12 Years of Under the Ropes

Yesterday was the 12th anniversary of Under the Ropes. It began simply as a blog where I wrote about my experiences as a woman in Muay Thai, documented my fights, reflected on my training experiences and celebrated other women in the sport. It was also a way to seek connection and community. At the time, being a woman in Muay Thai was an isolating experience, and I was often the only woman in my gym. I chose August 12th as a symbolic date for the site’s launch. Back then, it was the one day a year that women were highlighted in Muay Thai, with women’s-only fight promotions in Thailand to celebrate the Queen’s Birthday. For the remainder of the year, fight opportunities were often limited to one match at the end of a show, when half of the audience had already gone home. I launched the site with 11 posts — one for each of the fights I’d had by that time. Here’s a brief round-up of how Under the Ropes has grown since then, and the projects I’ve undertaken along the way.

Personal Writing

While the site began as a place to explore my experiences in fighting in training, I’ve also written about some deeply personal topics over the years.

• Sexual Assault in a Muay Thai Gym
• Restrict, Fight, Binge, Repeat: A Former Fighter’s Relationship with Food
• If I’m Not a Fighter, Who Am I?
• Stop Asking Me When I’m Going to Quit Muay Thai

Opinion Pieces

My writing has also expanded to broader societal issues, starting with a 2016 article Rape Culture in Thailand, critiquing the use of rape scenes in Thai soap operas. The article sparked an unexpected response, going viral and drawing the attention of Thai media. To my surprise, it became a talking point in university classrooms, and even on a Bangkok radio station.

Storytelling

I’ve told my story at a number of events and panel talks focusing on my experiences as a survivor of sexual assault in Muay Thai, and the roles that the sport’s culture — and rape culture in broader society — play in perpetuating the issue.

In 2021, I was invited to take part in The Moth & UN Women’s three-day Global Storytelling Workshop. I was guided in crafting my story of finding Muay Thai as an introverted 22 year old, navigating the fighting world, doubting myself, being told to give up, and finally finding my confidence.

I’m now moving away from talking about my trauma. While storytelling is a powerful tool, it can also be exploitative and harmful for the storyteller, and requires a great deal of self-care. After some complicated experiences, I’ve since shifted my focus to seeking to impact change so there can be fewer stories like mine. This doesn’t mean that I’ll never tell that story again, just that I’m more selective in how I do that. 

• My Story is Not Your Trauma Porn: How Not to Interview Survivors of Sexual Assault

In-Depth Exploration of Ethical Issues in Muay Thai

Under the Ropes also provides in-depth articles with critical analysis of ethical issues in Muay Thai through a feminist lens.

• Toxic Gym Culture in Muay Thai & Other Martial Arts
• How to Be an Ally to Women in Muay Thai
• Why Self-Defense Classes Don’t Prevent Sexual Assault
• Internalised Misogyny & Girlboss Feminism in Muay Thai

Coverage of Gender-Based Violence in Muay Thai

As well as gender discrimination, my writing now has a specific focus on gender-based violence in Muay Thai. This involves reporting on cases, translating sources from Thai news outlets, and providing perspectives as a survivor and sports ethicist specialising in safeguarding in the sport. Through this approach, I aim to raise awareness while advocating for policy changes that could aid in prevention and response.

• Daraek’s Sexual Harassment of Women in Muay Thai
• Wanchalong P.K Saenchai Gym, Sexual Harassment & Accountability
• Sexual Violence in Muay Thai: The Case of Chor. Thanaporn Gym
• UK Muay Thai Instructors Convicted of Sexual Abuse

Documenting Women’s Muay Thai History

Since Under the Ropes’ inception, I’ve made a conscious effort to document women’s Muay Thai history. This has involved translating Thai news and Muay Thai coverage to English to make it more accessible to the international Muay Thai community, and restoring archives of women’s Muay Thai coverage to highlight women’s often overlooked contribution to the history of the sport and preserve their legacies. I’ve also highlighted developments for transgender and gender-diverse fighters in Thailand and internationally

• The Development of Women’s Muay Thai Promotion in Thailand: Part 1 – Beauty Focus
• The Development of Women’s Muay Thai Promotion in Thauland: Part 2 – Stadium Fights
• The First Women’s Fights at Lumpinee: How We Got Here and What’s Next
• Thailand’s Transgender Muay Thai Fighters
• Women’s Muay Thai Blog & Websites
• Muay Siam Club Archives: Preserving Women’s Muay Thai History

Survivor Support & Gym Resources

Since coming forward with my own story of sexual assault by a trainer in 2017, I’ve received countless stories of similar experiences from others. This has driven me to provide support for survivors, connecting them to trusted organisations providing emotional, legal and financial assistance. To make this information more accessible, I’ve created information packs to signpost survivors in Thailand to these organisations. These resources provide steps they can take to seek help and make reports if they choose.

• Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence in Thailand: What You Can Do if it Happens to You
• Resources for Women in Bangkok: Support for Survivors of Sexual & Domestic Violence

Following an article I wrote on abortion laws and safe abortion services in Bangkok in 2022, I have also been contacted by many women seeking these services, and directed them to suitable support groups and clinics.

In addition, I’ve also created resources for Muay Thai gyms, with guidelines and actionable steps they can take to create safer, more inclusive spaces.

Workshops

I’ve led and facilitated a number of workshops in partnership with Thai activists and experts, as well as organisations like UN Women, Thai universities and the British Embassy of Bangkok.

Topics have included:

• Gender-based violence and women’s rights in Thailand
• Survivor-centred responses to cases of rape and sexual assault for Thai police officers
• Gender inequality on university campuses
• Gender inequality & development in Thailand

Events & Fundraising

I’ve organised, co-led and facilitated several events, including Muay Thai workshops for women, a dedicated workshop for survivors of gender-based violence, amateur fight tournaments, a female founder’s farmers market, and an entire calendar of events for UN Women’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence. I’ve also created partnerships with sports organisations, gyms, NGOs and local businesses in Bangkok to raise funds for Freedom Restoration Project, a grassroots NGO providing support to women facing domestic violence in migrant communities on the Thai-Myanmar border. 

• Muay Thai for survivors workshop
• Women’s Muay Thai workshop led by Thai female fighters

Research

After years of awareness raising, I wanted to move into prevention. Without data to provide evidence of sexual violence in Muay Thai, sports organisations would likely continue to ignore the issue. That sparked my endeavour into further study. As a result, I was awarded an Erasmus Mundus scholarship for a master’s degree in Sports Ethics & Integrity in 2023. I focused on safeguarding throughout the two-year course, and had the opportunity to present my work at various international conferences. For my thesis, I conducted the world’s first study on sexual harassment and abuse in Muay Thai. This involved trauma-informed interviews with survivors and an analysis of current safeguarding policies in Muay Thai to identify gaps. Based on these findings, I recommended ways for Muay Thai organisations to implement survivor-centred initiatives and policy changes.

Now, I’m preparing to present my research at several upcoming conferences for sports integrity and safeguarding, and embarking on the long and hopeful road to academic publication.

Looking back on how Under the Ropes has evolved over the years, I’m proud of how this work has evolved. I never could have predicted the directions it would take, and am excited to see where it leads next.

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