Translated in English as Thai boxing, Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand; a martial art with origins in the historic battlefields of the Siamese (Thai) military.
It evolved from Krabi Krabong — a Thai weapon-based martial art also used in the military. Early Muay Thai bouts would pit soldiers from different sections of the Siamese army against each other in unarmed combat (Muay Boran) with few rules and no weight divisions, rounds or time limits. They gained popularity and were eventually shown in stadiums across the country.
Although the history of Muay Thai in various forms is said to go back more than a thousand years, its first known practice as a sport came about in the reign of King Naresuan the Great (1590-1605) who was a proficient fighter himself and made the martial art a mandatory part of military training. It wasn’t until the 1920s that the sport was codified, with official rules and regulations created and introduced into the sporting world.
As with all martial arts that hit the mainstream, the Muay Thai rulebook is constantly growing and fight durations are getting shorter, as is the time allowed to clinch. This is done to keep the sport entertaining for the general public and not just for enthusiasts. Today, a typical stadium bout consists of five three-minute rounds in which fighters use punches, elbows, kicks and knees, as well as clinching (stand-up grappling with knee, elbow and punch strikes) and sweeping throws.
Traditionally, fighters wrapped their hands and forearms in rope — reminiscent of the Ancient Greek Himantes — to make attacks and defences more effective. However, this practice is scarce in modern day Muay Thai since the sport’s adoption of certain Marquess of Queensberry boxing rules in the 1920s, introducing rings and gloves to replace courtyards and ropes.
During the latter half of the 20th century, Muay Thai was exported to many countries around the world and is now practiced by hundreds of thousands and continues to grow — particularly with the popularity it has gained through the rise of MMA and the UFC in particular.
In Thailand though, Muay Thai is more than just a fight between two people. It’s also a major gambling event. So much so that the gamblers in the stadium directly influence the decisions the fighters make. When a fighter is losing, between rounds certain gamblers will often shout out that if he wins they will give him a large sum of money (100,000 baht or so). Understandably the fighter comes out with more hunger — sometimes enough to steal the fight.
It is also very common to see fighters no longer fighting in the fifth and final round, and rather circling the ring with their hands up, or even shadow boxing. This generally happens if the fight was close and neither fighter wants the judges to think that he needs to continue fighting to win. The decision to do this is usually heavily influenced by the gamblers who all gather on one side of the stadium and are overwhelmingly vocal. It really is a cultural experience to cherish.
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