A BRIEF HISTORY OF MUAY THAI

Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing, is one of the most unique combat sports in existence today. Known as the science of the eight limbs, Muay Thai’s versatile strikes from the fists, shins, knees and elbows make it a unique sport, despite the many other striking martial arts around.

It is known that Muay Thai originated from the ancient art of Muay Boran thousands of years ago, practiced by Siamese soldiers in battle when they were disarmed from their weapons and therefore forced to practice hand-to-hand combat in order to survive. In the entertainment aspect of Muay Boran, the ‘last man standing’ would win through an indefinite encounter with no protection, no referee and no rules. However, almost a hundred years ago, King Rama VII introduced a controlled version of the fight sport, known as Muay Thai, and it has since rooted itself deep into the history of Thailand, becoming the national sport and embedding itself within the country’s culture.

Muay Thai is still also very much the sport of the warrior, demonstrating an elite level of skill, technique and fitness arguably unseen in any other martial art. Now taking place within a western-sized boxing ring with the obligatory use of protective gear such as mouth guards, groin guards and gloves, the sport is also regulated by qualified judges and a referee, making it an entertaining, enjoyable and safe sport to practice, and is done so in many other countries, such as Holland, Australia and of course, the UK.

TRADITIONS OF MUAY THAI

Muay Thai is renowned for the spiritual aspect of the sport, and the presence of both good and bad spirits is heavily believed in. This is why, upon entering the ring, the fighter begins his ritual by bowing to the north, east, south and west sides of the ring, honouring the good spirits as well as his previous and present teachers. This is also to pay respect to the four noble truths of Buddhism. The fighter will then proceed to seal the ring, preventing the entrance of any bad spirits.

The traditions of Muay Thai are still heavily ingrained within the modern version of the sport. This is displayed through customary rituals such as the performance of the Wai Kru Ram Muay before a fight. Although the movements of this traditional dance help to warm up the muscles used during the fight, the meaning behind it holds much more significance. Translated directly into ‘Respect’, ‘Teacher’, ‘Dance’ and ‘Boxing’, the Wai Kru Ram Muay is performed to pay respect and gratitude to the trainer. It is also an opportunity for the fighter to prepare himself mentally and emotionally for the fight. In situations where the King is present, the Wai Kru Ram Muay is also used as a means to apologise to the King for the brutality ahead. The Wai Kru Ram Muay varies slightly between different gyms and trainers, and traditionally, it could often be told to which gym a fighter belonged by the style of Wai Kru Ram Muay performed.

The prominent music that accompanies a Muay Thai fight usually consists of two wind instruments and two percussion instruments, and is recognised for its strong rhythm. The music is played at a slower tempo during the Wai Kru Ram Muay, and a slightly faster tempo for the duration of the fight. When the music is performed by a live band, the tempo during the fight varies according to the level of activity and excitement.

Supersitition and ritual go hand in hand with Muay Thai. This is why Muay Thai fighters can usually be seen wearing a mongkol on their head, pra-jied around their arms and flower garlands draped around their neck. The mongkol, traditionally, was hand-woven from the prayers of a monk and silk thread. In modern Muay Thai the mongkol and garlands are worn upon entering the ring and during the performance of the Wai Kru Ram Muay, whereas the pra-jied are usually worn throughout the entire duration of the fight. These traditional pieces of attire are worn to bring success and good luck to the fighter, and are believed to keep the fighter free from danger in the ring. They have become notable customs in Muay Thai, holding great meaning and significance to the sport.

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