An Introduction To Muay Thai

Nowday, Muay Thai is one of the most popular sports in the world. There are a lot of television networks that broadcast Thai bouts on a weekly basis. All across the world, people have heard about it and possibly even witnessed it first hand or on television the furious punches, bone crushing elbows, lethal and piercing kicks, and the unforgettable knees. Although watching it on television is great, nothing begins to compare to seeing these moves executed live with thousands of fans cheering the fighters on. This goes to show why Muay Thai training is so popular and so lethal as well.






Arann Reongchai and Prasong Chaimeeboon Beginning a Match of a Muay Thai Boxinig

Muay Thai is a martial art that are rich in the proud heritage of an entire nation. The style is interwoven into the well known history of the Thai people. To protect what they had, the Thai people developed a fighting system of close combat techniques that were suited to the type of rough terrain they would be fighting in.

In the beginning, Muay Thai proved to be a dangerous and deadly art, with the fighters having no safety gear or protection all they had were lengths of cords in which they would wrap around their fists as gloves. As the years progressed, rules were written into the equation to establish some protection for the fighters. Today Muay Thai has progressed as both a martial art and a style, attracting people from all over the world. There are training facilities in Russia, the United States and Malaysia, with qualified instructors to help teach Muay Thai to interested students.

Normally, Thai bouts are fought with 5 three minute rounds, with a two minute rest period in between the rounds. All fights are preceded by a dance, which gives the contestants the opportunity to pay homage to their teachers. During the fights each Thai boxers wears armbands and a headband. The headband that fighters wear is believed to have been blessed by a monk or teacher, and will bestow luck upon the fighter.