krabi Krabong anyone?

Anthony Corkery or Craig O Flynn would be your best bet in Cork, Nidt Caeweewat did teach it in Dublin years ago but he has returned to Thailand.

Craig O’Flynn Trainer of the Sitjaipetch Camps both in Ireland and Thailand is a Gold Sash 4th degree in Krabi Krabong under the world famous Buddhai Sawan Insitute of Thailand trained and graded under grand master Por Kruh Samai Mesamarn of Thailand
And also trained under great friend and teacher Arjian Tony Moore of the Buddhai Sawan UK.,
Here is some interest info on the subjetch taken from the Sitjaipetch website
www,muaythaiireland.com








THE BUDDHAI SAWAN INSTITUTE OF SWORDSMANSHIP

Buddhai Sawan Sword Fighting Institute. The name means " The Free and Brave Buddha's Heaven" after the first Royal Temple to be built under the command of King Uthong in A. D. 1350, soldiers were sent for the specialized and rigorous training to become instructors of the King. Once peace was restored, war could break out again without notice, particularly since the flow of information was slow. Therefore, in order to be well prepared to defend their homeland, they would be taught at the temple the fighting skills.
The Buddhai Sawan Temple could also be considered a Military/ Police Academy of those times, and among the students at the Royal Temple were King Taksin, the ruler of Thonburi, the third Capital of Siam, and Pra Budda Yod Fha Julaloke, who was the founder of Bangkok, which became the fourth and present Capital in 1782. The existing Buddhai Sawan Institute is a direct spiritual descendant of King Ramathibodi I original school. It owes its existence to the belief and perseverance of one man, the late Por Kruh Samai Mesamarn, who was the last remaining Grandmaster of the Buddhai Sawan Institute.
Por Kruh was born in 1914 at Tambon Ban Thani, Maha Rat District, in Ayutthaya. He is the direct descendant of warriors and noblemen who served the courts of Krung Kao (Ayutthaya) and the early Chakri dynasty and who were once responsible for saving the King. (see Arjarn Samai).
He spent his youth studying Krabi Krabong and Muay Thai as well as western fencing and Japanese Judo ( The Ministry of Education began judo contests for students in 1927 after a Thai Prince became interested and propagated its study). He later earned a degree in Physical Education and was one of the first physical education graduates in Thailand when he opened his first Krabi Krabong school in Wat Rakung Kositaram.
During World War II, Por Kruh owned and operated the Moonlight Bar, which attracted a diverse group of foreigners both Allies and Axis alike. He cleverly used this operation as a cover for his covert intelligence gathering work for the Seri Thai, an underground resistance movement that attempted to drive the Japanese forces off Thai soil. Por Kruh Samai taught many of these covert agents and guerilla fighters the most lethal techniques of Krabi Krabong and Muay Thai on the makeshift grounds of the Wat.
After the war, Por Kruh promoted Muay Thai and attempted to bolster support for the growing sport. In 1957, he finally established the Buddhai Sawan School of Swordsmanship with the purpose of perpetuating the art of Krabi Krabong just as it was handed down to him. The same year, His Majesty the King - well aware of the role played by the school in promoting Krabi Krabong awarded Por Kruh Samai with a victory flag as a token of his patronage.
Although most Universities and colleges have an active Krabi Krabong team, the College of physical Education in Bangkok is the only official institution where the sport is taught regularly in a course that was introduced in 1936. The courses at the Buddhai Sawan are the complete Krabi Krabong program that begins with Muay Thai and takes you through the whole system from combat to sport and is currently the only institution that does so.
Many of Por Kruh's graduates have gone on to perform at ceremonial functions and even in movies and television shows which are arranged through the alumni association established in 1983. A number of graduates have served in the military's primary paratrooper regiments. A few have even been selected as members of the elite security force chosen to guard his Majesty the King. Por Kruh believes that anyone though can benefit from the practice of Krabi Krabong both young and old. It continues to be taught to commandos, elite infantry units, royal bodyguards and many, many young children. In his later years, Por Kruh Samai Mesamarn continued to personally teach and promote his chosen art even just before his untimely death at the age of 84. As he had once said in a newspaper interview, "I believe that our effort to promote Krabi Krabong is a great tribute to our ancestors, for the art of Krabi Krabong will outlast any statues or monuments."
In the past not many foreigners were allowed to learn the master secrets of the art, Although more foreigners now are being allowed into the secrets of the system. In the past, a Thai Master would not teach a foreigner the weapons until he has first trained in Muay Thai for some considerable time. When a student has trained in Muay Thai for the appropriate time he may be accepted by his master and must first take the 'Acceptance Ritual'.
One of the old rituals, though this is not followed much today, was that the student would burn joss sticks and give a present or small sum of money and a flower to the master. The master will then pray for his student, who must take the oath and promise to be a proper and trusted disciple of the chosen school.
Sometimes at the camp there was often seen a huge pot which was filled with the weapons of past masters of the school, some of which may be several hundred years old. During the ritual the master would take a ladle of water from this pot and anoint his student with it. The student has to accept the responsibility for the art and for the school and must promise not harm either or he shall be expelled. The oath which the student takes, roughly translated is as follows:

The Oath

1. "We have come to worship the teacher and to solemnly promise to be honest disciples.
2. We will respect you and have complete trust in you, Sir. We will treasure all traditions, rules and everything we will learn from you.
3. We will make your style and technique our own.
4. We will never think, say or do anything to harm the camp or our friends.
5. We swear that our words are honest and to be kept forever. Earth, heaven and the four directions are our witness.
6. We beg you to protect us always, with our bodies and our words and our soil.
7. Thus, we beg you to teach us everything you know to help us to succeed, to protect us from dangers and bless us with love and happiness forever."

When a student is accepted by the master, the training begins. The first thing a student learns is the slight difference in stance from Muay Thai. Then the holding of the weapon and how to control it. The student is taught the basic strikes and blocks using the sticks which are made of rattan cane and represent the swords, but are an effective weapon in their own right. The sport of "Daab Oon Nuam" (literally translated ; wooden sword fighting) uses padded sticks which were originally covered in cotton but today are wrapped in foam. The padding allows the students to do full contact sparring which also incorporates the Muay Thai techniques. It is taught as part of the schools curriculum in Thailand.
To see actual sword demonstrations one must visit the 'Buddhai Sawan Temple' which is steeped in ancient traditions or the 'Rose Garden' near Bangkok, where students put on daily displays of all the systems of Krabi Krabong.
Before each sword-fighting bout, one would witness the 'Ram Daab' (Sword Dance) which is similar to the Ram Muay (Boxers Dance) which is seen before a Thai Boxing match. The Ram Muay differs from school to school. This was to prevent students from the same school from fighting with each other which was forbidden by Thai regulation. The dance symbolizes respect to the old masters of the art and to the gods, so that they will infuse the warrior with strength agility and skill, and make the warrior invincible.
The dance is performed using one or two swords which are ornate and elaborate weapons, but are used purely for the 'Ram Daab' and not for fighting. Krabi Krabong also makes use of empty handed techniques, including holds, locks, throws, breaks and strikes to pressure points. In Muay Thai boxing these have been reduced down to just a few techniques.