Master Sken - Thai Boxing

Master Sken's DVDs on eBay

2007-05-29T11:39:00.000+01:00

Master Sken's Muay Thai Courses

2006-10-13T03:01:00.000+01:00

Open to all style martial arts and associates
One to One or Group Courses
Beginners and Advanced
Learn Authentic Muay Thai Boxing with one of the Best Thai Masters in the World
Over 40 years experience with one of the largest Muay Thai Boxing organsiations in the World, S.I.M.T.A.

Simple Basic Muay Thai
Advanced Muay Thai
Muay Thai for Keep Fit and Self Defence
Muay Thai for Competition

Full Time Gym
Fully Equiped Boxing Ring, Bags, etc
Excellent Bed and Breakfast Accommodation

Contact Details Here

Muay Thai Clips

2006-10-02T16:27:00.000+01:00

Master Sken's Affiliate Scheme

2006-09-07T00:47:00.000+01:00

Do you have a website? Do you want to earn money from it? At MasterSken.com we have now launched our affiliate scheme. You will receive £25.00 for just signing up and any visitors or sales you send us we will reward you. Rewards starts at 3p per visitor and 7% of any sales we receive as a direct result of your website. The more visitors and sales you send us the more rewards you will earn. Sign up today at http://www.mastersken.com/idevaffiliate/

History of Muay Thai by Kru John Barwell

2006-09-03T14:20:00.000+01:00

Muay Thai dates back to the ancient times. In those days it was better known as Muay Boran (the old style of Thai Boxing). Muay Boran encapsulated all the different styles including Muay Thai, Muay Plum, Krabi Kabong, etc. However a lot of the evidence to substantiate the exact beginnings of Muay Boran was lost during the conflict with the Burmese. The Burmese took over Ayutthaya and burnt it to the ground. Unfortunately Ayutthaya was where all the historical records where kept relating to Thailand. However the exact date of the beginnings of Muay Boran is neither here or there. The important thing is that it was born and was used in those days to defend Siam (Thailand).

In those days a great deal of importance was placed on Muay Boran and the King himself would be a very accomplished practioneer. There are 4 main events that stick out for me in the history of Muay Boran/Thai. They are the reign of Prince Naresuan, The Tiger King, the introduction of the queensberry rules and the introduction of Muay Thai to the UK in 1977 by Master Sken.

Prince Naresuan
The 16th Century saw a lot of conflict between Burma and Siam. The Burmese captured and dominated the country until the death of their King in 1585. This was a turning point in Thai history, as it gave Prince Naresuan the opportuity to reorganise the Siam army and drive the Burmese from Siam. The final battle that saw the end of the Burmeses' domination was fought between the crowned Prince of Burma and Prince Naresuan. Prince Naresuan ended up cutting the crown Prince of Burma from shoulder to waist. The Burmese army withdrew, giving independence to Siam.

During the reign of King Naresuan, Muay Thai was part of military training. This has remained this way until this day.

The Tiger King (1703 - 1709)
Muay Thai, as a sport really came into it's own during the reign of the Tiger King (Pra Chao Sua). Every villiage would stage it's prize fight with practioneers of all classes entering the contests. The King himself was a very skillful boxer and he would disguise himself to enter local contents and defeat the local champions. Some of the strategies used today can be attributed to the Tiger King's style of boxing.

The Queensberry Rule
Perhaps the most pivotal time for Muay Thai as a sport came in 1930. It saw the introduction of the Queensberry Rules, which saw the introduction of boxing gloves, groin guards and weight categories. Prior to this fighters would often wear hemp rope wrapped around their hands and dipped in glass. They would often fight until death or first blood drawn. There is no doubt in my mind that the introduction of the Queensberry Rules made Muay Thai a much more humane sport. However it saw the loss of some of the traditional techniques. It has also seen the restriction of some ploughing and throwing techniques, in recent years, in the ring in the interest of safety. This is a good and bad thing. It is a good thing because it makes the sport more safe. However we are losing some of the most effective and beautiful techniques Muay Thai has and are in dangerous of turning Muay Thai into a sport rather than an art.

Master Sken Arrival
Up until 1977 the UK had never seen Muay Thai. This changed in 1977 with the arrival of Master Sken. He was joined by Master Toddy and Master Wood and they began to take Muay Thai forward. Master Toddy left the UK for the US and Master Sken has continued until this day to promote the name and enhance the name of Muay Thai in this country. I would like to thank Master Sken personally on behalf of his students worldwide, without him Muay Thai would be a very different art in this country. For me, Muay Thai is not just a sport or an art, but a way of life. I will always live and learn Muay Thai until the day I die.

