Master Narong Sudsaravat and the Jaruenmong System of Muay Thai

                                 

 

Master Narong Sudsaravat and Young Sean Dooney.  Cobra statue in Ayutthaya.

 

The legendary Muay Thai Master and champion came to

England 30 years ago. Whilst in the UK a few students were

given the honour of training with the old Thai Master.

He passed on his art and the Jaruenmong title to only one, Arjan Sean Dooney.

 

Master Sean and Grand Master Channarong Suhongsa in Thailand 2007.

Arjan Sean Dooney himself a former two time European Champion, passed on the knowledge and skills taught to him by Master Narong Sudsaravat in the spirit that they were received, with dedication and skill.

 

 

 

Arjan Sean Dooney at Wai Kru in Thailand 2007.

Arjan Sean “I became a Master of Muay Thai in Thailand 2007. I saw this award as a great honour not just for myself but also an honour for Master Narong Sudsavart (Bob) under whom I first learnt and train for 14 year in Muay Boran and Thai weapons. I currently lecturer in Sports Science and run 8 Muay Thai Clubs in the north of England.”

 

Sean’s Masters is a culmination of 25 years given to the sport of Muay Thai as both a fighter (1990 European Champion) and a teacher with over 25 subsequent British, European and World champion Muay Thai fighters, the likes of Gary McAllister and the late Lee Smith.  Another great student of Master Bob is Paul Pearson from the North East of England.

 

Lee Smith: by Sean Dooney

 

Lee Smith (1973 to 2007), Lee was a Newton Aycliffe lad who achieved great success and fame by winning a total of 3 Thai Boxing British Championships at 3 different weights. Indeed, he was unbeaten in the UK over the last 7 years of his Thai boxing career -an unprecedented feat that included some memorable contests.

 

Lee was also very successful on the international level, though injuries often brought his progress to a premature halt. Lee first represented his country at the European Championships held in Barcelona and went on to fight at the World Championships in Thailand twice and, on the second occasion,would have been in the medals had he not had to retire from the competition injured even though he's won all of his bouts.

 

Lee'sfinal fight took place in 2005,in Germany. This was billed as a "Super Fight" as his opponent was the current unbeaten German Champion who came to the fight with a 90% plus KO record. Despite the obvious age andhome advantage of his opponent, Lee was totally unimpressed and, using his renounced speed andThai Boxing skills,made the highly fancied German champion look like a novice. Lee not only won convincingly but in doing so he more-or-less silenced the, previously highly boisterous, home crowd - a night to remember!

Lee was greatly loved and admired by all those that he came into contact with and hence his tragic and premature death in 2007 at the age of 33 in a motorbike accident has been a massive blow to many people beyond his immediate family, both inside and outside Thai Boxing.

Lee Smith (bottom left of picture)

going to Thailand with the England Team for the World Amateur Championships.

 

 

Fire Cobra

 

 

Jaruenmong means Fire Cobra, the King Cobra red and fierce, it is said in Thailand that it is there most feared and venomous snakes of all, it is also rumoured that the fire cobra is so fierce and deadly that even the grass beneath its path is scorched.

 

It waves back and forth side to side, back and forth and then STRIKE! Hence Master Bob was called the fire cobra, Jaruenmong by nature and Jaruenmong by life. Trained by the very famous and revered Pol Prapradang "The Wild Boar" of Thailand fighter of the year 1937 in Thailand.

 

Artistic impression of Pol Prapradang

 

Pol Prapradangs boxing record is 350 fights both international style boxing and Muay Thai. Pol never had one KO or a TKO, not one single defeat ever, with any opponent, not once was he counted down during a fight. What makes his record more spectacular is the fact that Pol often fought with much heavier boxers than himself. Although a bantam­weight fighter he fought and defeated many boxers at welterweight division, and without much difficulty.

 

Pol Prapradang was a speedy boxer with colourful tactics and spectacular movement, especially in Muay Thai of which he possessed a most dangerous reverse elbow strike. His Muay Thai ceremonial dance, the Ram Muay dance before his fight was legendary. His "Hanuman Tod Yong" as it was called. The monkey king strikes the star from the sky. This dance has had no equal, it was dark and feared. Pol won many prizes while he was boxing at the famous Suan Sanuk Stadium in Thailand.

 

His skills shone equally both in Muay Thai and in western boxing. Pol also made himself famous by knocking out Suwan Janmee with ‘Sok Pung Mamang, ‘To pick up the mango’, a reverse uppercut elbow, to turn around backwards and strike under the opponents chin, like that of a mango’, this was the first time in Thai boxing record that a win had been used via this reverse elbow. The history is there!

 

This was Master Bob’s teacher!

 

Master Bob has a great deep set history and the Jaruenmong Camp is going strong. The clubs are popular and Bob’s system is still at large. Not only is

Master Bobs teacher a record holder but Master Narong Sudsaravat (Bob) also holds a record in Thailand.

 

The record for having the most consecutive K.O.’s in a row, ever in the whole of Thailand.

