Muay Thai: The Fighting Art of Thailand
Sunday, 20 March 2011 23:01 | 
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A Historical Overview of Muay Thai |
This Thai fighting art is 1,000 to 2,000 years old (records were destroyed during the Burmese occupation so we don't really know). It was born on the battlefields when warriors lost or broke their weapons, or when battle conditions became to tight to use them. When this happened, the Thai warriors would revert to their natural weapons: elbows, knees, kicks, and punches. |
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Muaythai or Thai boxing as it is referred to by many is a style of boxing that most possibly evolved over the centuries by the migrating tribes from the steppes of China moving south and was essentially developed as a form of close-combat that used the entire body as a weapon on the battle fields.
In war Muay Thai used the body to mimic the weapons of war. The hands become the sword and dagger; the shins and forearms were hardened in training to act as armor against blows, and the elbow to fell opponents like a heavy mace or hammer; the legs and knees became the axe and staff. The body operated as one unit. The knees and elbows constantly searching and testing for an opening while grappling and trying to spin an enemy to the ground for the kill. It is unfortunate that our knowledge of Muay Thai history, which is deeply entwined with the history of Thailand itself, is limited, there are few written records pertaining to pre-twentieth century Muay Thai history. Knowledge has been passed down by oral tradition, which makes it difficult to be sure of the facts. The history of Muay Thai was lost when the Burmese army sacked and razed Ayuddhaya to the ground the capital city of Siam, Thailand in 1767. Much of the early Muay Thai history was destroyed. The little we do know about Muay Thai comes from the writings of the Burmese, Cambodian, early European visitors and some of the chronicles of the Lanna Kingdom - Chiangmai.
What is known is that the history of Muay Thai was an essential part of Thai culture right from its dawn. And in Thailand, it is the sport of kings. The first great upsurge of interest in Muaythai as a sport, as well as a battlefield skill, was under King Naresuan in 1584, a time known as the Ayuddhaya period. During this period, every soldier trained in Muaythai and could use it, as the King himself did. Slowly Muaythai moved away from its root in the ‘Chupasart’ and new fighting techniques were evolving. The change in the art was to continue under another fighting King – Prachao Sua – the Tiger King. He loved Muaythai so much that he often fought incognito in village contests, beating the local champions. During the reign of the Tiger King the nation was at peace. The King, to keep the army busy, ordered it to train in Muaythai. The interest in the sport was already high but now it took off yet again. Thai Boxing became the favourite sport and pastime of the people, the army and the King. Historical sources show that people from all walks of life flocked to training camps. Rich, poor, young and old all wanted some of the action. Every village staged its prize fights and had its champions. Every bout became a betting contest as well as a contest of local pride. The most popular folklore regarding muay boran is that of Nai Khanomtom. At the time of the fall of the ancient Siam capital of Ayutthaya in 1767, the invading Burmese troops rounded up thousands of Thais and took them to Burma as prisoners. Among them were a large number of Thai kickboxers, who were taken to the city of Ava. In 1774, in the Burmese city of Rangoon, the Burmese King Hsinbyushin (known in Thai as "King Mangra") decided to organize a seven-day, seven-night religious festival in honor of Buddha's relics. The festivities included many forms of entertainment, such as the costume plays called likay, comedies and farces, and sword-fighting matches. At one point, King Hsinbyushin wanted to see how muay boran would compare to the Burmese art Lethwei. Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. The boxing ring was set up in front of the throne and Nai Khanomtom did a traditional Wai Kru pre-fight dance, to pay his respects to his teachers and ancestors, as well as the spectators, dancing around his opponent. This amazed and perplexed the Burmese people, who thought it was black magic. When the fight began, Nai Khanomtom charged out, using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees to pummel his opponent until he collapsed. However the Burmese referee said the Burmese champion was too distracted by the dance, and declared the knockout 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 in between. His last opponent was a great kickboxing teacher from Rakhine. Nai Khanomtom mangled him by his kicks and no one else dared to challenge him. King Mangra was so impressed that he allegedly remarked, "Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or ten opponents. But his Lord was incompetent and lost the country to the enemy. If he would have been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen." King Mangra 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. Because the legend of Nai Khanom Tom is so well-known, he is called the "father of Muay Thai." Muay Thai day is celebrated on March 16 in his honor. Ascension of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to the throne in 1868 ushered in a golden age not only for muay but for the whole country of Thailand. 