Khun Bunjong Busarakamwongse, better known as Mr. Philip Wong, is the man behind Fairtex Muay Thai Fitness Camps in Thailand, Japan and America. Muay Thai has been his life long passion and over the years he has done a tremendous amount of work to promote the fighting art in Thailand and all over the world. I, the writer of this article, have given him the title "The King of Muay Thai" and this humble man would never accept this title but here is just a little of his back ground so that you will know where the 'SEVEN Master Defensive Moves of Muay Thai Fairtex' really comes from.
In 1971, Mr. Wong established a textile manufacturing firm (Fairtex Garments Factory Co. Ltd.) pioneering high quality T-shirts to Thai department stores and eventually becoming the number one brand at its peak. In time, the business expanded – exporting products under private brands world wide and it is growing to become one of the number one Muay Thai gear suppliers in the world- www.fairtexgear.com.
While his garment business grew, so did his desire to support his passion – Muay Thai. In 1975 Mr. Wong opened Fairtex Muay Thai Fitness Camp in Bangplee just out side of Bangkok- www.muaythaifairtex.com. The small facility became home to a stable of professional fighters that quickly established Fairtex as a camp to be dealt with. Producing more than 30 world champions in over 26 years and today Fairtex fighters have won the first three world championship belts from WBC Muay Thai- www.WBCmuaythai.com. The WBC has recognized Mr. Wong and is officially using Fairtex equipment and gyms.
In 1993, a second camp was established in Phoenix Arizona, America and eventually it was moved to San Francisco. As of today there are SIX Fairtex gyms in Japan- soon there will be TEN, two in America and a new Mega Meca Muay Thai gym in Pattaya Thailand- www.fairtexpattaya.com. Mr. Wong has visions of a total of FIVE gyms in Thailand and opening gyms all over the world!! Fairtex trainers and fighters will be at all these gyms and they are renowned worldwide for their aggressive style and advanced offensive & defensive techniques utilizing fists, elbows, knees and kicks.
Although his fighters have won many fights in the ring, for many years the Bangkok gym itself lost money. Mr. Wong's garment company, however, was successful and he was able to continue funding Fairtex, further involving himself in the world of Muay Thai. In 1978 he became a promoter of the sport in Lumpini Stadium, Thailand's most renowned competitive venue. He was one of the first Thais to bring foreign fighters to Thailand for training and competition, Mr. Wong is also credited for welcoming ESPN2 to Thailand to cover the World Muay Thai Council's (WMC) world championships title fights, effectively taking Muay Thai to the world stage.
Unlike most camp owners and promoters, Mr. Wong does not make money from his fighters. In fact, the opposite is true. Mr. Wong supports his fighters, sometimes their families as well, in exchange for their work as professional trainers. Competitors receive training, housing, food, money and even education. Occasionally, fighter's relatives are employed in Mr. Wong's operations, allowing families to stay together.
Fairtex has been training successful fighters for 30 years and recently began charging visitors money to join the training. The income generated is used to keep the camp going after years of continued financial loss, which threatened to permanently close the operation. The savvy decision was made in 2004 as the Fairtex Bangkok received a major renovation and expansion to include a full training facilities and a wellness/ health complex rendering the camp incomparable to perhaps any other Muay Thai training program in the world today. With all that said, are you ready to learn something from "The King of Muay Thai"?
'SEVEN Master Defensive Moves of Muay Thai Fairtex' that are taught at every training camp.
1. Strong Block 2. Slip and Slide 3. Quick Push
4. Big Grab 5. Open Door 6. Lean Back 7. Sabaay-Sabaay
The professional Fairtex fighters that will demonstrate these moves are Yodsaenklai Fairtex (Yod) who is a Lumpinee Stadium Champ (https://www.muaythaifairtex.com/champ-yodsaenglai.html) and is the New WBC Super Welterweight World Champion (www.WBCmuaythai.com). The other Fairtex Champ is Nong Toom (Toom) Kiartbussaba Fairtex (https://www.fairtex.com/news/news_view.php?n_id=235) a Northern Muay Thai Champion and the star of the international hit movie "Beautiful Boxer"- www.beautifulboxer-themovie.com. Toom was the male boxer, who changed his sex to become a woman, made fighting headlines around the world when she beat the top talented male fighters in Thailand, Japan, USA and Europe. These two Fairtex Champs use these techniques often and teach them at the Fairtex gyms.
