Things You Should Know About Muay Thai How can martial arts help?
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Muay Thai is a combat sport that originated in Thailand. It makes use of stand-up striking along with different clinching techniques. It pairs both physical and mental discipline and it often referred to as the art of eight limbs because its combat styles uses the fists, elbows, knees, shins, and feet.
History of Muay Thai Unlike other combat sports that are developed in non-combat environments like Judo or Jiu-jitsu, Muay Thai has been developed in refined on the battlefields of Southeast Asia. The flying knee, a technique that is still used by Muay Thai practitioners today, was used by Thai soldiers in the past to knock off Burmese enemies who rode on the backs of a charging buffalo. For many centuries, Muay Thai was a mandatory training for all Thai soldiers. Today, Muay Thai is seen as a sport and for self-defense. Muay Thai contests have become an integral part of local festivals and celebrations. It is also recognized as a very effective striking base within the mixed martial arts community and is widely practiced around the world. The growing popularity of MMA has resulted to the growth in number of Muay Thai gym Thailand and in other parts of the world.
Characteristics of Muay Thai This combat style uses all eight limbs – shins, elbows, knees, and hands to strike opponents. One of the many things that sets Muay Thai apart from other combat styles is the use of various clinching techniques. This martial art has several variants of clinch or chap kho, Page 2
including arm, side, and low clinches. Another popular clinching technique is the swan neck where one hand is placed around the rear of the neck to briefly clinch an opponent before a strike. Another unique feature is the consistent and effective use of elbow strikes. Because of the power involved in Muay Thai techniques, some say that practitioners do not often block strikes like in other martial arts. Although blocking is still a critical element in Muay Thai, fighters often prefer to evade attacks by stepping out of range, pre-empting an attack using disruptive techniques like a jab or leg lick, or redirecting a strike so that it misses them. If you are interested in learning this mental and physical discipline, find Muay Thai training in Thailand here.
Goal of Muay Thai Outside competitions, the goal of Muay Thai is to defend against an attacker as quickly and as effectively aas possible. In the ring, a Muay Thai fighter’s goal is to win the fight by either a knockout or by way of decision.
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