Kru John Barwell

2006-08-25T01:22:00.000+01:00

I started my life in martial arts at 6 years old. My Mum and Dad took me to a local Ju Jitsu club. I trained there for around 1 year. However my Mum decided to take me out, as I started to get into trouble at school and became some what of a bully. A few years passed and my yarning to do some kind of sport grew stronger, therefore I joined a swimming club. We used to train a couple of times a week, but there was something missing. Subsequently I joined a Tae Kwon Do class where I trained for 3 years. However my swimming took over and I gave up Tae Kwon Do. A couple of years later I was having some problems at school in the form of bullying, which lead me to join Master Sken to learn Muay Thai.

I started with Master Sken when I was 15 years old and I have never looked back. Muay Thai has helped me in many aspects of my life including self-confidence, self control and respect. I started to teach under Master Sken at the age of 16-17. This was somewhat as a challenge, because I was teaching individuals much older than me. However my natural ability shone through and I won over a lot of my elder students. I have now trained and taught under Master Sken for over 12 years.

I have had a number of fights both in the ring and on the street. Some I have won some I have lost. However every encounter I have always took something away from it and it has made me a better martial artist and person. I now teach under Master Sken at his headquarters twice a week. A few years previous I damaged the Anterior Cruciate Ligament in my knee, which caused me all kinds of problems due to mis-diagnosis from Doctors. Finally after a proper diagnosis from a doctor I had to under go surgery, which took me out for about 1 ½ years. After surgery I lost some of my ability and I had to rely more on my explanation of teaching rather than the physical demonstrations.

The reason for this article is now I would like to pass my knowledge of Muay Thai on to individuals who are interested in Muay Thai. The majority of individual s in the UK train Muay Thai for self defence and keep fit. I would say 5% of the participants are training for fighting. This leads me to focus our teaching more towards self defence and keep fit. However due to my old ways of training I still have the tendency of dipping into my fighting experience.

I would now like to take the opportunity to pass my knowledge on to you. In future articles I will explain about basic technique (mai mae) to more complicate techniques. I will endeavour to explain the theory behind the point I put forward and will incorporate examples and history to re-enforce our teachings.

Master Sken's Affiliate Scheme

2006-08-06T15:26:00.000+01:00

Affiliate Program Details
Commission Type Choose From The Following Commission Styles!
Pay-Per-Sale: 7% of all sales you deliver.
Pay-Per-Click: £0.03 GBP for each click you deliver.

Initial Deposit £7.50 GBP - Just for signing up!
Payout Threshold £25.00 GBP - Minimum balance required for payout.
Payout Duration Payments are made on the 1st of each month, for the previous month.

We have 3 tiers of commission the one detailed above is the basic level, as you send more sales and clicks our way we will progress you to the next level. Each level offers a higher commission giving you the chance to make more money.

Master Sken's Affiliate Scheme

Artificial Intelligence

2006-07-30T04:23:00.000+01:00

We have now added an AI bot to our website to assist you with your questions about Master Sken and Thai Boxing. http://www.mastersken.com/pages/onlinehelp.htm

Martial Arts Review of: Master Sken Instructional DVD ‘Dynamic Muay Thai’ By: Tony Terranova (Martial Arts Writer): Date: 8th of July 2006

2006-07-11T20:55:00.000+01:00

Master Sken is considered to be one of the most experienced exponents of Muay Thai. He has received the approval of many martial arts publications and establishments. If you get the opportunity to meet him you will find that he possesses a visible integrity and willingness to help, something which he shares with his students and fellow peers.

The intention of this article is to share with the reader a review of his latest instructional DVD ‘Dynamic Muay Thai’ now available from his website; www.mastersken.com. With the advent of modern technology there are now thousands of instructional DVD’s for martial artists to choose from to supplement their training. The content, instruction and production can however range from being poor to brilliant which can make it difficult to find good material.

A detailed discussion of the content of this DVD would take an entire book (let alone a short article) therefore I have only provided a brief summary of the contents. I hope that this article will help fellow martial artists save time and money in the search for good instruction as purchasing this DVD is a wise choice. My training in the martial arts began in the early eighties and I have reviewed several hundred instructional DVD’s and would rank this one amongst my favourites.

During the past ten years, the popularity of Muay Thai has increased as it has shown itself to be an effective art in many events such as: Vale Tudo and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship). It is widely accepted that a combination of the grappling arts, such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Judo and / or wrestling, when combined with a striking art such as kick boxing or Muay Thai can be very effective in these contests.

Since the days of the gladiators, spectators have enjoyed the thrill of combative contests. This is still true today as a growing number of people are paying to see the modern day combat contests of MMA (mixed martial arts events). If the fighters are to stand a chance of winning MMA tournaments they need to posses the most effective moves each art has to offer. Muay Thai has proven to be one of the most effective that a fighter from any combat system can readily integrate into their existing art.

