History
A thaiboxer praying during the Wai
Kru before match.
Muay Thais origin in
Thailand can be traced back to the older
Muay Boran ("ancient boxing"). This was the
form of unarmed combat used by
Siamese soldiers in conjunction with
Krabi Krabong, the weapon-based style
[1]. Eventually
Muay Boran was divided to:
-
Muay Korat (Northeast) emphasized
strength. A technique like "Throwing Buffalo
Punch" was used. It could supposedly defeat
a buffalo in one blow.
-
Muay Lopburi (Center region)
emphasized movements. Its strong points were
straight and counter punches.
-
Muay Chaiya (South) emphasized
posture and defense, as well as elbows and
knees.
-
Muay Pra Nakorn (North) emphasized
speed, particularly in kicking. Because of
its faster speed, it was called as well
"Ling Lom" (windy monkey or Loris).
There is a phrase about
Muay Boran that states, "Punch Korat, Wit
Lopburi, Posture Chaiya, Faster Thasao. (หมัดหนักโคราช
ฉลาดลพบุรี ท่าดีไชยา ไวกว่าท่าเสา)". It was from
all these regional styles that the more general
term Muay Thai
(Thai boxing) was developed.
It grew in popularity among common people, so
much so that it was said that any man worth his
salt would practice the art. As well as
continuing to function as a practical fighting
technique for use in actual warfare, it became a
sport in which the exponents fought in front of
spectators who went to watch for entertainment.
This kind of muay contests gradually
became an integral part of local festivals and
celebrations, especially those held at temples.
It was even used as entertainment to kings.
Royal Muay
Muay gradually became a possible means
of personal advancement as the nobility
increasingly esteemed skillful practitioners of
the art and invited selected fighters to come to
live in the Royal palace to teach muay to
the staff of the royal household, soldiers,
princes or the king's personal guards.
Some time during the
Ayutthaya Period, a platoon of royal guards
was established, whose duty was to protect king
and the country. They were known as Grom Nak
Muay (Muay Fighters' Regiment). This royal
patronage of muay continued through the
reigns of
Rama V and
VII.
The
Muay Renaissance
The accession of King Jake (Rama V) to the
throne in
1868 ushered in a Golden Age not only for
muay but for the whole country. Muay
progressed greatly during the reign of Rama V as
a direct result of the king's personal interest
in the art. The country was at peace and muay
functioned as a means of physical exercise,
self-defense, recreation, and personal
advancement.
Legendary Heroes
Nai Khanom Tom was a famous
practitioner of Muay Thai. Around
1774, he was captured along with other Thai
prisoners, either in a skirmish or at the fall
of the ancient capital of
Siam of
Ayutthaya. He was brought to
Rangoon in
Burma, where the Burmese
King Mangra was holding a religious festival
in honor of
Buddha's relics. The festivities included
many forms of entertainment. King Mangra was
reported to be curious to see how the various
fighting styles of Burma and other countries
would compare. At one point, he wanted to see
how Muay Boran would compare to the Burmese art
Lethwei. Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight
against the Burmese champion. Nai Khanomtom did
a
Wai Kru pre-fight dance which puzzled all of
the Burmese. When the fight began, he charged
out and, using punches, kicks, elbows, and
knees, quickly pummeled the Burmese.
The
referee was reported to have stated that the
Burmese opponent was distracted by the Wai Kru,
so the knockout was invalid. The King then asked
if Nai Khanomtom would fight nine other Burmese
champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought
them all, one after the other with no rest
periods between fights. The last Burmese was
reputed to be a great boxing teacher. Nai
Khanomtom defeated them all in a superior
fashion.
King Mangra was so impressed that he
remarked, "Every part of the Thai is blessed
with
venom. Even with his bare hands, he can fell
nine or ten opponents. As his lord master was
incompetent, the country was lost to the enemy.
If his lord had been any good, there was no way
the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen."
