MuayThai, sometimes referred to as Thai Boxing or Thai Kickboxing, has a long rich history that extends to the ancient battlefields of the Siamese. The competitors are involved in hand-to-hand combat, displaying a wide array of kicks, punches, and elbow techniques.

Modern MuayThai is fought in a ring, very similar to the Western boxing matches. A traditional fighter would begin with the Ram Muay, a dance that honors the fighter’s teachers. The ceremony will normally be performed in silence, starting at the center of the ring where the fighter pays homage to his homelands. As the ceremony continues, respect is paid to each of the four corners of the world and the ancestors who passed this art and talent along to the fighter. The dance is as much a sign of respect as it is a means to intimidate the opponent. The movements of a skilled MuayThai fighter as are graceful as they are balanced and powerful.

MuayThai has been a sport with a strong presence in many Eastern countries and only recently started to take hold in the Western world as well. Often, it is lumped together with the more modern Kickboxing.

In Modern Kickboxing, one is restricted to specific zones and targets in order to score points. Depending on the kickboxing match, the competitors must complete a certain number of kicks in order to quality for the round. In addition, the gear and stances a kickboxer takes is very similar to that of Western Boxing.

In MuayThai, the competitor’s hands are mostly only wrapped or have very light gloves on. Men will only wear the shorts in the rings, perhaps a few arm rings for decoration, and the mongkol, a head dress, during the Ram Muay.

A MuayThai fighter’s resting position will often be with their arms (or guards) raised high at either side of their face. This is greatly different from Western Boxing and kickboxing where the guard is normally close to the chin and protecting the ribs. One of the training aspects of MuayThai is to learn how to properly defend yourself by using either your legs or a turn of your body to protect your ribs. To drop your arms in a Western boxer stance would make it more difficult to execute certain elbow techniques that are part of the system.

Women have begun to fight in MuayThai these days as well. This is more of a Modern influence as traditionally women were not allowed involvement in these competitions, a superstition that they would bring bad luck. In addition to the traditional garb, they will often wear a simple white, sleeveless top. These female matches are just as fierce and skilled as those fought by men.

Even if you have no intention of ever stepping into the ring to fight, MuayThai is a high aerobic, toning form of Martial Arts. In MuayThai, it is not weight but speed, endurance, and strength that wins the match. Flexibility and balance are also key to this art. It was in the early 1930s that Muaythai was officially codified, with rules and regulations being created and introduced into the sporting world to make Muaythai an international sport of the early 20th century and as one of the safe ring sports.  Round contests were introduced along with eight divisions based on international boxing.  Queensbury rules boxing gloves replaced the ropes binding on the hands.

With a proud history, Muaythai has progressed and is recognized in many countries worldwide, creating a new era of a proud world history.  In recent years Muaythai, both amateur and professional, has swept the world like a wild fire and developed into the premier ring sport – fighting art with no equal in terms of unarmed combat and spectator appeal as well as a form of self defense and fitness program.

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The Asian Martial Arts Games will be combined with the 2013 Asian Indoor Games since there are six sports similar to each other, according to the OCA
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