LOPBURI, Thailand – American soldiers received muay thai lessons from a champion fighter in Thailand during the annual multilateral Cobra Gold military drills hosted by the Asian nation.

Soldiers took instruction and punched and kicked alongside Thai champion Sombat Banchamek, or Buakaw (White Lotus), as he is widely known in the country.

“Every US soldier who came to train in Cobra Gold also wants to study our culture, especially muay thai, which is our national art,” Mr Sombat said.

The 42nd Cobra Gold exercise, a war games event, was attended by 7,394 military personnel from 30 countries in 2023.

“This stuff we need to know how to do, and to learn it from one of the best in the entire world,” said a US soldier, Specialist Adam Castle.

“It’s been really great to learn some skills that we can take back and use in the future,” he added. REUTERS