Muay Thai

Muay Thai
	Ram Muay before an amateur Muay Thai match
Country of origin	Thailand
Creator	c. 200 BC
Famous practitioners	Nai Khanom Tom, Diesel Noi, Apidej Sit Hrun, Ramon Dekkers
Parenthood	Muay Boran
Olympic sport	No

Muay Thai (IPA: [/muai₃₂ tʰai₃₂/]; Thai: มวยไทย) also known as Thai Boxing or The Art of the Eight Limbs is the Thai name for a form of hard martial art practiced in several Southeast Asian countries including Thailand. It is known as Pradal Serey in Cambodia, Tomoi in Malaysia, Muay Lao in Laos and as a similar style called Lethwei in Myanmar. The different styles of kickboxing in Southeast Asia are analogous to the different types of Kung Fu in China or Silat in the Malay peninsula. The Thai military uses a modified form of Muay Thai called Lerdrit.

Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand and is the country's national sport. Traditional Muay Thai practiced today, varies slightly from the ancient art Muay Boran and uses kicks and punches in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Western boxing. Muay Thai is referred to as "The Science of Eight Limbs", as the hands, shins, elbows, and knees are all used extensively in this art. A master practitioner of Muay Thai thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight "points of contact," as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Western boxing and "four points" (fists, feet) used in the primarily sport-oriented forms of martial arts.

File:Boxethai.jpg

Young thais fighting

History

A thaiboxer praying during the Wai Kru before match.

Various forms of kickboxing have long been practiced throughout Southeast Asia. As with most countries in the region, Thai culture is based on that of China and India. Both countries had a hand in the developement of local martial arts. Indian boxing forms like Musti-yuddha are remarkably similar to Muay Thai and it is often said that every move in Muay Thai has a similar equivalent in Shaolin kung fu. Muay Thai's origin in Thailand can be traced back to the older Muay Boran ("ancient boxing"). This was the form of unarmed combat probably used by Siamese soldiers in conjunction with Krabi Krabong, the weapon-based style [1].The precedence Muay Thai and Muay Boran give to the kick is probably indigenous to Thailand and the surrounding area since Indian boxing as well as most southern Chinese styles use even low kicks sparingly. This may have come through the influence of neighbouring countries such as Cambodia, from where the Thais derive many of their local practices. Eventually Muay Boran was divided to:

Muay Korat (Northeast) emphasized strength. A technique like "Throwing Buffalo Punch" was used. It could supposedly defeat a buffalo in one blow.

Muay Lopburi (Center region) emphasized movements. Its strong points were straight and counter punches.

Muay Chaiya (South) emphasized posture and defense, as well as elbows and knees.

Muay Pra Nakorn (North) emphasized speed, particularly in kicking. Because of its faster speed, it was called as well "Ling Lom" (windy monkey or Loris).

There is a phrase about Muay Boran that states, "Punch Korat, Wit Lopburi, Posture Chaiya, Faster Thasao. (หมัดหนักโคราช ฉลาดลพบุรี ท่าดีไชยา ไวกว่าท่าเสา)".

The practice of Muay Thai was later kept up largely by Buddhist monks who were the keepers and teachers of all arts both practical and spiritual. As every Thai man is compelled to live as a monk at least once in his life the art grew in popularity among common people, so much so that it was said that any man worth his salt would practice it. As well as continuing to function as a practical fighting technique for use in actual warfare, Muay Thai became a sport in which the exponents fought in front of spectators who went to watch for entertainment. This kind of muay contests gradually became an integral part of local festivals and celebrations, especially those held at temples. It was even used as entertainment to kings.

Eventually the previously bare-fisted fighters took to wearing lengths of rope wrapped around their hands and forearms. This type of match was called muay kaad chuek (มวยคาดเชือก). If both fighters agreed they might even glue pieces of broken glass to their gloves using resin or wet flour. Needless to say this was not common and is now banned.

