Martial Arts Styles: Muay Thai

It's known by many names:

Thai Kick Boxing, Muay Thai Boxing, and Muay Thai Kick Boxing. It's also called the art of Eight Limbs because the hands, elbows, shins, and knees are all weapons in this fighting art.

Another thing you can call it is Devastating.

Potent and Effective

Muay-Thai is one of the most effective Martial Arts in the world for all-out Ass Kicking. It is not a kinder, gentler way to finess an opponent into Submission.

It's a "Total Brutal Body Beating" that takes the fight out of its victim. If you want to inflict punishment on every part of someone's body, from head to toe, Thai Kick Boxing has a way to do it.

If Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu has been equated to a chess match, Muay Thai could be equated to demolition derby. Thai Kick Boxing was born out of constant warfare between three different peoples in Southeast Asia:

  • The Siamese (modern day Thais), 
  • Burmese and 
  • Khmer people. 

These three were almost always at war with one another.

From Muay Boran to Muay Thai

Thai Boxing evolved out of its ancestor, Muay Boran (ancient boxing), which was a Combat Art that was used if a warrior lost his weapon in battle. The origins of Thai Kick Boxing are not clear.

One theory is that it was with the Thai people before they immigrated from China to Southeast Asia. Another theory is that it was taken from Khmer Martial Arts (Khmer were people who were already in the region when the Thai immigrated to Southeast Asia). And the third is that a little bit of both theories is true.

Thai Kick Boxers fought bare fisted. There was no grappling, only striking, and there were no weight divisions and not many rules. Early on the head could be used as a weapon, and groin Strikes were allowed. There were regional varieties of Muay Thai, each with its own style of fighting.

Changes over the years

Later when rounds were instituted the way they kept time was by a coconut with a hole drilled in it that was put into a water barrel and when the coconut filled with water and sank the round was over. Sometime during the Ayuthaya Era (1350-1767) came the introduction of Muay Kaad Chuek, or the use of hemp wrappings to protect the hands, and to make the fist harder.

It has been claimed that in some fights the fighters would dip their hands in glue and then in ground glass before the fight. As late as the 1920s these hemp wrappings were still being used. But after a Thai Boxer died from punches, a new rule was introduced that fighters had to wear gloves.

Thai Boxing Legends

There were several Thai boxing Champions who became legends throughout the centuries.

One of the most popular stories about a great Kick Boxing Champion was when Burma – now called Myanmar – had been at war with Thailand. Burma was holding a Thai Kick Boxing Champion named Nai Khanum Tom as a prisoner of war. The King of Burma was curious to see how a Thai Boxer would match up against the Burmese Martial Art of Leth Wei. Nai Khanum Tom was chosen to fight a Champion in Leth Wei.

The ring that they would fight in was set up in front of the King's throne. Before the fight Tom did the Wai Kru, the pre-fight dance that Thai Boxers do. At the start of the bout Tom rushed over and pummeled his opponent with fists, knees, shins, and elbows until he was out. The referee ruled that Tom's opponent was distracted by the pre-fight dance and so the K.O. was ruled invalid.

The King then asked Tom if he would fight 9 other Burmese Champions to prove himself. Tom agreed and beat all of them, one after another without any rest periods. His last fight was with a great Boxing instructor.

Tom destroyed him with kicks, and no one else wanted any part of Tom after that. The Burmese King was so impressed with Tom that he remarked "Every Part of the Thai is Blessed with Venom. Even with his bare hands he can fell 9 or 10 opponents."

Introduction of Western Boxing

In 1912 Western Boxing was brought to Thailand and it quickly spread throughout the country. The punches of Boxing (Jab, Hook, and Uppercut) were absorbed into Muay Thai Boxing; before this, the only punches in Thai Boxing were straight punches (Crosses) and a circular Strike with the arm straight out that used the heel of the palm to deliver the blow.

