KickBoxing- Muay Thai - The Art of Siamese Unarmed Combat
Author: Hardy Stockman
Cover price $2.95 US - I paid about $20 after shipping.
96 pages

Yes Virginia there was a Muay Thai before the late 90's. Okay we all know there was but it seemed that there was a boom in popularity in North America then. Maybe it's just me but there seems to have been a huge influx of books and tapes on the subject recently. Anyhow it nice to see something from before the boost in popularity. Way back in 1976 this, now out of print, book hit the market.

As this book was published before the rest of the western books I've seen so far I guess I can't say it follows the trend of chapter order. In this case it may be the trend setter. Anyhow, the familiar History, Tradition,Basics and Combos formula makes an appearance. There are a few extras though.

An interesting section on the economics of Muay Thai is found early in the book. Found here is an interesting insight to the tiny amounts of money Thai fighters get paid for professional bouts. The numbers are from the 70's so I won't quote them here. They are outdated but I can imagine that adjusted for modern times there are kids in the ring for less than 5$ US even now.

Another interesting section is called Muay Thai vs. the rest. These 5 pages near the end of the book relate stories of Thai boxers beating pretty much everyone else no matter the styles practiced. Now I am sure there is truth to these stories and I don't question the effectiveness of the techniques having been on the receiving end enough times. I think though the rise of the Internet and the Internet/Keyboard Warriors that espouse these style vs style arguements and create their own demi-gods have desensitized me to this type of discussion. Too bad really, as I imagine in 1976 these stories may have made for better conversations than what is found out there in cyberspace now. Probably these anecdotes form the basis of the myths passed around now.

This book is well made, mine is like new though I got it used from EBay, so it was built to last. This was the first time I saw this volume offered for auction but I don't go there everyday looking so I am sure another could be found if someone is willing to try. The book is mostly text, for a thin volume there is a lot to read. The pictures are black and white, mostly decent except for a horrendous set depicting a Ram Muay that pappears to have caught the performer in between every move of any real note.

For interest sake alone I stick this in the middle of the pack of Muay Thai books I have. There are some interesting bits not found in the more modern tomes, including a pretty darn good glossary. Really the presentation, though basic and brief, is in some cases better than newer books.