Thank you so much!

During the last few months, I have been distracted, actually very distracted, by an assignment and other work related issues. I am so, so sorry for not being able to keep up with this blog.

However, I have been thinking more about you, your school, your background, your own interests than about myself and my work!

Its time to bring you on board! Hurray! Its your time-based culture that I am going to be promoting for a few weeks.

How do you, your family or your community create artistic images that are connected to important cultural events in your life? If you are a Muslim, you will be celebrating Eid! If you are a Sikh, you will be celebrating religious events very soon. If your are a Hindu, what did you do for Diwali? If you are a Christian, how will you be celebrating Christmas?

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What creative work can we share today? Please contact me!

Siam Yuth Center - Muay Thai Chaiya

Muay Thai Chaiya Stlye Grand Master Preang infomation.
Siam Yuth Center
*History
*Ancient Muay Thai
*Muay Chaiya Training and Sparring
*Krabi Krabong Training and Sparring
*Self Defense Technic

Traditional Muay Thai Chaiya training - Peen Tonmai,Tai Chuek

Peen Tonmai - Tai Chuek (Climb trees, climb rope).

Climbing trees and ropes would develop stamina, endurance, and equilibrium of one’s body. It is a way to lay a foundation for the students to learn the grappling, clinching, swinging, climbing, scaling, mounting, which are other spectrums Muay Chaiya.

Download Clip
http://one.revver.com/watch/298312/flv/affiliate/92536

Traditional Muay thai Chaiya training-Chok Manao

Chok Manao ( Punching lemons).

The defensive aspect of Pahuyuth training is the Pong-Pad-Pid-Perd (to block, to swipe to cover, to open). Teachers would hang lemons at about neck high. The students would have to hit the lemons with their fists, elbows and defend themselves with the defensive techniques. The students would have to be able to strike, block, attack, defend, and move in the master gesture with great agility. This training technique is considered to be most ingenious method by teachers of the old that has passed on to younger generations of Muay Chaiya practitioners.

Download File :
http://one.revver.com/watch/298282/flv/affiliate/92536

Muay Thai Chaiya - Sok Chaiya

Sok Chaiya (Chaiya’s elbow).

In Chaiya style of fighting, elbows are short weapons designed to be used at close range. They are the dexterous weapons of Muay Chaiya. The elbows would be moving back and forth, up and down close to the face, making the face well covered and at the same time, allow the fighter to be able to launch his own attack with great power and speed. It is difficult to attack a skillful Muay Chaiya fighter, because the fighting stances and movements of Muay Chaiya always prescript elbows to be close and move to cover his entire body. They are like a durian fruit (a tropical fruit with hard and spiky skin). One can sustain injury unto oneself by hitting the spiky durian fruit.

Download Clip
http://one.revver.com/watch/298329/flv/affiliate/92536

K-1 Dynamite MMA Coming to the States

Seems like everyone is cashing in on the MMA these days. FEG (Fighting Entertainment Group), ProElite (PELE:PK) and Showtime Networks announced last month a deal to bring the “K-1 Dynamite” mixed martial arts (MMA) series to the United States for the first time. “Softbank presents Dynamite!! USA in association with ProElite,” this SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View event will take place June 2nd at Los Angeles’ Memorial Coliseum. The event will host a mixed martial arts fighting event for the first time in its 74-year history. Mr. Tanikawa, CEO of FEG claims “Mixed martial arts has shown tremendous growth in recent years and events like this show that we are looking to raise the bar in making it one of the more popular sports in the U.S.”

