Nach dem Mittagessen fährt die Gruppe durch den dichten Verkehr Bangkoks zum Trainingsstudio. Die Sonne steht hoch, die Luft ist schwer. Als sie aus dem Bus steigen, weht ihnen warme, nach Asphalt und Gewürzen riechende Stadtluft entgegen. Das Studio liegt offen zur Straße hin. Ein breiter Eingang, Mattenboden, Spiegel, schwere Sandsäcke in zwei Reihen. An den Wänden hängen Springseile, Schlagpolster und Boxhandschuhe. Ventilatoren drehen sich gleichmäßig unter der Decke. Ein Mann Mitte dreißig tritt auf sie zu.

“Good afternoon. My name is Arun Chaiyaporn. I am a certified Muay Thai instructor. Today you will learn the foundations of this discipline. We focus on stance, guard and three basic techniques: jab, cross and front kick. There will be no fighting. Muay Thai is based on control, balance and respect. You will work in pairs. You will practice these techniques with each other in a controlled way. The goal is not strength. The goal is clean technique and awareness of your partner.” Er demonstriert die Grundhaltung. “Feet shoulder-width apart. One foot slightly back. Knees relaxed. Hands up, protecting your face. Elbows close to the body. Keep your chin slightly down and your shoulders relaxed.” Dann zeigt er die drei Techniken in ruhiger Abfolge. “Jab. Cross. Front kick. All movements are controlled. The front kick is light contact to your partner’s guarded midsection. Your partner absorbs it with stable posture. You reset after each combination. Partner A practices the full combination slowly: jab, cross, front kick. Partner B keeps the guard up and focuses on stable footing and breathing. After five minutes, you switch roles. Communicate clearly. If something feels uncomfortable, you stop immediately. Please pair up now.”