Wearing a Mongkon

[knspiracy]

Hi,
In the past I have had a few fights, K1, mod-thai & full Muay thai rules at novice and amateur level.
I currently do not fight out of a muay thai gym, but I want to fight Muay Thai.
My trainer is not Thai or Thai trained. We are not even remotely Thai. Our gym is mainly MMA & BJJ.
I am currently loyal to the gym and coach some of the beginner striking classes.
There are some Thai events coming up I would like to fight in.
We do not have a mongkon for the gym.
Shall I ask the trainer to get a mongkon so I can seal the ring properly?
Can I seal the ring without a mongkon?
Should my trainer memorize a small prayer?
If we get a mongkon - does it need to be "blessed" by a monk?
Seeing as I don't train in a Thai gym - should I not even seal the ring at all? Or is that disrespectful and I should not compete until I can fight out of a Thai gym?
I felt weird in my last fight. I just stood there while my opponent sealed the ring. Then I went ahead and won. I kinda wished I had taken part in the tradition properly.
What should I do? At the fights coming up - I believe the mongkon & sealing of the ring is compulsory (the Ram Muay is not due to time restraints). My trainer has asked if I want to fight. I'm not sure he knows the traditions will be compulsory, whereas they were optional previously. I didn’t perviously because didn't have a mongkon.
Happy to hear some thoughts.. Cheers

 

[SuperLuigi]

There was a giant thread asking the same question about a year ago. The guy was considering just buying a mongkon and imitation the tradition but he was convinced not to because someone said it would be like being the White American hero in a martial arts movie who wins a martial arts contest and marries the village chieftans daughter or something like that lol

The only advice I would give is that if you do end up using a mongkon you should at least read up about the tradition enough to have a deep understanding of it. Sylvie has some good articles on it on her blog you could check out.

 

[Kanka]

Go to thailand and find out. I'm no expert but they seem quite open and tolerant as long as you're respectful, which judging by this thread it seems like you are.

 

[knspiracy]

All I want to do is fight Muay Thai. There is a strong Muay Thai culture here in Australia with many Thai gyms, Thai trainers. Now I'm at a level where events require the traditions to be honored. The only problem is I don't train in a Thai gym, nut I want to fight at these events. I guess my questions are really leading in to the answer really.
Perhaps I need to train out of a Thai gym, where the coaches and trainers live that life and can guide me and thier fighters accordingly - whereas the gym I am at not does not have this foundation.
If I stay where I am and compete - i will feel like I am faking it. Only problem is the loyalty to the gym I'm at.
Oh the conundrum.

 

[Tayski]

Why don't you simply ask the organizers of the competition or promotion you want to fight at?

It's mostly likely stated in their rules and if not they'll tell you what they expect from you.