Royal Muay

Muay gradually became a possible means of personal advancement as the nobility increasingly esteemed skillful practitioners of the art and invited selected fighters to come to live in the Royal palace to teach muay to the staff of the royal household, soldiers, princes or the king's personal guards. This "royal muay" was called muay luang (มวยหลวง).

Some time during the Ayutthaya Period, a platoon of royal guards was established, whose duty was to protect king and the country. They were known as Grom Nak Muay (Muay Fighters' Regiment). This royal patronage of muay continued through the reigns of Rama V and VII.

The Muay Renaissance

The accession of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) to the throne in 1868 ushered in a Golden Age not only for muay but for the whole country. Muay progressed greatly during the reign of Rama V as a direct result of the king's personal interest in the art. The country was at peace and muay functioned as a means of physical exercise, self-defense, recreation, and personal advancement.

After the occurence of a death in the ring, codified rules for Muay Thai were drawn up. These included the rules that the fighters should wear modern gloves and cotton coverlets over the feet and ankles. It was also around this time in the 1920s that the term Muay Thai became commonly used while the older form of the style was referred to as Muay Boran.

Legendary Heroes

Nai Khanom Tom was a famous practitioner of Muay Thai. Around 1774, he was captured along with other Thai prisoners, either in a skirmish or at the fall of the ancient capital of Siam of Ayutthaya. He was brought to Rangoon in Burma, where the Burmese King Mangra was holding a religious festival in honor of Buddha's relics. The festivities included many forms of entertainment. King Mangra was reported to be curious to see how the various fighting styles of Burma and other countries would compare. At one point, he wanted to see how Muay Boran would compare to the Burmese art Lethwei. Nai Khanomtom was selected to fight against the Burmese champion. Nai Khanomtom did a Wai Kru pre-fight dance which puzzled all of the Burmese. When the fight began, he charged out and, using punches, kicks, elbows, and knees, quickly pummeled the Burmese.

The referee was reported to have stated that the Burmese opponent was distracted by the Wai Kru, so the knockout was invalid. The King then asked if Nai Khanomtom would fight nine other Burmese champions to prove himself. He agreed and fought them all, one after the other with no rest periods between fights. The last Burmese was reputed to be a great boxing teacher. Nai Khanomtom defeated them all in a superior fashion.

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. As his lord master was incompetent, the country was lost to the enemy. If his lord had been any good, there was no way the City of Ayutthaya would ever have fallen."

He granted Nai Khanomtom freedom along with either riches or two beautiful Burmese wives. Nai Khanomtom 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 17 as "Boxer's Day" or "National Muay Thai Day" in his honor and that of Muay Thai's.

Today, some have wrongly attributed the legend of "Nai Khanomtom" to the King Naresuan, who was also once taken by the Burmese.

There is also the legend of Skeng Man Nang (c700). He was a mutant child born with three legs. This made his parents foresake him, but he was taken in by a monastary in the north of the country. Here he was taught muay boran by the monks, and it soon became apparant that his extra leg gave him considerable fighting prowess against bipedal foes. However, he commited suicide after becoming mentally unbalanced by the cries of "choi soi kap" ("three legged mutant" in ancient thai). His existance has only recently come to light, after the royal archives at Ayutthaya which were destroyed by Burmese invaders were recently recovered. (Reference: Professor Peter Shaw, School of Oriental and African Studies, London)

Pre-fight rituals

Two young fighters doing the pre-match ritual.

Even before entering the ring many fighters perform rituals. Some may kneel before the ring, others might pray with their coach or by themselves or perform a series of repetitive movements, such as touching the ring ropes 3 times. Thai boxers always climb over the top rope when entering the ring, because in Thai culture the head is considered to be more important than the feet, which are thought to be dirty. It is therefore important to always have the head above the feet while entering the ring. Once in the ring, a fighter might go to the center and bow to each side.

