NUMBER 01

MUAY
THE MUAY THAI MAGAZINE

EXCLUSIVE: RULES OF THE MUAY THAI PROFESSIONAL, P. 11

 SUMMARY

INDEX

04 MUAY THAI (THAI BOXING)

Muay Thai , the most favori te marti al arts of

the Thai has been i n exi stence for al most as
l ong as the Thai themsel ves.

IMPORTANT TIPS:TRAINING IN
08 TECHNIQUES
O real obj eti vo do gri to é potenci al i zar a força
trabal hando a respi ração

RULES OF THE MUAY THAI

11 PROFESSIONAL

Somethi ng that defi ni tel y spread by the

mouth of the peopl e was the craze of
i nventi ng di fferent names for Muay Thai

IMPORTANT TIPS: TRAINING IN

15 TECHNIQUES

To become a Thai boxer with special skills,

you have to train conscientiously.

ENJOY THE JOURNEY AND

17 REAP THE BENEFITS

Muay Magazine, specialized in Muaythai in it you can

find the most up-to-date information, along with the
most interesting articles and interviews related to this
Thai fight.
18 PI KLONG BAND

What makes Muay Thai i s the Pi Kl ong band.

19 5 MUAY RORAN STYLES

There are 5 styl es of Muay Boran

21 FLYING KNEE

Rafael Cordei ro Muay Thai techni que: Fl yi ng knee

WHY PROFESSIONAL FIGHTERS

24 COMPETE AT THE WORLD
AMATEUR
I FMA Worl d Champi onshi ps 2021

TRADITION VERSUS
25 TELEVISION

The Battl e for Muay Thai ' s Soul

FIGHT

MUAY
Muay Thai, or Thai boxing, the most
favorite martial arts of the Thai has been
in existence for almost as long as the

THAI (THAI
Thai themselves. Muay Thai is best
known in the global community,
especially among martial arts and
boxing enthusiasts, for its various types

