# A  few questions for the Thai Boxers



## Slihn (Dec 8, 2006)

*What style of Muay Thai do you study?*

*Do you perfer the Dutch or the Traditional Thai style?*(and yes there is a difference,a BIG difference)

I have studied both The Traditonal Thai style and the Dutch version and now when I fight I try to use a mixure of the two.I typical like to use the more tatical side(setups,ring movement,angles etc) of the Dutch style,and the "special attacks" (techniques that arent typically used but if used when the time is right,it can be devasating;like the flyinh knee,every angel of elow attacks,including the flying elbow,and rapid fire kicks) of the Traditional Thai version.


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## chris_&#3617;&#3623;&#3618;&#3652;&#3607;&#3618; (Dec 10, 2006)

Slihn said:


> *What style of Muay Thai do you study?*
> 
> *Do you perfer the Dutch or the Traditional Thai style?*(and yes there is a difference,a BIG difference)
> 
> I have studied both The Traditonal Thai style and the Dutch version and now when I fight I try to use a mixure of the two.I typical like to use the more tatical side(setups,ring movement,angles etc) of the Dutch style,and the "special attacks" (techniques that arent typically used but if used when the time is right,it can be devasating;like the flyinh knee,every angel of elow attacks,including the flying elbow,and rapid fire kicks) of the Traditional Thai version.


 
there os only 1 "style" of muay thai , however a lot of techters will teach in diferent ways and possibly call how they teach there "style" , and for your scond question...well , tell us more about the dutch style

chris


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## thaistyle (Dec 10, 2006)

Muay Thai is classified into two types or fighting styles:  Muay Kiew, which is very aggressive, full of tricks and movements, it is also the more common thai style.  Always moving and always powerful with this style (maybe like your dutch training).  The other is Muay Lak, which is more rare.  It relies on counter-attacks with an empasis on patience and caution.  Fighters of this style typically are more relaxed and fight with power and skill.  This is the style I always preferred.  My old school used both with students and fighters.


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## Slihn (Dec 14, 2006)

No disrespect intented but you are both atucally wrong.I have both studied and did research of many different styles of Muay Thai.Atucally;here is a link a a site that will show ou a considerable amount of variations of the art.

http://www.ancientmuaythai.com/styles/muay_thai.htm


                                    With any Martial Art that will be just about as many styles(varations) as there are people who study it.The reason for this is because when you study a particular art (if you learn correctly) you first learn the foundation of the art and after you have become higly profient in that art,it becomes abit personalized.For example I studied Traditional Muay Thai in Germany,my teach taught us a the a pretty well balance portion of the art,I myself favor kicks therefore if I where to open my own school,I found surely teach that base foundation,but my school would most likely favor kicks.That  varation Muay Thai that you learn there would be quite different than the varation of Muay Thai that you would lean from a person who won his most of his fights with elbows,knees,etc.

This way of thinking is so much more commmon in othere styles of martial arts.Look at Jujitsu,there are about as many styles of Jujitsu(Akayama-Ryu,Aiki,Small Circle,Inner Circle,Gracie the list goes on) and the reaon for that is because of the concept mentioned above the foundation was learned, and it became personalilzed,using what has useful and rejecting what was useless.


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## Slihn (Dec 15, 2006)

chris_&#3617;&#3623;&#3618;&#3652;&#3607;&#3618;;678999 said:
			
		

> and for your scond question...well , tell us more about the dutch style
> 
> chris


 
Here are two links that will tell you plenty about the dutch style.

http://www.mejirogym.com/wmmodules/pagecontent/front/?id=0

http://www.fightingmaster.com/trainers/thomharinck/index.html


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## Shark (Dec 16, 2006)

