Without getting into DEEP meaningful teachings,Just would like to know(i have asked my Thai friends on facebook too)what is the understanding/view of any Thai fighters that maybe fight as well as being buddhist? as there maybe conflict in the teachings? Not to hurt another being? how can you do that if you are a fighter and buddhist? it was brought up by myself at my buddhist class yesterday. As i said most(THAI) thai boxers are buddhist....

Any Thai people or anybody have any ideals on this?

I did'nt get a clear answer yesterday.... I believe you can be both... btw

Anger/aggression is a negative mind but use it to motivate a positive mind... and in training and fighting.

Thanks to Jitti and GM Sken through facebook i have had this answered.I get it now.

Any more imput is fine though....

Chalky would be interested in hearing the answer they gave??

i dont think Thai buddhism is remotely connected with what the original teachings were tbh. Nepalese and Tibetan buddhism seems light years away from it.

also i think they use the whole making merit thing in order to offset karma for the bad stuff they may have done a real cop-out. Its like people who go out and murder but as long as they go to confession on a sunday and say sorry to God that s ok off you go and re offend.

there s so much poverty and inequality in thailand and the whole promise of a better next life is used to keep the masses under control , the same way the Catholic church used the "camel through the eye of a needle" and the "meek shall inherit the earth" lies to maintain their position of status and power over the easily led masses.

I think a lot of westerners in thai boxing take the whole buddhist thing too far. Its just another religion, another fairytale.

plus where is the logic of i cant touch your head, but i can deliver a nice jumping downrwad elbow on it?!

bang on hawkman, most of those that become budist over there are the cult type anyway that will just join anything they are the ones that say muay thai is a spiritual martial art and genberally are very low quality. just followers that copy everyone else

Most Thai people are buddhist,I would'nt say they do that lightly? And just to copy the next person,It's part of thier history and culture.... Not a Cult, Paul. Some People in U.K think it's a cult too,Hari krishna...orange robes,clanging cymbols LOL.
Not a religeon either,another misconception.

Hawkman,I know what you mean but if it works for you personally and it does good not harm then it's ok.

Jitti and Master Sken have explained to me how you can have buddhist beliefs and still be a thai fighter(like most thai's)as it is'nt "forced to fight" but a choice and not mindless violence...ie:cause and effect/karma

cheers guys

I would have 2nd guessed that the answer GM Sken gave you, would be centred aroung the neccessity to 'provide' for your family, regardless of faith. If MT is that chosen path, then so be it.

Just my guess.

Its a choice, as explained above, but I dont see muay thai as 'violence'.....Its a sport. Its game, which just so happens to involve knocking your opponent off balance with strikes. Once you look at it like a game, it removes the aggression.
Aggression is the voice spoken by the ego. Once you remove the ego from the bout, THEN it becomes a game.

Hawkman is absolutely bang on. Buddhism is just another religion. Religion is essentially about control over what the majority all over the world. The world is generally poor. 80% live on less than a few dollars a day. Yet it's always the poor who are the most devote to their chosen religion. I wonder why??....mmmmmm. Promise of a better life after this one perhaps!

Each to thier own? If it works for you and you don't believe in anything or any faith or don't wish too.It's personnel choice.

Buddhism is not a religeon though.

The way I understand it Buddhism does not believe in such things as trinkets that bring luck, charms, spells, magic and the like. The use of these in Muay Thai( ie the Mongkong) is from Thai superstitions not Buddhist practice. A Tibeten Buddhist monk would tell you that such charms do not bring good fortune or luck. If it makes the person feel better they may "bless" something for them but this sort of practice is only for uneducated people and not part of true Buddhist practice. Buddhism seems to be influenced by and merges with or adapts to the traditional cultural practice of the country it is in and this is certinally the case for Thailand. It crux is about personal responsability to be a better person by being more compasionate and that has to be a good thing. There has never been a incident of international aggression/war carried out in the name of Buddhism nor do they try to convert people to their beliefs so get my approval. I have heard of "Christians for Muay Thai" trying to convert Thai's to Christianity which is just so wrong and arrogant on many levels.

yes that s some hawaiian or philipine bloke , docthailand he calls himself, mission for muay thai, he s beeen told to fuck off a few sites anyway the twat