Muay Thai (Thai: มวยไทย, RTGS: muai thai, pronounced [mūa̯j tʰāj]), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, is a combat sport that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This discipline is known as the “art of eight limbs”, as it is characterised by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins. Muay Boran, a pre-modern form of Muay Thai, also allowed headbuds, eye-gouging and other deadly techniques which later become disalloed in modern Muay Thai. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by The Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (P.A.T), sanctioned by The Sports Authority of Thailand (S.A.T.).
Muay Thai is related to other martial art styles such as musti-yuddha, muay Chaiya, muay boran and also shares similarities with neighboring traditions such as muay Lao, lethwei, pradal serey and tomoi. Muay Thai developed from the traditional muay boran. A practitioner of muay Thai is known as a nak muay. Western practitioners in Thailand are sometimes called nak muay farang, meaning “foreign boxer”.
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Modern History
1909-1910: King Chulalongkorn formalized muay boran (“ancient boxing”) by awarding (in 1910) three muen to victors at the funeral fights for his son (in 1909). The region style: Lopburi, Korat and Chaiya.
1913: British boxing was introduced into the curriculum of the Suan Kulap College. The first descriptive use of the term “muay Thai”.
1919: British boxing and muay taught as one sport in the curriculum of the Suan Kulap College. Judo was also offered.
1921: First permanent ring in Siam at Suan Kulap College. Used for both muay and British boxing.
1923: Suan Sanuk Stadium. First international style three-rope ring with red and blue padded corners, near Lumpinee Park. Muay and British boxing.
King Rama VII (r. 1925–1935) pushed for codified rules for muay and they were put into place. Thailand’s first boxing ring was built in 1921 at Suan Kulap. Referees were introduced and rounds were now timed by kick. Fighters at the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium began wearing modern gloves, as well as hard groin protectors, during training and in boxing matches against foreigners. Traditional rope-binding (khat chueak) made the hands a hardened, dangerous striking tool. The use of knots in the rope over the knuckles made the strikes more abrasive and damaging for the opponent while protecting the hands of the fighter.[10] This rope-binding was still used in fights between Thais but after 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 came to be known as “muay boran”, which is now performed primarily as an exhibition art form.
Muay Thai was at the height of its popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. Top fighters commanded purses of up to 200,000 baht and the stadia where gambling was legal drew big gates and big advertising revenues. In 2016, a payout to a superstar fighter was about 100,000 baht per fight,[11] but can range as high as 540,000 baht for a bout.
In 1993, the International Federation of Muaythai Amateur, or IFMA was inaugurated. It became the governing body of amateur muay Thai consisting of 128 member countries worldwide and is recognised by the Olympic Council of Asia.
In 1995, the World Muaythai Council, the oldest and largest professional sanctioning organisations of muay Thai, was established by the Thai government and sanctioned by the Sports Authority of Thailand.
In 1995, the World Muay Thai Federation was founded by the merger of two existing organisations, and established in Bangkok, becoming the federation governing international muay Thai. In August 2012, it had over 70 member countries. Its president is elected at the World Muay Thai Congress.
In 2006, muay Thai was included in SportAccord with IFMA. One of the requirements of SportAccord was that no sport can have a name of a country in its name. As a result, an amendment was made in the IFMA constitution to change the name of the sport from “muay Thai” to “muaythai” —written as one word in accordance with Olympic requirements.
Thai Fight in 2012
In 2014, muay Thai was included in the International World Games Association (IWGA) and was represented in the official programme of The World Games 2017 in Wrocław, Poland.
In January 2015, muay Thai was granted the patronage of the International University Sports Federation (FISU) and, from 16 to 23 March 2015, the first University World Muaythai Cup was held in Bangkok.
In 2020, there are more than 3,800 Thai boxing gyms overseas.
Muay Thai has been regarded in Thailand as a working-class sport and famous nak muays tend to be recruited from a poor, working-class backgrounds. Traditionally, gifted Thai boxers (nak muays) tended to come from the central part of Thailand, for example Samart Payakarun and Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn. Today, however, the Isan region in the northeast has produced a number of famous muay Thai boxers, such as Buakaw Banchamek. Due to the poor living standard of people in Northeastern Thailand, Muay Thai has become an important mode of livelihood for poor families where a healthy boy can compete in local matches and bring money home.
