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| General Information |
Muay Boran is an umbrella term for Thai fighting arts that existed before the birth of its descendent combat sport, muay thai. Understandably, Muay boran and muay thai have many similarities. For example, both martial arts use different techniques of punches, kicks, knee strikes, and elbows – “the eight deadly weapons”. They also have the same rituals called Wai Kru performed before the fight. One distinct difference is that muay boran allows and even encourages more brutal techniques such as headbutts, groin attacks, and throat strikes that are prohibited in modern muay thai. In the process of sportification, muay thai has certainly lost substantial amount of traditional muay boran techniques and skills with few people still practising them. However, with the global popularity of muay thai, there is an increasing number of people that are interested in learning muay boran.
There are variations of muay boran depending on their regions – muay chaiya, muay korat, muay lopburi, and muay thasao. |
| History/Development |
Legend has it that, during the war in the 18th century between ancient kingdoms of Thailand and Burma, Thai boxers were captured and were made to fight against Burmese fighters as part of entertainment and festival. Nai Khanom Tom, one of the Thai boxers, defeated ten Burmese boxers in a row and was awarded two wives and freedom by the Burmese King who was impressed by his techniques and rituals. Thailand annually celebrates Nai Khanom Tom day on the 17th of March commemorating his achievements. |
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(Policies/institutions) |
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| Relevant Organisations |
- World Muay Boran Federation |
| Additional Materials |
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| References |
- Luther, K. “Muay Boran”.
https://krixluther.com/muay-boran/ | | |
