fair way.

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