For all of you Ultimate Fighting and K-1 Fighting fans, you probably fancy yourselves as mixed martial arts experts and gurus. But have you ever heard of ‘Muay Thai’ before?
‘Muay Thai’ is one of the most popular sports in Thailand and is basically a Thai-style of kickboxing.
The Basics
‘Muay Thai’ is also known as the “Art of Eight Limbs” because of its emphasis on using eight different points to strike with. These eight points include both hands, both legs, both elbows, and both knees.
As many of you may know, the most deadly hit often comes from the elbows and knees – the sharper the point, the more harm it can do to an opponent.
Short Careers
Because of the brutality of the sport, most Muay Thai fighters don’t last long before they call it quits. After they retire, many fighters end up coaching and training the next generation of fighters.
Peak in Interest
‘Muay Thai’, much like many other mixed martial arts, has grown in popularity over the past decade. Much of this has to do with its use in martial arts films, with the most popular of them being Jean-Claude Van Damme’s “Kickboxer” that was released in 1989.
Also, styles of ‘Muay Thai’ have been used in very popular video games such as “Street Fighter,” “Tekken,” and “Mortal Kombat.”
Lastly, many current MMA fighters are starting to adopt more and more ‘Muay Thai’ tactics and styes into how they fight. Perhaps the most popular MMA fighter to use ‘Muay Thai’ is Anderson Silva, who just recently was able to defend his Middleweight title in the Octagon.
Where to Learn More
If you want to find out more about ‘Muay Thai’ and Thai kickboxing, www.thaiboxing.com is a great source of information. Also, there are plenty of Muay Thai KOs and fights on YouTube to check out as well.
