Muay Boran

Muay Boran. Ancient boxing is an umbrella term for the unarmed martial art of Thailand prior to the introduction of modern equipment and rules. It is the ancestor of modern Muaythai. The word Muay which means boxing comes from the Sanskrit term Maya, while Boran means ancient in Thai. The art is significantly different from its modern descendent, where as Muaythai is often called the "science of eight limbs". Muay Boran is said to make use of Nawa Awut which means nine weapons and refers to the hands, legs, elbows, knees and head.

Muay Boran ("Ancient Boxing") is the older and even more serious predecessor to what you see now as the sport Muay Thai. Yes, it is considered to be bare knuckle boxing as there were no Queensbury rules or gloves drafted back then and the art was devised for combat instead of sport. Fighters bound their feet and hands with rope called kaad cheurk and the techniques were much more lethal. The sport Muay Thai is but a subset of Muay Boran and many of the otherwise illegal and deadlier moves have been eliminated for competition. Muay Boran comes from Pahuyuth, an even older Siamese system, and has a history of classical techniques and maneuvers deeply rooted in the Ramakien, Thailand's version of the Hindu epic Ramayana. Muay Boran history, is the art of the Siamese Army, they once ruled all of South East Asia.

It is believed that the Siamese people had their own style of fighting in each kingdom, a different style the Chakri dynasty with King Rama I marked a period when nearly all separate kingdoms of Siam joined together to form the country we know as Thailand.

At the end of the 1700s with all the wars over, fighters began to compete locally and often fought in front of the king to see who had the best style. Most people recognized this period in history of Muaythai, as fighters used to wrap their hands in cotton twine. This style of fighting, at this period was called Muay Kaad Chuak. It ended in 1929 when there was a death in the ring.

Here are the most popular styles of Muay Kaad Chuak

Muay Chaiya is the style of the South. This style is about 250 years old. Muay Chaiya specializes in blocking with the elbows and knees and the footwork is fast and smooth.

Muay Korat is the style of the East. The Korat people are believed to have been doing this style for 1000 years. The Muay Korat's kicks and punches are straight. This style prefers to intercept an attack by simultaneous block and strike or evade the attack by moving out of range. The kind of footwork used is Suua Yang which means 'tiger walk'. These techniques are closely guarded.

Muay Lopburi is the style of the Center region. This style is from the Ayutthaya period. The style is based on very accurate and deadly punches. This style had dangerous strikes like uppercuts to the Adams apple and thumb strikes to the eyes. This style has been completely lost. Legend has it that in one of Ajarns last fights, he killed a man with a fatal blow. After this he decided to stop teaching this style.

Muay Ta Sao is the style of the North. It is a fast and quick style. The main philosophy in Muay Ta Sao style is to finish the opponent as soon as possible. The attacks are extremely explosive and effective.

There is a phrase about Muay Boran that states, "Punch Korat, Wit Lopburi, Posture Chaiya, Faster Ta Sao.

In ancient times, if a master taught his martial art to the Royal Guards or soldiers, it was okay, but, if he no longer was in the Royal or military service, he could be executed for teaching martial arts to other people. So, many masters hid their martial art in the movements of Khon dance, so it would not be lost. Many techniques are hidden especially in the movements of Hanuman, Wanon, Tosakan and Yuk.

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