Muay thai history - The true history of muay thai

Muay Thai history

The tradition of dance or Wai Khru is a fundamental part of the history of muay thai and has been practiced through past generations but has become even more popular today.
Thais have always had a lot of respect for their masters, whatever discipline they have learned and practiced.
The Muay Thai or Wai Kru dance ceremony is a demonstration of one's respect and gratitude for the master who passed on his knowledge to him.
Novices are initiated in this way for the teacher to place them in his own class.

The Yok Khru

The history of muay thai teaches that each teacher has his own different style of Yok Kruu, a ceremony for which novices offer gifts to their teacher.
Usually the offering consists of incense and candles.
Money or other items can only be donated according to the needs of your teacher.
When the novices have obtained all the necessary material, they go to visit their master.
The master accepts their offers and introduces them to the fighting methods starting with teaching them the fundamental movements of Wai Kruu: the Thep Panom position, the Prom Si Na position (the four faces) and the Yang Sam Khum position (the movement of the three steps).

The master will show them all these thanksgiving movements and the novices will imitate him.
He will teach him powerful muay thai kicks and how to properly practice thai boxing techniques .
They will pit them against other fighters through sparring sessions until they become fluid in their movements.
When your students finally have learned the most hidden muay thai techniques and will be able to practice them, the Wai Kruu ceremony can begin.

According to the history of muay thai, the style and execution time of Wai Kruu depends on how the teacher teaches it, but the basic concept always remains the same: to pay homage and respect to one's teacher, as when gifts are brought.

Luang Visal Darunkorn (An Sarikbutr), the first physical education master, a pupil of Pra Chaichoke Chokchana, a very famous Thai boxing master in Bangkok during the reign of King Rama V, said: "The origin of Thai boxing cannot be traced back of one origin. In ancient times Narayana was the absolute leader of the demons, cause of chaos on earth. Every person who practiced boxing or used any other weapon had the purpose of oppressing every other person to ruin peace and happiness. muay thai practice and training cannot be used for improper goals. "

(Generally, novices who want to be initiated into the discipline of Thai boxing must bring flowers, incense, candles, towels and jugs of water for initiation. To begin the Thai boxer must carry 6 coins, 6 coins of 25 Satang. , 6 white dresses, flowers, incense, candles for Yok Kru.)

The history of muay thai teaches that anyone who wants to learn Thai boxing must offer flowers, incense and candles to pay homage and respect to their teacher and Narayana.
If there are many pupils who want to become novices, it is necessary to organize a large offering with meat and other food.
When everything is ready, the master grabs the Thai boxing gloves or the cotton ropes and raises his fists above his head.
Then the initiated person bows in front of their master three times and stretches out their arms to receive the Thai boxing gloves or mongkol.

Both the novice's and the teacher's hands must touch the gloves at the same time, a gesture that symbolizes the passage of one's knowledge from the pupil to the teacher.
When the teacher leaves the gloves, the student must accept the Thai boxing equipment and raise it above his head as a sign of respect towards Ramayana.
This gesture must be done standing.
The novice then has to bow three times.
According to an ancient Muay Thai story, the master must recite this wish:

"Sisshi Kijang, Siddhi Kammang, Siddhi Techo, Chayo Nijang, Chaya Siddhi Pawantute"
"Siddhi Kijang, Siddhi Kammang, Siddhi Kala, Ta Tha Ka To,
Or Siddhi Techo, Chaiyo Nijang, Siddhi Kammong, Prasit Mae."

If during the ceremony there was the head of a duck or a hen, the master should cut it off and offer it to his novice saying:

"This is Narayana's gift to all his novices, so that they can be stronger and braver."

The novice gives another sign of respect to his master and eats a slice of meat. If whiskey is part of the offer, it must be drunk.
Once these ceremonies took place on Thursday, the day decided to celebrate Muay Thai .

The same procedure was always followed for the annual Wai Khru ceremony.
The offerings consisted of food such as meat, sweets and fruit.
If fruit was offered, it had to be peeled and left open.
The incenses had to be lit to indicate the start of the offerings.
There was supposed to be a bottle of clear water in the center.
At the beginning of the prayer a candle was lit and at the conclusion of the ceremony, the eldest master said,
"These offerings are given to us by God to bring prosperity. And this pure water is to be used to purify one's body and keep away from the dangers. "

The muay thai novices ate the offering and drank the pure water they brought. After the initiation ceremony, a statue of the Buddha was placed in the center of the offerings.
The novices respected him with a dance whose movements are called "Ram Tawai Tua".
Sometimes it can happen that they pretend to fight each other with percussion music in the background.
Their Thai boxing masters can give them objects as a gesture of support to make them more confident in themselves.
The moment when you put on the cotton strings is accompanied by the following prayer:

"Na Yan Bot Songkram (Na the war region)
Ma Tud tam Satru (Ma follows enemies)
Bud Tor Su Pai Rin (Bud defeats the dark forces)
Dha Prab Sin Poi Krai (Dha conquers all enemy forces) Ya Chok Chai Chana (Ya glorious winner) "

The oath ceremony

The swearing-in ceremony is a fundamental part of muay thai history for any novice.
Any Thai boxer who thinks he is contravening this oath would cause a great offense to the Thai boxing master who has given himself to him in teaching.
The master has the obligation to teach all the techniques of muay thai and his student must swear that:
"1. He will look at himself in order to be pure, strong and honest.
2. He will not bother the weakest. He will be with them. , united and will help each other whenever possible.
3. He will do good deeds towards others and be loyal to the nation.
4. He will avoid any possible confrontation without reason. "
There is an ancient saying that says:

"Anyone who does not act in accordance with his oath must be banned."