Thai boxing - history of development

Thai boxing, what kind of sport is it? This question is asked by many who are just starting to be interested ancient world oriental martial arts. Most people have little or no idea where this contact sport came from and confuse it with kickboxing.

However, these are two different sports. Thai boxing is a fighting technique based on delivering a combination of blows to the opponent. In this type of martial arts, grips and painful techniques are not used. Therefore, opponents work in sparring at short and medium distances.

Due to the high speed of the attack, such fights often turn into a full clinch, where elbows and knees begin to go. What is Muay Thai compared to other martial arts? it is a modern, sports discipline, in which championships are held all over the world different levels.

It is also worth noting that the most eminent and titled K-1 Thai boxing championship pays the winner a prize fund of $1 million. Therefore, many professional fighters strive to be at this event and become part of the Muay Thai legend.

In addition to high sports awards, Muay Thai is used by many people as an excellent weight loss workout. This is due to the fact that all exercises and techniques of martial arts are designed for great endurance.

A large number of repetitions and permanent cardio exercises have an excellent effect on the figure and cope with body fat even faster than classes in a fitness room with an installed diet.

Kickboxing and Muay Thai differences

The martial art of Thailand in the form of Muay Thai is quite different from kickboxing. If you take a closer look at them. On the example of sparring, you can immediately detect the visual and main difference.

Kickboxing does not use other parts of the body other than the hands and feet. Striking with other parts of the body is strictly prohibited. AT Thai boxing shins elbows and forearms are used.

If you continue to study sparring further, you can also find a difference in the distance of combat. In kickboxing, this distance is designed for medium and distant battle. In Muay Thai, actions are also carried out at short distances in the form of a clinch, when elbows and knees are used.

How to take Thai boxing classes

A large number of classes in this sport is devoted specifically to honing strikes. Athletes repeat each strike thousands of times, bringing the same actions to automatism at a certain point.

After that, the next stage of training is carried out in which. Practiced and studied techniques begin to be combined into 2-4 powerful blows. The whole fight consists of such developed combinations.

Particular attention is also paid to exercises for speed and endurance. This is necessary in order for all the tricks to be more mobile and biting. If you look at the main championships, you can see that all athletes with high titles have a lean physique.

The benefits of this sport

The main advantage of doing this type of martial arts is physical development throughout the muscles of the body. The complexes of exercises and strikes are designed in such a way as to harden the body as much as possible. High cardio loads are useful for both the respiratory and cardiac systems.

In order to sign up for Thai boxing, you can contact our club. Here, every day, experienced coaches with the title of master of sports conduct classes, both group and individual. For classes in the gym there is everything you need to hone your skills to a professional level.

The content of the article

(Muay Thai), martial arts Thailand. One of the meanings of the word “tai” is free, so the name of this martial art can also be translated as “free fight”. Muay Thai fights are fought in full contact according to very strict rules. Muay Thai is based on percussion technique. Blows are applied at all levels: to the head and to the body, with hands and feet, elbows and knees. Grabs and throws play a secondary role. Applied techniques are also cultivated in Muay Thai: work with piercing and cutting weapons, various types daggers, sticks, throwing knives, etc. The Thai government in every possible way promotes the development of Muay Thai and allocates considerable funds for this. Currently, Thai fighting is popular far beyond the borders of the country.

History reference.

Already in the 13th century. on the territory of modern Thailand there was an art of combat with bare hands and feet - mai si juice. Later, with the formation of the state of Ayutthaya (Siam), a new martial art appeared - plow (lit. "multilateral combat"), which eventually became also called "muay thai". Muay Thai is widely practiced in Ayutthaya. Outstanding fighters were enrolled in the royal guard and awarded them a title of nobility. Muay Thai in without fail blood princes and aristocrats were trained. Long time it developed as a system of rigid hand-to-hand combat. A warrior who mastered the techniques of Muay Thai could successfully continue the fight, even having lost his weapon.

The legendary warrior Nai Khan Tom is considered the "patron" of Thai boxing. During the war with Burma in 1774 he was taken prisoner. The Burmese had their own martial art - parma. The King of Burma, Mangra, decided to arrange a duel between Thai boxers and parmu masters to find out which art is stronger. Nai Kham Tom alone fought ten Burmese masters in turn without interruption. Having won all ten fights, he received freedom and returned home. national hero. Until now, every year on March 17 in Thailand, “boxing night” is celebrated: fights are held throughout the country in honor of the legendary warrior.

