History

Muay Thai/ Thai boxing is the national sport of Thailand developed thousands of years ago by the Thai solders to use in war Muay Thai is often referred to as the art of 8 limbs with the use of elbows,knees,kicks and punches ass-well as being allowed to clinch at the same time trying to turn sweep or throw one another in order to gain control. The Thai solders would compare the body to weapons of war with the hands becoming swords and daggers, shins and forearms would be toughened in training to acted as armor against attacks with the elbows coming down like a heavy mace or hammer with the knees acting as the axe or staff.

With Thailand being constantly under attack training camps opened up throughout Thailand monks would teach at there temples passing down there knowledge to the next generation of fighters. It soon became essential for young men to train for many reasons such as self defence, exercise and discipline.

Before boxing gloves where invented fighters would tie hemp rope and threads around there hands and forearms sometimes a thick sort of liquid would be used to keep the ropes together and make the surface harder for striking there opponent. There were no rings so instead rope was put down in a square as a makeshift ring.

Fighters would not be matched by weight and experience or age instead anyone could fight anybody with most fights continuing until there was one clear winner with no time limits or rounds. It was also common for people to bet large amounts of money on who they wanted to win.

Instead of punch bags Thai fighter would kick and knee banana and coconut trees to toughen there shins they would continue to hit the trees until the tree fell to the ground. Fighter were also known to roll small logs and hit sand bags and against there shins to toughen them up having hard skin and shins would benefit them in a fight as they would feel less pain. climbing the trees in bare feet was another part of training to strengthen leg muscles and the bark would toughen up the soles of the feet also walking through currents in a stream and muddy rice fields was another way to toughen the legs. Striking a coconut shell with he elbows and fists till they split open and standing in the sea splashing the sea water onto there face to stop them self blinking are more commonly used methods of training

For accuracy in there strikes Thai would attach a coconut or lime to a piece of string then hang it up then by punching, kicking, elbowing and kneeing the coconut or lime there aim being trying to hit a small moving target.

Another way of training that was commonly used was with one fighter in the middle and the others made a circle around them, the person standing in the middle would train with each person working on the clinch then after a set amount of time ie. 10 minutes they would move on to the next person this built endurance and stamina so a 3 minute round in a fight would feel like nothing.

Overtime rules where added and the rounds would be measured by putting a small hole in a coconut then putting the coconut in water once the coconut sak to the bottom the round was over. as the sport became more popular internationally fights where better organised and proper boxing rings where made and gloves to replace the hemp rope after world war 11 fights got split into 5 rounds and a clock used instead of a coconut to keep track of the time. weight classes and rules on what you could and could not do in a fight was added.

In Thailand Thais fight and train for a living even to this day kids will fight in order to pay for there school fees but fighting dose not make much money for them they may have to fight every weekend or every 3-4 weeks earning around 400-600 baht.

Thais will train for hours a day morning and evening starting from the age of 5/6 years old having there very first fight by the time they are 8 years old by the time they are in there twenties most Thais can have had more than 100 fights under there belt

King prachao sua (tiger king)

The king of Thailand loved to watch Thai fights but becouse he was king and in Thaland the Thais hold there king to a very high standard they would not allow him to compete in any Thai fights. so instead he would dress up like a commoner and travel to small villages where no one would recognized him and entered there local tournaments against highly ranked fighters in which it was thought that he managed to beat. He made is two sons learn the art and sword fighting to get them ready for becoming king one day.