Muay Thai History: Origin, Characteristics & Hall of Fame

Muay Thai is a stand-up martial art, a popular “Science of Eight Limbs”, where you can defeat your opponent with elbows, knees, punches, or kicks. It is different than other fighting styles because of the traditional Wai Kru ritual before you enter the ring. Muay Thai is a martial art that originated in Thailand in the 16th century and was originally taught to the military.

• Muay Thai is an ancient martial arts style that dates back to the 15th century in Thailand.
• From short-range knee strikes to flying knee variants, the sheer power and effectiveness of these strikes have led to many mixed martial artists basing their standup game almost exclusively on Muay Thai.
• That’s why most local fighters train their swing kicks since they weren’t even 10.
• Such as Sagat Petchyindee, Pud Pad Noy Worawoot, Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn, Chamuekpet Harpalang, Apidej Sit-Hirun, Somrak Khamsing, and Samart Payakaroon.
• There are many stages to pulling off a convincing and spectacular flying, with the setup a crucial part of the strike.

Well, it’s time to return to boxing stance and learn Muay Thai basic techniques of punching – jab, straight, leading hook, rear hook, leading uppercut, and rear uppercut. The first permanent boxing stadium was built at the Suan Khoolab School after the war. They still did not have the modern gloves used today, so fighters’ hands were wrapped in cotton and hemp. Mongkongs were worn on their heads and pra-jiats around their biceps. Prachao Sua loved the sport so much that he made his two sons, the princes of Thailand, study Muay Thai, sword fighting and wrestling. As royal guards, they were also given the task of training the members of royalty in combat and Muay Thai, as they were still at war with Cambodia and Burma.

Elbows can be used to great effect as blocks or defences against, for example, spring knees, side body knees, body kicks or punches. When well connected, an elbow strike can cause serious damage to the opponent, including cuts or even a knockout. One of the significant changes King Rama VII introduced was the requirement for fighters to wear gloves. This move was intended to reduce injuries and make the sport less hazardous for participants. The use of gloves also paved the way for Muay Thai to be perceived as a sport rather than just a martial art.

Corners can also throw in the towel to stop the fight if their fighter is hurt. In these cases, a winner is determined before the end of the bout. Supporters of https://signalscv.com/2024/03/rising-stars-highlights-of-up-and-coming-thai-sportsmen/ believe that well-trained Nak Muay will KO the BJJ guy to sleep easily. Likewise, BJJ fans are confident of strangling the Muay Thai fighter into submission once the fight is taken to the ground. In a study, it was shown that 7 out of 10 street fights ended up on the ground. The person with the ground fighting experience will often prevail in such situations simply due to familiarity and possessing the right skills.

The detailed list of rules and regulations covers diverse aspects that are usually ignored by the audience and most casual fans overwhelmed by the excitement of the fights. These vital rules can vary slightly depending on the venue or organizer but is distinctive enough to make Muay Thai separated from American, Dutch or Japanese kickboxing. Muay Thai is most differentiated from other combat sports by the use of elbows, knees, push kicks (teeps) and the clinch. Kicks provide Muay Thai with a longer range of striking which can be an advantage against a boxer with no training in kicking.

To strike and bind the opponent for both offensive and defensive purposes, small amounts of stand-up grappling are used in the clinch. The front clinch should be performed with the palm of one hand on the back of the other. 1) In the ring fighters are wearing boxing gloves and cannot intertwine their fingers. 2) The Thai front 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. 3) A fighter may incur an injury to one or more fingers if they are intertwined, and it becomes more difficult to release the grip in order to quickly elbow the opponent’s head.

In this chapter, we’ve come up with some tips on what to look out for while training at the Muay Thai gym. Sticking to these guidelines will show the appropriate respect to your coaches and training partners, and will help you fit right in wherever you train. When watching a Muay Thai fight for the first time, it might be difficult to understand the criteria for scoring a bout in favor of one fighter.

Ensure that you spend your time perfecting your stance by practicing your movement inside a ring. You can do some shadow boxing or light sparring with a training partner to test the waters. Your rear foot is the one that you will pivot on when moving or trying to generate power for strikes. It is important to practice the movement of both feet as much as possible in order to feel comfortable enough to maneuver your body at your will. In the event that there is no knockout, the winner will be decided based on the scoring system.

Women athletes active in Muay Thai, called Muay Ying, is relatively new. Traditional stadiums in Thailand are only just starting to welcome female athletes. Lumpinee Stadium only had its first female champion crowned in 2021. You might also want to know if there’s an active social element among members.

The idea is to lift the leg and knee high in the air to stomp or slap the sole of the foot on the opponent from the chest upwards. In order to land this strike, you must straighten your leg out towards the target, turning your hips so that your knee cap faces out sideways. Your rear foot should start facing behind you but then pivot to the side, in order to aid your balance and generate power. As your leg has to move from the floor all the way up to the opponent’s head, this kick can easily be spotted and anticipated by a smart fighter.

You must master the basic strikes to be able to throw the advanced ones. For example, you can forget about weaving overhand right when you didn’t master your right hook. Shift the weight to your rear leg, keeping your front foot on its balls for greater balance and movement. There are many legendary stories, and one of them talks about the great Nai Khanom Tom, the legendary warrior who defeated 9 Burmese opponents during the siege of the Thai Kingdom.