Robin Padilla’s new love

Action star Robin Padilla is one of the giants of Philippine cinema. He has portrayed many underdogs and sympathetic rogues throughout a long, solid career of blockbuster films. Always the lovable rogue and ruffian, Padilla has been known for his intense passions, passions that have, on occasion, flared up into a few untoward incidents when he firmly believed that he was wronged.

Robin, who is now heavily into shooting his new adventure series Asian Treasures with Angel Locsin, has always been known to throw everything he has into what he believes in. Now, he has a new love, and it isn’t what (or even who) you expect.

Robin Padilla is in love, with muay thai.

"I don’t pass up on any martial arts," Padilla told The STAR in the vernacular. "I love the intensity, the action. But with muay thai, I found something else also."

Aside from the terrific contact of the traditional Thai sport (which allows use of not only the fists, but elbows, knees and feet), Padilla realized the rich, cultural heritage that has made the unconquered Thais so proud of their sport. A great example is the elaborate Buddhist dance that goes on when the boxers enter the ring.

"They really value their culture," says Padilla, a devout Muslim. "Through the traditional prayers and way kru dance, they honor thr spirit of the ring, and pay homage to parents and trainers. It is one sport that is very spiritual."

Much of the early history of the sport was lost when the Burmese army razed Ayutthaya to the ground centuries ago. But gradually, writings of the Burmese, Cambodian and early European settlers helped reconstruct it. It has now evolved into a structured, ritualistic highly traditional sport.

The rituals begin in the backroom, where amulets blessed by monks are placed around a participant’s biceps. These amulets are believed to protect a fighter from injury, Lastly, a headpiece, made up of prayer scrolls and also blessed by monks, is placed over the combatant’s head. These head bands are passed on from boxer to boxer, and remind them that they are fighting not just for themselves, but for their families, trainers, and camps. Lastly, of course, is the lengthy

way kru, which varies from one training camp to the other. Some gamblers even claim they can predict who will win a fight based on who does a better way kru. Even foreigners who learn the sport take it upon themselves to master their own version of the way kru. But outside of Thailand, others abandon the way kru, considering it too feminine for their own taste.

Since fighters are paired according to weight, bigger, non-Asian fighters seek success in professional circuits in Europe, because it is difficult to find someone to fight in the higher weight classes. But this is precisely what gives the Filipino an even chance to dominate this indigenous Southeast Asian sport.

"There is nothing like the courage of the Filipino fighter," says Padilla, the chairman of the Muaythai Association of the Philippines. "The more he gets hit, the tougher he gets. You would have to do so much just to stop him from coming at you."

"We are so grateful that there are people like Robin who can make a difference in the sport," says Robert Valdez, the president of the national sports association. "We have been working hard to convince people that Filipinos can be world-class in this sport."

In the last Southeast Asian Games, five championship bouts featured Filipinos facing Thais, and battling them on equal footing. The Thais were surprised at the dramatic improvement of our boxers, impressive considering the fact that the association has only been around since 1999.

"Hopefully, this will also be an instrument for Filipinos to be more in harmony with each other," Padilla claims. "We often have intense feelings. We can take them out in the ring. And I hope that we may also learn to value our culture, the way the Thais do."

Padilla’s group is now negotiating with a television network to produce a weekly television show featuring international fights in the sport. Called "King of the Rings: Matira ang Matibay", the sport will feature international pro bouts. The Viva Films star has acquired the rights to show even world championship fights in the Philippines, with the aim of luring more sponsors and viewers to a sport where his countrymen can be world champions in.

"I know Filipinos can be world champions here," Padilla claims. "We’ve already shown we can beat the Thais at their own game. Now, we just need support to take muay thai all over the Philippines, and seek out our best fighters."

Knowing the passion and intensity of Robin Padilla, this is one quest he will succeed in.