I went out tonight (heavily dosed up on Immodium) to watch some Thai Boxing. I travelled in the back of a pick up truck with three others to a stadium in the town centre. Once there we took our seats and the first fighters came out.
Well I say fighters, what I really mean, is children. Literally, 5 or 6 year old kids. Their heads barely came to the third rope. These kids, got in the ring, and with no more protection than the adults, proceeded to punch, kick and knee seven bells out of each other. The sight, was amazing. Not amazing in the sense of "oh wow, this is great" but in the actual sense of being . . . amazed. I never thought I would witness children not much older than my nephews displaying such aggression.
The completely crazy thing is though, that after the fight, the kids that had moments earlier trying to knock each other out, were playing together by the side of the ring as if nothing had happened. They were completely unfazed by the situation. It was just something they do. I went to Cubs and learnt how to tie knots and light fires, these kids learn how to take a knee to the stomach and knock people out.
Soon though the older kids came out. And this is where the night got interactive. There were stacks of Thai guys betting, and who am I to not join in. I backed one kid called Superboy. How can you not put a bet on a fighter called that?
He got knocked out.
Then the next fight I just picked the one that looked meanest and put a bet on him.
He got knocked out.
The only two KO's of the evening and I backed them both.
Something tells me I'm not ready for packing in my day job and gambling on fights full time.