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Muay Thai

Muay Thai

Muay Thai, better known as Thai boxing , has been practiced in Thailand for centuries. This martial art is very popular in Thailand and far beyond. Muay Thai as it is practiced today is somewhat derived from the ancient armed martial art Krabi Krabong . The ancient warriors of this art were trained to use their eight body parts when they were not in possession of weapons. This was called Muay-Boran and from this the more modern Muay Thai originated. Many traditional techniques are no longer allowed in the more competitive Thai boxing. This is because these techniques are simply said to be too dangerous for the practitioners.

Other names Muay Thai has also been known by are: Mai See Sawk, Muay Pahuyuth, Chaia boxing, Muay Tai, Siamese Boxing (Thailand used to be called Siam). During Thai boxing matches many things are allowed, but there are still enough rules that one must adhere to. One can use all kinds of techniques with the fists, elbows, knees and legs . The fist techniques are very similar to Western boxing. The kicking techniques, knees and elbows obviously make a big difference with regular boxing.

Allowed techniques in Muay Thai

Thai boxing is full contact , which means that one can achieve victory by means of a knockout (KO). If this does not happen, one can of course achieve victory by scoring the most points over the various rounds. In addition to the arm techniques to the head and body, it is permitted to perform kicking techniques to the head, body and legs. Especially the so-called low kicks are a feared weapon of the Thai boxer. These kicks to the upper legs have a very effective and especially painful effect, especially when performed repeatedly. The victory by means of a knockout on low kicks is seen as a classic.

Differences between Muay Thai and Western Boxing

Another big difference with Western boxing is the clinching . In regular boxing, the fighters are separated immediately after the clinching. In Muay Thai, however, the clinch is a very important part of the fight. During the clinch, it is allowed to continue fighting and there is therefore a lot of training on making knees during the clinch, among other things. It is also allowed to throw the opponent from the clinch, with techniques that are comparable to Japanese judo .

Thai boxing is considered a very effective martial art worldwide. It was introduced in Europe and the United States in the sixties and seventies of the twentieth century. Especially in the Netherlands, many practitioners of Japanese Kyokushin karate have switched to Thai boxing or practice it alongside it. Thai boxing is often mistakenly called kickboxing , which is not actually the same . Different rules apply to kickboxing and the traditional opening ceremony (Ram Muay) is omitted. Incidentally, elbow techniques are rarely allowed in competitions in the Netherlands and the West. They are often called Thai rules when they are allowed. Even today, the Thais are still masters in using these techniques.

Dutch victories at Muay Thai

The Netherlands has a reputation to uphold in Thai boxing and has also built up a very glorious past in this sport. Thom Harinck , trainer of the world-famous Amsterdam Chakuriki , is considered one of the pioneers who introduced the sport in the Netherlands. Jan Plas of Mejiro Gym, is also considered the Dutch father of Thai boxing. Since the sport was introduced in the Netherlands, the following names have made great fame: Perry Ubeda , Peter Aerts , Ernesto Hoost , Sem Schilt , Remy Bonjaski , Badr Hari , Andy Souwer and Albert Kraus .

Ramon Dekkers , Peter Smit and Rob Kaman are often considered the biggest names of the previous generations of Dutch fighters. They managed to achieve the almost impossible in Thailand by winning in their own home and stadium against the considered unbeatable Thai fighters.

Nowadays, countless galas are organized in the Netherlands and the enthusiast can attend an event almost every weekend. Matchmaking, the pairing of opponents to each other, is done on the basis of experience in the ring. There are youth, N (newcomer), C, B and A classes. The more often one has won, the higher one rises in rank. At the moment, the dominance of the Dutch fighters is faltering and many new countries are emerging, such as Georgia, the entire Eastern Bloc, Armenia and many other countries.

Materials for Muay Thai

For Muay Thai training, various materials are required. The most important are the boxing gloves and protectors , such as shin-instep protectors , a mouthguard and groin protector . Elastic bandages are used to strengthen the hands. Although usually not mandatory, most practitioners do wear the traditional shorts during training. Check out all our competitively priced complete Thai boxing sets .

During training, punching bags are often used, special bag gloves have been developed for this because normal boxing gloves get damaged on the bag. Furthermore, every gym should have a number of Thai pads to practice the hard kicks on. For this, one can also use the larger kicking pads.

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