Muay Thai Origin and History - Where Does it Come From?

Muay Thai (or Thai Boxing as it is traditionally known) is more than a national pastime, it’s a global phenomenon that has morphed into one of the most popular martial arts disciples in the world.

As Muay Thai continues to grow in popularity, it’s easy to forget that the popular martial art has a lineage that can be traced all the way back to the 13^th Century. Whether you’re a student of the sport, or you’re exploring the origins of Muay Thai, this guide to the origin and history of Thai Boxing provides valuable insights into the rich history that underpins Muay Thai.

What is Muay Thai?

Muay Thai is the cultural martial art and national sport of Thailand. Muay Thai key origins can be traced back to ancient Thai wars however, the creation of the modern sport we know today was formed in the 20^th century and has been influenced by traditional English boxing. Using an eight-point contact standing striking technique, Muay Thai is known as the art of eight limbs.

What is the origin story of Muay Thai? 

Developed from the origins of Muay Boran, Muay Thai was born from war as Thai soldiers in the 13^th century were taught how to defend their kingdom using their entire body in unarmed combat. Muay Thai was popular amongst all classes, but the royalty of Thailand practised the sport as it was the philosophy that a good warrior would make a brave and powerful leader.

The key elements of Muay Thai

Muay Thai’s key elements are attack, defence, and counter techniques. Like with most martial arts Muay Thai has to be drilled, students learn the movements through constant repetition until it becomes an action of muscle memory.

Kick

A swift kick to the shin would hurt on any day, but when delivered with the precision and force of a Muay Thai-trained kick it is a weaponised move.

Performing the move requires the student to put their arm back at the same moment as their hips, creating enough energy to deliver the kick to the outside of the opponent's arm, torso, back, or leg.

The kick can also be delivered from the air as the opponent will jump and kick or jump and spin kick, which is certainly an exciting move from the viewer's perspective.

Punch 

There are many techniques used when it comes to punches with Muay Thai. The devastating blows are sent in a jab, hook, uppercut, straight, overhead, and as wild as it sounds, a spinning back fist. The power of the punches is again generated by gaining momentum through the rotation of the hips and shoulders.

Elbow

The elbow is an instrumental element when knocking out an opponent. As one of the hardest parts of the body, when the elbow is decisively brought down upon an opponent’s chin it is often lights out and round over.

Knee 

Striking with the knee involves throwing the knee with your rear leg to generate the most power, for a hard hit. Knee strikes can be dealt from a jump and are mainly focused on an opponent's ribcage and thighs.

How has Muay Thai changed over the years?

Martial arts have had safety procedures put in place over time as health and safety in the sporting industry have been taken more seriously. These safety considerations have shaped certain changes in the sport of Muay Thai, examples of this include:

• Students of Muay Thai would traditionally wrap their hands in ropes to improve their striking power and gain greater traction for clinching moves. This has now been abolished and padded boxing gloves were introduced.
• Dangerous and potentially deadly moves such as striking to the back of the head and the joints have also been banned for participants' safety.

Modern Muay Thai practices

Still valuing the core values of traditional Muay Thai, modern Muay Thai has incorporated new practices and techniques. These changes include:

• Modern Muay Thai takes on a more strategic approach, adapting the techniques to include other martial art disciplines to develop more well-rounded fighters.
• They have introduced weight classes into their fighting structure, so now opponents are more fairly matched.

Learn Muay Thai at UMF Academy

Learn Muay Thai at UMF Academy, and receive the best training whilst having the most amount of fun! Located in Townsville, we at UMF pride ourselves in delivering the industry’s number one character development system in all of our classes. You will get fit, gain confidence and learn the value of hard work and discipline when attending any UMF class, so sign up today.