Over the past hundred years, millions of young people in Thailand have followed the rocky path to become famous boxers in Muay Thai, but only a handful have managed to achieve the status of "legendary fighter".

This is a very difficult competition and to reach the top in this sport requires years of dedication, grueling training, as well as enormous talent.

In the history of Muay Thai, the reward for these fighters is the eternal glory that they literally won.

Let us tell you about ten boxers who will be remembered for their achievements in the ring long after they hang up their gloves.

Samart Payakaroon

Samart Payakaroon, like no one else, deserves the reputation of an honored Muay Thai master of all times. His first championship titles Lumpinee he won the 47 kg (105 lb) class in 1980 and later added Lumpinee flyweight, flyweight and featherweight titles to his collection.

Samarth received the most prestigious of all annual awards in Muay Thai - "Fighter of the Year" several times in 1981, 1983 and 1988. Trained at a famous camp in Thailand Sityodtong.

In addition to Thai boxing, he also made a name for himself in professional boxing (21-2; 14 KOs): in 1986 he became World Champion bantamweight according to WBC.

He finished his career as a Thai boxer with a record of 129-19-2.

Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn

The 80s are the golden era of Muay Thai. Dieselnoi Chor Thanasukarn was a star of the era, winning the Lumpinee Lightweight Championship in 1981 and holding it until 1985. In the end, he ended his career undefeated.

Dieselnoy was famous for his knee technique. For some, the question of classifying him as a “legend” may seem controversial, but he won victories over many famous fighters, including Samart Payakaroon.

He finished his career with a record of 110-10-2.

Saenchai Sor Kingstar

Saenchai is already 34 years old, but he continues to perform at various promotions, and in a very busy schedule. He won his first title at Lumpinee Stadium at age 15 in the super flyweight division, and then he collected several more belts in his collection: bantamweight, super bantamweight, super featherweight and lightweight.

He was twice named "Fighter of the Year" in 1999 and 2008, highlighting his continued dominance in Muay Thai, which he held strong for over 10 years.

Saenchai is known for his dazzling performances using unorthodox attacks, including his famous cartwheel kick.

Today's statistics: 285-52-2.

Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn

Namsaknoi Yudthagarngamtorn, nicknamed "The Emperor", defeated everyone he faced in the ring in different weight categories. Won the Lumpinee Lightweight Championship and held it for over five years. His achievements include belts in the second flyweight and second bantamweight categories. In 1996 he received the title "Fighter of the Year".

Record: 285-15

Orono Wor Petchpun

Orono has victories over Saenchai Sor Kingstar, Yodsaenklai Fairtex and Buakaw Por Pramuk - that's it!

He won the Lumpinee champion title in the super featherweight division, and also became the champion of Thailand in the featherweight and super featherweight categories. Has titles of various international organizations, such as WMC, WPMF, Showtime. Record: 120-36-3

Kongtoranee Payakaroon

Kongtoranee Payakaroon is Samart's older brother and is no less successful than his famous brother. He won Lumpinee titles in five different weight classes, ranging from flyweight to lightweight.

Record: 200-74

Fight with the famous Sakmongkol Sitnchuchoke

Nontachai Sit O

Nontachai Sit O won his first title in the bantamweight division at Lumpinee Stadium, also winning victories in other weights and was repeatedly awarded championship belts, moving up in the category above. Middleweight became stadium champion Rajdamnern. During his career he has more than 250 fights.

Sagetdao Petphayathai

Sagetdao Petphayathai has victories over such fighters as Saenchai Sor Kingstar, Petboonchu FA Group, Nong-O Gaiyagandao, Singdam Kiatmoo9, Penek Sitnumnoi and Anuwat Kaewsamrit. Among his achievements, he has champion titles in several weights: featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight.

Record: 162-62-1

Pornsanae Sitmonchai

He was the Lumpinee super bantamweight and featherweight champion, the Rajadmnern stadium super flyweight champion, and the Omnoy stadium super featherweight champion. This is one of the most famous fighters, he fought about 300 fights throughout his career, and won the respect of the public with his aggressive style.
Record: 200-54-8, 87 wins by knockout.

The fight "Pornsanae vs Pakorn", which took place in 2010 at Lumpinee Stadium, received the nomination "Fight of the Year".

Buakaw Por Pramuk - Sombat Banchamek

Buakaw did not win titles at either Lumpinee or Rajadamnern. Featherweight won the Omnoy Stadium title. He won the K-1 tournaments in Japan in 2004 and 2006. Let me say that it was thanks to these victories that Muay Thai began to attract the interest of an international audience.
Buakawa's achievements include many victories in various tournaments and various competitions.

