Muay Thai

The art of eight limbs: a French envoy's account of Siam in 1687, the legend of Nai Khanom Tom, rope bound fists and royal tournaments, Bangkok's great stadiums, the wai kru, the Thai masters who came to Britain, and a world sport today.

Muay Thai, Thai boxing, is Thailand's national combat sport and martial art. It is called the because it strikes with the fists, elbows, knees and shins, and it includes the , where fighters hold each other to knee, elbow or unbalance. Before every bout each fighter performs the , a ritual dance of respect to the teacher. ^1,21

Muay Thai has one world body recognised by the International Olympic Committee, , and IFMA's UK member is the UK Muaythai Federation, the . No UK sports council recognises any Muay Thai body. and other UK bodies run their own events, rules and grades, and most UK gyms belong to no body at all. ^{20,30,41,49,90} The rules for children differ sharply: IFMA allows strikes to the head from the year a child turns 12, with no elbows or knees to the head until 14, while Muaythai GB's junior rules ban all strikes to the head for under 16s. ^21,42

A first class is usually a warm up, shadow boxing, the guard and footwork, then punches, kicks, knees and the push kick on pads, with no sparring on day one. Muay Thai has no belts: many gyms do not grade, and those that do use coloured armbands or headbands, each body its own way. ^1,45,47

The official Thai history of Muay Thai is very old, and scholars question much of it. So its legends are marked as legends, each account carries its owner's name, and the records sit beside them. ^1,2

So the first questions for any gym are: which body, which rules, and how is head contact handled for children? ^21,42,45

The story of Muay Thai

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For younger readers

Ages 8 to 11, read aloud if you like. 7 short chapters, each with a Listen button.

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For teenagers and adults

Age 12 and up. 7 short chapters.

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Through the years

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16872025

1687 to 1702

The first written records

Ayutthaya, Siam

Siam, the old name for Thailand, had its capital at Ayutthaya. The oldest records of Thai boxing come from this time: a French visitor's book and the royal chronicles.

Simon de la Loubère

An envoy sent to Siam by the King of France

His book is one of the oldest written records of Thai boxing.

He was in Siam in 1687 and 1688, and in a book published in 1691 he wrote that wrestling and fighting with the fists and elbows were trades of entertainers there.

King Suriyenthrathibodi

A king of Siam

The royal chronicles show a king who boxed himself.

The chronicles record him boxing in disguise at a temple fair in 1702.

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Learn about muay thai

Grades and armbandsMuay Thai has no belts and no single grading system. Many gyms do not grade at all; where grades exist they are coloured armbands or headbands, often numbered as Khan levels, and every body sets its own.TechniquesEight weapons and the clinch: the guard and footwork, punches, the round kick and the push kick, knees and elbows, six kinds of defence, and what children may and may not use in competition.The wai kru and the traditionsMuay Thai has no kata. Its traditional heart is the wai kru ram muay before every bout, the mongkhon and the prajied, the music, the ceremonies of a student's life, and the old techniques shown in IFMA's cultural events.Your first classShorts and a T-shirt, a warm up, shadow boxing, punches and kicks on pads, and no sparring on day one. The questions to ask before joining, what the kit is for, and what classes cost.CompetitionTwo UK amateur routes with different rules for children, IFMA's age groups, kit and medical rules, Muaythai GB's championships, professional classes from 16, and where Muay Thai stands with the Olympics. Dated, because rules change.Governing bodiesOne world body recognised by the IOC, its UK member, a younger UK body with the fullest free rules, older UK associations with their own grades, professional title bodies, and no body recognised by any UK sports council. Recognised always says by whom.Grading theoryWhy many Muay Thai gyms hold no grading, what the Khan and armband schemes ask for beyond technique, and a practice set of 15 example questions.The words you hear in class96 terms, each with a Hear it button.

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Written from checked sources, listed on the sources page. Pictures are drawn, with computer help, under our direction; none shows a real child. Recorded chapters are read by a computer voice; Hear it on a word uses your device's own voice.