Is Tony Jaa the Next Bruce Lee?

An article on Tony Jaa…Muay Thai fighter and new martial arts action star? Sorry guys I know this seems a little off topic, but it will make sense in a second. I am a big fan of implementing martial arts strategies into generating power and maximizing tension. The article I was planning to write tonight was going to be called “Gain Strength and Muscle Definition With Light Weights by Emphasizing Tension”. This is a method of getting the density, strength and muscle tone benefits of heavy weights, while lifting light (it is a technical article and you will get a lot out of it). I’ll write that article within the next 2-3 days…I promise! I got side-tracked a bit on Youtube…it happens!

Here’s Tony Jaa practicing moves for the movie Ong-Bak. No special effects here…

[I wouldn’t want to be an extra in this film!]

Why I’m Talking About Tony Jaa?

Tony Jaa is a ridiculously athletic Muay Thai fighter that does the most impressive physical feats that I have ever seen. Think of a cross between Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, and an Olympic gymnast.

Here is an out-take of a movie called Ong Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. This is him practicing some of the fighting scenes for the movie. The crazy part is that no wires or special effects were used here. Seriously…on Youtube, I saw him do this live on stage on a Korean talk show. He is amazing athlete!

What is Muay Thai?

Muay Thai is a form of martial arts that originated in Thailand. One of the thing that separates it from many other forms of martial arts is that it focuses heavily on striking with elbows and knees . There are different types of techniques within Muay Thai and Muay Boran is what Tony Jaa emphasizes in the movie Ong Bak. Supposedly this form of Muay Thai teaches blows from the knees and elbows that have the ability to kill the opponent. It originates over 2,000 years ago from Southeast Asia where it was believed to have been taught to the military.

So What Does This Have to Do With Getting Fit?

I’m a big believer in practicing the ability to increase force and muscle tension without increasing the size of the muscle. Basically if you can get stronger without getting bigger, you will display an increase muscle definition. Want to see a man who was ripped to shreds without even trying? Take a look at Bruce Lee! Seriously, “generating tension” is the best path to permanent muscle tone. Lifting light weights for high reps with zero regard to tension creates a “temporary pump”…yeah, you will look great for an hour or two with the pump, but after the pump is gone you will look soft.

Modern Fitness is in Its Infancy Compared to Martial Arts!

Martial arts has been around for thousands of years! Some people trace it to around the time Sun Tzu wrote the Art of War in 350 B.C. It is hard to trace the origins of lifting weights and cardio. Many people call Eugene Sandow the “Father of Modern Bodybuilding”. He was born in Prussia (Russsia) in 1867. Obviously people exercised before then, but he was one of the people who organized a methodology around this type of fitness. Aerobics exercise and cardio wasn’t mastered until Kenneth H. Cooper wrote “Aerobics” in 1968! Really, the type of exercising we are doing now is really in its infancy.

We Have a Long Way To Go!

I know we all have tons to learn about getting in peak condition…myself included. We are just beginning to figure out how to get in optimum condition. In the 50’s people thought they could lose weight by putting a belt around their mid section or butt and a machine would shake that belt at a fast rate. They believed that the machine would shake that fat loose off of the target area. The 50’s weren’t that long ago. Even thing we believed in the 80’s are getting proven wrong. We are getting better, but still have tons to learn!

Apply Proven Principles in Other Disciplines

Do you think that a person who could generate enough power to put their fist through a brick teach you something about getting stronger on the bench press? What about a Bruce Lee’s famous “one inch punch” that generated enough force in one inch to throw his opponent across the ring! And what about Bruce Lee’s six pack abs? Seriously…we would be crazy to ignore some of these strategies that have been mastered for over 1,000 years!

We Got Sidetracked By Modern Bodybuilding

I think that modern bodybuilding (1970-present) is teaching people bad habits. Bodybuilding is all about “tearing down the muscle”, “eating and resting to repair the muscle”, “and allowing that muscle to get bigger over time”. I don’t like the idea of having my muscles in a “damaged state” while I’m away from the gym. I did a bodybuilding routine for close to 10 years and I felt worn out during my time away from the gym. This isn’t a high quality of life…sorry…it really isn’t. Even worse was my constant quest for the next feeding of protein. I’m glad I came to my senses!

So Back to Tony Jaa!

Well enough of my rant…LOL! Tony Jaa is a really rare action star. I have been a huge fan of the Muay Thai fighting style for years and I’m glad he is giving it some mainstream attention. I’m also a huge fan of Thai food and women from Thailand…sorry, I had to say it! The women in Thailand age better than any women I have ever seen. You rarely see any overweight women from Thailand as well. Some of you guys and girls in Thailand need to give a “shout out”. I just looked at my website stats as far as what part of the world the largest number of readers come from. You are number 34 out of 167! You are right behind Croatia…you can catch them…LOL!

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