BOXING)
of blows, and its coordinated utilization
of all hard parts of the body with
effectiveness and agility. Blows common
to Muay Thai are forward and backward
Muay Thai, the most favorite elbow strikes, knee strikes, swing and
reversing kicks, and foot jabbing.
martial arts of the Thai has Muay Thai is different from Western
boxing in the diversity of offensive and
been in existence for almost defensive blows, thus making the art
as long as the Thai more taxing and challenging to the
boxer.
themselves.
Moreover, cultural and psychological The two boxers perform the Wai Khru
elements are added to Muay Thai, as the ritual simultaneously with concentration
boxer has to perform a traditional and solemnity. Variations in the Wai
“paying respect to the teachers” ritual or Khru styles are possible, and it is not
Wai Khru ceremony, complete with uncommon for boxers to murmur
rousing Thai music accompaniment. incantations to invoke respected spirits
Watching Thai boxing is, then, an entry of the ring for protection against serious
into the psychological world of the Thai injuries that could arise from the fight.
where values such as respect for elders, The purpose is also to stir up excitement
love of grace, bravery, creativity and and anticipation on the part of the
adaptability are encapsulated in one spectators who may appraise the
short event.This whole mix of a unique contestants by their performance of the
form of martial arts and cultural ritual. On completion of the ritual,
elements is what makes for the boxers return to their respective corners
fascination with Muay Thai and explains to have their ceremonial headbands
its popularity worldwide. removed and receive last-minute
Muay Thai matches today areorganized instructions from their trainers.
on a regular basis at the many boxing Then, boxers go into action to the sound
stadiums in Bangkok and provincial of rousing music and fight, at most, five
cities. A regular ring that one expects to three-minute rounds alternating with
see at an international boxing event is two-minute rest periods.
used as the venue. The Nak Muay Thai Fists, knees, feet, hands and elbows may
(Thai boxer) wears regular boxing gloves be used, but any form of wrestling, judo
yet fights barefooted. or throwing is forbidden. Contestants
At the start of the match, a Wai Khru wear gloves and boxing trunks and fight
ceremony must be performed, whereby barefooted. Their kicks can deliver a
the boxers enter the ring wearing a knock-out blow. The elbows are wielded
ceremonial rattan headband. An like hammers, giving a rain of hard
ensemble plays background music for blows to the side of the body, or head.
this ceremony, with rousing levels and Knees are used to jab viciously in the
accelerating tempi throughout the fight stomach, solar plexus, and ribs of the
Typically, the musical instrumentsused opponent. Opponents may hit any part
are a Javanese reed-pipe, a pair of low- of the body except for the groin which is
toned and high-toned two-faced drums not considered a valid target.
and a pair of finger cymbals. The music Points are scored for every blow on an
accompanying the actual fight is opponent. If a contestant violates a rule,
quicker in tempo, and the tempo can points are deducted from his score. The
even be variable. In moments of match may end with a winner by a
excitement during the match, the music physical or technical knockout or the
becomes more frenetic, and when referee’s decision; or it may be declared
fighters are not going on the offensive a draw.
aggressively enough, it can be paced
quicker to urge them on. Thus, the
music is functional as well as providing
appropriate atmosphere. .
Evolution The next stage in the evolution of Muay
Thai was when the fighters started to
Muay Thai originated as a fighting skill, bind their fists and lower arms, as
using parts of the body and sometimes described above, for both attacking
with additional weaponry such as strength and for protecting their fingers
swords, pikes, and clubs. Muay Thai was and wrists from sprains and other
used on the battlefield itself, at a time injuries. This is called khat chueak.
when hand-to-hand combat was the Skeins of unrefined hemp threads were
norm, as well as for protection against used. The contestants immersed their
marauders. At a later stage in the history bound fists in water or any sticky liquid,
of Muay Thai, it proved not just a fighting and allowed them to dry, which
skill in warfare and for protection of the hardened their fists. Another variant,
community, but also became a which would cause terrible pain and
spectator sport. Muay Thai contests injury to the
gradually became an integral part of opponent, was the dipping of the bound
local festivals and celebrations, fists and lower arms into a tree resin
especially those held on temple mixed with tiny fragments of glass or
grounds. coarsely ground stone. The boxer then
Indeed, Muay Thai was traditionally had to dry the dipped fists in the sun for
closely connected—as is the case with a short time so that the abrasive
other facets of the Thai way of life—with materials would be firmly embedded,
the Buddhist temple or Wat. The Wat as thus making the punch more painful.
a spiritual, There is no evidence of this form of
social, and educational centre in fighting being regular, even in a combat
traditional Thai village life was also the setting, as the hardened fists would
keeper and moulder of the Muay Thai impair general hand-fighting flexibility.
tradition. The Wat was also a repository Such practice is ruled out now.
of the arts, not only religious kind but
also of the a whole spectrum of artistic The Social Status of Muay Thai
endeavour, including martial arts. And it
was partly from the monks, some of Gradually, Muay Thai changed from a
which had military training and popular sport to a means of personal
experience, that boys and young men advancement, as the nobility
studied this art of close-quarter combat, increasingly appreciated the art and
with all its innovations and invited selected fighters to stay in their
adaptations.Muay Thai was fought in residences to teach Muay Thai to the
contests using only bare fists in a circular staff of royal households, soldiers, and
open space, about eight metres across, the king’s personal guards. During the
so that fighters could move about freely. Ayutthaya Period, a platoon of Royal
The number of rounds was not fixed, Guards variously known as Kong Thanai
and the length of each round was timed Lueak (Elite Retainers) and Krom Nak
by placing in water an empty half Muay (Boxers Regiment) was
coconut shell with a hole bored in its established, comprising officers who
bottom. As soon as the coconut shell were skilled in the art of Muay Thai,
submerged, the round ended. The prizes having been selected after exhibiting
given to the winning fighters were their fighting skills in front of the
generally victuals, but occasionally small monarch.
cash prizes were awarded.
The selected fighters, in turn, taught Thai boxer after having seen it used in
Muay Thai to the princes and nobles, Singapore, to safeguard against hard
and the art as practiced by the nobility kicks. Since Thai boxing has gained
became known as Muay Luang or Royal higher international exposure in line
Muay.This royal patronage of Muay Thai with an increasingly globalised world,
continued throughout the reigns of King promoters arranged for Muay Thai
Rama V and King Rama VI, whereby fighters to go to the US and other
fighters who had proven themselves countries, to stage exhibition matches
through a succession of bouts in the and even to organize tournaments
provinces were invited to the capital city between Muay Thai fighters and
and fight in events attended by the king practitioners of other martial arts such
himself or his representative. as karate and Western boxing. In the late
During the reign of King Rama V, the 1950s, a Japanese boxing promoter
status and social standing of Muay Thai became fascinated with Muay Thai and
was enhanced further, as the King took studied it closely. He then devised a
a personal interest in the art and concept of Japanese
attended matches. Skilled fighters were kick-boxing, fusing Muay Thai kicking
even accorded relatively high-rank titles, techniques with aspects of karate and
as in the case of one boxer who was Western boxing. Later, his troupe of
Japanese kick-boxers fought with Muay
given the title Phra Chai Chok Chok
Thai fighters. He also introduced this
Chana (Lucky Fighter and Winner) by the
kind of competition in Europe, creating
King and then went on to become a
some confusion there as Japanese kick-
famous Muay Thai teacher. Another
boxing was seen as synonymous with
successful fighter was given the title
Muay Thai, although in reality they are
Muen Mue Maen Mat (Knight of the
quite different in terms of conceptual
Sharp Punch) and promoted to the high
and cultural breadth and depth.
rank of a military officer. Active
It was in the 1970s that Muay Thai began
patronage continued during the reign of
to flourish internationally. At that time,
King Rama VI (1910- 1925), who would
the oriental martial arts, in general, had
travel to many provinces to watch
a large following, spurred by the
specially arranged Royal Muay matches.
popularity of movies starring the Kung-
It was in 1920, during his reign, that Fu king, Bruce Lee. Thai boxing rode on
Muay Thai contests finally got their the crest of this wave and Muay Thai
permanent home, the Suan Kulap gyms were established in many
Arena. countries, especially, the US, Germany,
the Netherlands, and Australia.
Muay Thai in the Global Setting It has become well established as the
premier martial arts globally, as
In the late 1920s, Muay Thai gradually evidenced by the proliferation of Muay
adapted to a more international Thai clubs with sites in the worldwide
orientation. The khat chueak or bound web. World championship matches
fists were gradually abandoned in favour comparable to those of Western boxing
of Western style are being held regularly. Muay Thai has
boxing gloves because it was felt the come to be acclaimed “the King of the
latter were less injurious . In 1929 a jock- Martial Arts”.
strap or groin protector (krachap) began
to be worn, adopted by a
The Wai Khru Ram Muay Ceremony Last is the ritual dancing sequence
(“Ritual Dance of Homage to Teachers”) where the boxer shuffles out to the
The uniqueness and universal centre of the ring in harmony with the
attractiveness of Muay Thai lies partly in live background music, performs the
the fact that not only is it a highly ritual, then returns to the boxer’s corner,
efficient martial art form, but it is also and repeats the rite on the other three
infused with Thai cultural sides of the ring.
values woven in a seamless manner,
thus making Muay Thai a reflection of Music Accompaniment
some of the intrinsic qualities of Thai
society. The Wai Khru or Paying Respect In Muay Thai, rhythmic music
to the Teachers Ceremony is an ancient accompanies both the Wai Khru Ram
Thai tradition closely bound with the Muay as well as the actual contest. The
fundamental concept that all providers music is played by the Wong Pi Klong (pi
of knowledge are Khru or teachers, and klong band) performed by four
are worthy of musicians. One plays the pi chawa
the highest respect. That respect is (Javanese oboe), two play the Klong
expressed in the spiritual, graceful, and
khaek (a pair of Thai drums played by
highly symbolic Wai Khru Ram Muay,
two musicians) and another plays the
the “Ritual Dance of Homage to
ching (Thai cymbals). The tempo for the
Teachers”, immediately prior to the
Wai Khru ritual is slow and stately to
fight.
match the solemn mood of the ritual,
There are many styles of rituals so that
with a smooth and flowing rhythm.
two boxers would not in theory, be
performing an identical Wai Khru Ram
Excerpts from "Thailand: Traits and Treasures
Muay. The dance starts with the boxer available in Full in our E-library
getting into the right frame of mind that
will augur well for his fight, by focusing
positive thoughts on the following
auspicious symbols: one’s religion,
parents, teachers, and loved ones who
had passed away. Then, he starts with
doing three prostrations to mark respect
for the three pillars of Thai society:
Nation, Religion, and King. Then, the
boxer performs the second sequence in
a kneeling posture, one knee to the
ground and the other leg bent up front.
He pivots around on the spot and
repeats the same posture facing all four
sides of the ring. But one must take care
not to start the sequence by facing the
west, which in Thai culture is an unlucky
direction.
 THE
PHILOSOPHY
OF

