One of the most significant changes in Muay Thai's history was the introduction of boxing gloves. Before the use of gloves, Muay Thai fighters used only their bare hands to strike their opponents, resulting in many injuries and even fatalities. The use of gloves was initially met with resistance, but eventually became a staple in the sport.
With the relic of Muay Thai shows in Thailand, Lumpinee stadium recently announcing a rather controversial move to only allow foreign visitors and expats to watch its future Muay Thai bouts and also rumours that Rajadamnern stadium will be forced to relocate to a new area there hangs an air of uncertainty about the future of Thailands national sport.
With Muay Thais popularity peaking more than ever around the world, more and more gyms are popping up globally. For decades in Thailand, Muay Thai has been branded with the reputation of a ‘poor mans’ sport, those who trained were often from rural villages and poor families, training and fighting in Muay Thai as a crutch to push themselves out of poverty.
Muay Thai is often compared to the game of chess. For every move made there is always an effective counter, where IQ can trump sheer aggressiveness and strength. Whether you are just starting out or a seasoned professional there is always room to learn some new tricks so here are 5 Muay Thai techniques to add to your arsenal.
At the tender age of 17 in a small city in Estonia, Marie Ruumet was packing a small bag of essential items, a few clothes, hand wraps, boxing gloves and some training shorts getting ready to set off to the other side of the world to pursue her dream of becoming a professional fighter, she remembers,
“I started training at 15, I started because I just wanted to take up a sport but everything I tried just didn’t really suit me.
Buriram, Issan is located in the far east of Thailand, a place burdened with a lack of infrastructure and jobs that keeps so many impoverished, uninspired and without much of a purpose in life. It shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise then to hear that many of Thailands greatest fighters have been forged under these brutal environments.