In 1788, representatives of Muay Thai first met in the ring with Europeans. Two French boxing masters who traveled to Thailand asked the Thai king for permission to fight with local fighters. Thai Defense Ministry senior instructor Master Muen Plan accepted the challenge and defeated both opponents.

Thailand took part in the First World War on the side of the Entente. It was at this time that information about Thai boxing began to spread widely to Europe. The poorly armed Thais made a big impression on the European allies with their physical training and excellent hand-to-hand combat skills.

In 1921, during the reign of King Rama VI, Muay Thai began to develop as a sport. General Phraya Nonsen Surendra Pandey, on behalf of the king, organized a center for the study of Muay Thai on the territory of one of the colleges in Bangkok. In 1929, "modernized" rules were adopted. (Muay Thai is still considered one of the toughest martial arts, and in those days the death or serious injury of a fighter during a duel was common.) Earthen platforms were replaced with a ring measuring 6x6 meters, fenced with ropes. The time of the duel was limited to 5 rounds of 3 minutes each with minute breaks (before the duel continued until one of the opponents lost the ability to continue the fight). Boxing gloves were introduced instead of the traditional leather belts with which the fighters bandaged their hands. Leg protection was not provided, but the rules allowed bandaging the shin and instep. 7 weight categories were introduced (previously there was no division into weight categories in Muay Thai).

In the mid-1960s, a real boom in Thai boxing began in Europe and the USA. It was then that the representatives of Muay Thai invited representatives of other martial arts to fight them. The challenge was accepted by masters of Kyokushinkai karate. The historic match took place on February 17, 1966 in Bangkok. 3 athletes participated from each side. The match ended with a score of 2:1 in favor of the Kyokushinkai karate masters. Nevertheless, they appreciated Muay Thai and adopted some of its elements.

In 1984, the International Amateur Thai Boxing Federation (IAMTF) was established. Today it includes regional organizations more than 70 countries, this is the largest of the amateur associations of Muay Thai. In parallel, there are organizations that conduct professional fights. With the rise of Muay Thai around the world, many professional kickboxing leagues have switched to Muay Thai and its European variant, Thaikickboxing.

Seven-time world champion in full contact and famous actor Chuck Norris calls Muay Thai "the sport of the 21st century". Steps are currently being taken to have it recognized as an Olympic sport.

Technique, preparation and fights in Muay Thai.

Muay Thai is considered one of the toughest martial arts. His technique allows him to fight equally well at long, medium and close range. But Muay Thai fighters are most dangerous at medium range and in close combat. “The elbow beats the fist, and the knee beats the leg,” says one of the basic principles of Thai boxing. It is in close combat that the knees and elbows represent greatest danger for the enemy. Another "signature" Muay Thai technique is the low kick (circular shin kick on the thighs). In general, the use of the shin as a striking surface is not the rise of the foot (as in most other martial arts), but the lower leg is one of characteristic features Muay Thai. For "stuffing" of a shin are developed special exercises: blows on the trunks of palm trees, on sandbags, “knurling” with a faceted stick - followed by treatment of the lower leg with special ointments. After such a “stuffing”, a Muay Thai fighter can break a baseball bat with a kick. With the help of the lower leg, the enemy's low kicks are also blocked. Much attention in Thai boxing is also paid to the "stuffing" of the body, stretching, and the development of endurance.

Hand technique in Muay Thai looks like the technique of "European" boxing, but is very diverse.

Unlike other martial arts, there are no formal complexes in Thai boxing (like, for example, kata in karate), but there are so-called “three-step movements” (yan saam khum) - short bundles consisting of basic movements that are in the process of training brought to automaticity. Most of the combinations and techniques used in Thai boxing have been known since the time when this art was called "puff". In total, there are 30:15 such basic combinations of the main ones (mae mai) and 15 additional ones (bow mai).

Muay Thai has two styles. Muay lacquer (lit. "hard fight") is now rare. Previously, this style was common in the villages. Muay Lak is a firm, steady stance of a fighter, powerful protection, slow moving. Actions are built on counterattacks, the battle is mainly fought at close range. Muay kiu (lit. "dandy fight") is built on feints, escapes, deceptive movements, the fighter is constantly moving. At the same time, the specificity of Muay Kiew does not affect the rigidity of the battle.

