Thai New Year at Songkran

L.A.'s take on the traditional Thai new year, Songkran (also known as the "Water Festival"), will make Hollywood Boulevard feel more like an open-air Bangkok street market for an afternoon. Festivities include a parade, classical Thai dancing, demonstrations of Muay Thai boxing, a curry festival with public tasting and voting, the Miss Thai New Year USA contest and food from the award-winning Thai restaurant Jitlada. Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Normandie avenues. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Sun. Free. (800) 921-2597,
www.thainewyear.com/2009/en/index.aspx.

Kickboxing 101 for Women

Savannah Martial Arts Academy is pleased to announce it's first women-only Thai Kickboxing 101 class.

Classes begin Saturday April 11 at 11 am. Get unparalleled cardio training while gaining the upper body strength you didn't know you had.

Instructor Camilla Meshiea comes with 6 years of Muay Thai experience and a passion to teach technique and fitness in a positive and encouraging environment.

Savannah Martial Art Academy is located at 904 East 70th Street in Midtown Savannah GA.

Contact Abe at (912-412-4653) or abe@savannahmartialarts.com for further information.

http://www.thecreativecoast.org/
http://www.savannahmartialarts.com

Singaporean women choose Muay Thai

SINGAPORE: Muay Thai or kick boxing, which was used to be known as a man's sport, is increasingly being taken up by women in Singapore.

According to a Muay Thai club in Singapore, the number of its female members has doubled in the past year.

Some Muay Thai enthusiasts gather at the Bukit Batok Nature Park every evening to practise the sport.

Many of them said they took up Muay Thai to build up their stamina and for self defence.

Muay Thai coaches said recent movies and TV programmes on Muay Thai have made the sport popular.

Terence Cheah, a coach at Hilltop Muay Thai, said: "A lot of people have the thought that Thai boxing is very rough. But because of the awareness nowadays, girls realise that it's a lot of physical activity. It gives your body a more challenging workout. Hence, a trimmer waist, better but stronger legs."

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/