Martial art is one of the most important Tai culture.

Martial art is one of the most important Tai culture. Most of the young men learn martial art from their expert master. Parents encourage children to learn martial art in sword, rod, rope and hands for self-defense. Old people who have learned the art used to pass on to younger generation secretly. Tai martial art is not for offensive but for self-defense purpose. Many modern young men do not know Tai martial art anymore because of suppression and lack of trainer-master. Some masters were persecuted for teaching martial art to young people. Some people learned secretly at night in the dark either under small gasoline lamp or moonlight fearing of being seen and arrested by authority. The master usually did not teach all the methods and secret of the art to the learners. They used to keep at least one skill without giving to the learners for fearing that the learners would rebel against them or attack them. Tai martial art was very similar to Chinese martial art Wu Su. Men use to dance and show of their martial art skill during festive celebration.

Shared by: C.K Tunkhang.