Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport. The word muay comes from the Sanskrit Mavya, meaning "to bind together". In muay Thai, opponents use punches, kicks along with elbow and knee strikes instead of just fists as in Western style boxing. A practitioner of muay Thai is known as a nak muay.
Muay Thai evolved from muay boran (ancient boxing), which had been used by Siamese soldiers if they happened to lose their swords during battle. It is thought that the ancient Siamese army created muay boran from the weapon-based art Krabi krabong. Originally, opponents fought bare-fisted but in time they began to wear lengths of hemp rope around their hands and forearms.
Eventually, muay Thai became a popular spectator sport and part of Thai culture. It became common for muay Thai contests to be held at festivals in the temples.
When King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) ascended to the throne in 1868, muay Thai entered it's Golden Age. The King took great personal interest in the sport and promoted its practice during peacetime as a means of physical exercise, self-defense and personal advancement.
Muay Thai training camps sprang up all over the kingdom. Novice nak muay would be provided with food and shelter and they would even be treated as one family with the students adopting the camp name as their surname. The king would send scouts to organize matches between different camps.
King Somdet Chaofa Prajadhipok Sakdidej (Rama VII r. 1893 - 1941) instituted codified rules for muay. Thailand's first boxing ring was constructed in 1921 at Suan Kularp. Referees were introduced and rounds were timed by kick. Thai fighters still used rope bindings on their fists in matches with each other but began to use Western style gloves in matches with foreigners. After several deaths in the ring, it was decided that fighters should wear gloves and cotton coverlets over the feet and ankles.
Muay Thai has grown rapidly in popularity around the world in recent years and there is an effort to add it as an Olympic sport.
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