Muay Thai, as it is performed today, did not simply come into existence in the 20th century. It was practiced throughout history in various ancient forms of martial arts that we now collectively call ‘Muay Boran’. If you’re curious about the many ancestors of Muay Thai, their cultural roots, and the ancient fighting styles that are still being practiced within Muay Boran today, keep reading to find out more!
What Is Muay Boran?
In the early 1930s, Thai boxing became formalized with a standard set of rules and modern protective gear. Originally called ‘Muay’ meaning boxing, the combat sport became known as ‘Muay Thai’ to distinguish itself from western boxing. To avoid confusion between modern, formalized Muay Thai and its ancestors, the term Muay Boran, which means ancient boxing, was coined. This term encompasses the many traditional martial arts styles that have existed in Thailand for centuries. While we will continue to refer to these ancient forms of martial arts as Muay Boran, it is important to remember that no such term existed in the past neither is there a term called ‘Muay Thai Boran’. Check out The Key Differences Between Muay Thai and Muay Boran to learn more about how Muay Thai diverged from its ancestor.
Muay Boran Throughout History
Details remain sparse, but Muay Boran fighting styles were used in the 13th century by the Siamese military in armed and unarmed combat, although many of the written records of this period were destroyed during a Burmese invasion. King Naresuan (1590-1605) was known to be a skilled martial arts practitioner and swordsman. His exploits have since become legendary, with the king becoming a hero and the martial arts that he used spreading quickly among his people.
The popularity of ancient Thai boxing reached a notable high point in the late 17th century during the reign of Suriyenthrathibodi (The Tiger King) of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya, which is present-day Thailand. It is said that the king was a skilled fighter and would travel in disguise to take part in competitions held in villages around his kingdom. By this point, boxing had become a national pastime and was being practiced by many in the region.
We next encounter an ancient form of Thai martial arts in the 18th century, after the Ayutthaya Kingdom fell to an invading Burmese army. In 1774, King Hsinbyushin of Burma held a seven-day festival to honor the pagoda containing the Buddha’s relics in Rangoon. As part of this festival, the king wanted to pit his Burmese Lethwei fighters against Thai prisoners of war, to establish Burmese superiority in martial arts. Ironically, it would end up doing the exact opposite.
Nai Khanom Tom was the first Thai boxer to fight in the festival, where he performed the Wai Kru pre-fight dance ritual to pay homage to his teachers and ancestors. It is said that this ritual took the Burmese fighters by surprise, and Nai was quickly able to defeat his first opponent. However, it was ruled that this was an unfair victory because the Lethwei fighter was still perplexed by the Wai Kru, and Nai had to face another nine opponents in combat to prove his skills.
Nai Khanom Tom defeated everyone that stood in his way, using all eight limbs as he was trained to do in Muay Boran. This display of superior fighting skills impressed King Hsinbyushin, who granted Nai his freedom and a gift of either riches or two wives. There are versions of the story where Nai also managed to free his fellow prisoners of war and returned to his home, where he lived as a teacher of Muay Boran.
While it is difficult to verify the details of what exactly happened, we do know that the legend of Nai Khanom Tom is still remembered today by modern Muay Thai practitioners. Nai Khanom Tom is known today as the ‘Father of Muay Thai’ and March 17th is celebrated as the day Nai fought and won his freedom. Read The History of Muay Thai to learn more about how it all came to be.
The Fighting Styles of Muay Boran
Thailand has many different ethnic communities coming from various parts of the country. Therefore, the ancient martial arts that were practiced in each region have evolved in their own unique ways over the years. During the time of King Chulalongkorn, also known as Rama V, gathered fighters from across his kingdom to perform at his son’s funeral ceremony. The three best of them were from the Korat, Lopburi, and Chaiya regions, which eventually became known as the main Muay Boran styles, with Thasao being added later.
Muay Korat
The Muay Korat style comes from Eastern Thailand and gets its name from Nakhon Ratchasima province, commonly referred to as Khorat or Korat. In this style, there’s a focus on building the fighter’s strength to deliver powerful punches and kicks. Understanding the physics of striking is also important, with Muay Korat fighters learning how to dampen an opponent’s strikes to avoid injury while defending and to increase their own strength when attacking. Carrying heavy water buckets, pounding rice and chopping water are some of the ways Korat fighters develop their techniques.
Korat fighters use one of the Muay Boran techniques called ‘draw in-draw out’ that is used to lure an opponent into striking first, which is then countered with a surprise attack. The most powerful of these are launched at a wide angle, with the Buffalo Punch being a famous heavy attack perfected by Muay Korat fighters. Fighters that specialize in Korat will wrap their hands up to the elbow since they’re expected to absorb impacts from their own wide-angle punches as well as incoming attacks.
Korat fighters also use their Wai Kru to intimidate their opponents before the start of a combat encounter. Their pre-fight ritual has five movements, three of which pay respect to the Buddha, the Earth goddess, and the king. The fighters also believe that these movements grant them luck, and it’s also a form of meditation to focus their minds before combat. For more on the five movements, read up on Muay Korat.
Muay Lopburi
Muay Lopburi is one of the oldest Muay Boran style and comes from the central province of Lopburi. Unlike the other styles, Lopburi is mostly focused on fighting smart rather than with pure power. Lopburi fighters use fast movements to keep their opponents distracted and attack when opportunities present themselves. All strikes are delivered in a forward direction while constantly being on the move, with fighters needing to have sharp focus, excellent footwork and agility to be effective at this style. Lopburi fighters specifically wrap their hands up to the half of their lower arms as well as their ankles to protect themselves during combat.