MUAY THAI

LOVE X RESPECT X BELIEVE

MUAY THAI IS THE NATIONAL FIGHT OF THAILAND THAT HELPS

STRENGTHEN THE BODY AND MIND TO BE FIT AND HEALTHY. IT
ALSO PROVIDES BENEFITS AS A FORM OF EXERCISE IN ONE’S
FREE TIME.
BESIDES THIS, PRACTICING MUAY THAI PROVIDES TRAINEES TO
HAVE MORE SELF-CONFIDENCE AND GREATER DISCIPLINE. AS
SUCH, IN LEARNING MUAY THAI, TRAINEES WILL STUDY AND
LEARN ABOUT THE DEFENSE MECHANISMS OF THIS FIGHT:
PUNCH, KICK, KNEE, ELBOW, AND IT CAN ALSO BE LEARNED BY
BOTH MALES, FEMALES AND KIDS.
NEWSMUAYTHAI

FIRST FEMALE FIGHT IN THE

LUMPINEE
It took place at the
Lumpinee GoSport
event that was held at
the Lumpinee Stadium
Studio on 18/09/2021.
The first female fight at
Lumpinee Stadium.
The result was Saenajan SorJor Tongprajin
defeated Buakaw MorKorChor Chaiyaphum
by Unanimous Judges Decision

FIRST FOREIGN WOMAN TO

FIGHT IN THE LUMPINEE
Celest Hansen made
history by being the first
foreign fighter to fight
inside the Lumpinee
Boxing Stadium in
Bangkok.

Lumpinee Go Sport Battle: On November 13,

2021 Tailadesa NongNuk Kiatmoo4 and
Australian Celest Hansen made history at
Lumpinee Stadium

SAT FIGHTER OF THE YEAR

2021
Lamnammoonlek
IFMA BECAME FULL
Or.Atchariya ganhou o
premio de prêmio de
RECOGNIZED
lutador do ano de 2021
da Autoridade
Esportes da Tailândia
de ORGANIZATION BY THE IOC
He was elected by unanimous decision of the
awards judges receiving all 10 votes of the Muay Thai might soon be an Olympic sport. The International
vote.
Olympic Committee has fully recognised the Muaythai and its
governing body, the International Federation of Muay Thai
SPORTS AUTHORITY OF Associations, or IFMA, a committee member announced
THAILAND AWARD yesterday during the 138th IOC session in Tokyo.
Left: Petchsila This is the beginning of the possibility of Muay Thai to become
Wor.Auracha - The 2021
Sports Authority of an Olympic sport.
Thailand Fighter of the
Year Award Runner-up

Right: Lamnammoonlek Or.Atchariya - The

2021 Sports Authority of Thailand Fighter of
the Year Award Winner
08
WMC ANNOUNCES GEN.
CHETTA'S PRESIDENCY
EXTENDED
The board of World
NEWS | YEAR 01

Muaythai Council
unanimously voted Gen.
Chetta Thanajaro in a
conference on Jan 7,
2022 to remain in the
office of WMC President
ffor his contribution in conserving and
promoting Muaythai for over decades.
Gen. Chetta Thanajaro is the successor of Gen.
Wimon Wongwanit, one of the founders of the
WMC which was officially established on Sep
25, 1995 at United Nations Association of
Thailand. Gen. Chetta has continued the
mission in pushing forth Muaythai to the global
stage by initiating the ‘Muaythai Towards
Olympics’ campaign.
 ALEXANDRE BRECK

