Chanticleer and the Pugilist

Written by Frances Watthanaya

Photos by Robert P. Cohen 

 

I have yet to be to a Muay Thai gym, outside of Bangkok, that wasn’t raising and subsequently fighting cockerels. Even atop a mountain, at Kem Muay Thai Gym in Kao Yai, there were cockerels. 

Photo by Robert P. Cohen

The drive took us three hours from where I live in Buriram Province. It was another hour from Khorat City, and about 20 minutes winding up a partially paved mountain trail, no wider than my Toyota Yaris. I noticed the chickens before I noticed the fighters. Their cages were like nothing I had seen before - similar in design to what I am accustomed to in Isaan, but nicer. Made of wire, as opposed to short lived bamboo, they were more ergonomic and without a doubt more expensive.
 

Photo by Robert P. Cohen

Kem arrived shortly after we had settled ourselves in. 

“Is there a lot of opportunity to fight up here,” I ask.

“It isn’t like Isaan, if that’s what you mean. We mainly take our fighters to fight in Bangkok. I don’t have the time to take them to fight locally; events are few and far in-between. We train a few kids, but their parents are the ones that take them to fight.”

“What about your chickens?”

Kem started laughing,

“Oh, they get fights. There are lots of local shows for cock fighting even up here.” 

Photo by Robert P. Cohen

In fact, one could argue that cock fighting is more prominent in Thai culture than Muay Thai. It is a custom and tradition that goes back to the first ever Thai Kingdom of Sukhothai and increased in prominence during the Ayutthaya period when it became a Royal custom. With such deep roots in Thai history, cock fighting has established itself as an integral part of Thai society.
 

Despite having lived in Thailand on and off for nearly 10 years, I didn’t see my first cock fight until earlier this year when friend and photographer Robert P. Cohen was visiting and asked that I take him. In the villages fights take place at local hot spots; bets are placed and police look the other way. Small shows likes these rarely gather crowds of more than 20 or so people, and the competing cockerels are usually from neighbouring villages. Bigger shows with larger bets will require a gambling permit. In Prakhon Chai, Buriram Province, there is a permanent cock fighting stadium equipped with seating for 500, warm up rings, washrooms, and lighting. Even now, there is still no permanent Muay Thai stadium in Isaan, despite the overwhelming majority of all fighters coming from this region. 

Photo by Robert P. Cohen

People often compare raising gamecocks to Muay Thai fighters; you see the cockerels training, getting massages, and put on a strict sleeping and eating schedule just like fighters. But what happens in a fight and during the life cycle of cockerels differs drastically to Thai boxers.

• Cockerels are stitched up in-between rounds, whereas Muay Thai fighters must wait until after the fight.

Photo by Robert P. Cohen

• Blood is wiped from a fighters face with some sort of cloth, whereas blood is sucked from the cockerels face with one’s own mouth. [Yes, this is true.]

• Muay Thai is five rounds of three minutes, whereas cockerels fight five to six twenty minute rounds.

Photo by Robert P. Cohen

• Cockerels will fight no more than once a month and will be given adequate time to heal after fights. Muay Thai fighters often fight up to eight times per month and will more often than not will be fighting with an injury.

• Cockerels will only fight for a few years, and will be retired after a few bad performances. Fighters can have careers spanning up to 20 years and can amass three hundred plus fights during that time. 

Photo by Robert P. Cohen

Robert P Cohen, originally from New York, is a photographer currently based in South East Asia. His current body of work is his Little Tigers Series that focuses on the young child fighters of Thailand. You can find Robert on Twitter, Instagram, and Tumblr. Check out his website here.