The image of “Muay Thai” we now know is a version that has undergone several adaptations. For Muay Thai teachers or Muay Thai schools, Muay Thai still has a lot of charm that many people have yet to know about and should be presented to conserve its value and create greater economic value.
According to Professor Dr. Sunait Chutintaranond, Director of the Center for Multicultural Studies and Social Innovation, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University (MSSIC), “Nowadays, Muay Thai has adopted more and more universal rules and regulations, which means that the secrets, tricks, and techniques of each Muay Thai camp need to be cut down because they are against international rules. If we do not preserve and promote the original Muay Thai, the wisdom and identity of Muay Thai may be lost.” These are the concerns that led the center to initiate the research project and produce the documentary film “Muay Thai: Power & Spirit” and “Mud Sang (Knockout Punch): Reviving the History of Muay Thai in the World Arena.”
”Muay Thai is a powerful martial art and form of self-defense with a long history. It is one of the soft powers that reflects the Thai spirit in terms of endurance, bravery, and respect for opponents.” Prof. Dr. Sunait further explained.
“Mud Sang” is a 45-minute documentary film with subtitles in 7 languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Spanish, Russian and Arabic.
“We don’t want research to meet the needs of a specific group of people or to end up on the library’s bookshelf. Therefore, we present and disseminate research on Thai culture in the form of entertainment media, based on current trends and in line with the government’s “soft power” plan,” said Prof. Dr. Sunait, who also revealed that in addition to Muay Thai, the center also has “soft power” research in other areas, such as the research on “Pad Thai,” which will be presented in the form of a semi-documentary drama.
After its launch earlier this year, “Mud Sang” has been well-received. Many countries interested in Muay Thai have contacted us to request the film to be screened in their countries. In addition, there are plans to present “Mud Sang” at film festivals, the World Documentary Market, Thai embassies abroad, educational institutions abroad, Thai tourism agencies abroad, etc.
“Mud Sang” Power and Spirit of Ancient Muay Thai
In the documentary “Mud Sang,” what the audience saw was Muay Thai in a dimension that they “did not know.”
“What we presented was not Muay Thai that just featured boxing in various arenas, but we presented what we called “Power & Spirit” so that those interested could truly understand the spirit of Muay Thai,” said Prof. Dr. Sunait.
“We searched for information that people did not know about Muay Thai, the basic beliefs of Muay Thai, its historical background, cultural dimensions. These things are not well-known in the international arena.”
“Power” is a story about the art of Muay Thai in terms of fighting, Muay Thai schools, sparring, and master moves, techniques, and their importance.
“Muay Thai is not a show of boxing, but a boxing that involves real fighting at the level of blood and flesh. The charm of Muay Thai lies in the art of using weapons (the body) or Muay Thai techniques, which have many beautiful moves, such as the Lady Montho sitting on a pedestal, Hanuman Offering a Ring from the Ramayana, etc. Although the style is beautiful, it is heavy and violent. This is the highlight that in the past, foreign martial arts often requested for sparring with Muay Thai from time to time.”
The spirit of Muay Thai is a revival of the understanding of the Wai Khru ceremony, including the Muay Thai opera, so that those interested can perceive what the spirit or philosophy of Muay Thai is in the same way as other martial arts, such as sumo and judo.
“Muay Thai has characteristics that are different from other cultures. It has systematic development and practice. Adjusting the rules and etiquette to follow Western boxing has caused the important identity of Muay Thai, which is called the “Muay Thai opera,” to disappear. For example, Muay Thai used to fight with rope wrap on fighters’ hands, but then the practice evolved into gloves according to Western rules. Today, we don’t see ancient Thai boxing with rope hand-wrap anymore. The rope wrapping of each boxing camp also has its unique characteristic that indicates the boxing camp’s signature. For example, Korat boxing will wrap the ropes up to the elbows, while Chaiya boxing will wrap the ropes up to the wrists. This is the identity and value of ancient Muay Thai.”
In addition, Prof. Dr. Sunait said that Muay Thai is the only martial art that has a “Wai Khru ceremony,” which is a gesture of paying respects to one’s teachers. There are also traditions of the boxers’ clothing and amulets, such as Mongkhon, Pha Pra Chian, and music for fighting.
