Customer Reviews

Muay Thai: A Living Legacy Vol 1., 2nd Ed.

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

After much hype I bought this book, it is NOT a bad book, it has beautiful pictures, lots of historical info and top guys doing the demonstrations

But the technique is so basic it is painful to have to look out, I paid $40 for "the most low level idiot's guide to punches and kicks"??

For an art whose #1 strength is the clinch, there is NO clinch work in this book....

It is just "punch with left, punch with fight, hook with left, hook with right"

TURN PAGE

knee with right, knee with left
front kick with left, front kick with right

There is also barely ANY defense taught!!!

If you love Muay Thai you will want this book, if you want good technical instruction, you are wasting your time

This book is beautiful, the quality is superb, all of the

pages are 'color-glossy.' It reminds me of a coffee table

book.

Where this book is most valuable is in giving a good overview

of Muay Thai. For example some reviewers wrote that this book

provides NO reference to defense. I will agree that it is

indeed a shortcoming. However, there are plenty of good

things to say.

'Living Legacy' provides a brief history of "Muay," it also

provides information on the rites and rituals involved in Muay

Thai --which is great for the Western enthusiast.

A great example is that "wai" or the Thai bow is thoroughly

explained: when to use it, to whom, etc. Things like the

ritual dance "Wai Khru" is also explained in detail, along

with instructions for performing the 'dance.'

As far as the criticism mentioned above, I think it is

important to realize that this books covers in great detail

the "basics." For example it describes exactly how high to

hold your hands in the "fighting position." It does not

cover everything (like defense, and clench work). It is not

a "fight strategy" guide by any means.

What it DOES do is explain in great detail all of the

offenses (7-10 of each: punches, elbows, knees, kicks).

It gives great examples of the Thai language (including

glossary) and gives the Thai words/phrases for all moves.

This book is beautiful, with great pictures, and is an

excellent resource for anyone wanting to know more about Muay

Thai. For practictioners of Muay Thai, it does a great job

of explaining basic technique-- important because everything

is built from these.

I have been practicing muay-thai for 10 years. I never come close to a quality book like Muay Thai by Kat Prayukvong. I love how the author represents each move and technique, shot by shot. I was so amzed how much more stuff I have asorbed after reading through this book. I would recommended Muay Thai and Kickboxing fans to at least have this book....I love it!

I recently started training in Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) and this is the first book I ever bought on the subject. I've looked at several other books on Muay Thai and this one is one of the best. It has clear photographs and step by step instructions for using the techniques. For those who are interested in learning an easy yet effective fighting system, you should look into Muay Thai. This book is a great starting point for getting to know this fighting style and the techniques it uses. It also discusses the origins of Muay Thai as well as some famous Thais who contributed to this style. It goes over basic rituals and it also includes a chapter which shows some tricks which can be employed in the ring. I highly recommend this book for ANY martial arts fan, regardless of your particular style but if you train in Muay Thai or are thinking about starting, then you should definitely get this book, you'll be happy you did. Also, there is another Muay Thai book that is equally good and this is "Muay Thai: The Most Distinguished Art Of Fighting" by Panya Kraitus. Happy punching!

This book is totally awesome! Extensively-researched and well put togeather, "Living Legacy" is a must for every Muay Thai enthusiast. It includes sections on the history of the art (as well as a bit of Thailand history and their relation), the ancient training methods and schools of Muay Thai (Muay Boran & Muay Kaad Chuek), and the progression of Muay Thai into the modern sport we know today. Also included are a map of Bankok's historic & modern arenas, including times that they're open, and a list of historic heros. And all of that is in Chapter One.

Chapter Two covers traditional, modern, and amature attire, as well as examples and purposes of amulets and traditional incantations. This is followed by a chapter describing the Wai Khru and it's reason, as well as related rituals (initiations and such), and by another chapter on pre-contest rituals which include superstitions about the ring and the various instruments used in a Muay Thai match.

Chapter Five is where things start getting interesting for the athelete. Warm-ups, stretching, wrapping the hand, stance, targets, and basic first aid are covered. Chapter Six is on footwork and includes pivoting, leaping, and blocking footwork.

Chapter Seven introduces us to the weapons of Muay Thai, and progresses from hands to elbows to knees to kicks and foot-thrusts. Everything from a basic jab to advanced techniques like jumping foot-thrusts and step-up knees are demonstrated, usually from both sides. Chapter Eight shows some defensive movements and combinations. The book ends with a map showing places that were refered to in the book, two charts showing the angles of the weapons & the finer points on the possition of the body when conducting various attacks, and a Thai-English glossary, including spellings.

Overall, I am very impressed with the quallity of this book, both in it's construction and content. Though I'm mostly interested in the technical aspects of Muay Thai (which were given plenty of attention), I found the sections on history and culture to be fascenating. Full of color photos and step-by-step sequences, this book is a pleasure to read and easy to understand. I'd recomend it for anyone with an interest in Muay Thai, be it technique, history, or culture.

Written and edited by Lesley D. Junlakan, as well as coordinated and researched by Kat Prayukvong, Muay Thai: A Living Legacy is an expertly informative and stunningly presented introduction, survey, and guide to the martial art of Muay Thai in an instructional manual which is illustrated with full-color photographs on every page in an unforgettable visual display. An extensively practical resource, as well as a pictorial and emotional celebration of this ancient traditional style, Muay Thai is a unique and welcome addition to the growing library of Martial Arts literature.

This book is the definitive reference for Muay Thai. This book covers all aspects of this fascinating sport. The history, legend and specific techniques are all covered in this book. The excellent photographs and well written descriptions make it easy to follow the instructions and Muay Thai techniques.

This is a must have for anyone who loves Muay Thai. My copy was autographed by Ajarn Chi at a seminar. In is full of the basics which is a must for mastering any martial art. Doesn't have anything on clinch work, but this is volume 1 so I assume there will be another book that adresses this.

I've been looking for this book for a while and finally found it. It was recommended by Ajarn Chai Sirisute who I had the honor to meet in 2006 along with Guro Dan Inosanto. It's a great book for historical facts and there are techniques (basics/intermediate) that anyoned can learn. I believe this book would be a great addition to anyone's library of the arts. It is a great book with great historical pictures and is an easy read. Plus a bonus poster in the pocket in the back on Wai Khru Ram Muay. . .awesome.

Much respect.

A very good, high quality book about some of the basic techniques in the muay thai arsenal. 4 or 5 weapons of fist, elbow, leg and knee are adressed and explained. Beginners in the sport of muay thai or thai boxing should seriously consider aquiering this book, as it will definitely help their progress. Extras are a bit of the history of the sport, hand wrapping, traditional wear and combination techniques. Each technique is clearly explained with full color photographs. So you apply what you read.