Muay Thai
Muay Thai or Muaythai, sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinching techniques. The name “Art of Eight Limbs” refers to the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand, sanctioned by the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Muay Thai is related to other martial art styles of the Indian cultural sphere such as Musti-yuddha, Muay Chaiya, Muay Boran, Muay Lao, Lethwei, Kun Khmer, Benjang and Tomoi. A practitioner of Muay Thai is known as a Nak Muay. Western practitioners in Thailand are sometimes called Nak Muay Farang, meaning "foreign boxer".
Etymology
The term Muay Thai is a Thai term that is a compound word made up of two basic words; muay and Thai.- The term muay is derived from the Sanskrit root word mavya, which means "to pull together," "to form into a single group or unit," or "unity." It is defined as "to tie" and "sport boxing" in Thai. The alternative form of the Sanskrit word mavya is mavy, from its root term mav.
- The term Thai comes from the word Tai, means "free" and "Tai-Kadai speakers."
The oldest text of the term Muay ever recorded is found in the palm-leaf manuscripts in Northern Thai language called Mungrai Law 1839 BE, enacted 1296 AD. The pronunciation of the word Muay existed in Thai people since prior Nanzhao period said in The History of Muay Thai by The Institute of the Art of Muay Thai, Department of Physical Education National Stadium of Thailand.
The historical term Tha Nai Lueak, meaning "Nak Muay for the King's guard, the name of division to be in charge of Nak Muay." The term was adopted in the Law of the Military and Provincial Hierarchy 1998 BE since 1455, during the reign of King Borommatrailokkanat, and repealed during the reign of King Mongkut.
Variant names
The term Muay Thai is also written in various languages, including,,,,,, and.History
7th century
The earliest origin of Muay Thai dates back to the 657 AD Haripuñjaya period of a hermit named Sukatanata who established his school of liberal and martial arts consisting of Muay Thai, which will be mentioned in order of history compiled officially by The Institute of the Art of Muay Thai, Department of Physical Education National Stadium of Thailand.From 738 AD in the Nanzhao period. Muay Thai had been trained from variant movements of dance; Fon jerng or jerng means "tactics" or "finesse", included weapons and bare hands, showing the art of men's fighting, which is similar to Lei tai due to the war engagement with China for a long time. It is said to be the earliest stage of Thai people forming, and Muay Thai had been training for generations along the Fon jerng dance. The Fon jerng also became one of the recreational Thai classical dances in Northern Thailand, existing nowadays.
10th century
After the Northern Tai people, led by King Lavachakkaraj, who ruled the town of Fang , founded the Singhanavati Kingdom, known as Yonoknakhon, they continued to expand their territory by seizing and establishing kingdoms, such as the Lan Na Kingdom, Phayao Kingdom, Haripuñjaya, and Lampang.From 947 AD onward, they conquered various ethnic groups, including the Khom ethnic groups, aboriginal Siamese, and Mon-Khmer in the upper part of the Chao Phraya River basin, using their martial arts skills. The Tai people then moved down northwest and successfully established the Sukhothai Kingdom under the rule of King Si Inthrathit, who was a descendant of King Phrom, a descendant of the Singhanavati Dynasty. This is mentioned in the folklore, the Legend of Singhanavati.
The Mungrai Customary Law 1296 CE, one of the oldest palm-leaf manuscripts written in the Northern Thai language during the reign of King Mangrai, who established the town of Chiang Mai, also mentioned the Tai martial arts in section 7, under the article of 18 types of quarrels, for the first time in the Lan Na Kingdom. In the folklore, the Legend of the Phayao Kingdom, the version by Wat Sriboonrueng mentioned the Tai martial arts known as jerng tiw khui during the reign of King Chueang Maharat.