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.[citation needed] Masters of the art began teaching muay in training camps where students were provided with food and shelter. Trainees would be treated as one family and it was customary for students to adopt the camp's name as their own surname. Scouts would be sent by the royal family to organise matches between different camps. King Rama the VII pushed for codified rules for Muay Thai, and they were put into place. Thailand's first boxing ring was built in 1921 at Suan Kularp. Referees were introduced and rounds were now timed by kick. Fighters at the Lumpinee Kickboxing Stadium began wearing modern gloves during training and in boxing matches against foreigners. Rope-binding was still used in fights between Thais but after the occurrence of a death in the ring, it was decided that fighters should wear gloves and cotton coverlets over the feet and ankles. It was also around this time that the term Muay Thai became commonly used while the older form of the style was referred to as muay boran. Muay Thai began to garner international exposure and recognition. In World War II, Thai soldiers were stationed overseas, and foreigners recieved their first good look at Muay Thai firsthand. Muay Thai was named by foreigners as Siam Boxing, as Thailand was formerly Siam. During WW II, the French labeled Muay Thai as "Le Sport Orient" or the fighting style of the orient. The Thai soldiers participating in the war would practice Muay Thai among themselves as soldiers from Europe and America watched with great interest. Until that time, Muay Thai was a cultural gem, hidden within this strange and wonderful culture of this country called Thailand. Soldiers from abroad were so impressed of the Muay Thai fighting style that they asked the Thai soldiers to teach them the basics and traditions of Muay Thai. As Muay Thai became more popular, especially with an international interest, the rules began to change to become more inline with other governed sports like boxing. After the end of WW II, the first formal rules were introduced into the sport. Fights were divided into 5 rounds, and time limits were imposed on each round. Time was counted on a clock rather than the old style of a coconut shell with holes sinking completely in a barrel of water. Major stadiums for Muay Thai were constructed after the war in large cities [Bangkok, Sukothai, Chiang Mai] throughout the country as the popularity of Muay Thai grew. Lumpini Stadium in Bangkok is now almost considered "holy ground" to the multitudes of Thai fighters, and now many foreigners, trying to win a place on a fight card. A system of weight-classes, defined rules, and championships was devised in the years ahead as Muay Thai began to resemble boxing in style and organization.
Nowadays the Muay Thai ring is the same size as that used for Western boxing, 24 foot square. The floor of the ring is wooden with canvas-covered matting. Traditionally the four sides of the ring are aligned with the points of a compass. The red corner points NW, the blue SE. The other two corners are white. These colours are derived from Western boxing and were introduced in the 1920s. The red corner is usually assigned to the defending champion or the contestant thought to have the advantage.
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The Wai Kru (respects to the teacher) also known as Ram Muay (boxing dance) is an important part of any evening watching Thai Boxing. These are ceremonies that are performed before each Muay Thai bout. Sometimes the Wai Kru are brief and basic, but other times they may be eloquent performances that draw praise and applause from the crowd. It is said that those who see well can determine who will win the fight by watching two fighters perform their Wai Kru. Teachers are highly respected in Thai society, and many artistic disciplines, not just Muay Thai, perform Wai Kru or "respects to the teacher". Foreigners viewing these rituals should take care to be polite and not act disrespectfully regarding the Wai Kru. The Thais take seriously any insult to the Wai Kru, just as you would if somebody insulted your spiritual beliefs.
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Mong Kon - type of headgear worn by Muay Thai athletes. The Mong Kon was given to the students who the teachers thought had learned many of the skills and techniques. They were given at ceremonies. They were to be worn in the rings during fights, but they must never fall on, be close to or held near the ground as the Mong Kon would lose its magic. The student is never allowed to touch or handle the Mong Kon, only his Kru or Ajarn may handle it. He will take care of the headgear and will present and remove the band to the student when he competes within the ring.
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Last Updated (Thursday, 28 April 2011 21:42)
