Becoming a "warrior" in Thailand. Ch 1, Pt 3: the legend of Muay Thai

The Renaissance Man Project is an original non-fiction novel by Nathaniel Kostar, occasionally known as Nate Lost. Follow @natelost

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In less than a week’s time my life has changed from studying poetry in Italy to getting my ass kicked in Thailand by folks from all over the world in an attempt to learn the beautiful and violent art of Muay Thai. Warrior poet—sigh—at least it sounds cool.

But the fact is Muay Thai is a brutal sport. It’s called the “the art of eight limbs” because it utilizes eight points of contact (kicks, punches, knees, and elbows), as opposed to kickboxing which utilizes four (punches and kicks), and Western Boxing with two (punches). Although many people claim it is “safer” than Western Boxing because the head is not the only target (in Muay Thai you can kick an opponent in the legs or below the waste—though not directly in the groin), the risk of serious injury or even death from kicks, elbows, and knees is an ever-present possibility inside the ring.

What is now Thailand’s national sport evolved out of Muay Boran and Krabi Kabong, ancient methods of combat used and perfected by Siamese soldiers in the 16th Century—coincidentally around the same time Baldassare Castiglione was laying out his precepts for the perfect courtier. In battle, soldiers who lost their weapons would use Muay Boran when they engaged in hand-to-hand combat, and many Thai people today believe the tenacity and effectiveness of this fighting style is the reason Thailand is the only Southeastern Asian country to have never been colonized by a foreign power.

Like most martial arts, Muay Thai comes with its own legend. It is said that the proverbial “Father of Muay Thai,” Nai Khanom Tom, was a Thai fighter taken captive by the Burmese in the late 18th Century. When asked to fight as a slave to entertain the Burmese king during a festival, Nai Khanom requested a moment to prepare, at which point he performed the Wai Kru Ram Muay.

The Wai (action akin to prayer) Kru (teacher) Ram (dance) Muay (boxing) is a traditional dance-like ritual that honors the fighter’s teacher, country, martial art, and traditionally the Buddha. Still performed to this day before a match, the fighter circles the ring in a manner that is slow, controlled, rhythmic—almost hypnotic. He bows and genuflects, lowers his forehead to the floor, rises slowly, stretches his arms out as if they are wings, and repeats with slight variations. It is not just a ritual signifying honor and respect, but also a clear demonstration of agility, focus and rhythm to the audience and opponent.

The Wai Kru, however, was so strange and foreign to the Burmese, that Nai Khanom’s opponent, whom he pummeled shortly after performing the dance, claimed that it had cast a spell over him and caused him to lose the match. The judge, not knowing what to do, refused to declare a winner. To appease the audience the king decided to have Nai Khanom fight nine more of the greatest Burmese fighters, one after another. Using a series of vicious kicks, chops, elbows, and knees distinct to Muay Thai, Nai Khanom defeated all of his Burmese foes.

So impressed by the display, the king granted Nai Khanom his freedom and asked whether he would prefer a purse of gold or two beautiful Burmese wives as a gift. Nai Khanom chose the wives, claiming that money was easier to come by. With his two wives, he returned to Thailand, where he is said to have lived the rest of his days as a Muay Thai teacher. Today throughout Thailand, March 17th is known as National Muay Thai Day in honor of the sport and the legend of Nai Khanom Tom.

In the 20th century, the modern rules of Muay Thai came into effect. Bare knuckles, which were first replaced by hemp rope and notoriously dipped in shards of glass or sand before a fight, were eventually replaced with gloves. Rings were introduced and five, three-minute rounds became the standard for a fight.

During times of peace, competitions were held at palaces and temples throughout the country and prominent fighters were invited to entertain and compete. Once betting began, becoming a Muay Thai fighter provided a means of social advancement and training camps sprang up around the country.

Today, there are training camps and gyms throughout Thailand, some with no more than a few beaten bags and worn out weights under a tin roof, and others with official-sized boxing rings, world-class weight rooms, and a myriad of fighters from around the world.

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MAD Love.

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Read Intro, Part 3
Read Intro, Part 4

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