He granted Nai Khanomtom freedom along with
either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives.
Nai Khanomtom chose the wives as he said that
money was easier to find. He then departed with
his wives for Siam. Other variations of this
story had him also winning the release of his
fellow Thai prisoners. His feat is celebrated
every
March 17 as "Boxer's Day" or
"National Muay Thai Day" in his honor and
that of Muay Thai's.
Today, some have wrongly attributed the
legend of "Nai Khanomtom" to the King
Naresuan, who was also once taken by the
Burmeses.
Pre-fight rituals
Two young fighters doing the
pre-match ritual.
Even before entering the ring many fighters
perform rituals. Some may kneel before the ring,
others might pray with their coach or by
themselves or perform a series of repetitive
movements, such as touching the ring ropes 3
times. Thai boxers always climb over the top
rope when entering the ring, because in Thai
culture the head is considered to be more
important than the feet, which are thought to be
dirty. It is therefore important to always have
the head above the feet while entering the ring.
Once in the ring, a fighter might go to the
center and bow to each side.
Now begins the
Wai Kru ritual or (Wai
khru ram muay). The Wai Kru usually starts
with the fighter walking around the ring,
counter-clockwise. This could be described as
"sealing the ring", showing that the match is
between only these two combatants. The ritual is
both practical and spiritual. In a practical
sense, it prepares the body for combat. During
the Wai Kru there are many different movements
and steps that a fighter might perform before
the match, along with stretches. Some motions
imitate, for example, a swallow, a hunter, a
soldier, or an executioner. Some fighters use
this ritual to attempt to scare their opponents,
commonly by stomping around them. But in a
deeper sense, the fighter is expressing
religious devotion, humility, and gratitude.
Transcending both physical and temporal
limitations, he opens himself to the divine
presence and allows it to infuse his heart and
soul. In ancient times, the ritual was intended
to show devotion to the King and the fighter's
mentor. Today, that devotion is given to the
organizer of the match and the fighter's
trainer.[1]
The ritual also gives the fighter some time
alone before the fight to collect his thoughts
and concentrate on the task ahead.
After this dance, the fighter walks over to
his coach who removes the
Mong Kon and the
Pong Malai. The match begins after a review
of the rules by the judge and a glove shake.
Terminology
-
Nak Muay - A Muay Thai fighter.
A pair of Muay Thai shorts, note
the Thai text that translates to
Muay Thai in English.
-
Nak Su - Thai word for Muay Thai warrior
(in Muay Thai term)
-
Kru - Instructor or trainer.
-
Ajarn - Master or instructor (more
advanced than
kru).
-
Wai khru ram muay. Pre-fight ritual
dance.
-
Pra Jiad - A type of armband worn by
Muay Thai fighters.
-
Mong Kon - Headgear worn by Muay Thai
fighters.
-
Krang Ruang - A Pra Jiad that has
special meaning to the person wearing it. It
could be anything from a piece of their
father's hair to a swath from their mother's
sarang.
-
Puang Malai - Floral wreaths that are
given to a fighter before a fight by friends
or fans. They look somewhat like the
Hawaiian
Lei.
Techniques
The basic offensive techniques in Muay Thai
use
fists,
elbows, shins, feet, and
knees to strike the opponent. To bind the
opponent for both offensive and defensive
purposes, small amounts of
stand-up grappling are used:
the clinch. Muay Thai is often a
fighting art of attrition, where opponents
exchange blows with one another. This is
certainly the case with traditional stylists in
Thailand, but is a less popular form of
fighting in the contemporary world fighting
circuit. With the success of Muay Thai in mixed
martial arts fighting, it has become the de
facto martial art of choice for competitive
stand-up fighters. As a result, it has
evolved and incorporated much more powerful hand
striking techniques used in western style
boxing and the Thai style of exchanging blow
for blow is no longer favorable. Note: when Muay
Thai fighters compete against fighters of other
styles (and if the rules permit it), they almost
invariably emphasize
elbow (sok) and
knee (kao) techniques to gain a distinct
advantage in fighting. Almost all techniques in
Muay Thai use the entire body movement, rotating
the hip with each kick, punch, and block. The
rotation of the hips in Muay Thai techniques,
and intensive focus on "core muscles" (such as
abdominal
muscles and surrounding muscles) is very
distinctive and is what sets Muay Thai apart
from other styles of martial arts.
