Sepak Takraw - Thailand's Aero Volleyball

So I decide to visit one of the oldest stores in Bangkok "The Emporium." Off I go on the Sky Train which conveniently stops at the store. After successfully not buying anything, I decide to check out the neighborhood. It's Sunday. There is suppose to be a nice park nearby named "Queen Sirikit Park." She is the reigning queen of Thailand. About a block away there is a lovely park with lush green grass, a small lake, interesting sculptures including some modern and some traditional. One interesting one made of granite portrays about a dozen naked Little Thai kids standing crowded together (a funny row of Thai cherubs). I speak briefly with a American woman who has worked for a nonprofit in Thailand for 18 years. 3-4 Thai kids run up to her calling her auntie. I continue my walk past a couple young folks snuggled up, a man lying on his back shaving in a prone position (hmm how do you shave laying down?). There are a few old folks (well older than me) who are feed pigeons. A vendor nearby shoos the bird away as fast as they land). I pass a modern skate boarding park. And then I see them...

Sepak Takaw
Young men probably around the age of 18-24 are flying through the air. Yes, they do flips in the air and then kick something that resembles a small ball. They flip over; their legs fly up, cross and land. The ball bounces high off of one kid's head, then again and now off of a team mate's ankle. Now off of another head. Is it soccer? No the court is too small. It looks like volleyball but the ball is much smaller and brown. The ball dives to the other side of the court. The three players dive towards the ball, legs stretching, just a little more, a little more and then contact. Like hacky sack, they kick the ball with their foot up, up in the air as it nose dives down, another player springs high into action. He flips the ball up and over the net using only the side of ankle to bounce the ball off.

The guy really jumped up as high as net, kicked the ball up even higher and aims it over the net. He finished off the move with an air-bourne flip around. He does a back flip like a cheer leader but higher in the air with legs outstretched. It reminds me of karate or kung fu kicks you think are fake in Jackie Chen movies on television. But it's for real. These guys are flying and it's real. They aren't bouncing off walls, they are springing high in the air from the ground. The ball bounces off of one guy's head. The entire time his hands are by his side. The guys on the other side dive with his head almost parallel to the ground. But it is too late. The ball lands on the court, bounces slightly. Point made. The guy in the back of court serves. He tosses the ball high and simultaneously jumps up and makes contact with the ball on his ankle. The ball flies at about 60-70 mph. His body is like a giant tennis racket. On the other side of the net, they are ready. Squatting and bouncing slightly in anticipation. The ball zooms over the net. Two players rise off the ground as high as volleyball net.

I sat transfixed watching this game for about an hour. A team which is called a Regu consists of three players. The player at the back is the server or Tekong. Serving is done by kicking the ball over the net. Positions are not rotated as in volleyball but scoring is very similar. It is the most fascinating game I have ever seen.

To play Sepak Takraw, you bounce the ball off your body or those of your teammates -- just so it doesn't touch the ground. A player can touch the ball three times per point with any part of the body except hands. Eventually it must go over the net. Here is a really neat picture which shows how much the game involves acrobatics . Note that the one player is upside down on the left with his legs higher than the net. There are three sets to 15 points. There can be tie-breakers as in tennis or bandminton.

According to research I have done,the name is derive from Thai and a Malaysian words. Takraw means kick in Thai and sepak raga means kick rattan ball. The game of Sepak Tekaw dates back to as early as the 1400. Purportedly in Bangkok there is a mural at one of the temples (I think Wat Phra Keow) in which the Hindu God Hanuman is playing the game with a group of monkeys. But there is really no monkeying around in this game. It is an acrobatic sport that requires great dexterity, jumping, and flipping up and around. Players wear wraps on their ankles since the ankles take a lot of abuse and are used to bounce the ball off of and to slam it over the net. the body weight propels and adds momentum. Some players also wear wraps around their knees. All drip sweat as the game is very fast paced. And it is hot and humid in Bangko. On this day it was 91 degree with humidity of about 40 percent. But it is the game that grabs your mind. You've got to see it to believe it!

There are traditional Sepak Takraw games which are played and scored like volleyball and badminton. A new form of the game is more like gymnastics. In the new form, the aerobatics of the team and players is scored for the maneuver's, height and entertainment value, height of kicks and variety of kicks. Who knows we might see it in the Olympics

The original balls were made of rattan. Now they are made of a rubber like substance that is hard but somewhat flexible to bounce. The balls weigh from 145 grams (5.1 ounces) for a beginner's ball to 178 grams (6.3 ounces) for a professional tournament ball. Compare that to a softball baseball and volleyball. Courts are the same size as in badminton.

Since I am not a team sport kinda gal (didn't grow when girls played team sports) I prepared a small table with some comparison. So here goes

Game	Sepak Takraw	Baseball	Volleyball	Soccer Football	Hacky Sack
Year	1400	1845	1895	1863	1972
Country	Thailand and Cambodia	USA	USA	England	USA
Ball Weight	145-178 gm 5.1-6.3 oz	142-149g 5-5.25 oz	260-280 gms	410-450 gm 14-16 oz	55 gms
Ball	16.5” -17.5”	9 inches	25-27 inches	68-70 cm 27-28”	Could not find reference
Ball Material	Rattan or rubber. 12 holes and 20 intersections	Core of rubber/ or cork. Yarn wrapped tightly. Cover of cowhide.	Rubber bladder, cloth layer and 18 panel leather cover	Air filled with leather cover	Cotton or ultra seude cover. Sand, birdseed or plastic pellets inside
Players	3 /team with a reserve player	25/team 9 on field	6 /team Beach volley 2 / team	11 players and 5 substitutes	As many or as few as you want
Court Size	19.5’ X 42.8’		30’ X 60’ 10 X 20 yds	50-100 yds X 100-130	As big or small as # of players
Serving	Tossed in air and kicked	Throws with hands.	Serves with hands	Held and kicked	Tossed in air and kicked

I am totally in awe of these players. I am tired just watching them. I want to watch more. But I know that I personally will not be playing any of these games soon -- even with lots of Thai massage.