Muay Thai
Translation: "Thai Boxing"
Country of Origin: Thailand
Created: 16th Century

Muay Thai is the national activity of Thailand and has roots going back perhaps for 2,000 years. Siam (now called Thailand) has a history of being at war with its neighbours Burma, Laos and Cambodia and seems to have created a nation of fighters who consider it quite normal to beat each other senseless in the name of sport. Do not be tempted to step in the ring with a Thai boxer. He may only look little but he's a professional athlete who started training before he could read or write and has a body that can absorb hours of punishment and shins made of steel. The Thai boxer often strikes his opponent using the shin rather than the foot intending on disabling the leg. Often called the "science of 8 limbs" because fighters use hands, feet, knees and elbows. In fact the elbow strikes to the head caused many deaths in competitions and recently this technique has been banned. It wasn't until 1930 that boxing gloves were worn. Until then fighters would bind their fists in rope and dip them in a mixture of glue and broken glass for good luck! It was literally a lethal art and fighters didn't usually last past 5 years. The art was introduced from China yet lost many of the techniques associated with Chinese boxing. Before a fight combatants will perform a ritual dance called the Ram Muay. The greatest Muay Thai fighter of them all was a man called Nai Khanom Dtom who fought and killed 12 of Burma's best martial artists one after the other in order to win his freedom.