This DVD provides an arsenal of techniques and combinations that can be used in these contests and for reality based combat. For the purposes of neutrality no reference is made in this article on the Thai terminology used by Master Sken as the viewer can learn these in their correct pronunciation from the DVD. This intention of this article is to illustrate the usefulness of these instructions by Master Sken to all martial artists.

The MMA contests have shown that combat can basically be divided into three phases (which are explained in the later part of this article). Each phase is defined by the amount of body contact and the level of control that each fighter has over the other. This DVD demonstrates and combines many techniques that can be used in the first and second phases of combat.

The first phase of combat is when neither fighter has any body contact or grip on the other and the fighters are free to move. They move to avoid being hit; to set up strikes; and to position themselves to shoot and take their opponent down to the ground. There are no constraints on their movements. This has been referred to as the free movement phase, which allows freedom of movement to both fighters.

For this first phase of combat Master Sken provides a dynamic illustration of the offensive Muay Thai techniques used to punch and kick that incorporate the use of; hands; elbows; legs and knees.

Punching

His demonstrations of the straight punch (often called the straight cross) are integrated into a variety of combinations making this one of the many effective tools in the Thai system. He uses a variety of set punching moves which utilize jabs, hooks, uppercuts, feints and footwork to set up the straight punch.

He also demonstrates other specific moves to set up different punches such as the hook and the jab as counter strikes with lateral body movements. He maintains the use of an effective guard while punching by keeping his hands high and close to the face providing protection against potential counter attacks.

The DVD also shows these combinations in slow motion making it easier to study his body kinetics (movement). He uses efficient footwork and the transfer of his body weight through the hips, shoulders, arm, elbow joint, and hand to deliver focused punches that at the moment of impact. He also demonstrates how to move away from an opponent after a punch is delivered re-establishing the correct distance and control to deliver another technique.

Kicking

In the many combinations used on the DVD he integrates and executes the low kick with classical Thai circular movements of the entire body to strike the opponent's leg with the upper part of the shin and uses the Thai high roundhouse kick with efficiency generating explosive power by rotating the hip. Master Sken’s head high kicks are impressive however his demonstration of the low kick, elbow and knee techniques establishes that they are potentially the most damaging moves in the Thai system.

He also demonstrates other specific moves to set up the kicks which are used offensively and as counter attacks by maneuvering with lateral movements to a new position from which he can deliver the next blow. When demonstrating the Front kick he raises the knee upward to a defensive stance in readiness for the strike with the hip locked. He demonstrates the front kick for both offensive (striking) and defensive (pushing the opponent away) purposes.

Elbows

The Muay Thai elbow strike is a weapon of mass destruction capable of breaking bones and knocking out opponents in a heart beat. He demonstrates the elbow for attacking which is integrated into a variety of set moves and delivered from a compact stance. He uses similar combinations for the elbows as used with the punches and kicks to set up the final blow which illustrates that the elbow can be most effective when set-up with either a jab, a hook and / or combined with a spinning movement.

He also provides techniques for using the elbows for defensive purposes creating a fence against potential attacks. When demonstrating these techniques his body movement and positioning shows us that Thai fighters continually move into striking range with their hands high and their forearms held close together to shield them against potential attacks to the body and the head.

Knees

His illustration on knee techniques with combinations proves that knees are an effective weapon for attacks to the body whilst also providing protection against kicks by using the front of the leg as a shield. He demonstrates the speed that can be developed when attacking with the knees from all angles which are designed to wear down and finish an opponent. In the clinches, many examples are shown of how to combine body feints and pulling (snatching) to expose an opponent’s side for a circular knee strike.

In the demonstrations the foot and toes of the striking leg are pointing to the ground as the body weight shifts downwards to drive up and outwards with the knee. The demonstrations show that an effective knee strike starts by stepping forward and rising up onto the ball of the supporting foot. Within the combinations you can see he leans back slightly just at the end of the technique to extend the impact and to protect against potential counter attacks.

Combinations

It is evident from the DVD that Muay Thai fighters utilize the entire body and rely on using numerous combinations of punches, elbows, kicks and elbows to beat an opponent. The DVD shows that these combinations are designed to create openings for attacks and provides many examples (with and without pad drills) which the martial artist can practice and adapt to suit their own style of fighting.

Each combination uses moves that are synergistic to each other using correct body movements illustrating how fluid and dynamic this art can be. This DVD serves to demonstrate that Muay Thai can enhance a striker’s ability and / or provide the grappler with an equalising element that they can use against strikers. The art is economical and stripped of non-essential moves and drills making it a popular choice for MMA events and real life self protection.