Or Muay Thai is a traditional fighting system of Thailand, which arose from its more ancient form Muay Boran at the junction with other martial arts of the peoples of Indochina. The very concept of “Muay Thai” is of Sanskrit origin and can be translated as “free fight”.

In its homeland this art is often called "fight of eight limbs", because the fight involves fists, feet, shins, elbows and knees. This is an effective combat system, it is based on a simple paradigm - the fastest possible victory over an opponent in any conditions.

Initially, basic complexes like kata or taulu from karate and wushu, but today they have been replaced by striking combinations and ligaments.

When and where did Muay Thai originate?

It is unknown when the style originated muay boran, but it is obvious that in the territory of modern Thailand it existed for many thousands of years. There is a version that the style could have become the basis for Thai boxing krabi krabong, which literally translates from Thai as “swords and sticks.”

It is known for sure that a relatively modern version of this martial art appeared in the 16th century and was called mai si sok, and then plow, which means “multi-directional combat.” In the medieval Thai state of Ayutthaya, this art was perceived at the national level, then martial arts was adopted by Siam, which replaced Ayutthaya, and then Thailand, which in turn replaced Siam.

The phrase “Muay Thai” began to be actively used only in 1934, since the official emergence of Thailand.

Muay Thai in ancient times and today

Thai boxing was originally a compulsory discipline for warriors and members of the ruling family. Fights took place at all holidays without exception, including large fairs. Fighters who won national tournaments could receive the title of nobleman and begin serving in the royal guard. They were called "muay luang", which means "warrior of the king." It is known that right up to the reign Frames VII(the first half of the 20th century), an elite military unit “grom nak muay” was formed from the best Muay Thai fighters, translated as “union of royal warriors”.

Before period Frames III(first half of the 19th century) fights were fought with bare hands, but then they decided to wrap the fighters’ hands with scraps of horse skin, then the skin was replaced by hemp ropes and special cotton ribbons. It is important to note that such a measure practically did not protect the fighter’s hands, quite the opposite - the purpose of the ropes on the hands was to inflict maximum damage on the enemy, including lacerations. However, contrary to Hollywood tales, Muay Thai fighters never dipped their hands into broken glass.

Until 1929, a Muay Thai match did not involve the possibility of submission; the loser left the ring either with serious physical damage or already dead. At the same time, initially, counting was kept not by the clock, but by means of a coconut palm fruit placed in water. As soon as the fruit sank, the round ended.

In the first decades of the 20th century, in addition to the new scoring system and three-minute rounds, an adequate ring (a square with a side of 6 meters) was introduced, the role of which had previously been played by a flat earthen area of ​​​​variable size.

Note that initially Muay Thai featured grabs, throws, ground fighting, painful and suffocating attacks, even accentuated attacks to the groin. But bringing martial arts to competitive standards made the fights more humane, weight divisions appeared, of which, according to the rules of the World Thai Boxing Federation, there are nineteen - from 45.5 kg to 104.5 kg.

Muay Thai Code of Honor and Traditions

Muay Thai strictly prohibits insulting or disrespectful behavior towards an opponent; this may result in a technical defeat at the tournament. Also, a warrior never passes under the ropes when climbing into the ring, he steps over them, because nothing should be higher than his head (the Thais reverence the head as a sacred part of the body).

However, there is a special action - an attack with a foot in the face or even a light touch is perceived as an intentional insult (symbolic subtext - your head is below my feet). Drawing an analogy with European culture, this action can be compared to a dismissive spit in the face.

Everyone who begins to study this art is obliged to take an oath to be honest and fair, modest and noble, to always and everywhere honor the laws and traditions of their country. Anyone who breaks the oath may be expelled from the training club in disgrace.

Before a fight, Muay Thai warriors perform two rituals - this is a prayer. Wai kru and trance war dance Ram muay. Prayer focuses the spirit, dance brings the body into a state of heightened concentration. It is important to note that the Wai Kru prayer necessarily involves the warrior looking towards his teacher.

During prayer and dance, there must be a mongkon- a headband that a fighter weaves from 108 threads, and then it is consecrated by his teacher. Sacred Buddhist signs are applied to Mongkon.

Another traditional element of a fighter’s equipment is an amulet. pratiyat, this is also a rope structure with freely hanging ends, worn over one or both shoulders. Pratyat, like mongkon, is woven in a special way under special spells; this is an important ritual, because according to tradition, these headbands protect the fighter from injury and death, giving him the blessing of the gods.

