I can’t think of another film that influenced modern Martial Arts choreography as much as ‘Ong Bak’. By introducing the art of ancient Muay Thai to the world, Tony Jaa became an international sensation. With his abundant use of knees, elbows and aerial kicks without the aid of strings, his movements seem natural and realistic, a feature missing in today’s fight genres ever since Bruce Lee passed away. Even without being an expert in Muay Thai, you can almost feel those elbows crashing down on you…OUCH! It’s intense and flashy, without being fake. I had a chance to see Tony Jaa last year during the premiere of ‘Ong Bak 2′ at Siam Paragon, a high profile entertainment center in the heart of Bangkok. During his interviews, he talked about his stunts and judging by what he accomplished in the second installment, it seems like no Martial Arts actor can even come close. Tony Jaa is indeed a gifted Marital Artist. But what makes him even more special is his choice of Martial Art that he uses on the big screen, which is Muay Thai, specifically, Muay Boran. As we get bored of fight flicks that use too much wire tricks and outdated, flashy moves without meaning, ‘Ong Bak’ introduces us to a whole new way of watching Martial Arts films and it tells us that fight scenes with realistic moves can be even more enjoyable to watch then flowery ones.