UFC and PRIDE have most of the big-name MMA fighters locked up, but the idea of K-1 working together with EliteXC, England's Cage Rage, Strikeforce, Bodog Fight and SpiritXC is fun to think about. “Softbank presents Dynamite!! USA in association with ProElite” will combine the disciplines of karate, kickboxing and kung fu, as well as masteries of jiu-jitsu, judo and wrestling. The action takes place in a boxing-style ring, which provides easy accessibility for TV viewers and audiences. FEG holds events in more countries worldwide than any other MMA organization. The events, which draw in excess of 90,000 fans to packed arenas, have been broadcast in more than 130 countries, including New Years Eve prime time broadcasts that average more than 40 million viewers worldwide. The Dynamite!! USA is being broken up into two events, EliteXC will sponsor the early portion and broadcast it on Showtime, while the second half (the K-1 portion) will air on PPV. I think that the combined star power of an ex-WWE wrestler, a 7’2 Koren, a NFL hottie and a martial arts legend, there should be no trouble publicizing the event and raking in the dough for Showtime and all the sponsors. All the fighters bring different sets of skills to the ring, which makes for truly entertaining combat.

Dynamite!! USA promises to be one of the most exciting MMA events in history. Making their MMA debuts will be former NCAA Division I wrestling champion, WWE pro wrestler, and Minnesota Viking tryout Brock Lesnar, NFL alum Johnnie Morton. Taking on Lesnar will be 7-foot-2 South Korean giant Hong Man Choi, aka “Techno Goliath.” Also joining the fight card on June 2 will be mixed martial arts legend Royce Gracie.

Lesnar is a North Dakota native who rose to WWE stardom in shows such as WWE Raw, SummerSlam and WrestleMania. He could be a legit future MMA star if he can take a punch. He's already leaps and bounds ahead of most MMA fighters in terms of power and wrestling ability. If he can strike and more importantly, absorb strikes, he may just be major force at heavyweight. His competitor Hong Man Choi, a K-1 Asia champion, will be making his first U.S. MMA appearance at the June 2nd event. Gracie, a 14-year MMA pioneer and UFC Hall of Famer, began his training in the discipline of Jiu-Jitsu and has taken on many larger opponents during his career, including 6’8, 486 lb. Sumo Grand Champion, Akebono, who Gracie defeated. Morton, a Los Angeles native and football star with University of Southern California and the NFL’s Detroit Lions, Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers during an illustrious career, will be making his MMA debut at “Softbank presents Dynamite!! USA in association with ProElite.”

First of all HELLO has anyone seen Johnnie Morton? I had wondered what happened to him; I may hafta purchase a ringside seat, just to see him without a shirt on! And who the hell ever heard of a 7’2 Korean, or a 7’2 person period? Those two factors themselves may have me planning a trip out west, scalping tickets to see Johnnie boy and the Korean giant!

The pay-per-view fight card, which begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT, will feature up to six fights, with co-main events. Prior to the pay-per-view, SHOWTIME will televise three explosive bouts featuring EliteXC stars Jake Shields, Antonio Silva and Gina Carano. In the weeks prior to the live event, SHOWTIME® will air a six-part series entitled “Countdown to Dynamite!! U.S.A.,” profiling fighters, detailing the match ups and previewing the historic night of action. New episodes of Countdown will premiere every Monday at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT beginning April 30, on SHOWTIME.

From street fighter to pro

Four years ago Jamie Johnson was a streetfighter, today he is a kickboxer preparing for his first professional fight against an opponent eager to smash an elbow, knee, hand or shin into his head.

On Sunday, the 21-year-old Taupo man will fight in Brute Force, a Melbourne- based tournament for top Muay Thai fighters.

Muay Thai, a versatile, straightforward martial art where the hands, shins, elbows and knees are used extensively, is the traditional combat sport of Thailand.

Johnson, added to the line up by promoters just a few weeks ago after another New Zealand fighter pulled out, is looking forward to the chance to win the $10,000 prize purse.

He has upped his training and, with confidence in his ability, he has a good chance of making his mark on his first trip overseas since he was two years old.

I think I've got a fair bit of power and my fitness is a lot better than it used to be. It's exciting to get into the ring and it puts a different aspect on fighting,? he says. Johnson came across kickboxing almost by accident.

Three years ago the dairy farmer was on the lookout for a chance to take up boxing. Instead he found former professional kickboxer and trainer Scotty Thomson, who had recently moved to Taupo.