The art of working with weapons in Muay Thai is called "kraba-krabong" (swords and sticks) and was formed, first of all, on the basis of Indian, Chinese and Japanese fighting methods. The first school of crab, krabong, opened in the 14th century - buddhai-savan - is still functioning. The traditional weapon of the Thais - daab - is a heavy two-handed sword middle length and is used as a single and dual weapon. Also, the Muay Thai combat arsenal includes: the ngou halberd, the thuan spear, many sticks and daggers, as well as throwing knives, bow "thanu" and crossbow "naa mai".

A fight in Muay Thai is preceded by a ram muay dance. It's not just a tribute ancient tradition, but also a kind of physical warm-up, as well as psychological preparation fighter before the fight. (By performing ram-muay, you can determine which school he belongs to and which technique he prefers). Before the fight, the opponents meditate. The duel takes place to the traditional wai-kru music that sets the rhythm of the battle. It is believed that the sounds of instruments are endowed with magical properties.

In Europe and America, wai kru and ram muay are optional. Euro thai boxing (or taykikboxing) differs from classic Muay Thai in the rules: elbow strikes to the head, long grabs, and in some cases knee strikes are prohibited in it. This adapted version of Muay Thai eventually became one of the seven styles of kickboxing. In addition, in Europe and America, almost no attention is paid to working with weapons.

The Thai boxer's uniform is sports shorts, a ritual bandage on his head (for the duration of the fight, it is given to the coach) and boxing gloves. Previously, mollusk shells were used for protection, now they are standard inguinal shells.

Muay Thai in Russia.

The widespread development of Muay Thai in Russia began in 1992, when, on the initiative of Sergei Zayashnikov, a professional Russian Muay Thai League (RLMT) was created in Novosibirsk. In December 1995, the Thai Boxing Federation of Russia (FTBR) was organized on the basis of the RLMT. Sergei Zhukov was elected President of the Federation, S. Zayashnikov became Vice President. Currently, Muay Thai is cultivated in many major cities Russia. National championships are held regularly. Russian athletes have repeatedly become winners of world championships and other major international competitions.

Muay Thai (Thai (Thai), or Siamese boxing) originated in antiquity, acquired its classic look in the second half of the 16th century. “Thai” means “free”, so “muay thai” can be translated as “free fight”, or as “fight of the free”.

There are many legends about Muay Thai, telling about its origin more than two thousand years ago, about the connections of this martial art with Indian hand-to-hand combat systems and its unsurpassed virtues. But it is only known for certain that since the time of the state of Ayutthaya, which arose in the 16th century, in the Siamese army there was a training of warriors in combat with bare hands and feet. Particularly outstanding fighters were valued so highly that they were enrolled in the royal guard and given them a title of nobility.

Video: Thai boxing beauty muay thai!

Traditional Muay Thai has long been a hand-to-hand combat system for warriors. Thai army, as well as a favorite pastime of young people. However, in 1929 it was reformed under the influence of English boxing. The binding of the hands with horseskin straps gave way to European-style boxing gloves (six and eight ounces), although the legs remained bare (however, it is allowed to bandage them). A division into seven weight categories was introduced, and the duration of the fight was limited to five rounds of three minutes each, with two-minute breaks between them (the fight used to go on without breaks, until the victory of one of the participants). In addition to the referee on the site, they introduced two side judges.

The new rules banned grabs and throws, headbutts, chokes, and finishing off a fallen opponent. Victory began to be awarded for a knockout (if the opponent cannot continue the fight on the count of "ten"), on points and in the event of a technical knockout. It was allowed to surrender, which was previously condemned (the fight continued until one of the opponents left the site dead or severely beaten). But even now, according to official statistics, one fight out of 1500 ends in the death of an athlete. The earth platform was replaced by a ring 6 × 6 meters. So Muay Thai took its current form.

The fascination with Muay Thai in the West began after March 12, 1977. his masters won a “dry” victory over kickboxers in Bangkok, despite the fact that the match was held according to the rules of kickboxing (elbow and knee strikes, the use of which is one of the main trump cards of Muay Thai, were prohibited). On May 6 of the same year, a similar match was held there with karatekas, and with the same result. Now Muay Thai has spread all over the world.

