Originally Muay Boran Styles were not differentiated, they were all under the names; Muay, Dtoi Muay, or Chok Muay. In 1909 King Chulalongkorn requested the governor of Chaiya, Kham Sryiyapai, and the governor of Korat, Phra Hemsamahan, to bring skilled fighters to compete at the funeral of his son. Three fighters that dominated the bouts received the title of Muen (Similar to the Western "Knight" title); a fighter from Korat became known as Muen Changat Choeng Chok (Effective tactic of punching), a fighter from Chaiya became known as Muen Muay Michue (Elegant boxing style), and a fighter from Lopburi became known as Muen Mae Mahd (Skillful and precise punches).
These titles gave the 3 boxers the duty of maintaining Muay camps in their hometowns to train and bring fighters for future fights in front of the throne.
After this event a saying emerged in Thailand, summarizing the main characteristics of the three fighters: "Hard Punch Korat, Wit Lopburi, Posture Chaiya".
It set the base for the differentiation into regional styles; Muay Korat, Muay Chaiya, and Muay Lopburi, to which Muay Thasao was later included, adding "Faster Thasao" as the final part of the saying. The recognition of stylistic currents is mostly the result of modern studies; in the past people didn't distinguish between Muay styles, but they distinguished different lines and traditions.
There were also other regional Muay Boran styles besides the main 4, but most of them have been lost over the centuries.
Each style has its own terminologies, principles, stances, mechanics, movements, ways of training, striking, and rope wraps pattern.
Muay Korat
From the Northeast Province of Nakhon Ratchasima, Muay Korat is specialized in a Swing, known as "Mahd Wiang Kwai" (Buffalo Throwing Punch), and powerful front snap kicks. It is one of the styles with the greatest headbutts development, counting more than 5 variations. Many blocks consist of strikes against the opponent's weapons and strikes with multiple weapons are often used. A distinctive feature of Muay Korat is punching with a vertical fist and impacting with the last three knuckles.
According to the text of Phra Hemsamahan, the first patriarch of the style, his line of Muay Korat has 5 Stationary techniques, 5 techniques in movement, 11 Look Mai, 5 Mae Mai Kru, and 21 Mae Mai Boran.
Grand Master Bua was a key figure in the preservation of Muay Korat, he was a direct student of Phra Hemsamahan, and he practiced and taught Muay Korat for a century, until his death at 100 years old.
Muay Chaiya
This style was brought by a Monk from Bangkok to the Southern Province of Surat Thani where it was further developed, Muay Chaiya was a style used mainly by people of small stature and aims to fight defensively; the core of this style is precise footwork, hard blocks, and avoiding strikes while waiting for the right moment to unleash powerful counterattacks.
Muay Chaiya fighters are said to be like a durian, solid and covered with thorns, in fact, the guard of this style is very compact, and aims to block the opponent's strikes with the elbows or shins, damaging his weapons.
This style is maybe the only style of Muay Boran with an extensive ground-fighting system, which can be compared to the one of Japanese Jujutsu, or Catch Wrestling.
In Muay Chaiya there is only one Mae Mai, which is the Master Stance Yang Saam Khum Klum Dan Yak and it is said that all the other techniques are Look Mai that come from a correct application of the latter.
Muay Lopburi
From the Central Province of Lopburi, Muay Lopburi is heavily inspired by the movements of animals, like elephants and monkeys, and mythical creatures like Giants and Deities. It focuses on agility, feints, and unpredictability, and makes extensive use of jumping attacks. It comprehends 16 Mae Mai, and one of its distinctive features is the stance with the palms facing up, to make the most of the style's signature weapon, the uppercut punch called "Mahd Soei". This style is defined as "wise" or "clever" because it is versatile.
According to the legend, Muay Lopburi is the oldest Muay Boran style and its base was founded by a hermit called Sukhatanta in 675 B.C.E.
Muay Lopburi masters are experts in extrapolating techniques from the Wai Kru Ram Muay and in utilizing it as a tool to train their students, and not as a simple ritual dance.
Muay Thasao
From the Northern Province of Uttaradit, Muay Thasao or Muay Uttaradit focuses on speed and agility. The stance is wide and places most of the weight on the rear leg with the front foot only slightly touching the ground to be as far away from the opponent as possible, the front hand is raised and extended and the rear hand is lowered. The main weapon of this style are kicks and straight punches are rarely used. The signature technique of Muay Thasao is a high diagonal kick called "Naka Sabat Hang" (The Naka Flickers its Tail) which, unlike the classical Thai round kick, ends with a Snapping motion. Another signature weapon is the diagonal upward elbow, which is preferred over the others because it allows one to quickly cover the body after throwing it. The most famous Muay Thasao boxers were the Liangprasert family which was very active in the Kard Chuek fights of the early 1900s, it was one of the brothers, Pae, who accidentally killed another boxer in 1928, resulting in the introduction of gloves and modern ruleset that led to the birth and development of the sport Muay Thai, and the decline of Muay Boran.