I headed on down [to the gym] and never looked back, says Johnson, who has come a long way since his days as a teenager on the lookout for a scrap.

I used to get into heaps of fights I just liked fighting, he says. Training has bought a new aspect to combat, which for him now requires brains as well as brawn.

It's [kickboxing] helped me control my anger a bit better and improved my discipline.? He trains at least three times a week and manages to build on his fitness in his spare time with a bit of pig hunting.

Johnson has learned a lot from Thomson, who has been involved in kickboxing for more than 20 years.

When the trainer and owner of Freestyle Gym arrived in Taupo, he intended to take a break from the gruelling sport - that wasn't to be. Since he has been here he has managed to get 23 people into the ring. Johnson has been the one who has stuck it out the longest.

Compared to places like Auckland, kickboxing is almost non existent in Taupo, which makes the task of finding sparing partners difficult. That could change, however, with the founding of a fight club at Freestyle Gym.

Thomson intends to have the club, which will cater to everyone from beginners to those who want to go pro, men and women, up and running in the next few weeks.

?What I?m doing now is stepping up to the next level by starting up a proper fight club here, says Thomson.

Meanwhile, whether Johnson wins or loses this weekend the experience will be invaluable. In the ring you don?t get beaten, you get taught a lesson, says Thomson.

You learn more from losses than you do from winning.

THAI LADY KICK BOXER FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM

THAI LADY KICK BOXER FIGHTS FOR FREEDOM
Many of the farang males in Thailand are well into Muay Thai – kickboxing. Local foreign residents go along to the various kickboxing venues in Pattaya to watch Thai guys beating the living daylights out of each other, but if you were to go to Bangkok there’s an attraction of a new kind –ladies beating hell out of each other.

Not ordinary ladies, you understand, at least one of them is a convicted Ya Bah (speed) dealer. Ms Samson Sor Siriporn is a prisoner at Bangkok’s infamous Bangkok Hilton, serving a 10 year stretch for dealing in Ya Bah. However, Ms Siriporn has done so well in her fighting career that she stands the chance of an early release on parole, due to having recently won the WBC light-flyweight title. Next month, 24-year-old Ms Siriporn will be fighting Japan's Ayaka Miyano and she thinks she’s in there with a good chance, not only of retaining her title, but also being able to go home to Lop Buri to start a new lease of life as a shopkeeper.

Ms Siriporn decided to become a pugilist two years ago, partly to relieve the sheer drudgery of prison life where inmates have to sew garments and sacks virtually all day long. However, Siriporn has so impressed her warders that she now has privileged treatment. Instead of having to sew, she gets to fight with her coach or do weightlifting. She’s also on a special high-protein diet and sleeps separately, with other privileged cons.

You might think that Ms Siriporn’s special treatment would earn the envy of her fellow, but less lucky inmates. After all, Thais do have quite a reputation for being envious. But no, the other inmates think she’s great. She also helps relieve the monotony, by staging fights at Bangkok Hilton Prison in Pathum Thani. In a place with few entertainments, the inmates wait eagerly for the next bout, cheering her every punch when she’s in the ring. They really appreciate her efforts. Initially, she had slight problems and threats from other aggressive prisoners, but surprise, surprise, the threats evaporated when Siriporn embarked on her new kickboxing career.

It’s not only her fellow cons that are impressed, either. The prison authorities think she’s great, too. They regard her as a model prisoner and have taken on board her professed reform and regret for her misspent youth. So much so, in fact, that they have taken the unprecedented step of offering her freedom. They appreciate the kudos that Siriporn is winning not only for the prison, but for Thailand as a whole. They also well appreciate the fact that in order to compete on the world stage in the World Boxing Council bouts, she would have to have freedom of movement, which is why they have offered her parole.

