Muay Thai
From Karate, Kungfu, Wrestling, Mixed Fighting Information Source
Help Wikimartialarts.org to expand this topic
Muay Thai (Thai Boxing, The Art of Eight Limbs) is what the Thai people call their most famous martial art. The art of Muay Thai has been the country's most popular spectator sport for hundreds of years. It is unique among fighting disciplines in its approach to close-quarters fighting, as fighters are more extensively trained in use of their elbows and knees than in other martial arts. This martial art is practiced all over Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Cambodia, Myanmar and The Philippines, often under different names.
Contents |
History
Muay Thai evolved from the far deadlier Thai martial art of Muay Boran, which may itself be derived from Pradal Serey (Khmer Kickboxing). At first, Muay Thai and Muay Boran were the martial arts of the Thai military. In modern times, however, the Thai military has switched to training its soldiers in another Thai martial art, Lerdrit. The rules and equipment of the modern sport of Muay Thai were codified under the supervision of King Rama VII in the first half of the 20th century, making the sport safer and far less deadly.
The Practice of Muay Thai
Muay Thai is a self-defense martial art which includes sport fighting to hone students' skills. However, some techniques learned in the self-defense training are prohibited from sport competition as they are considered too likely to cause serious injury.
Techniques
Muay Thai uses punches (including jabs, crosses, hooks, uppercuts, and spinning backfists), kicks (predominantly round kicks delivered with the shins), and especially various kinds of knee and elbow strikes. There is no weapons training in traditional Muay Thai. Self-defense against weapons is taught, and many schools also teach grappling and ground fighting (Ling Lom), though these techniques are proscribed from sport Muay Thai. Training centers on the heavy bag, pad work and sparring. Much time is spent on clinch fighting.
Muay Thai as Sport
Sport Muay Thai consists of fights of 5 rounds, 3 minutes each. The scoring is a "ten-point must" system, the same as in Western boxing and kickboxing. Punches and elbow strikes may be delivered anywhere above the waist. Kicks and knees may be delivered to any part of the body but the groin. Throws are allowed but do not win points for a fighter. Much fighting is done in the clinch. Muay Thai teaches several different kinds of clinch, but by far the most commonly used has a fighter put both hands, one over the other, on the back of the opponent's neck. From this position, a fighter may pull down the opponent's head and deliver knee strikes to the face, chest, or stomach. Strikes to the back of the head/neck are illegal.
Round kicks in Muay Thai are delivered with the shins, which is thought to inflict more pain upon the opponent than landing with the foot. Jumping and flying knee strikes are also used extensively. A foot jab (teep) is used which is similar to the front kick found in other martial arts.
| Thai Martial Arts | |
|---|---|
| Krabi Krabong | Lerdrit | Muay Thai | Muay Boran | |