 

32 wins (all of which were K.O.’s). He also played professional football for a club in Italy before joining Southampton in the UK. During his long stay here Sean and his sons Liam and Sean junior had the chance to learn with the special man.

 

 

A small but strong Thai from Chang Mai taught by Pol Prapradang.

 

Chang Mai, North Thailand the home and land of Master Bob.

 

When Bob was a young boy he lived in the jungles of north Thailand. He spent ever day in the fresh air, the land the smells and the life. Master Bob is a very spiritual person and close to nature, over his time in England he became a very good friend of Ronnie Green.

After many training sessions Sean and me sit around the table talking Muay Thai and all the great things nice… and eat some brilliant rich Thai food, such delicacies as Mountain Stew.

Sean said “Master Bob was also an accomplished chef and one of the traditional dishes that they used to eat many years ago after a hard training session, was Mountain Stew.

Simple food that is gathered close to home were the Thai people would live with the land. If they find meat they would throw it in the stew. If they were lucky to find some fish then that also would be thrown in the pot. Simple ingredients a few herbs, galangal chillies and bang, simmer your pot and enjoy.”

 

The Jaruenmong Camp

 

 

Jaruenmong Camp. Newton Aycliffe.

 

The Jaruenmong System

 

Sean stated that Master Bob wrote the whole system down on one single page. I will try my best to explain what was wrote without giving away too many secrets, don’t forget you can’t just go around copying everything you must master your trade.

 

The main emphasis is on “Predict the Defensive Mechanism.”

 

Sean said that “Master Bob was a great admirer of Machine Gun Green, the World famous Muay Thai Champion from Manchester. The ‘Machine Gun’ as he was called, had the ‘mechanism’. Ronnie Green was one of the only western fighters to understand the Muay Thai system, Ronnie was a natural. Even in Thailand Thai fighters feared his powerful mechanism, fast and accurate like a gun, but repetitive, yet Ronnie is so humble.”

 

The Four types of fighter within the system:

Tricky

Aggressive

Counter

Movement

 

Do not be confused with similar western boxing and kick boxing terminology, neither of these relate to the use of animals within your posture, movements and strikes but more importantly you become the animal’s spirit.

Ali ‘Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee’ said it best! He actually went on record and said, “I float up behind my opponents body and look around at him and watch to see were I should sting him like a bee.”

 

If Ali was shorter he may have made it as a Muay Thai Champion, but never mind it his not his fault he is tall….But we all love him the same.

 

 

As Bob would say, ”Everyone weights the same in water.”

 

Wave, move, forwards backwards, forwards backwards, and move, wave, side to side with natural rhythm like that of a snake. Also known in Thailand is the horse stride and the tiger stalk. Again think of the animals and practice there movements.

 

One beat two beat and three beat!

And then unload on your opponent!

 

A “One Beat” is a single direct attack.

A “Two Beat” is a faint followed by a single attack.

A “Three Beat” is a faint followed by a combination attack (or alternatively, it could refer to a double faint followed by a combination attack)

 

To lead off use a jab and inside low kick.

 

If a fighter rushes you then Teep!

Front kick! Stop then rushing forward.

 

Strike like a Cobra….But with fire in your heart!

 

Start with the first round with low kick, second round move higher, strike at there stamina, use your knees and then the last rounds use ‘your’ best weapons like that of a cobra, strike fast and hard and with venom!

 

Sean said, “Master Bob is all about options!

A system that gives you the option to not get hit.

The option to avoid strikes and avoid pain.”

 

 

I asked Ronnie Green what he thought about Master Bob, if any fighter in the UK knows the history of the UK Thai Masters then Ronnie Green I thought would be the one to ask.

 

Ronnie said, “Master Toddy was a great teacher and very popular around the world, Toddy held Master Bob in his highest regard! Bob out of all the Thai masters that originally came to the UK Bob was by far the smallest. If you walked passed Bob you wouldn’t even notice him. You would see a big smile, a bit bigger than the rest, hard to believe that Bob a true fighter true champion 32 consecutive knockouts, he knew the knives the swords, but the most important strength of Master Bob was ‘humility’ he is a friend to us all. This slight giant Thai smile also had an entrance, much like the dance of his Ram Muay. With people around the sport of Thai boxing like this I knew it was the best system and method to compete and fight. Even though Bob was such a venomous fighter he just didn’t look like he would have a fight.”

 

“The art of fighting without fighting, just smiling!” Quote Ronnie Green

To learn more about Master Bob visit www.Jaruenmong.com

 

 

  Written by  Simingdam Team

 

 

Quote from Master Sken website:

Master Bob(Narong Sudsawad) or Howfai is my Idol, since I was young I looked up to him for his fighting ability. He was 48-51 Kg but he could hit like heavy weight and his speed was lightning. He lived not so far from where I was born in Uttaradit Province. He came to England, I met him at BBC canteen when I was on tomorrow World Programme. It's a small World. He has gone back to Thailand now. His students are supporting my Interclub shows every month. Kru Gary McAllister, Kru Sean Dooney and Kru David Hand are excellent students of Master Bob.

 

 

 

 

http://www.mastersken.com/blog/2006_06_01_archive.html (Master Sken extract)