Siriporn’s fight for freedom is also supported by WBC Vice President, Kovit Bhakdibhumi, who maintains his organisation is right behind Siriporn in her efforts to secure a conditional release. "We want to show people can make good of their lives, no matter what they did in the past," he said. Bhakdibhumi also regards her as being a good kick boxer, who has exerted herself training-wise and has thus earned the opportunity to start again, but with a punch!

Krabi Krabong - Thai Weapon Martial Art

Krabi Krabong is Thai weapon Martial Art in Krabi Krabong have many The weapons techniques include training in these weapons:

-One Hand Sword

-Tho Hand Sword

-Staff

-bladed staff

-Shield

-Spear

-throwing spear

-Rapier

-knife

Thai Kickboxing: The Body As a Lethal Weapon

Thai Kickboxing (Muay Thai) is one of the remarkable features of Thailand's culture. Earliest accounts tells of the Thai children being encouraged to use their bodies to play games, thus the development of the basic exercises for their induction into Muay Thai in later years.

Thai Kickboxing is more about being acquainted with the body's weak and strong points in preparation for the art of unarmed combat. The body is divided into the nine principle weapons (Nawa Attawat): head, two fists, two elbows, two knees and two feet. There are combination weapons that can be used together with the primary ones. The combination weapons are the shoulders, arms, outer parts of the ankle and even the bottom.

The typical Thai Kickboxing move is the shin kick. The practitioner intends and exhibits a focused kick on the shins of the opponent in the objective of crippling his movement. Thai boxers, who have not trained enough, often fall on the ground when delivered a powerful shin blow. That is why no Thai kickboxer enters the ring without proper shin conditioning.

Mastering Thai kickboxing is not an easy task and requires complete dedication. The training is hard and long. Students are subjected to a punishing regime that includes shadow boxing, running and plenty of bag work. There are drills that one has to practice with Thai pads.

These Thai pads weigh five to ten pounds and cover the wearer's forearm. The trainer usually wears them to absorb the student's kicks, punches and other strikes. At times, the trainer uses them to punch the trainees too. These pads are in a way similar to boxing mitts worn by the modern boxers. So is the training.

Interestingly, there is little or no free sparring in Muay Thai training. Students usually box wearing ordinary boxing gloves. Another popular technique is to grapple standing up with the aim being to land a kick on the knee. However, such kicks and contacts are not overly encouraged.

So if you are planning on learning Thai Kickboxing be prepared for a grueling regimen. More importantly be prepared for the consequences of an art form that was born to meet the needs of the battlefield. Such an art form cannot be anything but potentially lethal. So either steel yourself for the kicks and punches or kick your desire to learn this martial art.

Buakaw Por. Pramuk "Thailand's K1-Max Hero"

Since he started his fighting career at the young age of 8, Buakaw has fought over 400 fights, starting in his home province of Surin in the northeast of Thailand, and then moving onto Bangkok after he moved to Por. Pramuk gym at the age of 15.

Buakaw has collected several belts to his name since fighting in Bangkok. The Omnoi Stadium featherweight title was his first belt, after that he would go on to take the featherweight champion of Thailand title. Buakaw then proceeded to win another Omnoi Stadium title belt, this time at in lightweight division. In December 2002, Buakaw won the Toyota Marathon 140 lb. tournament at Lumpini Stadium, beating the highly regarded Kobayashi of Japan in the final.

In July of 2004 Buakaw became the K-1 MAX World champion beating John Wayne Parr, Takayuki Kohiruimaki and previous champion Masato, all on the same night. In 2005 he nearly repeated his run for tournament champion but lost a controversial extra rounds decision to Dutch shoot-boxer, Andy Souwer in the finals. In the 2006 K-1 MAX World Grand Prix, Buakaw again faced Andy Souwer in the finals, but this time defeated Souwer by KO with a flurry of punches, thereby winning his second K-1 MAX Grand Prix title and becoming the first man to win that title twice.

Choi Loses to Mighty Mo at K-1 World Grand Prix

The world’s tallest mixed martial arts fighter Choi Hong-man suffered his first career knock out loss Sunday against an American opponent, 33 centimeters shorter than him, at the 2007 World Grand Prix in Japan.

