Thai boxing – translation of muay thai into Portuguese – would have emerged 2 thousand years ago based on Chinese wushu (or kung fu). Forced to leave China, farmers who found freedom and fertile land in present-day Thailand needed to fend off their powerful neighbor. Thus, the chupasart method of self-defense appeared, which used all kinds of weapons – swords, spears, axes, etc. To avoid mutilations and deaths in training, weapons were abolished. But the style remained violent. In muay thai, every blow aims to knock out the opponent. Throughout training, shins are punished until they become weapons. Until the beginning of the 20th century, Thai soldiers had to fight muay thai, and it was only from then on that he gained rules limiting his aggressiveness.
In muay thai, all strikes have the objective of injuring the opponent.
NO ATTACK
Direct blows aim to hit – and hurt – the opponent in vital points
KAO LOI
There are knees of all kinds, even flying. This one is used when the fighter is grabbing the opponent or to knock out weakened rivals
SOK
Among seven types of elbow strikes, the horizontal strike targets the eye area. The rival is bewildered and has difficulty seeing
HANUMAN
Punches are not as common as kicks, knees and elbows. However, they can come in a double dose – like in no other fight
IN DEFENSE
Shin and “stone” forearm obstruct the blows
PAK LOOK
In Muay Thai, no one is afraid of being beaten. The important thing is to resist the blows well. For the high kick, the best defense is throwing the forearm
KHUN YAK LAB JING
Against sequences of kicks and punches, sequences of defenses. The important thing is to have cold blood to wait for the right moment for the counterattack.
SANDA
Defending without getting hit is rare. This blow takes advantage of the opponent’s air to throw him to the ground with a kick to the supporting foot.
Thai boxing started tough and modernized without softening
OLD FASHIONED
Until the 1930s, Thais fought on any piece of floor – like Brazilians play ball even in their living room. In some tournaments sticks and swords were used and the clothes were very different: they fought barefoot and with ropes tied to their hands and forearms.
MODERN TIMES
The Thai government organized and transformed fighting into a sport in the 1930s. The model adopted was that of boxing: platforms with ropes, in closed places, a judge inside the ring and others marking the time and points of the fighters, in addition to athletes fighting with gloves
REMIX VERSION
Kickboxing, created in Japan in the 1950s, is a mixture of muay thai with karate, tae kwon do and savate (French boxing). The difference between kickboxing and muay thai is that in the “modern” version more punches are used and kicks below the chest are prohibited.
DIESEL NOI (1961-)
Measuring 1.88 m and weighing 62 kg, this Thai fighter fought for 17 years, accumulating 50 victories in 54 fights. Owner of what critics called “knees that opened holes in the sky”, Diesel led the golden age of muay thai in the 1970s. His agile and aggressive style made him a national idol in Thailand, influencing generations of fighters to this day.
TRADEMARK
Tae Glub Lang is the name of the classic muay thai spinning kick that ended up being incorporated by other styles. Without opening his guard, and with great speed, the fighter manages to do damage to the opponent’s head
• Muay Thai is known as the “art of eight weapons”: two fists, two elbows, two knees and two shins. The headbutt, the ninth weapon, was banned
• In Thailand, muay thai is as popular as football in Brazil. The fights are shown on TV and those who do well as a professional become celebrities and get rich.
• Tree bark, open coconuts or shells were tied with bands to protect the lower parts
• Most fights end in knockouts. Duels that last all five rounds – each three minutes long – are extremely rare.
• Kickboxing prohibits knees during the clinch, when fighters grapple. Other strikes are released!
Sources – Brazilian Confederation of Traditional Muaythai, Brazilian Confederation of Muaythai and World Muaythai Council