1. Strong Block- Defends from leg, body and head kicks. This is a medium fighting range block and yes it involves going bone to bone with your opponent so Fairtex conditioning is a must. You expose your shin, knee, elbow and forearm bone towards any offensive round kick that attacks you and after the block you always counter with a kick or punch right back. Picture Example- Yod tries to leg kick Toom, Toom does a Strong Block and right after the block Toom goes for a Neck Kick. Muay Thai majors in counter movements and in fact most of Fairtex's knock outs in the ring happen via one of these Master Defensive Moves.
2. Slip and Slide- Defends against a strong, forceful attacking movement straight at you and you slide to the side with a step as close to your opponent as possible and direct his force past you and then you counter kick. Picture Example- Yod steps forward to clinch Toom for some close range strikes because Yod is losing the fight on the long range level. Toom does the Slip and Slide, redirects Yod into the long range again and delivers a powerful counter kick to Yod.
3. Quick Push- This is done with your foot or hand. When you can see clearly that your opponent is trying to powerfully kick you with a roundhouse kick, you allow them to do so and with great timing you push them with a straight kick while they are on one leg. Or you can see clearly that they are going to knee you from the outside and with great timing you push them with a hand or punch while they are on one leg. Picture Example- Yod has the hardest body kick in the world, in a fight recently he only kicked his opponent three times and broke his ribs. John Wayne Parr said that Yod has the hardest kick he has ever dealt with. In the pictures Yod tries to kick Toom, Toom does a Quick Push with the foot and then Yod tries a power knee strike, Toom does a Quick Push with the hand. Again, after the push, the opponent should be off balance and that is when you counter with your own power strike. This is truly a Master Move and when it is learned you will be able to take steam out of the most powerful kickers and knee strikers.
4. Big Grab- If you were not able to use your Strong Block against a body kick, and you get kicked, you can use the Big Grab. As they kick you, take one step away from the kick, taking the power away from it and then grab the leg. Then you can throw the leg away from you, making them off balance and then counter again with your own power kick. Picture Example- Yod body kicks Toom, Toom quickly graps Yod's leg locking it, Toom then throws Yod's leg and he gets totally turned around. Toom then goes for Yod's neck from behind. This is a very effective and controlling technique and that is why sometimes you see Muay Thai fighters at a stand off. Most do not like to go first in striking techniques because the Master Defensive Moves are so effective.
5. Open Door- Is used when you get kicked to the inside the leg, you are able to flow with it by swinging your leg open (Open Door) and then you close the Door/ your leg by using a power counter kick. This surprises many opponents when a Muay Thai fighter uses this Master Defensive Move. Picture Example- Yod goes for a quick inside leg kick, Toom flows with it and uses the Open Door technique. Toom closes the door quickly with a counter body kick. Toom shows that true Muay Thai Fairtex fighters are 'smooth & Soft like SILK but at any moment can be Rough & Hard like a DIAMOND!!"
6. Lean Back- It is used when someone attacks the head with a hook, elbow or kick. In your fighting guard/ stance whatever leg is forward that same side hand is dropped and the other is held up as a single guard to the head and the whole upper body Leans Back to allow the striking movement to flow through. The object is to allow your opponents own movement to throw themselves off balance. Once that is achieved then again you can counter with a powerful kick. Like with any thing, these Master Defensive Moves takes practice but the benefits are quickly seen and learned. Picture Example- Yod goes for a knockout head kick, Toom flows and does the Lean Back. Yod's kick was so strong that he spun to expose his back to Toom. Toom reacts quickly to advantage of the Lean Back results and delivers a counter kick to Yod.