Muay Thai training

Muay Thai training usually begins in childhood. In training, they strive to develop, first of all, the speed of impacts and endurance. To develop the technique, various shells are used, mainly hanging boxing bags and pears. To protect against blows to the head in training, they wear a helmet-mask, insert a “cap” into the mouth, and put a “shell” on the groin. A shell is also required in competitions, but a helmet is not required there. The workouts are very tough.

A typical workout looks like this:

  • warm-up (most often it is 15 minutes of exercises with a rope);
  • 5 three-minute rounds (with a minute break between them) of shadow boxing, using all types of strikes;
  • 5 three-minute rounds (with minute breaks) sparring with a partner, but without elbows and knees;
  • 5 three-minute rounds (with minute breaks) work on shells, using all types of strikes; 5
  • three-minute rounds (with minute breaks) working out the technique with a trainer.
  • Finish the workout strength exercises(especially popular push-ups, strengthening the abdominal muscles, rotation of the body) and stretching.
  • In the morning, a 30-minute run and gymnastic exercises are recommended.

Although Muay Thai fights are fought with boxing gloves, the traditional technique of bandaging the hands and wrists has also survived, especially in the villages (where the vast majority of professional fighters come from, by the way). The length of such a bandage made of soft fabric is about 2.5 meters, the width is 4.5 centimeters. AT old times hands were bandaged with leather straps. Wrapping the hands and wrists with soft cloth helps cushion impacts, protects the fingers from fracture, saves the energy needed to clench the fists, and at the same time leaves sufficient freedom for the fingers and hands to move.

Unlike Chinese, Japanese and Vietnamese martial arts, there are no sets of formal exercises (kata, taolu) in Muay Thai, although basic exercises are short strings. They are divided into main (mae mai) and additional (bow mai).

Muay Thai styles

There are two main styles in Muay Thai: muay lacquer and muay kiew. Muay lac (hard fighting) is now quite rare, mostly in the villages. In this style, the main attention is paid to a firm, stable position, reliable protection, relatively slow, but clear movements and powerful blows. Tactics are based on counterattacks. The movements are straightforward, feints are not used, the combat technique at close range is very developed.

Muay kiu (dandy fight), on the contrary, is based on feints and slips. The movements are fast, a lot of side and circular strikes, as well as knee strikes. True, attacks based on feints require more time than straightforward ones, but this does not affect the strength of the blows. Unfortunately, now more and more often Thai boxers reduce the fight to a simple exchange of blows - the influence of European boxing and kickboxing is affecting.

All fights are accompanied by traditional Thai music, which sets their rhythm and is performed on four instruments: clarinet, double drum, metal cymbals and Thai drum. The lead part is played by the clarinet.

In classic Muay Thai, 108 techniques were known. However, in its modern version, only 30 remained.

The basic principle

Punches are applied both single and in series. The main striking surface is the knuckles (in gloves - their front part). An open glove is used to cover a direct blow or to divert it to the side. Palm strikes, fingers, back side wrists are not used. The punching technique is similar to that of ordinary European boxing: hook, swing, uppercut, direct punch, against each of them several methods of counterattack or block are used.

An important place is occupied by elbow strikes. Such blows are applied in almost all directions and at any angle: from bottom to top, diagonally outward, from top to bottom vertically. There are blows with two elbows at the same time, as well as a back elbow, performed both in a straight line and in an arc.

There are also a lot of knee strikes, but basically, this is a direct kick and a circular one, in a wide variety of options, including bouncing. A high knee can serve as a block for kicks and at the same time allows for “stab” kicks with the foot. The situation when a boxer grabs the head of the opponent or enters the clinch in combination with a knee strike may be considered calling card Thai boxing. They also hit with a knee in a jump, even in the chin and in the face. Often knee strikes are used in combination with elbow strikes.

Muay Thai technique

The technique of foot strikes is less developed. In her arsenal, there are no sweeps and jump shots. A basic kick is a straight kick aimed at the groin or solar plexus. There are few side blows, they are applied, as a rule, from a turn or in a circular motion. There is also an analogue of "mawashi-geri", a blow called "crocodile waving its tail." On the other hand, strikes are well developed, aimed at the popliteal fossa and catching the opponent by the legs. The feet and knees are so commonly used in combat that Muay Thai is often referred to as "eight-handed fighting."