Muay Thai is a very aggressive full As Muay Thai has formulated a more
contact fighting style and its learning standardized game rules system, it
attracts all types of fighters has also developed its own scoring
worldwide. Know the main rules of system. AAlthough Muay Thai's score
Muay Thai and be an honest and may look like that of other fighting
respectful competitor of your sorts, its judging and scoring system
opponents. We will actually report is unique and original. The most main
some points about the rules of the difference lies in its judgment of the
sport. entire fight, rather than the
However, to be practiced correctly, it accumulation of individual rounds.
is necessary for your athletes to
understand and internalize the
following rules, let's make a brief
explanation:
Combat duration points from each round are counted
and as you may guess, the boxer with
In Muay Thai, each match lasts 3 to 5 the most points wins. This is a
rounds and each round lasts three relatively straight forward system
minutes. Any break period is not that works.
counted as combat time and at the Muay Thai is shorter with only 5
end of each round, there is a two- rounds. This isn’t necessarily why
minute rest period that allows the Muay Thai scoring is different, but it’s
fighters to clean their wounds and worth noting. They are short, intense
recover their strength. competitions that increase in
Referee and Judges. intensity, peaking in rounds 3 and 4,
The Muay Thai Game Committee is and often mellowing out in the 5th.
composed of three judges, a ring Judges score the completion as a
referee and a maximum responsible whole, NOT by rounds. There are
for supervising the confrontation. other differences, but this is the most
Referee (Kamankan in Thai) - One fundamental difference in scoring
who stays with the fighters in the Muay Thai competition that confuses
ring, to keep the fight going and to non-Thais.
protect the integrity of the fighters. The Thai judges still use the 10-point
Points Judge (Hi Kanens in Thai) - He system, but they are more for
who judges the fight, makes his score reference (think of taking notes) to
and defines the winner. give the final score. An opponent may
Both must be dressed in character, in score in most of the first few rounds,
Thailand dark clothing is worn. but lose motivation and lose the
game in the later rounds. Even the
Point System Muay Thai first, second, and fifth rounds were
slightly better, and the third and
Each round is scored on a 10-point fourth rounds were heavy. In the first
scale and each judge “must” award example, he did not control the
one boxer 10 points. Hence the 10 battle. In the second example, his
Point Must System. The perceived opponent's decisive 3rd and 4th
winner of the round will receive 10 innings gave his opponent a greater
points and the loser most often will overall advantage.
receive 9 points. If the less
performing boxer is knocked down, What does the Judge analyze? What
he’ll lose an additional point yielding is worth point? The criteria are
him 8 points for the round. If one basically:
boxer clearly dominates the round,
the loser may only receive 8 points Posture
even without a knockdown but this is Balance
rare. And if the judge sees the round Movement (Dam-Muay)
as completely even, he can award Clean blows
both fighters 10 points. Force
After each round, the judges give
their scores to the referee who then
hands them to the clerk that counts
and records the points. At the end of
the match (assuming there was no
Knockout to decide a clear victor) the
Strength This is about who is forcing the
action. Avoiding exchanges is looked
What is taken into consideration down upon by judges. Muay Thai is so
when evaluating a move in Muaythai much about heart.
are the ones that hit solid, effective
and clean. This corresponds to about Technique
70% of what is judged by the scoring
judges. The keyword is effectiveness. When we're getting ready to fight at
Simply hitting an unprotected target an event, we go through all kinds of
will not influence the judges. training, whether it's weight training,
The scams need to show some or aerobics to lose weight, and along
effectiveness. Judges recognize this path, we go through training on
effectiveness in the following ways. the floor, punches, kicks, knees,
The blows that move the opponent, elbows, everything involved in a Muay
the blows that unbalance the Thai fight, but inside the ring the
opponent, the blows that hurt the story is different, because unlike
opponent. This is observed when a training, there will be an opponent
fighter after taking a blow makes up there who is crazy to hit us, who is
some expression of pain, makes some crazy to put us out, that's why at
gesture, emits an audible moan, the these times it is very important to
blow that makes the opponent bleed have sharp techniques, techniques
or after the blow the opponent falls. are essential along with strength to
Regardless of whether this hit was a surprise the referees and win the
counterattack (defensive), the blow fight, technique + strength = fight
was forward, backward or on the won, 99% of the time this is how it
ropes. To make it clear powerful and works, it only changes in cases where
effective blows are very important. the fighter X, is losing but manages
There are some controversies if low to knock out fighter Y almost at the
kick, punch, jumping kick is not end of the fight, so in this case it
considered by the judge. They can be changes, but in almost all Muay Thai
considered by the judges as long as fights, the one that has the sharpest
they are effective. hand, kick, elbow and knee
Of course the judges consider the techniques, who can impose i If
relationship of these blows with you're in the ring, you'll definitely
Muaythai. Knees, kicks to the head win the fight.
and body are better evaluated and
receive more attention from the Balance
judges, but remembering that what
will define the evaluation of the blow In a Muay Thai fight, in addition to
and its effectiveness. The way a technique and strength, balance is
fighter behaves in the ring plays an very important, when you're on top of
important role in how judges will the ring, the fighter is subject to all
assess the effectiveness of the blow kinds of situations, from winning,
on the opponent. If the opponent is losing, knocking out, getting knocked
knocked down and after falling he out, so it's very important the fighter
rises quickly and starts the fight the maintains the balance, not only on
judges may not consider that blow top of the fight but also emotionally,
effective. If the opponent takes a obviously at the time of war, it is
strong blow to the body and acts like difficult for you to think, to maintain
nothing happened, the judges can the balance, but it has to be done, if
also disregard that blow. you want to win a fight, the judges
 when they are watching and qualifying
the fighters, they also see this a lot, so
balance is also very important and
essential for those who want to win the
fight, whether it's balance on top of the
ring, when you take a kick, for example,
and still manage to protect yourself
well, stay in the fighting position,
whether it's emotional balance within
the fight, so when you're in the ring,
focus on the fight but also focus on
balance, breathing, technique and
strength, because then your chances
will be such as to win the fight.

