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Muay Thai, sometimes referred to as Thai Boxing or Thai Kickboxing, has a long rich history that extends
to the ancient battlefields of the Siamese. The competitors are involved in hand-to-hand combat, displaying a wide array of
kicks, punches, and elbow techniques.
In Modern Kickboxing, one is restricted to specific zones and targets in
order to score points. Depending on the kickboxing match, the competitors must complete a certain number of kicks in order
to qualify for the round. In addition, the gear and stances a kickboxer takes is very similar to that of Western Boxing.
In Muay Thai, the competitor’s hands are mostly only wrapped or have very light gloves on.
A Muay
Thai fighter’s resting position will often be with their arms (or guards) raised high at either side of their face.
This is greatly different from Western Boxing and kickboxing where the guard is normally close to the chin and protecting
the ribs. One of the training aspects of Muay Thai is to learn how to properly defend yourself by using either your legs or
a turn of your body to protect your ribs. To drop your arms in a Western boxer stance would make it more difficult to execute
certain elbow techniques that are part of the system.
Even if you have no intention of ever stepping into the ring
to fight, Muay Thai is a high aerobic, toning form of Martial Arts. In Muay Thai, it is not weight but speed, endurance, and
strength that wins the match. Flexibility and balance are also key to this art.
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