“The Wai Khru ceremony before a fight appears strange for foreigners. In addition, during the Wai Khru and throughout the fight, Muay Thai always has musical accompaniment. The sound of the musical instruments used in the Muay Thai ring has its own unique identity and also helps to make the fight more exciting.”
Development of Muay Thai: From Battlefields, Festivals to International Boxing Arenas
Muay Thai has long been a part of the culture and history of Thai society. In ancient times, Thai men learned Muay Thai for fighting and self-defense during wartime. When the country was not at war, those who trained in Muay Thai in various schools would spar against each other at various festivals.
Muay Thai is a martial art that the kings of Thailand in the past favored and supported. For example, during the reign of King Rama V, those with good physical stature and boxing skills were selected to be “Royal Boxers” under the Royal Guard Department (Boxers’ Department) to protect the king’s safety. In addition, during the reign of King Rama V, “Royal Boxing” was organized in various provinces to teach Muay Thai to those interested. At various royal festivals, boxing rings were set up to select top boxers from the provinces to fight.
The lords of each palace organized boxing matches. It can be said that wherever there was a music competition, there would be boxing matches as well. It was a demonstration of both wisdom and power. The abilities of each palace were evident to the general public,” said Prof. Dr. Sunait. “Later, the practice of boxing matches in front of the throne became popular. Therefore, boxing stadiums were built to provide a venue for boxing matches. The first boxing stadium in Thailand was Suankularb Boxing Stadium, which is considered the origin of Muay Thai in the present era.”
Joining forces with different boxing schools, preserving Muay Thai
The promotion of Muay Thai since the past has made ancient Muay Thai diverse, resulting in various boxing schools that still have successors today, such as Muay Chaiya, Muay Thung Yang (Muay Tha Sao) Uttaradit, Muay Korat, and Muay Lopburi.
“Preserving Muay Thai is difficult because Muay Thai does not have a fixed standard. We cannot say which boxing school is the prototype of Muay Thai. Each school has its own ideas and fighting styles, from boxing to three-step stances and tricks, which are not the same. Each school has its strengths.”
Preserving Muay Thai is not about merging all the boxing schools into one but about truly understanding diversity.
“We can collaborate with boxing teachers from various schools to jointly set the standards of Muay Thai today,” said Prof. Dr. Sunait.
“Becoming Buakaw” Lessons for Creating the Next Generation of Boxers
From “Mud Sang,” Prof. Dr. Sunait revealed the next research project, “Becoming Buakaw,” a research project that will decode the success of the prototype boxer, Lieutenant Sombat or Buakaw Banchamek.
“Many people see the birth of Buakaw as an “accident” that no one can ever replace our Buakaw. However, we believe that we can create quality boxers. We will extract the lessons of Mr. Buakaw to show what and how to produce boxers with all-around abilities who can stand on the world stage for a long time and become role models. What does Buakaw’s Wai Khru look like? How many branches and schools does Buakaw’s Muay Thai training involve? Did it involve ancient Muay Thai?” Prof. Dr. Sunait hopes that the documentary “Becoming Buakaw” will inspire future boxers and Thais to join in preserving the power and spirit of Muay Thai.
“Muay Thai is like other sports and martial arts. We can learn Muay Thai as a sport, not just to pursue a career as a boxer. We learn Muay Thai to strengthen our bodies, to have self-defense skills, and, most importantly, to understand our roots and culture, which creates pride. And if we study until we can become a boxing teacher, it will make us one of the people who will pass on Muay Thai to the next generation.”
Finally, Prof. Dr. Sunait emphasized that “Conservation means providing correct knowledge and understanding. Various agencies should play a role in conservation. For example, the Ministry of Culture, various educational institutions, and the government sector should support research, and the establishment of associations related to the conservation of ancient Muay Thai. At the same time, there must be a drive and transfer of knowledge, which in this case includes research and making documentaries so that the next generation can watch and understand the standards of the true Muay Thai of Thai people.”
Those interested in watching the documentary “MUAYTHAI: POWER & SPIRIT” and the research “Muay Sang: Revitalizing the History of Muay Thai on the World Stage” can contact the Center for Multiculturalism and Social Innovation, Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University, Tel. 0 2218 7412 or visit the website http://www.ias.chula.ac.th/contactus/
