Unlike modern Muay Thai, Muay Thai Chaiya is a holistic system with fundamentals techniques that are:
- efficient: produce speed and power through the use of natural body mechanics (not brute muscle; power is generated through technique, body weight and timing)
- solid: create an effective defense against hard and soft attacks (the harder the attack the more hurt on the opponent)
- elusive: utilises a piercing, counter timed attacks, that catch opponents off guard
- strategic: emphasis of brain over brawn
These same ethics can be used to develop ones self.
Who is Muay Thai Chaiya for, and why should you learn?
Everybody can gain something out of Muay Thai Chaiya: young kids to mature adults, men and women, people with no training and pro-fighters (real or sport) - there's something for everyone.
Muay Thai Chaiya for fitness
Many people like to practice Muay Thai Chaiya as a way to keep in shape. Starting with the ten basic exercises which are a great set of movements that not only teach you the basic movements of the style (really essential practice for anyone training) but are pieced together to provide a safe and challenging workout.
Starting with warmup movements and then slowly progressing in difficulty, these movements hep condition the body in preperation for practicing the techniques used in the style.
Already in good shape?
Don't worry, you just push harder and faster, and you're guarunteed to be tired at the end of the session.
Need a quick workout?
Usually each of the ten exercises are done for 3 minutes, so with a 10 minute break after exercise 6, that makes a 40 minute workout! If you don't have that much time, cut the time for each exercise down to 1 or 2 minutes each and cut out the break.
What's next?
The exercises are only the beginning. Drilling of techniques then take the majority of the session, which provide an excellent workout both physically and mentally, pushing balance, coordination and focus.
Muay Thai Chaiya for Self Defense
Originating from warfare, ancient Muay Thai used to defend the Thai Royal Court, Muay Thai Chaiya is a very effective form of self protection.
Short, practical movements are used to attack all levels from a variety of angles, using the body's weight to gain power at close range. You don't have to be big to gain power, and rotation is used throughout which proves effective against grapples and holds.
Unlike modern Muay Thai, there are no rules so attacking the eyes, throat, groin, joints and pressure points are all possible, enabling the user to finish a confrontation as quickly as possible - reducing risk of personal injury.
Diligent training improves the reactions, creating an effective defense against any opponent. Using the elbows and knees, the opponent immediately regrets the attack, finding his limbs hurting, followed up by quick powerful barrage of counter attacks. People fighting Muay Thai Chaiya practitioners often comment on how frustrating it is to be attacked whilst they are attacking. This confusion helps in any counter attack by confounding and frustrating the opponent, causing hesitation and slowing reactions.
What's Real Muay Thai Chaiya?
After watching Ong Bak (Tony Jaa), or many of the Muay Thai Chaiya videos on youtube.com, you may think the Muay Thai Chaiya is full of fancy moves that look impractical in real fighting. This is all entertainment and showmanship, and not the REAL Muay Thai Chaiya. Real fighting is short, quick and ugly - very rarely 'nice to watch'. Big superfluous moves have no place in real fighting. Be careful of teachers who show and teach these big and fancy moves, as they commonly use these to wow people into learning for the wrong reasons, and skip the important fundamental details which make the style strong.
Ajarn Lek refuses to teach these fancy moves, as he insists that they are, and always have been for show. Half-beat counter attacks, simultaneous block and attack, feints, parries and multi-level/range combinations are all part of the real Muay Thai Chaiya training process, and make Muay Thai Chaiya a very effective form of fighting.
