Muay Thai is a combat sport commonly referred to as "Thai Boxing". In English Muay Thai means "The Art of Eight Limbs". Unlike Boxing or Kickboxing, Muay Thai uses Elbows, Knees and kicks with the shin forward instead of the feet. A technique called "The Clinch" is one of Muay Thai signature and most effective moves, combined with the knee's The Muay Thai Clinch is a deadly technique if used correctly. A practitioner of Muay Thai is known as a nak muay.
Muay Thai has a very rich history, spanning back thousands of years. Various forms of kickboxing have long been practiced throughout mainland Southeast Asia. In Thailand Muay Thai is the current state of evolution of many integrated Muays including Muay Boran - A martial art once used by Siamese soldiers after losing their weapons in battle. Eventually Muay Boran became a spectator sport, mainly watched alongside royalty and kings. The Barefist and brutal sport eventually evolved into the Combat Sport we know today as Muay Thai. Instead of fighting barefist Muay Thai fighters have fallen on using Western Boxing style gloves.
Muay Thai is incredibly focused on the conditioning of the body and as such creates incredibly strong and tough willed fighters. Conditioning can include many popular sport conditioning exercises such as running, shadowboxing, rope jumping, body weight resistance exercises, medicine ball exercises, abdominal exercises, and although used less frequently weight training. Muay Thai utilizes kicks with the shin bone and because of that Muay Thai fighters from a young age practice kicking hard objects for many reps each day, eventually leading to having a much stronger and resistant shin bone.
Daily work includes training with coaches on Thai pads, focus mitts, heavy bag, and sparring, including many rounds (3-5 minute periods broken up by a short rest, often 1–2 minutes). Muay Thai Pads are the stable of muay Thai training and are used for Kicks, Punches, Elbows and Knees. A typical muay Thai fighter spends 100s if not 1000s of hours practicing these moves.Due to having such a hard working training regime many Muay Thai fighters have a relatively short fighting career. After retiring many fighters go on to train the upcoming generations of young fighters.