The
Clinch
The fighter on the left has the
dominant position in the Thai
clinch. (Note that both men are
employing an improper hold upon the
other. The proper clinch technique
employs controlling the back and top
of the opponents head, not the neck,
which in fact is much harder to
control. )
In Western Boxing, the two fighters are
separated when they
clinch, in Muay Thai however, they are not.
It is often in the clinch where knee techniques
are used. The clinch should be performed with
the palm of one hand on the back of the other
and not as shown in the picture.[citation
needed] There are two
reasons why the fingers must not be intertwined.
1) In the ring fighters are wearing boxing
gloves and cannot intertwine their fingers. 2)
The Thai clinch involves pressing the head of
the opponent downwards, which is easier if the
hands are locked behind the back of the head
instead of behind the neck. Furthermore the arms
should be putting as much pressure on the neck
as possible.
A correct clinch also involves your forearms
pressing against the other fighter's collar bone
while your hands are around the opponent's head
rather than his neck. The general way to get out
of a clinch (not the one pictured) is to push
the opponents head backwards, as the clinch
requires both participants to be very close to
one another.[citation
needed]
Defense against punches and kicks
Defensively, the concept of "wall of defense"
is used, in which shoulders, arms and legs are
used to hinder the attacker from successfully
executing his techniques. Blocking is a critical
element in Muay Thai and compounds the level of
conditioning a successful practitioner must
possess. Low and mid body
roundhouse kicks are normally blocked with
the upper portion of a raised shin. High body
strikes are blocked with the forearm/glove,
elbow/shin. Mid section
roundhouse kicks can also be caught/trapped,
allowing for a
sweep or counter attack to the remaining leg
of the opponent. Punches are blocked with an
ordinary boxing guard and techniques similar if
not idenitical to basic boxing technique. A
common means of blocking a punch is using the
hand on the same side as the oncoming punch. For
example, if an orthodox fighter throws a jab
(being his left hand), the defender will make a
slight tap to redirect the punches angle with
his right hand. The deflection is always as
small and precise as possible to avoid
unnecessary energy expendature and return the
hand to the guard as quickly as possible. Hooks
are most often blocked with a motion most often
described as "combing your hair," raising the
elbow forward and effectively shielding the head
with the forearm, flexed bicep, and shoulder.
More advanced Muay Thai blocks are usually
counters, used to damage your opponent before he
can attack again.
Elbow techniques
The elbow can be used in seven ways:
horizontal, diagonal-upwards,
diagonal-downwards, uppercut, downward,
backward-spinning and flying. From the side it
can be used as either a finishing move or as a
way to cut the opponent's eyebrow so that blood
might block his vision. The blood also raises
the opponent's awareness of being hurt which
could affect his performance. This is the most
common way of using the elbow. The diagonal
elbows are faster than the other forms, but are
less powerful. The uppercut and flying elbows
are the most powerful, but are slower and easier
to avoid or block. The downward elbow is usually
used as a finishing move.
There is also a distinct difference between a
single elbow and a follow-up elbow. The single
elbow is an elbow move independent from any
other move, whereas a follow-up elbow is the
second strike from the same arm, being a hook
first with an elbow follow-up. Such elbows, and
most other elbows, are used when the distance
between fighters becomes too small and there is
too little space to throw a hook at the
opponent's head.
