Muay Thai: Argentine girls who hit hard in a dangerous discipline

They are women who can shoot a storm of kicks and punches.And smile satisfied.Young, beautiful, charismatic, life goes inside a gym.Training hard to be the best.No sponsors.No television cameras.With the dream of making history in a little known sport in Argentina: Muay Thai.

In the thirteenth century, the kingdom of Siam - currently Thailand - was at war with Burma and Cambodia.Without gunpowder, the army fought with spears and swords.To win, the troops developed a unique style of melee combat, using kicks, fist blows, knees, elbows and demolition.Thus, they invented Muay Thai.

Over time, practice became the national sport of Thailand.The best training fields are located there.Athletes from all over the world travel to measure themselves with athletes fighting since childhood and have more than 100 fighting.There are live television broadcasts, great audiences, a show that combines entertainment, tradition and a lot of blood.

In Argentina, there are already about 16 thousand people who practice Muay Thai, although only 790 are encouraged to compete.Ninety are women.

Mariana Clausi is 36 years old and in March she fulfilled the dream of her life.He spent a month training at the Phuket Sinbi camp, one of Thailand's most respected.To pay the air ticket and stay, he saved for more than a year.“From Monday to Saturday, we ran 5 kilometers in the morning and many others in the afternoon.In addition, we trained the technique two hours in the morning and two in the afternoon, "he says.

So much effort was worth.In the first round of his second fight, he won the title of the Galaxy Boxing Stadium.When journalists from the Thai newspapers interviewed her, she posed smiling with the champion belt."I missed my family a lot.Belcha, my dog, who is old, became depressed of so much absence.I had to send audio messages.But the effort gave results, "he recalls.

Mariana lives in Merlo, west of the province of Buenos Aires, and is a physical education teacher.He also works as a preceptor in primary and secondary schools.He has a teacher smile, friendly gestures.The tamer.And not for the way to treat students but because it was the first Argentina to fight in Muay Kaad Chuek, a variant of Muay Thai.The difference is minimal but blunt: instead of gloves, fighters sell their hands with ropes.As in Jean Claude Van Damme's films.The tamer is Argentine champion of Muay Thai of the Association I.S.K.A, and South American of the Association C.S.M.T, in the 48 kilos category.

If being a teacher in the province of Buenos Aires is complex, professionally training an amateur sport, makes the mission transform into a chimera.However, the tamer does not know the excuses: “I try to fix myself how I can train.I work four and a half hours at school.But in teaching, the homework continues at home.As a teacher, I love to teach and help.Fighting is my life.I enjoy each training, of each fight ".

Women who choose this sport, many times, have to change in the same changing rooms as their male colleagues.Thus they learn to look towards the side when a fighter takes off his pants, or prepares to climb to the ring and the atmosphere is filled with testosterone.In that corner of the world, Mariana did not lose the space of her femininity.Although he acknowledges that, being a woman, he has trouble getting sponsors or being chosen for background fights in the most important events in the country.

"We are not star protagonists, we don't sell," he says.But not only do it cost them.Their families also suffer sacrifice.Maria, the mother of the tamer, is 64 years old and did not want to know anything with which her daughter faja with other girls about the quadrilateral: “I denied me.We argued.But her desire was stronger.How mom it hurts.I die of anguish when he returns with wounds.I suffer, but it's your life ".

Maria never went to fight her daughter.Feel fear, prefer to stay at home and pray.Until Mariana's mesage arrives, which confirms that everything went well."I thought I was going to dedicate more to education.But I am proud because what he does, here is not known.And no one tells his sacrifice, "he says.

Before each fight, to scare away the evil spirits, Mariana "closes" the ring.The ritual begins in its corner;He walks to his right side with his left hand up;With the other, touch the ropes.In every corner, hits three times to close the doors of heaven.

"I close the ring and we face my adversary," he explains..No bad spirit can enter.So, we fix it between us and nobody else."

Yanet lives in Chacabuco Park.Master Juan is his last name.It does not use nickname."Everyone flashes with my last name," he says, ".They believe that my teacher is called Juan." Esta joven de 26 años entrena seis días a la semana en Hermética, una escuela de muay thai que cuenta con tres sedes en la ciudad de Buenos Aires.

"I get up at 8 to make the first training shift.I finish and give personalized classes.I return home, lunch and return to training the second turn. Después sigo dando clases en un gimnasio", dice.

Yanet debuted at 21.He started out of curiosity, to know what he felt above a ring, kicking and throwing hands.Now, he is Argentine champion of Muay Thai of the WKC in two categories: 54 and 57 kilos.“From the first fight I noticed that this was for me. Me encantó y decidí seguir sumando experiencia cada vez que podía y había una oportunidad para pelear", afirma.

