History
of Muay thai
Is Muay
thai a Thai Heritage or is it an Adopted Art?
The Thai
- Laos as we know them today have
been living in various parts of China for some 2000
years before the Christian era. Like the situation with
other ethnic groups before them – the Khmer, Mons and
Burmans, they gradually migrated southwards into the
golden land Suvannaphoum
between
1st and 5th centuries. Their destiny
was in the fertile Mekong basin, occupied by the
Mon-Khmer
communities
around that time.
Progressively, the insitu states there disintegrated
under the pressure of the Tai
migration
– Dvaravati,
Lavo, Haripunchai and these were replaced by
new, vigorous Thai settlements, which in the end led to
the emergence of the kingdom of Sukhothai in A.D. 1238,
founded by King Khun Si Intradet.
Archaeological discoveries have confirmed the practice
of wrestling (10th century) and kickboxing (
12th century ) in the Angkor
empire. The latter art has, as a matter of fact,
survived to this day in Cambodia, in the name
Kun
Khmer.
In Myanmar, the oldest relic on boxing goes back to the
11th century of the
Mon
period in Pegu.
Similarly to its Khmer counterpart, Burmese boxing
or Let
Whayt continues to be practiced
in Myanmar as an indigenous combat sport.
There is no dispute that the Mon-Khmer
cultures have
greatly influenced the various aspects of the Thai way
of life. This is the distinct feature in the
development of the Siamese both as a race and a culture
and Thai historians are not reluctant to admit frankly
that their kingdom had once experienced a lengthy
period of ‘Khmerization’ for a hundred years - after
the destruction of Khmer power at Angkor in A.D. 1431.
Records showed that after Angkor fell to Siamese
military forces, Khmer nobilities, top Brahmins, high
officials, technicians, and court dancers in large
numbers were taken hostage to Ayutthaya. A blending of
cultures took place in consequence.
But what about Muay Thai? The Thai-Laos
always have had
their fighting heritage.
Even before they began to leave Yunnan in around 200
A.D, the Dhai tribes in Yunnan were well trained in
fighting as a matter of reality, to defend their
territory. There have been great Thai-Lao (or Shan)
warriors throughout Siam’s early history, i.e. in the
northern kingdoms. Most were excellent boxers, such as
the Great Lord Khun Chuang of Phayao, because not only
that they had great teachers from diverse sources, but
more importantly, they were forced to fight for
survival over many centuries of bloody warfare.
In Sibsong Panna (Yunan) today, research has shown,
that the Dhai ethnic minorities have rediscovered no
less than 130 sets of Martial Arts (Dhai boxing
included) under differing systems or styles. Some of
these systems now only exist in name, while others have
continued to be practiced. A number of formats are
indigenous in character and estimated to be over 1000
years old. The other tribes, Yi, Miao, Kha etc. all
have some form of boxing and wrestling. The Miao even
have its own brand of foot fighting at their flowery
will festival.
At Angkor’s fabulous galleries, dating even before the
kickboxing images, are base- reliefs showing
Syam
warriors on the
march at around A.D. 1107 and these of course were also
trained fighters. Could they box? It would be
unrealistic to assume that they should be unskilled in
free combat when deprived of weaponry.
In the end Muay Thai has emerged as the premier
fighting art of the world and it’s origin could only be
Thai, be it ancient Muay
Boron, Pahuyuth
or
Phalam
(a.k.a.
Linglom)
all may be somewhat different from the sport Muay Thai
that we see all over the world today, but they were
individually only part of a an evolution process and
bore the marks of transformation at salient times. I am
pleased to conclude that the honour for producing this
precious crystal of an art and making it a trend
worldwide, could only go to the Thai people.
Muay Thai is truly a
fighting art born in the blood and soul of the Thai
race!
By Alex Tsui Ka Kit, Hong
Kong Boxing Association