| Muay Thai involves boxing techniques, hard kicking, and | | | | Muay Boran is divided to Muay ThaSao (North), Muay |
| knee and elbow strikes. Low kicks to the thighs are a | | | | Korat (Esarn or NorthEast), Muay Lobburee (Center |
| very distinguishing technique used frequently in Muay | | | | region), Muay Chaiya (South) |
| Thai. Stand up grappling is also used and allowed in the | | | | There are a phrase about Muay Thai Boran that |
| ring. Muay Thai practitioners develop a very high level | | | | "Punch Korat, Wit Lobburee, Posture Chaiya, Faster |
| of physical conditioning developed by its practitioners. | | | | Thasao" |
| The origins of this martial art and sport are thought to | | | | Muay Korat emphasizes in strength. There are one |
| stretch back to the wars with the Burmese during the | | | | technique call "Throwing buffalo punch". It was call like |
| 15th century. Thailand's first famous boxer was one, | | | | this since it can defeat the buffalo in one blow. |
| 'Nai Khanom Tom' , who was a famous practitioner of | | | | Muay Lobburee emphasizes in clever movements. Its |
| Muay Thai. Around 1774, he was captured along with | | | | strength point is the straight and turned punch. |
| other Thai prisoners, either in a skirmish or at the fall of | | | | Muay Chaiya emphasizes in posture, defending. It's |
| the ancient capital of Siam of Ayutthaya. He was | | | | difficult for opponent to attack. Muay Chaiya stress in |
| brought to Rangoon in Burma, where the Burmese | | | | elbows and knees. |
| King Mangra was holding a religious festival in honor of | | | | Muay Thasao emphasizes in speed. Muay Thasao |
| Buddha's relics. The festivities included many forms of | | | | stress in speeding kick. Cause of their faster speed, |
| entertainment. King Mangra was reported to be | | | | this Muay Boran was call "Ling Lom" (windy monkey or |
| curious to see how the various fighting styles of | | | | Loris) |
| Burma and other countries would compare. At one | | | | Muay Thai in present is different from the past. Muay |
| point, he wanted to see how Muay Boran would | | | | Thai Boran (Old Muay Thai) use the wit in fighting. It's |
| compare to the Burmese art Lethwei. Nai Khanomtom | | | | not like Muay Thai in today that all the fighters |
| was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. | | | | emphasize in strength. |
| Nai Khanomtom did a Wai Kru pre-fight dance which | | | | During the late 1920s and 30s Muay Thai training was |
| puzzled all of the Burmese. When the fight began, he | | | | developed. Gyms were constructed and punch bags |
| charged out and using punches, kicks, elbows, and | | | | and balls became widely available. The use of training |
| knees, quickly pummeled the Burmese. | | | | gloves and contest gloves became the norm. Muay |
| The referee was reported to have stated that the | | | | Thai became a favourite sport and pastime. Every |
| Burmese opponent was distracted by the Wai Kru, so | | | | village staged prize fights and people from all walks of |
| the knockout was invalid. The King then asked if Nai | | | | life flocked to training camps. |
| Khanomtom would fight nine other Burmese | | | | The basic techniques include punch techniques (jab, |
| champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought | | | | straight right/cross, hook and uppercut), elbow |
| them all, one after the other with no rest periods | | | | techniques (horizontal, diagonal-upwards, |
| between fights. The last Burmese was reputed to be | | | | diagonal-downwards, uppercut, downward, |
| a great boxing teacher. Nai Khanomtom defeated | | | | backward-spinning and flying) and kicking techniques |
| them all in a superior fashion. | | | | (push kick, roundhouse kick, etc.). |
| King Mangra was so impressed that he remarked, | | | | The training program is base on your muaythai level . |
| "Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even | | | | Regular program ( 2 Hrs ) is include : Warm Up/Stretch |
| with his bare hands, he can fell nine or ten opponents. | | | | , Run ( 1 - 10 Km. ) , Skip (15 Minutes) , Shadow Box (3 |
| As his lord master was incompetent, the country was | | | | rounds) , Bag Work (3 rounds) , Pad Work (3 rounds) , |
| lost to the enemy. If his lord had been any good, there | | | | Clinching/Sparring ( 3 rounds) , Fitness , Shadow Box |
| was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have | | | | (2 rounds) , Cool Down Stretch . |
| fallen." | | | | Nowadays the Muay Thai ring is the same size as that |
| He granted Nai Khanomtom freedom along with either | | | | used for Western boxing, 24 foot square. The floor of |
| riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai | | | | the ring is wooden with canvas-covered matting. |
| Khanomtom chose the wives as he said that money | | | | Traditionally the four sides of the ring are aligned with |
| was easier to find. He then departed with his wives for | | | | the points of a compass. The red corner points NW, |
| Siam. Other variations of this story had him also | | | | the blue SE. The other two corners are white. These |
| winning the release of his fellow Thai prisoners. His | | | | colours are derived from Western boxing and were |
| feat is celebrated every March 17 as "Boxer's Day" or | | | | introduced in the 1920s. The red corner is usually |
| "National Muay Thai Day" in his honor and that of | | | | assigned to the defending champion or the contestant |
| Muay Thai's. | | | | thought to have the advantage. |