Muay Thai
| Country of origin | Thailand |
|---|---|
| Famous practitioners | Tony Jaa, Melchor Menor, Valentina Shevchenko, Apidej Sit Hrun, Samart Payakaroon, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Buakaw Banchamek, Yodsanklai Fairtex, Artem Levin, Giorgio Petrosyan, Coban Lookchaomaesaitong, Diesel Noi, Kru Tony Moore, Rambaa Somdet, John Wayne Parr, Alexey Ignashov, Dany Bill, Jean-Charles Skarbowsky, Maurício Rua, Wanderlei Silva, Cris Cyborg, Rafael Dos Anjos, Jose Aldo, Anderson Silva, Fabrício Werdum, Michael Bisping, Edson Barboza, Donald Cerrone, Ruqsana Begum, Imran Khan, Caity Lotz, Caley Reece, Tiffany van Soest, Saenchai Sinbimuaythai Dave Leduc, Akshay Kumar |
| Parenthood | Muay Boran, Krabi Krabong |
| Olympic sport | No, but recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC); it is also included in the World Games |
Muay Thai (Thai: มวยไทย, rtgs: Muai Thai, pronounced [mūa̯j tʰāj]) is a combat sport of Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. This physical and mental discipline which includes combat on shins is known as "the art of eight limbs" because it is characterized by the combined use of fists, elbows, knees, shins, being associated with a good physical preparation that makes a full-contact fighter very efficient. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the twentieth century, when practitioners defeated notable practitioners of other martial arts. The professional league is governed by The Professional Boxing Association of Thailand (P.A.T) sanctioned by The Sport Authority of Thailand (S.A.T.), and World Muaythai Federation (WMF) overseas.
The history of Muay Thai can also be traced to the middle of the 16th century. During the battles between the Burmese of the Konbaung Dynasty and Siam, the famous fighter Nai Khanomtom was captured in the year 1767. The Burmese knew of his expertise in hand-to-hand combat and gave him an opportunity to fight for his freedom. Soon after winning the match, he was freed by his captors and allowed to return to Siam. He was acknowledged as a hero, and his fighting style became known as Siamese-Style boxing, later to be known as Muay Thai. This fighting style was soon to be recognized as a national sport.
Muay boran, and therefore Muay Thai, was originally called by more generic names such as Toi muay or simply muay. As well as being a practical fighting technique for use in actual warfare, muay became a sport in which the opponents fought in front of spectators who went to watch for entertainment. These muay contests gradually became an integral part of local festivals and celebrations, especially those held at temples. Eventually, the previously bare-fisted fighters started wearing lengths of hemp rope around their hands and forearms. This type of match was called muay khat chueak (มวยคาดเชือก). Kickboxing was also a component of military training and gained prominence during the reign of King Naresuan in 1560 CE.
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Wikipedia