The need to conserve energy in contests such as the UFC is also important if a fighter wants to win. Correct body movements conserve energy whilst delivering maximum impact. This is one of the hardest things to learn. If you take the time to study Master Sken’s body movement in the DVD you will see how to accomplish this by using efficient body kinetics for each move. He is economical with every technique and yet very powerful. The result is he uses minimum energy to deliver maximum impact. He also makes reference to the fact that the mind and body must be connected in combat.

The second phase of combat is referred to as the clinch which is where the two fighters have a controlling grip on each other in a standing position that restrains movement. The moment the two fighters get a grip on each other, the tempo of the fight changes as the movement of one fighter may be constrained by the other and they are no longer free to move. They must now take into account each others movement, grip, and body position so that they can decide the best way to move and which strategy to use.

The DVD demonstrates Muay Thai’s stand-up grappling methods used to bind the opponent for offensive and defensive purposes, (the clinch). Defensively, the concept of "of a fence" is used, in which the shoulders, arms and legs are used to shield a fighter making it difficult for an opponent to successfully deliver their techniques.

The clinch, leg sweeps and takedowns

Illustrations are given of how to grip the neck and force the head down with body controlling techniques. These use the opponents own strength to disrupt and spin them around to a vulnerable and unbalanced position from which a strike and / or takedown can be executed. Demonstrations are given with the opponent’s neck being restrained using the jumping knee technique to strike the head.

Parrying of punches is also used as the initial leading to more complex techniques that ultimately pin the opponent to the floor. There is a variety of takedowns and arm pins that are very similar to some of the moves in Jiu Jitsu which serve to confirm the ease with which this art can be integrated with other systems. The pins are also practical and useful techniques which can be used to neutralize an opponent for reality based combat.

There are many single and double leg sweep techniques used which are also combined with lateral movements breaking the attackers line of attack. The body movement is majestic in that it is continuous and fluid right up to the point of the finishing blow.

The third phase of combat occurs when a fight goes to the ground. This phase happens in most MMA, Vale Tudo contests and in some real combat situations. It usually follows the clinch phase. This phase is referred to as ground combat. The DVD does not concentrate on the ground game as it focuses on finishing the opponent once they have been put on the ground. In a street confrontation the worst place to be is on the floor, therefore there is merit to using the finish techniques demonstrated on the DVD.

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Master Sken and his students on providing the martial arts community with a valuable, instructional and inspirational DVD.

Master Sken's Clips

2006-06-11T12:56:00.000+01:00

http://www.mastersken.com/pages/downloads.htm

Fighters

2006-06-11T12:54:00.000+01:00

From Master Sken

My favourite fighters are Best fighters from the past:Apidetch Sithirun,he was famous for his Kicks,but very good all round techniques.Samart Payakarun and Put Lawlek has fantastic good all round techniques.New generation fighter is Bourkao Por.Pramuk

Master Bob(Narong Sudsawad) or Howfai is my Idol,since I was young I looked up to him for his fighting ability.He was 48-51 Kg but he could hit like heavy weight and his speed was lightning.He lived not so far from where I was born in Uttaradit Province.He came to England,I met him at BBC canteen when I was on tomorrow World Programme.It's a small World.He has gone back to Thailand now.His students are supporting my Interclub shows every month.Kru Gary McAllister,Kru Sean Dooney and Kru David Hand are excellent students of Master Bob.

I am very disappointed and sad to lose my belonging.There will always be a question that how good really I am and how many fights that I have had.

My brother is writing an Article about my life and achievement.He is a person who has seen me fighting,because he was a referee some of my fights.I have got the Article now,very soon I will put it up on my Web site

Nearly 17 years now,some one had rung me and told me that he had got my belonging but when I went to see the guy in Atherton near Bolton.I found it very weird,there was no body lived at that address.I did try to find it so many years,but I have no luck.I hope I have a good luck some day.

I would like to thanks all people around the World for your support and visiting my web.I must have done some thing right to have over 1 Million hits a month on my Web.SPECIAL THANKS and credit go to John Barwell,he is my web master, fantastic with Marketing and he is very good student of mine.

''Continuous effort-not strenght or intelligence-is the key to unlocking our potential'' Sir Winston Churchill

''Believe and enjoy whatever you do and give 100% effort,a reward will come''
This is from myself.

Master Sken's Interclub

2006-06-11T12:50:00.000+01:00

It is on Sunday 18th June weigh-in at 11.00 A.M. Start 12.15 P.M.£5 for fighter and spectator.My Gym:Master Sken Academy,Wood Bank Works Top Floor,Turncroft Lane, Offerton,Stockport,SK1 4AR,Cheshire

M60 north Bound J27,South Bound J26 and take A626 at a Round about,then 2nd Traffic light,turn left behind Petrol Station.My Gym is 2 minutes on Turncroft Lane.Look forward to seeing you.

