Everyone is wearing Thai trunks.

[47MartialMan]

So if you have a cost of overhead, dont have enough paying students, funding has to come from additional surces.

[Damian Mavis]

What like dealing drugs? What are you suggesting? That they work a SEPERATE job to pay the bills of the other job? Ridiculous.

I tested for my shorts with a TBA academy. My inside right leg was black from mid calf to mid thigh. I used the term silly to refelct how much importance those TBA members put on that test and their feelings that everyone should follow their rules.

Please don't say "IF" they were TBA. I'm not a liar.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD Thailand.

[Garland]

What like dealing drugs? What are you suggesting? That they work a SEPERATE job to pay the bills of the other job? Ridiculous.

I tested for my shorts with a TBA academy. My inside right leg was black from mid calf to mid thigh. I used the term silly to refelct how much importance those TBA members put on that test and their feelings that everyone should follow their rules.

Please don't say "IF" they were TBA. I'm not a liar.

Damian Mavis
Honour TKD Thailand.

In the TBA school I went to, I was encouraged to wear thai style trunks to work out in...my instructor was a bit peeved, but not too much, and not enough to say anything, when I wore trunks from another school I was also training at. This is VERY understandable however...my excuse is that the other trunks were in the wash.

At the school I went to, we tested for Student Level I and II, and if you wanted to be a Khru...you'd have to test with Adjarn present, under his stipulations. I did a Student Level I test without Adjarn, and my Khru's still took the opportunity to beat my ass. I didn't have to pay them anymore than usual, they wanted us to test...but I did pay for it in sweat, and the beating I took from the pad holders (Brian Yamasaki held for the first round, and Khuen Khru Will Bernales held for the second...Brian was hard, but Will was brutal. My first fight had been easier then that.)

As for saying everyone should follow their rules...Adjarn personally told me I should train not only at the TBA school, but should do a bit of training under another instructor (I guess he used to be a promoter for the TBA too) Sakasem. The only thing Adjarn told me that he didn't like about some of the other groups was the lack of cultural understanding (understanding the history, some language, and how to do thinks like the Rammuay) and respect that he tries to instill in his students that is lacking in many of the commercial schools.

I only got in trouble with Adjarn for doing one thing that he didn't see as appropriate that I learned from another school. I jumped over the ropes during a TBA seminar, and had to do pushups...Adjarn told me this was disrespectful...prior to this incident I had always thought that you should never let your head go under the ropes...I guess this is one differing ideology...also the rammuays I learned were different...the TBA was the basic rammuay, and the other I learned was the bow and arrow one that seems to be more of a northern style dance...which, again, Adjarn said he didn't personally like because it is a bit disrespectful (the stomp is supposed to mean something bad)....but didn't tell me I couldn't do...just implied I shouldn't do it if I was fighting under the TBA banner.

Adjarn Chai is all about respect...unless you're out eating with him and you leave your food within his reach...then you become fair game. And should probably ask for a new glass of water as well, because he probably rubbed some sort of poisonous hot sauce or chili over the rim.
Great sense of humor...Adjarn is very cool.

[Khun Kao]

My understanding of going over or under the ropes has always been that you should go OVER the ropes. Allowing something to pass over your head is considered bad luck. That is why in Thai culture its practically insulting to touch someones head. For instance, if you were to tussle a kids hair, that can actually be considered a disrespectful act. You most DEFINATELY should go over the ropes if you are wearing a Mongkon, though.

Perhaps the issue is the way you "hopped" over the ropes rather than climb over them? Or perhaps Ajarn Chai believes that if you do not wear a Mongkon, you should not go over the top rope? Hard to say, you'd have to ask him or ask someone who knows him.

As far as the stomping in various Ram Muay's, it is my understanding that it isn't so much that it's 'disrespectful', per se... its an act of aggression, and there are many Thai's who are not a big fan of this style of Ram Muay.

My coach, Ajarn Kumron, was not a big fan of outright displays of aggression either. For instance, even though he has great respect for Bunkerd Famphini, he does not actually like the way Bunkerd fights and discouraged us from imitating it. Bunkerd often acts quite aggressive with his opponents in the ring.

[cowpaste]

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.

What the heck? "Tang" is a command from the instructor telling the student to knee. Why should the student have to say it?

[Python]

Cowpaste,

Taeng (i spelled it wrong in the last post) translates to "stab" or "pierce". Kow is the proper word for knee. So if an instructor says Tang to get his students to knee, that is his choice I guess, but not the proper translation. Ajarn Chai (TBA) requires the students to say "Tang" with each knee, so I require it of my students as well, so they are prepared when attending seminars with Ajarn Chai.

[cowpaste]

Eh, I think "tang" is just as good as "taeng." :P It's never straightfoward to spell Thai words with English letters.

Yes, "Kaow" means knee, but unlike English, it's more of a noun rather than a noun/verb. A few ways to say "throw a knee strike" in Thai are "tang kaow" (stab knee) and "thee kaow" (hit knee). It's common for trainers to shorten the command and say just "thee!"

