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Archive for the ‘muay boran’ Category
Wednesday, March 9th, 2011
Everybody knows what a knee strike looks like. All one has to do is watch a Muay Thai fight or view one of the latest competitive events that allow the use of knees. To apply an effective knee strike, one must be proficient in flexing the knee during an intended attack. A knee can be thrown both offensively or defensively, depending on the situation at hand. For instance, during mid-range contact with an opponent, one can opt to clinch and knee as a set-up for other body weapons or as a standalone finishing move. As a finishing move, good control over the clinch is ideal prior to knee execution. Proper angling insures that the knee reaches the desired target with full penetration. If the target is the body, the knee thrust must be forward, whereas, targeting the head requires an upward thrust. Other variations of a straight, round, and side knee include subtle tweaks to enhance execution for those harder-to-hit opponents. For instance, and opponent who knows how to block knees can be, first, distracted with other strikes, then overpowered with knees. Any appropriate execution is dynamic and involves a constant play of punches, elbows, knees and kicks, coupled with the clinching movements of throwing an opponent off-guard. Furthermore, knees expected a certain way can be inverted into, say, an upward-downward motion or sideway-round movement in order to create broken rhythm. Other types of knees include jump, switch, and kick-knees during shoots and attempted take-downs. Knees work in unison with other body weapons to either pick apart or stop even the most aggressive of opponents. Many gyms work knees by hitting the pads or bags with full power. Another conventional method of practicing knee strikes is through clinch sparring. But the art of kneeing is more about working the subtle movements that differentiate one knee from the next, as well as, taking advantage of specific body weapons to enhance or allow the knee to take shape. A knee is a powerful weapon as it is. However, just like any weapon of choice, it’s only as effective as the person who wields it. Some may argue that a knee need not be pretty to work. Indeed, a rough knee delivered in the right spot with the right timing can knock the strongest adversary senseless. Yet the rudimentary application of kneeing doesn’t stop there. The artistic aspect of kneeing is not about how it looks or how fancy a blow is delivered, art in this sense is created by a well-trained Martial Artist through the mannerisms and movements of his or her opponent, where perfectly timed and executed knees are equivalent to poetry in motion. Powerful practice is definitely essential. But, so too is artistic insight, intuitive delivery, and meaningful improvisation.
Tags: knee, kneeing, knees
Posted in martial arts, muay boran, muay thai | 8 Comments »
Friday, October 8th, 2010
It’s been over a year since Ong Bak 3 has finally been released in Thailand some months ago. This sequel is the final episode to the two-part prequel of the original Ong Bak that made Tony Jaa a household name. From insiders in the industry, Jaa decided to create a part 3 primarily because post production had too much footage leftover from the second part. Most Jaa fans, as well as, Muay Thai aficionados in the West will undoubtedly purchase or rent a copy of this third installment when it comes out. Since I’ve already seen this version, I’de like to give everyone a heads-up on what this final act is all about. From the second installment, the film ends with Jaa being forced to fight and accidentally kill his mentor and surrogate father. Part two of this prequel starts with his captivity and torture, where he escapes certain death but has been badly beaten to the point where only a miracle of some sort can save him. The people who took care of him decided to create a Buddha called ‘Ong Bak’ made of all their personal jewelry to pray and ask the Buddha for spiritual aid to save Jaa from death. Eventually, Jaa awakens, but is crippled from the torture he experienced during captivity. He goes into a state of depression, but realizes that there’s another way to transcend his current predicament aside from suicide. He goes into seclusion to begin his spiritual and physical rehabilitation. In the process of healing himself, he discovers a new method of Martial Arts, a softer version of his former style which relies more on redirecting his opponent’s energy. At the same time, his main nemesis from the previous installment has taken control and is building a new fortress in his honor, reminiscent of the great Angkor Wat monuments built during the Khmer rule. When they finally meet, Jaa initially fights using his old methods of force, until he realizes that a non-direct approach based on taking away his opponent’s powers was the only way to become victorious. The ending seems uneventful and, compared to his past performances, lackluster at best. There was so much potential in making a third episode that would further cement Jaa as a powerhouse in action movies, particularly in Muay Thai. The problem is that this sequel was not as thoroughly planned as the first prequel. In Ong Bak 2, at least there was a great deal of action, unlike depicted in any film of its genre, to make up for the story lines. Ong Bak 3 had its moments, in terms of showing his spiritual evolution in Martial Arts, yet it lacked the the fighting sophistication and simplistic appeal of his original films. An explanation of how Muay Thai was practiced and developed would have been a great segway into the original Ong Bak. By doing so, the audience can get a glimpse of the history and culture of ancient Muay Thai, which is what Jaa is credited for, while preserving the appeal of his most talented work. Keep in mind, that the fight sequences in Ong Bak 1 took years in the making, where Jaa himself had to study ancient Muay Thai prior to pre production. Despite its shortcomings, however, Ong Bak 3 is not a make-it or break-it film for Jaa, as he has many more projects lined up in the future. Compared to other films coming out of Asia, not to mention, actions films made in the West, Jaa is still on another level. It’s because of the technicality and quality of his past work that has spoiled us into wanting more from him and his unprecedented abilities as a Martial Artist and action star.