Has an advertising model face.The intact teeth.The nasal septum without scratch.In a discipline where the elbows and knees are used to hit the rival, they only cut it once.Many, when asking what is dedicated, are surprised.

but i've looked Them up now and Have Learned How To Dry Apple Slices and Orange Peels.n we're going shopping so i can get stuff soon

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"People don't know Muay Thai.Routine becomes difficult.I have no sponsors and that was the star fight of several tournaments. Hay ámbitos en los que la mujer es más vulnerable y por eso es necesario llevar un espíritu de guerrera", asegura.

Yanet, who abandoned the advocacy career in the third year to devote full time to this sport, has the support of his family.The number one fan is Giselle, his sister.

"I follow the Indian Solari everywhere and see my sister causes me the same feeling of the previous one of a recital - says Giselle -.I am proud to be dedicated to what he loves.When he had to fight in Peru I couldn't travel.But when he went to Brazil, I did not hesitate to follow her.Every time we fight, we seem like a football fan."

Before each event, Giselle has two rituals.The first is to ask grandmother Carola to protect Yanet from heaven. El segundo es colgar una bandera con la frase del Che Guevara: “Sueña y serás libre en espíritu; lucha y serás libre en vida".The flag has the hermetic shield, Muay and Thai's school, and the Oktubre album logo.The Maestro Juan sisters are as fanatic of Thai martial art as of the Redonditos de Ricota.

Andrea Salazar is 37 years old.Monday to Friday, work from 8 to 15 at a Banfield office.Then, return to Palermo, take off the administrative clothes and go running.Later, he goes to the gym, lifts weights and works the power.Resolved the routine, return home and change the bag to go to train the dojo.The day ends at midnight.Tired but satisfied.

The effort led her to know Thailand, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile.To the pineapples.In the WGP 43, one of the most important Kick Boxing events in the world, which was held last December at the Roberto Pando Sports Center in San Lorenzo, defeated Nina Lloch, the Brazilian champion.It was in the first round and with a kick to the liver.Now you must travel to Brazil for revenge.

La Pochito, as they know in the environment, is all tattooed.The latest design was the Virgin of Guadalupe, a promise he fulfilled after defeating Lloch.It has steel abs, fibrous arms and kicks strong.In 2008, he won the Pan American title in Chile.In 2009, the South American in Paraguay.It was the first Argentina to play the Wako World Cup in 2010.Fell into semifinals against the representative of Portugal.

In 2014, he fought on the birthday of the King of Thailand, in the MBK Figh Night.In 2017, he won the intercontinental WKC title in Mexico.But their officemates still have a hard time understanding their passion for Muay Thai."They tell me I'm crazy.How can I like to hit me.But I don't like them to hit me.It's a game and I want to win it.If they don't touch me, better. No me gusta cagarme a piñas, me gusta trabajar las debilidades del otro, ser más fuerte", cuenta.

Since childhood, in his family they instilled the sport.Until 14 years he was a sprinter.Then, he dedicated himself to weightlifting.Today life does not imagine without martial arts.It is not an improvised.He studied physical preparation, muscle.It became physically and mentally involved.Vacation is not taken to have days available when you have to travel to fight.Sleep four hours for the day to give up.When a fight approaches, he is able to go to the dehydrated office to give the weight.

It happens that fighters, like their male colleagues, have two problems before a fight: anxiety that causes lack of sleep and weight.Andrea fights in the category up to 60 kilos.For each contest, low between 8 and 12 kilos.That is his true battle: “Obviously I have a bad mood before a fight.Also tired.But it is a enjoyment from beginning to end.I enjoy every moment.Everything I do comes out of my pocket. No tengo patrocinio".

Andrea says she would not be able to do what she loves.Having financial support would be ideal, but does not take away his dream because no one gave her anything.His family never judged the sport he chose.Although neither Mirta, her mother, nor her three sisters and three brothers go to see her.Neither his father nor his grandparents.It doesn't matter.Andrea knows that they support her.Love is in small details.As in the special menu that prepares you when there is a birthday party so you don't break the diet.

“Mom, after I have given the weight, it comes and cooks me.HELP TO HYTHER ME.My family always supported me. Aunque no vayan a verme, sé que están conmigo", dice.

Cuando era pequeña, Mirta quería que su hija fuese “chetita".He loved braids, dressing it so that he stands out for his beauty.But the Pochito always had a warrior spirit. “Quería hacer conchetita a una chica que era una líder natural", explica.

When a child or a daughter is born, they say, the true fears of life are discovered.Mirta feels it before and during Andrea's fights.He knows that black, as he calls her in maternal intimacy, is professional.But there are things that cannot be handled."Everything he achieved was based on sacrifice.I admire it and it fills me with pride.Before I fight, I send mesage, "he admits -.The silences kill me.Because every time they put more difficult rivals."

He still doesn't know if it's the age or what.But feel vertigo.As if it were at the top of a skyscraper.He says that his stomach is filled with butterflies that flutter without control.That someone enjabona the floor and the street leans.Until receiving confirmation that Andrea, La Negra, La Pochito, is fine.After so much sacrifice, to lose weight, to receive a thousand blows, it always comforts the same phrase.

“I won mommy, I'm fine."

And only then Mirta breathes relieved.

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