'Thai Kickboxing: Prefight Rubdown'

Just right, John, the tones and the position of the figures. The man on the table could almost be a stand in for Christ taken down from the cross, though the other figure doesn't quite continue the motif. A very fine genre picture with lots of intriguing detail.

Before kicking, punching and wrestling the crap out of each other, Thai

kickboxers go through elaborate ceremonies and also vigorous massages,

here, in which they are essentially treated to the same treatment physically

as the famous Japanese Kobe beef are on their whole body by skilled

trainers, before they offer themselves up to sacrifice before screaming fans

who hope each willl kick the BeJesus out of the another. Your ratings,

critiques and observations are invited and most welcome. If you rate

harshly, very critically, or wish to make a remark, please submit a helpful

and constructive comment; please share your photographic knowledge to

help improve my photography. Thanks! Enjoy! john

Documentary shot well captured!

From the thumbnail, it looked like the handling of a dead body... i'm somehow reliefed by your explanation. anyway, it is a great dramatic documental piece. as jack mentioned, there's a lot of richness in the details around the main elements of the image, providing the viewer a perspective of context.

Obviously a great image.

Regards,

ricardo

Looks more like post-fight rescuation!

I had two photos from fighters getting rubbed down on this particular table, but the other photo with better lighting in my opinion, just did not capture my eye, for reasons that were not readily apparent, but in that photo a masseur was working on the legs of the fighter, not the midsection.

 

I'd like to say I had great foresight and saw the Christ analogy when I posted this and may indeed have, but it was not completely obviously to me at the time, but I'm now                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           ]]

I am  entirely glad I pulled this edition of two quite similar photos for posting, just for the reason you note in your Christ-on-the-Cross analogy.

 

Both were on exactly the same 'bed' or slats and the lighting was the same, as were the fighters' similar physique, but I think inchoately if I recognized the Christ-on-the-Cross analogy, I internalized it and did not articulate it to myself, but chances are it as on my mind, as the other photo I didn't post was technically otherwise better.  

 

I posted this version for some reason.

 

I should make this clear, this is a D70 capture from within the first six months of my resuming shooting 10-11 years ago, but it was not then in my capabilities to work it (and/or its companion) up and also into B@W (or even to see its worth).

 

I keep finding good old stuff in my archive review, but at the same time I'm shooting among the best stuff I ever have with the least amount of effort.

 

Thanks for the kind compliment Jack.  It was right on.  

 

john

 

John  (Crosley)

 

 

Thank you (somewhat belatedly) for a fine compliment.  I am very proud to receive any compliment from you; and this  one has 'special merit' in my book, and as a photo seems to have general appeal!

 

Thanks so much

 

john 

 

John (Crosley)

Though his opponent might well wish he were one in another hour or hanging onto life as a sign of the opponent's prowess.

 

Thai boxing is full of prefight ritual,which I witnessed for the first time having talked myself into the back area of this fight with my film and digital cameras around my neck together with a necklace of chutzpah, as I had no prior knowledge of such fights, merely an interest I desired to explore that night, and it was a good night, with a great number of very, very good photos.

 

One has to know when to 'fake it' to get necessary experience, and there was no downside to doing so here -- except perhaps morally.  But I acquitted my statements of ability I think, made to the promoter from prefight to ringside.

 

So, I did it, and voila, pro results.

 

Before, no experience whatever.

 

Thanks for the great comment.

 

john

 

John (Crosley)

 

I was going to rag you for using a virtually unknown word 'rescuation' but in abundance of caution, looked  it up, and although it is not commonly used precisely as you used it, it is used to describe what hospitals call a 'crash cart' (rescuation cart or trolley) which has the necessary lifesaving equipment and therefore by analysis, it saves your use of this unusual more new word, however more or less common.

 

Well done!

 

john

 

John(Crosley)

A brief comment: A careful perusal of the captures in seriatum reveals that both fighters who got rubdowns had them as part of the prefight ritual.

 

After the fight, the victor collected congratulations and the loser slunk away.

 

That's the way life works.

 

;~))

 

john

 

John (Crosley)