Muaythai is the cultural martial art of Thailand; richly entrenched in Buddhist beliefs and tracing its history over the past 500 years. Thailand I’ve come to find, is a country of extreme contrasts. Yes it’s true every culture isn't without its contradictions but I’ve found many things in opposition here to be uniquely Thai. There's a cultural appreciation for being calmly detached and non-confrontational that’s rooted in the Theravada Buddhism that 95% of the people follow. A socially valued sense of serenity on one hand and the massively popular and brutal Muaythai on the other, where a match often ends with someone carried out on a stretcher.
Muaythai, which began as the form of close-quarter combat for soldiers in the ancient Siamese kingdoms, uses the whole body to mimic the weapons of war. It is known as the "Art of 8 Limbs,” 2 fists, 2 feet, 2 knees, and 2 elbows. Hands function as swords; shins and forearms become shields; elbows are used like hammers; legs and knees like staffs. Watching a Thai fight you can see this as fists and knees search for an opening with disciplined control and powerful blows are absorbed with little indication of pain.
A match begins with hypnotizing traditional Thai Sarama music, which starts slow during the "Wai Krhu Ram Muay” ritual dance to honor its seriousness. Here the fighters pay respect to their trainers, their ancestors, and to each other but also to warm up, show their skills, and excite the crowd. It’s completed by each circling the ring three times, touching each corner and saying a prayer to seal and consecrate the space. During the fight the Sarama music gets more frenetic, increasing in tempo to encourage them to fight harder. The music combined with the intensity of the crowd and the brutality of the fight creates an atmosphere here that is electrifying in a way unlike anything else.