Anyway, arguing/being perfectly correct about the language can become silly. I just find it humorous that Ajan Chai (he's Thai right?) requires that his students call out the name of the strike. I mean...wouldn't it be equivalent to saying "thae" with each kick and "thoy" with each punch?

[sportmuaythai]

Cowpaste,

Taeng (i spelled it wrong in the last post) translates to "stab" or "pierce". Kow is the proper word for knee. So if an instructor says Tang to get his students to knee, that is his choice I guess, but not the proper translation. Ajarn Chai (TBA) requires the students to say "Tang" with each knee, so I require it of my students as well, so they are prepared when attending seminars with Ajarn Chai.

Dear Python, the spelling may differ, but the pronounciation is still similar to Tang the orange powdered drink. I'm with Cowpaste regarding who should yell the word Tang. The instructor yells tang so his student will know which weapon he should execute. Spectators also shout tang to encourage their fighter to become relentless with the knee stabbing. After all, your students are not required to shout sork or tae are they?
Regarding going over the rope, Thai fighters do this all the time. Beside not getting mongkol under something that's not proper, it's also more dignified entrance. But I can understand the view for going under the robe. Your ajarn encourages being humble which is very important. The stomping of foot at the end of waikru may be crowd entertaining, it's a sign of cocksureness. However,if the fighter doing it gets badly beat up, instead of getting sympathy from the spectators, he may get chuckles. Nevertheless, the bow and arrow as well as the stomping of the foot is tradional and authentic for some stream of muaythai. It gets more rediculous and good for laugh when the fighter substitutes hand granade instead of bow and arrow.
I didn'nt see Cowpaste's post since I was typing my own post, which is redundant.

[Garland]

Eh, I think "tang" is just as good as "taeng." :P It's never straightfoward to spell Thai words with English letters.

Yes, "Kaow" means knee, but unlike English, it's more of a noun rather than a noun/verb. A few ways to say "throw a knee strike" in Thai are "tang kaow" (stab knee) and "thee kaow" (hit knee). It's common for trainers to shorten the command and say just "thee!"

Anyway, arguing/being perfectly correct about the language can become silly. I just find it humorous that Ajan Chai (he's Thai right?) requires that his students call out the name of the strike. I mean...wouldn't it be equivalent to saying "thae" with each kick and "thoy" with each punch?

Since Thai is so tonal, is there a different way to say "khao" or Kaow for knee, like dte khao (knee delivered like a round kick) as opposed to Khao as in dishes like Khao Ped Sap Por Rot (I think it's like a curry fried rice), Khao Neow Gati (Sweet Sticky Rice)?

[sportmuaythai]

Since Thai is so tonal, is there a different way to say "khao" or Kaow for knee, like dte khao (knee delivered like a round kick) as opposed to Khao as in dishes like Khao Pad Sap Pa Rot (I think it's like a curry fried rice), Khao Neow Gati (Sweet Sticky Rice)?

the knee word is short, while rice is pronounced with a long tone, ie kaaow, with a higher pitch.

[Garland]

the knee word is short, while rice is pronounced with a long tone, ie kaaow, with a higher pitch.

I have a tin ear...I can't tell the difference.

[Khun Kao]

I have a terrible time with the way I butcher the Thai language when speaking with my Thai friends... Depending on the vocal inflection, the word "Kao" (Kow) can have 4 different meanings. White, Rice, Knee, and I think the 4th one was a way to refer to a mountain?

But in any case, SportMuayThai is exactly correct in regards to how there are a lot of rituals and customs in the world of MuayThai that are traditional and correct. Each gym or Kru adheres to the ones that suit them. If you choose not to observe particular rituals, it isn't wrong so long as you respect those who do.

[Python]

Eh, I think "tang" is just as good as "taeng." :P It's never straightfoward to spell Thai words with English letters.

Yes, "Kaow" means knee, but unlike English, it's more of a noun rather than a noun/verb. A few ways to say "throw a knee strike" in Thai are "tang kaow" (stab knee) and "thee kaow" (hit knee). It's common for trainers to shorten the command and say just "thee!"

Anyway, arguing/being perfectly correct about the language can become silly. I just find it humorous that Ajan Chai (he's Thai right?) requires that his students call out the name of the strike. I mean...wouldn't it be equivalent to saying "thae" with each kick and "thoy" with each punch?

LOL, I hadn't thought of it like that, but yea that makes sense. I just never questioned it since Ajarn Chai required it (yes, he is Thai).

[Python]

Garland,

Was that you who said Ajarn didn't approve of you going over the ropes at a seminar? I have witnessed this too. He told me that for the actual fight, to always go over the ropes, but NOT to do it during normal training...I guess the differences in the level of respect.

[Python]

Damian,

I was not calling you a liar, my "IF" was not to say that you were lying or making it up. Sorry if it appeared that way.

Now, I will ask you to NOT "generalize" the TBA students like you did, because we are not all the same. While I was testing for shorts, I would NOT belittle someone elses "way" of teaching, test or no test. So, the members you referred to DO NOT represent all TBA members.

Thank You.