With over 1,300 years of history, the close connection between Muay Lopburi and its cultural roots is plain to see. The fighting style includes moves that are full of grace and draw inspiration from animals like elephants and monkeys. Characters such as the monkey god Hanuman and other fantastical creatures from the Hindu epic Ramayana also make an appearance. In Lopburi, the image of the legendary Prince Rama shooting an arrow is used as an inspiration for both a combat move and part of the Wai Kru dance ritual. For more on Muay Lopburi’s sophisticated movements, check out Muay Lopburi: From Legend to the Ring.
Muay Chaiya
This style of Muay Boran gets its name from the city of Chaiya in the southern Surat Thani Province in Thailand. While the style was made popular there, it is actually believed to have been developed by a fighter from Bangkok who traveled south seeking to become a monk. The fighter turned monk caught a troublesome elephant using coconut shells, and the locals built a temple in his honor. History doesn’t remember his name, but it is said that the monk taught the people Buddhist philosophies and boxing, which quickly became an inseparable part of local festivals in the area.
Muay Chaiya focuses on defense, not only of the body but of the mind as well. Fighters are encouraged to reach a high level of mental awareness of every move they make and to control their emotions. Patience and focus are keys to success in Muay Chaiya, and fighters wait for an opening to strike fast. Fists, knees, and elbows are the basic weapons of a Chaiya fighter, but there are fancier moves inspired by animals. The Crocodile Tail Kick and Elephant Neck Breaker are some of the more sophisticated moves, with even the Tiger King said to have developed his own attacks during his time.
Muay Chaiya fighters use rope to bind their wrists up to the knuckles. While they wear the Mongkon headbands and armbands just like all Muay Boran practitioners, their accessories are made from a cloth called ‘salu’, instead of the traditional white string used by others. Even their Wai Kru has an additional component where fighters draw their opponent’s name on the ground with their foot and stomp on it before starting the fight.
Muay Thasao
This style originates from North Thailand and is the youngest style of Muay Boran compared to the others in this list. The word ‘Thasao’ means ‘monkey feet’ and naturally gets its name from the fluid movements a Muay Thasao fighter uses in combat. Speed, posture, and a defensive approach make up the ideology here. Thasao fighters are able to quickly change their stance, adapting to their opponent and fighting conditions quickly, which makes them very formidable during combat. Fast kicks are used to strike, and fighters generally focus on protecting their legs as a result.
Muay Boran Garments
Initially a form of bare-knuckle boxing, fighters eventually started using hemp rope to bind their hands while boxing gloves were never used in the ancient martial art. It is used to protect their own hands while attempting to injure their opponents while punching, since the rope bindings can cut into the skin. The extent to which they wrap their hands depends on the specific style they practice, as mentioned earlier in each type of Muay Boran. The thread or rope is sometimes soaked in rice water and dried, which hardens it.
Muay Boran fighters wear shorts and a loincloth called ‘phakaoma’ for groin protection. They do not wear any other form of protective gear like gloves or shin guards, which are used by Muay Thai fighters. The Mongkhon headdress and Prajioud armbands are worn for protection as well as luck. However, unlike in Muay Thai, where fighters remove the Mongkhon, Muay Boran fighters wear it during the fight. If the headband falls during combat, the fight is paused to allow the respective fighter to pick it up again. In addition to these, various other amulets and talismans are worn depending on the Muay Boran fighters’ beliefs.
Muay Boran in Popular Culture
Muay Boran was brought into the limelight by Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior, a film starring Tony Jaa that was released in 2003. While the title suggests the movie is about Muay Thai, the fights choreographed by Panna Rittikrai use the more deadly strikes seen in Muay Boran rather than those used in formal Muay Thai competitions. The film was a breakout role for Jaa, who captivated audiences through amazing fight sequences as his character went on an adventure to find the stolen head of a Buddha statue.
Tony Jaa went on to star in multiple sequels to Ong-Bak and other films like Tom Yum Goong. Apart from these, other Muay Thai and Muay Boran-inspired works have also graced the silver screen. These include the fantasy animated film The Legend of Muay Thai: 9 Satra, the historical film Yamada: The Samurai of Ayothaya, and the critically acclaimed sports biopic Beautiful Boxer. While not known for portraying Muay Boran accurately, 1989’s Kickboxer, starring Jean-Claude van Damme, is still considered a martial arts classic, with the main character traveling to a remote part of Thailand and wrapping his hands with hemp rope to learn the “ancient ways” of Muay Thai.
Where to Learn Muay Boran
There are many places that provide Muay Boran training programs, including the Muay Thai Conservation Center, which offers a proper syllabus and grading with private as well as group lessons. There’s also the Baan Chang Thai Arts School, which specializes in Muay Chaiya style, and training centers such as Tiger Muay Thai and Rawai Muay Thai.
With Muay Boran now appearing in movies and popular culture in general, many have discovered it and are now looking for ways to learn the ancient martial art and even revive it in unofficial Thai martial arts competitions. If you find yourself wanting to immerse yourself in the ancient customs and techniques of Muay Boran, there is no better place to start than in Thailand, the birthplace of the Art of Eight Limbs.
