Thai Kick Boxing
| Thais love sports. And, if you are a sports enthusiast, you'll discover another reason to visit this land of never- ending surprises. Thai sports add another dimension to any study of the Thai way of life, with a number of colorful homegrown sports as well as many traditional favorites from elsewhere like snooker and golf. |
Tom Williams |
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Thai boxing is probably the showcase of all Thai sports and is
the undisputed national pastime along side of soccer. It is a spectacular form of
pugilism, like Thai society itself, is steeped in culture and tradition. The origins of this martial art and sport are said to stretch back to the wars with the Burmese during the 15th century. Thailand's first famous boxer was Nai Khanom Tom who single-handedly defeated a dozen Burmese fighters in a wager for freedom. To this day, most martial arts enthusiasts consider Thai boxing the ultimate in unarmed combat |
| Today "Muay Thai" as it Is know in Thai, can be seen
all over Thailand at venues ranging from hastily thrown together rings at village fairs to
modern air-conditioned stadiums. As the boxers enter the ring, they perform a special prefight dance known as the "ram muay". During the dance they wear a peculiar headband given by their trainer. It's a sacred Talisman earned over years of dedication to the art. The dance stops with "wai khru", each boxer kneeling and bowing three times, a show of respect to his teacher. After which, the fight begins. Each fight consists of 5 rounds, three minutes each. During the fight music is played which to create a truly unique experience. |
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