Now begins the Wai Kru ritual or (Wai khru ram muay). The Wai Kru usually starts with the fighter walking around the ring, counter-clockwise. This could be described as "sealing the ring", showing that the match is between only these two combatants. The ritual is both practical and spiritual. In a practical sense, it prepares the body for combat. During the Wai Kru there are many different movements and steps that a fighter might perform before the match, along with stretches. Some motions imitate, for example, a swallow, a hunter, a soldier, or an executioner. Some fighters use this ritual to attempt to scare their opponents, commonly by stomping around them. But in a deeper sense, the fighter is expressing religious devotion, humility, and gratitude. Transcending both physical and temporal limitations, he opens himself to the divine presence and allows it to infuse his heart and soul. In ancient times, the ritual was intended to show devotion to the King and the fighter's mentor. Today, that devotion is given to the organizer of the match and the fighter's trainer.^[1] The ritual also gives the fighter some time alone before the fight to collect his thoughts and concentrate on the task ahead.

After this dance, the fighter walks over to his coach who removes the Mong Kon and the Pong Malai. The match begins after a review of the rules by the judge and a glove shake.

Techniques

The basic offensive techniques in Muay Thai use fists, elbows, shins, feet, and knees to strike the opponent. To bind the opponent for both offensive and defensive purposes, small amounts of stand-up grappling are used: the clinch. Muay Thai is often a fighting art of attrition, where opponents exchange blows with one another. This is certainly the case with traditional stylists in Thailand, but is a less popular form of fighting in the contemporary world fighting circuit. With the success of Muay Thai in mixed martial arts fighting, it has become the de facto martial art of choice for competitive stand-up fighters. As a result, it has evolved and incorporated much more powerful hand striking techniques used in western style boxing and the Thai style of exchanging blow for blow is no longer favorable. Note: when Muay Thai fighters compete against fighters of other styles (and if the rules permit it), they almost invariably emphasize elbow (sok) and knee (kao) techniques to gain a distinct advantage in fighting. Almost all techniques in Muay Thai use the entire body movement, rotating the hip with each kick, punch, and block. The rotation of the hips in Muay Thai techniques, and intensive focus on "core muscles" (such as abdominal muscles and surrounding muscles) is very distinctive and is what sets Muay Thai apart from other styles of martial arts.

The Clinch

The fighter on the left has the dominant position in the Thai clinch. (Note that both men are employing an improper hold upon the other. The proper clinch technique employs controlling the back and top of the opponents head, not the neck, which in fact is much harder to control. )

In Western Boxing, the two fighters are separated when they clinch, in Muay Thai however, they are not. It is often in the clinch where knee techniques are used. The clinch should be performed with the palm of one hand on the back of the other and not as shown in the picture.^{[citation needed]} There are three reasons why the fingers must not be intertwined. 1) In the ring fighters are wearing boxing gloves and cannot intertwine their fingers. 2) The Thai clinch involves pressing the head of the opponent downwards, which is easier if the hands are locked behind the back of the head instead of behind the neck. Furthermore the arms should be putting as much pressure on the neck as possible. 3) You can injure your fingers if they are intertwined, and it is harder to release the grip if you want to elbow your opponent's head quickly

A correct clinch also involves your forearms pressing against the other fighter's collar bone while your hands are around the opponent's head rather than his neck. The general way to get out of a clinch (not the one pictured) is to push the opponents head backwards, as the clinch requires both participants to be very close to one another.^{[citation needed]}

Defense against punches and kicks

Defensively, the concept of "wall of defense" is used, in which shoulders, arms and legs are used to hinder the attacker from successfully executing his techniques. Blocking is a critical element in Muay Thai and compounds the level of conditioning a successful practitioner must possess. Low and mid body roundhouse kicks are normally blocked with the upper portion of a raised shin. High body strikes are blocked with the forearm/glove, elbow/shin. Mid section roundhouse kicks can also be caught/trapped, allowing for a sweep or counter attack to the remaining leg of the opponent. Punches are blocked with an ordinary boxing guard and techniques similar if not idenitical to basic boxing technique. A common means of blocking a punch is using the hand on the same side as the oncoming punch. For example, if an orthodox fighter throws a jab (being his left hand), the defender will make a slight tap to redirect the punches angle with his right hand. The deflection is always as small and precise as possible to avoid unnecessary energy expendature and return the hand to the guard as quickly as possible. Hooks are most often blocked with a motion most often described as "combing your hair," raising the elbow forward and effectively shielding the head with the forearm, flexed bicep, and shoulder. More advanced Muay Thai blocks are usually counters, used to damage your opponent before he can attack again.

