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Of all the old regional styles of boxing, Muay Chaiya is the only style that is still taught as a complete system. It comes under the generic term of Muay Boran, as it is an old, or ancient style of boxing. Like all the old styles, Muay Chaiya is Muay Thai, just an older version of what we see today.
In the mid 19th century, a high ranking soldier from Bangkok named Por Tan Mar retired from the army and ordained as a buddhist monk. He wandering from one town to another until finally settling in the southern Thai town of Chaiya, where he became the abbot at a local temple known as Wat Tung Jab Chang (elephant caught in the field temple).
Por Tan Mar taught his own unique style of boxing to the local people which included the governor of Chaiya, Praya Wajisatayarak (Kam Sriyapai). This style of boxing was to become known as Muay Chaiya.
Kam Sriyapai taught the style to a number of students, the most notable of which was his son Ket Sriyapai. Ket Sriyapai also learnt other styles of boxing from 12 famous teachers.
Ket Sriyapai taught many students, but one of his most noteable was TongLor Yaley (Kru Tong).
Kru Tong is credited with systemising the style of Muay Chaiya and taught many students, some of whom are still teaching the style today.
One of those teachers is Kridakorn Sodprasert (Kru Lek) who also studied under Ket Sriyapai and teaches in Bangkok.
A previous ruler of Chumphorn province was the Siamese general who attacked Mergui and Teneserim in Burma back under the rule of Siam on 2nd May 1824, his son in law was Praya Sri Rajasongkram.
Praya Sri Rajasongkram had a son named Kam. Kam became a soldier working for King Rama IV in the court of Somdech Chao Phraya Srisuriyawong, who was the minister of defense during that reign. Sri Rajasongkram received a promotion from the king to be the secretary of the governor of Chaiya when he was 25. He was later to become the govenor of Chaiya.
Kam helped to put down the Chinese rebelion in Phuket. Once the rebelion was over, the Chinese fled into the ocean and Kam was promoted to the highest rank in the city of Chaiya. But the fight against the Chinese rebels was not over, those who had fled into the ocean began looting and attacking coastal seaports and towns from the southern most towns of Siam up north into Prachuab Khirikhan province. Two royal navy ships with 200 men were sent to aid Phuket against the raids. Even though Kam (by then promoted to Praya Vijitbhakti Bijaisongkram) was in charge of the town of Chaiya, he was also responsible for the defense of the towns of Chumphorn and Kanchnadisth. To facilitate the defense of those southern coastal towns, he invented, for the first time in Siamese history, hand grenades. This was done by putting gunpowder mixture into a small clay pot with pieces of ember on the lids. Once thrown, it caused the wooden ships of the Chinese pirates to burn. After 5 years, Kam was able to defeat the pirates and in the year 1899 he was again granted an even higher rank for having invented a new weapon.
Finally, 7 years later, on the 27th of September in 1906, Kam was promoted to Praya Wajisatayarak or ‘the guardian of the words of loyalty’, to oversea the oath-giving ceremony for those who would be serving the king. He died on the 29th of March of 1914.
Kam Sriyapai
Biography of Ket Sriyapai
Ket Sriyapai was born on 9th November 1905 in Chumphorn and was the 5th and last child of Praya Wajisatayarak (Kam Sriyapai) and Kaew (Kam’s spouse).
His primary education was at Sriyapai School, which was the first school in the southern province of Chumphorn, and was built by his ancestors for the Rajgirh Dao Kanong monastery. After he was about 8 years old, he travelled to Bangkok to study Thai language at Wat Suddhivararam temple school and did a placement exam, which put him in 8th grade. Later he decided to go into the Catholic Assumption School to study in English until he finished secondary education.
Grandmaster Ket had a great interest in sports. In 1922, he took first place in a high jump tournament held in honor of the Thai soldiers returning from helping in France during World War I. He also had a great interest in football and Muay Thai and was reputed to be the football star of his school and continued to play for the team as the leader for the next 17 years. The team became very well known for its talent and received many cups and medals including one in Saigon in 1944. In the 50th anniversary of his school he received a medal made of gold with the Latin phrase ‘SEMPER FIDELIS’ which translates to “always loyal’, which remains the only medal given by the school to any student until now (90 years).
As for his boxing experience, he began training at the age of 8 with his first teacher, his father (Praya Wajisatayarak). He then went on to train with 12 other Muay Thai masters. It is recorded in his biography that the names of the masters who taught Grandmaster Ket were:
1. Praya Wachee Sriyapai, his father
2. Uncle Klad Sriyapai, the commander of the Rasmi ship.
3. Plong Chamnonthong, the winner of the competition held in the palace by King Rama V.
4. Kru Klab Indraklab, the father of a famous boxer during the 1920s.
5. Kru Song, from Ta Sae, Chumphorn province
6. Kru In Sakdech, from Chumphorn city.
7. Kru Dad Kanchanakorn, from Nong Thong Kam
8. Kru Suk Netprafai, from Sang Daed
9. Kru Wan Pholpreuksa
10. Prince Vibulsawasdiwong Sawasdikul
11. Kru Kimseng Tawisit, a renowned master in Bangkok and other major cities. He was the boxing teacher for the Department of Physical Education.
