Learn a new sport, discover an ancient culture and take a tropical holiday as you begin your Muay Thai boxing romance!

Check out Muay Thai for a hot new take on Martial Arts, and start planning your next vacation in Thailand to train with the pros, detox and lose weight in a tropical paradise!

Muay Thai is Thailand’s national sport. It is a form of martial arts and has a long tradition in Southeast Asian countries. Today, traditional Muay Thai resembles western boxing through its use of kicks, punches and gloves in a ring. Most Muay Thai boxers have a short career because of the intense training regimes and physicality or the matches. However, lucky for us, once they retire they often go into teaching, which means that lots of Muay Thai training camps have cropped up in tropical Thailand lately!

Reality television show The Contender has extended the popularity of Muay Thai, giving it publicity across the world and inspiring people to get involved in the sport. If you want a piece of the action, read our guide for d-l on Muay Thai and find out how you can get involved!

History

Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand. Originating from the unarmed combat styles of Siamese soldiers, it became a sport performed in front of spectators, including Kings and other nobility. Gradually, being a Muay Thai practitioner led to social advancement, as skilful fighters were invited to the Royal Court to teach Muay to the royal household, staff and other nobility. A royal guard of Muay fighters was eventually formed to protect the King.

In 1868, with the ascension of King Chulalongkorn to the throne, Muay Thai became the country’s number one form of physical exercise, recreation and personal advancement. Former fighters and soldiers began training camps where students received food and shelter and were treated like a family. After a death in the ring, there were changed to way Muay was structured, including the addition of soft boxing gloves, to make it safer.

Today, it is mostly people from a lower socio-economic status who become professional Muay fighters. The prize money offered for fights encourages them to get involved. However, plenty of people get involved in Muay as amateur fighters for recreational or exercise purposes, which is where ExplorerGirls come in!

Techniques

Muay Thai is known as the ‘Art of Eight Limbs’ for its use of knees, elbows, shins and hands, which means that anyone who trains in Muay Thai is going to get a great, all-over-body workout!

Muay Thai techniques were developed to use the body as a mimic for weapons of the time: shins were used to block attacks; fists were like the tip of a sword and arms were like two raised twin swords protecting the body. Basically, you can kick, punch, elbow and knee your opponent on any part of their body, except the groin. This is not a sport for the faint hearted!

Training

Muay Thai involves a lot of body conditioning. Because all the limbs, meaning all major muscle groups, are involved in Muay, the whole body needs to be in top gear every day. Training includes running, shadowboxing, body weight resistance exercises, rope jumping, medicine ball, abdominal exercises and weight training.

The most important training that is specific to the Muays is practicing all moves with a trainer wearing full body padding. This enables the fighter to react the person wearing the pads and practice moves and responses. Fighters also use focus mitts, heavy bag training and sparring.

Camps

There are loads of Muay Thai training camps around in Thailand. Due to its status as national sport, there are plenty of willing instructors who have trained as professional Muay Thai boxers ready to pass on their knowledge to you.

Camps are popular because of their status as a place to learn a new sport, train, detox, lose weight and tone up. And all in a tropical paradise, with the option of stepping out onto one of Thailand’s pristine white sand, aqua blue beaches, explore the local, ancient culture and even head out to one of Phuket’s renowned nightspots. With plenty of different times to choose from (a weekend camp, three days, a week, two weeks) you can either make your holiday a bootcamp-style retreat, or maybe just take up a little Muay Thai to compensate for all those coconut-cream cocktails and steaming curries!

And, the best part is Muay Thai boxing is becoming so popular there are camps and gyms practicing everywhere so you can continue once you're back from holidays.

Phuket:

www.rawaimuaythai.com
www.phuket-muay-thai.com

Koh Pangnan:

www.horizonmuaythai.com

Watch

The Contender

If you’ve been watching TV lately you will probably have already heard of The Contender, a reality TV show about people from all around the world who come together to participate in Muay Thai and fight to win the prize.

Check out this trailer!

Girlfight

OK so it’s not exactly Muay Thai, but sometimes a gal needs a bit of inspiration and encouragement to jump into a boxing ring! Check out Girlfight to see gutsy young Diana (Michelle Rodriguez) take on the boys as she defies her father to become a boxer. Once you see Rodriguez’s ripped abs and arms, you won’t be able to stop yourself from getting in the ring!

Girlfight is available from Amazon.com from $9.95

www.ExplorerGirls.com / Gemma Considine