Elbow techniques

The elbow can be used in seven ways: horizontal, diagonal-upwards, diagonal-downwards, uppercut, downward, backward-spinning and flying. From the side it can be used as either a finishing move or as a way to cut the opponent's eyebrow so that blood might block his vision. The blood also raises the opponent's awareness of being hurt which could affect his performance. This is the most common way of using the elbow. The diagonal elbows are faster than the other forms, but are less powerful. The uppercut and flying elbows are the most powerful, but are slower and easier to avoid or block. The downward elbow is usually used as a finishing move.

There is also a distinct difference between a single elbow and a follow-up elbow. The single elbow is an elbow move independent from any other move, whereas a follow-up elbow is the second strike from the same arm, being a hook first with an elbow follow-up. Such elbows, and most other elbows, are used when the distance between fighters becomes too small and there is too little space to throw a hook at the opponent's head.

Kicking techniques

The teep (literally "foot jab," similar to a front kick) and Cutting the tree (kicking upwards in the shape of a triangle cutting under the arm and ribs) are the two most common kicks in Muay Thai. The Muay Thai roundhouse kick has been widely adopted by fighters from other martial arts. The roundhouse kick uses a rotational movement of the entire body. A Thai fighter uses this to his advantage, and if a round house kick is attempted by the opponent the fighter will block with his shin. Thai boxers are trained to always connect with the shin. While sensitive in an unconditioned practitioner, the shin is the strongest part of the leg for experienced Muay Thai fighters. The foot contains many fine bones and is much weaker. A fighter may end up hurting himself if he tries to attack with his foot.

Muay Thai also includes other varieties of kicking, such as the axe kick, side kick or spinning back kick etc. These kicks, depending on the fighter are utilized as to the preference of the fighter. It is worth noting that a side kick is performed differently in Muay Thai than the traditional side kick of other martial arts. In Muay Thai, a side kick is executed by first raising the knee of the leg that is going to kick in order to convince the opponent that the executor is going to perform a teep or front kick. The hips are then shifted to the side to the more traditional side kick position for the kick itself. The "fake-out" always precedes the kick in Muay Thai technique.

Knee techniques

Some knee techniques ("kao")

Kao Dode (Jumping knee strike) - the Thai boxer jumps up on one leg and strikes with that leg's knee.
Kao Loi (Flying knee strike) - the Thai boxer takes step(s), jumps forward and off one leg and strikes with that leg's knee. A quite spectacular sight when it connects.
Kao Tone (Straight knee strike) - the Thai boxer simply thrusts it forward (not upwards, unless he is holding an oppenents head down in a clinch and intend to knee upwards into the face). According to one written source, this technique is somewhat more recent than Kao Dode or Kao Loi.^{[citation needed]} Supposedly, when the Thai boxers fought with rope-bound hands rather than the modern boxing gloves, this particular technique was subject to potentially vicious cutting, slicing and sawing by an alert opponent who would block it or deflect it with the sharp "rope-glove" edges or sometimes by the glass glued onto the "rope-gloves". This explanation also holds true for some of the following knee strikes below as well.
Kao Noi (Small knee strike) - the Thai boxer hits the inside upper thigh (above the knee) of the opponent when clinching. This technique is used to wear down the opponent or to counter the opponent's knee strike or kick.

Conditioning

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A fighter doing some heavy bag work in a training camp in Thailand.