Tags: movie review, ong bak 3
Posted in kickboxing, martial arts, muay boran, muay thai | 8 Comments »
Friday, September 24th, 2010
Sparring is a method of training used in most Martial Arts schools and fighting camps. It has been described in many ways, such as, free fighting, reality-based training, non-scripted drills, but the essence of sparring is all about the game of fighting. Ideally, it is used to supplement a fighter’s training, making sure he or she is equipped with the appropriate weapons, proper timing, and right mindset when preparing for competition. It is also used to enhance and heighten any training regimen by allowing practitioners to execute their combinations in real time. Many gyms use sparring as a way to spice things up, so that members would always feel challenged and maintain a higher level of motivation with their training routine. In a way, sparring is the most intimate fighting experience a combat practitioner can participate in aside from actual competition or street confrontations. Without it, understanding the techniques of any given style would be limited to choreographed movements that offer nothing more than predictable outcomes.
Although sparring is an effective means of learning Martial Arts, each school and fighting gym has their own approach to this form of training. Some places allow only touch and light sparring to make training as friendly as possible, while others insist on having new students participate in hard sparring right away. Other places may not offer sparring sessions at all, yet intentionally or unintentionally call partner drills ’sparring’, a fallacious term used mostly by gyms that offer pseudo fighting classes or schools operated by teachers trained primarily in the conceptual and aesthetic aspects of fighting. There are, however, a select few that include sparring intermittently and systematically as part of their overall martial training process. But searching for Martial Arts schools with teachers experienced in fighting who have undergone extensive formal training in their chosen style is like finding a needle in a haystack. (more…)
Tags: challenge, intuitive, spar, sparring, training
Posted in concepts, kickboxing, martial arts, muay boran, muay thai | 63 Comments »
Thursday, August 19th, 2010
An effective punch starts from a well grounded foundation. When you think of hitting any given target, think of centering your energy throughout your whole body, all the way to that part of your fist that you plan to make contact with. Executing a proper punch begins from the ground up. Depending on what type of punch you throw, start off with a strong stance and pivot your foot, move your legs accordingly, turn you hips with your shoulders, arms, and fists while aiming at your desired target (keeping in mind that the whole body goes with the punch). Punching with authority requires hands-on training. Aside from real confrontations (which should only be conducted out of necessity), sparring sessions are the next best thing. There are also strength routines that can enhance the power of your hands. This includes heavy bag workouts, knuckle push-ups, wrist strengthening exercises, and other power-specific drills involving water, sand, and pebbles. Aerobic workouts can be complemented by weights, but training must be purposeful. For instance, light dumbells can be used for shadowboxing and pounding tires with a sledge hammer for explosiveness. As far as targeting goes, the whole face and body would suffice in the heat of battle. For more accuracy, however, striking the following areas can disorient, daze, or knock-out your opponent: the nose, the eyes, the temple, the back of the head, the jaw, and the chin. Other areas around the body can also be targeted when the opportunity presents itself: the solar plexus, the stomach, the kidneys, and the groin area. The subtleties of throwing a proper punch include, proper angles to strike with maximum force, timing to know when to either throw a set-up or a power punch, and intent to strike with emotional content. To set-up your power punch, throw a filler or power jab, faint your opponent to open up, or evade an attack as you move into the right position. An effective punch is the result of proper body movement, accurate timing and targeting, intention to commit, as well as, the essentials of building strength and power with your fists. Some of us seem to be born with more of a knock-out power than others. But the reality of it is, some of us may already have strength from having stronger bones, training and participating in sports that increase explosiveness, and having the ‘risk-it-all’ mentality of going all out when engaging others. The power of a punch is simply another tool in the arsenal of a fighter who strives to perfect his or her skills. And each and every practitioner has the ability to increase power and effectiveness by maximizing training. After the intermediate levels, the concept of striking extends well beyond the fists. Anatomically, it includes the wrist, arms, elbows, shoulders, chest, waist, legs, and feet. Psychologically, it is guided by emotional content such as, anger, fear, confidence, or lack of it. Artistically, it depicts the sharpness of a straight punch – like fencing, the circumventive movement of a round punch – like a ball at the end of a chain, and the abruptness of an uppercut – like uprooting a tree. Other miscellaneous punches include hammers, backfists, knuckle punches, and overhands, just to name a few. So, what exactly is a punch? It’s the sum of all that we embody at any given moment, expressed through the physical act of punching.
Tags: fists, punch
Posted in concepts, kickboxing, martial arts, muay boran, muay thai | 11 Comments »
Tuesday, August 3rd, 2010
There are primarily two schools of thought in Martial Arts, traditional and modern. The term ‘traditional’ is used to label an established set of routines that has been passed down from one generation to the next in order to preserve a specific system, language, and/or culture. The term ‘modern’ connotes a more recent conceptual development, which is guided by the sign of the times. It includes the latest methods, concepts, and breakthroughs in a given field, system, and/or ideology. For Muay Thai, there is a clear distinction between traditional and modern training. Those who practice the modern version are primarily the present day Muay Thai prize fighters, while those who have practiced the traditional version were gladiators and primarily high ranked officers (such as generals and the four personal guards of the king), as well as, the kings of ancient times. Many who practice the modern version consider the traditional system to be outdated and applicable only for performance. At the same time, traditional stylists feel that the modern version is one-sided and lacks the technicality of the old ways. To a great extent, both modern and traditional stylists have their own ideas regarding training and fighting in Muay Thai. Who’s to say which style is more suitable for modern day combat? Only a Muay Thai fighter who has an indepth knowledge of both traditional and modern methods can make an objective assessment of what works and doesn’t work inside and outside the ring. The reality of it is, Muay Thai is Muay Thai, whether it’s old school or new school. (more…)
Tags: modern, traditional, wisdom
Posted in concepts, martial arts, muay boran, muay thai | 9 Comments »
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