An Introduction to the Sport of Muay Thai

The sport of Muay Thai has been played from the ancient times, however, it was not that much popular as it at the present time. It is the national sport of Thailand and before going further you need to know what is all about. It is a combat sport that allows the use of different stand-up striking and clinching techniques. The sport is also known with the name of Thai Kickboxing. The participants in this sport make use of fists, elbows, knees and shins and that's why it is known as “the Art of Eight Limbs”.

This sport was developed as a method of combat by Thai people because the country has historical conflicts with Burma (now Myanmar). This sport's first use was described in King Ramkamheng's Book of War Learning. One of the country's renowned leaders named King Nareusan used this art to defeat top Burmese boxers and release himself from them. The present day sport gained popularity in the twentieth century after the practitioners of this sport defeated notable practitioners of other combat sports. At the present, this sport has been played in several parts of the world and all the competitions related to Muay Thai, whether in Thailand or anywhere else are governed by the World Muay Thai Council (WMC).

If you are an enthusiast of Muay Thai and want to learn it, then all you have to do is join a training school. Also, this sport has specialized equipment like other combat sports, which includes gloves, shorts, shin guards, hand wraps, knee and elbow pads and mouth guard. These are just the much needed equipment and without these you can't take part in the competition. Your selection of the equipment is an important decision because the fate of your success is quite dependent on your selection of equipment. So it is advised to spend some good time to buy Muay Thai gear. At least visit four to five stores in your area so that you can have an idea about the prices of different Muay Thai products.

However, if you still find it difficult to select the best Muay Thai equipment for yourself, then there is no need to worry. You can take help of your coach, who is the best person to give you some advice on this because he/she knows your strengths and weaknesses very well. You can take your coach along with you when shopping for the much needed equipment or in case he/she is not able to go with you, then always follow your coach's advice.