Muay Boran: Thai Style Of Martial Art

Muay Thai is common enough that almost everyone in the martial arts is aware of it. Dubbed the "art of eight limbs," Muay Thai (often called Thai Boxing) is the official sport of Thailand and it remains one of the all-time most popular martial arts on the planet. Whether you're interested in mixed martial arts, kickboxing, or self-defense, it is an accommodating art form. While most individuals are familiar with Muay Thai, they're not as familiar with the parent art to it: Muay Boran. This is a shame since Muay Boran could become a lost art if its heritage is not properly preserved.

So, what exactly is Muay Boran? The name roughly means "Ancient Boxing" and that is what it is, an older version of the martial art which later on became the ring sport of Thai Boxing. Many people write off Muay Boran under the mistaken belief that it is simply a bare knuckle Muay Thai. Although it is true the ancient art was designed to work with no gloves, it isn't as close to the contemporary interpretations of Thai Boxing as many would believe. For example, the moniker of Muay Thai is "art of eight limbs, while the nickname of Muay Boran was "nine weapons". The ninth weapon which is not even permissible in organized Muay Thai competitions, was the headbutt.

One other common misconception regarding Muay Boran is that its techniques and performance mirrors the striking style of Thai Boxing. This is only partly true since Muay Boran certainly had a standup style similar to Muay Thai. It is important to say that Muay Boran is actually an integration of various Indochinese native fighting styles. You can claim that it was a little bit of an early precursor to the MMA style of training. Since the goals of MMA were more military in origin, the art was much more brutal and also dealt with offensive and defensive strategies which are more freestyle rooted and intended to deal with crazy situations. Yet in today's standards, you can actually call it an art for personal protection or one with battlefield uses.

That doesn't mean Muay Boran wasn't used in fight competitions. Muay Boran bare knuckle fighting competitive events did take place and eventually went down the path of development into Muay Thai. Basically, a couple of things led to the decline of Muay Boran. Competitors were able to have their forearms wrapped in hemp as protection in traditional Muay Boran competitive events, but boxing gloves are used in tournaments these days. Much of the Muay Boran martial art form is illegal for use in modern-day competitive events in the name of fair play and safety. This isn't to lament the creation of Muay Thai as the birth of the ring sport was simply the result of a natural progression of events. As the majority of the modern martial arts practitioners have been inspired by competitions, they have forgotten Muay Boran.

There are fortunately those martial arts historians who as practitioners of this early form have chosen to teach it to their followers A Good Approach To Self-Defense . Individuals serious about learning the art may now seek out a competent instructor or purchase DVDs on the subject for self-study.