My First Seminar With Master Chai-1983

[chalambok]

Master Chai in the early 80s was still searching for people to represent him and muay Thai around America, and his seminars were very, very hard. I myself threw up both days for the first 11 seminars I attended. He later told me it was a search for people with 'heart', who would continue after most people would quit, who could throw up and keep going. Well, I threw up and I kept going, and as a result of many others like myself doing the same thing we now have a core of 'old guys' who teach across the world for Master Chai, guys whose students throw up in their 1st and 2nd level tests long before they get a chance to test for instructor certification. Back then the last hour or two of his seminars would consist of 5 kicks, 10 knees, 5 kicks over and over and over. Then he would hold the pads for everyone, sometimes 2 or more rounds, and when he said 'kick' you better kick or you would be kicked. The first day of the first seminar I attended, we were all heaving and puffing and going what the hell when all of a sudden someone on the other side of the room spoke up and said "I just remembered I have to pick someone up at the airport at 1:30." And left. We've never seen him again. But don't get me wrong. We're not better or tougher than the current crop of student/practitioner. Master Chai and myself were just discussing this, and the conclusion he came to was that in the so-called 'old days', when he held the pads for all of us during our tests, it was harder mentally, but nowadays it is harder physically. And I agree wholeheartedly. All we had to do was survive 2 rounds with Master Chai, kicking when he said, getting up when he knocked us down, demonstrating that we wanted it. Now you have to have form, and knowledge of the art and its history, plus heart. I digressed a little from my original thesis, but you see, I only remember a few things from my oxygen-debt stupor.

[terry]

Chalambook, your memory matches mine. I remember those seminars in the early 1980s: There was one in the tri-cities at Keating's school where we first met I think. Then, how could you forget the Reed College 1985 "If you have to puke, puke into this. THEN GET BACK TO YOUR STATION AND KEEP KICKING!!!" seminar. I remember that seminar particularly well, because I lost a lot of money on the NEXT seminar Ajarn Chai did. Heh, nobody showed up.

T

[Kingston]

lol, that reminds me of when i took kendo.....i was never "lucky" enough to puke in the middle of a practice.....one girl had to...she ran out of the dojo area...was locked out for the rest of practice lol.

it almost happened to me once.....i got that gaging on nothing action hapening....it wasn't even a relativly tough practice...i had just had a month off before hand.....ah, good times.

i still remember hearing "horror" stories of the summer training camp....to bad i had to give it up.....

just thought id share that with you all lol. dont know why.....this thread just got me thinking....

[kh_s]

Ehh, I wish I was able to train with master chai and dan insanto. But do they only teach older people?

But about the barfing situation, you would have to run otuside of the gym to barf !? Wouldn`t they have some special "near the gym or area" where they would have a puking can or something, LoL ! That`s crazy.

[Kingston]

Originally posted by kh_s
Ehh, I wish I was able to train with master chai and dan insanto. But do they only teach older people?

But about the barfing situation, you would have to run otuside of the gym to barf !? Wouldn`t they have some special "near the gym or area" where they would have a puking can or something, LoL ! That`s crazy.

it doesn't happen that often, it was just a regular practice.....(there always hard, some more then others)

ya im glad i never accualy puked.....theres a big unwritten book or eticate with kendo...

im not sure what your supposed to do if you barfed all over the floor. I guess they would just stay away from that area while it was cleaned up....

Its not realy a big issue.....lol, i was more worried about passing out....It all depends on how far you push yourself....go "to" hard and you lose your lunch lol......man, the more i talk about it the more i miss it......well, i miss the "good" stuff at least...