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Muay Thai Krabi - Top articleStory & Photos : Daniel Docto Muay Thai!The History SawazzzzzzDEE krab, this is "DOC" an Ao Nang Krabi Muay Thai Family member and a promoter of the most amazing sport in the world. Read on a new exciting account on Muay Thai…
THE HISTORY Muay Thai is supported, encouraged, known, promoted and greatly influenced by His Majesty the King of Thailand, King Rama VIIII. One of the biggest Muay Thai events in Thailand and in the world happens on the King’s birthday, on December 5th. Muay Thai really grew in popularity under the rule of King Rama V in the 1860's during a time of peace. The sport was practiced for personal fitness, exercise, recreation, defense and character building. Many of the Royal servants, workers, family and the guards all practiced Muay Thai, and it became a big part of Thailand social life. Rama VII had one of the most impressive Muay Boran Regiments in Thailand and was highly responsible for Muay Boran to become known as Muay Thai with safer rules, gloves and a roped ring. This happened around 1920, when the King experienced the death of a fighter during a Muay Boran fights, which led to making the sport safer for these amazing fighters. After the fall of old Siam, in 1774, the king of the Burma (now called Myanmar) organized a seven-day, seven-night religious festival in the city of Rangoon in honor of Buddha's relics. King Mangra wanted to see how Muay Boran would compare to the Burmese art Lethwei. Nai Khanom Tom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion, the boxing ring was set up in front of the throne and Nai Khanom Tom did a traditional Wai Kru/Ram Muay (pre-fight dance) to pay his respects to the Burmese king, as well as for all the spectators. He danced around his opponent, something that amazed and perplexed all the Burmese people. When the fight began, he charged out using punches, kicks, elbows and knees, pummeling his opponent until he collapsed. The referee however stated that the Burmese opponent was too distracted by the pre-fight dance, and the knockout was invalid. The King then asked if Nai Khanom Tom would fight nine other Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought them all, one after the other with no rest periods in between. His last opponent was a great boxing teacher from Ya Kai City, Nai Khanom Tom mangled him by his kicks and no one else dared to challenge him any further. 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. But his Lord was incompetent and lost the country to the enemy. If he had been any good, there would have been no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen." King Mangra granted Nai Khanom Tom freedom along with either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai Khanom Tom 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 Thai prisoners. His feat is celebrated every March 17th as ‘Boxer's Day’ or ‘National Muay Thai Day’ in his honor and in that of Muay Thai. TODAY Today, Muay Thai is one of the fastest growing sports in the world; in fact the number one people getting involved in Muay Thai are women, as Muay Thai is the greatest fat burning exercise on the planet. At the same time, by practicing Muay Thai you can learn a strong basic self-defense system. Muay Thai is a group/team/family activity where ‘Iron sharpens Iron’ and where there are no ‘Lone Rangers’ as the sport is based on human movement/personality/strength. The motto of Fairtex, a great promoter of Muay Thai, reads: "In order to Fight like a Thai, you must train like a Thai." Now that I personally live in Ao Nang, I disagree with that statement and I rewrite is as: "In order to Fight like a Thai, you must train with a Thai." Daniel C. Docto aka ‘DOC’ is a writer of Muay Thai articles; he trains at all the Muay Thai gyms in the Ao Nang and Krabi area, he does personal Fitness & Fight training himself and takes care of the English announcing at Ao Nang Krabi Muay Thai Stadium on Friday nights. Feel free to contact him about Muay Thai events in the Ao Nang Krabi area. He can be contacted at 087 8102177 or by email at DocThailand at gmail.com
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Muay Thai Krabi
‘Muay’ means to fight or to box, ‘Thai’ is Thailand and ‘Muay Thai’ comes from ‘Muay Boran’, which is Thailand's ancient fighting defense system that has become Thailand's National Sport with rules, gloves and a boxing ring. This National Sport is very unique in Thailand; there are Muay Thai Fighters/ Champions in all 76 provinces of the country, and fights almost everyday of the year, with some cities boasting 3 to 4 fight events in a single night! In Bangkok there are over 1,000 gyms; Phuket and Pattaya have several gyms for foreigners. Ao Nang is not behind, with many new Muay Thai gyms that have brought the best of the best champions to our paradise area. 