Antonio Graceffo Feature on “The Art of Fighting: Muay Thai Chaiya Fundamentals”
Living in Japan, Filmmaker Robert Clyne produced a show called “Fight Japan” for years. Now, he has moved his show to Thailand, where it is called “The Art of Fighting.” In this extremely well-produced episode, Robert meets up with Antonio Graceffo (the host of the web TV show, “Martial Arts Odyssey” to explore Muay Thai Chaiya, an ancient and extremely effective form of traditional Muay Thai, taught by Kru Lek.
Muay Thai Chaiya stresses strong defense, using elbows and forearms to wrap around, and protect the head. Defense can quickly convert to offense, however, when those elbows are used for vicious strikes and attacks. The Muay Thai Chaiya kick is something Antonio has never encountered before, as he struggles through a sparring session with one of Kru Lek’s leading students, Tae, a Thai movie star and professional fighter with a winning record. See Antonio get kicked repeatedly with the low, sneaky Chaiya kick, which cripples the legs and neutralizes even the strongest attack.