The introduction of Western Boxing upgraded the hand techniques and made them better weapons and made Thai Kick Boxing even more dangerous. Muay Thai Boxing has become a popular stand up style in Mixed Martial Arts competitions because its techniques work in real fights, not hypothetical situations.

Unique Techniques

Some of the techniques that are unique to that art are the Thai Round Kick, the Knee Strike, and Elbow Strikes.

Thai Round Kick

When the Thai Round kick (also called the Angle Kick) connects to the opponent's head, it is the kicking equivalent of the Haymaker in Boxing, a Fight Ender.

In executing the technique of this kick, the Thai Boxer swings his kicking leg in a circular motion and rotates his whole body, to put all his momentum into a kick that is probably the most effective in all of Martial Arts. When this kick lands to the head, the Force is equivalent to a juiced Barry Bonds hitting you with a Louisville Slugger. And the point of impact is not the foot – no, that wouldn't leave a lasting impression.

But a hardened Shin Bone that's been toughened by years of kicking anything from heavy-bags to banana trees will leave a vivid impression, on both the outside and inside of the recipient's Skull. And when the kick is targeted for an opponent's legs, two or three kicks can leave someone whose legs are not conditioned to take Strikes unable to stand.

The Muay Thai Round Kick is executed differently than a Round House Kick from Karate, or Tae Kwon Do. In these styles the knee is first brought up in front of the body and cocked, and then snapped to the target without rotating the hips. These kicks are faster but not as powerful; it's more like a hard slap compared to the Muay Thai version.

The downside to the Muay Thai Boxing Round Kick is if you dont make contact, the inertia that the Kick generates will carry your body around in a complete circle leaving yourself vulnerable to a counter attack.

Thai Clinch/Knee Strike

Also unique to Thai Kick Boxing is the Thai Clinch. This is a Standing Grappling - Striking technique, where you control your opponent's head by putting your hands behind their head and pressing their head down with your palms as you send your knee upward into a Collision Course with your opponent's head.

This maneuver is called a Knee Strike and it's another technique that makes Muay Thai the Wrecking Ball of Martial Arts. In an episode of Fight Science, techniques from different Martial Arts were used on a test dummy to see which was the most powerful, and could do the most damage. Martial Arts experts from Karate, Kung Fu, Tae Kwon Do, and Muay Thai participated.

Each Martial Artist used their most powerful technique. A Side Kick from Karate, a Flying Double Kick from Kung Fu, a Spinning Back Kick from Tae Kwon Do, and a Knee Strike from Muay Thai. The Muay Thai Knee Strike from Thai Boxing Champion Melchor Menor had the most force, the most power, and would have inflicted more damage than any of the other techniques.

So the conclusion must be that being in a Thai Clinch, waiting on a Knee Strike to arrive to your head, would put you in the unenviable position of being a live test dummy.

With all of the unique techniques that have been fine tuned to deliver Pain and Destruction to the human body, it's no wonder that Mixed Martial Artists have been adding Muay Thai to their training routine.

Muay Thai's Fighters Today

Greatest modern Muay Thai Fighters:

  • Apidej Sit Hirun - Possibly the most feared Kickers in Muay Thai history. At one time Hirun held 7 titles in Muay Thai and Boxing. Hirun once broke an opponents arm with a Kick.
  • Deiselnoi Chor Thanasukarn - One of the most Feared Fighters in Muay Thai, Dieselnoi's speciality was the Knee Kick.
  • Samart Payakaroon
  • Ramon Dekker
  • Coban Lookchaomaesaithong
  • Sagat Petchyindee
  • Poodpardnoi Woorawoot
  • Pol Prapradang

And Muay Thai Boxing has become one of the most popular stand up fighting styles in Mixed Martial Arts. Some great Mixed Martial Artists who are trained in Thai Kick Boxing include:

Each one of these fighters can do some Severe Damage when they go into the Muay Thai mode.



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