Muay Sangha India

Instruments

Thai Musical Instruments for Boxing

Muay Thai is still developing, but what remains unchanged is the use of the pipe and the drums as musical accompaniments for the matches, and is considered a unique characteristic of Muay Thai.

For dancing one may use a record player, but for thai boxing it is imperative to have live music. For the prefight rituals and during the fight itself the tempo of music is increased to encourage the fighters to put forth their best efforts. There are three Thai musical instruments for boxing.

Traditional Thai instruments used during and before the fights are the Pi, the Ching and the Glawng Khaek.

Importance of Mongkon, Paprachiat and Pong Malai

When fighters enter the ring, they traditionally are seen wearing a Mongkon on their heads, and Pong Malai around their necks.

The Mongkon (or Mangala) is the traditional head band which is always worn by Muay Thai fighters . It is usually made from a special cotton yarn, which has been carefully bound together in a special way. This item is used to represent the gym that you are fighting out of. It is essentially a crown. Fighters never own the Mongkon themselves, it is gym property. Also, fighters are not to touch the Mongkon. It is placed on their heads and removed by their Kru or trainer. It serves to remind the fighter that he is in the ring representing his gym or camp, not himself. In the past, each gym had a distinct Mongkon, and one could identify what gym a fighter was from by the Mongkon worn.

Pong Malai are the floral wreaths worn around a fighter’s neck when he enters the ring. Pong Malai literally translates to "Group of Flowers". It is almost identical in purpose to a Hawaiian Lei. Pong Malai are given to a fighter by friends and fans as a good luck gesture. Pong Malai are also commonplace in Thai culture outside of the boxing ring. Again, much like a Hawaiian Lei.

When the fighter steps into the ring, they always go over the top rope. They NEVER duck under or between the ropes to enter or exit the ring. This is a symbolic gesture that is closely related to Thai culture. In Thai culture, a person’s head is considered to be the most important part of the body, practically a holy object. The feet, by contrast, are considered lowly and dirty. A fighter should ALWAYS enter the ring over the top rope so as not to allow his head to go beneath anything.

Fighters also commonly wear a cord around their bicep called the Kruang Ruang (armband) or Paprachiat (Good Luck Charm). These are usually given to the

fighter as good luck charms by close family or by monks as talismans to ward off harm. These armbands are worn throughout the entire fight.

When the fighter is in the ring, he goes to the center to bow to each of the four sides of the ring, paying his respects to the audience who has paid to see him fight.

The fighter then returns to his corner and if he is wearing a robe, his trainer removes it for him to begin the real pre-fight ceremony.

Beginning in his own corner, the fighter places his right hand atop the uppermost ring rope and walks counter-clockwise around the ring, symbolically "Sealing the Ring". The act of sealing the ring represents a statement to your opponent: "It's just you and me now." This act represents you sealing out the crowd, your trainers, the judges, and everyone from this match. It's just you and me buddy! Mano a mano.

Upon completion of sealing the ring, the fighter then positions himself in the center of the ring and kneels facing the direction of his home town, or his gym/camp. He performs three bows, touching his forehead to the floor. This is called the Wai Kru (bow to the teacher Wai means bow, Kru means teacher.). These three bows can take on a different significance with each fighter, but in our gym, we think of them as paying respect to your teacher and gym, your family, and finally to your deity.

The fighter then begins an elaborate dance-like ritual called the Ram Muay. The fighter goes through many complex motions, which often imitate animals or professions. In the SuriyaSak Ram Muay, we go through motions imitating a swallow, a hunter, a soldier, and an executioner.

The Ram Muay originated back in the days before there were rings. Initially, these motions were just the fighter warming up, stretching, and testing the ground of the predetermined fighting area. Over time, these transformed into the elaborate rituals that they are today.

The Ram Muay still serves a practical purpose in fight preparation besides the cultural "ritual". The motions are designed so that they stretch out the major muscle groups of the body. The Ram Muay is also used as a fighters "personal time", allowing him a minute or two right before the match to collect his thoughts and focus on the match.

Wai Kru is a demonstration of the pupilґs respect and gratitude to his teacher in submission to the teaching training. Wai Kru is traditionally practiced by Thais of various professions and arts, e.g., dancers, sword fighters, musicians, as well as academic students, and of course Muay Thai boxers are no exception. "Wai" means to pay respect by putting both hands together in front of the chest. The demonstration of Wai Kru does not only imply paying respect to the present teacher, but also includes homage to all the teachers of the discipline.

Wai Kru ceremonies are preferable held on Thursday, which is believed to be the teachersґs day. On that day, pupils present certain offerings, usually flowers, money, cloth, etc., to the person who has accepted them as his students. The pupils make a vow that they will study seriously and patiently, respect him and behave fairly to their fellow students and will use the knowledge gained properly.

