How to grow in Muay Thai

There is no shortcut to improving your Muay Thai. Professional “Nak Muay” (fighters) in Thailand train twice daily, six days a week and competing almost every month. Many of them accumulate hundreds of fights during their career.

Muay Thai techniques are simple and it is all about Repetition; repeating the same techniques over and over on a daily basis builds muscle memory. Excellent Cardiovascular shape and overall strength are also important to your development in Muay Thai.

Trainers are addressed as “Kru” in Muay Thai which translates to Teacher and are respected and trusted by their Fighters. Krus may push or motivate students as well as teaching intricate technical nuances. Students are expected trust the process of Kru, even fighters with many titles to their names listen to their trainers.

Giving your all every day is the way for progress and to improve in Muay Thai. In short, show up and train as often as possible.

What to Wear for Muay Thai Training?

Dress code:

Like most other sports, Muay Thai competitions require participants to be dressed in the right attire. Most professional events, such as YOKKAO events, provide official fightgear and fightwear as they might be broadcasted on television on streamed live on social media.

One of Muay Thai’s appeal is its emphasis on traditions and culture. Even in international events, Muay Thai fights are often accompanied by classical Thai music known as Sarama, sometimes performed live by musicians. Fighters wear a unique headgear called the Mongkhon and armbands known as Prajiads. Both of these items are looked upon as sacred objects and are handled with care.

The Mongkhon (sometimes Mongkol) is a headwear unique to Muay Thai. It is believed  by Thai people to offer protection and good luck to its wearer. Traditionally, Mongkhons are completely made by hand using rope and cloth, with adornments such as talisman. This task is taken upon by the trainers of the camp and the Mongkhons are blessed by monks in a ritual before they are eventually worn by a fighter.

Fighters put on the Mongkhons before entering the ring which they also wear during the length of the Wai Khru Ram Muay performed before the fight. When the Ram Muay is completed, the fighter retreats to his corner and the Mongkhon is removed by -usually by a trainer- while a prayer is whispered for protection and luck. This practice has been transported beyond Thailand onto international events.

Like the Mongkhon, the traditions of wearing Prajiads are traced back to ancient Thailand when the country was always at war. They are believed to grant good luck to the wearers. Prajiads are usually fabric torn off a mother’s dress and tied around the arms throughout the entirety of fights.

The dress code for Muay Thai training is more casual. Muay Thai shorts are worn and men usually go topless due to the heat in Thailand. Outside of Thailand, Muay Thai shorts are often paired with an exercise tank top or t-shirt for both men and women.

Muay Thai Gloves:

Muay Thai gloves are built with some differences from traditional boxing gloves due to the nature of the sport.While traditional boxing gloves tend to be more padded around the knuckle area, Muay Thai gloves are more evenly-padded over the entirety of the gloves. This all-round padding offers protection against elbows and kicks.

Lace-up gloves between 6oz to 10oz are used for professional fighting. For ease of taking them off during breaks, gloves with velcro closures (hook-and-loop) are used for day-to-day training and sparring. Occasionally, lace-up gloves may be used in sparring for better support.

Muay Thai Shorts:

Muay Thai shorts are also a relatively modern apparel brought over from western boxing. You can observe the apparent similarity between the respective styles. Western boxing shorts tend to be longer reaching just above the knees while Muay Thai shorts are much shorter extending to just around mid-thigh section.

Muay Thai shorts are cut this way to allow complete freedom of movement so the wearers feel unhindered with their kicks. Satin, nylon and polyester-blend fabric are usually used due to their comfortable feel and light weight.

Accessories:

Other than gloves and shorts, hand wraps and ankle guards are two important gear in Muay Thai. Hand wraps provide wrist and hand support, helping to minimize hand injuries during boxing. Reusable, washable hand wraps are used for training while bandages are used in competition for wrapping hands.

As for ankle guards, they are not always worn but many fighters train or fight with them for additional support. Ankle guards provide warmth and additional support to the ankles which may help in balance and minimize ankle injuries.

Difference between old and modern Muay Thai dress code:

In the early years of Muay Thai when it just transitioned into a sport around the 18th century, hemp rope was used to wrap around the hands. This practice is known as Kard Chuek. This is a more brutal form of fighting with higher knockout rates.

Kard Chuek fights are still sanctioned today with minor changes. Competitors typically wear 4oz gloves and wrapped with ropes to mimic the legacy of Kard Chuek.

WAI KHRU RAM MUAY

As a sport heavily linked to traditions and culture, one of the most distinctive aspects of Muay Thai is the pre-fight ceremony known as Wai Kru Ram Muay.