Like most competitive full contact fighting sports, Muay Thai has a heavy focus on body conditioning. Muay Thai is specifically designed to promote the level of fitness and toughness required for ring competition. Training regimens include many staples of combat sport conditioning such as running, shadowboxing, rope jumping, body weight resistance exercises, medicine ball exercises, abdominal exercises, and in some cases weight training.

Training that is specific to a Muay Thai fighter includes training with coaches on Thai pads, focus mitts, heavy bag, and sparring. The daily training includes many rounds (3-5 minute periods broken up by a short rest, often 1-2 minutes) of these various methods of practice. Thai pad training is a cornerstone of Muay Thai conditioning which involves practicing punches, kicks, knees, and elbow strikes with a trainer wearing thick pads which cover the forearms and hands. These special pads are used to absorb the impact of the fighter’s strikes and allow the fighter to react to the attacks of the pad holder. The trainer will often also wear a belly pad around the abdominal area so that the fighter can attack with straight kicks to the body at anytime during the round.

Focus mitts are specific to training a fighter’s hand speed, punch combinations, timing, punching power, defense, and counter-punching are also used to practice elbow strikes. Heavy bag training is a conditioning and power exercise that reinforces the techniques practiced on the pads. Sparring is a means to test technique, skills, range, strategy, and timing against a partner. Sparring is often a light to medium contact exercise because competitive fighters on a full schedule are not advised to risk injury by sparring hard. Specific tactics and strategies can be trained with sparring including in close fighting, clinching and kneeing only, cutting off the ring, or using reach and distance to keep an aggressive fighter away.

Due to the rigorous fighting and training regimen (some Thai boxers fight almost every other week) professional Muay Thai fighters have relatively short careers in the ring. Many retire from competition to begin instructing the next generation of Thai fighters. Most professional Thai boxers come from the lower economic backgrounds and the fight money (after the other parties get their cut) is sought as means of support for the fighters and their families. Very few higher economic strata Thais join the professional Muay Thai ranks; they usually practise the sport as amateur Muay Thai boxers.

Kickboxing

Muay Thai, along with savate, karate, and taekwondo heavily influenced the development of kickboxing in Japan, Europe, and North America. However, unlike Muay Thai, many kickboxing competitions do not allow elbow strikes, knee strikes, or kicks below the waist. These rule changes have led some martial artists to consider kickboxing a 'watered down' version of Muay Thai.

Mixed Martial Arts

Starting in the 1990s, Muay Thai has enjoyed a boost in popularity worldwide as it has been very effective in mixed martial arts fights, such as those held by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and PRIDE Fighting Championships. Mixed martial artists such as Marco Ruas (of Ruas Vale Tudo), Wanderlei Silva, Anderson Silva and Mauricio "Shogun" Rua (of the Chute Boxe Academy) have combined many striking elements of Muay Thai with grappling, submission, and choking elements from Judo, Wrestling, or Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu into a hybrid synthesis that has been highly effective in defeating practitioners of "pure" martial arts, at least in a sports-centered context. Other fighters that have used Muay Thai as their primary style in mixed martial arts include Duane "Bang" Ludwig, Kit Cope, and Spencer Cooper. Shoot-fighters and professional wrestlers who have trained and been influenced by Muay Thai include Satoru Sayama (the original Tiger Mask and founder of shooto), and Yoshiaki Fujiwara.

The rules

Muay Thai is practiced in a lot of countries and there are different rules depending on what country the fight is in and under what organization the fight is arranged. These rules, however, are gathered from the rules section of the World Muay Thai Council's web site. This is not the complete rulebook but it contains a selection of the most important or most interesting rules.

Terminology

Nak Muay - A Muay Thai fighter.
A pair of Muay Thai shorts, note the Thai text that translates to Muay Thai in English.
Nak Su - Thai word for Muay Thai warrior (in Muay Thai term)
Kru - Instructor or trainer.
Ajarn - Master or instructor (more advanced than kru).
Wai khru ram muay. Pre-fight ritual dance.
Pra Jiad - A type of armband worn by Muay Thai fighters.
Mong Kon - Headgear worn by Muay Thai fighters.
Krang Ruang - A Pra Jiad that has special meaning to the person wearing it. It could be anything from a piece of their father's hair to a swath from their mother's sarang.
Puang Malai - Floral wreaths that are given to a fighter before a fight by friends or fans. They look somewhat like the Hawaiian Lei.