The tough nature of training, high speed of movement, active development of all techniques in sparring make Thai boxers extremely dangerous opponents in real street clashes.

Thai boxing is popular all over the world now. Suffice it to say that it is widely practiced in Japan, and that the rules of the Chinese sport "sanda" are mostly copied from Muay Thai. In Thailand itself, more than 120 thousand amateurs and about 10 thousand professionals practice Muay Thai, there are about 2 thousand clubs. This is a lot for a country with a population of 56 million people. Military personnel and policemen are not included in this figure, since they are engaged in Muay Thai without fail.

Good day, Fighters! That's right, with capital letter. Recently I drew attention to one fact: if you read the answers to a question like: “Which self-defense school is best suited for action in the street?”, then basically they advise just Muay Thai, well, also “Russian style”.

Why is Muay Thai currently considered the best for full contact combat, including on the street? And this is despite the abundance of existing not only some medieval martial arts that have come down to our time, but also modern developments, such as the Kadochnikov Style, Unibos, the Choi school, finally.


In order to find out public opinion, hung on home page survey form. I won't say that a lot of people took part, but it is already possible to draw some conclusions.

I can definitely say the following: people's opinions have changed somewhat over the past two decades. If in the eighties and nineties karate and boxing were some kind of self-defense standard, which was really recommended as an addition to sambo, now here is the Burmese art, but this, in principle, is not surprising: this is the opinion, so to speak, of the younger generation.

Why exactly Muay Thai is currently considered the best for full-contact fighting, including on the street? And this is despite the abundance of existing not only some medieval martial arts that have come down to our time, but also modern developments, such as the Kadochnikov Style, Unibos, the Choi school, finally.

The simpler the technique, the easier it is to learn and apply - no one will argue with this. How can one not argue with the fact that almost everyone who was involved in the creation of an applied school of self-defense ended up with a similar set of attacking movements. Note that not similar, but to a similar arsenal. Even the well-known Bruce Lee never demonstrated the Wing Chun technique in his films, but what is in abundance, even more than, is roundhouse kicks and arms from the side-side-straight :) So, it is unlikely that he was “filled up” by the reason for the disclosure of some family secrets ("")

But obviously, it's not just about simplicity. I believe that people simply see well what is missing in one direction or another and try to improve this matter somehow. There is not enough footwork in boxing, please, here is American kickboxing, which at one time was very popular. Then, grab it, they came to their senses: “Where are the elbows?” No elbows. We started looking, and here it is very handy Muay Thai turned up. If it wasn't for him, they would have found something else.

Yes, in our time, some new martial arts are constantly being developed, it happens that they are very good, capable of working not only without weapons, but also with them, as well as against them, but this is precisely the SYSTEM! And in Muay Thai everything is simple and clear, and the necessary skills can be learned already in the first months, somewhere in six months.

Once it was really a martial art, now it has turned into a sport, albeit a bit harsh due to the use of “short lever strikes” - elbows and knees, but this is a common thing. Look, for example, we all know boxing: so he generally lost his entire arsenal. And there were so many protections with coasters (article: “). And all for the sake of sports. Sport is, first of all, attacks on non-dangerous zones: either the affected place itself is little injured, or it simply leaves under the influence of the attack (like a jaw under the side), as a result of which the force simply goes into the void, and in order for this remainder of the force to knock out, you need to do it yourself the blow is very powerful.

The benefits of Muay Thai

Simplicity of technology. Probably only boxing is easier, but this is already too much, which is confirmed by the survey data.

A small correction should be made here. It cannot be said that art Muay Thai primitive. They turned him into this, throwing out almost everything that is possible. Probably the blows would also be excluded, but what would be left then :)? For example, remove your knees and elbows and Muay Thai turns into almost kickboxing, if you remove your legs, then it will resemble boxing, in which you also use your elbows (by the way, interesting system fight turns out: boxing plus elbows. Maybe someone will create this,) register the federation.

The manner of movement does not restrict the natural manner of movement of the body. This is very important point. Pay attention to the manner in which, for example, karatekas move in their training, and how this business is quickly forgotten when they enter the platform: the fighters immediately begin to move like a boxer, although this business is never worked out in training, but only the sliding step is worked out, from which they already “dance”.

