Thai Boxing

Muay Thai or Thai Kick boxing, is not merely a sport or even a form of fighting but is also an aesthetic art form enacted to a background of music and thronged with ceremony and ritual. In Thai boxing,not only fists and elbows are used but also feet and knees but technique is more important than brute force.
There is no clear evidence as to the origin of Muay Thai in the Kingdom but legend has it that kick boxing was first practiced by soldiers in the army in the Ayutthaya era. Fighting in those days depended much on individual strength and ability, be it with swords, lances or bare hands. Soldiers confronted their enemies on close combat and all parts of the body could be used for defence including knees and elbows.
It is believed that kick boxing was originally practiced among royalty and hight courtiers and later became widespread among commoners who learned the art from their masters.
The first civilian to make Thai Kick Boxing known to outsiders was Nai Khanomtom, a citizen of Pa Moke village in Angthong province towards the end of the Ayutthaya Era. Nai Khanomtom was taken prisoner by the Burmese army and distinguished himself by defeating ten Burmese Boxers. It is said that the Burmese king had commended him on his ability and noted that even though the Thais fought without swords. Barehanded fighting could be very dangerous.
Towards the end of the Ayutthaya Era, when kick boxing was at its peak, many Thai kings had become proficient in the art General Taksin was known to have mastered this art of fighting.
Fighting without weapons soon became very popular and the number of Boxing camps increased in the community with Thai men learning kick boxing for both fighing with enemies and for self defence. As peace blessed the realm, kick boxing developed into a popular sport with competitions held among villages during religious festivals. Priap Muay, a challenge fight between two rival villages became a very exciting event in which a boxing arena was set up within the compound of the village temple or on open ground.
Bare-handed fighting was later replaced by khad Chuak in which the boxer’s hands were bound with string or white cotton. The match was timed by floating an empthy coconut sheel in water to mark the beginning of each round, The round ended when the shell filled with water and sank to the bottom.
The rules for Thai boxing were originally rather flexible. A boxer could attack his opponent even when he was on the ground, and while boxers rested between rounds, another pair of boxers took their turn. They would keep on alternating this way until the end of the day or until one side won the match.
Major changers to Muay Thai came about in 1918 when boxing gloves replaced the raw cotton strings used to tie the hands Universal match rules were enforced and boxing became a famous profession generating large revenues.
There are five principles in Thai boxing: physical and spiritual power, perseverance, swiftness, wit, and boxing art. Thai boxers pay much respect to their trainers or Khru and showing their devotion to the teachers in a ceremony known as Wai Khru is a customary practice before each match. During Wai Khru both sides will perform the wai three times out of respect for their father, mother and teacher the auspicious triple gem, and all sacred beings which may bless them to win.
One unique feature of Muay Thai is that each match is accompanied by music played on Java flute , drum and cymbal. During Wai Khru the beat is rather show and muted, but after the referee has finished explaing the rules of the match, the rhythm speeds up and the melody becomes louder adding to the excitement of the match.
There are two major boxing stadiums in Bangkok at Ratchadamnoen and Lumpini and professional bouts may be seen virtually every night of the week.