Muay Thai Boxing: History & Technique
By Guro/Kru William Schultz
Muay Thai (pronounced moo-ee-tie) is Thailand’s national obsession,
blood-and-guts combat that is raw in purpose yet beautiful to behold.
Until recently, it has been basically an enigma to Eastern and Western
martial artists, whose primary exposure to the art has been to observe
an occasional bout at Bangkok’s “Big Two” – Rajadamnern and Lumpini
stadiums. Those among them who may have sought out kun kruu (trainers)
to learn the staggering Thai round kick found a closed door, partly due
to the opinion that it would be improper to force Buddhist traditions
and rituals so critical to the study of the art upon outsiders.
Attitudes softened in the mid-70’s, when Dale Kvalheim, an American
serviceman, became the first Westerner accepted for training by the
Muay Thai establishment and allowed to compete at the “Big Two”.
Bouts held in the early days of Thai boxing had more in common with the
kill-or-be-killed games of Roman gladiators. Skin-ripping horsehide
thongs were wrapped around the fists and forearms, and a vee of tree
bark held in place by a loincloth protected the groin. Fights went on
for hours with no rest periods, the loser either dead or horribly
maimed. The Thai people have always followed the sport and have been
instrumental in moving it from the battlefield to the ring. They have
been as much a part of making it a sport as have the Kings. One of the
prime movers in transforming the sport was King Phra Chao Sua
(AKA: The Tiger King), who not only influenced fighting styles but also
the equipment.
During the reign of the Tiger King, the hands and forearms began being
bound with strips of horsehair. This was to serve a dual purpose -
protect the fighter and inflict more damage on the opponent. Later,
these were replaced by hemp ropes or starched strips of cotton. For
particular challenge matches and with the fighter’s agreement, ground
glass was mixed with glue and spread on the strips. The high incidence
of death and physical injury led the Thai government to institute a ban
on Muay Thai in the 1920's, but in the 1930's the sport was revived
under modern regulations based on international Queensbury rules with
weight divisions, and the use of gloves.
Colored
belts denoting training ranks, such as those issued by other Chinese
and Japanese systems, do not exist in Muay Thai. The old saying goes;
“The belt is in the ring”. As one well-known Muay Thai trainer has
said, "The only belts Thai boxers are concerned with are the Lumphini
Boxing Stadium and the Ratchadamnoen Boxing Stadium championship
belts". Lumphini and Ratchadamnoen, both in Bangkok, are Thailand's two
main Muay Thai venues.
An estimated 125,000 Thais train regularly in the art while 12,000
fight on the amateur and professional levels. Bouts run for five
three-minute rounds, with two-minute rest periods in between.
Professionals use six- or eight-ounce gloves, amateurs four. A steel
cup provides groin protection, while aenken (elastic anklets) preserve
the instep. Any part of the body can be attacked by the fist, foot,
elbow, and knee. Head butts, leg sweeps, hip and shoulder throws, arm
locks and hitting an opponent who is down are all forbidden in the
sport version of Muay Thai (yet are all present in the “Old Styles” of
Muay Boran and Muay Kachuek).
Before any Muay Thai bout, Buddhist and Thai Animist rituals take
precedence. At ringside, a cloth-covered, finger-diameter headpiece
called a mongkon (crown) is placed on the fighter’s head before he goes
to the center of the ring to perform the wai kruh (honor bow) and the
Ram Muay. The Ram Muay ceremony usually lasts about five minutes and
expresses obeisance to the fighters Khruu, the trainer, as well as the
guardian spirit of Thai boxing. This is done through a series of
gestures and body movements performed in rhythm to the ringside musical
accompaniment of Thai oboe (pii) and percussion. Each boxer works out
his own dance, in conjunction with his trainer and in accordance with
the style of his particular training camp.
The woven headbands and arm bands worn by the fighters in the ring are
sacres ornaments which bestow blessings and divine protection; the head
band (mongkon) is removed after the ram muay ceremony, but the arm band
(kruang rang), which actually contains a small Buddha image, is worn
throughout the match. After the bout begins, the fighters continue to
bob and weave in rhythm until the action begins to heat up. The
musicians play throughout the match and the volume and tempo of the
music rise and fall along with the events in the ring.
