The words you hear in muay thai class

Muay Thaiมวยไทย

Thai boxing, Thailand's national combat sport and martial art. Written as one word, Muaythai, by IFMA, the WMC, the WBC and the UKMF; most UK gyms write Muay Thai or Thai boxing.

muay

The Thai word for boxing.

muay sakon

International boxing, the kind with only punches. The name Muay Thai came into use in the early 20th century to tell the two apart.

art of eight limbs

Muay Thai's nickname: it strikes with eight weapons, two fists, two elbows, two knees and two shins.

nak muay

A Muay Thai fighter.

nak muay farang

A foreign fighter training in Thailand.

muay boranมวยโบราณ

Ancient boxing: a modern umbrella name for Thai boxing before the rules of about the 1930s, with regional styles such as Chaiya, Korat, Lopburi and Thasao. The name itself is recent.

Muay Chaiya

A regional style of old Thai boxing from Chaiya in the south, known for a low stance and a three step footwork pattern.

muay kaad chuekมวยคาดเชือก

Fighting with the hands bound in rope, as boxers did before gloves. Also written kad chuek or khat chueak.

krabi krabongกระบี่กระบอง

Thailand's weapon art, a separate art from Muay Thai: krabi is the sword and krabong the staff.

kickboxing

In its wide sense any sport that allows punches and kicks, which includes Muay Thai; in its narrow sense the Japanese, American and Dutch styles that call themselves kickboxing. Japanese kickboxing grew from karate fighters meeting Muay Thai.

piปี่

A Thai oboe, the lead instrument of Muay Thai music. IFMA calls it a java pipe, the WMC a Javanese flute and WBC Muaythai a Javanese oboe.

pi muay

In IFMA's rules, the live band that plays for the wai kru and the bout: the pi, drums and small cymbals.

sarama

IFMA's name for the wai kru music.

hand wraps

Cotton or Velcro wraps worn under the gloves; IFMA allows up to 5 m, with tape only at the wrist.

shin guards

Cloth or foam pads over the shins, worn by IFMA amateurs and Muaythai GB juniors.

head guard

A padded helmet. IFMA's has no cheek, chin or face protection and is put on after the wai kru.

elbow guards

Cloth sleeves over the elbows, worn by IFMA amateurs and wherever elbows to the head are used.

body protector

A padded vest in the corner colour, worn by young athletes and older Masters under IFMA's rules; Muaythai GB's juniors wear a body shield.

gum shield

A fitted mouthguard. Compulsory for IFMA amateurs, not red or pink; optional in Muaythai GB's junior and professional rules.

IFMA

The International Federation of Muaythai Associations, the world body recognised by the International Olympic Committee, fully since July 2021. Its UK member is the UK Muaythai Federation.

UKMF

The United Kingdom Muaythai Federation, IFMA's UK member, based in Birmingham. It writes both UKMF and UKMTF.

Muaythai GB

A UK community interest company founded in 2022, with its own British Championships and free junior, amateur and professional rules. Also written MTGB. Not an IFMA member.

BTBC

The British Thai Boxing Council, which says it was founded in Manchester in 1979.

MSA

The Master Sken Association, founded by Grandmaster Sken Kaewpadung, with armband grades; called SIMTA before 2010.

WMC

The World Muaythai Council, set up in Thailand in 1995 and merged into IFMA in 2019 as its professional arm.

WBC Muaythai

The World Boxing Council's Muay Thai division, established in 2004, which ranks professionals and sanctions titles.

KMA

The Kru Muaythai Association in Thailand, registered in 2003, keeper of a 19 level Khan register of teachers.

WTBA

The World Thai Boxing Association, based in the United States, with armband grades from white to black.

Rajadamnern

One of Bangkok's two great stadiums; its first bout was on 23 December 1945.

Lumpinee

Bangkok's other great stadium, opened on 8 December 1956, run by the Royal Thai Army, and on a new site since 2014.

K1 Style

The kickboxing format nearest to Muay Thai: knees allowed, elbows not, and in WAKO's rules no clinch at all from 1 January 2027.

ten point must

The scoring system: the better fighter in each round gets 10 points and the other 9, 8 or 7.

knockdown (KD)

A knockdown, written KD in IFMA's rules. KO is a knockout and RSC means the referee stops the contest.

RSCH

Referee stops contest for head blows. Under IFMA's rules it brings the same rest from competition and sparring as a knockout.

combat

IFMA's full contact discipline.

Muaythai Technical

IFMA's semi contact discipline: controlled light contact, where a knockdown or injury from a strike disqualifies the striker.

mai muay

IFMA's duo demonstration of traditional techniques, judged on realism, timing, balance and fitness. Its wider traditional discipline is called mae mai muaythai.

nak gila

IFMA's word for an athlete in the individual wai kru contest.

muay talay

A fun IFMA format fought on a beam over water or sand.

Novice

A Muaythai GB British Championships category for fighters with no more than five previous bouts.