RULES OF Fight Domain

MUAYTHAI This has to do with a boxers ability to

ALEXANDRE BRECK dominate his opponent, defend his
attacks, set the pace and ultimately
control the fight.
Mastery of the fight, this means how
the fighter manages to dominate his
opponent, defending his attacks,
defining the rhythm of the fight and
finally how he manages to control the
fight. One way it is possible to observe
this is to observe the fighter that is
using the most calm, which fighter
decides what will happen at each
moment of the fight? In muaythai
fights you are common to see fighters
exchanging kicks in a row. At the end
of the exchange of kicks, he gives the
impression that he has mastered the
exchange of blows. Ability to defend
the blows is not taken into
consideration in Muaythai, which has
more relevance in fighting the blow. In
a cliché situation it is necessary to
impose dominance and posture over
the opponent. The objective should be
to master the arms, neck and break the
opponent's posture in order to strike
him. Strike the opponent with a knee
or elbow and avoid getting a knee
during the cliché. Aggressiveness is
important in muaythai this is about
who is taking the initiative in the fight.
Avoid confrontation and disregarded by
the judges. Muaythai has a lot to do
with the initiative of fighting for fighter
bearing or how the Thais say muaythai
has to do with
 IMPORTANT TIPS:
TRAINING IN TECHNIQUES

To become a Thai boxer with special skills, you have to train

conscientiously. You also have to work continuously on your
repertoire of techniques by testing and adding new techniques. You
must also optimize technical details, adapt them to your individual
skills, and learn them in such a way that they contribute to your
conduct in an intensive fight.
You will often meet Thai boxers with only a few years or even a few
months of training who are convinced they have mastered it all.
You will also meet former ɹghters who have had athletic success
with their individual skills and are now very much convinced of their
Muay Thai skills. A Muay Thai boxer is free to choose the route
best suited to him or her. Still, you can improve so many aspects of
your training if you train conscientiously and question your own
performance. Even an experienced Thai boxer can work on ɹne-
tuning the basic techniques time and again. The straight punch,
for example, is taught in most schools in a uniform way, but you
can still work on its technical details,
such as shifting your weight, the conscious use of your shoulder
and trunk muscles, stability, the energy from the heel of your rear
foot, and the impact of your fist.
For counter training, you should ɹrst select a few techniques and
study them. Train in them time and again and add new techniques
to your repertoire so that you learn by heart the moves against all
possible attacks by an opponent. Repeat some of the counters
intensively in training and try out new counters you have learned or
have seen carried out by athletes that you admire. Once you have
adopted a selection of the feints introduced in this book, you have
to keep on training them.
 They will only be successful in a competition if they are carried out
instinctively and fast. Take a close look at ɹghts with the best of
Thai boxers. Pay attention to when and how the ɹghters use their
feints and test that experience in training.
There are countless Muay Thai Boran techniques and their
variants. You will get to know some of the traditional techniques in
club training, and you can also ɹnd many variants on various
YouTube channels. Test the techniques, and if you ɹnd that one or
more variants are suited to your style, train in them with your
training partner. Repeat the techniques regularly in training and
learn them by heart for use in competition.
In each training session, you should dedicate some time to
conscientious technical training.
Depending on your training plan and performance level, you can
ɹne-tune your basic techniques, counter techniques, feints, or
traditional techniques.
After concentrated training in the details, your techniques will
improve further on the punching bag and pads in terms of
swiftness, stamina, and applied force, thereby developing your
instinctive ɹght conduct. Only when you perfect the technical
execution in all its aspects will you be successful in applying it
against an experienced opponent.
When training with a partner, you can decide on the techniques
beforehand and repeat them a number of times before you take
turns. Usually you can intensively train in about ɹve techniques per
training session, regardless of whether they are attacking
techniques, counter techniques, feints, or traditional techniques.
In your technical training it is important that the techniques are not
carried out at full strength as you don’t want to risk injury to your
partner. Techniques must be carried out precisely, however, or their
use will often not be successful.
 ENJOY THE JOURNEY AND REAP THE BENEFITS