Muay Thai, even despite the remaining scanty technique, its some primitiveness, it is very spectacular in a duel, which many people really like: pumped-up guys enter the ring and generously begin to carry out attacks on each other, reminiscent of logs :)

Lack of formal complexes. A very important argument. In order to diligently hone some complex for many months, and then also decipher its application, i.e., try to use it in battle, then you really need a stubborn character, because you won’t get into kata right away.

We have one person at work who attended the Shotokan section and I remember his memories of training: “Here you come and the same thing begins: warm-up, kata, sparring. And you do kata and you don’t understand a damn thing and it’s not clear anything. ”

Shortly speaking, long complexes in Muay Thai replaced by the development of more practical combat combinations for "two, three movements".

Permanent work in pairs allows you to develop the skill of working with a person in general and with the enemy in particular and, as a result, they are not afraid of the upcoming battle. Pay attention to this moment. In many schools, this stage is not given due attention and the right amount of time, and as a result, a person does not feel his partner, does not know how to work with him, does not know how to calculate his potential attacks based on general position the body of the enemy, there is no way to adapt to the enemy and beat the emerging situations in the most optimal way.

A trainee quickly acquires some initial skills that he can use in battle. I won’t say, of course, that these skills are specific, at the genetic level, but a couple or another good plop that demolishes the upper level in the form of a head;) it’s quite possible to apply. From weapons, of course, the probability of fighting back remains in question, but after all Muay Thai no one gives out for a supersystem.

In Muay Thai, a lot of time is devoted to working on the bag, which allows you to deliver a specific blow. But this is really a plus: too many people are addicted to other stages of working out strikes, such as “working in the air”, “working with a partner”, but they don’t develop the strength of the ligaments on the bag, they don’t build the body structure, and they can’t do a full-fledged reset of strength , and if they get blasted in battle with all their might, being "in the psyche", then they earn an injury as a guarantor.

Minuses.

The presence of pluses, of course, implies minuses, which are often forgotten. They are the following:

Exclusive work against one person, and in battle, as you know, there is almost always a numerical superiority. This, by the way, leads to the fact that the accumulated stereotype of tactics and strategies developed in the hall are shattered to smithereens in the "street" situation.

Betting on sports almost all throws, methods of influencing the joints, various choking, deductions and impacts on weak spots human body, such as trampling the toes, blows to the throat, the back of the head, “by sight”, breaking impacts on the fingers. All this business has led to the fact that the corresponding counteraction is not being worked out, and as a result, when meeting with these types of attacks, the athlete begins to get lost and does not know what to do.

A huge minus of the system is that the development of techniques in Muay Thai is done with gloves, and street fighting does not recognize such, which is a great inconvenience for an athlete who is used to working in such. See for yourself what happens. Gloves with their size not only play the role of a kind of protection in the form of “hard coasters” for blows, which are possible only because the gloves are soft and soften the impact, but also a person, as a result of their constant use in the ring, reduces the richest arsenal of impacts with the hands to the primitive " fist to five." There are no palm strikes, it is impossible to carry out captures, the penetration of attacks through those raised in defense, the opponent's hands roll sharply down. In general, this topic is reminiscent of one case at the dawn of the last century, when Europe, having heard enough rumors and high level Chinese fighters and almost believing in these rumors, I decided to hold some kind of championship there, or something. They gathered their boxers, invited Chinese masters, and now attention, they put on gloves on the Chinese, which "until now they have never seen it" and forced them to fight according to their own rules! The result is predictable - they lost on all counts. And what could they do? Of all the manual techniques, only straight and side kicks, kicks are prohibited, throws are impossible - of course, the Chinese masters, forced to fight according to someone else's rules, lost outright.

And one more thing: either a minus, or a plus, which lies in the fact that: the places where strikes are applied are not entirely optimal for quickly removing the enemy from a combat-ready state. This is a minus, yes, I agree, and a very significant one, but if you look at this matter from the other side, is it not a plus, since the enemy is not killed or injured, but only “educated”;) and there is a high probability that after fight, he will begin to respect you as a man, and subsequently even begin to “handle”.

