Everyone is wearing Thai trunks.

[47MartialMan]

Its not WHO makes the trunks, its HOW. There is a specific style/cut to the trunks for MuayThai, and it is NOT the same as regular boxing trunks. Heck, I think a fair amount of MuayThai trunks and gear aren't even made in Thailand anyway. A lot of it is made in Pakistan.

Well, I bet she can get the style/cut. I know some one that can put phasa thai, Lanna, Kam Mueang, or Tai Yuan

[47MartialMan]

NO ONE DID NOT ANSWER MY SECOND QUESTION-

Does Thailand MT square off combatants according to size and weight?

[Khun Kao]

Yes, predominantly by weight. There are weight classes just like in Boxing. If you go to http://www.wmtc.nu you can search through there to find a list of the MuayThai weight classes. Very similar to Boxing.

[Garland]

Personally, I have sold about 60 pairs of short pants since 1994, and I have only seen a couple since then. I don't think they are wearing them at the beach, or as pajamas. Do you think they might be hanging on the wall as souvenirs?

I have one leopard print pair signed by Saekson Janjira that are hanging on the wall in my room...
the others I wear to work out in, sometimes swim in or hit the hottub in if I forget my swimtrunks, and yes...I have slept in them, and let my girlfriends sleep in them...the color contrast is kinda cute (bright yellow trunks with red lettering, or forrest green with yellow lettering...sometimes my oversized white, blue, and red krataeng daeng (red bull) trunks.)
speaking of which, my current girlie is wearing my signed Sakasem "Punisher" Kwathawong hoodie to bed right now...

[WhiteTiger]

Khun Kao.
Yes thats good with diffrent levels of skills. But what is the reqvirements for the shorts. If you can earn them what is the things you have to do to hae them?

[Khun Kao]

Khun Kao.
Yes thats good with diffrent levels of skills. But what is the reqvirements for the shorts. If you can earn them what is the things you have to do to hae them?

Unfortunately, I'm not able to answer this question. I don't test anyone for the right to wear shorts and I don't know what the requirements are that other MuayThai gyms use when testing for shorts. In my gym, you simply need to fork over the money for them.

[Damian Mavis]

As a professional martial arts instructor and school owner I see the need to test and "get something" for hard work, even if here in Thailand it's unheard of (for muay thai). If you don't do this in cultures that have a relative ease of life where people work office jobs you dont make money, simple as that so anyone that crticises it is a fool and shouldn't expect school owners to NOT make money and survive, because without the acknowledgement of their persistence in training you would only have 2 or 3 hardcore students and they will NOT support a studio. That is the reality. Rent is usually extremely expensive and you must do what you can to attract more than a handful of students to stay open.

I see nothing wrong with the TBA way of testing for shorts, but from personal experience I find their students extremely foolish in their attitude that the rest of the world should follow their rules and regulations. Being in Thailand and listening to TBA members tell other people at Thai muay thai camps that they have no right to and shouldnt be wearing muay thai shorts since they didnt do a silly little test back home across the ocean was more than I could bear.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD Thailand

[chalambok]

Get Your Facts Straight Please

The Thai Boxing Association of the United States does NOT require students to have short pants. Never has. Damian Mavis, I don't know where you are coming from, and if any TBA member is claiming you or anyone else who is not a member of the TBA should follow our rules, they are expressing solely their own opinion, and nothing more. As far as the 'silly little test' goes, more than one professional fighter from Thailand has offered to pay for their certification rather than take it, so maybe it is not so silly to them. Like you said, a gym with 4 or 5 fighters will not support itself. Most successful schools in the US will have a large student base to support the relatively small fighter group. Their grading requirements are set up by them, and not by the TBA. If a student expresses the desire to become an instructor within the TBA, he must demonstrate a certain loyalty to the art (3 years of muay Thai training), a basic executable form (shown by doing a number of techniques in front of either Ajarn Chai or Ajarn Dan) and a 2 round performance test (where he must show he can defend himself from basic attacks using muay Thai).

[WhiteTiger]

...

But what is the TBA standard rules then?.

[sportmuaythai]

The Thai Boxing Association of the United States does NOT require students to have short pants. Never has. Damian Mavis, I don't know where you are coming from, and if any TBA member is claiming you or anyone else who is not a member of the TBA should follow our rules, they are expressing solely their own opinion, and nothing more. .

Very well said. I may have been loud, but in the end, what any one or body does is up to him or her self.

[Python]

White Tiger,

Below is what I use for my Student Level One curriculum. As Chalambok said, the T.B.A. does not require we do this, but each Khuen Khru pretty much sets his/her own curriculum within their school/club/gym. The consistent testing requirements are the ones for Khuen Khru (or apprentice) level under Ajarn Chai within the guidelines set forth by the T.B.A.

