The game makes use of a hollow, loosely woven rattan ball which is kept aloft as long as possible by a circle of players who can use their feet, knees, elbows, and heads but not their hands. Footwork is the secret of the superior player. The game is common in various versions in most parts of Southeast Asia. But perhaps nowhere is it played with the enthusiasm and vigor as in Thailand where it is seen throughout the country in the courtyards of Wats and on fairgrounds. Particularly skilled players can be observed in Bangkok at the Phramane Ground (Sanam Luang), across from the Grand Palace.
There are certain basic rules to takraw as a competition sport but it is often played without scoring and the participants just enjoy putting on a good show. While to the Western observer, it seems to be similar to volleyball, only one takraw version (called net takraw or sepak takraw) has a similar game philosophy - to hit the ground in the field of the opposing team. In most other versions, the scoring is rather similar to gymnastics. Points are given for the skill with which feats are performed. The more complicated and impressive the feats the better the score (or, if a score is not being kept, the better the audience’s reaction; Thai spectators can be pretty demanding).
The intricacy and speed are often astonishing, and there is a wide range of defined kicks. Among them are the sole kick (using the arch or sole of the foot), the instep kick, the knee kick, the shin kick, the shoulder kick and the head kick.
One of the most amazing is the cross legged jump kick. The player crosses his left leg over the right and leaps up to kick the ball with the instep of the left foot. Another version is the cross legged knee kick. In this one the player crosses his left leg over his right above the right knee and then leaps into the air kicking the ball with his left knee.
The most common version of the game is circle takraw (takraw wong), The ball is passed from player to player, and each is given points for style, consistency and retrieval of difficult balls. After a set time or a set number of throws, the highest score determines the winner.
The most ordinary version of the game is tossing takraw, which has far fewer rules: the point is simply to see how many times the ball can be hit aloft by the same player. Some can hit the ball from positions which call for stooping or lying down. A good player is able to keep the ball aloft for ten minutes, and if he is joined by others the group should manage to keep it in play for about an hour.
One of the most difficult versions of the game is called hoop takraw (takraw lod huang). Hoop takraw seems to be the most popular version in Thailand. A team usually consists of seven players (never less than six) who stand at the perimeter of a circle. Hoops are suspended over the center and the players must hit the ball through them. During a 30 minute period, the players cooperate with each other to earn a high score. Successive teams try to surpass the previous score. One of the best scoring feats in hoop takraw is when a player makes a hoop of his arms behind his back and kicks the ball with his heels through that hoop in such a way that it also passes through the hoop suspended in the air.
As mentioned above, net takraw (sepak takraw) is somewhat like volleyball and it requires a similar net and court. Lots are drawn beforehand to determine placement of the players and the first serve. Near the net, the ball is then tossed to a teammate in the middle of the court, who kicks it into the opposite camp with the aim that the ball touches the ground there. The game proceeds at an incredible pace as the ball is returned almost instantaneously. Some players wear athletic shoes, while others are barefoot.
Net takraw is played in the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and other international competitions. The Thais introduced net (sepak) takraw to the SEA Games while the Burmese introduced a variation called imitation takraw, in which a player takes a particular position to toss the ball and all other players must imitate that position.
During the 16. SEA Games, held from November 24 to December 5, 1991 in Manila, Thailand just won the silver medal in net takraw. Gold was won by the Malaysian team while the Indonesians captured the bronze. Thai papers didn’t report any results in imitation takraw and it seems that the particular competition was dropped in the Philippines, the only Southeast Asian country where takraw is practically unknown.
