LOWKICK CAMP
MUAY THAI & FITNESS
WHAT IS MUAY THAI
Muay Thai 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 characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late-20th to 21st century, when Westernized 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
Muay Thai is related to other martial art styles such as Muay Chaiya, Muay Boran, 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'.
HISTORY OF MUAY THAI
The history of Muay Thai can be traced at least to the 16th century Siam kingdom as a peace-time martial art practiced by the soldiers of King Naresuan. An exhibition of Muay Thai was observed and reported by Simon de la Loubère, a French diplomat who was sent by King Louis XIV to the Kingdom of Siam in 1687, in his famous work "Du Royaume de Siam" (1688). During battles between the Burmese of the Konbaung Dynasty and the Ayutthaya Kingdom Burmese–Siamese War (1765–1767)[12] Muay Boran, and therefore Muay Thai, was originally called by more generic names such as Toi Muay or simply Muay. As well as being a practical fighting technique for use in actual warfare, Muay became a sport in which the opponents fought in front of spectators who went to watch for entertainment. These Muay contests gradually became an integral part of local festivals and celebrations, especially those held at temples. Eventually, the previously bare-fisted fighters started wearing lengths of hemp rope around their hands and forearms. This type of match was called Muay Khat Chueak
NAI KHANOM TOM (THE FATHER OF MUAY THAI)
According to the folklore story, the urban legend started being told by Thai people in 1767 around the time of the fall of the ancient Siamese capital of Ayutthaya, the invading Burmese troops rounded up thousands of Siamese citizens. They then organized 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, comedies and sword fighting matches. According to the story, at one point,
King Mangra wanted to see how the Thai fighter would compare to their fighter. Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the King's chosen champion and the boxing ring was set up in front of the throne. When the fight began,
Nai Khanomtom charged out, using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees to pummel his opponent until he collapsed. The King supposedly asked if Nai Khanomtom would fight nine other Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought one after the other with no rest periods. His last opponent was a great kickboxing teacher from Rakhine State who Nai Khanomtom defeated with kicks. King Mangra was so impressed that he allegedly remarked that "Every part of the Siamese is blessed with venom. Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or ten opponents. But his Lord was incompetent and lost the country to the enemy. If he had been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen.
To commemorate the Nai Khanom Tom's story, the Muay Thai Festival and Wai Khru Muay Thai Ceremony is staged annually every year on March 17th.
MUAY THAI CULTURE
MONGKOL
Why wear a Muay Thai fighters the Mongkol?
The Mongkol is a blessed headband and thus a talisman. It is worn during the Wai Khru ceremony in the ring. For the fight it is however not worn. The coach of each fighter takes the Mongkol from the head and hangs it in the corner. This brings the fighters luck and protects him from possible dangers. So the mogkol is a highly spiritual object in Muay Thai.
The importance of the Mongkon for the fighters:
Traditionally, fighters receive their Mongkon from the coach when they trained hard enough and are ready to represent the Muay Thai Camp in the ring with honor. The coach must be fully convinced of the skills of his Muay Thai student. Fighters wear the Mongkon also for paying respect to the coach, the Muay Thai school, and the sport itself. In addition, so that the gratitude and solidarity to all people is expressed, which accompanied the fighters on the difficult path to the fight.
PRA JIAD (ARMBANDS)
Pra Jiad is a type of armband worn by Muay Thai athletes. In the past, their use was to give confidence and luck to the athletes, and was usually made by the fighter's close family member (mother, father, etc.). Some fighters wear one Pra Jiad, some wear two. Some schools also use color-coded pra jiads to show rank, similar to belts in karate. Today, some gyms will give Pra Jiad to their athletes to boost their confidence.
Traditionally, pra jiads were kept in high or well revered places, as it was thought that if someone stepped over it, or dropped it, it would lose its mystical power.
WAIKHRU (RAM MUAY)
Wai Khru ram muay is a ritual performed by participants before fighting in Muay Thai competitions.
Wai Khru is a universal concept that exists in almost all of Thai performance art - from Thai traditional music to classical Khon dance and fighting arts, such as krabi krabong and Muay Thai. The wai is a traditional Thai greeting with the palms together as a sign of respect. Khru is the Thai form of the Sanskrit word guru meaning 'teacher'. Ram is the Thai word for dancing in classical style, and muay means 'boxing'. The full term can therefore be translated as 'war-dance saluting the teacher', but Thai speakers generally shorten it either to wai khru or ram muay. The Ram Muay shows respect and gratitude to the boxer's teacher, parents, and ancestors. In the days when boxers fought in front of the royalty, the ram muay also paid respect to the king.
Upon entering the ring, fighters circle the ring in a counter-clockwise direction and pray at each corner. They bow their heads at every corner three times in salutation to Buddha, Dharma, and the sangha of monks. They then commence the ram muay, the movements of which are said to be based on Hanuman. The ram muay is a personal ritual, ranging from the very complex to the very simple, and often contains clues about who trained the fighter and where the fighter is from. The ram muay is accompanied by music, providing a rhythm to the boxer's movements.
