The acrobatic Thai sport of Takraw

Now here's a Thai sport I'm sure many tourists may be unfamiliar with. It's called Takraw in Thailand. It's kinda like volleyball and kick boxing all rolled into one. But instead of kicking your opponent though, you simply kick a woven rattan ball. You are however, also allowed to use your knee, chest, head and any other body part you may choose, but as in soccer, you are not permitted to use your hands.

Perhaps the sport is not quite as simple as it sounds. Firstly you would need to be fairly young and fit to compete as this sport requires a fair amount of stamina. The game is played with such incredible gymnastic like skill that requires immense agility, speed and balance.

In doing a little research on the subject, it would be appear that this special form of kick volleyball was thought to have originated in Malaysia as far back as the 15th Century. The sport is now native to the whole of Southeast Asia. I believe that it's also quiet popular in Australia.

Whether you are in Bangkok or any of the seaside resorts of Pattaya or Phuket, you may get just get an opportunity to come across the game being played in a public park, a temple compound or perhaps even in a backstreet ally.

Woven Rattan Ball

Although the principals of the game are the same, there are various versions of competitiveness. The most popular classical style consists of teams competing against each other while trying to get the ball into a basketball type net as many times as possible in a set time period. It speaks for itself that the team who scores the most, wins the game.

Another version frequently played in school tournaments including the southeast Asian Games is called Sepak Takraw. This particular form of the sport is played over a volleyball net with two or three teams competing. The name Sepak in Malay means to kick and the name Takraw is refereed to the ball in Thai.

Sometime these games introduce more complex rules permitting players to emphasize their own individual abilities. Kicking the ball backwards with their heels through a ring made with their arms behind their back, is one such skill.
Not an easy task to say the least. Points are awarded according to each player who displays a more unique expertise rather than just the goal being scored.

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