For those new to Muay Thai, a couple of times a year the Thai and Burmese will come together and hold some fights. They typically take place around festive times of the year, the end of the rice harvest etc. They take place almost exclusively in border towns… and what would be more appropriate for long time rivals? The fights are bare knuckle.
Well not actually, they get to wrap their hands with either some hemp or gauze. The KO ratio is these fights have to be around 90%, the fights are a little scrappier but entertaining nonetheless.
I couldn’t think of anything more frightening, being in a Thai border town having a Muay Kaad Chuek fight…actually I can… How about being in a Thai border town, having a muay kaad chuek fight with Saiyok!
Saiyok is a beast… if you need any proof check out this HL Reel. Anyway sit back, grab some mekong whiskey, some sticky rice and larb and enjoy the show.
July 22, 2011 at 7:51 pm
Although Saiyok looked to be the better fighter, i thought the Burmese guy looked to have good techinique and seemed pretty unfased by fighting someone of Saiyoks stature and credentials.Whenever i see some of these fights form the surrounding countries of Thialand it makes me wonder a lot about them.Im sure Laos, Cambodia and Burma must have some really great fighters, Id love to know more about them.
Anyone ever gone off the beaten track, so to speak to train Muay in any of these places?The Burmese Lethwei is absolutly mental from what Iv seen!Are th Thais absolutly legitimately better at Muay?
July 22, 2011 at 8:03 pm
according to the videodiscription the guy is laotian.
the soundeffects in the lethweifights are awesome.
nothing can beat this!
July 22, 2011 at 8:08 pm
This wasn´t a Lethwei fight (so no headbutts) nor near the burmese border, Event was hold in Ubon (Thailand) and opponent is Lao.
July 22, 2011 at 9:58 pm
Mad props to his opponent, he fought well. SE Asia never ceases to amaze me wrt to combat arts.
July 22, 2011 at 10:20 pm
no , I know its not lethwei, sorry you misunderstood.The first person to ever show me some muay was form Laos, and covered in Yants that he said he got when he was 11 cause he was a naughty boy!!Iv always been a bit intersted in the Muay from some of these other countries.Where else has the best boxers outside of Thailand.Are they or can they be as good, or has the money and focus on Muay Thai meant that theres a higher skill level in Thailand?Do the best fighters form these other couintries end up in Thailand for there fighting careers?or do we mostly only really know about Mauy Thai in the west?
July 23, 2011 at 3:43 am
Saiyok as usual showing us why he is the best at his weight. So explosive and very exciting to watch!
July 23, 2011 at 5:56 am
guys know if there’s any camps in laos? reading from other forums most of the laotian fighters are soldiers and cops but i could be wrong.
July 24, 2011 at 1:50 pm
manant – sometime earlier this year i met a cambodian ex champion who arrived at the gym i was visiting in surin (think he was being honest on the champion thing – he gave me his name and told me to check the net). anyhow, he had just shown up and was hoping to be accepted into the gym to live/fight as the thais do. if i remember correctly, he had come to thailand because the money was better and more opportunity for fights. i asked about the fight scene, predominately more about women, and on that end – he said there are little to no women training and fighting in cambodia. at the time i was thinking it would be fun to take a break from thailand and train over there for a month or so – but that sort of squashed it for me – don’t remember much else after that, unfortunately. lol.
July 24, 2011 at 1:54 pm
I have spent a lot of time in Ubon and on the border of Laos, fighter from Laos are often bought across and Thai’s go to Laos. They air Muay Laos on one of the cable channels you can get in Thailand. They lack technique compared to Thai’s for a few reasons… Laos is a lot poorer, i dont think the sport is as big as it is in Thai so there is not so many big gyms. Lao fighters do tend to be really tough though, big hearts…
July 24, 2011 at 2:59 pm
ldf + mcjswa – thanks for the info guys!Isnt that guy Ekapol Cambodian?Actually I did fight someone from Loas in one of my very few fights, not that he was very good (that said, Im rubbish aswell!!) but he had fought a lot and he kicked me very hard!Id love to find out more about the gyms, and ways of training i these other places!
July 28, 2011 at 5:29 pm
Saiyok is awesome, i try and watch all his fights, he is a very exciting fighter to watch.
I wish a uk promoter would bring him here to fight, i would travel along way to watch him.
He would be a great signing for the muaythai premier league too!!