Below is the outline of the requirements for wearing Thai shorts within my program (but as I said before, I no longer require the test to wear shorts, but I still administer the test for the level one achievement). This is not a whole lot of material, but I make sure the body mechanics for each technique or combination is correct. I place a big emphasis on Discipline and Respect as well. The student cannot do the technique until they are given the command "go"...if they do, they have push-ups. If they do not bow when appropriate, they have push-ups, and if they do not say "TANG" on the knees, they have push-ups. Again, it is about being focused and disciplined. The final round is the hardest. One 3-minute round does not seem like alot to you and I or most of us on this thread, but to a new student (who probably is not in the best of shape to begin with) it can be very demanding. During the round they execute whatever I command (ex: Round kick, Roundkick, 10 punches-4 skip knees-4 kicks..repeat), while I am kicking back and hitting back. Get the idea? It gets very intense, much more so than any round of actual fighting in the ring.

This is just Student Level One...the next step is Student Level Two...Level One instructor, and Level Two instructor (these are not Khuen Khru levels yet, they are in preparation for testing under Ajarn Chai).



Level One Student

1. Boxing:
Jab, Cross, Hook, Upper cut, Overhand
Defenses:
Cover, Slip, Parry, Evade, Bob-N-Weave

2. Elbows:
Down, Snap, Combo

3. Knees:
Regular Straight Knee - Long
Regular Straight Knee - Short
Skip Knee 1
Skip Knee 2

4. Kicks:
Round Kick Left & Right
Teep Left & Right
Defenses:
Round Kick Cover One
Round Kick Cover Two
Round Kick Cover Three
Base Up
Catch
Teep Scoop One (Outside)
Teep Scoop Two (Outside)
Teep Scoop Three (Inside)
Teep Scoop Four (Inside)

5. Combos:
Bob N Weave
4 Count (Right to Left, Left to Right, Same Side Right, Same Side Left)
Jab-Cross-Hook, Right Knee, Right Kick
Cross-Hook-Cross, Left Knee, Left Kick
Jab-Cross, Right Knee, Hook

6. Shadow Box

7. Thai Pad Round
1-3 Minute Round

[Python]

I see nothing wrong with the TBA way of testing for shorts, but from personal experience I find their students extremely foolish in their attitude that the rest of the world should follow their rules and regulations. Being in Thailand and listening to TBA members tell other people at Thai muay thai camps that they have no right to and shouldnt be wearing muay thai shorts since they didnt do a silly little test back home across the ocean was more than I could bear.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD Thailand

Damian,

I agree with Chalambok, "IF" these were indeed TBA members, they were acting solely on their own and do NOT represent the rest of us. Although I DID test for short and had my students testing for shorts, I know of several TBA instructors who do not require their students to test for shorts. BUT, the test, where and when administered, is by no means "silly", that I can assure you, atleast not in my camp.

[Python]

If a student expresses the desire to become an instructor within the TBA, he must demonstrate a certain loyalty to the art (3 years of muay Thai training), a basic executable form (shown by doing a number of techniques in front of either Ajarn Chai or Ajarn Dan) and a 2 round performance test (where he must show he can defend himself from basic attacks using muay Thai).

Actually this is not totally accurate, atleast not with today's guidelines:

the 2-round test is as such....a feeder holds Thai pads and belly pad (usually) and the hitter(testee) must throw 65 roundkicks and 35 knees (or is it 70 and 40, i can't remember) in 3 minutes with the feeder fighting back at the pace dictated by Ajarn Chai. One minute rest and a fresh feeder steps in for round two. The testee must do the same in this round. It is a test of heart and conditioning, point blank! The feeders (or pad holders) are kicking the crap out of the testee's legs and punching with the end of the thai pads which can hurt if you are caught off guard. This test, while it may sound easy in writing....is no joke!! Many do not pass the first time and are required to re-take that portion in 6 months if they wish to be a Khuen Khru within the TBA, in fact meny have been knocked out during their tests in the past. My legs were all beat to heck and were sore for several days.

[chalambok]

Python, that is what is called a performance test... Both people are being evaluated, one for Apprentice Certification, or what most call the Basic Thai Boxing Certificate; one for future certification, either Associate or Full. The basic testee is defending himself. The advanced testee is showing he can attack weaknesses, strengths, and the ability to listen to his corner (Ajarn Chai). The numbers are to ensure continuity of action, somewhat similar to what fighters have to do in the ring in Thailand, where I believe they must make an offensive move approximately every 1 1/2 to 2 seconds, or face admonishment by the referee.

[Python]

Python, that is what is called a performance test... Both people are being evaluated, one for Apprentice Certification, or what most call the Basic Thai Boxing Certificate; one for future certification, either Associate or Full. The basic testee is defending himself. The advanced testee is showing he can attack weaknesses, strengths, and the ability to listen to his corner (Ajarn Chai). The numbers are to ensure continuity of action, somewhat similar to what fighters have to do in the ring in Thailand, where I believe they must make an offensive move approximately every 1 1/2 to 2 seconds, or face admonishment by the referee.

Ahh..my apologies, I stand corrected. I guess I never looked at it like "both" were being evaluated. Hmm..it makes sense now (takes me a while, maybe punch drunk?) lol. Thanks for the insight!