Weight divisions

Category	Weight (up to)
Super Heavyweight	209 lbs+ (95 kg.+)
Heavyweight	175 lbs+ (86.183 kg.+)
Cruiserweight	190 lbs (86.183 kg.)
Light Heavyweight	175 lbs (79.379 kg.)
Super Middleweight	168 lbs (76.363 kg.)
Middleweight	160 lbs (71.575 kg.)
Junior Middleweight	154 lbs (69.853 kg.)
Welterweight	147 lbs (66.638 kg.)
Junior Welterweight	140 lbs (63.503 kg.)
Lightweight	135 lbs (61.235 kg.)
Junior Lightweight	130 lbs (58.967 kg.)
Featherweight	126 lbs (57.153 kg.)
Junior Featherweight	122 lbs (55.338 kg.)
Bantamweight	118 lbs (53.524 kg.)
Junior Bantamweight	115 lbs (52.163 kg.)
Flyweight	112 lbs (50.802 kg.)
Junior Flyweight	108 lbs (48.988 kg.)
Mini Flyweight	105 lbs (47.727 kg.)

According to rule 8, section 2, the minimum weight to compete is 100 pounds (45.36 kg.).

Boxing gloves

Category	Weight (up to)
Junior Middleweight and upwards	10 ounce (284 grams)
Featherweight - Welterweight	8 ounce (227 grams)
Mini Flyweight - Junior Featherweight	6 ounce (132 grams)

Wai Kru and Round Definition

Prior to the start of the first round, both fighters shall perform the Wai Kru (paying respect to the teacher), accompanied by the appropriate Thai traditional music, incorporating the Ching (cymbal), Klong khaek (tom-tom) and Pee Java (Thai reed pipe). A Muay Thai match shall consist of five rounds, 3 minutes per round with a 2 minute break between each round. Any stoppage during the match for any reason, will not be counted as part of the 3 minute round time.

Scoring

1.1. Points will be awarded for a correct Thai Boxing style, combined with hard and accurate strikes.

1.2. Points will be awarded for aggressive and dominating Muay Thai skill.

1.3. Points will be awarded for a fighter actively dominating his opponent.

1.4. Points will be awarded for the use of a traditional Thai style of defence and counter-attack.

The maximum score for each round is 10 points, the loser scoring either 9, 8 or 7.

Fouls

18.1. Biting, eye gouging, spitting, or head butting.

18.2. Wrestling, back or arm locks or any similar judo or wrestling hold.

18.3. Deliberately falling on his opponent.

18.4. Holding the ropes for any reason.

18.5. Swearing or the use of abusive language during the match.

18.6. Knocking out or injuring his opponent after the referee has ordered the match to stop for any reason.

18.7. Deliberately striking the groin area.

To be penalized by the deduction of 1 point for each time committed.

A boxer who has been hit in the groin, may request a 5 minute break before continuing the match.

Drug Usage

The use of drugs or stimulants, either before or after the fight is strictly forbidden. Any user will be disqualified. The sole drug allowed for the prevention of bleeding is epinephrine 1:1000 topically and must be administered under doctor's directions.

In Popular culture

Movies

File:Ong-Bak.png

Ong-Bak, one of the films that have promoted Muay Thai and Muay Boran.

