fire cobra:
You may find one aspect of the test that appeals to your traditionalist sense, in that the preparation for the test is quite similar to the preparation a boxer undergoes for a fight.
That being said, in terms of a test, I by no means believe that being able to land a certain amount of kicks in a round makes you a good coach. Being a good coach makes you a good coach. While I don't want to put words in Ajarn Chai's mouth, I believe one of the goals of the test was to ensure that his instructors had a minimum level of fitness. If I recall, Guro Dan made all of his instructors test under Ajarn Chai for this reason (if this has all been hashed over previously in this thread I apologize, I haven't read every single post). I would imagine that this was a result of many other martial arts having instructors at the time that could barely jog up a set of stairs, let alone last a few rounds in the ring.
As a coach myself, I try and implement all that I've learned throughout the years, and pass it on to my students. Sometimes that involves things that the TBA has taught me, and sometimes in involves passing on my experiences in Thailand. That, for me, is one of the beautiful things about MT... that it is a global sport (or quickly becoming one) with much to learn from many people. There doesn't tend to be many squabbles about "authentic" MT, but rather an environment of sharing done by critical martial artists and indeed athletes. MT uses what works. For some, maybe this test is of paramount importance, for others... maybe not. Either way, MT will continue to grow!
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