The world’s first Muay Thai Expo in Buriram, Thailand is officially underway. Yesterday the elite of Muay Thai gathered at the Sports Authority of Thailand for the official press conference. To open festivities, those in attendance were treated to a Muay Boran demonstration by none other than Sagat Petchyindee. The expo is cutting no corners, bringing together all the truly amazing elements of Muay Thai. It goes beyond the martial art into the deep cultural traditions of Thailand and the rich history it entails. The four day event is being headlined by a 10 fight card on Friday the 5th of October. Muay Thai legends Somrak Khamsing and Samart Payakaroon were on hand at the press conference … [Read more...]
Thailand’s First Ever Muay Thai Expo to Debut in Buriram
Buriram City, home of Khmer ruins, homemade silk, and Muay Thai will now be bringing you the first ever Muay Thai Expo. Scheduled for 4-7 October, the Expo will take place at the Chang International Circuit in Buriram City. Getting people out of the bustling metropolis that is Bangkok, this event will offer a refreshing change of scenery, and a warm welcome from the locals. Buriram is known for producing the most Muay Thai champions per capita, making it the perfect place to host the Muay Thai Expo. The event will take place over the course of four days and will feature Wai Kru demonstrations by local schools and will have kiosks that include everything Muay Thai, from historical … [Read more...]
An Introduction to Indonesian Martial Arts
Indonesian martial arts incorporate a variety of fighting styles from traditional to hybrid. It's common to see pencak silat as an umbrella term, but many expand well beyond that. Types of Indonesian Fighting Systems Indonesian martial arts are composed of more than a few combative styles designed for self-defense or general combat. Below are some well-known systems. Pencak Silat Pencak silat is used as a universal term to describe the fighting arts in Indonesia. Some use the term separately, viewing them as two different aspects. "Pencak" can be observed by causal outsiders as it's all about the essence of training. Whereas, "silat" is more about the essence of … [Read more...]
Voices of Nusantara: Madurese Martial Arts with Mas Mochamad Amien
In my continuing quest for advice on how to become a better pencak silat instructor, I asked my mentor and friend Mas Mochamad Amien of Chakra V Silat Combat System for some advice. I also inquired about the history of different types of weaponry used by the Madurese martial arts. Specifically, I asked him about several weapons that I thought were characteristic of Madurese systems including the cutting spear known as a monteng (spine) or calok (lancor) for the characteristic shape of its heavy cutting blade (the very tip looks like human tailbone, which is called “monteng”). I have translated his answers from Indonesian with my interpolations presented in parenthesis (to help explain the … [Read more...]
Movies, Martial Arts and the Wild Beast Within
One evening, I hit the sack with my laptop. I played Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and glued myself to the screen. Captain Jack Sparrow, brilliantly portrayed by Johnny Depp, overwhelming occupied my imagination even after the movie had ended. This fascination of mine is a reflection of a natural human trait. People transcend themselves through characters portrayed in the media. This can especially happen if the protagonist is a hero. In the genre of action movies, fighting is a key attraction. In this case, sword fighting, shooting, and jumping from high altitudes mesmerize and excite the audience. We wish that we could do this in real life. The action … [Read more...]
- « Previous Page
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- …
- 29
- Next Page »