Fighters from the MSA gym in Beeston showed their skills at the two-day Magic of Thailand Festival in Manchester. The event was one of a number held in various locations this summer promoting the culture, food and sport in the south-east Asian nation of over seventy million people.
“We put on what was hopefully an exhilarating display of Thai Boxing, or Muay Thai,” said chief coach Rafal Wrzeszcz known as Kru Rafal, “and Muay Boran meaning ‘ancient boxing.’ Whereas Muay Thai is essentially a sport, Muay Boran is a more traditional martial art with a focus on self-defence and includes fighting techniques and practices used by Thai warriors in combat.”
“Our coach Kru Rafał demonstrated Krabi Krabong,” stated Gracjan Krupski, 18. “These terms refer to the principle weapons the cutlass and the staff. My part was doing the wai kru which is a traditional Thai dance done before a fight starts. Kamil Fornalski and I then acted out a Muay Boran fight showcasing traditional fight skills and techniques. This event has given our gym extensive publicity and strengthened our connection with worldwide Muay Thai organisations such as the IMTF.”
Well-known on the northern Thai boxing circuit and as a gloved boxer, Krupski has trained at MSA for six years which Rafal has led for over a decade. Muay Thai senior grandmaster Sken founded the MSA academies having introduced the sport to western countries over forty years ago. Krupski himself aims “to continue developing as a fighter following three weeks in Thailand in March as I start my science of sports performance course at Leeds Trinity.”
This post was written by James Bovington
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