Damien Trainor

Every journey in life has a very simple process; you have a Their opponent will have gained the experience required to
start, a middle and an end. I think you’d be stumped to try cope with anything they can throw at them and the skill level
and think of one that didn’t have this formula. of both fighters will become evident.
In my opinion the middle, in any situation, is the learning Another potential negative is that if someone goes too far
curve; the part you can’t afford to miss out be it good or bad. too soon and struggles in their new division it will be difficult
This is where you will learn to deal with hardships and turn for them to go back and acquire the vital learning
them around; where you can start to understand the right experiences that they missed out on by not going through
things to do and recognise potentially bad ideas. the ranks.
Almost every young fighter aspires to become a champion, Gaining experience is vital in all areas of your life not just in
this is the driving force that can keep someone chipping the ring, this is what will make you grow as a person and be
away until they reach what they believe to be their destiny. able to pass on what you’ve learned to others constructively.
Just remember nothing worth having comes easy. So if you have beaten someone who then jumps the queue
There are many lessons to be learned before you can call and competes for a title not long after your bout I wouldn’t
yourself a champion. worry too much; their glory will be short lived. Your time will
Every bout you have will have a new and valuable learning come and as long as you are being guided down the right
experience. path it will be yours for some time.
This could be as simple as understanding how to finish There is a big difference between holding a title and
someone off once you’ve hurt them to knowing how to becoming a champion. Those who have earned their way to
survive when it is in fact you that’s been hurt. championship level will tell you the road to success is not
Going too far too soon can have such a negative effect on a easy. Enjoy the journey and reap the benefits.
career that it could potentially end it before it’s begun “Success is to be measured not so much by the position that
VoOnce someone becomes a champion they will be expected one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has
to fight opponents at championship level and if overcome.” Booker T. Washington.
they haven’t gone through the right channels to get to where
they are they could be at a big disadvantage.
MUSIC

PI KLONG BAND
What makes Muay Thai is the Pi Klong band. The
musical instruments are thus the vital and necessary
MUSICAL elements for Muay Thai dances and fights. The band
INSTRUMENTS OF consists of four musicians consisting of the following
musical instruments: one Javanese clarinet, one low-
MUAY THAI toned drum, one high-toned two-faced drum, and one
pair of small cymbals.
The Pi Klong band will play slow and fast melodies,
varied in accordance with the periods within a fight.
During Muay Thai Wai Khru, slow tempos will be played
to accentuate the dancing styles to be fluid, beautiful
and rhythmic. When the fight begins, on the other
hand, the rhythm will become faster to let the audience
know that the boxers are engaging in a tactical fight.
During the final round, the music will take on a more
electrifying mood to incite boxers to finish the fight and
excite the audience. Rhythm is, therefore, a key factor
that can fascinatingly stimulate and keep both boxers
attentive as well as the audience animated and excited
with a fight.
5 MUAY RORAN
STYLES
There are 5 styles of Muay Boran that all share the same
principles in the combinations of punches, kicks, elbowing,
and using the head that have created hundreds of
techniques. Each region has developed its own boxing
variations and expertise, reflected in different tactics and
techniques as most evident in the rope-binding boxing
style. There is a phrase comparing each regional boxing
style, which goes like: “Korat heavy hands, smart Lop Buri,
beautiful Chaiya, faster Tha Sao, and complete Physical
Education”.

01 MUAY LOP BURI

Originating in the Central Region of Thailand, it is

recognized as a smart boxing style with speedy defensive
and offensive movements and accurate straight punches.
This is called Muay Kiao meaning a boxing style that
emphasizes on luring and tricking the opponents with
constant movements, fake jabs, ducking, good eyesight,
and fast offensive and defensive punches, kicks, knees,
and elbows.

02 MUAY KORAT

Originating from the Northeastern region, this boxing

style features unique boxing gear and rope-binding
process, which runs from the knuckles up to the
elbows. Muay Korat is unique in its stance, training,
boxing dance, and boxing style, especially heavy over-
the-shoulder punches called a “Buffalo Throw Punch”.

03 MUAY CHAIYA

This is the boxing style of Amphoe Chaiya, Surat Thani

province, Southern Thailand. The style has been well-
known since the reign of King Rama V the Great. Apart
from the use of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, the
style also features other martial arts techniques; such
as, “throwing, grappling, locking, and breaking”. The
teaching starts from the defensive scheme of
“guarding, warding off, closing, and opening” to other page | 17
techniques, so it is different from other boxing styles,
which emphasize on offense.
 04 MUAY THA SAO

Phraya Phichai Dap Hak (Lord Phichai of the Broken

Sword) Originating from the Lower North, this boxing style
is unique in its wide stance with the weight on the back
foot and front foot gently touching the floor enabling long
distance, fast and heavy strikes. The lead hand is
positioned away from the face above the shoulder line and
the back hand low. The Phraya Phichai Dap Hak boxing
style is both offensive and defensive depending on the
circumstances. Boxers must be aware of defense before
offense, and how to handle situations before attacking as
well as learning the strengths of oneself and the opponent.

MUAY PHYSICAL
05 EDUCATION

This is the boxing style of Amphoe Chaiya, Surat Thani

province, Southern Thailand. The style has been well-
known since the reign of King Rama V the Great. Apart
from the use of punches, kicks, knees, and elbows, the
style also features other martial arts techniques; such
as, “throwing, grappling, locking, and breaking”. The
teaching starts from the defensive scheme of
“guarding, warding off, closing, and opening” to other
techniques, so it is different from other boxing styles,
which emphasize on offense. This is an accumulation
of other boxing styles before being continued for
learning boxing at the Physical Education Institution
for additional tactics. The style is headlined by Achan
Kimseng Taveesith, a renowned boxing master, who
specialized in boxing learned from HSH
Vibulsawasdiwong Sawasdikul who studied Thai
boxing and is known as the father of Thai boxing. It not
only focuses on the style of boxing, but also on speed
and in and out agility. As a result, Muay Physical
Education is considered a complee boxing style.

página | 04
FLYING
KNEE RAFAEL CORDEIRO
Rafael Cordeiro Muay Thai technique: Flying knee

Fernando throws a left hook, which exposes

01 the left side of his head and allows Rafael to
counter.

