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Krabi-Krabong - The Mother of Muay Thai
Page 3 - Weapons and Empty Hands
At the Thailand Arts Institute, Villalobos teaches many of the ancient
system's weapons. "The weapons of Krabi-Krabong are for fighting
at different ranges," he says. ")
There are close-range weapons
such as the knife, mai sok ax and a variety of handheld farming implements.
The middle-range, weapons include, but are not limited to, spears, single
and double swords, and the long staff." For longer ranges, the Thai
fighters relied on bows and arrows, as well as long spears, elephant spears
and throwing spears. Some of those long-range weapons could also be used
while mounted, Villalobos says. The empty-hand component of Krabi-Krabong
is sometimes called Muay Thai Boran, which translates as "Old Muay
Thai". Modern Thai Boxing is believed to have been extrapolated from
Muay Thai Boran early in the 20th century. Not surprisingly, the two arts
are built upon the same principles.
Krabi-Krabong footwork is similar to that of modern Thai Boxing, but it differs in directional orientation. While ring fighters face only one opponent at a time, battlefield fighters had to face violence from many opponents on all sides. Another major difference between the ancient way of fighting and the modern way of competing is intent, Villalobos says. Krabi-Krabong teaches students how to dispatch multiple enemies as quickly and efficiently as possible. In contrast, Muay Thai fighters strive only for the knockout. "As violent as today's Thai boxing may seem to Westerners, its brutality is just a shadow of its deadly parent art; Krabi-Krabong," Villalobos says.
Thai Boxing might rightly be called "Krabi-Krabong Lite." This observation takes nothing away from the art and sport of Thai boxing, Villalobos says, for it is without a doubt one of the most ferocious and effective ring arts of the modern world. The ancient and the modern way simply have different objectives.
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