Master Sken's Thai Boxing Show

2006-05-19T02:04:00.000+01:00

Master Sken DVD vol.2 Preview

2006-05-19T02:02:00.000+01:00

Master Sken DVD vol.1 Preview

2006-05-19T02:00:00.000+01:00

Master Sken's Demonstration

2006-05-19T01:55:00.000+01:00

Master Sken's Interview

2006-05-19T01:02:00.000+01:00

Bob Sykes: How does your training schedule these days compare to that of twenty years ago?
Master Sken: Compared to the old days my training is far lighter. Nowadays I spend a lot more time teaching my students and I have a lot of instructors teaching for me so I spend a lot of my time both teaching and advising them. However, I always find time during my teaching to maintain my own training, conditioning and sparring ability. It keeps me sharp, keeps my mind alert and, as you know, Bob, there is no end to the learning. When I was much younger the training routine was very intense and included a lot more in the way of running. These days I like to do much more in the way of walking with my wife, Kay. In the morning we do between 45 minutes and one hour.

BS: Is this speed walking?
MS: No, just relaxing and talking, we do it everyday, 45 minutes to one hour in the morning then about the same at lunch and at night time about six o'clock, I walk for between 15 and 25 minutes. This is our hobby and it's helping me to keep myself fitat the same time. In the old days we'd do a lot of pad work, skipping rope, press ups, a thousand a time and very hard free sparring.

BS: How do you feel someone needs to train in order to become a professional Thai boxing competitor?
MS: They would need to do at least six days a week. In Thailand, for example, they spend between six and nine hours a day, six days a week. In Europe, because many people have full time jobs etc, one would need to do at least two or three hours, six days a week.

BS: How important a factor is physical conditioning for Thai boxing?
MS: It is very important, that's why Thai boxers do so well because they're mentally and physically conditioned into a thoroughtraining regime. When a conditioned Thai boxer steps into the ring they know that they may be attacked and probably hurt so they have to condition themselves physically and mentally to accept pain.

BS: Muay Thai boxing is renowned for being a complete system, however, does it, in your view, possess any weaknesses?
MS: If a Thai boxer concentrates on the clinch and the knee solely then the weakness will be a lack of boxing and if they concentrate on the boxing yet forget to train the clinch, the knee and elbow, then the weakness again is obvious. Muay Thai is complete as a system itself and I believe it has not many weaknesses.

BS: So the weakness is brought on more by the practitioner than the actual system?
MS: Yes, that's why I advocate that the teacher or master should teach the student or fighter the complete art of Muay Thai, which is called The Art and Science of eight limbs. Where you are taught fist, blow, knee and kicking - especially for clinchwork and grappling - the art of Muay Thai is second to none. Once you delve deep into the system it is excellent for groundwork or floor work which is very evident in the ancient art of Muay Boran. Muay Boran is the ancient Muay Thai, where the warrior used the art not for the ring but for the battlefield. Hence, when they used a skill or technique on their opponent and their opponent fell down, they'd follow through till that opponent was dead by dropping either on the knee, drop the elbow, pull an arm or twist the head.

BS: The Muay Boran that you demonstrated earlier reminded me a little of the many South East Asian systems that I've encountered over the years. Is there maybe a connection between Muay Thai and Filipino or the Indonesian arts?
MS: I can not say if there is an actual link, however, I always find that martial arts, no matter where they are from, are connected in some way, some how, to each other. I have seen Muay Thai masters demonstrate a technique where the stance was very, very low, similar to Pencak Silat. It's always refreshing when a Thai Boxing master demonstrates sometechnique that I have never seen or never trained, for me it is another part of learning.

BS: Do you teach the art of Muay Thai separate to the sport of Thai Boxing or do you manage to marry the two together?
MS: Between 1977 and 1991, when I concentrated my students/fighters solely for competition, I only had a small handful of well seasoned students. So from 1991 I did my best to steer the students more toward the complete art of Muay Thai i.e. the Muay Boran, the clinch, grappling and street self defence where it is so effective.BS: I'm sure that there's a lot of people out there who may not be drawn toward Thai boxing the sport, but would really prefer to learn Muay Thai/Muay Boran the art.

Thank you Master Sken for another inspiring interview.

Master Sken's History - The Move

2006-05-19T01:00:00.000+01:00

After finishing my education in Thailand I decide to go to the UK. I arrived in England 1977. I took a job at a Night Club as a Bouncer. There were many incidents that kept me sharp and aware. I also attended College in the daytime helped me to improve my English language. I was still extremely disciplined and liked to train regularly, people would notice and ask me if I would teach them private lessons. As the lessons grew I felt it was getting to the point where I could teach full time

In 1978, I started to teach professionally.

