Muay Chaiya's Tha Kru

 E-mail

Article Index
Muay Chaiya's Tha Kru
How to stand
The guard
All Pages

The Tha Kru (Teacher's position) is one of the things that makes Muay Chaiya stand out, and makes the style quickly recognisable. It's also one of the things that made me gain respect quickly for the style, mainly for its simplicity, pragmatism and effectiveness.

At a deeper level, it is at the core of the style, and proper use ensures that all of the moves flow together, and at the same time keeps your opponent guessing as to your next move.

 

Starting from the feet up...Your feet should be:

1. about shoulder width apart
2. parallel to each other
3. at 45 degrees to the front

Your knees should be bent.

Try not to crouch over or hunch the shoulders. You should keep your back naturally straight.The shoulders sshould be at the same 45 degree angle as your feet and waist.

 

 

 

 

 

 

One arm at a time.

If you're in left stance (left foot forward) then the left arm goes on top. It should be bent at the elbow at 90 degrees, with the fore arm angled at 45 degrees. The left fist should be in front of the right eye.

The right arm is also bent at 90 degrees, and the fore arm at 45 degrees in front. The right fist should be positioned half way down (between the knuckles and elbow) the left arm. The fist shouldn't be touching but very close (1-2 centimeters).

 

Note: Careful that the top fist doesn't get too close to your face, as there is a danger of hitting yourself in the eye when being unexpectedly attacked!

That's it, pretty simple, but it gets more tricky when you start doing the Phan Mut, which is the next step to mastering the Muay Chaiya guard!