MuayThai…
or ThaiBoxing as it is more commonly known in this country, is the national sport of Thailand. Its history can be traced back over 3,000 years and was the cultural art form of the ancient Siamese warriors, now transformed into a thrilling and spectacular ring sport.
Known as the “Science of Eight Limbs” it is one of the oldest combat systems ever devised. Practitioners develop defensive and offensive skills utilising a wide variety of punches, kicks, knees and elbows executed with deadly accuracy and explosive power. It is for these reasons among others, that many now see Thaiboxing as the most practical and effective form of combat training.
From a cultural standpoint Thaiboxing represents much more than a fighting art. To the Thai people, it is a way of developing basic tenets of good character; honesty, integrity, honour, respect, fairness and compassion must all be taught in a wider moral context which underpins all Muaythai.
Worldwide, Muaythai has only one governing body that oversees almost every aspect of Thaiboxing. This body is the World Muaythai Council and is co-ordinated and administered by the Government of Thailand.
There are currently over 600, 000 people practising thaiboxing in Thailand, many competing on a regular basis. The sport attracts large scale sponsorship from International companies such as Mita, Adidas, Interlink, Mitsubishi, Total (petroleum), Pepsi Cola, Red Bull, Isuzu, and IBM amongst others.
Internationally Muaythai is enjoying an unprecedented growth and is being considered as a future Olympic event. Muaythai is the fastest growing sport in the UK, and is proving to be the most exciting sport of this Millennium. It is estimated that over 80,000 men, women and children currently participate on a regular basis in the UK alone.
