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Muay Thai is common enough that nearly everyone in the martial arts knows about it. Dubbed the "art of eight limbs," Muay Thai (commonly known as Thai Boxing) is the official sport of Thailand and it remains one of the all-time most popular martial arts globally. Whether you're considering mixed martial arts, kickboxing, or self-defense, it's an adaptable form of martial art. Muay Boran is the less known parent martial art style from which Muay Thai has sprung up. This is a shame given that Muay Boran may be a lost martial art style if its history is not properly kept.



Do you know what Muay Boran is? The very idea of Muay Boran as an early form of boxing makes a lot more sense when you know that the English translation of Muay Boran is "Ancient Boxing". A typical misconception concerning Muay Boran is that it is simply a bare knuckles variation of Muay Thai. Although it is true the ancient art was made to work without the need for gloves, it is not as close to the modern interpretations of Thai Boxing as many would think. Muay Boran was referred to as the art of "nine weapons, not the "art of eight limbs". Muay Boran made total use of the headbutt as a part of its art, while the headbutt is an illegal weapon in Muay Thai.

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While modern Thai Boxing is known for its striking style, you shouldn't assume that it derives this style from Muay Boran. Though there are some similarities in style, such as the standup style, they aren't the same. Many of the indigenous fighting techniques of the Indochinese region can be found included in Muay Boran. There are plenty of similarities in the training form to that of MMA training. black flag wing chun local karate class for kids MMA is a militaristic style. Muay Boran is rather brutal. It deals with both offense and defense, but it does so in a freestyle way. It allows the fighter to compensate for naturally disorderly fighting situations. The most beneficial places for the use of Muay Boran these days would be militaristic and defensive.



That does not imply Muay Boran wasn't used in fight tournaments. Muay Thai is in fact the martial art form that has developed due to adaptations made to Muay Boran for competitive events. There are two things attributed with Muay Boran's decline. Although boxing gloves are now used in Muay Thai competitive events, traditional Muay Boran tournaments made use of hemp-wrapped forearms. The second main change was the dramatic reduction of illegal techniques as the art became more of a respectable ring sport. Although there is the benefit of the creation of the new competitive martial art we refer to as Muay Thai, it has meant a fading of Muay Boran. As the attentions of individuals who love the martial arts go to Muay Thai, Muay Boran is forgotten.


There are thankfully those martial arts historians who as practitioners of this traditional form have decided to teach it to their followers. People serious about learning the art are now able to seek out a qualified instructor or invest in DVDs on the subject for self-study.