12. Sir Visaldarunakorn (An Sarikbutr), the leading students of Grand Master Phra Jayachok Chokchana and Grand Master Khunyi Sarasabyakorn. He was the boxing teacher in Suan Gulab school during the 1920s and wrote a guide book for boxing for the Ministry of Education. His book was used as the standard to teach students.
Though according to his biography there were 12 boxing masters, Grandmaster Ket said that there were 13.
Muay Thai, for Grandmaster Ket, was more than just a form of physical training, he considered it to be an art form passed down by the Thais of the past for the future generations to protect themselves.
Towards the end of his life, after he had retired, he dedicated most of his time to teaching children to appreciate the art of Muay Thai. He was often invited as a guest speaker for many institutions and continued to teach until his last moments at the age of 76.
Ket Sriyapai
Biography of Kru Tong
Born on the 1st of August 1929 into a Muslim family, Kru Tonglor learned Muay Thai from Grand Master Ket Sriyapai and also with Master Kimseng Tawisid.
Kru Tonglor Yalay (a.k.a Tong Cheuachaiya) fought at least 200 times and defeated a famous boxer from Chacheongsao. All of the leading boxers during that time had all fought with Kru Tonglor. He was very experienced in boxing and also in Muay Chaiya. Kru Tonglor was one of the most important students of Grand Master Ket.
Throughout his life he was dedicated to transmitting the knowledge of Muay Chaiya to his students and other people relentlessly. To those whom he deemed to be virtuous and righteous he would teach them Muay Chaiya regardless of nationality or religion. Some of his important students are Ha and Pat.
Kru Lek began training at the age of 12 by learning from his older brother, Witchanan Sodprasert (a student of master Kimseng Tawisid). At that time he was studying at Assumption school. At the age of 16, while he was studying in grade 7 he had the opportunity to read ‘Fah Muang Thai’ (Thai Sky) and found a column written by Grand Master Ket Sriyapai. He then had a great respect for Grand Master Ket and started doing research on the Grand Master’s biography and discovered that the Grand Master was the most professional and well-versed person in Muay Chaiya.
When Kru Lek has had the opportunity to meet Grand Master Khet he asked the Grand Master to clarify everything that he needed to know about the techniques and movements of Muay Chaiya. From that moment on, Kru Lek became a student of the Grand Master. When Kru Lek was 18, he enrolled into an arts college. During his years in the college he became distanced from Muay Chaiya. After he graduated at the age of 21, he then learned of the death of the Grand Master.
In 1981, when he was drawing an erasable ceremonial tattoo on the body of one boxer from the Issan region of Northeastern Thailand, he had the chance to meet Kru Thonglor Yalae, one of the most loved students of the Grand Master. They then discussed many interesting facts about Muay Chaiya. From that day onward, Kru Lek became a student of Kru Thonglor and studied Muay Chaiya with him until Kru Thonglor’s death in 1996 from cancer.
How Muay Chaiya is different from Modern Thai Boxing
Muay Chaiya was created when warriors still fought using sharp weapons and, in the event of being disarmed, body parts could be used in attack and defence. As such, it is based on time-tested techniques and principles that were aimed at:
1) ending engagements in the swiftest and surest manner
2) using minimal energy and
3) ensuring that the learnt practitioner was least, if at all, hurt.
The core principle of Muay Chaiya states; before you learn how to inflict pain on others, learn how to protect yourself.
The Muay Thai one sees today at the weekly Lumpini Boxing Stadium matches and a host of other celebrated kickboxing events is a far cry from the true noble art of Muay Thai. The true ancient art of Muay Thai encompasses the full range of striking, grappling, throwing, breaking, and smashing – each with its own infinite variations. Unlike today, where one can prepare for 6-8 months at a local Muay Thai camp learning the basic blocks and kicks and then enter competition, true old-style Muay Thai practitioners had to go through at least 2-3 years of footwork and stance preparation before being accepted by as true student. The purpose is two-fold: 1) to test the student’s patience and diligence and 2) to ensure the student has fully grasped the ancient Muay Thai footwork, of which Modern Muay Thai’s has no resemblance, before moving on. It can be said that one’s skills can be judged solely by their footwork.
The footwork skills one attains from Muay Chaiya allows one to cope with an opponents force in any way one wishes – deflecting, parrying, neutralizing, pushing back, or just simply stepping away. However, the footwork is not the only gem of Muay Chaiya. All body weapons within the Muay Chaiya system are truly functional, simple, yet flexible enough that a skilled practitioner can apply an infinite number of variations. The grappling, throwing, locking, and smashing techniques are unlike those of other arts. A complete system in itself, Muay Chaiya allows its practitioners to change from striking to grappling to smashing seamlessly.
