a general history of muay thai

Muay Thai history is deeply entwined with the history of Thailand itself. Because of perpetual invasions from neighbouring countries when Thailand was in the process of forming, the Thai people depended on the ability to defend themselves and In these early times short-range weapons such as spears, pikes, swords and club were used in battle. During this kind of fighting, hand-to-hand combat methods quickly evolved and the bodies natural weapons such as the head, fists, elbows and feet became a part of the of the fighting, and with systemized use of these natural weapons, fighting skill were developed for the battlefield that came to be Muay. The early days of Muay Thai history There are few written records remaining showing pre-twentieth century Muay Thai history. Knowledge has been passed down by oral tradition from master to student, which makes it difficult to be sure of the facts. But even in times of peace self-defence techniques have always been of great importance to Thai military leaders and the monarchy. we can be sure of one thing that Thai soldiers have studied Muay Thai since early times. Muay Thai has most likely earned money for its competitors since the Sukothai era (1238-1377). About 50 miles north of Bangkok lies the ancient city Ayuthaya. This once great city was Thailands capital for over 400 years. Here a platoon of elite guards was formed to protect the king. These Officers were highly skilled in Muay, each from different parts of the country brought the regional styles of Muay together, They were known as Grom Nak Muay (Muay Fighters' Regiment).As well as its continued use as a practical fighting system Muay also became a sport where spectators went to watch for entertainment. Muay gradually became a possible means of personal advancement as the nobility increasingly esteemed skillful practitioners of the art and invited selected fighters to come to live in the Royal palace to teach Muay to the staff of the royal household, soldiers, princes or the king's personal guards. This "Royal Muay" was called Muay Luang. This royal patronage of Muay continued through the reigns of Rama V and VII. Nai Khanom Tom At the time of the fall of the ancient Siam capital of Ayutthaya in 1767, the invading Burmese troops rounded up a group of Thai residents and took them as prisoners. Among them were a large number of Thai boxers, who were taken by the Burmese to the city of Ungwa. In 1774, In the Burmese city of Rangoon, the king of the Burmese, 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 Mangra wanted to see how Muay would compare to the Burmese art Lethwei. Nai Khanom Tom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. The boxing ring was set up in front of the throne and Nai Khanom Tom did a traditional Wai Kru pre-fight dance, to pay his respects to the Burmese king, as well as for all the spectators, dancing around his opponent, which amazed and shocked all the Burmese people. When the fight began, he charged out, using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, pummeling his opponent until he collapsed. The referee in a state of shock however, stated that the Burmese opponent was too distracted by the Wai Kru, and the knockout was invalid. The King then asked if Nai Khanom Tom 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 boxing teacher from Ya Kai City, Nai Khanom Tom mangled him by his kicks and no one else dared to challenge him any further. King Mangra was so impressed that he remarked, "Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or ten opponents. But this Lord was incompetent and lost his 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 Khanom Tom freedom along with either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai Khanom Tom chose the wives as he said that money was easier to find. He then departed with his wives for Siam. Other variations of this story had him also winning the release of his fellow Thai prisoners. His feat is celebrated every March 17 as "Boxer's Day" or "National Muay Thai Day" in his honor and that of Muay Thai. Today, some have wrongly attributed the legend of "Nai Khanom Tom" to King Naresuan, who was once taken by the Burmese. However, Nai Khanon Tom and King Naresuan were almost two centuries apart. Early Muay boxing competitions In the beginning Muay Thai boxers fought bare-fisted. Early competitive forms of Muay had no grappling; fighters moved in, and then quickly withdrew again. There was no attempt to pair opponents based on their weight. They needed only to express a willingness to fight. Sometimes fighters on a winning streak could be matched against several opponents in succession. There were no real rules. The head was used as a weapon and the groin was an acceptable target. The ring was a bare patch of earth. At some point came the division of the contest into rounds. Time for these was measured by placing a coconut shell with a hole bored through the bottom into water. When the coconut was filled with water and thus submerged the round was over. Tree bark, seashells, and later kapok-stuffed triangular cushions were used to protect the groin. In the early days of Muay Thai training equipment was found from nature. The smooth, slightly spongy nature of the trunk of a banana tree was found suitable for kicking practice. Repeatedly climbing out of water quickly improves