According to current rules, immediately before the start of the fight, the mongkon and pratiat must be removed.

Famous Muay Thai fighters

One of the most famous Thai boxers is Apidey Sit-Hirun, who received the title “Fighter of the Century”. He fought 350 fights, winning 340 of them. He won seven championship titles in Muay Thai and classical boxing and was known for his brutal kicks, which he often used to break the arms of his opponents.

Samart Payakarun is another prominent representative of the Thai school. Four times he became the Champion of Lumpinia (a stadium in Thailand where world-class title fights are held) and two times – the Boxing Champion in the featherweight division (WBC).

Dutchman Rob Kaman, who has been practicing Muay Thai all his life, has been repeatedly recognized as the best kickboxer in the world; he was nicknamed “Mr. Low Kick” for his knockout kicks. He became the World Champion in Muay Thai and kickboxing nine times, and out of 97 victories, 77 were won by knockout.

Of the modern K-1 fighters, this unique martial arts is practiced by Gevorg Petrosyan, Remy Bonyaski, Bard Hari, Peter Arts and other champion-level fighters. The most prominent athletes from the world of MMA, who have a base in the form of Thai boxing, are Alistair Overeem and Mauricio Rua, both top UFC and Sherdog.

Good day, Soldiers! That's right, with a capital letter. I recently noticed one fact: if you read the answers to a question like: “Which self-defense school is best suited for action on the street?”, then they mostly recommend Muay Thai, and also “Russian style”.

Why is Muay Thai currently considered the best for full-contact combat, including on the street? And this is despite the abundance of existing not only medieval martial arts that have survived to our time, but also modern developments, such as the Kadochnikov Style, Unibos, and the Choi school, finally.

In order to find out public opinion, I posted a survey form on the main page. I won’t say that many people took part, but some conclusions can already be drawn.

I can definitely say the following: people’s opinions have changed somewhat over two decades. If in the eighties and nineties a certain standard of self-defense was karate and boxing, which were indeed recommended as an addition to sambo, now this is Burmese art, but this, in principle, is not surprising: this is the opinion, so to speak, of the younger generation.

Why exactly Muay Thai is currently considered the best for conducting a full-contact fight, including on the street? And this is despite the abundance of existing not only medieval martial arts that have survived to our time, but also modern developments, such as the Kadochnikov Style, Unibos, and the Choi school, finally.

The simpler the technique, the easier it is to learn and apply - no one will argue with this. One cannot argue with the fact that almost everyone who was involved in the creation of an applied school of self-defense eventually came to a similar set of attacking movements. Note that not to a similar, but to a similar arsenal. Even the well-known Bruce Lee never demonstrated the Wing Chun technique in his films, but what he has in abundance, even more than that, is roundhouse kicks and side-to-side-straight punches :) So, it’s unlikely that he was “taken down” by the reason for the disclosure of some family secrets (“”)

But obviously, it’s not just a matter of simplicity. I believe that people simply see clearly what is missing in this or that direction and are trying to somehow improve this matter. Boxing doesn't have enough leg action, please, here's American kickboxing, which was very popular at one time. Then, suddenly, they came to their senses: “Where are the elbows?” No elbows. We started looking, and here it comes in handy Muay Thai turned up. If it weren’t for him, they would have found something else.

Yes, in our time, some new martial arts are constantly being developed, sometimes they are quite good, capable of working not only without weapons, but also with them, as well as against them, but this is precisely the SYSTEM! And in Muay Thai Everything is simple and clear, and the necessary skills can be learned in the first months, in about six months.

Once upon a time it was truly a martial art, now it has turned into a sport, albeit a little harsh due to the use of “short-lever strikes” - elbows and knees, but this is common. For example, boxing is well known to all of us: so he completely lost his entire arsenal. And there were so many protections with stands (article: “). And all for the sake of sport. Sport is, first of all, attacks in non-dangerous zones: either the affected area itself is slightly injured, or it simply goes away under the influence of an attack (like a jaw under the side), as a result of which the force simply goes into emptiness, and in order for this remainder of the force to be knocked out, it is necessary to do it yourself the blow is very powerful.

Benefits of Muay Thai.

Simplicity of technology. Probably only boxing is simpler, but this is already too much, which is confirmed by the survey data.

