Kyokushin, Sanshou & Pradal Serey in Ottawa, Canada

[Keej613]

(Mods: I don't know if this thread is in the right place, so please feel free to move it as needed.)

I just wanted to pass along some info in case people in Ottawa wanted to try a different striking style.

It's fairly easy to find boxing, kickboxing, karate, TKD, kung-fu / wing chun training in Ottawa, and moderately easy to find Muay Thai training, so I figured I'd post these links for people who are interested in trying something different:

Kyokushin Ottawa Karate (Goudreault Dojo):
http://www.kyokushinottawa.ca/

Carleton University Athletics Sanshou (open to the public; not just for Carleton students):
http://www2.carleton.ca/athletics/pr...o_san_shou.php

Neak Ta Pradal Serey:
http://neakta.com/
http://ottawa.kijiji.ca/c-services-f...QAdIdZ81426644

And here's some info about the styles for those of you who aren't familiar with them:

Kyokushin Karate:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyokushin
YouTube - This is Kyokushin fighting

Sanshou / San Da:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanshou
YouTube - 2003 Sanshou World Cup Highlight

Pradal Serey
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pradal_Serey
YouTube - Pradal Serey (Khmer's Boxing)

I've trained at Neak Ta Pradal Serey and it's my opinion that they're top notch. They're not a big budget school but the training is great. I'd gladly reccommend them for beginner newbs as well as experienced fighters. I've signed up for the Sanshou course so I'll post up some feedback after my first lesson. I'll most likely be checking out the Kyokushin place soon, too!

[Vieux Normand]

There's a review of the Goudreault Kyokushin Dojo already, but it was done a while back. Perhaps it's time to see what's the same and what's changed. Hopefully, they're keeping it bareknuckle...

[octaviousbp]

Sam Lok's is a legitimate gym with game fighters. Curious about the San Shou at Carleton.

[NJM]

There are styles called Sanshou and Kyokushin?

[Hesperus]

Not sure if this is the right place or not, but how exactly does Pradal Serey differ from Muay Thai? It just seems like two different cultures are claiming the same form of kickboxing...

[Matt Phillips]

Not sure if this is the right place or not, but how exactly does Pradal Serey differ from Muay Thai? It just seems like two different cultures are claiming the same form of kickboxing...

That art is all over southeast Asia. Interestingly, alot of the other countries' names for in translate as 'Free Boxing', and 'Thai' means 'free'. I wonder if this isn't the proper name in English?

[Hesperus]

Interesting, but I've also heard that Muay doesn't exactly translate to boxing...

[Keej613]

I hope the following resources help shed some light on the topic of Muay Thai, Pradal Serey and general martial arts influence and syncretism.

Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) is a form of hard martial art practiced in large parts of the world, including Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries. The art is similar to others in Southeast Asia such as: pradal serey in Cambodia, lethwei in Myanmar, tomoi in Malaysia, and Lao boxing in Laos.

Various forms of kickboxing have long been practiced throughout Southeast Asia. As with the most countries in the region, Thai culture is highly influenced by ancient civilizations within Southeast Asia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muay_thai

Kun Khmer ("Khmer Boxing") or Pradal Serey ("Free Boxing") are are names for the descendant of the Khmer martial art Bokator. It is similar to other kickboxing forms practiced in Southeast Asia such as Muay Thai in Thailand, Tomoi in Malaysia, Lao boxing in Laos, and Lethwei in Myanmar.

Styles of boxing have been practiced in Southeast Asia since ancient times and were developed through the influence of Indian martial arts.The martial art bokator is believed to be the fighting system of the Angkor army and one of the reasons why the Khmer empire used to be a dominant force in Southeast Asia from approximately the 9th century to the 15th century A.D.

Many Cambodians believe that Kun Khmer predates other Southeast Asian forms of kickboxing. This is because ancient kingdom of Angkor dominated most of what is now Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

The basis of the argument that Kun Khmer has existed from the beginning of the Khmer empire in the 9th century are the bas-reliefs left behind in the ancient temples of the Bayon and other Angkor temples. The entrance of the Bayon temple has several scenes of bokator.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pradal_Serey

Lethwei (burma : ) or Lethawae (Read as "Let-whae", but quickly) ; also known as Burmese Boxing and Myanmar Traditional Boxing, is a form of kickboxing which originated in Burma (Myanmar). Lethwei is in many ways similar to its siblings from neighboring Southeast Asian countries such as Tomoi from Malaysia, Pradal Serey from Cambodia, Muay Lao from Laos and Muay Thai from Thailand.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lethwei

Tomoi is the Malaysian name for a South-East Asian martial art known in Thailand as Muay Thai, in Cambodia as Pradal Serey, in Laos as Muay Lao and as a similar art from Myanmar known as Lethwei. Tomoi refers to siku lutut, which in Malay is translated literally as "elbows knees".

It's not clear exactly where the various Indo-Chinese forms of kickboxing originated but they are known to share a common ancestry having been based on Chinese techniques with some influence from Indian martial arts. Tomoi was brought into peninsular Malaysia by the Thais and Khmers who share close cultural, historic, ethnic and linguistic links with the Malays. The ancient Funan empire, based in modern-day Cambodia and Vietnam once encompassed what are now Thailand, Kedah, Perlis and Pahang. Nearby Langkasuka, The kingdom of Lembah Bujang traded extensively with the Khmers which eventually led to Perlis and parts of Kedah being ruled by Angkor in the 1400s. It's possible that some form of bokator or early Pradal Serey was introduced during this time which would account for the former's similarity to silat. However, it was the ethnic Thais, who have long existed side by side with the Malay people, that were mostly responsible for tomoi's practice in Malaysia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomoi

Lao boxing is a kickboxing form practiced in Laos and one branch of the many Indo-Chinese kickboxing. Other form of kickboxing from the region are Pradal Serey from Cambodia, Muay Thai from Thailand and lethwei from Burma. This kickboxing form includes attacks from knees, elbows, fist and kicks.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao_boxing

Ling lom, also known as Hanuman boxing, means "air monkey" or "dancing monkey" and is a martial art practiced in Thailand and Laos. Ling lom includes both striking and ground-fighting. Ground fighting techniques traditionally taught in Muay Thai, but rarely used in modern sport bouts, are sometimes referred to in Thailand as ling lom, though this is not technically correct.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ling_Lom

The martial arts of India have influenced the martial arts of other countries, particularly within the Indian cultural sphere, those regions outside India influenced by Indian culture. Examples of such arts include Bando, Silat, Escrima, and Muay Thai.

The Tamil kingdoms were instrumental in the spread of Silambam throughout Southeast Asia. During the 18th and the 19th centuries Silambam was much more prevalent in Southeast Asia than in India, where it was banned by the British government.

India has also influenced the Portuguese martial art of Jogo do Pau.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_martial_arts

Other articles of interest:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foreign...e_martial_arts
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bodhidh...dia_connection
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naban
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalarippayattu

[honest_truth]

i go to carleton and took intermediate boxing there, the training is very poor.
The trainer was good but the university cheaped out on proper equipment, you basically get an empty room, maybe a punching bag or mats.

and they are strictly 1.5 hours, meh.

[Keej613]

Guess I'll find out.

Either way, it's dirt cheap (60$ for 3 months, 1 lesson per week) so I have nothing to lose.

Plus I've been told that the instructor is from an outside MA school (not Carleton) and that he brings his own gear (Thai pads, shields, etc.)

I'll post up some feedback after my first lesson.