# Thai Boxing Grading?



## TheIceman5

Ok this is something i really don't get. The club i train in keep stressing how "Bob Spour" (wasn't he in the paper for being a fraud!) is coming up to do a seminar and if we pay the extra Â£20 odd we can do our grading in thai. I've only been doing thai since January but a guy who hasn't even been training in it that long done a grading last time and all of a sudden is a Assosicate Instructor or some crap like that. He's now taking the classes and alot of folk have stopped going before his classes aren't good really.

I don't get it, If Thai Boxing is a sport, just like boxing, then why do they need gradings?


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## marc

where do you train?

Gradings for a lot of people are a 'status' sometimes im a black belt sounds better then ive been doing ninjutsu for 25 years.

Its also a good indication of where your at in the sport your doing.

im not graded, i had the opportunity if i was i would imagine i would be a blue/white as i cant demonstrate a ram muay - that being said ive not done thai for moons so would like to learn that.

Just be careful of the place/instructor your being graded under - i heard of somewhere ages ago that where doing gradings the instructor wasnt fully qualified to do so and was only doing it to get some money for his holidays!!!!


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## TheIceman5

The Academy.

Aye it wouldn't suprise me if they were just trying to get money out of us mate. I don't think gradings even mean that much, the best bit of advice i was given was think of the man, not the dan.


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## tommyg1988

there doing gradings at are gym soon, i think there just to let people know how there progressing. But i dont kno


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## spitfire

I've seen some of the bob spour DVDs that doing the rounds. He is convincing. Well he was a while back. Maybe if I seen them now I may think different. He was exposed by the sun I believe. Claimed as many do that he was in the the SAS. That he was in many conflicts including the falklands.

The media claim it's all bull. I wouldnt give him a penny. From what I am aware he ain't trained in shit.

But then this is alledged by the sun whom spin more bollix than any one.


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## SteSteez

Go with your own judgement fella, my head tells me I wouldn't bother being graded under this guy.

There is no official grading system in Muay as far as i'm aware, just ribbons to tye around your head/knees and these ribbons have many different values from one club to another.

The grading system is a simple "customer retention" tool used in alot of marketing, basically: we'll give you this belt to start with, if you stick with us for this period of time we'll give you this grade up, but you must give us money for this.. so on and so on.

I've never been graded, don't really want to if im honest.


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## TheIceman5

I aint going to bother and i'm probably going to go somewhere elso to do thai as i'd eventually like to compete.

I just didn't get the fact that they are doing gradings for it. Apparently the way it works is they don't grade you to the next level, they grade you to whatever level they think you are at, which i also find odd.


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## MUTINY!

TheIceman5 said:


> I aint going to bother and i'm probably going to go somewhere elso to do thai as i'd eventually like to compete.
> 
> I just didn't get the fact that they are doing gradings for it. Apparently the way it works is they don't grade you to the next level, they grade you to whatever level they think you are at, which i also find odd.


Stay well away, they sound like assholes who just want your pennies, get yourself to a respectable gym


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## rsp84

i trained with bob spours gym while i was at bham uni for bout 8 weeks and got graded to 2nd level. it was a complete waste of time coz it meant nothing. When i flunked uni and came back home i found the local gym and the grade didnt help me one bit. I took bout 18months to gain 2nd again but i used to hold my own against higher grades which surprised others. When i started fighting it became clear that how much going to a grading class counted, most of the fighters dont care, its the wins and belts that matter. On the flipside u wanna get the recognition and have something to mark your progress in the technical skill of the art. im only on my 6th (havent trained since last yr sept where i fought for a british title and lost) but now ive moved thats probably where it will stay 

ps bob is one crazy, but funny guy, a lil like bas when it comes to the street defence stuff.


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## Rodders

there is no grading in thailand; fighters are jusged on fights.

I think grading is a japanese thing and since japanese martial arts (i.e karate) have been popular in the past, people have put that into muaythai too.

Having said that there are some really good gyms that do grade.


