Where it all began
The Heritage of Muay Thai
Not a Style. An Art of Its Own.
Muay Thai is "the Art of Eight Limbs" — fists, elbows, knees, shins. Not a striking style or a combination of other arts but instead its very own full-body combat system.
The sport derives from unique homegrown origins developed in the Siamese (Thailand) military, used as a defense mechanism in close quarter combat.
The Fighter Who Turned Captivity Into Freedom
During the battles of Siam and Burma in the 1700s, the now revered father of Muay Thai earned his freedom from captivity of the Burmese King, Mangra, along with his fellow Siamese people, by defeating 9 Burmese boxers in a row.
This earned him the legendary title of the father of Muay Thai, which is now celebrated every year on March 17th in Thailand up until this day as "National Muay Thai Day."
The Art Has Its Own Rhythm
The roots of the Wai Kru Ram Muay derive from traditional spiritual Buddhist traditions. This is the dance ritual performed by each opponent before a fight, grained into the entire Muay Thai fighting experience.
The dance is a circling of the ring, sealed at each post to establish readiness for the fight, with movements showcasing each fighting camp's individuality.
One Breath Soundtracks the Fight
The flute is played throughout the entire ritual in the build up to the fight at a slow and steady pace, which is then built up and intensified as the fight goes on.
The part that I find the most spectacular is that the flute is played using a unique circular breathing technique, allowing the player to not take one breath from the beginning of the fight, all the way to the end.
The Country Muay Thai Set Free
Many battles and fights for freedom led to the birth and development of Muay Thai and of Thailand itself. A country whose very name means "Land of the Free" — born from a story about a man who fought for exactly that. That's the tradition this art carries into every session I coach.