A small correction needs to be made here. You can't say it's art Muay Thai primitive. They turned him into this, throwing away almost everything that was possible. Probably they would also rule out blows, but what would be left then :)? For example, remove your knees and elbows and Muay Thai will practically turn into kickboxing, if you remove the legs, then it will resemble boxing, in which you also use your elbows (by the way, an interesting fighting system is obtained: boxing plus elbows. Maybe someone will create something like that), the federation will register.

The manner of movement does not restrict the natural manner of movement of the body. This is a very important point. Pay attention to the manner in which, for example, karatekas move during their training, and how this matter is quickly forgotten when they step onto the platform: the fighters immediately begin to move like a boxer, although this matter is never practiced in training, but Only the sliding step is practiced, from which they “dance”.

Muay Thai, even despite the remaining skimpy technique and some primitiveness, it is quite spectacular in a fight, which many people really like: pumped-up guys enter the ring and generously begin to carry out attacks on each other, reminiscent of blows with logs :)

Lack of formal complexes. A very important argument. In order to diligently hone some complex over the course of many months, and then also decipher its application, i.e., try to use it in battle, then you really need a stubborn character, because you won’t get the kata right away.

We have one person at work who attended the Shotokan section and I remember his memories of training: “So you come and the same thing begins: warm-up, kata, sparring. And you do the kata and you don’t understand a damn thing and nothing is clear.”

In short, long complexes in Muay Thai replaced by practicing more practical combat sequences using “two, three movements.”

Constant work in pairs allows you to develop the skill of working with a person in general and with the enemy in particular and, as a result, they are not afraid of the upcoming battle. Pay attention to this point. In many schools, this stage is not given due attention and the required amount of time, and as a result, a person does not feel his partner, does not know how to work with him, does not know how to calculate his potential attacks based on the general position of the enemy’s body, no, knows how to adapt to the enemy and beat emerging situations in the most optimal way.

The trainee quickly acquires some initial skills that he can use in battle. I won’t say, of course, that these skills are specific, at the genetic level, but it’s quite possible to inflict a couple or two good splashes that demolish the top level in the form of a head;) Of course, the likelihood of fighting off a weapon remains in question, but Muay Thai no one claims it to be a supersystem.

In Muay Thai, a lot of time is spent working on the bag, which allows you to deliver a specific blow. But this is really a plus: too many people get carried away with other stages of practicing strikes, such as “working in the air”, “working with a partner”, but they don’t develop the strength of the ligaments on the bag, they don’t build the structure of the body, and they can’t do a full force release , and if they hit you with all their strength in battle, being “crazy,” then they are guaranteed to get injured.

Minuses.

The presence of advantages, of course, also implies disadvantages, which are often forgotten. They are as follows:

Exclusively working against one person, and in battle, as you know, there is almost always a numerical superiority. This, by the way, leads to the fact that the established stereotype of tactics and strategies developed in the gym are shattered to smithereens in a situation on the “street”.

Betting on sports Almost all throws, methods of impact on joints, various suffocations, holds and impacts on weak points of the human body, such as trampling toes, blows to the throat, the back of the head, “by sight”, breaking effects on fingers, were thrown out of the system. This whole thing has led to the fact that the appropriate counteraction is not practiced, and as a result, when faced with these types of attacks, the athlete begins to get lost and does not know what to do.

A huge disadvantage of the system is that practicing techniques in Muay Thai requires gloves., but street fighting does not recognize them, which is a great inconvenience for an athlete who is accustomed to working in them. See for yourself how things turn out. With their size, gloves not only play the role of a kind of protection in the form of “hard supports” for blows, which are possible only because the gloves are soft and soften the impact, but also a person, as a result of their constant use in the ring, reduces the rich arsenal of impacts with the hands to a primitive one. fist to nickel." There are no strikes with the palms, it is impossible to carry out grabs, attacks penetrate through those raised in defense, the enemy’s hands sharply roll down. In general, this topic is reminiscent of one incident at the dawn of the last century, when Europe, having heard enough rumors about the high level of Chinese fighters and almost believing in these rumors, decided to hold some kind of championship there, or something. They gathered their boxers, invited Chinese masters, and now pay attention, they put gloves on the Chinese that “they had never even seen before” and forced them to fight according to their own rules! The result is predictable - they lost on all counts. What could they do? Of all the manual techniques, only straight and lateral ones, kicks are prohibited, throws are impossible - of course, the Chinese masters, forced to fight according to foreign rules, lost outright.

