Muay Boran

Muay Boran (, , , lit. "ancient boxing") is an umbrella term for the unarmed martial arts of Thailand prior to the introduction of modern equipment and rules in the 1930s. It is thus the direct ancestor of modern Muay Thai. The word muay which means "boxing" comes from the Sanskrit term mavya, while boran or boraan means "ancient" in Thai.

Muay Boran is not a single style but acts as an umbrella term for all traditional Thai styles of Indochinese kickboxing. Whereas Muay Thai is often called the "science of eight limbs", muay boran is said to make use of nawa awut which means "nine weapons", adding headbutts as ninth offensive in addition to the "eight limbs" of hands, legs, elbows and knees used in Muay Thai.

History

Origins

The Thais themselves had always referred to their empty-handed combat styles as dhoi muay (a cognate of the Malay word tomoi) or just muay, a generic term for boxing or pugilism. The teaching of muay was kept up largely by Buddhist monks.

Although originally bare-handed, Southeast Asian boxers at some point began binding their fists and forearms in hemp rope. This type of match was called muay kaad cheuk (คาดเชือก). Many believe that, if both agreed beforehand, boxers would glue glass shards or broken shells on their hemp gloves to ensure a bloody event, but this is debatable. It is generally concurred that if this practice ever existed, it was definitely not common. Some have suggested that fighters would only apply glass to their gloves during war but not in regular matches.

Rules