Muay Thai

Muay Thai, also called Thai boxing, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport. It uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and clinching techniques. Fighters use their fists, elbows, knees, and shins, earning its nickname “Art of Eight Limbs.”

Over time, Muay Thai grew popular worldwide. In recent decades, Thai fighters began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches outside Thailand. Today, professional Muay Thai is overseen by the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand and the Sports Authority of Thailand.

Muay Thai shares roots with other fighting styles from the Indian cultural sphere, like Musti-yuddha, Muay Chaiya, Muay Boran, Muay Lao, Lethwei, Kun Khmer, Benjang, and Tomoi. A person who practices Muay Thai is called a Nak Muay. Someone from outside Thailand who practices it may be called a Nak Muay Farang, meaning “foreign boxer.”

Etymology

The name Muay Thai is a Thai word made from two parts: muay and Thai.

The word muay comes from an old word meaning "to tie" or "to pull together." In Thai, it also means "boxing." The word Thai comes from Tai, which means "free."

The name Muay Thai started being used during the time of King Rama II in the early 1800s. The oldest known writing with the word muay was found in old books from Northern Thai people from the year 1296.

Muay Thai is known by different names in other languages, such as boks tajski in Polish, thai boxing in Dutch, and ムエタイ in Japanese.

History

7th century

Muay Thai started around 657 AD during the Haripuñjaya time. A hermit named Sukatanata created a martial arts school that included Muay Thai.

From 738 AD during the Nanzhao time, Muay Thai grew from dance-like movements called Fon jerng. These movements used both weapons and bare hands. This style was similar to Lei tai and was used for combat training.

10th century

After King Lavachakkaraj started the Singhanavati Kingdom around 757 AD, people kept developing their martial arts. They used Muay Thai in battles when they expanded their land and took over other groups.

A law from 1296, called the Mungrai Customary Law, mentioned Muay Thai for the first time. It said Muay Thai was used to solve arguments.

13th century

During the Pre-Ayutthaya time, Muay Thai was very important. It was part of training for royal family members and helped prepare warriors for fights against nearby kingdoms. King Si Inthrathit sent his son Prince Ram Khamhaeng to learn martial arts. There he trained with others who later became important leaders.

15th century

In 1431 AD, King Borommarachathirat II led soldiers, including Muay Thai fighters, in a battle against the Khmers. He later wrote about the fight and the fighters.

From 1455 AD, Muay Thai became a duty of the royal court's guards under King Borommatrailokkanat. Skilled fighters were chosen to protect the king and to compete in matches.

16th century

Muay Thai kept growing as a way to defend oneself. King Naresuan learned fighting skills after being held in Burma and later made Muay Thai better when he returned to Ayutthaya.

A French diplomat named Simon de la Loubère wrote in 1687 that Muay Thai was a common skill among people in Siam.

18th century

In 1702, King Suriyenthrathibodi joined a Muay Thai competition during a festival and won while pretending to be a common person.

In 1788, two French brothers challenged Siamese fighters. King Rama I set up a match where a Siamese boxer named Muean Phlan fought them, with help from Prince Maha Sura Singhanat.

Folklore of Nai Khanom Tom

A well-known story is about Nai Khanom Tom, a Siamese fighter captured after the fall of Ayutthaya in 1767. He was asked to fight ten Burmese champions and won all of them, which impressed the Burmese king.

19th century

King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) became very interested in Muay Thai in 1868. He started tournaments and made a Royal Boxing Center to train fighters. He also added Muay Thai to school lessons.

20th century

Muay Thai became officially recognized as its own martial art in the early 1900s. It became more popular and was taught in schools and military schools.

King Rama VII made official rules for Muay Thai in the 1920s. The first boxing ring was built in 1921, and fighters started using modern gloves and protective gear.

By the 1980s and 1990s, Muay Thai became very popular with top fighters earning a lot of money.

21st century

In 2006, Muay Thai changed its spelling to "Muaythai" to fit international rules.

It was part of the World Games in 2017 and the first University World Muaythai Cup was held in Bangkok in 2015.

Today, there are over 3,800 Muay Thai gyms around the world.

Rules

Muay Thai is a full-contact sport using fists, elbows, knees, and feet. Points are given for clean hits on the opponent’s body. Fights can end with a decision based on points or a knockout.

