This was the third time for the kung pows, the hong kong team and the PRC team had both been beaten into bolivia by the thais and kyokushin in 73'. These beatings were the birth of modern san shou/sanda, which is mostly comprised of kyokushin/muay thai/sambo/greco.
1974-6-1 Black belt.
HONG KONG KUNG-FU EXPONENTS, still nursing their wounded pride after the humiliation suffered at the hands of muay thai fighters late in 1973, had come back to Bangkok to challenge the Thais in a return match one month later. Two of their brothers had been knocked out in'the first round by Thai boxers, and now they would have their revenge.
Wai Chin, the Hong Kong team manager, explained that his men had been at a disadvantage in the first encounter, having been forced to wear gloves and fight according to Thai rules. "Our trained hands are our most effective weapon," Wai Chin told reporters. "We have to insist on a bare-handed fight this time." He also felt that his fighters had closely studied muay thai techniques and were well prepared. "We will have our revenge, all right," he said confidently.
Muay thai fighters do not forge their hands but instead wear heavy bandages under their gloves. In a special meeting prior to the celebrated rematch, Thai officials discussed the Chinese proposal and agreed that each contestant should fight according to his own style. The following rules were laid down for the contest and were agreed to by both parties:
1) Each bout would consist of five three-minute rounds with two-minute intervals.
2) Each bout would be judged by a referee and two side judges and scored according to the muay thai system.
3) The only illegal tactics would be biting; finger stabs to eyes, ears and nostrils; scratching; and attacking a downed opponent.
Said Col. Suthi Promjairak, chairman of Lumpini Boxing Stadium's technical committee, "We want to keep this contest under control. We are sportsmen, not animals.**
The "barehand" decision caused some concern among the Thai boxers, which in turn promoted the promoter, Col. Thongterm Pobsook, deputy director of Lumpini Stadium, to announce that any Thai fighter found clowning in the ring, or not fighting to full ability, would be banned from his stadium for life.
Fifteen thousand fans packed the huge Hua Mark Stadium (an affiliate facility used by the Lumpini organization) on the outskirts of Bangkok on fight night. An unusually large contingent of Chinese had come to watch the contest, some of them excitedly shouting, "Bruce Lee, Bruce Lee!** and, "Enter, you dragons!"
An exhibition match of three rounds by two members of the kung-fu team proved unpopular. Although the bout was of great interest to martial arts buffs, the bulk of the crowd had come to see blood.
There was absolute silence in the stadium when the first two contestants entered the ring to begin the kung-fu vs. kick-boxing matches. Thai flyweight Krengprinoi Sawsakyon, 103 pounds, squared off against Chen Yew-kuang of Hong Kong, 105 pounds. The Thai, at first apprehensive of his opponent's bare fingers, moved cautiously, attacking only with a few long-range kicks. The Chinese, fast enough to dodge the Thai*s initial techniques, countered with fast punches, some of them landing directly in Krengprinoi*s face. But suddenly the Thai threw a high round kick to the face, followed by a second to the neck, flooring the kung-fu man. Clearly shaken, the Hong Kong fighter struggled to his feet and then moved straight into a powerful Krengprinoi punch that was good enough for a count of 10. Time of knockout: 1 minute, 10 seconds.
In the second bout, Samarn Lukpanpo, former Thai flyweight champion, 114 pounds, met Hong Kong's Tang Li-yuan, who weighed in at 111 pounds. Samarn missed with a few round kicks and traded punches at close quarters before landing a kick on the neck that sent the Chinese reeling into the ropes. Tang came back immediately with a series of knife-hand attacks to the Thai's body but got trapped in a corner. The Thai let fly with a barrage of elbow and knee techniques, then used his gloves to grab the kung-fu man's head and pull it down, smashing a knee into Tang's face. Tang, bleeding heavily, picked himself up to continue the fight but gave up when he noticed the blood. Time: 2 minutes, 20 seconds.
In the third fight, Thai flyweight Rerngsak Pornthawee, 114 pounds, was matched against 115-pound Ou Joon-hai of the kung-fu team. Ou, obviously nervous after seeing the quick disposal of his two mates, started running around the ring in an attempt to stay out of the Thai's reach. But Rerngsak caught him with a kick to the leg that sent him sprawling flat on his face. After a count of eight, the kung-fu fighter refused to continue the fight. He was booed off the stage. Time: 1 minute, 22 seconds.
Fight No. 4 was the main event and also the shortest one. Thai bantamweight Nongkai Sawprasorn, 119 pounds, made quick work of Hong Kong's Teng Oui-hong, 122 pounds. Here was a good example of the value, or lack of it, of showy demonstration techniques in actual combat. The kung-fu artist, attacking with a jump kick, was dodged by the Thai, who with surprising speed landed a powerful round kick in the Chinese's kidney region, virtually stopping him in mid-air. Teng dropped to the canvas like a sack of rice. The fight had lasted a full 20 seconds. The kung-fu artist was carried from the ring on a stretcher.
ONE MORE TIME:
The fifth and final bout pitted Thai flyweight Payon Sermviset, 110 pounds, against Loo Ui-liang from Hong Kong, 108 pounds. In some very fast and powerful hand action, Loo drove the Thai to the ropes, and Payon had to use some vicious elbow work to get out of trouble. The Thai then took the initiative and landed some kicks to the Chinese's legs before a kick to the head sent the kung-fu man to the floor. Payon waited for Loo to get up, then attacked again with a high kick to the Hong Kong fighter's neck. Loo fell flat on his face and stayed there for quite a bit longer than it takes to count to 10. Time: 1 minute, 10 seconds.
In five matches, the muay thai fighters had knocked out their kung-fu opponents in the first round. Total action in the ring amounted to barely six minutes. Shouts from the Chinese spectators of "cruelty," "torture," "Barbarians" were answered with boos from the Thai spectators. In an effort to calm the crowd, Col. Thongterm explained over the public address system that the Chinese had insisted on the revenge match and had been given the chance to use their bare hands.
The contest marked the fourth (at least as far as the records show) confrontation between muay thai and kung-fu. In 1921, a famous Chinese fighter, Tse Shang, who was reputed to have a high control of chi (ki) challenged a Thai boxer named Yang Hantalay. Still-living eye witnesses report that it was the most brutal fight they have ever seen. It lasted only three minutes and ended in Tse Shang's spending months under medical care. Then, in 1958, a team of Chinese tai kek fighters was also beaten by Thai boxers, all fights ending in first-round knockouts, the same fate suffered by the two kung-fu experts late last year. None of the fighters involved in the 1973 bouts appeared in the '74 rematch.
"I've had enough," said the Hong Kong team manager, Wai Chin, before leaving the stadium after the most recent contest. "Never again. Muay thai is too dangerous to be a sport."