The last pure master of this style was Chalong Liangprasert, as all the other masters also inherited Muay Phraya Pichai, but are still conserving the pure Thasao Line.
Muay Thasao Phraya Pichai
The style of the hero Phraya Pichai Dab Hak, also known as Thongdee Fan Kao. This style was born from the union of Muay Thasao with Chinese martial arts and was later enriched with knowledge from other Muay Boran styles and Western Boxing. Many of the features of Muay Thasao are the same for this style as well. It is heavily focused on fast kicks which are thrown by keeping the arms close to the body for protection. The stance is almost identical to the Thasao one but the front arm is bent and held near the eyebrow, while the rear arm is held near the chin to protect it and to protect the neck. Muay Thasao prioritizes defense before offense to end the fight without any damage, however, it retaliates after two defensive maneuvers to avoid being overwhelmed, and attacks preventively when the opportunity presents itself. Muay Phraya Pichai fighters are well-rounded in all 9 weapons and utilize a strategy called Wua Phan Lak that consists in alternating fighting ranges and weapons to overwhelm the opponent or to find the most effective one and stick with it.
Muay Phraya Pichai masters and students aim to constantly upgrade their art to make it as effective as possible, and not to solely practice and conserve it.
Muay Phranakorn
From the central province of Pranakorn, it is the style of Bangkok, the city where the various regional styles met and confronted each other, for this reason, the martial tendencies of the fighters from Bangkok were very varied since they could take inspiration from numerous fighters from every corner of Thailand, so it is not entirely correct to speak of a single regional style from Pranakorn with fixed characteristics. The style of Bangkok of the Sorn Kwai line has a stance that focuses on striking with the rear side, which results in being more powerful, to the detriment of the front side, which becomes slower.
Muay Thalengpol
The Muay of Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiativong, the Prince of Chumphon and father of the Thai Navy. The style uses the 9 natural weapons of the body and includes 147 techniques.
It was inherited by a Chinese doctor and boxing master, Master Lee (Kriangkrai Thalengphol), who taught it under the name "Muay Thalengphol" since in Thailand to mention the name of a royal would be an impersonation and would be disrespectful. This style has many similarities with Muay Chaiya and some with Muay Korat.
Muay Phra Chao Seua
Also known as Muay Luang (Royal Muay) it is the style that supposedly was used by Phra Chao Seua (The Tiger King) and his bodyguards. The techniques of this style are called Kon Muay Kae, they consist of a series of defense-and-counterattack actions divided into groups according to the weapon they counter, plus a series of techniques defined as incursive and called Kon Jujom that aim to stop the opponent's action in advance. The information on this style comes from a book from 1979 called "Tamrap Phra Chao Seua" by Yod Reungsa, which is said to come from an old book written by the Tiger King to pass on his art, however, there are no sources behind this statement and the original if ever existed, has been lost.
Thaiyuth
A Muay Boran style originated from the province of Yala in Southern Thailand, created by master Chakrabhop Charoenrat, from a mix of Muay Boran knowledge, with some influence from Judo, Aikido, Silat, and Karate. The son of Chakrabhop Charoenrat carried on his father's work, enriching it with his Thai and foreign martial arts studies. One of the most avant-garde styles, but with remarkable knowledge and respect for traditional styles. Muay Thaiyuth besides preparing their students in the physical department also proposes to do it in their mental attitude. It is one of the only styles which in the last decades developed its own original technique, called Buddha's Hand.
Muay Chaisawat
A style created by Grand Master Chaisawat Tienviboon that combines Muay Taweesit and Muay Chaiya with other Muay Boran styles and concepts, with some influence from Aikido.
Grand Master Chaisawat is one of the oldest and most knowledgeable Muay Boran masters still alive.
Muay Lertrit
Muay Lertrit, also known as Military Muay Thai, is one of the styles used by the Thai Army. It was created by the Navy Wisit Lertrit by combining Muay Korat with the martial arts he studied around the world, including Karate and Aikido. In Muay Lertrit the 9 natural weapons of the body are used for percussive actions, it also includes palm strikes, knife-hand strikes, slaps to the ears, fingers in the eyes, and wrestling techniques from Muay Boran adapted to a military context. This style makes large use of aggressive blocks, which are basically strikes against the opponent's weapons.
