| I was very sorry
to hear of Ajarn Sumai's death in 1998. He was an inspiring and gracious
man. This article appeared in the TBA
Newsletter in 1995 after a brief visit to Thailand. There
will be no more Grandmasters of Krabi-Kabrong. There
is a small but growing community of Krabi-Krabong enthusiasts outside
of Thailand, and I'm going to try to get a list of those folks posted
soon.
USMTA
maintains a very good web site on Krabi-Krabong based on information supplied
by Ajarn vincent Giordano, Ajarn Tony Moore and Khun Clint Heyliger.
Note: Ajarn Tony Moore is the highest ranking Krab-Krabong practitioner
outside of Thailand.
The Buddhai Swan Sword Fighting Institute
is a place where the ancient weapons based art of Kabri-Kabrong, the mother
art of Muay Thai, is taught to young Thais, the Thai military and, recently,
martial arts enthusiasts from around the world. Buddhist discipline and
tradition are also an integral part of the training.
I visited the school briefly in late 1994.
The school is located in suburban Bangkok and has a thatched roof that
stretches out over a large open-air training area trimmed all around with
tropical ferns, flowers and vines. The walls served as racks for a storehouse
of well-used weapons.
Students, many of them high-school age,
were dressed in the bright blue pants and tunic of the
Buddhai Swan school. They worked in groups of two or more and focused
on their training with all the seriousness of professional fighters. My
eyes were drawn to two men circling each other with double swords, knees
bent, eyes locked. The taller man stepped forward and initiated a savage
combination of powerful alternating slashes, which the shorter man skillfully
blocked, sending sparks from the steel blades showering across the floor.
Then the smaller one shot back a foot jab to the taller manās solar plexus
that knocked his opponent to the ground and leapt at him with a fully
committed two hand slash that carried all the intensity of a Muay Thai
kick.
Ajarn Sumai Masamarn, Founder and Director
of the Buddhai Swan school, rounded the corner and strode towards me with
a vast smile and a firm handshake. I had been told Ajarn Sumai is very
young for a man in his 80s, but still I was amazed at his agility
and vigor, which is like a 25 year old. He guided me through the school,
explaining the training and taking opportunities to point out its history.
Ajarn Sumai had been a champion saber fencer and judoka in his youth,
but turned to Kabri-Kabrong at an early age. By the time he was in his
late 20s, his skill at Kabri-Kabrong was renowned. Upon the opening of
the school in 1934, the King of Thailand himself paid a visit to the school
and gave Ajarn Sumai a flag which still hangs with pride in the school.
Today the Buddhai Swan is the only government recognized institution dedicated
to the development and maintenance of Kabri-Kabrong.
Ajarn Sumai explained that Kabri-Kabrong
consists of six different weapon categories: Staff, gnow (bladed staff),
single sword, double sword, mai sau (wooden club worn on the forearm),
and the combination of spear and shield. In addition, Kabri-Kabrong utilizes
empty-hand techniques that are the battlefield ancestors of modern day
Muay Thai. The intense methods of training full force with live blades,
weapon against weapon, make this art extremely combat effective and no-nonsense.
Each of their weapons has certain attributes
which are unique, yet all are equally effective in skilled hands. During
training the practitioner will first learn the weapons matched against
the same weapon. As time and learning progress, each weapon is matched
against the other in order to learn the strengths and weaknesses associated
with each. Drills involving all the weapon categories are combined to
form extravagant demonstrations and effective drills for combat reflexes.
Despite its roots in the military clashes
fought by the Siamese army, Kabri-Kabrong involves spirituality and tradition
that is very important to the Thai people. Upon enrolling at the Buddhai
Swan, students go through a ceremony in which they will be protected from
injury. During this ceremony, they promise to uphold five principles of
the Buddhai Swan: 1) always speak the truth and do not deceive others,
2) never steal, 3) never take life in vain (this applies to both animals
and humans), 4) refrain from incest or wrongful sex, and 5) abstain from
alcohol and other mind altering drugs. As part of the initiation ceremony,
students are brought into the proud brotherhood of the Buddhai Swan, which
extends to countless Thai royalty, the Thai military, and generations
of young Thais.
Before each training session, match or
demonstration, it is essential to perform the dance-like Wai Kru ceremony.
The Wai Kru are ceremonies which are deeply embedded in Thai culture and
their Buddhist beliefs. The Wai Kru pays homage to the practitionerās
deity, their mother and father, their instructor and all those who have
passed away teaching the art. Each moment of the Wai Kru is significant
and Thai people observing the dance can identify its meaning. Each weapon
has two Wai Kru, one standing and one kneeling. Each is highly elaborate
and a great deal of training time is spent learning this part of the art.
Ajarn Sumai emphasized that it is very important to have a clear mind
and a good heart when training with live blades.
|