Olympics

Muay Thai has been trying to become an Olympic sport. It was part of the World Games in 2017 and got full recognition from the International Olympic Committee in 2021. It is expected to be a demonstration sport in the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Traditional wear

Before a fight, fighters wear special headbands called mongkhon or mongkol and armbands called pra jiad. These clothes have a long history. They started when Siam often had wars. Young fighters would wear pieces of clothing, like a mother’s scarf, for luck and protection.

Today, the mongkol shows the fighter’s training gym. A trainer gives it to the fighter when they think the fighter is ready to compete. After a special ceremony called the wai kru, the trainer might place the mongkol in the fighter’s corner for luck. Many fighters ask a Buddhist monk to bless the mongkol before they fight.

Techniques

Muay Thai has two main groups of techniques: major techniques and minor techniques. Fighters sometimes trade blows in traditional matches, but this style is less common today. Almost all moves use the whole body, turning the hips with each punch, kick, elbow, or block.

Punching (Muay Mat)

Originally, punching in Muay Thai was simple, using just crosses and a long circular strike. Now, it includes many punches from Western boxing, like jabs, hooks, and uppercuts.

Elbow (sok)

Elbows can strike in many ways, such as horizontally or diagonally. They are very powerful and can hurt opponents.

Kicking (te)

Two common kicks are the foot jab and the roundhouse kick. The roundhouse kick turns the whole body for power and is used in many other fight styles too. Fighters block kicks with their shins to protect their feet.

Knee (ti khao)

Source:

• Khao dot (Jumping knee strike) – the fighter jumps on one leg and strikes with that leg’s knee.
• Khao loi (flying knee strike) – the fighter steps, jumps, and strikes with that leg’s knee.
• Khao thon (Straight knee strike) – the fighter thrusts the knee forward.

Foot-thrust (teep)

The foot-thrust is used to control distance or block attacks. It should be quick but strong enough to upset the opponent’s balance.

Clinch and neck wrestling (chap kho)

Unlike Western boxing, fighters in Muay Thai can hold onto each other. This is where knee and elbow strikes are used. Fighters use stands-up grappling to strike and hold the opponent.

Muay Thai has several types of clinches, such as arm clinches, side clinches, low clinches, and swan-neck clinches.

Defence against attacks

Defences in Muay Thai include blocking, parrying, avoiding, evading, disrupting, and anticipating attacks. Fighters use their shoulders, arms, and legs to stop the opponent. Blocking is very important and needs strong conditioning. Low kicks are blocked with the shin, and high strikes are blocked with the forearms or shoulder. Punches are blocked like in boxing, and hooks are blocked by raising the elbow. Advanced blocks can also counter-attack the opponent.

Child boxers

In 2016, about 10,000 children under 15 were registered to box in Thailand. Some think the number could be even higher, including children as young as four.

Studies have shown that young boxers can face health risks. Experts have called for changes to protect young fighters, suggesting that children under twelve should not be allowed to box. There are ongoing concerns about the safety of young boxers in the sport.

Injuries

Muay Thai is a sport where fighters use their fists, elbows, knees, and shins, so injuries can happen. An injury is noted if a fighter needs to rest for more than one day. Many injuries might not be noticed right away.

The most common injuries are to soft parts of the body. These happen from repeated hits during matches. The next most common injuries for beginners are sprains and strains. Fractures are also a common injury, especially for amateur and professional fighters. As fighters get better, they may face stronger hits and train harder, which can lead to more serious injuries.

Gambling

Muay Thai matches are sometimes affected by gambling, which can bring in a lot of money. Some people think the sport might not survive without gamblers.

Sadly, there have been times when fights were fixed, meaning some boxers were paid to lose on purpose. This has caused problems in the sport.

Conditioning

Muay Thai helps build a strong body, which can be tough for new learners but helps them get fit quickly with proper training. Common training activities include running, shadowboxing, rope jumping, body weight resistance exercises, and abdominal exercises. Sometimes, weight training is also used.

Fighters practice with coaches using special pads, focus mitts, and heavy bags, as well as sparring with partners. These training methods help improve techniques, speed, and strength. Thai pad training is important, where fighters practice punches, kicks, knees, and elbow strikes on a trainer wearing thick pads.

Perspectives

Some scholars believe that the history of Muay Thai was created to support Thai national pride. Because of this, Muay Thai became closely linked to Thai culture and is different from similar martial arts in nearby countries like muay Lao in Laos and lethwei in Myanmar.

Famous practitioners

For people who have done Muay Thai, see List of Muay Thai practitioners.

In popular culture

For popular culture, see Muay Thai in popular culture.