Between 1979-1981 I had to leave England for Holland . I started teaching at Samurai Gym in Amsterdam . I taught many Dutch nationals, European Champion and World Champions.

Meanwhile back in Manchester my instructors were still teaching a handful of students. In between teaching their classes and working they relentlessly persued trying to get me back to Britain . In I981, they managed to organise a work permit and Visa. I returned to find that they had formed a new Muay Thai association the BTBC and elected me as their Chief Instructor. It lasted a short time due to the internal politics of the company. This led me to leave the association and formed my own, Sitnarong International Muaythai Association (S.I.M.T.A.)

In 1991 I started to teach Muay Thai for Keep fit and Self-Defence and a small percentage for competition. The number of students rose from 10-100 people. People found they could train without getting hurt and as a result.. S.I.M.T.A. grew rapidly

I taught in Manchester and the surrounding areas for 16 years then moved to start my new Headquarters at Stockport .

History of Master Sken - My Education

2006-05-19T00:59:00.000+01:00

I moved again in 1966 this time to attend Piammaythi Wittayakarn School . The Arjarns and Krus, who I will always be grateful too passed on their knowledge, which allowed me to continue to fight so that I could earn just enough money for food and education.

I was there for a short time then I moved over to Sattahib High School , where I was reunited with my brother. He had being practicing Tae Kwon Do with Grand Master Sook Joon Ahn at U-Tapao American airbase. I immediately saw some techniques that I wanted to learn and asked my brother to help me. My brother took me to meet Grand Master Sook Joon Ahn. After that meeting I decided it would be beneficial to add Tae Kwon Do to my repertoire .

The school belonged to the Royal Thai Navy (20 kilometre from Pattaya City ), Cholburi Province . Many American GI's were stationed there. The GI's had a huge interest in martial arts and they asked me to start teaching them. I found I liked to instruct and that I developed my skills through passing on the different techniques.

On many occasions I found myself being challenged by the Americans and Japanese. They were hard fights but they served as a learning curve earning me a reputation for being a good fighter.
Often for recreation I would leave the base with my friends and travel to the North of the country, where we would participate in Muay Thai competitions, receiving money for food. We oftened travelled to Chiangmai and visiting the local tribe's people, walked many miles up the Doi Intanon. One of the highest mountains in Thailand .

I finished my education at Sattahib and moved to Bangkok . Successfully passing the entrance exam to Srinakarinwiroj University of Physical Education. Here I was able to concentrate on the finer points of Muay Thai, learning the history, refereeing, judging etc.

The timetable was pretty gruelling. I would wake at 4.30am to go jogging for 1 hour returning to my apartment to continue with my personal training for 1 hour. After which I would walk to the University. Most of the day was taken up by various disciplines such as Track and Field, Volley Ball, Swimming, Dancing, Krabi Krabong, Muay Thai, Rugby , Tennis, Takraw and many more. It was a four years course and extremely demanding, physically and mentally.

My study period was almost over and after having around 145 fights unbeaten I soon had to take some life changing decisions. I had always had an interest in travel but I also wanted to fight at Lumpinee Stadium. For the Thai fighters this was theirs and my ultimate challenge. But it would be a hard choice as the life of a Professional Muay Thai fighter is a short one. Often with little prospects at the end it. After considering long and hard, I decided to travel and continue my education.

History of Master Sken - The Beginning

2006-05-19T00:55:00.000+01:00

THE BEGINNINGMy birth place was Numpi, Ampur Tron Thongsaenkun, Uttaradit Province in the North of Thailand

In 1962 my father became part of the law enforcement in our village holding a high position. He became a highly respected member of our village community and villages around the Uttaradit Province . He was a determined man against the corruption that was prevalent in our country at that time. After arresting a local man for stealing funds he became a target for those that had become irreverent towards our laws, unfortunately life is cheap for those that are desperate and my father was shot dead in 1963.

Many times before my farther died he would take me to watch many Muay Thai competitions. I would watch the fights with great enjoyment and interest. This lead me to be introduced to one of the camps who was owned by a friend of my fathers. He was a grand master called Krisana Suwan and Khai Pichai Dabhak (Broken Sword). Praya Pichai Dabhak was the name taken from a hero who was a bodyguard of King Taksin the Great; he fought in the battlefield so ferociously that he broke his sword in half.

After watching the young Thai fighters I started to train. My cousin who I idolized helped me to learn. He showed me brilliant fighting techniques which I can remember to this day.

When I was 8 years old my mother became ill after the death of my father. Not being able to look after me I moved to Pahkai Village to study at the local school. My P.E instructor, who happened to be the owner of a Muay Thai camp, started teaching me Muay Thai seriously. He gave me the fighting name Narongnoi Lukborlhek, Narong being my father's name; Narongnoi is Narong Junior Lukborlek Luk means son or daughter. He became one of the most important influences in my Thai Boxing career. We travelled many places participating in Junior Muay Thai competitions for the different schools in the area. This assisted in raising money to pay for my education.

