Customer Reviews

Ancient Bare Knuckle Muay Thai Seminar

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This disk is part of a two disk set featuring Colonel Amnat Pooksrisuk, a member of the World Muay Thai Council and a career solider who graduated from the US war college. I decided to review both disks together, because anyone serious about learning the basics of bare knuckle Muay Thai should consider getting both.

The DVD's to a great job in laying down the basic foundation behind the bare knuckle arts of Thailand. Although the Colonel has a think accent, his instruction is very clear. I've heard BJJ guys from Brazil that were worse, so it really wasn't an issue.

Vol 1 lays the foundation & gives basic principals and techniques. Vol 2 focuses on skill development exercises that help build the physical structure behind the techniques. Both disks have solo exercises that remind me of the RMAX biomechanical movements Scott Sonnon teaches. For example, opening & closing your fingers "with intent" has made my grip much stronger. I can make a much tighter fist than before - something important for bare knuckle or MMA fighting. It's amazing that something so simple can make such a difference.

He even teaches a defense similar to the Crazy Monkey/shelling technique a lot of MMA guys have used the past few years. Funny to think that a defensive structure hundreds (thousands?) of years old was a fairly recent development in modern MMA. I was also surprised to see the Colonel teaching the looping punch used by MMA fighters like Chuck Liddel & Fedor, as well as footwork to set up strikes against the takedown. He also covered techniques to break the Thai neck clinch that I haven't seen before - some of this stuff could've saved Rich Franklin's belt & nose when he lost to Anderson Silva.

MMA fighters really need to get both disks. The techniques & training methods could have an immediate impact your striking game. If you are serious about the finer details of bare knuckle striking, this is the set is for you.

Filmmaker Vincent Giordano publishes a newsletter called The Vanishing Flame, which covers the martial arts of Southeast Asia. He has other interesting DVDs as well, including some with bareknuckle matches. [...]

This DVD is the 1st volume on Colonel Amnat Pooksrisuk's bareknuckle muay. This is an older version of the modern ring thai boxing/ muay thai.
The DVD runs for around 80 mins & is based on an edited seminar given by Col Amnat. I felt there was very little, if any, filler on this DVD.

The DVD goes through the principles and foundations of muay. Practical examples are given for each of these and these applications are built on in the 2nd volume.

Col. Amnat demonstrates many drills & footwork drills throughout. Some of these have greatly clarified my notes from my own training in Thailand regarding exterior/ interior line.

I really enjoy watching this DVD & a short viewing always end up in watching it to the end. On the basis of this DVD I bought the 2nd volume (reviewed later).

I think this video was good, I watched both videos more than once and they are well done. This was a seminar and it was filmed accordingly.
Nothing to add about General Amnat's teaching and explanation to what has already been said.
It wasn't an easy task to condensate all the principles, history, culture and techniques in just two seminars, but these two dvds provide a good overview to the uninitiated.
Moreover, I think these kind of seminars should be attended by a few people so that each person gets enough out of it and the host can dedicate more time to each person, to teach or to correct. Big seminars are too dispersive and it's not easy top get the picture.

I will keep these two videos as good reminders and and go back to them from time to time when I need, they can help during my personal growth.

I bought vol 1 and vol 2 of this Ancient bare knuckle muay thai seminar, based on the two 5 star reviews this DVD had. What a waste of money! but a good lesson on, "don't always go by the reviews", the two bare knuckle heads that gave these DVDs good reviews must have been in the seminar with Colonel Amnat Pooksrisuk. The seminar is filmed at this hole in the wall dojo with about 6 people at the seminar, some of the 6 knuckle heads would actually walk in front of the camera so you couldn't see what the colonel was teaching and you needed to see everything, because the colonel's English wasn't the best and it was real hard to understand him the whole DVD. One part the colonel was instructing on foot work and you couldn't even see his knees, come on! the colonel needs to teach some common sense to the camera guy. Maybe he couldn't see passed the bare knuckle heads in front of him? In all the DVD is really cheap quality. Maybe worth five bucks more then the price of a blank DVDR disc. Don't waste your money! you can learn more from youtube and the video is better quality and its free! please don't think I'm a hater on little dojos or the colonel, I want the little guys to succeed and Colonel Amnat Pooksrisuk is properly a fantastic teacher and it might have been a great seminar in person. Just don't charge $39.95 for amateur quality DVD w/people walking in front of the camera, camera angles really poor and audio poor. There are way better quality dvds then these seminars, at the same price or cheaper. Don't go by reviews unless there are dozens of reviews saying the product is good!