Wai Kru is called Kheun Kru (the initial ceremony of paying respect to the teacher). Subsequently. they will pay respect to their teachers ceremonially each year, which is called "Yohk Kru" But whenever the pupils intend to use the knowledge taught to them. they will always start by paying respect to their teacher; this action is called Wai Kru or Bucha Kru (to pay respect to a teacher).

In Muay Thai, the boxer will always preface the fight with Wai Kru and this tradition is still practiced nowadays. This ceremony is usually performed to rousing Thai music from pipes and drums, and with the initial Ram Muau (the boxing movement). The Wai Kru and Ram Muay are useful, since the boxer gains encouragement from paying homage to his teachers and feels that he is not on his own: he has his teacher and the other teachers of the discipline to support him. The Wai Kru process will also give him time to concentrate and revise what he has learned, as well as display the nature of his weapons and the high degree of his skill. The steps, movement and use of his weapons are designed to warm up the bodys muscles, survey the field of play, and conceal the contestants style of fighting.

Control of Breath

Biology aspect

The control of breath, in–out from the lungs is a passive biomechanical response i.e., you do it naturally without working on it. Contrary to what many people believe, it is level of CO2 that trigger breathing rate/responses, NOT oxygen. This is why it is more important to focus on the out breath than the in breath.

You should breath in with your nose and out with your mouth. This prevents any unnecessary inhalation of carbon dioxide.

IF YOU BREATH OUT HARD, YOU WILL AUTOMATICALLY BREATH IN, where as breathing in hard or soft doesn't really make a big difference to what happens in your lungs.

Hence a lot of fighters make “chhh” noises when striking. Tradition says to make “yeeshhh” sound when striking with the knee and “sssa” sound is used when elbowing or punching.

Also, the out breath tenses the abdominal muscles, and so protects nerve centers, guts and etc., so breathing out when getting struck is also good, as prepares for hit, and also means there’s no air in you to get knocked out.

Psychology aspect

A common problem with beginners, one I particularly suffered from many years ago, is the big gulp and breath hold while charge. I didn't even realize I wasn't breathing till people told me “God sake, breath will you”. Again the “chhh” (or “yeeshhh” or “sssa” or whatever sound you find comfortable and natural to make) with every strike makes sure you are breathing. A few folk will know, if you can't hear yourself breathing, your probably not!

Regularly practicing your breathing when doing your pad/bag work, will make it become almost intrinsic, so that when it comes to fight time, you don't have to think about it – you’ll do it naturally by instinct.

Oxygen Overloading

 When we inhale, our lungs are not filled up much beyond the upper third of their actual volume. We are only using a fraction of our vital capacity and the process of oxygen exchange in our bloodstream is inefficient. The blood is improperly cleaned of carbon dioxide and our brains and nervous systems are not fully oxygenated. We can experience many negative effects-physically, mentally, and emotionally-as a result.

This is basically where you purposely hypervenalate to overload the body with oxygen. This is used when you are preparing for fight or between rounds. You simply do a series of very quick, sharp breaths while really exhaling hard. This will give you a serge of needed power.

Breathing During Fight

Internal breathing is like a tea kettle that is building up steam. As the pressure in the kettle increases, there will be a slow release of pressure though a small hole in the spout. There will always be near constant pressure within...With a rapid series of strikes, there will either be a release of several short bursts of air, or a release of a continuous stream of air out of the lungs. At the same time there will be air pressure maintained within the lungs, much like the tea kettle...Exhale when delivering a strike or kick, and train yourself to exhale and tighten the muscles when receiving a blow. This prevents the air from being knocked out of you and prepares your body to absorb the impact.

Minimize your breaths. Shorter breaths mean even less vulnerability to a strike. Force your breath out through your mouth; inhalations will return through the nose almost automatically. Breaths are taken between movements (strikes, steps, blocks, drawing the arm back), and even during your breaths, you should hold your teeth tightly together, so you could more easily take a blow to the chin.

Breathing Exercise

Push your stomach muscles out and down to make them hard but not quite rigid. Practice breathing in and out while maintaining this strength--have a partner press into your stomach with a fist while you breathe until you feel yourself breathing naturally against pressure. Your exhalations now can be made with a tight stomach; normal exhalations are relaxations of the diaphragm and vulnerable moments as far as getting hit in the stomach is concerned.

Breath deeply through the nose, without lifting up the shoulders, and imagine the air flowing through your nostrils, up the front and around your head, then down the

neck and spine, and around the groin and up to the center of your belly (just under navel), where it is tightly coiled and locked. When you exhale, slowly expel the air from the center of your belly up pass the solar plexus, up the wind pipe to the throat and out slowly from the mouth. The tongue must be presses against the bottom row of teeth, so as to provide a free flow out. On completion of exhalation, give a last strong push, focusing on the center of your belly and all the abdomen muscles. Keep the eyes fixed directly in front of you and avoid blinking.