THE POKES SO CUTTING AS A RAZOR BLADE
THE POKES
SO CUTTING AS A RAZOR BLADE
special report by Serge TREFEU (2013)
The pokes, “Fhan Sok”, in Thai, is undoubtedly the most dangerous weapon of the technical arsenal of Muay Thai !
In Thai boxing the percussions with hard parts of the elbow can cause big wounds or even KO. Because the point of the elbow can be transformed into real natural razor blade, and a fighter who masters this technique can easily open the skull or the face of his opponent. The pokes are difficult to place in fight, because it is necessary to be very close to the opponent, to know how to place them at the right time, and especially not be counter in fist. But when that a fighter manages to pass this technique she is formidably effective!
Few European boxers really use the techniques of pokes in fight because during the trainings these techniques are not used sparring there. Even by making a light sparring, it is difficult to control a poke not to hurt his partner of boxing ring. During a sparring with full power with techniques of feet or fists it rarely manages to have big wounds…
That is why the techniques of elbow are worked on the punch bag and on the paos but practically not in real situation of fight, sparring style.
Thus to acquire the automatisms of this technique, it is necessary to fight enormously. The Thai fighters master in the perfection this technique because they use him from them younger ages, by means of fighting they make naturally the pokes…
Some foreigners who often fought in Thailand used marvelously the techniques of pokes such as the champions Guillaume Kerner, Danny Bill, Stéphane Nikiéma, Fabrice Payen, Ramon Dekkers, John Wayne Parr and Jean-Charles Skarbowsky. Today, the young champion Damien Alamos who lives and fights in Thailand masters perfectly this technique because he fights regularly on the Thai boxing rings!
A fight with elbows brings an exciting additional dimension in a match because at any time the fight can swing in a terrible bloody confrontation. In Thailand, often in the big stadiums, the fighters touch a bonus every time they manage to open their opponent with a poke. And after the fight the boxer who was opened receives approximately 500 bahts for every stitch which we made him!
In a match, when a boxer is opened on a poke, the punters ignite, public vibrate, and the tension between both fighters becomes electric!
It gives hallucinating matches where sometimes both boxers are opened and continuous to fight the stained with blood head, the body streaming with blood and with sweat, such of the gladiators who fight up to the death.
An outstanding courage is then needed to be able to resist the pain of the wound and especially absorb blows the powerful pokes of his opponent. Situations of fight which we see only on the Thai rings, unthinkable in France or in Europe.
In France, the doctors quickly stop the fight when a fighter is opened, too early for some, but the physical integrity of the boxer passes above all. In the country of Muay Thai, in the Thailand, it is another universe, the fights are sometimes of an incredible violence with fighters who go up to the end of them even!
Here are some sensational pictures of bloody fights which show how this sport is so hard and why the boxers who practise him deserve an enormous respect!
Photos Siamfightmag
Photos MuaySiam
BATTLE OF POKES 100 % MADE IN THAILAND!