Often referred to as “The Science of Eight Limbs” because it utilises the hands, elbows, shins and knees, Muay Thai, or Thai Boxing, is the national sport of Thailand and has been around for centuries. The history regarding its origins and development is slightly unclear but we know it was used by the Thai people on the battlefield in person to person combat. According to what you read, it was either developed as the Thai people migrated from China to what is now Thailand, and was an essential tool in the migrants’ struggle for land. Alternatively, others maintain that the Thai people were already settled in Thailand and developed Muay Thai as a means of self defense against invasion.
Whichever version is correct, Muay Thai was, and still is, an essential part of Thai culture. From the beginning it was practiced by those from all walks of society, from kings downwards, and was very much a sport for the people, not just for those in the military. Up until the 1920s it was practiced in schools but eventually withdrawn when it was felt the injury rate was too high.
Thai people continued to practice it in gyms and clubs and were the driving force in eventually driving it from the battlefield to stadium rings. In the 1930s the sport was codified and today’s rules and regulations were introduced. Rope bindings of the arms and hands were replaced by boxing gloves, a change that can be attributed to the growing success of Thai boxers in international boxing. The introduction of weight classes was also inspired by international boxing. These and other innovations, such as the organization of fights into five rounds, substantially altered the fighting techniques employed by fighters.
Since its initial development, Muay Thai has changed in many ways but its old traditions are still remembered. It continues to become increasingly popular outside of Thailand and is now an official sport in the Asian Games.
