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Krabi-Krabong - The Mother of Muay Thai

Page 4 - Rituals

The rituals, forms and dances of Krabi-Krabong are just as important as the fighting techniques, Villalobos says. "I hear people say, `Take away the rituals: They claim that the rituals are just stupid forms for dancing, that they are not necessary'. He disagrees. "It is important to learn more than just the fighting techniques. It is necessary to learn the dances and the music. It is important to pass on everything about Krabi-Krabong so we can keep the cultural and spiritual integrity of the art. If you lose the physical part you cannot fight, but if you lose the spirit you may become a bully."

"The more you know, the more you need to know."

With his dedication to those old ways, Villalobos is a self-described "bridge" over which Krabi-Krabong can travel from East to West. "I have two new goals to advance my knowledge of the ritual side of Krabi-Krabong during my next several trips to Thailand," he says. "First, I will learn to play the ritual drums. Second, I will learn how to forge Krabi-Krabong swords. I will study sword building under a master in Thailand. To understand how everything in the art works is extremely important to me". A good teacher does not study only technique, Villalobos claims. He must devote his life to studying all aspects of the art that he passes down to the next generation. "The more you know, the more you know you need to know," he says.