Muay Thai is losing out

jtwarwagon4life

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Allow me to set the stage. In 2004 Buakaw Por Pramuk had already won the omnoi, Thailand and Toyota tournament titles when he won the k1 max championship title. From that point on he only competed in muay thai sporadically. It's clear, judging by his performances in k1, that Buakaw was just entering his prime at only 22 years old. It pains one to think what Buakaw could have accomplished in Muay Thai, had he been allowed to reach his full potential, instead of focusing his energies on k1.

Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. Sittichai Sitsongpeenong and Kaew Fairtex, two of muay thai's best and brightest, were plucked from the warm confines of Lumpinee stadium (where they had both already won titles) and placed on kickboxing's biggest stage. And, in the damndest bit of bad luck, it turned out that Sittichai and Kaew were just hitting their respective peaks too! Both fighters went on to enjoy tremendous winning streaks and are looking better than ever. Again, it pains me to think, as someone who loves muay thai deeply, all the amazing fights we missed out on when we lost Kaew and Sittichai. At a time when fighters like Panpayak and Sangmanee are struggling to find suitable match ups, it is frustrating that the men who would be their greatest challenges are being lured over to kickboxing.

This strikes me as the greatest crisis facing muay thai today. In much the same way that the culture and intellectual life of entire countries have been ravaged by so called brain drains, so too today is Thailand's muay thai culture being ravaged by the money and prestige of kickboxing and muay thai abroad. From the aforementioned Sittichai to the incomparable Jo Nattawut the list of Thais, who are leaving thailand just as they are on the verge of discovering their greatness, is becoming disturbingly long.

In my opinion, this represents the problem greatest problem for the next generation of Lumpinee promoters: how to avoid letting the big fish slip through the net? Stadium promoters might do well to think about what kinds of incentives they can offer their fighters to try and prevent devastating loss like this in the future. What would you suggest that stadium promoters do in order to avoid losing the potential next "King of Muay Thai" to kickboxing?
 
It's crazy that Kaew was only in his late twenties when he left for kickboxing. Had so much more to give Muay Thai!
 
pay them more.
 
The benefit of this is that these thais fighting abroad are now learning new skills and bringing them into the stagnant traditional muay thai style. As we know most thai fighters are clinch and kick specialists with little in the way of head movement, footwork and boxing skill. It wasn't until Ramon Dekkers arrival in thailand that these concepts were even seen before in muay thai. I believe Sittichai's fight with stadium savant Wanchalerm is a precursor to what is coming in muay thai. Sittichai's "neo muay thai" skills ultimately confused Wanchalerm, as he had never seen this style before and Sittichai ended up demonlishing him.

"Adapt what is useful, disregard what is useless and add what is specifically your own" - Bruce Lee
 
okish troll job. definately better than some of the posters in this thread rate it.

7/10

good job coca
 
Allow me to set the stage. In 2004 Buakaw Por Pramuk had already won the omnoi, Thailand and Toyota tournament titles when he won the k1 max championship title. From that point on he only competed in muay thai sporadically. It's clear, judging by his performances in k1, that Buakaw was just entering his prime at only 22 years old. It pains one to think what Buakaw could have accomplished in Muay Thai, had he been allowed to reach his full potential, instead of focusing his energies on k1.

Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. Sittichai Sitsongpeenong and Kaew Fairtex, two of muay thai's best and brightest, were plucked from the warm confines of Lumpinee stadium (where they had both already won titles) and placed on kickboxing's biggest stage. And, in the damndest bit of bad luck, it turned out that Sittichai and Kaew were just hitting their respective peaks too! Both fighters went on to enjoy tremendous winning streaks and are looking better than ever. Again, it pains me to think, as someone who loves muay thai deeply, all the amazing fights we missed out on when we lost Kaew and Sittichai. At a time when fighters like Panpayak and Sangmanee are struggling to find suitable match ups, it is frustrating that the men who would be their greatest challenges are being lured over to kickboxing.

This strikes me as the greatest crisis facing muay thai today. In much the same way that the culture and intellectual life of entire countries have been ravaged by so called brain drains, so too today is Thailand's muay thai culture being ravaged by the money and prestige of kickboxing and muay thai abroad. From the aforementioned Sittichai to the incomparable Jo Nattawut the list of Thais, who are leaving thailand just as they are on the verge of discovering their greatness, is becoming disturbingly long.

