Muay Thai
Muay Thai is the sport of Thai kickboxing. Utilizing 8 weapons in combat (2 fists, 2 elbows, 2 knees, and 2 legs) it is a powerful and versatile striking art. With the rapid growth of MMA, Muay Thai is becoming a key component for fighters because of the power and ferocity of the strikes.
Once an unknown art in many parts of the world, Muay Thai is quickly spreading across the globe. Thai boxing gyms are becoming more and more frequent as people are drawn to this vigorous sport. Muay Thai is used as a form of exercise, self defense, fight training, and also for strength and conditioning.
However, Muay Thai is more than just fighting; it also a major part of Thai culture. It is the national sport of Thailand, and there are many cultural and spiritual aspects tied directly to the art itself.
Muay Boran
In Thai, Muay Boran translates to Ancient Boxing. This is an umbrella term for the unarmed art of hand to hand combat. In ancient Siam when soldiers lost or broke their weapons, they were required to utilize the 9 weapons of the human body. Hands (Mahd), Elbows (Sok), Knees (Khao), Legs (Tao), and Head (Sisa) were used efficiently to stop and disable their opponents. Muay Boran is the term for the unarmed combative system of Thailand before becoming a modern day sport. It was also used in competition to represent the strength and style of each region, and also as a means of selecting the King’s personal guards.
Today Muay Boran is taught to preserve the knowledge, teachings, and traditions of Thai culture. It is considered a specialty martial art, but it is essentially the same as Muay Thai. The difference lies in the teaching methods, movement explanation, and the focus on tradition. The style that I teach is based on the curriculum standards of the Kru Muay Thai Association of Thailand.