But be that as it may, the pros Muay Thai outweigh its cons, because. A) People simply do not need a combat system rich in arsenal, because it seems to them that simplicity is the key to victory and it hides " great meaning". B) Muay Thai corresponds to our idea of ​​\u200b\u200bfighting such as "one hit on the spot" and "a Russian hero does not hit twice." C) The primary skills of self-defense are established very quickly, since the technical castration of the system for the sake of sports has ultimately led to a sharp increase in the speed of training and the acquisition of the necessary skills. D) Due to a small technical arsenal, which is mastered quickly enough, there remains some free time and it can be additionally spent on an athletic club, and then in general it turns out to be a straight Greek demigod: he doesn’t drink, doesn’t smoke, he knows how to fight, he has the physique of Apollo, which automatically implies the following plus, and in particular the following: E) Sharply increased attention from the female half humanity, which, of course, is nice /

The conclusion can be the following. Muay Thai in the eyes of the majority, there is precisely that system in which there is an optimal ratio of the simplicity of the technical arsenal with maximum effect from its application, which is a decisive factor in choosing your school of self-defense.

In the end, watch the video of how a leg broke from a low-kick, but not on the opponent, but on the one conducting the attack. The video is just tin, as much as unpleasant to watch!

In my opinion (it may differ from others), the fracture occurred as a result of a very successful defense, as a result of which the point of contact fell on the upper half of the lower leg, which led to a sharp increase in the force of the overlap, which led to a fracture of the lower leg. But what surprised me the most was the reaction of the victim: it is zero, that is, the man is completely indifferent! I thought he would ride there from pain /

Badly Fine

Already in the 13th century. on the territory of modern Thailand there was an art of fighting with bare hands and feet - mai si sok. Later, with the formation of the state of Ayutthaya (Siam), a new martial art appeared - plow (lit. "multilateral combat"), which eventually became also called "muay thai". Muay Thai widespread in Ayutthaya.

Outstanding fighters were enrolled in the royal guard and awarded them a title of nobility. Muay Thai was taught without fail by princes of the blood and aristocrats. For a long time it developed as a system of hard hand-to-hand combat. A warrior who has mastered the techniques Muay Thai, could successfully continue the battle, even without weapons. The legendary warrior Nai Khan Thom is considered a "patron" Thai boxing. During the war with Burma in 1774 he was taken prisoner.

The Burmese had their own martial art - parma. The King of Burma, Mangra, decided to arrange a duel between Thai boxers and parma masters to find out which art is stronger. Nai Kham Tom alone fought ten Burmese masters in turn without interruption. Having won all ten fights, he received his freedom and returned home as a national hero. Until now, every year on March 17 in Thailand, “boxing night” is celebrated: fights are held throughout the country in honor of the legendary warrior.

In 1788 representatives Muay Thai first met in the ring with the Europeans. Two French boxing masters who traveled to Thailand asked the Thai king for permission to fight with local fighters. Thai Defense Ministry senior instructor Master Muen Plan accepted the challenge and defeated both opponents.

Thailand took part in the First World War on the side of the Entente. It was at this time that information about Thai boxing began to spread widely in Europe. The poorly armed Thais made a big impression on the European allies with their physical fitness and superior hand-to-hand combat skills.

In 1921, during the reign of King Rama VI, Muay Thai began to develop as a sport. General Phraya Nonsen Surendra Pandey, on behalf of the king, organized a study center on the territory of one of the colleges in Bangkok Muay Thai. In 1929, "modernized" rules were adopted. ( Muay Thai and is now considered one of the toughest martial arts, and in those days the death or serious injury of a fighter during a duel was common).

The earthen platforms were replaced with a ring measuring 6x6 meters, fenced with ropes. The time of the duel was limited to 5 rounds of 3 minutes each with minute breaks (before the duel continued until one of the opponents lost the ability to continue the fight). Boxing gloves were introduced instead of the traditional leather belts with which the fighters bandaged their hands. Leg protection was not provided, but the rules allowed bandaging the shin and instep. 7 weight categories were introduced (previously divided into weight categories in Muay Thai did not exist).