A class

Muaythai GB's top professional class, from 18: five rounds of three minutes, bare elbows allowed. N and C class start at 16 and B class at 17.

kruครู

Teacher, master or instructor, a respected title in Thai society, from the Sanskrit word guru. Also written khru.

sitศิษย์

A pupil or disciple of a kru. In old Thai camps there were only teachers and pupils, no grades.

wai

The Thai gesture of respect: palms pressed together in front of the chest, often with a small bow.

wai kru ram muayไหว้ครูรำมวย

The ritual dance of homage before a bout. Wai is respect, kru is teacher, ram is classical dance and muay is boxing. Also written wai khru ram muay.

wai kru

Short for wai kru ram muay: the bow and dance of respect to the teacher before every bout. Also a yearly ceremony of thanks to teachers, in boxing and in Thai school life, music, dance and massage.

ram muay

The personal dance part of the ritual, whose moves often show who trained the fighter and where they come from.

mongkhon

A sacred headband, traditionally given by the teacher when a fighter is ready to represent the gym, worn into the ring for the wai kru and then taken off by the teacher. Also written mongkol or mongkon. Some schemes use its colour as a grade.

prajiedประเจียด

An armband worn for luck or protection; by tradition first a piece of a mother's sarong. Also written pra jiad or prajiad, and called kruang. In some schemes its colour shows a grade.

krob kru

Two meanings. For IFMA, sealing the ring before the wai kru, allowed only in finals. For the UKMF and the WMC, a ceremony on finishing training or becoming a teacher. Also written khrob khru.

keun khru

The ceremony in which a teacher accepts a new student. Also called yok khru.

jerm

In the UKMF's account, the marking of sacred symbols on a fighter's forehead by teachers at the yearly wai kru.

Muay Thai Day

The name many people give to 17 March in Thailand, Nai Khanom Tom's day, with a festival and a wai kru ceremony. Thailand's official Muay Thai Day, set by the government in 2016, is 6 February. The UKMF says the yearly homage to teachers is usually held on Muay Thai Day.

ajarnอาจารย์

Master, from the Sanskrit acariya. In the Kru Muaythai Association's scheme the title of Khan 14. Also written ajahn or arjarn.

kru yaiครูใหญ่

Senior teacher: Khan 13 in the Kru Muaythai Association's scheme, and a title the Master Sken Association uses too.

puchuay kruผู้ช่วยครู

Assistant teacher: Khan 11 in the Kru Muaythai Association's scheme.

Khanขั้น

A grade or level in a Muay Thai grading system. IFMA has 15 Khan levels; the Kru Muaythai Association has 19.

mae maiแม่ไม้

Major or mother techniques, one of the two families of Thai technique. The Kru Muaythai Association expects a Khan 10 candidate to know 15.

luk maiลูกไม้

Minor or child techniques, the second family of Thai technique.

Thai pads

Thick pads strapped to a trainer's forearms, so a student can punch, kick, knee and elbow in live combinations. Often used with a belly pad.

shadow boxing

Practising the guard, footwork and techniques in the air, with no partner.

Muay aerobic

One of IFMA's disciplines: a workout using pads, bags and circuits.

guard

Hands high, elbows close, weight balanced so the front leg can lift quickly to block a kick.

Yang Sam Khum

A three step footwork pattern of Muay Chaiya; also one of IFMA's wai kru finishing movements.

jab

A straight punch with the lead hand.

cross

A straight punch with the rear hand.

hook

A curved punch from the side, adopted from Western boxing.

uppercut

A rising punch from below, adopted from Western boxing.

sok

Elbow strike: horizontal, upward, downward, diagonal, spinning or flying, used at very close range or as a block. Most junior rules leave it out.

khao

Knee. Ti khao is kneeing. Also written kao.

khao thon

The straight knee, driven forward, often from the clinch.

khao dot

The jumping knee: the fighter jumps off one leg and strikes with that knee.

khao loi

The flying knee: a running or stepping jump into a knee.

clinch

Holding the opponent's head, neck or arms at close range to land knees and elbows or to unbalance them. In Muay Thai the referee does not break it at once.

chap kho

The clinch; the words mean neck wrestling.

te

Kick.

te chiang

The round kick, Muay Thai's signature kick: the whole body turns and the shin strikes the leg, body or head.

teep

The push kick or foot jab: a straight thrust with the sole of the foot to keep distance, stop an attack or unbalance. Also written thip.

leg kick

A round kick to the outside or inside of the thigh, often used to slow an opponent down.

check

Blocking a kick with the raised shin.

parry

Turning a punch aside with a small tap of the hand.

catch

Catching an opponent's kicking leg, then countering or unbalancing them.

chokชก

Box: the referee's command to start or carry on fighting.

yootหยุด

Stop. Also written yut.

yaekแยก

Break: separate from a clinch and step back.

nueng

One, in the referee's count.

song

Two.

saam

Three.

sii

Four.

hah

Five.

hok

Six.

jed

Seven.

baedแปด

Eight. Muaythai GB writes it pad.

kouw

Nine.

sibสิบ

Ten. Muaythai GB writes it sip.