Muay Thai

The unique fighting style gaining quick traction in the MMA world, Muay Thai or Thai boxing creates fighters with hardened bodies. The Thai boxing style requires the use of fists, elbows, knees, and shins.

Thailand’s famous and national sport Muay Thai trains fighters to be stronger than other martial arts fighters. It is safe to say that Thai boxing has slowly made its name in the Western world.

With the fighting style being so influential and famous, it had to cross Thailand’s realms soon. Plus, Bangkok holds Muay Thai fights every single day with how in the sport is. Here is everything you need to know about Thai boxing.

 

Definition of Muay Thai

Ever heard of “The Art of Eight Limbs”? Muay Thai is where Thai boxers use legs as arms. The purpose of this fighting style is to take down the opponents to win. Typically, the fight lasts for about five rounds, where each round consists of three minutes. Every limb and body part used in this fighting style serves as an individual weapon to take down the opponent.

Relatively Peculiar Roots

It is still unknown to us that who created Muay Thai or from where Thai boxing originated. All documents of its history were destroyed when in 1767, the Burmese army entered Thailand and burned all the records.

 

You will find various stories stating how this fighting style came into being. One of them says that the military soldiers were taught hand-to-hand combat to protect themselves and the others from neighboring countries (Myanmar and Cambodia).

Another story highlights the struggles Thailanders faced upon moving south from China. Their incapability to possess the land resulted in developing these fighting skills to keep the invaders from invading the land while protecting themselves.

Thai Boxing Dress Code

Thai boxing doesn’t focus on care about what the competitors wear. But, Muay Thai strictly focuses on the appearance of the competitors. It is a rule to have trimmed toenails. You can’t fight with unkempt hair or beards (clean mustaches are good to go).

 

Why is Muay Thai Style so Popular in MMA?

Famous fighters like Anderson Silva, Jose Aldo, and Jon Jones fight in the Thai boxing style. Following are some reasons why Muay Thai is so prevalent in MMA:

1. Thai Boxing Involves Many Threats to Combat

While fighting, the Thai boxer has to combat different moves using their hands, legs, knees, and elbows. One of the famous moves is the “clinch” move that holds the opponent in a standing position.

While boxing, the boxers may want to avoid fighting and stay combat each step of their opponent correctly; Muay Thai ideally enables the fighter to continue its attacks instead of being defensive.

2. Effective in Vertical Combat

Thai boxing mixes various successful strategies for the boxer to use on the opponent before the opponent crashes on the pit. Using strong punches and strikes from hands and legs, you can easily defeat your opponents.

3. Muay Thai is Easily Understandable

Because Muay Thai is so versatile and authentic, it makes for a perfect MMA warrior training curriculum where you spar with a partner to learn the different techniques.

 

4. It is the foundation of MMA Training

Thai boxing’s flexibility makes it a vital part of the fundamental mixed martial arts preparation that every competitor has to go through no matter what. Plus, many famous boxers use Muay Thai as their fighting style.

5. Robust Defense

Muay Thai teaches how to strike the opponent in self-defense situations. It teaches how to hit the vulnerable points of the opponent’s body, lock, squeeze, and use the opponent’s power against them. It’s specifically beneficial for MMA fights as it has fewer rules, and you can’t foresee which martial arts your opponent will use. Learning Muay Thai means being able to react in an actual situation.

 

Muay Thai in Bangkok - Where to Watch it?

Bangkok holds Muay Thai fights often, so it is easy to find Thai boxing arenas in different places in the city. Lumpinee Boxing Stadium is the most famous stadium in the city and the busiest one as well. Tune into fights on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

You can visit Rajadamnern Stadium on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday to see fights right after 6 p.m. Ticket prices lie between ฿1,000-฿2,000. Omnoi, Siam, or Channel 7 Boxing Stadiums are also worth visiting.