Rafael steps out to his left and stiff-arms

02 Fernando’s hook by putting his right hand to
Fernando’s left shoulder.
 Immediately afterward, Rafael uses his right
03 hand to grab behind Fernando’s head.

Rafael pulls on Fernando’s head, turns to the

04 left to create space and pushes off his left leg.

Rafael swings his right knee up and around to

05 connect with a devastating blow.
 HOW NOT TO MUAY THAI KICK:

8 COMMON ROUNDHOUSE KICK

MISTAKES
SEAN FAGAN
The roundhouse kick is arguably the J hand, but he was never knocked bodyweight will naturally be shifted
second most common and second out and it was even difficult to knock mostly towards your rear leg. If your
most important kick you will ever him down. bodyweight is mostly on your rear leg,
that means your left leg is too light to
learn in Muay Thai, with numero uno However, less than three years
check kicks effectively, making it an
being the teep. before Diaz’s fight with McGregor,
easy target for a leg kick. There is no
Before we go into all the mistakes it Diaz was knocked out on his feet by setup here, but nonetheless an
is possible to make when throwing a head kick from Josh Thompson. opening is available for you to land the
the roundhouse kick, you must first You know those fighters like Deontay leg kick.
understand why the roundhouse Wilder that can knock you out at any Now, the last time we talked was about
kick is even more important in Muay moment of the fight? You can be one the importance of studying the legends
Thai than in MMA or even of those guys with your roundhouse of the sport, so naturally I’d like to
leave you with a list of fighters to
kickboxing. kick.
study.
In Thai stadium scoring, kicks and One principle to keep in mind with all
Yodsanklai Fairtex. Everyone knows
knees are scored higher than of striking is that you must move him and his devastating left kick. I do
punches. Not only that, a “block” your bodyweight in the direction not need to say much more.
with the arms (like the double you’re striking. For instance, if you’re Specifically, watch his fight with Marat
forearm block) does not count as a throwing a right straight, you must Grigorian, the future Glory lightweight
block. be moving your bodyweight forward champion. His power left is on full
If you’ve ever been kicked hard in by shifting weight onto your lead leg. display.
the arms by a true nak muay, you This is how McGregor is able to Samkor Kiatmontep. Samkor is one of
the hardest left-kickers in all of Muay
know why… because it still hurts. generate so much power with his left
Thai history. Specifically, I recommend
Aside from that, there is another hand: he throws a lot of his
watching his fight with M’baye
reason you should be spending bodyweight behind it. With a right Abdoulaye, especially if you still believe
more time trying to master your roundhouse kick, you will notice that that “blocking” a roundhouse kick on
roundhouse kick. It is the most Sean in particular leans his body to your arms counts as a block.
powerful tool you have to land a the right a decent amount. Apidej Sit Hirun. Apidej was named
knockout. The final tip that Sean mentions is Fighter of the Century and is
You may have trouble knocking the importance of a setup. Without a considered to be the hardest kicker of
all time. He broke both of Sompong
people out with punches, but you proper setup, you will not be able to
Charoenmuang ’s arms, forcing him to
will not have trouble knocking land your kick. But understand that
retire. The man also holds a record of
people out with clean kicks to the not every setup has to be a setup. 290 wins, only 9 losses, and one draw.
head What do I mean by this? Saenchai. Saenchai needs no
You may have trouble knocking The goal of a setup is really just to introduction and has not just a
people out with punches, but you create an opening. The most famous beautiful roundhouse kick but many
will not have trouble knocking setup for kicks is the liver hook to leg kicks overall, and shows the
people out with clean kicks to the kick. importance of taking techniques from
head.. The liver hook creates an opening for different styles.
Peter Aerts. In kickboxing, he is by far
ust think about this. In MMA, Nate the leg kick because it forces your
the greatest head-kicker of all time
Diaz is known to have one of the opponent to shift their weight onto
with 14 KOs to his name. And yes,
toughest chins in all of the sport. their lead leg, making it very difficult that’s even more than CroCop.
He was blasted over and over again to check. Now you’re ready to kick ass, kick the
by Conor McGregor’s bomb of a left That said, there are many openings body, kick the head, and really just kick
that arise even without setups. anything you would like to kick. Best of
Whenever you take a step back, your luck!

Sean Fagan
Sean is a professional fighter currently living, training and fighting in Thailand. His mission is to
provide you with the tools, resources and inspiration to accomplish your Muay Thai dreams!
ARTIGO