The Dutch train have different training methods to Thais and Dutch Muay Thai evolved from Kickboxing. As far as training goes training sessions are usually 1.5 hours and once a day.(natuarally pros train more) Thai training is around 4-6 hours a day not including running. 
Different gyms do different things of course but generally the Dutch do more counter fighting drills(eg one guy left hook right straight left high kick his partent defending all and coming back right staright left hook right low kick) this is done hard and fast for a round until the next drill also not much clinching . Drills are performed with a partner shin pads and big gloves, the drills are followed by a few rounds of HARD sparring. On your first day you might leave thinking that it was really fighting not sparring, its the Dutch way.
 Thais have more emphesis on techniques in the clinch, sparring light just with feet, or hard just boxing also more time to hammer away and a big bag to build power and endurance. More pad work with your own trainer etc etc
Most Dutch gyms fight kickboxing aswell as Muay Thai so they have more of a kickboxing style with plenty of low kicks. Muay Thai varies from gym to gym everywhere in Thailand and abroad. These are my own observations from training with Ivan Hippolyte and Ernesto Hoost at Vos  and also going down and having a look at Merjero to see what they were doing there.
I now manage a gym in Thailand where one of our trainers has just spent three months working as a trainer at Vos (he was also previously head trainer at Fairtex). He has brought some ideas home aswell as teaching plenty of new tricks to the boys at Vos. Remy Bonjasky and Gilbert Yvel are also traing there at the moment.
If anyone is interested to come to Thailand to learn Muay Thai in a great camp with proven history of training champions don hesitate to contact me. The web site is currently being fixed up but you can see www.muaythaicamps.com or email tim8it@yahoo.com


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## Shark (Dec 16, 2006)

The Dutch train have different training methods to Thais and Dutch Muay Thai evolved from Kickboxing. As far as training goes training sessions are usually 1.5 hours and once a day.(natuarally pros train more) Thai training is around 4-6 hours a day not including running. 
Different gyms do different things of course but generally the Dutch do more counter fighting drills(eg one guy left hook right straight left high kick his partent defending all and coming back right staright left hook right low kick) this is done hard and fast for a round until the next drill also not much clinching . Drills are performed with a partner shin pads and big gloves, the drills are followed by a few rounds of HARD sparring. On your first day you might leave thinking that it was really fighting not sparring, its the Dutch way.
Thais have more emphesis on techniques in the clinch, sparring light just with feet, or hard just boxing also more time to hammer away and a big bag to build power and endurance. More pad work with your own trainer etc etc
Most Dutch gyms fight kickboxing aswell as Muay Thai so they have more of a kickboxing style with plenty of low kicks. Muay Thai varies from gym to gym everywhere in Thailand and abroad. These are my own observations from training with Ivan Hippolyte and Ernesto Hoost at Vos and also going down and having a look at Merjero to see what they were doing there.
I now manage a gym in Thailand where one of our trainers has just spent three months working as a trainer at Vos (he was also previously head trainer at Fairtex). He has brought some ideas home aswell as teaching plenty of new tricks to the boys at Vos. Remy Bonjasky and Gilbert Yvel are also traing there at the moment.
If anyone is interested to come to Thailand to learn Muay Thai in a great camp with proven history of training champions don hesitate to contact me. The web site is currently being fixed up but you can see www.muaythaicamps.com or email tim8it@yahoo.com


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## thaistyle (Dec 17, 2006)

Hey Slihn.  The website link you posted from ancient muay thai refers to the style of muay thai from different regions in Thailand.  Muay Chaiya is from south Thailand, Muay Korat from northeast Thailand, Muay Ta Sao from the north and Muay Lopburi from central Thailand.  These are the old styles which are all Muay Thai.  What I was refering to was the two fighting styles within muay thai, Muay Lak and Muay Kiew.  I know there are a few ex-champions from Thailand that are now living through out the Netherlands and Europe which may have an influence on the "Dutch" style.


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## thaistyle (Dec 17, 2006)

The "Dutch" style has proven to be very effective.  They have produced fighters like Dekkers and Kaman who have beaten the Thai at there own martial art/sport.  Everything that I have read, the dutch definitely train differently than the thai.  They seem to be more effective with punching.


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## Slihn (Dec 17, 2006)

thaistyle said:


> . Everything that I have read, the dutch definitely train differently than the thai. They seem to be more effective with punching.