In the mid-1960s, a real boom began in Europe and the United States Thai boxing. It was then that the representatives Muay Thai invited representatives of other martial arts fight them. The challenge was accepted by masters of Kyokushinkai karate. The historic match took place on February 17, 1966 in Bangkok. 3 athletes participated from each side. The match ended with a score of 2:1 in favor of the Kyokushinkai karate masters. However, they appreciated Muay Thai and adopted some of its elements.

In 1984, the International Amateur Federation was created Thai boxing(IAMTF). Today it includes regional organizations of more than 70 countries, it is the largest of the amateur associations Muay Thai. In parallel, there are organizations that conduct professional fights. With the rise in popularity Muay Thai worldwide many professional leagues kickboxing switched to Thai boxing and its European variety - Thaikickboxing.

Seven-time world champion in full contact and famous actor Chuck Norris calls Muay Thai"sport of the 21st century". Steps are being taken to recognize it Olympic sport.

Technique, preparation and fights in Muay Thai. Muay Thai considered one of the toughest martial arts. His technique allows him to fight equally well at long, medium and close range. But the most dangerous fighters Muay Thai at medium range and in close combat. “The elbow beats the fist, and the knee beats the leg,” says one of the basic principles of Thai boxing. It is in close combat that the knees and elbows pose the greatest danger to the enemy. Another "brand" trick Muay Thai- low kick (circular kick to the thighs).

In general, the use of the shin as a striking surface is not the rise of the foot (as in most other martial arts), but the lower leg is one of the characteristic features. Muay Thai. Special exercises have been developed for “stuffing” the lower leg: hitting the trunks of palm trees, sandbags, “knurling” with a faceted stick, followed by treatment of the lower leg with special ointments. After such a "stuffing" the fighter Muay Thai can break a baseball bat with a kick. With the help of the lower leg, the enemy's low kicks are also blocked. Much attention in Thai boxing is also given to the “stuffing” of the body, stretching, and the development of endurance.

Hand technique in Muay Thai outwardly resembles the technique of "European" boxing, but is very diverse.

Unlike others martial arts, in Thai boxing there are no formal complexes (as, for example, kata in karate), but there are so-called “three-step movements” (yan saam khum) - short bundles consisting of basic movements, which are brought to automatism in the process of training. Most used in Thai boxing combinations and techniques have been known since the time when this art was called "plow". In total, there are 30:15 such basic combinations of the main ones (mae mai) and 15 additional ones (bow mai).

AT Muay Thai there are two styles:

  • muay lacquer(lit. "hard fight") is now rare. Previously, this style was common in the villages. Muay lacquer is a solid, stable position of a fighter, powerful defense, slow movements. Actions are built on counterattacks, the battle is mainly fought at close range.
  • muay kiu(lit. "dandy fight") is built on feints, escapes, deceptive movements, the fighter is constantly moving. At the same time, the specificity of Muay Kiew does not affect the rigidity of the battle.

The art of working with weapons Muay Thai called "crab-krabong" (swords and sticks) and was formed, first of all, on the basis of Indian, Chinese and Japanese methods of warfare. The first school of crab, krabong, opened in the 14th century - buddhai-savan - is still functioning. The traditional weapon of the Thais - daab - is a heavy two-handed sword of medium length and is used as a single and dual weapon. Also in the military arsenal Muay Thai includes: halberd "ngou", spear "thuan", many sticks and daggers, as well as throwing knives, bow "thanu" and crossbow "naa mai".

Scramble in Muay Thai dance precedes ram muay. This is not only a tribute to an ancient tradition, but also a kind of physical warm-up, as well as the psychological preparation of a fighter before a fight. (By performing ram-muay, you can determine which school he belongs to and which technique he prefers). Before the fight, the opponents meditate. The duel takes place to the traditional wai-kru music that sets the rhythm of the battle. It is believed that the sounds of instruments are endowed with magical properties.

In Europe and America, wai kru and ram muay are optional. Euro Thai boxing (or Thai kick boxing) is different from the classic Muay Thai and rules: it prohibits elbow strikes to the head, long holds, and in some cases knee strikes. This adapted version Muay Thai over time became one of the seven directions kickboxing. In addition, in Europe and America, almost no attention is paid to working with weapons.

Thai boxer uniform- Thai shorts shorts, a ritual bandage on the head (for the duration of the fight, it is given to the coach) and boxing gloves. Previously, mollusk shells were used for protection, now they are standard inguinal shells.

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