Photos: With swords and stunts, Thai youth embrace ancient martial art

A school on the outskirts of Thailand’s Bangkok is teaching its students "Krabi Krabong," a martial art used in centuries-old warfare between rival kingdoms. While small, the club has gone on to win prizes in martial arts contests in Thailand and abroad. It has also cultivated a troop of female fighters who account for nearly half of the 22-strong team. Through the art form, the girls are learning self-defence as well.

Updated on: Jul 18, 2019 10:00 AM IST

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Students practise Krabi Krabong, a Thai martial art, at the Thonburee Woratapeepalarak school in Thonburi, on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand. The fighters are part of a growing group of students at the school mastering the country’s neglected swordfighting tradition. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)

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“It is a fighting technique used in a bygone era,” said 16-year-old Nantakarn Duangthongyu after her “4 vs 1” drill at the school. “We add new tricks and routines to make it more exciting,” she further added. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)

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Students from the school compete in a Krabi Krabong competition in Bangkok. Soldiers used to deploy the elegant Krabi Krabong, meaning “sword staff”, in hand-to-hand frontline combat or from the back of war elephants. But as guns replaced swords, Krabi Krabong was reduced to a remnant of Thailand’s medieval past. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)

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Experts preserved the deadly skill by turning it into an art form and practitioners now duel with mock weapons in contests or for entertainment. But it has failed to catch fire unlike Thailand’s better known martial art of Muay Thai kickboxing despite campaigns to teach it in public schools. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)

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The weapons used while practising Krabi Krabong. The lack of experienced trainers and the complexity of managing an array of weaponry while engaging in hand-to-hand sparring makes it “a difficult art form”, said school coach Phatcharaphon Banditketmala. “But it offers the fighters... a more ‘ultimate’ fighting (experience) than Muay Thai,” he further added. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)

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In order to spice things up for a younger audience, teachers and students at the Thonburi school have added more moves and gymnast spins, giving fighters in action the appearance of blockbuster stunt doubles. “It’s a very cool sport that teaches you about focus and partnership,” said team captain Nattapong Pulluk. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)

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While small the club has gone on to win prizes in martial arts contests in Thailand and abroad. It has also cultivated a troop of female fighters who account for nearly half of the 22-strong team. “Some girls may love cosmetics but I like challenging activities. And I get to exercise,” Nantakarn, who has trained for five years in the sport, said. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)

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Other girls say that the technique has armed them with self-defence skills in a country that has yet to have a #MeToo-style public reckoning with sexual assault and harassment. “If some psychopath tries to attack me or abuse me, I can grab a stick and fight them,” said 14-year-old Aiyakarn Lueakha. (Lillian Suwanrumpha / AFP)