Muay Chaiya is one of Thai fighting styles that had helped in the defense of the kingdom for a long time. Muay Chaiya’s origin is in the southern province of Suratthani in the ancient city of Chaiya. Once upon a time, during the reigns of the first kings of the Maha Chakri dynasty, there lived a monk from Bangkok who travelled to Chaiya. The locals of Chaiya called him ‘He who arrived’, referring to the fact that this legendary figure had arrived to Chaiya from Bangkok. Before becoming a monk, he was a soldier but after he became tired his mundane and worldly possessions he became a monk and travelled to Suratthani. Once arrived in Chaiya, he began teaching the martial arts that he knew to the locals of the city as if they were his own children. One of the students whom he taught was Phraya Wacheesatyarak (Kham Sriyabhai), the governor of Chaiya at that time, and since then, the branch of Muay Thai taught by ‘the Monk’ came to be known as Muay Chaiya.
Phraya Wacheesatyarak then passed own this priceless style of martial arts down to his children one of which was master Khet Sriyabhai. After master Khet had studied Muay Chaiya from his father he then continued onward to study from 12 other masters and came to be renowned as ‘the Grand Master’. The original style of Muay Chaiya then became analyzed and improved to be more suitable for real life situations.
Since its genesis, the first four fundamentals of Muay Chaiya taught to the apprentices have always been:
I) Cover
II) Sweep
III) Close
IV) Open
These four basic fundamentals will protect every part of the fighter’s body from the toes to the hair. Once the apprentice has perfected the basic fundamentals he or she will be able to proceed onto the more advanced movements of Muay Chaiya easier. In conclusion, Muay Chaiya is a type of boxing that gives a lot of priority to self-defense and was selected to defend the kings in the past. Not only that, Muay Chaiya was greatly praised and liked by king Rama V when a boxer named Plong Chamnongthong defeated a boxer from Korat in a competition held by the palace.
To Understand Muay Chaiya
Muay Chaiya, or any form of Thai boxing, is not just a way to express the cultural beauty of Thailand or just to be fought on stage but it is a precious heritage passed down from generation to generation. Throughout the history of Thailand, the great warriors of the past had all at some point practiced Muay Thai before they picked up swords to ward off the invaders. Therefore, Muay Thai signifies safety and security for the lives of those who practice it and another proof of the efficiency of Thai martial arts is the independence that Thailand has always maintained until now. Since Muay Thai emphasizes safety one has to be very cautioned and precise with Muay Thai, this will come at a cost of the apprentice’s patience. Although the origin of Muay Thai is unclear but one thing that is certain is that it is a synthesis of the masters of the past and a primary basis for the warriors before they took up weapons.
Preparation before training
First of all the apprentice has to be sure if he or she has a stable mentality, modesty, a careful and mindful nature, honesty, gratefulness and has a real interest in training in Thai boxing. Thai boxing came from the love of the Thai people for the kingdom, the religion and the monarchy and this has given birth to this world-renowned unique form of martial arts. Thus, anyone who wants to become an apprentice must check to see if he or she is missing any of these traits, if so, then it is advisable to obtain all of them in order to build a strong base upon which Muay Chaiya skills can be added.
Understanding the parts of the body and their usages in Thai boxing
The fists (self-explanatory): knuckling, knocking, smashing, hurling, ramming, jolting, yanking, flinging, beating etc.
The feet (anything from the knees down to the feet): kicking, hurling, pushing, etc.
The knees (formed by bending the knees to strengthen the knee bones): used as both an efficient offensive and a defensive weapon.
The elbows: (formed by bending the arms to form an angle at the elbows): used as both an efficient offensive and defensive weapon for the body.
How to position each parts of the body correctly
If a house needs its fences to prevent uninvited guests from entering or seeing what is happening inside, the body too needs its fences. To be in the guard position is called ‘charod muay’. Though there are countless ways to ‘charod muay’ but the type of guards that will be discussed down below is the Muay Chaiya style that can both defend the face and the body of the fighter and also prepare the fighter to strike back when there is an opportunity without the opponent knowing when it will come.
How to put up a proper ‘charod muay’ guard.
In a proper ‘charod muay’, the person has to be able to switch the position of the arms quickly as he or she switches the foot from one to the other, front and back. The lower fist has to make a 45-degree angle with the arm of the other fist. When a punch is coming, all that is necessary for the person is to move the side of the upper arm up against the punch or move the arm downward. This type of movements will injure or hurt the arm that the opponent uses to punch and it will defend the fighter and injure the opponent at the same time.
Muay Chaiya, for those who have mastered it, will be able to borrow the force of the opponent to strike back and at the same time, defend himself. This is done by using the strongest bones in the body to block against attacks. To visualize this, imagine hitting yourself into an edge of a table. To wrap it all up, Muay Chaiya is not just about using force, strength or agility but it is also about a complete defense of the body, a wise retaliation and constant attacks.