And one more thing: either a minus or a plus, which is that: the places where strikes are applied are not entirely optimal for quickly removing the enemy from a combat-ready state. This is a minus, yes I agree, and a very significant one, but if you look at this matter from the other side, isn’t it a plus, since the enemy is not killed or injured, but is just “educated” ;) and there is a high probability that after battle, he will begin to respect you as a man and subsequently even begin to “handle you.”

But be that as it may, the advantages Muay Thai outweigh its disadvantages, because... A) People simply don’t need a combat system rich in an arsenal, because it seems to them that simplicity is the key to victory and there is a “great meaning” hidden in it. B) Muay Thai corresponds to our idea of ​​fighting like “one blow on the spot” and “a Russian hero does not hit twice.” C) Primary self-defense skills are acquired very quickly, since the technical castration of the system for the sake of sport ultimately led to a sharply increased speed of training and acquisition of the necessary skills. D) Due to the small technical arsenal, which is mastered quite quickly, some free time remains and it can be additionally spent on an athletic club, and then in general you get a straight Greek demigod: he doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, knows how to fight, has the physique of Apollo, which automatically implies the following plus , and in particular the following: D) Sharply increased attention from the female half of humanity, which, of course, is pleasant /

The conclusion is the following. Muay Thai in the eyes of the majority, there is precisely that system in which there is an optimal ratio of the simplicity of the technical arsenal with the maximum effect of its use, which is the decisive factor in choosing your own self-defense school.

In the end, watch the video of how a low kick broke the leg, not of the opponent, but of the one carrying out the attack. The video is just terrible, it’s unpleasant to watch!

In my opinion (it may differ from others), the fracture occurred due to a very well-executed defense, as a result of which the point of contact fell on the upper half of the tibia, which led to a sharply increased force of the overlap, leading to a fracture of the tibia. But what surprised me most of all was the victim’s reaction: it was zero, that is, the man is completely indifferent! I thought he was going to roll around there in pain/

Hello, dear blog readers. Today we will talk about one of the closest relatives of our favorite sport - Muay Thai. “Eight-armed boxing” is also the name of Muay Thai, meaning that in addition to arms and legs, a fighter actively uses knees and elbows in a fight, which is a feature of Thai boxing. What is the history of Muay Thai?

The knee is one of the “arms” of Muay Thai.

Thai boxing: history of origin

It’s hardly worth reminding where Thai boxing originated. In Thailand, where this martial art is almost the only bridge to a wealthy life for guys from the slums. For Thailand, this is an ancient martial art, something of a national cultural relic. translated into Russian means “the fight of free people.” After all, the self-name of the indigenous people of the country – the Thais – means “free”. Thailand (ancient Ayutthaya and Siam) only briefly lost its independence once: its Burmese neighbors did it…. Actually, here we move on to the legendary origins of Thai boxing and to the answer to the question: how did Thai boxing appear?

Famous Muay Thai Movies

• "Kickboxer"
• "Never give up"
• "In search of adventures"
• "Honor of the Dragon"
• "Only God will forgive"

A Brief History of Muay Thai

In Thailand, the question “When did Muay Thai appear?” often answered: about two thousand years ago. Its ancestors were the fighting systems of mai si sok (“bare hands”) and plowing (“multilateral boxing”). The history of the creation of Thai boxing began in caves near the city of Suwannaphum. According to legend, it was developed during joint training by the great masters of hand-to-hand combat Kru Latham, Kru Kun Plaaem, Kru Fong, Kru Sri Treirat and the girl Kru Mebua. Unfortunately, this is not documented. Probably, the documents (lists of champions and tournaments, decrees on awards) were lost during a fire in the capital of Ayutthaya, Ayutthaya in 1776.

Official Thai sources give his birth year as 1350. Then, in the village of Tambon Vieng Lek, by order of the Thai king Prachao U-Thong Rama Thibodi, the Buddhai Sawan Temple was built, where the first center for training in martial arts, including Muay Thai, was opened. After all, the best masters were enlisted in the national guard, and it was an honor for the nobility to master the techniques. This fact, by the way, is documented.

In addition to official information, there are a huge number of legends. The most beautiful of them is connected precisely with the Burmese conquerors, whom were mentioned above.

During the war with Burma in 1774, which deprived Ayutthaya of its freedom, King Mangra of Burma, in honor of the victory, decided to organize a crushing massacre of the Thais in the fighting arena. Selected captive Thais were confronted by Burmese Parmu masters. Among those chosen was the legendary Nai Kham Tom, who won ten victories (!) almost in a row in one (!) day. For which he received freedom and memory throughout the centuries (even we remember him). In honor of the hero, a grandiose national holiday “Boxing Night” is held in Thailand on March 17, the crown of which is a tournament at the Lumphini Stadium for the king’s prizes. During fights, only 95,000 seats in the stadium are occupied.