13th century
During the Pre-Ayutthaya era before 1351, the Royal Chronicle of the North documented King Uthong's importation of Muay boxers from the city of Sri Phalo to the city-state of Ayodhya. This occurred during his reign from 1253 to 1289, and a Muay boxing match between a Siamese boxer and a Chinese boxer also took place during the late reign of King Suwanracha, who ruled Ayodhya from 1301 to 1310. Furthermore, the Siam-Thai of Ayutthaya launched an attack on the Thaton kingdom in 1056 CE. They expanded their territory southward and used their martial arts skills to penetrate deep into the Malay Peninsula before 1160 CE. These events are recorded in various historical sources, including the Burmese chronicle, Hmannan Yazawin, the Malay annals, and the History of the Malay Kingdom of Patani.During the Sukhothai Kingdom from 1238 to 1268, Muay Thai was highly regarded as an art form and was even included in the curriculum for members of the royal family. It was seen as a way to train brave warriors with exceptional physical fitness, as well as prepare them for leadership and warfare against neighboring kingdoms. King Si Inthrathit sent his second son, aged 13, Prince Ram Khamhaeng, to study Dharma, liberal arts, and martial arts at the Samo Khon School in Lawapura town, Lavo Kingdom. It was here that Prince Ram Khamhaeng formed a close bond with Prince Ngam Mueang, who would later become the King of Phayao Kingdom in 1258, as mentioned in the Yonok Chronicles:
The Samo Khon school was founded in 657 AD during the Haripuñjaya period by a hermit named Sukatanata. He taught a variety of subjects, collectively known as Maiya Shastra, which included martial arts, sword fighting, archery, and elephant and horse control. One of the most notable alumni of the school was King Mangrai. The Hermitage of Sukatanata still exists today and can be accessed at Wat Khao Samo Khon in Lopburi province, Thailand.
King Ram Khamhaeng also composed a war strategy manual during his reign that also mentioned Muay Thai. Later, King Maha Thammaracha I was trained in essential subjects as well as practical skills, including martial arts for self-defense with bare hands and the use of weapons. Muay Thai was also taught at temples, which served as learning centers for the Tai peoples, following the guidelines of King Ram Khamhaeng's war strategy manual.
15th century
In 1431 AD, King Borommarachathirat II, the King of Ayutthaya Kingdom, led Siamese forces and included groups of Siamese boxers to assault the Khmers plundering Angkor Thom, also known as the Fall of Angkor in 1431. King Borommarachathirat II built an inscription of Khun Sri Chaiya Raj Mongkol Thep for the victory monument and Siamese warriors' commemoration, which inscribed a list of Siamese warriors and assault record in the inscription after the Angkor had already been captured, as well as written in A Lost Chronicle of Ayutthaya by Michael Vickery, stanzas 9–11.The inscription of Khun Sri Chaiya Raj Mongkol Thep 1431 AD reads:
From 1455 AD in the Ayutthaya period, Muay Thai was officially integrated with Siamese royal courts of Ayutthaya called The King's Guard Department since the reign of King Borommatrailokkanat enacted the Law of the Military and Provincial Hierarchy 1998 BE, which consisted of two director generals with noble titles, Khun Phakdeeasa and Khun Yothaphakdee in the hierarchy. There were countless skilled Siamese boxers in The King's Unarmed Guard Division, a sub-division of The King's Guard Department, picked from competition by the king to be his private guards and patrol the royal palace as major missions. The boxing competitions occur in peace situations as well as to safeguard the king at war.
There was also the law mentioned of Muay in the reign of King Ekathotsarot, called Miscellaneous Laws, which states:
The well-known Siamese boxers during the Ayutthaya period include King Naresuan, King Suriyenthrathibodi, and Nai Khanom Tom.
16th century
According to history, Muay Thai had been developed by the Siamese army as a form of self-defense and to date back at least to the 13th century, according to King Ram Khamhaeng's war strategics manual. In Ayutthaya Kingdom, the war strategics manual was recomposed in 1518 by King Ramathibodi II called Tamra Phichaisongkram.File:Wat Suwan Dararam wihan - inside - 2017-02-13.jpg|thumb|The mural paintings of the martial play of Naresuan, the crown prince of Ayutthaya, with Mingyi Swa, the crown prince of Taungoo, in 1565 CE
King Naresuan practiced martial arts and rearranged his soldiers for 15 years at peacetime. He had learned warrior fighting techniques from Burmese royal courts after he was raised on his age 9 by King Bayinnaung for 6 years in Burma after the invasion by Bayinnaung's army to Ayutthaya Kingdom in the Burmese–Siamese War. King Naresuan also improved the war strategics manual version of King Ramathibodi II to the version of King Naresuan after he was backed to Ayutthaya Kingdom to be capable of self-defense in war engagements during his reign.
In 1687, Simon de la Loubère, a French diplomat to Siam of King Louis XIV, handwrote that Muay Thai was one of the occupations of Siamese people in his famous book, Du Royaume de Siam, during the reign of King Narai, which reads:
In 1698, according to the second French mission to Siam by King Louis XIV, who after appointed Guy Tachard to be in charge of the French ambassador to Siam. Muay Thai was being trained to prepare for an engagement with a French expeditionary force after the Dutch captain informed the Siamese Royal Court of the news about French battleships to siege Puducherry and Myeik seaports of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya in the reign of King Phetracha after the Siamese revolution of 1688.
Monsieur Braud's letter to Directors of the International Affairs Kingdom of Ayutthaya reads: