Muay Thai

Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and a vital part of Thai culture, dating back to the origins of the nation. As neighboring territories began relentless invasions into what is now Thailand, residents of the land required an effective form of self defense that could protect them from an armed enemy when they, as defenders, were unarmed. What rose out of this need was an efficient system of fighting that turned the 8 points of contact, the hands, feet, knees and elbows, into weapons as lethal as any weapon an invader might attack with. Because invading enemies of the region made it a habit to destroy all cultural records when they would sack villages and cities, the actual historical origins of Muay Thai, prior to the 20th century are hard to come by but through the years, this important piece of the Thai national identity rose out of the individual’s need for survival and into the spotlight as a massively popular sport. In Thailand, any man or woman worth their salt practices Muay Thai. Today, Muay Thai has risen to prominence in popular culture, appearing in movies and on television thanks to action stars like Tony Jaa and Jeeja Yanin. Through the centuries, Muay Thai has been practiced by kings and commoners alike; competitive and otherwise.

At home, here in the states, Muay Thai has made major inroads into the world of Mixed Martial Arts because of its strong striking base. Because of the physical demands put on Nak Muay, practitioners of Muay Thai, the sport and art of Thai kickboxing is particularly well-known for building total body strength, improving flexibility as well as exponentially improving endurance levels.

The Muay Thai taught at The Guy Chase Academy of Martial Arts comes from years of practice in actual Bangkok Muay Thai training camps where some of Thailand’s finest fighters have emerged. The techniques learned here are representative of authentic Siam fighting arts. The weaponry of Muay Thai is called Krabi Krabong. This ancient form uses swords, staff, spears etc.. that was utilized by the Siam people against the invading Burmese armies. This formal martial art form proved its ability on many battle fields while using the great elephant as a effective tool to ram the on coming enemy. Krabi Krabong was practiced on the ground, on horses and upon elephants.