Mighty Mo, 33, knocked down the 2.18-meter Choi 50 seconds into the second round of the bout, handing the South Korean his first loss since September when Choi lost to Jerome Le Banner of France by a unanimous decision.

Choi, 26, who beat reigning K-1 champion Semmy Schilt in May, has gone 10-3 since his debut in March 2005. He also lost to Remy Bonjasky of the Netherlands by a decision.

In the match held at Yokohama Arena in Yokohama, Mo (9-4) floored Choi with a strong right hook before the referee stopped the bout.

Later in the event, Schilt clinched the newly created super heavy weight title after he overcame a first-round knock down to KO Ray Sefo of New Zealand in the second round.

In their last dual, in 2005, the Dutchman knocked out Sefo en route to winning the World Grand Prix throne.

Grand Master Preang

• Present Master of Muay Thai Chaiya

• Current Chairman of the Thai Martial Arts and Muay Chaiya Conservation Club , Muaythai Chaiya Foundation

Kru Preang was born on September 1, 1958 in the nearby province of Chanthaburi, Thailand. Since at an early age, he has developed a keen interest in martial arts / sports, especially in sports gun shooting. Widely acknowledged for his marksmanship, he was invited to join the Thailand SEA Games National Team, but had to deny the opportunity due to financial reasons.
He entered Bangkok to attend Ramkamhaeng University and joined the University’s Ancient Fighting Weapons Club, which was well known for its being a melting pot for such diverse weapons schools as

-Buddhai Sawan

-Padung Sith

-Pran Nok

-Athamat

-Naresuan

-Meed Sun Tong (Golden Dagger)

Post-graduation, Kru Preang continued to seek and learn from other masters. It was then he heard of Master Tong Chua Chaiya (TongLoh Ya Lae), foremost student of the late GrandMaster Ketr Sriyapai, through a close friend.

25 years has passed since Kru Preang became Kru Tong’s student. Given his prior skills in ancient fighting styles, Kru Tong decided to teach Kru Preang the ancient style of Chaiya Boxing.
During his last years, Kru Tong has been heard repeatedly mentioning Kru Preang as his foremost student and only one of the two students to be granted a verbal “teaching certificate”, the other being Kru Yong of the Chulalongkorn University Thai Martial Arts Club. Together Kru Tong and his teaching assistant, Kru Preang, spent 20 years trying to teach the art Muay Thai Chaiya.

How Muay Chaiya is different from Modern Thai Boxing ?

Muay Chaiya was created in the ancient battlefields, when warriors still fought using sharp weapons and, in the event of being disarmed,body parts.As such, it is based on time-tested techniques and principles that were aimed at

1) ending engagements in the swiftest and surest manner
2) using minimal energy
3) ensuring that the learnt practitioner was least, if at all, hurt.

That certainly is not the case in Modern Muay Thai where boxers can be seen “splashing water at each other” (a phrase used to describethe useless and painful exchange of kicks and punches to entertain the crowd) with the end result of potential traumatic body injuries. As the core principle of Muay Chaiya states; before you learn how to inflict pain on others, learn how to protect yourself.

The Muay Thai one sees today at the weekly Lumpini Boxing Stadium matches and a host of other celebrated kickboxing events is a far cry from the true noble art of Muay Thai. The true ancient art of Muay Thai encompasses the full range of striking, grappling (not simply clinching), throwing, breaking, and smashing – each with its own infinite variations. Unlike today, where one can prepare for 6-8 months at a local Muay Thai camp learning the basic blocks and kicks and then enter competition, true old-style Muay Thai practitioners had to go through at least 2-3 years of footwork and stance preparation before being accepted by as true student. The purpose is two-fold: 1) to test the student’s patience and diligence and 2) to ensure the student has fully grasped the ancient Muay Thai footwork, of which Modern Muay Thai’s has no resemblance, before moving on. It can be said that one’s skills can be judged solely by their footwork.