In 2004, Muay Thai boxer Asanee Suwan was named best actor at the Thailand National Film Association Awards for his portrayal of Parinya Charoenphol (affectionately known as Nong Thoom in Thailand) in Beautiful Boxer. The movie tells the true-life story of a man who masters Muay Thai in order to realize his dream of becoming a woman.
The 1971 Shaw Brothers Studio film, Duel of Fists, is set in Bangkok's Lumpini Boxing Stadium and stars Ti Lung as a Muay Thai boxer who is the long-lost brother of a Hong Kong martial artist, portrayed by David Chiang.
Recently the films Ong-Bak, Tom-Yum-Goong (The Protector), and Born to Fight helped to popularize Muay Thai. Ong-Bak demonstrates some techniques of the older style of Muay Thai - Muay Boran and Tom-Yum-Goong illustrates the fighting style of the Thai Royal Bodyguards (Jaturongkabaht, circa 1400-1700s) - Muay Koshasan (Elephant Boxing style). Muay Koshasan is also known as Muay Chang Tumlai Roang - (Smashing Elephant Boxing style) in that it emphasizes a lot of throwing, crushing, and breaking of joints and limbs.
The film Kickboxer starring Jean Claude Van Damme was a film set in Thailand and based on the sport of Muay Thai. Van Damme's portrayal in this film should not be taken as an accurate depiction of Muay Thai.
The film Muay Thai starring Jason Willis is set in Evansville, Indiana, about one of the best upcoming Thai fighters in 2006.
The film Chok Dee starring Dida Diafat who plays himself in this semi-fictional story of his life. The film covers a lot of the training that is used in the camps in Thailand.
The Oxygen channel original reality-documentary Fight Girls featured seven women training to become Muay Thai competitors.

Computer and video games

The video game characters Sagat and Adon (Street Fighter), Joe Higashi (Fatal Fury), King (Art of Fighting), Benimaru Nikaido (King of Fighters), R.A.X. Coswell (Eternal Champions), Zack (Dead or Alive), Bruce Irvin (Tekken), Tong Yoon Bulsook (Urban Reign) and Brad Burns (Virtua Fighter) and Major Jackson "Jax" Briggs (Mortal Kombat) are Muay Thai fighters.
Vanessa Lewis (Virtua Fighter) uses Muay Thai as an alternate stance in addition to her standard Vale Tudo move set in Virtua Fighter 4. Jax (Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance) also uses a watered-down form of the style.
The game, Kwonho, allows players to create their own Muay Thai fighters.
The Below the Belt gym in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas uses a number of Muay Thai techniques including knee strikes.
Muay Thai Game

Notable Figures

References

Muay Thai The Most Distinguished Art of Fighting (Text-book of Pahuyuth) , Panya Kraitus and Dr. Pitisuk Kraitus, Third Edition, Special Revised, 1992, Panya Kraitus, Phuket, Thailand. ISBN 974-86841-9-9
Muay Thai Kickboxing - The Ultimate Guide to Conditioning, Training and Fighting, Chad Boykin, 2002, Paladin Press, Boulder, Colorado. ISBN 1-58160-320-7
Thai Kickboxing For Beginners - Peter Belmar, 2006, Lulu Press. ISBN 978-1-4116-9983-0
Muay Thai: A Living Legacy - Kat Prayukvong, 2006, Spry Publishing Co., Ltd. ISBN 974-92937-0-3

^ http://www.wmtc.nu/html/wmc03_mtwaikru.html

External links

International Associations and Federations

World Boxing Council Muay Thai (WBC Muay Thai)	http://www.wbcmuaythai.com/
International Federation of Muay Thai Amateurs (IFMA)	http://www.ifmamuaythai.org/
International Kickboxing Federation (IKF)	http://www.ikfkickboxing.com/
World Muay Thai Council (WMC)	http://www.wmcmuaythai.org/

National associations

Thai Boxing Association of the USA	http://www.thaiboxing.com
United States Muay Thai Association (USMTA)	http://www.usmta.com
Muay Thai Association of Finland (MTAF)	http://www.muaythai.fi
Scottish Muay Thai Council (SMTC)	http://www.scottishmuaythaicouncil.co.uk
Canadian Thai Boxing Sanctioning Body (CASK)	http://www.kickboxingcanada.org

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