History

Although Muay Thai is considered by some to be a derivation of a general indigenous martial art style native to southeast Asia, it was the first to be popularised outside of southeast Asia.

Traditionally in the past, Muay Thai was used as entertainment to kings. Gloves were made out of wrapped twine, tar, and broken pieces of glass to ensure a bloody event.

Nai Khanomtom

A very famous fighter was Nai Khanomtom. Around 1774, he was captured along with other Thai prisoners, either in a skirmish or at the fall of Ayutthaya, the ancient capital of Siam (Thailand's name at that time). He was brought to Rangoon in Burma, where the Burmese king Mangra was holding a religious festival in honour of Buddha's relics. The festivities included many forms of entertainment. King Mangra was reported to be curious to see how the various fighting styles of Burma and other countries would compare. At one point, he wanted to see how Muay Thai (or Muay Boran) would compare to the Burmese art (either Parma or Lethwei). Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. Nai Khanomtom did a Wai Kru (wai khru ram muay) pre-fight dance which puzzled all of the Burmese. When the fight began, he charged out and using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, quickly pummelled the Burmese.

The referee was reported to have stated that the Burmese opponent was distracted by the Wai Kru, so the knockout was invalid. The King then asked if Nai Khanomtom would fight nine other Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought them all, one after the other. The last Burmese was reputed to be a great boxing teacher. Nai Khanomtom defeated them all in a superior fashion. King Mangra was so impressed that he remarked, "Every part of the Thai is blessed with venom. Even with his bare hands, he can fell nine or ten opponents. As his lord master was incompetent, the country was lost to the enemy. If his lord were any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would fall."

He offered Nai Khanomtom freedom along with either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai Khanomtom chose the wives as he said that money was easier to find. He then departed with his wives for Siam.

Other variations of this story had him also winning the release of his fellow Thais. His feat is celebrated every March 17 as "Boxer's Day" or "National Muay Thai Day" in his honour and that of Muay Thai's.

Kickboxing

Muay Thai, along with savate and karate, heavily influenced the development of kickboxing, which was later created in Japan, Europe, and North America. Except in Japan, kickboxing is usually a watered down version of Muay Thai in which the fighters restrict their kicks to above the waist, and elbows and knees are not allowed.

In the last decade, Muay Thai has enjoyed a boost in popularity worldwide as it has been very effective in popular no-holds-barred events, such as Pride Fighting Championship and the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) competitions. It is widely recognised that a combination of a grappling art, such as judo or Brazilian jiu jitsu, with Muay Thai is very effective in such fights.

In Malaysia

There exists a Malaysian derivative of Muay Thai known as tomoi or Muay Malay by the Thais that is practised primarily in northern Malaysia, in the states that share a border with Thailand. The ethnic Malays in southern Thailand also refer to Muay Thai as tomoi.