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What’s the fascination with Thai Boxing?This article on Thai Boxing is merely a continuation of the Muay Thai Hub Page. Think of it as Part 2 of
“What’s the fascination with Muay Thai.”
The Best Training Session EverThe most intense and taxing training session that I’ve ever participated in consisted exclusively of Muay Thai.My brothers-in-training, Bert Hill and Quan Do, and I spent three hours performing pyramid-style 9-count, 13-count, and 15-count combinations as outlined by Ajarn Surachai "Chai" Sirisute. Fierce intensity and Thai drills are the perfect ingredients to create the best training session ever.
My First VCD ExperienceI still vividly recall my first VCD (video compact disc) experience. My fiancée, at the time (now my wife), sent me a Muay Thai VCD from Songchai Productions.Songchai is considered, by many, to be the top Muay Thai promoter in Thailand. Even though it’s been years since my first VCD experience, three things remain fresh in my mind – the devastating effects of elbows, the ability of a Muay Thai fighter to absorb punishment, and the dividends that perfectly timed leg kicks can pay.
Evil ElbowsIf you’ve never witnessed a skilled Muay Thai fighter delivering elbow strikes, then it’s unlikely that you’ve seen truly evil elbows.In one bout on the VCD, I watched as one Thai boxer delivered evil elbow after evil elbow. By the end of the second round, the Muay Thai fighter on the receiving end was so cut up and bloody I found myself praying that the referee would stop the fight. He did not!
Punishment SpongesA sponge has the ability to absorb water and when squeezed it can return (give back) water. Many Muay Thai fighters are punishment sponges. They have an uncanny ability to absorb punishment and an equally uncanny ability to deliver punishment. My first VCD experience allowed me to see this with my own eyes. The Thai boxer I told you about earlier – you remember, the one who was cut up and bloodied by the evil elbows – was a true-to-life punishment sponge.For two rounds, he was beaten and battered by countless elbow strikes. Part way through the third round, he turned the tide and began imposing his will on his opponent. Despite winning the final two rounds (my opinion), he lost a close decision. While he lost a decision, he certainly won my respect for himself, his art, and his sport.
Leg Kicks and Big DividendsI am a huge fan of leg kicking! I am a firm believer that leg kicking is much preferred to head or body kicking.Sure head kicking and body kicking might look more impressive and can certainly produce devastating results, but leg kicking is safer and can be equally devastating. I remember years ago watching Marco Ruas repeatedly deliver leg kicks to the tree-trunk legs of Parl Varelans in the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). Despite Varelans very large stature, he eventually succumbed to those leg kicks. My first VCD experience also allowed me to witness the dividends that perfectly timed leg kicks can pay for a Thai boxer. One victorious Muay Thai fighter repeatedly used leg kicks as counters to his opponent’s kicking attempts. As his opponent attempted to deliver round kicks, the victorious boxer used angulation and impeccable timing to continuously attack his opponent’s plant leg. The bottom line is this – leg kicks can pay big dividends!
Success Is In Simplicity And TrainingThe top Thai boxers achieve success through simplicity and training.Success through simplicity comes from a limited number of techniques. Most fighters rely on a few well-tooled techniques at most. Top fighters become so adept at using just a few weapons that a few weapons are all they need. Success through training comes from perhaps the most rigorous training sessions known to any sport. While this can be seen by looking at the training regimens of Muay Thai fighters, it is best understood through firsthand experience. If you’re up for a trip to Thailand, training at one of the many Muay Thai training camps is sure to give you a newfound appreciation of what it means to train hard. If a trip to Thailand isn’t in the cards, you can gain some firsthand experience right here in Williamsport.
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