Muay Thai camp and training

Muay Thai involves boxing techniques, hard kicking, and knee and elbow strikes. Low kicks to the thighs are a very distinguishing technique used frequently in Muay Thai. Stand up grappling is also used and allowed in the ring. Muay Thai practitioners develop a very high level of physical conditioning developed by its practitioners.

The origins of this martial art and sport are thought to stretch back to the wars with the Burmese during the 15th century. Thailand’s first famous boxer was one, ‘Nai Khanom Tom’ , who was a famous practitioner of Muay Thai. Around 1774, he was captured along with other Thai prisoners, either in a skirmish or at the fall of the ancient capital of Siam of Ayutthaya. He was brought to Rangoon in Burma, where the Burmese King Mangra was holding a religious festival in honor of Buddha's relics. The festivities included many forms of entertainment. King Mangra was reported to be curious to see how the various fighting styles of Burma and other countries would compare. At one point, he wanted to see how Muay Boran would compare to the Burmese art Lethwei. Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. Nai Khanomtom did a Wai Kru pre-fight dance which puzzled all of the Burmese. When the fight began, he charged out and using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, quickly pummeled the Burmese.

The referee was reported to have stated that the Burmese opponent was distracted by the Wai Kru, so the knockout was 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 between fights. The last Burmese was reputed to be a great boxing teacher. Nai Khanomtom defeated them all in a superior fashion.

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. As his lord master was incompetent, the country was lost to the enemy. If his lord had been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen."

He 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. 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's.

Muay Boran is divided to Muay ThaSao (North), Muay Korat (Esarn or NorthEast), Muay Lobburee (Center region), Muay Chaiya (South)

There are a phrase about Muay Thai Boran that "Punch Korat, Wit Lobburee, Posture Chaiya, Faster Thasao"

Muay Korat emphasizes in strength. There are one technique call "Throwing buffalo punch". It was call like this since it can defeat the buffalo in one blow.

Muay Lobburee emphasizes in clever movements. Its strength point is the straight and turned punch.

Muay Chaiya emphasizes in posture, defending. It's difficult for opponent to attack. Muay Chaiya stress in elbows and knees.

Muay Thasao emphasizes in speed. Muay Thasao stress in speeding kick. Cause of their faster speed, this Muay Boran was call "Ling Lom" (windy monkey or Loris)

Muay Thai in present is different from the past. Muay Thai Boran (Old Muay Thai) use the wit in fighting. It's not like Muay Thai in today that all the fighters emphasize in strength.

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 favourite sport and pastime. Every village staged prize fights and people from all walks of life flocked to training camps.

The basic techniques include punch techniques (jab, straight right/cross, hook and uppercut), elbow techniques (horizontal, diagonal-upwards, diagonal-downwards, uppercut, downward, backward-spinning and flying) and kicking techniques (push kick, roundhouse kick, etc.).

The training program is base on your muaythai level . Regular program ( 2 Hrs ) is include : Warm Up/Stretch , Run ( 1 - 10 Km. ) , Skip (15 Minutes) , Shadow Box (3 rounds) , Bag Work (3 rounds) , Pad Work (3 rounds) , Clinching/Sparring ( 3 rounds) , Fitness , Shadow Box (2 rounds) , Cool Down Stretch .

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.

Muay Thai truly has evolved from a battlefield art into a popular sport. It has recently been accepted as an official sport in Asian Games competition and the push is on to have it accepted as an official Olympic sport. It is becoming increasingly popular outside of Thailand and has enthusiasts and practitioners in the Americas, Australia, Africa, Japan, and Europe. The fighting tradition continues to be passed on and is spreading wide and far. The illustrious history of MuayThai is on a path to greater recognition and international popularity.

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