Thai boxing is still not lethal, but quite often bloody.

Famous video games with Muay Thai

• "Street Fighter"
• "Mortal Combat"
• "Tekken"
• "League of Legends"

Thai boxing: history of development

In 1778, European boxing crossed paths with Thai boxing for the first time. Two visiting Frenchmen, who tried to colonize Indochina with their compatriots, defeated their rivals.

With all their adherence to traditions, the Thais, looking at the strictly regulated English boxing and French boxing-savate, modernized (1929) the rules of Thai boxing in the similarity of the rules of the above-mentioned martial arts, at the same time organically absorbing the technique of striking with their hands, in which European boxing is certainly stronger. Means of protecting the fighters were also prescribed. There were clear indications of the size of the battle area and its arrangement. The decision on the timing of the rounds was original. The “timer” was a holed coconut. The round lasted exactly as long as it took for the coconut to fill with water and sink to the bottom of a special tub. Changes in the rules made Muay Thai close to European systems, which is why it is now called boxing. However, having seen “wai kru” and “ram muay” (ritual warm-up dance with bows to the spirits of the ring and intimidation of the opponent before the fight), “mongkon” (twisted rope-crown on the head - the amulet is removed before the fight) with “prajat” (on hand bandage-amulet from pain, death and injury), hearing the musical accompaniment of the battle with the help of national instruments of the Thais (outside of Thailand, during battles, in truth, an audio recording is almost always heard), you will not confuse it with anything else.

Ram Muay during Wai Kru in Mongkon.

In Europe, it is not customary to treat martial arts as selflessly as in Asia, however, Muay Thai “speaks” in English and has gained extraordinary popularity. Since about the 60s of the twentieth century, Thai boxing has been making a triumphal march through the Old and New Worlds. The exception is the Soviet Union... This concludes the history of the emergence and development of Thai boxing. And let's return to our “Palestinians”.

Muay Thai fighter equipment

• T-shirt (for professionals - optional)
• Underpants
• Gloves (8 oz up to 67 kg, 10 oz for heavier fighters).
• Protective helmet (for amateurs)
• Protective shin protectors (for amateurs)
• Protective groin shell
• Monkong (removed before the fight), Prajat (optional)

History of Thai boxing in the USSR and Russia

Despite its antiquity, Thai boxing was simply not known in the USSR. Which is not surprising, since even karate was prohibited. The techniques were probably studied in special units of law enforcement agencies, but they were not widely developed.

In general, the emergence of Thai boxing became a sign, according to its name, of the free post-Soviet era. What is the history of Thai boxing in Russia?

Muay Thai officially came to the largest country in the world in 1992. The first school appeared in Novosibirsk. The founding father of Russian Thai boxing is considered to be Novosibirsk resident Sergei Zayashnikov, a martial arts enthusiast, and now the founder of the Russian Thai Boxing Federation, president of the Russian Muay Thai League, promoter, TV commentator, author of books about Thai boxing, including training methods. “Deadly sport” (as Thai boxing was nicknamed in the USA) quickly found common ground with East Slavic prowess and instantly spread throughout Russia. A little later, federations of Thai sports appeared in Kuzbass, Dagestan and the Urals. Actually, representatives of these territories dominate Russian Muay Thai today. Thai boxing has become popular in Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

In 1996, the Russian State Sports Committee recognized Thai boxing as an official sport. It has become possible to attract children to Thai boxing. The history of Muay Thai for children in Thailand is extensive. Children's and youth tournaments are no less popular than adults. Thais take particular pleasure in watching their stars grow. In Russia, for a long time there were severe regulatory restrictions due to the rigidity of the sport. And now competitions are held only for fifteen-year-olds. Although the actual training can be done from the age of 5.

In Thailand, even kids get into the ring.

Taking over the world

The rapid development of Muay Thai around the world led to the creation of the International Amateur Muay Thai Federation (IAMFT) in 1984. Today it includes about 70 countries. There are also organizations that conduct professional fights. The development of Muay Thai led to the birth of “clones” - and systems like “K-1” (tournaments “Glory”, “It’s Showtime”, “Tatneft Cup”).