In my opinion, this represents the problem greatest problem for the next generation of Lumpinee promoters: how to avoid letting the big fish slip through the net? Stadium promoters might do well to think about what kinds of incentives they can offer their fighters to try and prevent devastating loss like this in the future. What would you suggest that stadium promoters do in order to avoid losing the potential next "King of Muay Thai" to kickboxing?
Honestly, a point can be made for the opposite. We are getting these exotic Thai fighters who are stylistically different and bring their style of fighting to the world stage of kickboxing, against the best Dutch, American, French, Surinamese, Italian, Japanese, Morrocan, Russian, etc. fighters, who in turn each have a style of their own. Seeing these fighters from all over the world, with differing fighting styles clashing is what I find most entertaining.
Also, can you blame the Thais for seeking better pay and a better life for themselves and their families by fighting abroad?
 
Allow me to set the stage. In 2004 Buakaw Por Pramuk had already won the omnoi, Thailand and Toyota tournament titles when he won the k1 max championship title. From that point on he only competed in muay thai sporadically. It's clear, judging by his performances in k1, that Buakaw was just entering his prime at only 22 years old. It pains one to think what Buakaw could have accomplished in Muay Thai, had he been allowed to reach his full potential, instead of focusing his energies on k1.

Today we find ourselves in a similar situation. Sittichai Sitsongpeenong and Kaew Fairtex, two of muay thai's best and brightest, were plucked from the warm confines of Lumpinee stadium (where they had both already won titles) and placed on kickboxing's biggest stage. And, in the damndest bit of bad luck, it turned out that Sittichai and Kaew were just hitting their respective peaks too! Both fighters went on to enjoy tremendous winning streaks and are looking better than ever. Again, it pains me to think, as someone who loves muay thai deeply, all the amazing fights we missed out on when we lost Kaew and Sittichai. At a time when fighters like Panpayak and Sangmanee are struggling to find suitable match ups, it is frustrating that the men who would be their greatest challenges are being lured over to kickboxing.

This strikes me as the greatest crisis facing muay thai today. In much the same way that the culture and intellectual life of entire countries have been ravaged by so called brain drains, so too today is Thailand's muay thai culture being ravaged by the money and prestige of kickboxing and muay thai abroad. From the aforementioned Sittichai to the incomparable Jo Nattawut the list of Thais, who are leaving thailand just as they are on the verge of discovering their greatness, is becoming disturbingly long.

In my opinion, this represents the problem greatest problem for the next generation of Lumpinee promoters: how to avoid letting the big fish slip through the net? Stadium promoters might do well to think about what kinds of incentives they can offer their fighters to try and prevent devastating loss like this in the future. What would you suggest that stadium promoters do in order to avoid losing the potential next "King of Muay Thai" to kickboxing?

This is a good thing for the Thais who are able to do it. They get paid sometimes triple what they get paid in Thailand to compete on big international shows. To say this is the greatest problem of the next generation of lumpinee promotors is a grand overstatement. Muay Thai isn't some dying form of art that the promoters (or anyone) needs to save. Sucks that we have to miss out on some great pure muay thai match ups but this is overall whats best for the individual. If Buakaw was kept in Thailand to fight Thai's he wouldn't be internationally famous and would probably still be getting ripped off by Por Pramuk. It's pretty selfish to want these fighters, who come from a level of poverty that's hard to imagine in the western world, to stay in Thailand to fight for peanuts when they can go international and make previously inconceivable amounts of money.
 
Honestly, a point can be made for the opposite. We are getting these exotic Thai fighters who are stylistically different and bring their style of fighting to the world stage of kickboxing, against the best Dutch, American, French, Surinamese, Italian, Japanese, Morrocan, Russian, etc. fighters, who in turn each have a style of their own. Seeing these fighters from all over the world, with differing fighting styles clashing is what I find most entertaining.
Also, can you blame the Thais for seeking better pay and a better life for themselves and their families by fighting abroad?

Why do all fighters not from Thailand have their own style? There's no more variance between all those countries and what you see in Thailand. I mean, what is a French fighter versus an Italian fighter? Those countries have no distinct way of fighting.
 
Why do all fighters not from Thailand have their own style? There's no more variance between all those countries and what you see in Thailand. I mean, what is a French fighter versus an Italian fighter? Those countries have no distinct way of fighting.
best Dutch, American, French, Surinamese, Italian, Japanese, Morrocan, Russian, etc. fighters, who in turn each have a style of their own. Seeing these fighters from all over the world, with differing fighting styles clashing is what I find most entertaining.

They all look like generic punch spammers to me.
 
If you do this too often even the most casual lurkers is going to catch on to you, bro.
 