The Thai boxer will start the first round slowly, feeling his opponent
out with low, rapid round kicks steadily quickening his pace and
progressing up the body with strikes as the rounds advance. He will
rain blows from every angle, never tensing his muscles until the moment
of impact, focusing all of his might and intent into the area of his
shin and instep and powering that point of concentrated energy through
the target just as a woodsman’s axe embeds itself in a tree. The goal
in Muay Thai is to disrupt the opponent’s offense, and that means
keeping him on the defensive by mounting a continuous offense.
Banana trees were once used by Thai boxers to condition and desensitize
the striking surfaces of the shin, instep, knee and elbow. Today, the
main pieces of training equipment are the Thai pads – foot-long leather
bags that range in weight from seven-to-ten pounds. Strapped to the
forearms of a partner, full-power strikes are driven into the pads to
accomplish this conditioning. Kun kruu well into their 70s have been
known to wear two, ten-pound pads for an hour and absorb hundreds of
bone-jarring round kicks from young fighters without effect.
Muay Thai remains consistent in its techniques, the dominance of the legs over the arms varying from trainer to trainer.
The idea of a “snap kick” is unknown in Thai boxing; legs either thrust
or swing. It’s much harder to develop the maximum power potential of
your legs with snap kicks. Snap kicks have power only to stun, so the
leg is easier to block or grab. In contrast, the heavy Thai round kick
leaves your opponent with no choice but to keep his guard up close to
the body to protect his midsection. He won’t risk extending his arms to
block with them alone – that’s a good way to get them broken.
The Thai boxer works to build equal hitting power on both sides of his
body. Hard blocks are avoided; if you can’t slip, dodge or throw a
strike of your own to stop the offense, you absorb the blows on the
arms or upper body. The Muay Thai credo is “Let it all hang out and let
conditioning, skill and fighting spirit win the bout.”
Keeping to a philosophy of directness and economy of motion, one stance
forms the basis to launch both arm and leg techniques. The boxing
stance sets the feet in direct alignment behind one another, the front
foot pointed at the opponent, the rear foot cocked, heel raised, to
quicken footwork and allow the twist of the foot to add force to blows.
Gloves are held in front of the face in a peek-a-boo style, the chin
and neck tucked into the shoulders. Punches, elbows and the occasional
knee strike are all launched from the boxing stance.
Before the adoption of the international boxing rules in the late
1930s, Muay Thai footwork formed a triangle, the front foot sliding
forward to advance, the rear lifting off and stepping back to retreat.
Thai boxing evolved in parallel to the “sweet science,” the circular
dancing, lateral movements refined by Western boxers becoming the norm.
Thai boxers used exposed fingers to poke and gouge prior to the use of
gloves, and hand techniques were more on the order of swinging chops,
inner knife hands, and hammer fist strikes. These techniques remain
today, although the art has become more ring effective by the use of
the boxing jab, uppercut, hook and rear cross.
In spite of the obvious power of kicks, the elbow accounts for the
highest number of knockouts in strict Muay Thai bouts. Elbows are
thrown in relaxed, rapid up-and-down combinations slightly off the
vertical line, as the Thais have found horizontal strikes easier to
block and the angular trajectories better to bypass the guard.
The “down elbow” is considered the deadly counterpart to the
devastating round kick, a finishing strike that has ended many a fight
early. The initial movement is a winding motion of the shoulder that
rotates the point of the elbow past ear level, the hand pointing down,
loose and open, so as not to constrict the range and follow-through of
the blow. It is basically a forearm smash, for it will go up and over
any guard in the manner of a karate back-fist to strike the head, neck,
or collarbone.
When a Thai boxer intends to kick, he will move from the boxing stance
to the Thai kicking stance, sliding his rear foot forward and out to a
sixty-degree angle to the font foot. This maneuver cuts off up to two
feet from the trajectory the kick must travel, hastening the delivery
and making the kick harder to block. Always up on his toes, the Thai
boxer eliminates the extra telegraphing move of lifting the rear heel
to unleash a kick.
The round kick is Muay Thai’s ultimate weapon. It starts with the slide
into the kicking stance. The rear leg is launched while simultaneously
pivoting on the ball of the lead foot, which turns 90 degrees past the
centerline to accommodate the added torque of the hips and waist as the
shin and instep drive through the target.