The ceremonial ritual takes place in the ring, accompanied by traditional rhythmic Thai music known as Sarama. The Sarama is a unique rhythmic traditional Thai music that also accompanies the fights. The hypnotic otherworldly sounds of the Sarama starkly juxtaposes with swift brutal movements to characterize the sport of Muay Thai, that is like no other.

Although it is always shortened to just “Wai Kru” or “Ram Muay”, the whole ritual involves two distinct segments. Wai Kru means “paying respect to teacher” while Ram Muay can be translated literally to mean “classical dance of boxing”. In the Wai Kru Ram Muay, fighters begin by walking inside the ring in an anti-clockwise direction along the ropes, pausing at each corner with a prayer to seek protection during the fight. They then proceed to the center to perform the “Wai Khru” portion which involves a kneel, bow and the “Wai”, done three times to pay tribute to their parents, teachers and Buddha.

Once the Wai Kru is complete, the fighters perform a dance (Ram Muay) with varying degrees of elaboration among various fighters and camps, often passed down from teachers to fighters. Ram Muay dances are often homage to famous characters in Thai legends or Sanskrit stories such as the Ramayana. The fighters then retreat to their corners where their Mongkhon headdress is removed by their trainer or a respected member of the camp.

The Wai Kru Ram Muay is not only ceremonial in nature, but also helps to prepare the competitors for the fight physically and mentally. It is sometimes said that the dance is an indication of a fighter’s form through the posture, balance and grace. Some renowned performers of the Wai Kru include Saenchai, Buakaw, Superbank and Namsaknoi.

Today, the Wai Khru is taught in Muay Thai gyms all around the world, even to students who do not compete in the ring. Every year, thousands of Muay Thai practitioners from all over the world gather in the ancient Thai city of Ayutthaya for the annual World Wai Kru Ceremony and show their appreciation for the traditions of Muay Thai.

Questions & Answers for the Muay Thai Beginner's

• How dangerous is Muay Thai?
  Answer: Muay Thai is a full-contact sport with significant physical contact. As it is a competitive combat sport, it is not uncommon for athletes to sustain bruises and injuries from competitions. However, health risks are low training Muay Thai for fitness and other non-competitive purposes.
• Is Muay Thai good in a street fight?
  Answer: Muay Thai originated from military warfare and was designed to inflict pain to the enemy while protecting the user from physical harm. It has a wide range of weapons like elbow strikes, knee strikes and push kicks which can be used to disarm an attack. It is effective for self-defense in physical confrontations although we do not encourage engaging in street fights.
• Is kickboxing and Muay Thai the same?
  Answer: Kickboxing as a competitive sport is different from Muay Thai in terms of the rules. While both sports involve punches, kicks, knees, elbows are not allowed in kickboxing and clinching is also limited. Generally speaking, kickboxers focus more on footwork and punches while Muay Thai fighters focus on all weapons along with clinching with an emphasis on kicks which score more.
• Is Muay Thai the deadliest martial art?
  Answer: Muay Thai is an effective system that originated from Muay Boran, an unarmed combat arts created for military use. It focuses on straightforward techniques designed to inflict hurt, backed by many years of intensive training and body conditioning. Like any martial arts, Muay Thai is only as deadly as the person using it.
• How popular is Muay Thai?
  Answer: Muay Thai is practised all around the globe by fighters, and non-fighters alike. Muay Thai events are also held in every corner of the world. Many people compete in the sport but a majority train Muay Thai fitness, self-defense or as a recreation.
• Is Muay Thai good for self defense?
  Answer: Muay Thai has a wide range of weapons like elbow strikes, knee strikes and push kicks which can be used to disarm an attack. It is effective for self-defense in physical confrontations although only as a last resort. Running away is the best self defense.
• How many types of Muay Thai are there?
  Answer: Generally speaking, only one type of Muay Thai is practised.
• Is Muay Thai difficult?
  Answer: Muay Thai moves are designed to be simple and effective in combat. As such, the techniques are easy to learn. However, Muay Thai training involves extensive conditioning and can be physically intensive, making it a great way to get fit or lose way.
• Which is better Muay Thai or MMA?
  Answer: In MMA, fighters train in a selection of different sports including stand-up striking as well as ground-fighting skills. Muay Thai in itself is a stand-up combat art that is widely practised by many MMA athletes.

When pitted against each other, the Muay Thai fighter will do everything to avoid taking the fight to the ground. A MMA fighter proficient in a grappling skill like wrestling or Brazilian Jiu Jitsu will likely not fare as well in a full stand-up face-off. When the chance presents itself, he will attempt to bring the fight to the ground. Many street fights do end up on the ground so the person with the ground fighting experience will often prevail in such situations. However, the Muay Thai fighter stands a chance of winning if he is able to knock out his opponent. This all boils down to the level of skills that the fighter possesses.