The leaders today in world Thai boxing (at the world championships), naturally, are the Thais. However, from time to time they get real competition from Russians and Ukrainians. Belarusians and Kazakhstanis can also boast of success. Individual representatives from European countries and the USA also become champions. That is why the world championships have relatively recently left their place of permanent residence - the capital of Thailand, Bangkok - and are traveling around the world.

Nowadays, a lot of work is being done to include Thai boxing in the program of the Olympic Games. It has already been accepted into the Olympic family (candidate for inclusion in the program), but for now Thai boxing is a permanent participant in the World Sports Games. The popularity of Thai boxing is growing all the time: on television, more and more sports programs pay attention to this martial art, there were also reality shows on TV channels from training camps, and elements of Muay Thai (as they call it in Thailand) are increasingly penetrating fashionable action films due to their effectiveness. Therefore, a description of Thai boxing is not required: everyone knows it.

In general, we should agree with the well-known Chuck Norris that “Thai boxing is the sport of the future.” His story continues before our eyes. We hope that, like us, you will follow it with undisguised interest.

Even girls are in love with Muay Thai: on the right is a promising Russian athlete, medalist of the World Junior Championships, Kemerovo Daria Ganzvind,

Great Champions of Modern Muay Thai

• Sittichai Sitsongpinong
• Buakaw Banchamek
• Yodsanklay Fairtex
• Anderson Silva
• Nathan Corbett
• Samarth Payakarun
• Ramon Dekkers
• Tony Jaa
• Melchor Menor
• Saenchai
• Valentina Shevchenko
• Apideus Sith-Hirun
• Joanna Jedrzejczyk
• Superbon Banchamek
• Buakhau Po Pramuk
• Mike Zambidis
• Badr Hari
• Remy Bonjasky
• Ernesto Host
• Peter Arts
• Alistair Overeem
• Rob Kaman
• Alexey Kudin
• Alexey Ignashov
• Giorgio Petrosyan
• Artyom Vakhitov
• Artyom Levin
• Albert Kraus
• Vitaly Gurkov

Muay Thai (Thai (Thai), or Siamese boxing) originated in ancient times and acquired its classic form in the second half of the 16th century. "Thai" means "free", so "Muay Thai" can be translated as "free fight", or as "fight of the free".

There are many legends about Muay Thai, telling about its origins more than two thousand years ago, about the connections of this martial art with Indian hand-to-hand combat systems and its unsurpassed advantages. But what is certain is that since the time of the Ayutthaya state, which arose in the 16th century, the Siamese army trained warriors to fight with their bare hands and feet. Particularly outstanding fighters were valued so highly that they were enlisted in the royal guard and given the title of nobility.

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Traditional Muay Thai has long been a system of hand-to-hand combat for warriors of the Thai army, as well as a favorite pastime of young people. However, in 1929 it was reformed under the influence of English boxing. The binding of the arms with horsehide straps gave way to European-style boxing gloves (six and eight ounces), although the legs remained bare (however, they were allowed to be bandaged). A division into seven weight categories was introduced, and the duration of the fight was limited to five rounds of three minutes each, with two-minute breaks between them (previously the fight went on without breaks until one of the participants won). In addition to the referee on the court, two side judges were introduced.

The new rules prohibited grabs and throws, headbutts, strangulation, and finishing off a fallen opponent. Victory began to be awarded for knockout (if the opponent cannot continue the fight on the count of ten), by points and in the event of a technical knockout. It was allowed to surrender, which was previously condemned (the fight continued until one of the opponents left the site dead or severely beaten). But even now, according to official statistics, one fight out of 1,500 ends in the death of the athlete. The earthen area was replaced by a 6x6 meter ring. This is how Muay Thai took on its current form.

The craze for Muay Thai in the West began after March 12, 1977. his masters won a “dry” victory over kick boxers in Bangkok, despite the fact that the match was held according to the rules of kick boxing (elbow and knee strikes, the use of which is one of the main trump cards of Muay Thai), were prohibited. On May 6 of the same year, a similar match was held there with karatekas, and with the same result. Now Muay Thai has spread throughout the world.

Muay Thai training

Muay Thai training usually begins in childhood. During training, they strive to develop, first of all, speed of strikes and endurance. To practice the technique, various equipment is used, mainly hanging punching bags and punching bags. To protect against blows to the head during training, a helmet-mask is worn, a “mouth guard” is inserted into the mouth, and a “shell” is placed on the groin. A shell is also required in competitions, but a helmet is not required. The training is carried out in a very tough manner.

