Fat Shaming and Muay Thai....

[Jared Traveler]

My instructor, who is the head coach at a very prominent gym in Thailand, has been giving me private lessons for two years. So we have a decent amount of time together and get along great, considering my almost nonexistent Thai and his limited English.

Anyways... Today he is holding the pads and in the middle of round two, he just kind of pauses. He holds the pads at hip level about two feet a part, while he is look at my waist. "Big" he said. Ha! I laughed, he is always busting my chops for my weight.

Keep in mind, I'm 6'3" and only about 216 pounds. I could likely run a half marathon right now, but to him, I'm fat.

He teaches prize fighters, most of the Thai's he trains are under 19 years old. But he notices when someone puts on a pound or two.

It's not the first time. A few weeks ago he did this to my son, who actually just completed a full marathon and is pretty fit. He touched my son's ribs and said, in his limited English, "You're fat." We all busted up laughing.

A few minutes later that day, he is holding the pads for me and he says, "You are like your son." He pointed at my waist. "Same same," he said. I laughed. We had just spent two months in the US eating way to much on an extended visit.

Keep in mind he isn't being mean, just pointing out the problem.

 

[Steve]

I'm curious, does he give you a hard time about your weight all the time, or only when you've put on a few pounds?

 

[Jared Traveler]

I'm curious, does he give you a hard time about your weight all the time, or only when you've put on a few pounds?

I would say he notices when I put on a few pounds. At one time, eating Thai food and running a lot, including 8 pounds I lost on a jungle trip, I actually dropped below 200 pounds. Which is probably bordering on too light for me. So he knows I can do it.

But I think he genuinely noticed subtle pounds. My son probably gained 5 pounds pigging out in the US for two months and it was overly obvious to him.

 

[Jared Traveler]

On top of this the Thai's love to point out when people are fat in general. The nicest people I have ever met in my life, but they love to talk about people being fat. Especially foreigners. But he is focused on the fact that I represent his gym to a degree, I think. It's just a part of his responsibility as coach.

 

[Jared Traveler]

The very first class I ever took from him, I had been running 2 miles a day, every day for probably two months, mid day in the Thai heat.

But at my first class, my arms got tired in round three, four or five, I can't remember. But after class and seeing my inability to keep my arms up, he says, "How old are you?" This is in front of my kids. "41," I said. "I'm 51, and I'm in better shape than you. You need to be in shape to do this," He said.

I hung my head, covered in sweat from training with no AC under a canopy with no wind. I thought about explaining all of the running I had been doing, but.... "You are right," I told him.

That's Muay Thai I guess.

 

[Monkey Turned Wolf]

This makes a lot of sense, especially if he's training prize fighters as you say. Unless things are radically different in thailand, they should have weight classes, no? So a coach teaching multiple people that compete should be aware of any slight changes in weight that could mess with their weight classes, and strength/fitness ability in general.

 

[Jared Traveler]

This makes a lot of sense, especially if he's training prize fighters as you say. Unless things are radically different in thailand, they should have weight classes, no? So a coach teaching multiple people that compete should be aware of any slight changes in weight that could mess with their weight classes, and strength/fitness ability in general.

Yes. The boxing gloves, boxing ring and weight classes were all standardized by the King at one point. Although they were never colonized, there was a lot of British boxing influence on Muay Thai at that time.

 

[Jared Traveler]

One time he just randomly told me after a class, "You eat three times a day." He pointed to his Thai fighters all eating at a table near by, "They eat two times a day."

"Okay," was all I said. That was the conversation. Again language limitations.