Why do all fighters not from Thailand have their own style? There's no more variance between all those countries and what you see in Thailand. I mean, what is a French fighter versus an Italian fighter? Those countries have no distinct way of fighting.
In my experience, they do.
If you look at boxing, American boxers tend to have great head movement, a snappy jab and a good lead hook, both of which they utilize very well. Eastern European fighters have a good rear hand and rely on it to go for KOs. Mexican boxers brawl and fight in combinations. Trends set by famous fighters from the country in question and reinforced through training methodologies characteristic to that country.
I am noticing this same thing happening to me recently. I've been travelling between Singapore and Eastern Europe this last year and training both boxing, muay thai and BJJ in both places. There is a clear difference in the muay thai training, and the focus of skill and physical quality development is different.
Back home, there is an emphasis on boxing combos, high kicks, disengaging the clinch and keeping on the outside. Lots of drilling and sparring, little padwork. Skill is the focus.
In Singapore, padwork takes up a large part of the training, clinching and kick counters are emphasized, punching and kicking bags are important as well. As a whole, physical power, speed and endurance are the focus.
These different training methods create different fighters stylistically.
Think about it;
-Thais have great, strong kicking and strong, single punches. Like to knee and defend punches using the frame guard and neutralize boxers with clinch.
-Dutch are combination punchers who also set up kicks with punches.
-Russians have good boxing. Many kickboxers are also pro boxers.
-There are many schools in the US, some more traditional (Thai) some more progressive.
Etc etc etc
Each country has its own archetype which MOST fighters from that country adhere to.
In MMA, this is charecteristic of America's Wrestle-Boxers who bring good, explosive boxing, strong takedowns and suffocating top game, or Brazil's 'chute boxe' kickboxer who relies on rounded striking, low kicking, kneeing, thai clinch and if taken down, has a dangerous guard.
 
They all look like generic punch spammers to me.
Maybe your Thais seem like generic kick spammers to someone else.
There is beauty to behold in all forms of striking, wheter punching, kicking or both. The fact that you dismiss these fighters as 'spammers' shows your ignorance.
 
Maybe your Thais seem like generic kick spammers to someone else.
There is beauty to behold in all forms of striking, wheter punching, kicking or both. The fact that you dismiss these fighters as 'spammers' shows your ignorance.


And Buakaw? I feel he is one of the few Thai fighters who managed to adapt their Thai style to include foreign influences (more mobile, better boxing, measured kicking). It's like he took the best of Thai Muay Thai (kick power and countering, frame guard, understanding of when to clinch, etc) but didn't just stop there. He kept adding and adding.

I haven't watched many of his fights, but I've hear Dekkers was cheated a lot in Thailand?

http://forums.sherdog.com/threads/w...a-while-kickers-never-seem-to-cut-it.3450965/

And I'm supposed to be the ignorant one, here?
 
how are the french? how are the italian?
In my experience, they do.
If you look at boxing, American boxers tend to have great head movement, a snappy jab and a good lead hook, both of which they utilize very well. Eastern European fighters have a good rear hand and rely on it to go for KOs. Mexican boxers brawl and fight in combinations. Trends set by famous fighters from the country in question and reinforced through training methodologies characteristic to that country.
I am noticing this same thing happening to me recently. I've been travelling between Singapore and Eastern Europe this last year and training both boxing, muay thai and BJJ in both places. There is a clear difference in the muay thai training, and the focus of skill and physical quality development is different.
Back home, there is an emphasis on boxing combos, high kicks, disengaging the clinch and keeping on the outside. Lots of drilling and sparring, little padwork. Skill is the focus.
In Singapore, padwork takes up a large part of the training, clinching and kick counters are emphasized, punching and kicking bags are important as well. As a whole, physical power, speed and endurance are the focus.
These different training methods create different fighters stylistically.
Think about it;
-Thais have great, strong kicking and strong, single punches. Like to knee and defend punches using the frame guard and neutralize boxers with clinch.
-Dutch are combination punchers who also set up kicks with punches.
-Russians have good boxing. Many kickboxers are also pro boxers.
-There are many schools in the US, some more traditional (Thai) some more progressive.
Etc etc etc
Each country has its own archetype which MOST fighters from that country adhere to.
In MMA, this is charecteristic of America's Wrestle-Boxers who bring good, explosive boxing, strong takedowns and suffocating top game, or Brazil's 'chute boxe' kickboxer who relies on rounded striking, low kicking, kneeing, thai clinch and if taken down, has a dangerous guard.
 
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