A typical workout looks like this:

• warm-up (most often this is 15 minutes of exercises with a skipping rope);
• 5 three-minute rounds (with one-minute breaks between them) of shadow boxing, using all types of strikes;
• 5 three-minute rounds (with one-minute breaks) sparring with a partner, but without elbows and knees;
• 5 three-minute rounds (with one-minute breaks) work on apparatus, using all types of strikes; 5
• three-minute rounds (with one-minute breaks) practicing technique with a trainer.
• The workout is completed with strength exercises (push-ups, strengthening the abdominal muscles, and body rotation are especially popular) and stretching.
• In the morning, a 30-minute run and gymnastic exercises are recommended.

Although Muay Thai fights are fought with boxing gloves, the traditional technique of wrapping hands and wrists has also been preserved, especially in villages (where, by the way, the vast majority of professional fighters come from). The length of such a bandage made of soft fabric is about 2.5 meters, width - 4.5 centimeters. In ancient times, hands were bandaged with leather belts. Wrapping your hands and wrists in soft cloth helps cushion shock, protects your fingers from breaking, saves the energy needed to clench your fists, while still allowing enough freedom to move your fingers and hands.

Unlike Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese martial arts, Muay Thai does not have sets of formal exercises (kata, taolu), although the basic exercises are short combinations of techniques. They are divided into basic (mae mai) and additional (luk mai).

Muay Thai styles

There are two main styles in Muay Thai: Muay Lak and Muay Kiew. Muay lak (hard fighting) can now be seen quite rarely, mainly in villages. In this style, the main attention is paid to a firm, stable position, reliable defense, relatively slow but precise movements and powerful blows. Tactics are based on counterattacks. The movements are straightforward, feints are not used, and the close-range fighting technique is very developed.

Muay kiew (fashion fighting), on the contrary, is based on feints and deviations. The movements are fast, there are a lot of side and circular strikes, as well as knee strikes. True, attacks based on feints require more time than straightforward ones, but this does not affect the power of attacks. Unfortunately, now more and more often Thai boxers reduce the fight to a simple exchange of blows - the influence of European boxing and kickboxing is taking its toll.

All fights take place to the accompaniment of traditional Thai music, which sets the rhythm and is performed on four instruments: clarinet, double drum, metal cymbals and Thai drum. The leading part is performed by the clarinet.

There were 108 techniques known in classical Muay Thai. However, only 30 remain in its modern version.

The basic principle

Fist strikes are delivered both single and in series. The main striking surface is the knuckles (in gloves, their front part). The open glove is used to cover a direct blow or deflect it to the side. Strikes with the palm, fingers, or back of the wrist are not used. The technique of working with fists is similar to that of ordinary European boxing: hook, swing, uppercut, direct blow, several methods of counterattack or blocking are used against each of them.

Elbow strikes play an important role. Such blows are delivered in almost all directions and at any angle: from bottom to top, diagonally outward, from top to bottom vertically. There are strikes with two elbows at the same time, as well as with the elbow back, performed both in a straight line and in an arc.

There are also a lot of knee strikes, but basically they are a direct strike and a circular one, in a wide variety of variations, including with jumping. A high knee can serve as a block when kicking and at the same time allows for “stabbing” kicks with the foot. The situation when a boxer grabs the opponent's head or enters a clinch in combination with a knee strike can be considered the hallmark of Thai boxing. They hit you with the knee while jumping, even in the chin and face. Knee strikes are often used in combination with elbow strikes.

Muay Thai technique

The technique of kicking with the foot is less developed. There are no sweeps or jumping strikes in her arsenal. The basic kick is a direct kick aimed at the groin or solar plexus. There are few side blows; they are usually delivered from a turn or in a circular motion. There is also an analogue of “mawashi-geri”, a blow called “crocodile swings its tail.” But the blows aimed at the popliteal fossa and catching the opponent’s legs are well developed. The feet and knees are used so often in combat that Muay Thai is often called “eight-arm fighting.”

The tough nature of the training, high speed of movements, and active development of all techniques in sparring make Thai boxers extremely dangerous opponents in real street fights.

Thai boxing is now popular all over the world. Suffice it to say that it is widely practiced in Japan, and that the rules of the Chinese sports "sanda" are largely copied from Muay Thai. In Thailand itself, Muay Thai is practiced by more than 120 thousand amateurs, and about 10 thousand professionals, and there are about 2 thousand clubs. This is a lot for a country with a population of 56 million people. Military personnel and police officers are not included in this figure, since they practice Muay Thai without fail.