This archive report was first published on 17 July 2019.
On the outskirts of Bangkok, a group of students at Thonburee Woratapeepalarak School are mastering the ancient martial art of Krabi Krabong, a swordfighting technique used in centuries-old warfare between rival kingdoms.
Armed with wooden knives and shields, the teenage fighters engage in high-flying kicks and sword duels, an action-packed homage to Thailand's neglected swordfighting tradition.
"It is a fighting technique used in a bygone era," 16-year-old Nantakarn Duangthongyu told AFP after her "4 vs 1" drill. "We add new tricks and routines to make it more exciting."
Experts preserved the deadly skill by turning it into an art form, and practitioners now duel with mock weapons in contests or for entertainment.
However, the martial art has failed to catch fire like Thailand's better-known Muay Thai kickboxing, despite campaigns to teach it in public schools.
"It's a difficult art form," school coach Phatcharaphon Banditketmala told AFP. "But it offers the fighters... a more 'ultimate' fighting (experience) than Muay Thai."