One misconception about the round kick is that it is thrown
stiff-legged to the point of impact. In actuality, the leg is slightly
bent as it hurtles in a downward arc with the entire weight of the body
behind it, the knee locked upon contact. A sharp exhalation aids in
striking. The left arm makes a small circle while the right shoots
forward, then reverses, to maintain balance and complement the force of
the kick.
Round kicks are designed to root and jolt the opponent’s body, rather
than push or lift him off his feet in eye-popping fashion. Shock waves
flow throughout the opponent’s body, causing pain and hesitation that
puts the receiver of this punishment in a hopeless defensive situation.
After a few round kicks square on the forearm guard, the tendency is to
drop the arms, creating the perfect opening for a knockout blow to the
head.
Except for a few jamming kicks thrown by the lead leg, the majority of
the kicks are launched from the rear power leg. This does not make the
Thai boxer a one-dimensional fighter. If he happens to find an opening
on the side opposite his kicking side, he will make a shoulder-width
shuffle of the feet so he can bring the lead foot into a rear position
to kick with maximum power. He will never flick out a weak kick with
the lead foot then plant it, for he needs the momentum of the
retraction to keep his leg out of range of counter round kicks. This
stance change is rapid and is used as a feint to prevent telegraphing
of kicks.
Three short-range round kicks that demand this stance change are the
“down round”, “upper round” and “cut kick”. The down-round kick is
thrown in a slashing, downward trajectory to the calf, thigh and lower
abdomen to paralyze the nerves of the opponent’s lead foundation leg;
without it he cannot launch powerful round kicks of his own. The
upper-round kick is thrown at an upward angle, smashing the shin
against the guard to create a gap so that the midsection can be
pummeled. The cut kick is a low round kick to the opponent’s supporting
leg (at the thigh and calf) as he throws a kick. One application of
this technique is to sidestep an incoming round kick and drive the
instep of the cut kick into the back of the knee. This will cause the
opponent to turn, momentarily off balance. The Thai boxer will then
charge and clinch to knee him in the back, pushing him down as he
continues to knee and throw upper-round kicks to the ribs and back.
Foot and knee strikes can be classified as offensive blocking
instruments in Muay Thai. The “foot jab” is one strong example. The leg
is raised in a stepping motion, knee slightly bent, hips thrusting
forward and leg stiffening at the point of impact. The ball of the foot
is used to strike vital points on the legs, groin, and solar plexus.
It’s common to strike with the heel against the thigh of the kicking
leg, causing pain and stopping the kick.
Points are awarded per round in strict Muay Thai bouts. The fighter who
can harass his foe’s offense and make him look sloppy has a better
chance of winning a decision should the fight go the distance. One of
the highest insults you can give a Thai boxer is a steady stream of
foot jabs to his face – kicking high is considered a show of disdain
for his fighting ability.
Because of the power of Thai kicks, the knee is used to block. The Thai
boxer will raise his knee to protect his midsection, point the toes
down as added insurance against low cut kicks to the supporting leg. He
will try to avoid blocking the opponent’s boney shin and instep with
his knee head-on, opting to jam the knee into the soft, inner portion
of the thigh. The upper body leans away at the completion of each knee
technique in order to keep the head out of range of elbows and
counter-punches, and to allow the thrusting forward of the hips that
adds power to each strike.
When delivering the knee, it pays to have good control of your opponent
by grabbing or clinching. One popular tactic is to parry a
straight-lead boxing jab, chopping down on the inside of the punching
arm to hit the side of the neck and grab it. The fighter will then jerk
the head and chest down into an uprising upper-knee strike.
One of the stereotypes that should be dispelled about sport Muay Thai
is that the Thai boxer will automatically attack the knees of his ring
opponent with intent to maim. Unless his own knees are in jeopardy, the
Thai boxer is content to throw low round kicks to the thigh, calf, and
back of the knee to disrupt balance, viewing it as un-sportsmanlike to
break a knee. Of course, self-defense situations are another matter.