7. Sabaay-Sabaay- Is an exercise and attitude in which to conduct or practice these awesome Defensive Moves. One of the fun ways to warm-up or cool-down from a Muay Thai Fairtex workout is to practice these moves. With a partner, one is the offensive opponent and the other is the defensive opponent that gets to react and practice the 'sEVEN Master Defensive Moves of Muay Thai Fairtex!!" You can practice for as many rounds as you want but make sure to have time to switch roles so the other person can practice too. The offensive person starts off slowly and then goes faster and faster as their partner improves in skill level. The offensive person will present the different attacks= a leg kick- a body kick- a head kick- a strong forward clinch- an inside leg kick- a horizontal elbow- a straight punch and/ or a hook punch to the head. The defensive opponent then reacts to the offensive opponent by using one of the Master Defensive Moves. This can develop into one of the safest and honest ways to learn real Muay Thai fighting.
What does 'sabaay-Sabaay' mean?
To me this is the secret of Muay Thai and after being in the sport for over 15 years, IS the number thing that I practice today. A Fairtex trainer always tells me, in fact the number thing a Fairtex trainer tells a foreigner when they are learning Muay Thai is 'sabaay-Sabaay"!! It basically means "Relax-Relax" and at first it seems to be an easy thing to do. Allow me to share a big difference between the Thai and American culture. The Thai's have mastered relaxation, they love to relax and the American culture has mastered in stress and most live a very stressful life. In fact many Doctor's in America believe that stress in the number one killer of Americans today. One day my trainer was telling me over and over and over again to 'sabaay-Sabaay". I was not getting what he was commanding, he started to get frustrated with me and kept telling me to relax. Finally, I ask my Thai friend that spoke English to translate for me so I could really understand. My friend said, "You are relaxing on the outside but you are not relaxing from your HEART." "Relaxing from my heart? How do you do that?" was my quick response. My Thai friend said, "Don't be so serious, smile, laugh and have fun when you are training. When you do this you will be faster, react more, have more ENDURANCE and be able to see and respond to your opponent's movements." WOW, to me that is the number one thing that Muay Thai has taught and is teaching me. Muay Thai/ Thailand teaches true MEEKNESS which is "Divine Power under humble control".
Two of my favorite fighters knew about 'sabaay-Sabaay' and their names are Mohammad Ali and Bruce Lee. Ali was the most relaxed heavy weight boxing Champion in the history of the boxing world. Bruce said in one of his movies that his fighting style was art of "fighting without fighting" and he totally broke the Martial Arts mold when he started to relax and flow, 'sabaay-Sabaay" when he turned his losing fight with Chuck Norris into an awesome victory.
Mr. Wong, "The King of Muay Thai" hopes you have enjoyed the 'SEVEN Master Defensive Moves of Muay Thai Fairtex!!" He personally invites you to come to train at his Fairtex gyms in Thailand. I echo his invitation, YOU must experience Amazing Thailand, the historical home of the best stand up fighters in the world that are the greatest examples of True Champions anywhere. Fairtex would love to have the opportunity to teach you the 'sEVEN Master Defensive Moves of Muay Thai Fairtex!!" in Thailand so please visit the websites and e-mail Fairtex about any questions that you might have. (www.muaythaifairtex.com & www.fairtexpattaya.com) PLUS the "The King of Muay Thai" has developed a program that will PAY $$$$ YOU to come to Thailand and to train at the Pattaya Mega Muay Thai Resort. This is a special program that will NOT last very long so if you are interested e-mail Fairtex at [email protected] now!!
That is it, my Fairtex Article and there will be more to come.
Koop kun krup, Thanks.
Sa-wut dee krup, Phra-JAO-phra-uay-porn, God bless you, "Doc"
Khun Daniel C. Docto – [email protected]
Fairtex Muay Thai Division World Marketing Manager
www.fairtexpattaya.com & www.muaythaifairtex.com
