Muay Thai (also known as Thai boxing) is the cultural martial art of Thailand.  The origin of Muay Thai dates back several hundred years.  Muay Thai was developed as a form of close-combat that uses the entire body as a weapon.  Much of the history of Muay Thai was lost when the Burmese sacked Ayudhaya, the capital city of Siam (now known as Thailand) in the 14th century.  The Burmese looted the temples and depositories of knowledge held in the capital, and most written history was lost in that period.

Muay Thai teaches the student how to use elbow strikes, knee strikes, punches, kicks, and sweeps for offensive techniques to control and overcome an attacker.  Defensively, the concept of "wall of defense" is used, in which shoulders, arms and legs are used to hinder the attacker from successfully executing his techniques.  Blocking is a critical element in Muay Thai and compounds the level of conditioning a successful practitioner must possess.

Muay Thai has a heavy focus on body conditioning and pad work.  Muay Thai is specifically designed to promote the level of fitness and toughness required for ring competition.  Training regimens include running, shadowboxing, heavy bag work, rope jumping, medicine ball exercises, abdominal exercises and in some cases weight training.

MUAY THAI RULES

A Muay Thai contest is divided into no more than five rounds. Each round is three minutes long, with a two minute rest period in between. Contestants must weigh in before the fight.  Contestants must have been taught the art of Muay Thai boxing by a teacher. There must be a time keeper in every contest.

DRESS

Fighters must not wear any shoes or shirt.  One fighter must wear a blue pair of shorts and the other fighter must wear a red pair of shorts.

WAI KRU (paying respect to the teacher)

Wai Kru is an ancient Thai custom that demonstrates respect and gratitude.  There are a number of forms of the Wai Kru ceremony in Muay Thai.  Thais always hold their teachers to very high esteem, no matter what discipline they have embarked on.  Parents are believed to be everyone's original teachers and a special bond is believed to exist between those who study under the same teacher, which is regarded as being parallel to kinship.

APPROACHING THE RING

Thai people traditionally believe that unseen spirits inhabit everywhere. For this reason it is necessary to perform special rites before entering a Muay Thai boxing ring asking the spirits permission to do so, propitiating them and destroying any evil that may be lurking.  The ritual is thought to protect the fighter and lead him to victory.  During this ritual a fighter will determine through which nostril the breath is flowing more freely.  He will take his first step (avoiding the bottom stair) with the foot of that side, for good luck.

MUAY THAI CONTEST BEGINS

After the ritual dance, Muay Thai fighters return to their own corners.  They go to the center of the ring to be briefed by the referee regarding the rules and then return to their own corners for removal of the head circlet (mongkon).  On completion of this ritual the Muay Thai contest can begin.

MUSICAL ACCOMPANIMENT

The sarama or musical accompaniment is a sound recognized as a symbol of deference and respect.  This rhythmic music accompanies the Ram Muay as well as the contest itself.  The music is performed by four musicians each playing either one of two kinds of oboe, a pair of Thai drums or symbols.  The tempo of the music varies.  During the Ram Muay it is slow and stately to match the mood of the smooth and flowing ritual.  When the fight commences the tempo is increased. At moments of excitement during a match it becomes frenetic.  The music increases the atmosphere of the event and urges fighters to try even harder.

AMULET

Amulets are sacred and highly respected items believed to bestow blessings and protection. All Muay Thai fighters must use the mongkon, a head circlet, which is worn until completion of the Ram Muay ritual dance, and the prajed, a woven armband. The prajed contains a small Buddha image and is worn throughout the match.