One must do what is needed to end a confrontation as quickly as
possible, and the knees are a viable target. Another myth is that Muay
Thai demands hard sparring in training. Some kun kruu believe
otherwise, yet it is against Thai boxing tradition to pit members of
one’s boxing family against each other in all-out combat. Students
occasionally engage in a hard punching workout wearing gloves, sparring
lightly with the legs, knees and elbows, more for form, speed and
timing.
Fighters are made accustomed to hard contact by holding the Thai pads
for a partner on a daily basis and learning to cope with the force of
full-power kicks, knee and elbow strikes. Taking these punishing blows
on the arms and upper body safely is enough to toughen the mind and
body for the ring.
In some areas of Thailand, a pre-1920's version of Muay Thai still
exists. In North-Eastern Thailand, Muay Boran is a very ritualized form
that involves locks and throws as well as grappling. In pockets of
Southern Thailand, fighters practicing Muay Katchii still bind their
hands in hemp, and a more localized southern style in Chaiya uses the
elbows and forearms to good advantage. Each year around Songkhran (the
lunar new year) in April, near the town of Mae Sot on the Thi-Mayanmar
border, a top Thai fighter challenges a Burmese fighter of similar
class from the other side of the Moei River to a no-holds barred,
hemp-fisted battle that ends only after one of the opponents gives up
or is carried from the field of battle.
Another
traditional martial art (which today’s Muay Thai has descended from)
still practiced in Thailand is the ancient Thai weapons art of
Krabi-Krabong (literally, sword-staff). As the name implies, this art
focuses on hand-held weapons techniques, specifically the Krabi
(sword), Plong (quarter-staff), ngao (halberd), daap sawng meu (a pair
of swords held in each hand), and mai sun-sawk (a pair of shield-like
clubs strapped to each arm). Although for most Thais, Krabi-Krabong is
a ritual artifact to be displayed at festivals or tourist venues, the
art is still solemnly taught according to a 400-year-old tradition
handed down from Ayuthaya's Wat Phutthaisawan. The King of Thailand's
elite bodyguards are trained in Krabi-Krabong; many Thai cultural
observers perceive it as a 'purer' tradition than Muay Thai.
Unknown to most
practitioners of “sport” Muay Thai in the U.S.A, The art of Muay Thai
descends from the weaponry system of Krabi-Krabong. Similar to the
Filipino Martial arts, Muay Thai is an open hand system of combat that
is based off of weaponry technique. A few examples: The mechanics of
the vertical down elbow and the Thai round kick come from Krabi (sword)
technique. The typical Thai open hand stance as well as the Thai pads
are based off of the mai sun-sawk or mai-sawks.
Thai
Boxing is becoming increasingly popular outside of Thailand. It has its
enthusiasts and practitioners in the Americas, Australia, Japan,
Europe, as well as in many other countries around the world. The
illustrious history of Muay Thai will continue as it receives greater
recognition and gains in international popularity.
the
main pieces of training equipment are the Thai pads – foot-long leather
bags that range in weight from seven-to-ten pounds. Strapped to the
forearms of a partner, full-power strikes are driven into the pads to
accomplish this conditioning. Kun kruu well into their 70s have been
known to wear two, ten-pound pads for an hour and absorb hundreds of
bone-jarring round kicks from young fighters without effect. 
The round kick is Muay Thai’s ultimate weapon. It starts with the slide
into the kicking stance. The rear leg is launched while simultaneously
pivoting on the ball of the lead foot, which turns 90 degrees past the
centerline to accommodate the added torque of the hips and waist as the
shin and instep drive through the target. 
Three short-range round kicks that demand this stance change are the
“down round”, “upper round” and “cut kick”. The down-round kick is
thrown in a slashing, downward trajectory to the calf, thigh and lower
abdomen to paralyze the nerves of the opponent’s lead foundation leg;
without it he cannot launch powerful round kicks of his own. The
upper-round kick is thrown at an upward angle, smashing the shin
against the guard to create a gap so that the midsection can be
pummeled. The cut kick is a low round kick to the opponent’s supporting
leg (at the thigh and calf) as he throws a kick. One application of
this technique is to sidestep an incoming round kick and drive the
instep of the cut kick into the back of the knee. This will cause the
opponent to turn, momentarily off balance. The Thai boxer will then
charge and clinch to knee him in the back, pushing him down as he
continues to knee and throw upper-round kicks to the ribs and back. 
