Distance Learning Arts Taught by Grandmaster William Flynn Sanders

July 2023

Award from Master Suran Sawanchat of Lanna Art of Fon Jerng and Future News

It has been a long road since I started my journey in this art around 1972. My investigative mind would take me on journeys I could have never imagined, to uncover the roots of the art which at first seemed simple and could have been if they were all true. But there had been clues to the contrary that I could not overlook.

Now some 51 years later there are still new and exciting things to report and offer those who also had the eye for art, the intuition, we had not yet found the root of the essential fighting movement and the desire to keep going until we did.

Realizing nothing in the physical world ever moves in a straight line, not a bullet fired from a gun, nor a lightning bolt coming down from the heavens. Everything is a spiral in some format. Even a photon coming from a distant star and our own DNA are spirals. Indeed, our body has been referred to as a mortal spiral. So, the essence of our movement, which we use to hit, defend, and attack with is the single most important aspect of this art. This is confirmed in the old Siam Lanna North Thailand Art of Fon Jerng. I want to take a moment to mention what we offer to you in this regard.

The old Siam now North Thailand, original fighting arts turned out to be a major contributor to our art in how we move, strike and parry and in many of our animal and weapon techniques and principles as well. In fact, it’s the beating heart of the art. That is right, the beating heart and major foundation and delivery system of all the blows we use.

As many older arts did, the old Lanna Art of Fon Jerng over time slowly slipped away from its purely combative functionality in the public eye. The art of fighting Fon Jerng, Mai Lai, or Mai Mai Lai Cheng – the fighting poses were removed from public viewing. As time passed a great percentage of the new generations then lost interest. What stayed in view was the popular street and fair shows of the art form, almost to the exclusion of only dance portions. But it never died.

Because some of the old masters and youth who sought it out to preserve it, learned from them and held on to its secrets. Only in the last generation or so have some of the North Thailand people decided to reintroduce this combative reality to the public. This only became possible because of the value placed on it by some of the oldest generations still alive who could pass on the combative heart of the art to some of the younger generations who would not let it die.

Our lineage of this art comes from a time of old Siam and the last World War, when one of these last masters of the combat art wound up traveling, after the war to Indonesia and after defeating a great Indo teacher he worked with or worked for there, they practiced for some years together blending the combative aspects they both knew and had used in the war and understood very well. The dance of destruction was not lost to them. They did not have to wonder about or remake it at that time. It was the superior fighting movements from north Thailand that stayed in our art blended with old Indonesian techniques before they were slowly and systematically removed and watered down intentionally after the collapse of the Majaphit empire.

Over the last three years I was able to contact and speak with many of the modern-day masters in North Thailand. During this time, I shared what we do with one who I consider one of the best there and he shared his art and information with me. One or two others were also very valuable as well. Each branch of Fon Jerng is a bit different, and each master has their ways, as do we, even though the common thread of movement exists between us. I also encouraged one of my top students Matt Furey to travel to Thailand and see for himself, study one of the local versions with this master as well as show them some of what we do. This he did for over a month. In the end, I learned both more of the real use and value of what we had and also learned more of this art through the kind exchange of info with these masters for which I am very thankful.

The award shown here is from this master Suran Sawanchat, one of the finest North Thailand has. I am grateful he has seen what I teach, both from our talks, shared videos, and seeing my student there in person, and awarded me the honor of the art being approved as a brother art in North Thailand. We will continue to work together as well to promote the art of the chosen few we share. This is the first official certificate given to a teacher in the USA.

So, what I can offer you is a direct line to the true combative Fon Jerng with nothing removed, the Mai Lai or Mai Mai Lai Cheng fighting poses and moves are always taught here first and foremost with the original combat purposes and applications. Look for more additions this year to the family of Fon Jerng knowledge only available here, exciting new combative sword work as well as the first ever DVD produced on the birds of Fon Jerng, featuring the peacock, rooster, and hawk. Stay tuned!!!

In June 2023 my student Matt Furey, who is very well known world-wide, has been studying this art now for three years with me.  He was here to get advanced concepts on our Fon Jerng form Number 2, as well as snake mannerisms and more. He successfully completed the training in those things. Matt is one of my top students, proponents, and teachers of this art.