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Muay Thai

The art of eight limbs.

Born in Thailand, Muay Thai uses fists, elbows, knees and shins. Fighters train twice a day in camps, clinch to control the head and finish with knees.

Fact file

Country
Thailand
Founder / origin
From muay boran (Nai Khanom Tom) (tradition)
Year / period
18th century
Type
Striking
Sources: IFMA — International Federation of Muaythai Associations · Tourism Authority of Thailand · International Olympic Committee

History

Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport. It comes from muay boran, the fighting methods of Siamese soldiers, and tradition tells of Nai Khanom Tom, a prisoner of war who in the 18th century beat a series of Burmese fighters with his bare hands and won his freedom. Thailand celebrates National Muay Thai Day on 17 March.

In the 1920s and 1930s the sport moved into rings, with gloves, rounds and weight classes. The great Bangkok stadiums, Rajadamnern (1945) and Lumpinee (1956), became its temples. The IFMA governs amateur Muay Thai and received full recognition from the International Olympic Committee in 2021.