At this time I was living with the monks in a Buddhist Temple called Wat Phai Lom, Uttaradit. It is about 140 kilometres from Chiangmai. I met a Buddhist Monk named Pi Yai he started to show me Muay Thai and meditation. Guiding me through Buddhist Philosophy, teaching me about calmness, respect, discipline and most importantly Dthamma (knowledge and wisdom from Lord Buddha)

Muay Thai Boxing History

2006-05-19T00:32:00.000+01:00

Muay Thai started way back in the medieval ages when wars were fought with bows and arrows, swords, and pikes. And in hand-to-hand combat arms, legs, knees, and elbows were also used as weapons. This sport which was included in military training was made famous by King Nareusan 1560 A.D. During one of the many battles between Burma and Siam he was captured. The Burmese knew of his prowess as the best unarmed fighter in the realm and gave him a chance to fight with their best for his freedom. Upon his return to Siam he was hailed as a hero and Siamese-style boxing, as it was called then, was soon recognized as a national sport. Boxing in this style reached its zenith of popularity about two hundred years ago, i.e., in the reign of Prachao Sua (King Tiger), when it was indulged in by all classes of the population.

From those days up until the early part of this century, the fighters, particularly those in provinces, used horsehide strips and later help in lieu of gloves. It was also a practice at one time to grind pieces of glass into the help if both contestants agreed. Since these practices were obviously dangerous to the fighters' health, regular boxing gloves were introduced about 50 years ago and have been used ever since.

To the Thais, Muay Thai is regarded as a prestigious national sport. Thai boys will in one or another way, intentionally or unintentionally, learn how to box Thai style. Even Thai girls will know enough of the basic principles and to be able to use it for self-defense when necessary.

Muay Thai, called Thai Boxing by foreigners, is our national sport and is now getting more popular in many countries, especially in Japan where a large numer of young Japanese are now being trained to fight professionally. But in Japan this fighting is called "Kick Boxing." At present "Kick Boxing" is internationally known as a Japanese martial art. Surely the true name, "Muay Thai" should be retained internationally as the Japanese terms Kendo, Judo, or Karate have been.

There is no [clear] evidence to show the time of origin of Thai-Style boxing. It can only be assumed that Thai boxing existed since the Thai emigrated from the South of China. [Further archaeological work needs to be done in this area, both in the Thai and English languages.

The [Tai tribe] immigrants had to hide from attackers and met with resistance from local people. In short, they had to fight endlessly for their survival. By the time they managed to settle in the "Gold Promontory", the Thais had gone through to countless battles and many lives had been lost. The ancient weapons consisted only of spears, swords, pikes or bows and arrows. But in hand-to-hand combat weapons become clumsy, and elbows, knees, feet and fists became more practical. This must have been extremely successful, as it was then developed into a form of martial arts used in battle, and this was the origin of Muay Thai.

When the Thais finally settled down and built a city, and extended their territory to become a large country, there was a need for an army to defend the country. Soldiers in those days had to learn Muay Thai along with the use of traditional weapons. Thus there was also the need for Kru Muay, or teacher of Thai boxing. Various tactics for attack and defense were developed, called "boxing tactics". Later, laymen began to take up this form of fighting, as a form of self-defense, and as a handy qualification to become a soldier, which would also lead to further advancement depending on their ability and talent.

During the Ayudhya period, which was a period of consecutive fighting against the neighboring countries of Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam, history records state that King Sri San Petch or Khun Luang Sorasak known as Phra Chao Sua (The Tiger King) often boxed incognito in various up-country temple fairs. He is said to have been a skilled boxer, and enjoyed the sport so much that he often disguised himself thus in order to test his skill against villagers and thus became quite a legend in his own time.

When Ayudhya fell in 1767 A.D. many Thais became prisoners of War. In 1774 the King of Burma held a festival to celebrate the Chedi containing the Bhuddha's relics in Rangoon, with various forms of entertainment and festivities. This included a boxing display for the King by a Boxer named "Nai Khanom Tom" a prisoner of war from Ayudhya. Pit against Burmese boxers, Nai Khanom Tom defeated 10 Burmese opponents in a row, and also became quite a legend.

During the reign of King Tak Sin the Great, the King had a close aid-de-amp named "Phraya Pihai Dab Hak" who had studied the art of Muay Thai with many famous teachers and displayed his talent for the King. As a result, he was chosen to become a soldier, and was later promoted to the position of Chao Muang (governor) with his name recorded in history.