The footwork skills one attains from Muay Chaiya allows one to cope with an opponents force in any way one wishes – deflecting, parrying, neutralizing, pushing back, or just simply stepping away. However, the footwork is not the only gem of Muay Chaiya. All body weapons within the Muay Chaiya system are truly functional, simple, yet flexible enough that a skilled practitioner can apply an infinite number of variations. The grappling, throwing, locking, and smashing techniques are unlike those of other arts. A complete system in itself, Muay Chaiya allows its practitioners to change from striking to grappling to smashing seamlessly.

SWING CLUB

This past Friday, January 19th Mono Film Co., Ltd. held an opening blessing ceremony to begin shooting the film Pahuyut, Mono Film’s new martial arts-action project based on an ancient form of Thai boxing that was originated in the south of Thailand during a historical time of civil wars. Directed by Piti Chaturaphat, the film intends to bring back this lost discipline that was once used as a deadly weapon during warfare.

Executive producers, Pete Bodharamik & Dr. Soraj Asavapraphra along with producer, Jirun Ratthanaviriyachai were hosts of this event. The main cast also attended this ceremony including Than Thanakorn, Nuttanan Juntarwet, Sura Theerakul, Pemnee Sangkorn, Peerawat Hamabut, and others that took place in front of the Jasmine International Tower in Pakkred, Nonthaburi this past Friday morning.
Brief Synopsis :

Pahuyut…a martial arts, action film inspired by a true story that took place in a small beach town of a beautiful island in the Andaman Sea; a place where foreign fighters came looking for the ultimate challenge in the Muay Thai fighting scene.

Uncle Praow’s Chok Dee Muay Thai fighting bar becomes the local attraction for visiting foreigners where KEM, CHAI, DOW, & DUAN all work at; a group of childhood friends who have all been active fighters in the local Muay Thai fight scene since they were kids with the support of Uncle Praow himself. KEM and CHAI’s fighting skills are heralded by foreigners and word gets out to a leader of a Muay Thai fighting team made up of foreigners called K-1. They travel to the small island looking to buyout the bar using the facility to set up their own Muay Thai training camp, but Uncle Praow refuses to sell his property. Displeased, K-1 assaults Uncle Praow, Kem, and the employees of the bar.

The gang of four friends decides to resolve the conflict by together using their knowledge and skills of the ancient Thai boxing, Pahuyut, to settle matters outside the fighting ring. The deadliest street fight is set when the ancient disciplines of PAHUYUT Thai boxing (quick, reactive, fierce, and deadly) come face to face with a modern day adapted form of Thai kickboxing combat of K-1.

KEM, DAO and their gang of friends are put to the test while caught up in this deadly street fight face-off. What will be their fate? Will this ancient fighting discipline, the art of PAHUYUT prevail and uphold against the modern day adapted form of Thai kickboxing combat of K-1?

“Victory does not mean a fight to the death of your opponent, but true victory is achieved when your opponent willingly accepts defeat.”

Kru Thong Chuechaiya Master Of Muay Thai

Kru Thong Chuechaiya, the man who systemized Muay Chaiya. He studied under the late master, Ketr Sriyapai and master Timseng Tawisith. After Kru Thong's death, Kru Praeng inherited his work and founded the "Muay Thai Chaiya Foundation". From his words; "Muay Chaiya is never-ending. Don't let Muay Chaiya die with the master. Kru Thong used to teach that you can use other systems under certain circumstances. But remember, do not fail your art. Please remember."

Muen Muay

In the era of Rama V, Boxing was held infront of his court. Prayavadi Satayaruk, duke of Chaiya, sent Klong Yamnongthong to fight. His chosen technique was Suelakhang [Tiger drags the tail] to throw, strike and break all his opponents until he received the titel of "muen muay" (10,000 soldier*). Since that day, Chaiya has been recognized as the city of boxing and has passed down Muay Chaiya.