Muay Thai (inThai: มวยไทย), also known as Thai boxing, Thai boxing or Thai boxing, is a martial art andcombat sportsin full contact which has its origins inMae Mai Muay Thai(Muay Boran), an ancient Thai wrestling technique. It uses a wide range of standing percussion and techniquesclinch.

The discipline is known as "the art of the eight weapons" or "the science of the eight limbs" because it allows the two contenders who challenge each other to use combinations of punches, kicks, elbows and knees, then eight parts of the body used as points of contact with respect to the two of theboxing, or to the four of thekick boxing, with an intense athletic and mental preparation that makes the difference in full contact clashes.

The original Muay Thai became popular in the 16th century at home, but only spread internationally in the 20th century, after some regulatory changes and when several Thai boxers successfully confronted representatives of variousmartial arts.

The word Muay, which means "fighting", "boxing" or even "wrestling", comes from theSanskritMavya which means "to join together"; the word Thai is instead an adjective of national origin, whose original meaning is "[people] free" (in a similar way to the meaning of the name offrancs). The term Muay Thai can therefore be translated as "Thai fight / boxing / fight / fight" or "Thai fight". In English the name is often translated as "thai boxing". Sometimes this creates confusion because it is thought that there is a difference between muay thai and thai boxing, with the latter being a Western regulatory variant. In reality the two terms are synonymous and indicate the same discipline.

A muay thai practitioner is known as Nak Muay. Western practitioners are sometimes called Nak MuayFarang, which means "foreign boxer"

History and diffusion of Muay Thai

Muay Thai originates in the ancient Kingdom of Siam (currentThailand) and, as with the rest of the other martial arts, its origins are lost in the most remote and mysterious past made up of wars and raids. The invasion with which iBurmeseended theKingdom of Ayutthaya, razing thecapital of the same name, caused the destruction of a large part of the historical and cultural archives. The news on ancient Siam is based on the few writings saved from destruction and on the chronicles of neighboring kingdoms, and therefore cannot be considered fully reliable. On the controversial history of the peoplethaiand the mysterious birth of Muay Thai there are two theories: the first argues that the people of the Ao-Lai were forced to defend themselves from the continuous attacks of marauders and peoples in the territories they crossed during the migratory period (Tibetans,Chinese,Khmer, Burmese and others); the second states that the Ao-Lai people were already present in those territories and that they had to defend themselves from the invasions of neighboring peoples.

Taking the first theory into consideration, it is said that everything originated around the1st centuryfrom the Ao-Lai tribe, which around the year200 BCmigrated from the north ofIndiaup to the valley ofMekongto then reach what would become the Kingdom of Siam, passing through theTibeteast, south of the rich valleys of todayYunnan, in southwest China, from where they moved in all directions reaching the borders of the empire and then pointing south again; at this point the people of the Ao-Lai divided into three groups:

• Theshan, who settled in the north-east of todayBurma
• The Ahom, who headed east toVietnam
• The Ao-Lai who kept the name and headed for the land that would become their homeland, the "Kingdom of Siam"

For defensive purposes the Ao-Lai created a fighting style that involved the use of weapons and hand-to-hand combat calledKrabi Krabong. Around1700the two different fighting styles split and became;

• Krabi Krabong, the style that involved the use of weapons (sword,launches,javelin, dagger, stick).
• Muay Thai, the style of hand-to-hand combat that involved the use of the arms (elbows, forearms), hands (fingers and knuckles), legs (tibia and knees), head and feet (sole, back and heels) .

The history of this ancientmartial artit goes hand in hand with the history of the nation and consequently muay thai has undergone considerable changes over the years, until it reaches its present form. Following this historical path it can be seen that like all martial arts also muay thai originated in the Chinese templeShaolin, and its first traces can be placed in the historical period that preceded theKingdom of Sukhothai(200 BC-1238) and attribute to Indian Buddhist monks, who were sent to the region calledDvaravati(which extended into today's Lower Burma,Central ThailandisCambodiaOriental).

At the same time the migration of the Ao-Lai people began with an inexorable encounter with the local populations where there was an integration and cultural exchange and the spread of muay thai began. After this period there was theit was Sukhothai(1238 -1377), the city became the capital of the Siamese people and also assumed great religious importance. In this period muay thai was known as Mai Si Sok, it became essential for soldiers in wartime, while it was used as a defense system and as training to keep in constant shape in peacetime. Also in these years the kingRamkhamhaengwrote theTamrab - Pichei - Songkram, the book to learn the art of war.

Later theMai Si Soktook the name ofPahuyuthinit was Ayutthaya(1377 -1767). The capital of the kingdom became the city of Ayutthaya and Pahuyuth became fundamental in the countless wars against the peoples of the neighboring kingdoms, also becoming a fundamental element to raise one's social position as it was practiced not only in the villages but also and above all at the royal court . The same kings, fascinated and enraptured by the beauty of Pahuyuth, practiced it and nicknamed it "the art of kings". The most legendary of these rulers wereNaresuan(1590-1605, during whose reign the Siamese people were nicknamed "the people of the eight arms") eSanpeth VIII, later known as Phra Buddha Chao Sua (inItalianthe Tiger King) for ferocity in combat (1703-1709). In this particular period we can witness a first important phase of the transformation of Pahayuth towards contemporary sports muay thai.

