Muay Boran
มวยโบราณA collective term for Thai boxing before the sports reform of the twenties and thirties of the 20th century. Today mainly an exhibition art with Chaiya, Korat and Lopburi styles.
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Training
Who It Suits
Organisation & Competition
What the style is built from
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About Muay Boran
Muay boran (in Thai “old boxing”) is an umbrella term for Thai unarmed fighting in the form it had before modern equipment and rules were introduced in the twenties and thirties of the 20th century. It was originally called toi muay. The term itself has been in common use only recently, it was formalised at the end of the 20th century, and its spread is attributed to grandmaster Khetr Sriyaphai of Muay Chaiya.
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Under Rama VII (1925–1935) came referees, timed rounds, gloves and the ring (the first Thai ring was created in 1921 at Suan Kulap), and many older techniques were banned. Fighters earlier wrapped their hands and forearms in hemp rope (khat chueak). We have not been able to document the claim that muay boran developed in the 13th century for the military. The regional styles were codified after 1910, when three fighters from Lopburi, Khorat and Chaiya received the noble title muen at a prince’s funeral. Muay Chaiya from the south works from a low stance with a raised triangular guard and also knows throws, grabs and joint locks, Muay Korat from the northeast strong wide strikes from a distance, Muay Lopburi speed and footwork, and the newer Muay Thasao defence with a quick change of stance. Today muay boran is mainly an exhibition art. The Kru Muaythai Association (2003) governs it together with Muay Thai and runs a common system of 19 Khan grades, and the World Muay Boran Federation held the 1st World Championship in 2014 in Ayutthaya. The films of Tony Jaa, above all Ong-Bak (2003), contributed to its popularity.
History
Muay boran (Thai for "old boxing") is a modern collective term for Thai unarmed fighting from the time before modern equipment and rules were introduced, not a separate school with its own curriculum. The period name was toi muay. The term muay boran has come into common use only recently, was formalized in the late 20th century, and its spread is attributed to Grandmaster Khetr Sriyaphai of Muay Chaiya. In 1910, fighters from the provinces faced one another at the funeral of Prince Urubongse Rajasombhoj. Three of them, from Lopburi, Khorat and Chaiya, received the noble title muen, and their styles later became codified regional styles. According to the Thai embassy, Suan Kulap became a permanent venue for bouts in 1920, during the reign of Rama VI. Under Rama VII (1925–1935) referees, timed rounds and gloves were added and many traditional techniques were banned. The name muay boran then took hold for the older form.
How it differs
The IFMA federation describes muay boran as an umbrella term for close combat and self-defense in muaythai and lists five disciplines distinguished by stance and technique: Muay Chaiya, Muay Korat, Muay Lopburi, Muay Thasao and Muay Pala Sueksa. The Thai Consulate General in Shanghai classifies them by region: Lopburi from the center of the country, Korat from the northeast, Chaiya from the south and the later Thasao from the north. According to the consulate, muay boran differs from modern Muay Thai in having no weight categories and no prohibitions, whereas Muay Thai is fought over five three-minute rounds and bans strikes to the groin and lethal techniques. Muay Thai uses a narrower stance with the hands by the face, muay boran a lower and wider stance with the fists on the center line. Muay Thai is called the art of eight limbs, and muay boran, according to the same source, adds the head as a ninth. Instead of gloves, fighters fought with their hands wrapped in rope (kard chuek). According to Britannica, the modern form with a ring and a time limit was restored in the nineteen-thirties under rules derived from the Queensberry rules.
Technique
The technique of muay boran differs by regional style. IFMA names Muay Chaiya, Muay Korat, Muay Lopburi, Muay Thasao and Muay Pala Sueksa (Panakorn), which differ in stance and technique. Muay Chaiya from the Chaiya district in Surat Thani province works from a low stance with a raised triangular guard at an angle of 45 degrees, changes the position of the feet with the yang sam khum step, and knows throws, pinning, grabs and breaking techniques. It also reckons with a heavier opponent, but attacks are not decisive and require counterattacks. Muay Korat from Nakhon Ratchasima uses strong wide strikes from a distance, straight strikes up close and a neck hold for a series of strikes. Muay Lopburi emphasises speed, agility and footwork. The newer Muay Thasao rests on defence with a quick change of stance and protection against kicks to the legs.
Training
According to a Thai youth encyclopedia cited by the Thai Consulate General in Shanghai, muay boran technique is divided into basic Mae Mai techniques and advanced Look Mai techniques, 15 in each group. The lists differ by style, however. Most are counterattacks, for example Hak Nguang Aiyara, breaking the elephant's trunk. Teacher training is run by the Kru Muaythai Association. The Khan 11 course for assistant trainers lasts 10 days and requires at least two years of Muay Thai training, and it covers stance, footwork, strikes, defenses, pad work and warm-ups. The Khan 12 course for teachers (kru) also lasts 10 days, includes rituals such as wai khru, muay boran techniques from basic to advanced and teaching methodology, and a graduate may examine students two Khan levels below. Before a bout, wai khru ram muay is performed. The mongkol headband and the pra jiad armband belong to the ritual attire, and a fighter must earn the mongkol. We have not been able to confirm the structure of a typical lesson.