stamina. Chopping the sea in front of your face assists in developing unblinking focus. Muay trainees also used floating coconuts as targets and suspended limes for punching and avoidance practice. Muay Kaad Chuek During the Ayuthaya era came the introduction of Muay Kaad Chuek. That is the use of unrefined hemp wrappings to protect the fingers and wrists. A length of around 20 metres was enough to bind one hand. The use of Muay Kaad Chuek quickly spread, as a bound fist is tougher, stronger and better protected against injury than an unbound one. It is said that before a contest fighters immersed their fists in water. This would cause the binding to harden when it dried, making it capable of producing serious injury. Some people go further and claim that fighters dipped their hands in glue and ground glass. Such a contest would certainly have made a gory sight and is hardly believable due to the possible injury to oneself! To this day an annual Muay Kaad Chuek contest with Laos is held in Nong Khai near the NE border with Laos, on the Thai side of the Mekong River. A Muay Kaad Chuek contest with Burma is staged in the Mae Sot, western Thailand, during the Sonkran (Thai New Year) festivities (April 12-14). Boxers fight until knockout. If both competitors remain standing at the end of the bout a match is declared a draw. The Muay Renaissance The 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. Masters of the art such as former fighters or soldiers 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. After the occurrence of a death in the ring, King Rama the VII pushed for codified rules for Muay Thai, and they were put into place. These included the rules that the fighters should wear modern gloves and cotton coverlets over the feet and ankles. It was also around this time in the 1920s that the term Muay Thai became commonly used while the older form of the style was referred to as Muay Boran. Muay Thai boxing becomes organised The first permanent Muay Thai arena was constructed in 1920 at Suam Gularb (rose garden) in Bangkok. The reigning King Rama VI arranged for a great Muay Thai tournament to be staged. Many foreigners came to match their skills against the Thais. A huge crowd gathered and the proceeds were used to purchase weapons for the countries defence. The floor of the ring was made from wooden planks and rushes were laid across the top. Time was measured in minutes and there was a referee. Modern Muay Thai history As late as 1920s Muay Kaad Chuek was still in use. In a tragic event fighter Jia Kaegkhmen died in the ring of the Lak Muang Arena in front of the king after being punched by Pae Lieng Prasert. He clung to the ropes dying but refused to give up. After this, a new rule was introduced that fighters should wear gloves and Muay Kaad Chuek was slowly phased out. The sport took the name Muay Thai post 1920s after the introduction of gloves and other elements of Western Boxing. In 1928 a rudimentary ranking system was introduced. There was a title fight held in November of that year and people flocked to see the fight. The following year, modern groin protectors were used in Thailand for the first time. The convenience and safety of these quickly caught on. The groin was a legal move until the 1930s. In 1950 a fully developed ranking system was implemented with eight weight divisions. Rajadamnoen and Lumpinee Muay Thai stadiums were erected in Bangkok and standard regulations adopted by the sport. During the late 1920s and 30s Muay Thai training was developed. Gyms were constructed and punch bags and balls became widely available. The use of training gloves and contest gloves became the norm. Muay Thai became a favorite sport and pastime. Every village staged prize fights and people from all walks of life flocked to training camps. Interest in Muay Thai flourished until the 1970s, which was a golden decade for Muay Thai with the emergence of many great fighters. The oriental martial arts enjoyed a boom in general thanks to the movies of Kung Fu Legend Bruce Lee. Muay Thai gyms began appearing in the UK, USA, Germany, Holland and Australia. Muay Thai Boxing today After WWII Muay Thai boxers headed to the capital for fame and fortune, and the glory is still to be found at Rajadamnoen or Lumpinee boxing stadiums in Bangkok. Today in the villages in the provinces people can be seen clustered around available TV sets to see televised matches. All professional fighters have official ring names. The first part of the name is generally their own, while the second is the name of the training camp to which they belong. Today many men and women of all ages enjoy regular training sessions. There is now a World Championship for Muay Thai and it has become an accepted amateur sport in many countries. Muay Thai boxing is an essential part of Thai culture. Thais have a fiery belief in the lethal effectiveness of their fighting art and have proved it time and again. The Muay Thai Boxing Stadium 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. From the earliest competitions each bout became a betting contest as well as a contest of local pride. The betting tradition has remained and today large sums of money are wagered on the outcome of fights. A trip to watch a Muay Thai match in Thailand is worth it for the spectacle of the frenzied betting alone.

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