MUAy THAI
THE TH E ART ARTOF THE
EIGHT LIMbS Developed or the battlefeld, the ancient art o Muay Thai fnds a home in modern MMA. by KELLy CRIGGER
“ K h a i M u a y k a p k u m m a k k u p ,” ,” Mark DellaGrotte DellaGrotte chan ts as he locks up his Muay Thai Academ y at the end of anoth er long day of training. As if if praying, he clasps his han ds together at his forehead forehead and bows, uttering uttering the Tha i ph ras rasee that m eans, “Than k you for all you have given given me.”
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nyone walking down Cutter Street in Som erville, Massachusetts, would probably regard DellaGrotte as a schizophrenic who talks back to the voices in his head. But this simple act of reverence reflects the deep respect that is at the core of Muay Thai, an ancient form of combat, and defines its unique relationship between the p hysical and the spiritual realms.
Th e Royal Bond “M uay Thai brought us our freedom,” says Master Toddy, who was born i n Thailand. “When Burma conquered Thailand (in 1767), there was a man named Nai Khanum Tom who impressed the Burmese King with his Muay Thai skills. So the Burmese King asked him, ‘What is it you want?’ And Tom said, ‘I want my country to be free.’ So the Burmese King said, “Defeat ten of my best fighters and I will set Thailand free.’ Nai Khanum Tom defeated all ten, one after the other, and the Burmese King stayed true to his word. That is why Muay Thai is so sacred in my country.” The tale is not a tall one, and it’s actually mandatory learning for every schoolkid in the kingdom today. Unfortunately, it’s one of the few tangible examples of Muay Thai in the country’s history, since the kingdom’s archives were lost when the Burmese sacked the ancient Thai capital of Ayutthaya in 1767. What is known is that M uay Thai was developed for th e Thai warrior in an era when only handheld weapons were available, and when a soldier was often left on the battlefield with onl y his hands to fight with . As such, M uay Thai is not a style developed in a non-combat environment, like Jigoro Kano’s Judo or the Gracie family’s Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. It was developed and refined as a practical combat system on the battlefields of Southeast Asia over several centuries, and it still commands a deep respect among modern-day warriors. When Thai soldiers had to develop a way to knock their Burmese enemies off the backs of charging buffalo, they developed the flying knee that’s still a devastating weapon i n today’s Muay Thai rings and MMA cages. We know that from 1350 to 1921 Muay Thai was mandatory training for all soldiers. It was also the pastime of the country’s kings, who each put his personal stamp on the sport as it was passed down 84
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M ark Dellagrotte continues an ancient tradition at Sityodtong in Boston.
through the dynasties. Before Nai Khanum Tom, King Naresuan the Great used Muay Thai to defeat Burmese boxers and gain his country’s independence in the sixteenth century. King Sanpet VIII had a habit of disguising himself to compete in local Muay Thai boxing tournaments, an activity considered taboo because Thai kings were not permitted to mingle with commoners. King Rama I held boxing tournaments on his palace grounds and selected the best M uay Thai fighters to join his personal guard. During this period, the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, a tale emerged of two Frenchmen who came to Thailand to challenge the best Muay Thai boxers the country had to offer. King Rama l chose his best man, M uen Phlan, who defeated both Frenchmen in succession despite be-
ing smaller in size . The French should have learned from this event and stayed out of Indochina! By the nineteenth century the sport was growing in popularity, and was about to experience its golden age. King Rama V established a professional boxing camp and encouraged his nobility to do the same, promulgating the sport nationally. Not to be outdone by his dad, King Rama VI went a step further by constructing large arenas; allowing commoners to run their own boxing camps, rings, and competitions; and establishing rules and regulations, such as the use of gloves and groin protectors. (Until 1928 the hands were bare or wrapped in hemp, and strikes to the genitals were legal. Thank God for progress!) King Rama VI’s patronage and the expansion of modern transportation
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“ The spirits of a fi gh ter’s an cestors are em bo died in th e head ,” Master Todd y says. “ That’s why we wear the m ongkol on the h ead and why boxers in Thailand d on’t let wom en touch th eir head s”
caused Muay Thai camps to spring up like a contagion throughout the land, and within a generation the sport transitioned from a military skill and the sport of nobility to a saving grace for street urchins. Enter the religious right.
