Muay Plam means Wrestling in the Thai language. little is known about ancient Thai Wrestling, as it got lost over the centuries. The oldest record of Thai Wrestling ever found is a small statue from the 14th century, depicting two wrestlers grabbing each other.
Some of the earliest mentions of the word Muay Plam come from The Three-Seals Code (a collection of laws from the Ayutthaya era (1351-1767 C.E.) and by Simon de la Loubère in his book Du Royaume de Siam (1691), both mentioned in the chapter "The History". The Ayutthaya Chronicle, issue of Somdet Krom Phra Paramanuchitchinorot mentions that;
One of the earliest mentions of the word "Muay Plam" comes from The Three-Seals Code (1351-1767) dating back to the Ayutthaya Era (Kotmai Tra Sam Duang), a collection of laws from the Ayutthaya era (1351-1767 C.E.), explicitly mentions Muay and Wrestling (Muay Pram) in Article 117, Clause 1:
If two people agree to box or wrestle, that is fine. Perhaps one gets hurt or even dies. This is not punishable by law. If someone incites them to fight or offers a prize to box or wrestle, that is fine. The promoter cannot be punished because he had the intention of providing entertainment. It is in the Karma of the participats. -The Three-Seals Code, Article 117, Clause 1.
It is also mentioned by Simon de la Loubère in his book Du Royaume de Siam (1691) confirming again that Muay Plam and Muay were two separate arts.
The Ayutthaya Chronicle, issue of Somdet Krom Phra Paramanuchitchinorot mentions that
Phra Chao Suea disguised himself as an ordinary villager to wrestle with the villagers of Wiset Chai Yachaan.
According to the chronicles, King Sanphet VIII disguised himself to practice Wrestling (Muay Plam) and not Boxing as it is commonly known nowadays, perhaps due to a misinterpretation of the word "Muay" in "Muay Plam".
In the book "Teung Dton Huaa Jai Phra Wi-Nai Keu Apamaju" (The heart of the Vinaya Pitaka is Apamajupa) by Luang Wisan Darunkon, Wrestling, and Boxing are again separated and require a different ritual to perform before a fight to increase the chance of winning.
It was with great surprise that when researching for writing this book, I discovered that Anna Harriette Leonowens gave an extensive description of Thai Wrestling in his memoirs The English Governess at the Siamese Court (1870).
"The Siamese practice wrestling in its rude simplicity, the advantage being with weight and strength, rather than skill and address. The wrestlers, before engaging, are rubbed and shampooed, the joints bent backward and all the muscles relaxed, and the body and limbs freely oiled; but after the latter operation they roll in the dust, or are sprinkled with earth, ground and sifted, that they may be grappled the more firmly. They are matched in pairs, and several couples contend at the same time. Their struggles afford superb displays of the anatomy of action, and the perfection of strength and skill and fierce grace in the trained animal. Though one be seized by the heel and thrown,—which the Siamese applaud as the climax of the wrestler's adroitness,—they still struggle grandly on the ground, a double Antæus of arms and legs, till one be turned upon his back and slapped upon the breast. That is the accepted signal of the victor."
She also adds that in sports games "Excessive violence is mercifully forbidden".
In Baeprien Muay Thai, Grand Master Luang Wisan Darunkorn mentions 18 Gaan Plam การปล้ำมี "Wrestling Techniques";
1. Jik Sisa จิกศีรษะ Pull the Hair
2. Got Kho กดคอ Press the Neck
3. Hak Khaen หักแขน Break the Arm
4. Hak Kha หักขา Break the Leg
5. Tub Kho ทุบคอ
6. Tub Khrong ทุบโครง
7. Yik Nai Ta หยิกในตา Pinch the Eyelid
8. Yik Hai Phracha หยิกไหประช้า Pinch the Collarbone
9. Dohn Duay Dtuaa โดนด้วยตัว
10. Dohn Duay Gan โดนด้วยกัน
11. Gat Hoo กัดหู Bite the hear
12. Teep ถีบ Thrust with the Foot
13. Bid Khaen บิดแขน Twist the Arm
14. Bid Kha บิดขา Twist the leg
15. Grateup Nah กระทืบหน้า
16. Grateup Ok กระทืบอก
17. Yik Kho Hoi หยิกคอหอย Pinch the Trachea
18. Dohn Duay Saphok โดนด้วยสะโพก
(Note: not all the translations have been included in this article but are included in my work).
The Extinction of Muay Plam
There are no certain answers to why Muay Boran has been handed down until today, while there is no longer any trace of Muay Plam starting from the early 20th century. One possible answer is that Muay allowed fighters to acquire a rank during the fight in front of the king in 1909, while this did not happen with Wrestling. This hypothesis is reinforced if you also consider how Muay began to have permanent rings in which fighters from all over Thailand could clash, and Muay Plam didn't.
Muay Plam in the Muay Boran repertoire
Muay Plam has not completely disappeared but has been absorbed into Muay Boran, or perhaps it derives from it from the beginning, as Muay was born to supplement the use of weapons, and wrestling is fundamental to fighting with or against them as seen in the various ancient European manuscripts that survived to our days. When wrestling was allowed in Old British Boxing the techniques used were also found in the various folk wrestling arts of the countries, and sometimes the nomenclature was identical, so this might be the same case with Muay Boran and Muay Plam.
Nowadays some lines of Muay Boran like Muay Phraya Pichai, Siamyut, Muay Chaisawat, and Thaiyut have a rich wrestling repertoire, but the pioneer of Muay Boran's wrestling is Muay Chuea Chaiya, which includes the following principles;
Prakob (Adjoin); Grab above or near the target.
Prakab (Join); Hold the target in the middle of both hands.
Chap Rang (Grab and Hold)
Kao Kan Lang (Take the Back)
Hak Gaan Kho (Break the Nape)
Kod-Rad-Fad-Wiang (Hug-Bind-Sway-Hurl)
Tum-Tap-Chap-Hak (Throw-Crush-Grab-Break)
Lom-Lok-Kluk-Klan (Fall-Rise-Roll-Crawl)
Most of these principles were later adopted by other lines, and nowadays they are common knowledge and considered a classic area of Muay Boran, however, the oldest styles do not have them.
When studying the oldest preserved Muay Boran lines; Muay Chaiya, Muay Thasao, Muay Korat, and Muay Wong Luang, it is clear that Tum-Tap, Chap-Hak, and Chap-Bid are present, but they are not enclosed in these terms and are just part of a few techniques.
In the 18 wrestling techniques of Baeprien Muay Thai, there is only one technique to break the leg, one to break the arm, one to twist the leg, and one to twist the arm, and Prakab is the only principle featured in Muay Cheua Chaiya that appears in its repertoire.
The question that has been hunting experts is whether the current wrestling repertoire of Muay Boran comes from ancient Muay or if it was imported from foreign martial arts...
End of the Extract of "Muay Thai Boran Historically Accurate".
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The chapter continues in the book and you can find more information in this video:
sources:
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