Muay Thai, which translates simply as Thai Boxing, is an important and highly effective martial art which is recognized for its value in combat situations. Thailand’s national sport, the fighting art has a long history and heritage, having evolved from the age-old battlefield actions of the Siamese (Thai) army. It is considered to be an evolution of the ‘sword and baton’ (Krabi-Krabong) close-quarters tactics of the Thai military. In the early days of Muay Thai the different companies of the Thai army were pitted against one another; the bouts had no time limits or weight classes and few rules.
These exciting fights gradually attracted a wide audience and they were therefore conducted in stadiums throughout Thailand. Eventually in the early years of the 20th century boxing gloves, time allowances and a consistent set of rules were established. In the latter part of the 20th century Muay Thai was enthusiastically adopted by martial arts enthusiasts across the globe. It is presently practiced by many hundreds of thousands of individuals worldwide.
The reputation of Muay Thai amongst kickboxing aficionados is reflected by the fact that it is referred to as ‘King of the Ring’. Typically Thai boxing features kicks, punches, knee and elbow strikes as well as head-butts and grappling with which practitioners aim to knock out or wear down opponents. The special training techniques create speed, amazing power and exceptional cardiovascular fitness in addition to unyielding courage and fighting spirit. Today the training methods are considered to be safe with gloves and pads utilized for the safety of fighters. The martial art has proved highly effective even outside of the ring and has been adopted by exponents for self-defence and in the fields of combat sports, law enforcement and the military.
The techniques of Muay Thai are divided into the ‘major techniques’ (mae mai) and the ‘minor techniques’ (luk mai). The bouts are often exercises in attrition, with contestants constantly exchanging blows with each other. There is no doubt that Muay Thai is one of the world’s exceptional martial arts.
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