[April – 21, 2015 – see my updated video review of Pi Boy’s Twin’s Shop, including prices on gloves and other equipment]
Getting Custom Shorts
Custom shorts are awesome. There are folks who don’t care much at all what the design of their shorts are (not even knowing what word in Thai is scrawled across the front – which is usually Muay Thai มวยไทย ), but a lot of folks, when given the option, would love to express something about their training, gym, or personality on their training or fight shorts. (A guy out here designed shorts with a Wolverine theme, which were pretty sweet.)
For my part, I’ve always ordered custom shorts for the express purpose of putting a particular word on them. My first pair from years ago, ordered online, were designed to have the kind of “pet name” Master K sometimes called me, prik-kii-nuu, which is the smallest and spiciest Thai chili. Then I got a pair of custom shorts, designed for me, by my friend and fellow female fighter in Germany, Nina Indy Schumacher, who gave me a free pair from her start-up company which designs and sells custom fight gear: Knock Down Fight Wear. I love these shorts.
When I got to Thailand I needed to order a few pairs of custom shorts all at once, as part of the “rewards” offered to backers in my Kickstarter campaign (which is what funded this website). For the top supporters I had shorts designed with the supporter’s name written on them, which I will wear in fights. For the first pair I enlisted my new friend Boom, who lives in Chiang Mai and whose family owns and operates an apparel business. I got a two really nice pairs through Boom. It was, however, not easy for her business to accommodate this side project (they don’t make shorts normally) and when I needed another pair I didn’t want to bother her again.
Happily for my situation I overheard a Canadian at the camp talking about his custom shorts and I asked him where he’d had them made. It was conveniently located right near the stadium where I regularly fight, down in the Kalare Night Bazaar, so I headed over there before one of my fights. The shop is nice and there are many “ready to wear” options for purchase off of the wall, as well as other equipment or fight paraphernalia (like mongkol, prajaet, gloves, etc). For custom designs they have a large book full of example shorts to spur your creativity or inspire you toward a unique design with different cuts, colors, embellishments like flames, stars, stripes, scorpions or character icons like Hello Kitty, Batman, the Punisher skull, etc., plus different fonts for any written designs. The fabric options are satin (shiny) or nylon (I love this because it dries fast).
I was more than impressed with the way my shorts came out. I chose red nylon because I am usually in the red corner and had all the designs in silver, which looks really clean and snappy. I also chose a cut I’ve never worn before, which has high slits in the legs and a low-waist band, which I absolutely love because I usually roll my shorts down and I never have to adjust them. When I wore them in my fight I knew immediately that I wanted a few more pairs just like this which I’ll be ordering in the next few weeks once I get the design down to exactly what I want.
The shop where I ordered my shorts is owned and operated by a very nice man named Boy, who speaks perfect English (he’s in the video up above). I asked him if it is possible to order shorts through email and said it’s no problem, so you need not actually be in Chiang Mai to take advantage of these quality offerings. (Although, I should point out there is no website, so flipping through the book of examples will have to be replaced by Google images or whatever, which you can link in an email for the particular designs you might be looking for.) I certainly appreciate quality products, but I also love giving business to personable individuals like Boy, so I recommend his business twice.
You can email the shop at No.1_boxing@hotmail.com or through his Facebook page: Thaikla Muay Tha
or call +66 086 174 0519
And if you’re in Chiang Mai you can go visit at location A120 Chang Klan Road (across the street from the Pizza Hut) – my video walks you through the two ways to find the shop from the Kalare Night market, or you can look at it on this Google Maps below.
View Sylvie von Duuglas-Ittu – Muay Thai Map in a larger map