Before then it was only used in warfare, and then became also an effective defense system, and then moved on to a sporting form that took the name ofDhee MuayorDhoi Muay. The contenders faced each other in front of an audience on the occasion of religious celebrations or holidays and the duels took place inside the courts or squares. These matches had no time limits, they had no weight categories and the contenders faced each other without protection. The matches ended by KO, by the death of the opponent or by abandonment and very often the wrestlers were forced to face more matches on the same day. The rulers were so fascinated by Pahuyuth that they created a particular platoon that developed the muay Luang, a very technical and sophisticated form of Pahuyuth that served to protect the royal family and defend the homeland. The officers of this platoon took the name ofDhamruot Luang,Gong Tanai LuakorGrom Nak Muay.

Only later, when the meetings were now on the agenda, was the use ofKaad Chiek, protections for forearms and hands made of unrefined hemp rope which, in addition to protecting the athlete, served to increase the incidence of blows with theGon Hoi(additions of hemp rope on the knuckles that formed protuberances). The effectiveness of the blows was further increased by wetting the Kaad Chiek before the encounters, which by drying they hardened more. It is said that only in certain circumstances and with the consent of the fighters, the Kaad Chiek were immersed in resin, or in any other type of gluey substance, and then sprinkled with abrasive material such as fragments of glass or stone, thus making the hands deadly weapons. Only later were the rope bandages with knots on the knuckles introduced, in place of the Kaad Chiek, and then passed on to gloves. In these years, thanks to the practice of Pahuyuth, the Siamese army was much feared by neighboring peoples, but this did not stop Burma, which in 1767 managed to conquer the city of Ayutthaya, giving rise to the "legend of Nai Khanom Tom.

Muay Thai during the Rattanakosin period

In the three successive historical phases, that ofThomburi(1767 -1782), in the 1st periodRattanakosin(1782 -1868) and 2nd Rattanakosin period (1868 -1925), the capital of Siam was moved along the banks of the riverChao Phraya. After 15 years ofThonburi, was moved to the opposite bank of the river, in present day Bangkok, in a small village that was enlarged and renamed before KrungRattanakosinand later a long ceremonial name whose first part, Krung Thep Maha Nakorn, is still the official name ofBangkok. In the Rattanakosin era the Pahayuth took the name of Mae Mai Muay Thai or Mai Muay Thai and during this period it had its consecration. It was introduced in schools as a subject of study and remained there until1921. In these years everyone wanted to practice Mae Mai Muay Thai, each country organized celebrations and parties during which there were performances of Mai Muay Thai. This involved an inevitable confrontation between fighters from different regions, each of which had its own fighting style. According to a historical reconstruction, three were the most important currents of regional styles that influenced modern muay thai, those ofKorat,LopburiisChaya.

• Korat's style involved a low and very stable guard with very powerful punches and kicks, performed in combination of two or three strikes. Kaad Chieks were used that covered the athlete for the entire length of the forearm, thus increasing the effectiveness of the attacks in attack and greatly improving the defense.
• The Lopburi was based on the speed and accuracy of execution of a sequence of four, five shots. The guard, unlike the Korat style, is very high and less stable and this allows for greater agility, (main characteristics of the Hanuman style). The Kaad Chieks covered only the hands with reinforcements on the knuckles (gon hoi).
• The Chaya was a style that involved blows of the elbow, knee, punches and particular kicks, strikes of encounter with continuous lateral movements, retreats and advances. The Kaad Chiek completely covered the forearms and there were reinforcements (gon hoi) on the hands and knuckles.

In addition to these three styles, there was the one called Muay Pra Na Korn. This style derives from the fusion of the previous three, which occurred at the beginning of the Rattanakosin era. The execution of the blows could be very fast or very powerful, even the guard could change according to the evolution of the fight. The Kaad Chieks completely covered the hands and forearms. In this period the first permanent arenas for fighting were built, only after 1925 did the need to have precise rules developed. Only after1945weight categories, rounds, gloves to protect the hands and theseashellfor the genitals (initially made of bark, later a sea shell wrapped in a cloth and then becoming what is used today), the meetings moved to the rings and the streets and squares were abandoned.

After the arenas, the stadiums were built, among the most important are the Rajadamnern Stadium (built between1941and 1945 and inaugurated on 23 August of the same year) and the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium (built after the war and inaugurated on 8 December of1956). Mae Mai Muay Thai definitively took the name Muay Thai in the period in which the kingdom became oneconstitutional monarchywith the so-calledSiamese revolution of 1932, which on June 24, 1939 was renamed the Kingdom of Thailand ("land of free men"). During theSecond World Warit went back to being called Siam and then became Thailand again and permanently on 11 May1949. Only after theseventiesmuay thai was practiced and began to spread in the western world.

Classification of practitioners

• I KAN prajied white
• II KAN prajied yellow
• III KAN prajied yellow and white
• IV KAN prajied green
• V KAN prajied green and white
• VI KAN prajied blue
• VII KAN prajied blue and white
• VIII KAN prajied brown
• IX KAN prajied brown and white
• X KAN mongkon red
• XI KAN 1st level mongkon red and white (basic instructor trainee)
• XI KAN 2nd level mongkon red and white (advanced instructor trainee)
• XII KAN 1st level mongkon red and yellow (basic instructor)
• XII KAN 2nd level mongkon red and yellow (advanced instructor)
• XIII KAN 1st level mongkon red and silver (high basic instructor)
• XIII KAN 2nd level mongkon red and silver (high advanced instructor)
• XIV KAN mongkon silver (master)
• XV KAN mongkon silver and gilded (assistant to the grand master)
• XVI KAN gilded mongkon (grand master)
• XVII KAN mongkon gilded (grand master)
  

XVIII KAN gilded mongkon (grand master)

XIX KAN mongkon gilded (grand master)