 
                                  ......Yeah I have noticed that about the Dutch style,their boxing is with out a doubt more advanced than the Thais.I have also noticed(well in my own personal experiance) that the Dutch style seems to be ALOT more taticful;but I guess that is because the influence from western boxing in their style.I truly cannot say which one that I like better though,they both have their strenghts the Thai style defininty had more advanced clinching techniques,(in my opinion)they have more powerful kicks,(because in the Thai style you turn your hips all the way  they emphasize "rapid fire" kicks a great deal more, and far more advanced clinching techniques.So both definitely have their strenghts.


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## thaistyle (Dec 17, 2006)

I agree 100%.  They both have there strengths and weaknesses.  You must agree, no matter where you train, if it is muay thai, it is effective.  My old muay thai instructor had a boxing background, so we worked punching like crazy.  I saw him win many times with a fierce left hook.  Some camps in Thailand are starting to really train punches and be more effective with them.


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## Slihn (Dec 17, 2006)

thaistyle said:


> I agree 100%. They both have there strengths and weaknesses. You must agree, no matter where you train, if it is muay thai, it is effective. My old muay thai instructor had a boxing background, so we worked punching like crazy. I saw him win many times with a fierce left hook. Some camps in Thailand are starting to really train punches and be more effective with them.


 
It is almost always phenomenal when boxing is mixed with Muay Thai(or any other art for that matter). The first Muay Thai school I trained in ,there was this one fight who had a boxing background also.His hands where so fast and powerful!He also ulitized maximum reach and suprb foot work to get in and out of punching/kicking range.When he fough ,you could really tell the boxing skill level that he had over the other students.When he fought he mixed up his boxing with powerful shin kicks and  spinning back kicks(which I actually posted something about on this forum many months ago) that was out of this world!!His mix up mad him an spectualr fighter.

There was another fighter who studied kickboxing before he studied Muay Thai.He displayed phenomenal,stragetic approaches in his bouts mixing up boxing with long range kicks and being able to control the fight with "dancing" in and out of striking range.He also had a specialy powerful and accurate spinning hook kick.When he mixed it all up,it was a site to see.

...I do agree though,if its Muay Thai(weather its pure or abit hybrid) it is very effective!I guess it all depends on the person.


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## Shark (Dec 31, 2006)

I wouldnt say that the Dutch are more advance when it comes to punching, there has been many Muay Thai fighters win WBA, WBC World Titles in Boxing and also Olympic Gold medals.
There is a gym in Bangkok called Chitlada where they have had 5 world titles in boxing as well as producing one of the most famous Thai Boxers "Jomhod", Sasiprapa gym also had a guy win a gold medal in boxing as well as Jocky Gym, Somluck Khamsing won Olympic Gold in 1996 as well as being a Muay Thai Superstar, Sor Vorapin had an IBF world champ and Sityodtong still has one.
Styles are differnt from gym to gym but in the judging in Muay Thai in Thailand punches are not scored very highly kicks and knees hurt more so if someone land a couple of punches and you land a hard knee/ kick then you are ahead. Bunkauw Por Promuk has adjusted his style to more western style because thats what the judges like more in Japan and Europe.
www.muaythaicamps.com


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## Giorgio (Dec 31, 2006)

I definitely agree with you there, I just got back from Bangkok and was lucky enough to attend a fight night at the Lumpini stadium. There were three knockouts out of the six fights I saw, which was amazing to see. But more interesting was the emphasis that the fighters put on knees and grapples. Several fights contained rounds of nothing but grappling, while others saw a few more punches, but they were always auxiliary, to open up the opponent to kicks.

 Punches were almost never used to deal damage per se, except for a brilliant first round knockout by a kon muay from the Kaennorsing camp, who only had to strike with a few low kicks, two knees to the midsection, and then finished his opponent with three devastating uppercuts. Brilliant. 

From what I've watched in Thailand and Europe, there most definitely is a predilection towards grappling and knees in the former, and footwork, punches and dodges in Europe. I was really struck by how complex and intricate the grappling was in the Lumpini Stadium, compared to many western fighters like dekkers or bonjasky, who don't really go beyond 'grab-clinch-knee'. Really enlightening stuff.


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