Muay Thai
By Paulo Nunes Dos Santos
14 June 2008
Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand and is the country's national sport. Traditional Muay Thai practiced today varies significantly from the ancient art Muay Boran and uses kicks and punches in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Western boxing. Muay Thai is referred to as The Science of Eight Limbs, as the hands, shins, elbows, and knees are all used extensively in this art. A master practitioner of Muay Thai thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight points of contact, as opposed to two points (fists) in Western boxing and four points (fists, feet) used in the primarily sport-oriented forms of martial arts.