Ranks and progression
The Kru Muaythai Association, registered on 9 May 2003 with the Thai Office of the National Culture Commission, describes itself as the governing body of Muay Thai and muay boran as a cultural martial art. It runs a system of 19 Khan grades, common to both forms. Grades 1 to 10 are for students (Khan 10 corresponds to a black belt) and, according to the Kru Muaythai Association, are based on the curriculum of the World Muay Boran Federation, and grades 11 to 19 belong to teachers and masters. Khan grades are the system of a single organisation, and we have not found any other unified system for muay boran. We have not been able to document the details of the curriculum, the minimum times between grades or the age of a first examination.
Competition
IFMA lists Muay Boran / Mae Mai Muaythai among its disciplines as an umbrella term for unarmed fighting. According to IFMA, competition today is either in demonstrations with very little contact or in full contact, and Mae Mai Muaythai is a full medal discipline of the World Championships. IFMA does not give the rules or scoring in its description of the disciplines. Every year IFMA holds a Muay Boran championship as a team competition in which two athletes perform self-defence sequences. At the 2018 youth world championships, competition was held for under 14 and over 14, and the Czech Republic won the under-14 category. In 2019, IFMA judges assessed quality, precision, the inclusion of basic skills and difficult elements for both boys and girls. The World Muay Boran Federation, founded in 2013 in Bali, held the 1st World Championship in muay boran in Ayutthaya in March 2014. We have not found its rules.
Gear
Fighters wrapped their hands and forearms in hemp rope (khat chueak), which protected the fists and increased the chance of cutting the opponent open. After a death in the ring, fighters had to wear gloves and cotton covers on the feet and ankles, but the rope wrapping continued in bouts between Thais. Bouts with ropes are held today under the name kard chuek, the rope reaches from the knuckles to the elbows and replaces 10 oz gloves. We have not found a regulation of equipment for today’s muay boran demonstrations.
Philosophy
Before a bout, wai khru ram muay is performed, a ritual of respect for the teacher. Wai khru developed from the earlier practice of seeking the blessing of monks before battle, and the ram muay movements are based on the figure of Hanuman. The ritual survived the transition into sport Muay Thai and is a shared heritage of both forms. The IFMA rules (V2.01) require wai kru in a bout with the mongkhon headband and the pra jiad armband, for seniors at most 2 minutes and for youth 1 minute. Wai Kru and Mai Muay have been medal disciplines under IFMA since 2016, but they are disciplines of Muay Thai, not a competition in muay boran.
Today
Today muay boran is performed mainly as an exhibition art. Fighters who excelled were formerly placed in the royal guard, and we have not found present-day professional use. The 1st World Championship of the World Muay Boran Federation took place in 2014 in Ayutthaya in front of the statue of Nai Khanom Tom, together with the 10th World Wai Kru Muaythai Day. Researchers regard the story of Nai Khanom Tom from 1767 as more mythological than historical. The films of Tony Jaa contributed to the popularity of muay boran. With the choreographer Panna Rittikrai he practised muay boran for four years for a planned film, from which Ong-Bak (2003) emerged. In 2005 together they developed the Muay Kotchasaan style.
Did you know
According to the Thai consulate, the name muay boran is a newly coined term for techniques from the time before Muay Thai was codified as a national sport in 1930. Many historical documents were destroyed during the Burmese-Siamese wars of 1765 to 1767. According to a tradition cited by the consulate, Nai Khanomtom defeated ten Burmese fighters in a row in Rangoon in 1774, but this is a legend and other accounts place it in 1767. In a 2014 study in the journal SOJOURN, Peter Vail states that advocates of traditional muay thai build a tradition out of a small set of historical references. The hands were wrapped with hemp fibers, and, according to the Thai embassy, the bound fists were dipped in liquid to harden them. The groin guard krachap began to be worn in 1929 after a Thai boxer saw one in Singapore. Rare techniques include Ruesee Mud Sra, a jump with a head strike to the belly.
Styles & Branches
A form of Thai fighting in which fighters wrapped their hands instead of wearing gloves. According to Green, wrapped hands were used until 1929.
Thai grappling. Green lists thaiplum as a separate Siamese art, and websites today use the name for the muay thai clinch and the muay boran curriculum.
Frequently asked questions
What is muay boran?
According to the IFMA, muay boran is an umbrella term for close combat and self-defense in muaythai. The Thai consulate in Shanghai states that it is a newly coined name for techniques from before Muay Thai was codified as a national sport in 1930.
What is the difference between muay boran and muay thai?
Muay boran has no weight categories or prohibitions, is fought from a lower and wider stance, and with hands wrapped in rope instead of gloves. Modern Muay Thai emerged in the 1930s with a ring, a time limit and rules modeled on the Queensberry rules.
What is kard chuek?
Kard chuek is fighting with hands wrapped in rope instead of gloves, with the rope reaching from the knuckles to the elbows. According to the IFMA, people now compete either in demonstrations with light contact or in full contact.
Similar styles
Selected by overlap in the style profile, not by historical lineage.