Purifi cation Through Pain Buddhist monks advocate peace, but their history is littered with violent periods. It’s not surprising when you consider the fact that most conflicts around the world are centered on religion, but Buddhism in particular is inseparable from violence and the martial arts. M odern Buddhism believes in purifying the soul through meditation. I n previous centuries, however, physical exertion was the way to spiritual enlightenment. Like farming, Muay
Thai was a natural fit for the Buddhist way of life, so temples contributed to the development of the sport as a means of helping others. “The temple in my village would put on M uay Thai fights so the kids could make money,” Master Toddy says. “It was their way of helping the kids to survive, and keeping them from becoming little thieves or things like this. That’s where I started fighting, when I was six years old.” Children’s full-contact fighting would have set off a firestorm of moral and ethical controversy in western countries, but it’s one of the few survival options available to a poor, rural society like Thailand’s. The connection between compassionate monks and hungry kids is a relationship that’s unique to Muay Thai, and that is where the bond between the physical and spiritual worlds were often formed. But not everyone is impressed with the purported link between the two. “M uay Thai is practically male prostitution because it’s only for the poorest sector of society,” says Erich Krauss, an American M uay Thai fighter and author of Muay Thai Unleashed . “It’s basically survival for them because it’s their only alternative.” Master Toddy echoes Krauss’ sentiment. “In Thailand the upper class does not let their kids do Muay Thai,” Toddy says. “It’s for poor kids because it’s one of the only ways they can make money. So kids become professional fighters at just six years old, because they don’t make money unless they turn pro. Upper class children don’t have to do that.” Their situation is not unlike that of the inner-city boxing gyms in America, but the two cultures are polar opposites in temperament. Muay Thai fighters are bereft of “attitude” and don’t like to admit what they do for a living, while young American boxers prefer the Muhammad Al i style of machismo and braggadocio. In that regard, boxing could probably benefit from a dose of Buddhism. The Buddhist influence on M uay Thai runs deeper than its use as a philanthropic outlet. Going back to the earliest days of border warfare, there is evidence that monks blessed Thai warriors before
a battle, a practice that carried over into the ring with a prayer for the combatants’ safety and a call upon their ancestors to be with them in the arena. Buddhism believes in reincarnation and the ability of bygone people to have a spiritual presence in the physical world. “The spirits of a fighter’s ancestors are embodied in the head,” M aster Toddy says. “That’s why we wear the mongkol on the head and why boxers in Thailand don’t let women touch their h eads. I t’s also why they jump over the top ring rope, because if they go through the ropes their heads might touch it and they’ll lose their power.” Tattoos are another part of the Muay Thai mystique. W hile tattoos are decorative art forms in the west, Thais believe they can actually protect the fighter from being cut in the ring. But the granddaddy of all Muay Thai rituals is a dance called the Wai Khru Ram M uay, which is performed by each contestant before the fight. It’s a carefully choreographed set of movements that pays respect to the fighter’s ancestors, teachers, and camp, and demonstrates his abilities regarding balance and control. Kneeling as a sign of respect to God and Buddha and a prayer for the safety of the fighters are key components of the Wai Khru Ram M uay. That belief in h igher powers accompanied by a need to appease them may seem like pagan worship to westerners, but it sets Muay Thai apart as the most ritualistic martial art in the world. Unless you consider Sumo a viable martial art.
A Rite of Passage “Back in the day, you didn’t learn martial arts because you paid a guy,” M ark DellaGrotte laments. “You learned it because a master accepted you into his dojo. Now anyone with a check and a pen can join a gym.” After thirteen years of working his way up through the M uay Thai hierarchy and being named the official conservator of th e art in the United States, DellaGrotte knows the process. M uay Thai clings to the traditional way of passing itself down: by selecting its future gatekeepers through a merit system based on commitment and passion for the art…and by keeping the FIGHTMAGAZINE.COM |
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going off or they’re mumbling to each other. Half the crowd will sing along, but it’s not the same.” DellaGrotte has achieved what’s available to all, but attained by so few. Many martial arts refrain from allowing insiders get too close to their inner secrets. Anyone who’s studied the arts knows the famous tale of Bruce Lee’s fight with his fellow Chinese teachers over sharing the secrets of Kung Fu with Americans. Lee won his battle to teach, but several art forms still remain closed to the unwelcome. M uay Thai is on the opposite end of the spectrum: Thais are generally happy to throw their doors open and teach their art to anyone who wants to learn. But the faint of heart need not apply because, in general, Thai people have no tolerance for farang (westerners) who just want to go through the moves and strike without passion. “They look for the guy who just wants to have an adventure,” says DellaGrotte. “Any white guys who go to Thailand and don’t show heart and dedication get tossed over to the heavy bags right away and never get the attention they want. As long as you show a sincere appreciation for the sport and give it your all, you’ll get all they have to offer.”