Kicking techniques
The teep (literally "foot jab," similar to a
front kick) and Cutting the tree (kicking
upwards in the shape of a triangle cutting under
the arm and ribs) are the two most common kicks
in Muay Thai. The Muay Thai roundhouse kick has
been widely adopted by fighters from other
martial arts. The roundhouse kick uses a
rotational movement of the entire body. A Thai
fighter uses this to his advantage, and if a
round house kick is attempted by the opponent
the fighter will block with his shin. Thai
boxers are trained to always connect with the
shin. While sensitive in an unconditioned
practitioner, the shin is the strongest part of
the leg for experienced Muay Thai fighters. The
foot contains many fine bones and is much
weaker. A fighter may end up hurting himself if
he tries to attack with his foot.
Muay Thai also includes other varieties of
kicking, such as the axe kick, side kick or
spinning back kick etc. These kicks, depending
on the fighter are utilized as to the preference
of the fighter. It is worth noting that a side
kick is performed differently in Muay Thai than
the traditional side kick of other martial arts.
In Muay Thai, a side kick is executed by first
raising the knee of the leg that is going to
kick in order to convince the opponent that the
executor is going to perform a teep or front
kick. The hips are then shifted to the side to
the more traditional side kick position for the
kick itself. The "fake-out" always precedes the
kick in Muay Thai technique.
Knee techniques
Some
knee techniques ("kao")
- Kao Dode (Jumping knee strike) -
the Thai boxer jumps up on one leg and
strikes with that leg's knee.
- Kao Loi (Flying
knee strike) - the Thai boxer takes
step(s), jumps forward and off one leg and
strikes with that leg's knee. A quite
spectacular sight when it connects.
- Kao Tone (Straight
knee strike) - the Thai boxer simply
thrusts it forward (not upwards, unless he
is holding an oppenents head down in a
clinch and intend to knee upwards into the
face). According to one written source, this
technique is somewhat more recent than Kao
Dode or Kao Loi.[citation
needed] Supposedly,
when the Thai boxers fought with rope-bound
hands rather than the modern boxing gloves,
this particular technique was subject to
potentially vicious cutting, slicing and
sawing by an alert opponent who would block
it or deflect it with the sharp "rope-glove"
edges or sometimes by the glass glued onto
the "rope-gloves". This explanation also
holds true for some of the following knee
strikes below as well.
- Kao Noi (Small knee strike) - the
Thai boxer hits the inside upper thigh
(above the knee) of the opponent when
clinching. This technique is used to wear
down the opponent or to counter the
opponent's knee strike or kick.
Conditioning
A fighter doing some heavy bag work
in a training camp in Thailand.
Like most competitive full contact fighting
sports, Muay Thai has a heavy focus on body
conditioning. Muay Thai is specifically
designed to promote the level of
fitness and toughness required for ring
competition. Training regimens include many
staples of combat sport conditioning such as
running,
shadowboxing,
rope jumping,
body weight resistance exercises, medicine
ball exercises,
abdominal exercises, and in some cases
weight training.
Training that is specific to a Muay Thai
fighter includes training with coaches on Thai
pads, focus mitts, heavy bag, and sparring. The
daily training includes many rounds (3-5 minute
periods broken up by a short rest, often 1-2
minutes) of these various methods of practice.
Thai pad training is a cornerstone of Muay Thai
conditioning which involves practicing
punches,
kicks,
knees, and
elbow strikes with a trainer wearing thick
pads which cover the forearms and hands. These
special pads are used to absorb the impact of
the fighter’s strikes and allow the fighter to
react to the attacks of the pad holder. The
trainer will often also wear a belly pad around
the abdominal area so that the fighter can
attack with straight kicks to the body at
anytime during the round.
Focus mitts are specific to training a
fighter’s hand speed,
punch combinations, timing,
punching power, defense, and
counter-punching are also used to practice elbow
strikes. Heavy bag training is a conditioning
and power exercise that reinforces the
techniques practiced on the pads. Sparring is a
means to test technique, skills, range,
strategy, and timing against a partner. Sparring
is often a light to medium contact exercise
because competitive fighters on a full schedule
are not advised to risk injury by sparring hard.