Muay Nawarach
The embodiment of Thai unharmed Martial Arts; it is the most comprehensive style ever made, created by Major Colonel Amnat Pooksrisuk by adding to Muay Korat knowledge from Muay Lopburi, Muay Chaiya, Muay Thasao, Muay Jerng, Muay Taweesit, Muay Lertrit, Muay Chaisawat, and Thaiyuth, and further enriched with the knowledge of the Thai Art of War (Pichai Songkram). Major Colonel Amnat was probably the most knowledgeable Muay Boran master of our times, a direct student of Bua Wat Im and other legendary names, with a complete vision of the entire system of Thai Martial Arts, both with empty hands and weapons.
Muay Nam
Muay Nam ("Boxing of Water" in Thai) is a modern, scientific, and hybrid style of Muay Boran that I founded. It combines the best of many Muay Boran styles with principles and concepts from ancient and modern martial arts worldwide, intending to make the most effective, practical, and adaptable combat system for extreme fighting competitions or self-defense.
Currently, Muay Nam is composed of 45% Muay Thai Boran and Muay Thai, 45% Historical European Unharmed Martial Arts and Croydon Boxing System, 5% Aikijujutsu, 3% Jeet Kune Do, and 2% other martial arts.
This is an approximate division since, during my studies, I understood that if a martial art seeks maximum effectiveness in a fight without rules, universal solutions are inevitably reached, because the human body is always the same. I found much of what I learned in Muay Boran in other historical martial arts and vice-versa.
Martial arts are a universal language spoken and understood worldwide, capable of breaking down barriers. They originated at the dawn of mankind, and are a World Heritage.
If you want to learn more about the rational history of Muay Boran you must check out my book Click here.
sources:
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Vail, Peter. “Muay Thai: Inventing Tradition for a National Symbol.” Sojourn: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, vol. 29, no. 3, 2014, pp. 509–53. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/43187160. Accessed 18 Sep. 2022.
Apisake Monthienvichienchai. THE CHANGES IN THE ROLE AND SIGNIFICANCE OF MUAY THAI, (Faculty of Arts Chulalongkorn University, 2004) ISBN 974-17-6015-9
Mackenzie, M. “The Martial Art of Muay Thai in Thai Society.” MC Howard (ed.) et al. Traditional T’ai arts in Contemporary Perspective. Bangkok: White Lotus, 1998.
Jackson, Peter A. "The Performative State: Semi-coloniality and the Tyranny of Images in Modern Thailand". SOJOURN: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia 19, no. 2 (2004): 219-53.
Chaisawat Tienviboon (2012). Muay Thai Chaisawat. Se-Education Public Company Limited, Bangkok, Thailand.
Chaisawat Tienviboon (2018). Dap Thai Chaisawat. Bangkok, Thailand.
Chanchai Yomdit. Phatthanakan muay lae muay boran korat lopburi chaiya. Chombueng, Thailand: Muban Chombueng Ratchaphat University, 2009.
Panya Kraitus (1988). Muay Thai. Phuket, Thailand.
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Chao Wathayotha, (2007). Muay Korat. Master’s thesis, Muban Chombueng Rajabhat University.
Channathat Mongkhonsin, (2007). Muay Lopburi. Master’s thesis, Muban Chombueng Rajabhat University.
De Cesaris, Marco. (2017). Muay Lert Rit. Edizioni Mediterranee, Rome, Italy. ISBN 978-88-272-2783-1.
De Cesaris, Marco. (2012). Muay Thai Boran the martial art of Kings. Edizioni Mediterranee. Rome, Italy. ISBN 978-88-272-2201-0
Khet Sriyapai. Parithat muay thai. Bangkok: Matichon, 2007.
Somphon Saengchai, Aphiwat Charoenrat, Adison Kraiwong, and Wianai Champa-on. Yutthasin muay boran: muay phraya phichai daab hak. Uttaradit, Thailand: Uttaradit Rajabhat University, 2010.
Yod Reungsa. (1981). Tamrap Phra Chao Seua. Bangkok: Sermwitbanakan Publishing.
Saengsawang, Potsawat. Development of Thai Boxing. Master’s Thesis, Department of Physical Education, Graduate School, Chulalongkorn University, 1979.
"Volksspiele in Siam”. In: Das Buch für alle: illustrierte Blätter zur Unterhaltung und Belehrung für die Familie und Jedermann. Heft 5. 1899, Ss. 125 (Abbild.), 128 (Text)
Thank you for the Summary. Just purchased and read your book 'Bare Knuckle Boxing', and thoroughly enjoyed it. I was not aware of Chris Price, so that was worth the buy alone. Have you read any of Terry Brown's material i.e. English Martial Arts? Not sure how it may work with your Muay Nam, but I can wholeheatedly recommend, as you may find some ideas worthy of inclusion. I look forward to more discussion of 'catching and striking', as well as footwork in the future