// PHOTO by SUSUMU NAGAO
“ D ra g g in g y o u r o p p o n e n t d o w n w h i le b r i n g i n g t h e k n e e u p c a n d e l i v er u p t o t w o a n d a h a l f t on s of f or ce” camp clean. “When I was a boy there was a gym in my village,” M aster Toddy says of his childhood in Prakanow, Thailand. “I was four years old and I would watch th e fighters train through the fence every day. After a year the Kru (master trainer, like a sensei) finally invited me in to help train their fighters. They wanted to work on defense and asked me to throw strikes at their champion… and sweep the floor of course,” h e says, laughing. Rites of passage are nothing new. They’re a facet of most collective organizations, from the Freemasons to fraternity houses. But being accepted into Muay Thai is something that stays with each individual and instills a code of respect for the art’s elders. It’s not a tangible system of recognition, like belts, but it’s 86
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the unspoken hierarchy of respect that gives Muay Thai a mystical appeal seldom found in modern martial arts. “In MMA today everyone is like, ‘Wh at’s up bro,’” D ellaGrotte says. “But in Muay Thai we all wai (the traditional gesture of holding both hands to the head) and bow to show respect to those who have earned it.” It’s all about pride in something that you’ve worked hard to achieve and which has given so much back to you in return. National pride in M uay Thai runs deep, which is understandable when you consider that it’s credited with saving their country. “At boxing matches you can hear a pin drop during the national anthem,” DellaGrotte says. “Try that at a baseball game in the States. Every Joe has his cell phone
Muay Thai in MMA
And what they have to offer is significant. Muay Thai is not restricted, like western boxing, which only has two striking points, or kickboxing, which only has four. M uay Thai earned its moniker as “The Art of Eight Limbs” because it uses eight striking points—two hands, two feet, two knees, and two elbows —to deliver crushing blows that can cause immense damage and frequently break the skin. The evolution of Muay Thai was influenced by the hot climate of Southeast Asia, where the indigenous people don’t wear heavy clothing that restricts their movements. This allowed the art to develop strikes that are efficient and natural. Compare that to the stiffer movements and rigid forms of those martial arts designed for a combatant wearing a gi or body armor. “It’s simple and effective,” says DellaGrotte, who spent years studying various martial arts before settling into a life of M uay Thai. “M M A has proven i t. Wi th M M A, we get to see what works and what doesn’t. I came from a Jeet Kune Do background, which weeded out the nonessentials, and Muay Thai has the same
MUAy THAI
philosophy. It’s an art that uses what works and ignores what doesn’t, so it’s very efficient. It’s easy to teach, it’s easy to learn, and it’s effective, not just in MMA, but i n combat and in self defense. It’s a very complete art.” The History Channel delved into the science of M uay Thai in its Human Weapon series to discover what makes Muay Thai strikes so effective. They foun d that a Muay Thai kick generates roughl y the same amount of force as a baseball bat because of the rotation of the hips. “It’s the same principle that cracks a whip,” according to the program. “Turning the hips just a few degrees forces the foot to travel a much greater distance, and creates a lot of speed as it does. Un li ke Karate fighters , Muay Thai fighters are taught to strike with the hard bone of the shin.” Almost all martial arts use hands and feet, which makes elbows and knees uni que to Muay Thai. “H uman bones can resist forty ti mes more stress than concrete,” points out the narration in “Human Weapon.” “And unlike most strikes, which land with some combination of flesh and bone, the elbow strike is almost pure bone. All the force is magnified by being concentrated in a small, hard area. Even if the elbow does not deliver a knockout, it will almost always leave a nasty cut.” Examples of this in modern MM A abound. Kenny Florian’s elbow to Sean Sherk’s temple at UFC 64 and BJ Penn’s elbow strike to Joe Stevenson’s forehead at UFC 80 are among the bloodiest fights in the sport. “You can punch a hundred ways, and there will always be that danger of breaking your hand when you do,” says DellaGrotte. “But if you hit something with your elbow, you’re going to break what you’re hitting .” The knee is also a Muay Thai specialty that derives its power from leverage. “Dragging your opponent down while bringing the knee up can deliver up to two and a half tons of force,” continues the narration of “Human Weapon.” “The flying knee concentrates all the power of the body into the spear point of the knee and combines it with gravity. It’s the equivalent of hitting our opponent in the chest with a sledgehammer.”