Specific tactics and strategies can be trained
with sparring including in close fighting,
clinching and
kneeing only, cutting off the ring, or using
reach and distance to keep an aggressive fighter
away.
Due to the rigorous fighting and training
regimen (some Thai boxers fight almost every
other week) professional Muay Thai fighters have
relatively short careers in the ring. Many
retire from competition to begin instructing the
next generation of Thai fighters. Most
professional Thai boxers come from the lower
economic backgrounds and the fight money (after
the other parties get their cut) is sought as
means of support for the fighters and their
families. Very few higher economic strata Thais
join the professional Muay Thai ranks; they
usually practise the sport as amateur Muay Thai
boxers.
Mixed Martial Arts
Starting in the
1990s, Muay Thai has enjoyed a boost in
popularity worldwide as it has been very
effective in
mixed martial arts fights, such as those
held by the
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and
PRIDE Fighting Championships.
Mixed martial artists such as
Marco Ruas (of
Ruas Vale Tudo),
Wanderlei Silva,
Anderson Silva and
Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (of the
Chute Boxe Academy) have combined many
striking elements of Muay Thai with
grappling,
submission, and
choking elements from
Judo,
Wrestling, or
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into a
hybrid synthesis that has been highly
effective in defeating practitioners of "pure"
martial arts, at least in a sports-centered
context. Other fighters that have used Muay Thai
as their primary style in mixed martial arts
include
Duane "Bang" Ludwig,
Yves Edwards,
Kit Cope, and
Spencer Cooper.
Shoot-fighters and
professional wrestlers who have trained and
been influenced by Muay Thai include
Satoru Sayama (the original
Tiger Mask and founder of
shooto), and
Yoshiaki Fujiwara.
Royce Gracie recently trained under
Ganyao "Dr. Knee" Fairtex at the world
famous
Fairtex Muay Thai gym in San Francisco, CA
to defeat
Kazushu Sakaraba at
K-1 Dynamite at the LA Coliseum, Los
Angeles, CA on June 2, 2007.
The rules
Muay Thai is practiced in a lot of
countries and there are different rules
depending on what country the fight is in and
under what organization the fight is arranged.
These rules, however, are gathered from the
rules section of the
World Muay Thai Council's web site. This is
not the complete rulebook but it contains a
selection of the most important or most
interesting rules.
Wai
Kru and Round Definition
Prior to the start of the first round, both
fighters shall perform the Wai Kru (paying
respect to the teacher), accompanied by the
appropriate Thai traditional music,
incorporating the Ching (cymbal), Klong khaek
(tom-tom) and Pee Java (Thai reed pipe). A Muay
Thai match shall consist of five rounds, 3
minutes per round with a 2 minute break between
each round. Any stoppage during the match for
any reason, will not be counted as part of the 3
minute round time.
Scoring
1.1. Points will be awarded for a correct
Thai Boxing style, combined with hard and
accurate strikes.
1.2. Points will be awarded for aggressive
and dominating Muay Thai skill.
1.3. Points will be awarded for a fighter
actively dominating his opponent.
1.4. Points will be awarded for the use of a
traditional Thai style of defence and
counter-attack.
The maximum score for each round is 10
points, the loser scoring either 9, 8 or 7.
Fouls
18.1. Biting, eye gouging, spitting, or head
butting.
18.2. Wrestling, back or arm locks or any
similar judo or wrestling hold.
18.3. Deliberately falling on his opponent.
18.4. Holding the ropes for any reason.
18.5. Swearing or the use of abusive language
during the match.
18.6. Knocking out or injuring his opponent
after the referee has ordered the match to stop
for any reason.
18.7. Deliberately striking the groin area.
To be penalized by the deduction of 1 point
for each time committed.
A boxer who has been hit in the groin, may
request a 5 minute break before continuing the
match.
Associations and
Federations
International associations
National associations
