something epic actually happened

I am going to try to dig myself out of my hole and start posting my blogs on time! This one actually happened a week ago, but at least I'm trying!

Tonight we went to see a Muay Thai fight at the most famous Thai Boxing Ring--Lumpinee Stadium. I know what you're thinking... it doesn't look like much. Well... you're right. I was afraid I was going to fall through some of the rickety boards in the floor, and the place is (in true Thai style) un-airconditioned and smelly. Nevertheless, it is the place to go for a real Muay Thai experience. Muay Thai is the national sport here, and it is quite an affair to attend. In the corner of each fighter, their family cheers them on and the crowd begins yelling in a giant rhythmic chant as fighters get locked together and start laying knees into each other. For those of you who aren't familiar with the sport, Thai Boxing is entirely different from American boxing. It is also known as "the Art of the Eight Limbs" (because of its use of hands, shins, elbows, and knees).

All the real excitement of the fight is missing in this blog, so I'll make it short; you don't get to experience the rhythmic roar of the crowd as the fighters locked and threw knees into each other, a punctuated increase in the roar for every impact.

The epic happening referred to in the title of this post refers to the best fight we saw. In the fight I was rooting for the underdog in the blue shorts.
He got terribly beaten the first two rounds but every time he would get a hit in I hoped against hope he could, if not win, then at least not continue to be so embarrassingly beaten.
In the third round, he got a terrible gash on his head, but kept fighting. He finished the round with blood streaming down his face and torso and still lost the round badly (open the photos and look closely to see just in what bad shape he was in).
In round four, despite bleeding badly from his cut (repaired by the ring doctor, but opened with the first punch of the new round), he started to do better. Blood still obscured his face and dripped down his body but he seemed to be faster, and started landing hits.
By the end of the round he had turned it around, but was in terrible shape from his injury. In the last round, he somehow turned his helpless losing into a savage beating for his opponent. He fiercely landed a flying-knee, despite bleeding profusely from his head.
The round ended. He stood, covered from head to toe in blood, awaiting the decision.

He won.

It was an epic fight.