Bao Rittichai warming up at the famous Patong Stadium in Phuket Thailand. These last moments before Nak Muay enter the ring were some of the most intimate yet stressful for me. A challenge not to be connected to the emotion surrounding going to battle. I would find myself nervous for the competitors but trying not to exude this energy while they prepare themselves for the experience I would witness from the safety of the sidelines.

Nak Muay: A Muay Thai practitioner

This collection is s study of candid moments witnessed along my journey in the ancient art of Muay Thai. A martial art steeped in tradition, respect, and discipline, alongside numerous health benefits.

As a young child, I became fascinated with martial arts through movies, including one called Ong Bak. I would begin my own journey in 2019 when seeking some direction; I traveled to the rural province of Phetchabun in the middle of Thailand, arriving at a small Thai boxing camp nestled amongst rice fields in a predominantly farming community.

Being in such a remote location, one of only a handful of foreigners in the region, I found myself immersed myself in Muay Thai and the purity of its culture, well away from commercial influences.

Here I witnessed Nak Muay fighters, some as young as five years old, pushing themselves hard in training under the tutelage of a master. I followed to watch and document them in competition.

This is where reality hit home. Fighting, regardless of age, is how Nak Muay earn money for themselves and their family to put food on the table.

This collection, like my photography style, is a study of unprepared split-second moments in time, captured to tell a story of the journey of a Nak Muay fighter from a small child - to being regarded as the best in the world in Thailand.