The Champion
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muay Boran
The original orm o Muay Thai. Also reerr ed to as Muay Chao Chur. muay Kaad ChueK
The old orm o wrapping the hands and fngers in unrefned hemp to protect them. It’s rumored that two fghter s could agree beorehand to dip their hands in glue and crushed glass. Today an annual Muay Kaad Chuek estival is held on Thailand’s border with Laos in which fghters go at it until one is knocked out. mae mai muay Thai
The mastery techniques are not allowed in sporting competitions because they’re lethal (and too slow or today’s proessional fghters), but they’re kept as a tradition. muay Lang
The power style or Mike Tyson style o swinging or the ences. Emphasizes powerul shots over technical prowess. Muay Lang is also used as a ter m or royal bodyguards in Thailand. muay ChaLaT
Intelligent style or Felix Trinidad style. Someone who’s reerred to as a Muay Chalat is said to have good eyes and good technique. The strikes are not that powerul, so this orm is used more by the older Muay Thai fghters. Muay Chalat uses timing to deeat brute orce with the least amount o eort possible. muay PLum
Maybe that’s what An derson Silva should change his nickname to. “The Spider” was raised on Muay Thai competiti ons, and regards Muay Thai as a critical component of his skills. “When I was growing up I fell in love with the breadth of the discipline, how you could string the various techniques together to form complex combinations,” Silva says. Known for his formidable Muay Thai striking, it’s his clinch that he credits with winning the most important fight of his life, when he downed former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin. “What allowed me to domin ate that fight was the Muay Thai clinch,” Silva says. “Where I trained, in Curitiba, developing a strong M uay Thai clin ch is a long tradition. All the professors have spent years mastering it. I spent a good portion of my training on this position alone and even worked on new techniques with it to make it more applicable to MM A. I knew that every time a Jiu-Jitsu practitioner or wrestler goes for a takedown he has to drop his head, so I learned to defend takedowns using the clinch. It was the one thing Rich Franklin didn’t expect. When I tied up with hi m in the clin ch I felt considerably stronger. I used that to my advantage.” Always the student, Silva took the extraordinary step of adapting a Muay Thai strike from a movie to a professional fight. After seeing Muay Boran legend Tony Jaa execute a reverse back elbow i n the movie Ong Bac , Silva practiced the move with his wife, standing on his couch holding pillows. Despite his trainers’ telling him it would never work, he threw it at Tony Fryklund at Cage Rage 16, and added an incredible KO to his highlight reel. It is probably the best illustration of how efficient even th e most unorthodox M uay Thai strike can be. For anyone who loves big knockouts (and who doesn’t), the strike was jaw droppi ng. M uay Thai is probably the one style that most accurately resembles a street fight, whi ch Americans, and MMA fans in general, appreciate. That’s the least we can do for a martial art that has given us so much. 88
The Various Forms oF muay Thai
Muay Thai has been called many thin gs, and in fact it was called Krabi-Kabong long before it became Muay Thai. Geographic disparities and stylistic differences have created a plethora of nam es that are hard to keep track of and are always disputed:
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Wrestling style. Emphasizes the use o body weight and control in the clinch to throw the opponent beore str iking. muay sangha
Includes attuning the fghter’s energies to his nature and chanting to open the chakras o the body. muay Ba
Crazy style. Just go or it and see what happens. muay Chaiya, muay KoraT, muay Pra naKorn,
Ta sao, muay LoPBuri
All regional styles developed in the fteenth and sixte enth centuries. muay Bando
Burmese boxing. Muay Bando still uses the head butt, groin strikes, and kicks to the head when you’re on the ground. The Wai Khru Ram Muay is also di erent. It’s a Burmese dance that is not done until t he fght is over. muay Khmer
Cambodian boxing. Some claim that Muay Thai actually originated in Cambodia, and fgures o men fghting are indeed carved into the walls o ancient Cambodian temples. While there may be some merit to this theory, it’s undisputable that the art was developed and refned in Thailand and so is justifably called Muay Thai. To put it into perspective, Jiu-Jitsu was frst developed in Japan, but it spread to Brazil, where it morphed into Brazilian JiuJitsu. Ater that it was always called BJJ, not JJJ.