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## Si-K

I have one of Bob Spours books and to be honest - it is a decent book, However, I could create one from my knowledge wth similar content..gradings is an invention of non Thai's - as stated Thai's earn their grading by fighting, which for Thai is a true indication of progress (to his creditg I think Bob Spour made this point in his book and admitted his organisation is grade orientated asthis is what English and Amercian people expect (let's face it people love to say I am x in x style, not I've had 5 fights w2, l2, d 1 for example) - I failed my junior black belt in karate at 15 (should have passed although I am biased) basically, my garde means nothing to be honest as it is based on kata's and is a technical grading not a fighting garde - a black belt means you have a firm grasp of basics not "you are an expert killer" LOL, but doing a kata or hitting a bag all day are alot different from fighting - I have never sat a grading since my failure at 15 as basically, they mean nothin more than you can do set moves technically profcient - my advice is to save the grading money and spend it on some private lessons or any supplements or equipment you need if you have all them buy some steak:thumb.


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## Rodders

or even put it towards a trip towards thailand!


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## TheIceman5

On Tuesday night i went to train at Thai at another school, which has a good reputation and has a couple of champions training there (including the scotish champion).

Was really good and it felt good getting a good bit of thai done. Need to work on my kicks right enough, 2 months of physio on my clicking hip has through me off and I feel like Iâ€™m starting all over again with kicks haha.


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## TheIceman5

Found this;

Chao Phraya Muay Thai, St Ives, Muay Thai Boxing Academy

One of the places i train just done a seminar with grading;

8 people who have never trained in thai before received a 2nd khan

3 people who have never trained in thai received a 3rd khan

1 person who has never trained in thai received a 4th khan

And someone who has been training in thai since xmas received a 9th khan.

:wtf


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## rsp84

sounds like a right joke. with ours, it is every 6 months. Once we got past the 5th grade, we could only ever go for it every year.


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## Rodders

Chao Phraya has a good reputation and Shaun Boland is a top ref


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## SanshouMatt

Wasn't aware there was an official grading in MT, I'd have done the swerve!


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## callam_nffc

TheIceman5 said:


> Found this;
> 
> Chao Phraya Muay Thai, St Ives, Muay Thai Boxing Academy
> 
> One of the places i train just done a seminar with grading;
> 
> 8 people who have never trained in thai before received a 2nd khan
> 
> 3 people who have never trained in thai received a 3rd khan
> 
> 1 person who has never trained in thai received a 4th khan
> 
> And someone who has been training in thai since xmas received a 9th khan.
> 
> :wtf


sounds like i might go if its tht easy haha

and wtf is a khan? i always thought it was just another islamic name. doesnt sound thai at all lol


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## Si-K

Found this;

Chao Phraya Muay Thai, St Ives, Muay Thai Boxing Academy

One of the places i train just done a seminar with grading;

8 people who have never trained in thai before received a 2nd khan

3 people who have never trained in thai received a 3rd khan

1 person who has never trained in thai received a 4th khan

And someone who has been training in thai since xmas received a 9th khan.

****Isn't Chao Phraya Bob Spour's Foundation???? - as stated this is a European invention - Thai's traditional get graded by their fights not a "kata" etc...concentrate on your fighting/sparring a grade normally means nothing - the only grading I would trust to a point is BJJ (or any other martial art that) - train full contact and therfore is a true sign of ability.


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## Rodders

Si-K said:


> Found this;
> 
> Chao Phraya Muay Thai, St Ives, Muay Thai Boxing Academy
> 
> One of the places i train just done a seminar with grading;
> 
> 8 people who have never trained in thai before received a 2nd khan
> 
> 3 people who have never trained in thai received a 3rd khan
> 
> 1 person who has never trained in thai received a 4th khan
> 
> And someone who has been training in thai since xmas received a 9th khan.
> 
> ****Isn't Chao Phraya Bob Spour's Foundation???? - as stated this is a European invention - Thai's traditional get graded by their fights not a "kata" etc...concentrate on your fighting/sparring a grade normally means nothing - the only grading I would trust to a point is BJJ (or any other martial art that) - train full contact and therfore is a true sign of ability.


Don't think this is Bob Spour's . His is called Phrya Pichai (sp)


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## Si-K

Thank's figured it was something similar:thumb


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## rsp84

the khan is the band worn around the left arm, instead of belts like bjj


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## spitfire

I've always referred to the arm band as Kruang Ruang


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## rsp84

yea, we call em krangs, but bob spours called them khans, it was just referance to that :happy:


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## Rodders

think khan (or rank) is a title; as kyu is in say karate. "armbands" that are traditionaly worn by boxers are blessed to bring luck in the ring rather than being a symbol of a grade. the armband idea was used in the west in the same way belts denote a grade in other martial arts. (that's my understading anyway)


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