What is Muay Thai? Everything About The Pride Of Thailand

Bangkok’s Lumpini Stadium is now almost considered the “holy ground” to the masses of Muay Thai fighters, local and foreign. An integrated system of weight-classes, absolute rules and championships was brought to life in the years ahead as the organization of the sport began to resemble boxing. Muay Thai is also steeped in spiritual traditions, and fights used to be held at Thai Buddhist temples. Before each match, fighters perform a traditional dance called Wai Khru Ram Muay, and they wear a headband called Mongkon and armbands called Pra Jiad for good luck. Muay Thai fighters usually start their professional career as children between the ages of eight and fourteen and compete frequently, sometimes weekly.

• Soft tissue injuries are the most common form of injury in muay Thai, comprising between 80 and 90% of all injuries.
• The ancient Siamese martial art is a bit harder to learn but when you master it, you’ll be able to defend like a professional.
• Standing in the same spot like a statue is basically imploring your opponent to get stuck into you.
• You can do some shadow boxing or light sparring with a training partner to test the waters.
• As a beginner, it’s nice to train alongside others who are also starting out.

Each session lasts from 1 to 2 hours and incorporates multiple rounds of shadow boxing, heavy bagwork, padwork, strength training and conditioning exercises. A traditional training for fighters will even include a 3-5km run as a warm-up. Clearly, training in Muay Thai regularly will improve overall fitness and strengthen the body .

An essential tool in any Muay Thai competitor’s arsenal, the low kick provides fighters with an exceptionally versatile tool. By targeting either the inner or outer part of your opponent’s leg, you can deliver a shot that is not only debilitating to their movement and balance but can also stop a fight. Yes, this punch is unlikely to knock an opponent out or earn a fighter a place in the highlight reel of the year.

https://thenewsgod.com/the-ascent-of-muay-thai-in-thailand-a-rich-cultural-spread-and-sporting-force/ techniques can be generally classed into attack, defense, and counter technique. To become adept in Muay Thai requires constant practise, drilling the techniques over and over until they form part of muscle memory. Muay Thai training is extremely demanding on the body, so if you train regularly, it’s likely to improve your fitness and strength – you may also lose weight. However if you progress to sparring and competitive fighting, then the risk of injury from strikes becomes a lot greater. By the late 1920s, Muay Thai was being trained all over the world, as well as continuing to be the national sport of Thailand.

When the activity is interesting, there is more motivation and incentive to train. Whether for recreation or fitness, Muay Thai is an ideal activity that is fun and fulfilling. The main punch techniques include the straight lead punch (jab), straight rear punch (cross), uppercut, hook, overhead punch, and spinning back fist. Punching power is generated with speed from the feet up, through shifting of weight, and rotation of the hip and shoulders.

Over hundreds of years, as the martial art developed – so did its role as a ring sport across Siam. In the past, Thai fighters would use pretty dangerous methods like kicking banana trees and rolling metal bars up the shin. Exercises like skipping, press-ups, squats, burpees, repeated kicks and punches, are tied together into sequences, with the coach often pressing classes to move faster and perform movements properly. As fitness is a huge factor in the effectiveness of a Thai boxer, they incorporate HIIT style exercises into their training sessions. Both people wear boxing gloves, shin guards, gum shields and groin protectors. Padwork is a staple of Muay Thai training and requires one participant to hold a pair of pads (the pad man), whilst a second participant strikes the pads (the attacker).

Training specific to a Thai fighter includes training with coaches on Thai pads, focus mitts, heavy bag, and sparring. Daily training includes many rounds (3–5 minute periods broken up by a short rest, often 1–2 minutes) of these various methods of practice. Thai pad training is a cornerstone of muay Thai conditioning that involves practicing punches, kicks, knees, and elbow strikes with a trainer wearing thick pads covering the forearms and hands. These special pads (often referred to as Thai pads) are used to absorb the impact of the fighter’s strikes and allow the fighter to react to the attacks of the pad holder in a live situation. The trainer will often also wear a belly pad around the abdominal area so that the fighter can attack with straight kicks or knees to the body at any time during the round.

Muay Thai gyms are great places to make friends if you’re new to an area, so ask if there are regular events that everyone gets involved with. If you can find someone who welcomes you to the gym for your first session, and then takes you through some of the basics before you start the class, you could be on to a winner. Your ideal coach is passionate about the sport and their students. They’ll also be patient, attentive, and try to divide their time equally among the people they teach.

Fighters are usually given nicknames that they use for their entire career, followed by the gym they train at. For example, Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn was given the name ‘Dieselnoi,’ which means little diesel, and trained at the Chor Thanasukarn gym. However, Farang fighters (non-Thai fighters) use their birth name instead of the traditional nickname.