The depth and breadth of the martial arts world would probably go unnoticed by the outsider, but those of us who have interest in the arts no doubt understand the veritable ocean of pure content that exists within one form, much less all of the martial arts. So it’s not surprising that you can probably spend years of your life just to browse a fraction of the material out there. If you’re reading this article for instance, or any of our past ‘spotlights‘, you probably understand what I mean. In fact, you’re probably familiar with Black Belt magazine. A popular martial arts magazine since 1961, Black Belt’s June issue has a couple of articles which might be of interest in particular for those who follow the Southeast Asian martial arts:
- Cover Story on Col. Nattapong Buayam
An imposing figure with hands traditionally wrapped in rope and an intelligent but hardened stare marks the reader’s first glimpse into this martial arts master. Former instructor to the Thai Special Forces, Col. Nattapong Buayam is an expert in Muay Thai, Muay Boran, and Krabi Krabong. Associated with such familiar names as guro Dan Inosanto, the sixty-something colonel has taught the contributing editor of Black Belt and author of the article, Dr. Mark Cheng.
According to his student, the colonel has taught him that Muay Boran is “100-percent application from the get-go […] its simple, brutal responses make it an outstanding choice in ‘shortcut’ streetwise self-defense.” For those not in the know, Muay Boran is a bare-knuckled and noticeably dirtier ancestor of Muay Thai – it is said that fighters used to dip their hands which were bound in string in glue then grind them into broken glass. Vicious to say the least, Muay Boran is the featured art of the June issue – the magazine’s online article includes videos showing a specific techniques. Particularly interesting is the brief commentary on the marriage of Krabi Krabong and Muay Boran – this certainly makes sense considering the need for both unarmed and armed proficiency for combat fighting and the two arts’ common Thai lineage.
The Thai arts, like many other Southeast Asian arts, developed in the context of war and conquest. The modern kick-boxing Muay Thai actually developed much later as a sport. One particular historical incident is often cited as the beginning of Muay Thai, where the legendary Siamese King Nareusan, captured by the Burmese, was released after he defeated a series of top Burmese boxers in 1560. Hailed as a hero, the king then raised Thai boxing to a national past-time. Fascinating stuff, no?
- Profile on Arnis Grandmaster Crispulo Atillo
Balintawak is a style of arnis that developed in the 1950’s. One of Balintawak’s grandmasters, Crispulo Atillo is featured in Black Belt. In the article, he is noted for being one of the last people to ever fight in the officially sanctioned “death match” in the Philippines in 1983. (These matches were only later banned by General MacArthur upon the American’s arrival). Atillo’s connection to the arts came at a young age, through the Japanese occupation of the islands in the forties, and his knowledge of Balintawak arnis came from the system’s original master, Venacio Bacon. Noted especially for his emphasis on simple techniques and footwork, Atillo’s style of arnis is centered on the vertical single-stick and leads to his specialty of sparring. Having crossed sticks with some of the biggest names in Filipino martial arts, Atillo says that his mastery of arnis really comes from his fights. Our friends at Dog Brothers would probably agree!
These articles are only a small portion of all the exciting martial arts content out on the world wide web. If you see a particularly relevant one you’d like us to know, share with us by dropping us a line at blogs(at)maelstromcore.com!
This article is published under fair use and with credit.