In the Ratanakosin Period, Muay Thai was still a national art form, with competitions in annual national festivities. Time-keeping was done by floating a pierced coconut shell. When the coconut sank, a drum would be beaten to signal the end of a round.In 1788, during the reign of King Rama I, two french brothers arrived in Thailand by boat, having defeated many boxers across the Indo-China Penninsula. King Rama I consulted the Crown Prince, his brother, who offered to find boxers to fight against the Frenchmen. Phraya Phra Klang would accept the challenge, settling the bet at 50 chang (4,000 bhat). The Crown Prince chose a boxer named Muen Plan of the Royal Guards. The match was held in the grounds of theGrand Palace. Muen Plan wore full battle regalia--bare-chested, seeped in magic charms, cabalistic writing and oils to ensure invulnerability. When the fight began, the large French fighter tried to attack, aiming for the neck and collar-bone. Muen Plan defended himself with Muay Thai. The other Frenchman, seeing his brother making no progress became frustrated, and pushed Muen Plan's back to stop him from backing away. Members of the Royal Guards saw this break of boxing etiquette and proceeded to help Muen Plan tackle the two Frenchmen until they had to be carried back to the boat. They set sail the next day, with no thought of ever challenging a Thai Boxer again.

During the reign of King Rama V, Thai boxing matches were widely popular, boxing matches were held for the King's pleasure, ad skilled boxers received titles from the King, for example Muen Muay Mee Chue from Chaiya, Muen Muay Man Mudh from Lopburi, Muen Cha-ngad Cherng Chok from Korat. Also in this period boxing camps were established. Members of the royal family sent out talent scouts to recruit potential boxers from up-country and arranged matches between camps. Winners would receive money and valuable prizes. This period could be called the Golden Age of Muay Thai.

During the reign of King Rama VI, Thai boxing matches became more widespread. Matches that used to be held in make-shift rings in any available courtyard became a standard raised ring surrounded by ropes. The first ring was built in 1921 at Suan Kularp field. Although standard rings were available, boxers still bound their hands with rope. Foreign boxers came to take on Thai boxers. An important free-style match took place between Young Harntalay and Chin Chang from China which attracted a huge crowd of spectators. The result was that Young Harntalay floored Ching Chang with a beautiful kick. In this period, they also had referees in the ring, and kept time by the clock. These innovations were probably adopted from abroad.

Rope binding was needed until 1929 when boxing gloves took its place. Earlier at the Lumpini Park Ring, a Filipino boxer gave an international style boxing exhibition with boxing gloves. Later, gloves were also used in student boxing matches called "Muay Farang", and in professional international boxing between Thai and foreign boxers. This led the organizers of Thai-Style boxing to see that gloves are less dangerous than rope-binding, and decided that gloves should be adopted in Muay Thai, but fighting with elbows, knees, feet and fists would still be allowed.

Although many improvements or changes were applied from the type of ring, breaking each bout into rounds, using the minute-system of time-keeping, and using gloves, one aspect of Thai-style boxing remained the same--the jock strap. Originally, the jock-strap consisted of a triangular-shaped pillow tied to the waist, with a strap tied behind from between the legs. The pillows were red or blue color according to the boxer's corner. These pillows were used until one boxer went to Malaysia and saw foreign boxers use jock-straps. He brought the idea back to Thailand, and since then jock-straps have replaced the triangular pillows.

During the reign of King Rama VII, in the revolutionary period, permanent boxing stadiums were established both in Bangkok and in the provinces. They gradually disappeared in 1942 during World War II. After the war, boxing stadiums sprang up like mushrooms overnight. Skilled boxers from up-country flocked to Bangkok to take part in tournaments. Finally the first standard boxing stadium was established--the Rajdamnern Stadium, in 1945. Rules were set, and later on regular bouts were set at 5 rounds of 3 minutes each, with a two-minute interval between rounds. The weight was taken down in stones like race-horses, and later converted into kilograms.

In the early days, the match-maker system was used; the stadium officials would organize matches providing cup or talent jackets as prizes. Matches were not classified into weight groups until many years later when the pound system replaced stones and kilograms. International names were given for each weight group, such as flyweight and bantamweight. Matches were arranged to select a champion for each class, following the international style.

Muay Thai is still developing, but what remains unchanged is the use of the pipe and drums as musical accompaniments for the matches, and is considered a unique characteristic of Muay Thai. Muay Thai has been initiated under many names, which have not received prolonged interest because the original has already became known world-wide.

Many additions have been made to the regulations of Muay Thai. It is forbidden now to hit the private parts since this technique has become quite infamous as a form of attack and is considered debasing for the fine art of Thai boxing. Muay Thai remains a national art form. If all parties concerned help to uplift and conserve this form of martial arts, and pass it onto following generations, it will remain a valuable possession of the Thai nation.