AMATEUR MUAYTHAI

WHY PROFESSIONAL MUAY THAI

FIGHTERS COMPETE AT THE WORLD
CHAMPIONSHIPS AMATEUR

Although the IFMA World Championships This change also saw the start of a Egold medals, but also to qualify for
are contested under ‘amateur’ rules, the points-based rankings system, future Games and hope for every
competition is far from amateur. assigned to athletes competing in sportspersons dream of becoming an
Capitan Petchyindee Academy, IFMA tournaments, to determine Olympian.
Thananchai Sitsongpeenong, Iman qualifiers for the World Games. In other combat sports such as Boxing,
Barlow and Lara Fernandez are just a “Starting from 2019, all IFMA events professional athletes have been given
handful of the top level professional will have points assigned for finishing the go-ahead to compete in the
fighters competing at this year’s 2021 in weight places based on level Olympics over the past several years.
IFMA World Championships in (World/Continental). Again proving, despite the protective
Thailand.emos 2 períodos de treino por “This will encourage athletes to equipment, the Olympics and
dia, geralmente participate in many events in order to preceding tournaments are far from
But why exactly are fighters who are at accrue points towards their rankings amateur competition.
the very top of the professional game for The World Games 2022
fighting in IFMA competitions? qualification.”
In July 2019, IFMA — originally known as Furthermore, with the recent IOC
the International Federation of Muaythai recognition and likely addition of Muay
Amateur — officially changed it’s name to Thai into the Olympics in the coming
International Federation of Muaythai years, it’s likely IFMA will follow this
Associations. das 6h as 9h30 e das 15h same format for Olympic qualification,
as 18h30. giving fighters hope and added
The change reflected the unification incentive to represent their nation at
between IFMA and professional Muay IFMA tournaments.
Thai organisation, the World Muaythai As such, amateurs and experienced
Council. professionals alike, all desire to
compete under the amateur ruleset at
IFMA tournaments, not just for
ARTICLE

TRADITION VERSUS TELEVISION:

THE BATTLE FOR MUAY THAI'S SOUL
There are two different kinds of Muay Thai in Today there are four Thai boys at Por Promin, all
Thailand. One involves dedication, ritual and around seven years old; two girls, both around
respect; the other is all ring girls and nine; and three German brothers between four
sensationalism. Choosing one over the other is a and eight who are sent each afternoon as their
battle between financial reward and sporting parents holiday in the nearby town.
respect. The children start off by doing laps around the
The gash on the fighter’s forehead is gushing. A gym. The two older German boys and two of the
speedy, well-placed punch jutted through his Thai boys then head into the ring to practise

defences in the last round. Now, a trickle of blood grappling.

streams down his face, chest and stomach. His One kid wearing oversized hand-me-downs throws
opponent senses weakness and hooks his foot his arms around his opponent’s neck and thrusts a
behind the bloodied fighter, sending him tumbling knee carefully upwards to strike at the sides. A
backwards. A spray of sweat and saliva spurts up central part of the traditional fighting style,
as he falls down. Ding ding ding, and it’s the end of grappling is every bit as dangerous as it looks..
the round.
This is a typical night at Rajadamnern Stadium, the Remuneration or respect
oldest Muay Thai stadium in the world. While it
took just three minutes to play out, a scene like this Petch Utong – a three-time Rajadamnern
– for many fighters, the pinnacle of their career in champion – is one of the select few fighters who
traditional Muay Thai – can be ten years in the have made it in the world of professional,
making traditional Muay Thai. In one match he can make
That long journey usually starts in a gym like Por 150,000 Thai baht (£3,700). It’s a significant sum,
Promin. There are no walls here. There is no air for which he has clocked up more than his fair
conditioning. It is home to about 17 dogs and a share of near-death experiences during his
pair of fighting cocks that are kept in separate career.But if Utong were in it just for the money, he
cages – if they’re let out, they’ll fight until the other wouldn’t be a traditional fighter. He would be
is dead. fighting on TV, on a show such as Max Muay Thai,
In the afternoon, as schools let out, the kids come. which is filmed at a stadium in Pattaya. Here,
From the ages of four to 20, traditional Muay Thai various Thai boxers take on foreign fighters; each
fighters must put in around three 3-hour sessions match is billed as Thailand vs. the country that the
a day, six days a week. other fighter is from.
ARTICLE

Max Muay Thai is much speedier than traditional Win or lose, traditional Muay Thai fighters show
fights. There are fewer rounds, so fighters tend to respect: the competitors bow to each other, to
go in aggressive and fast. And there are also their mentors and to their coaching staff. When
different rules about clinching; fighters cannot one fighter is easily winning and it looks like the
grapple with each other for very long before the match is headed for needless bloodshed, the
referee breaks them apart. These changes help to opponents will spend the next few rounds pacing
ensure the punches keep flying. the ring to eat up time. Respect for the sport
For a foreigner who started out on a different supersedes the ego, and the two fighters invariably
martial art, this form of Muay Thai isn’t necessarily leave the ring arm in arm – like brothers.
a huge departure from what they know. But for
Thais who have practised the traditional form of
the sport, it can be dangerous.
Critics of the televised form will also point out its
mismatches, when an experienced fighter squares
up against a weaker opponent, who must take part
or risk displeasing the promoters who can make or
break careers.
Yet, if a fighter is willing to take the televised route,
success will be rewarded: wins pay twice what
traditional bouts pay, with the possibility of
bonuses for especially exciting victories.

For many involved in Muay Thai, however, the sport

really isn’t about the money.

Fighters as brothers.

Arjan Toon is the squat, hench head trainer at Sor

Sommai gym in Bangkok’s Northeast. The damp air
here smells sour, a mixture of sweat and the soles
of feet.
Toon is in the ring, elevated above the rest of the
gym, holding two large pads on his arms and one
around his middle as he directs a fighter to strike
him in certain ways.
For three years in a row, Toon has won a lauded
best trainer award, has trained hundreds of
fighters and mentored eight champions.
But perhaps the most important lesson he imparts
is not how to move, defend or attack. He teaches
fighters to show respect for the sport – perhaps
one of the key differences between traditional and
televised Muay Thai.
® Magazine Muay