THE ART OFEIGHT LIMBS.

Muay Thai is the national combat sport of Thailand, and it is often called the art of eight limbs because it uses eight striking surfaces: two fists, two elbows, two knees and two shins. Boxing uses only the fists, and kickboxing usually adds kicks, but Muay Thai also allows elbows, knees and a long list of close-range tools. Its roots lie in older Thai fighting arts used in warfare, which were gradually turned into a regulated sport.

The clinch is a defining feature. Fighters can grip each other around the neck and arms, control the opponent's posture, and throw knees and elbows or unbalance them with a sweep or throw from that position. A good clinch fighter can score, tire the opponent and break their rhythm without throwing many punches. Because of the knees and elbows, a Muay Thai fight is often decided by distance, balance and timing rather than by who throws the most punches.

The traditional format, used in Thai stadium bouts, is five rounds of three minutes with a rest of about two minutes between them. Bouts can end by knockout, by a stoppage by the referee or ringside doctor, or by a corner retiring its fighter, and if all five rounds are completed the judges decide the winner. Rules vary by promotion: some events, ONE Championship among them, use their own formats and rule sets, and amateur competition under bodies such as the IFMA often uses shorter bouts with more protective equipment.

Scoring is based on clean, effective technique rather than on the sheer number of strikes. Judges commonly use a ten-point must system, giving the round winner 10 and the other fighter 9 or fewer. They reward strikes that land cleanly and with power, balance and control of the ring, a fighter who stays composed and keeps moving forward without being hurt, and good defence. Clean kicks, knees and elbows are generally valued more highly than punches. A teep (push kick) that disrupts the opponent counts for more than one that just touches them. The details differ between stadium, promotion and amateur rule sets, so the rules of the event decide.

Before a traditional bout the fighter performs the wai kru, a ritual of respect to teachers, family and the sport itself, followed by the ram muay, a dance-like sequence with its own style of movement. Fighters often have their own ram muay, which can reflect their gym or their region. The ritual is usually accompanied by live Thai music, which carries on through the rounds and tends to rise in pace as the action picks up.

The mongkol is a headband traditionally worn into the ring, often blessed, and removed by the trainer before the fight begins. The pra jiad (armbands) are traditionally worn on the upper arms and are often kept on during the bout. Fighters wear boxing-style gloves, a mouthguard, a groin protector and Thai-style shorts, which are cut short and loose to allow high kicks and knees. Professional bouts in Thailand do not use shin pads, headguards or other protection.

A Muay Thai fighter is called a nak muay. In Thailand a fighter commonly competes under a ring name made of their given name and the name of their gym, so the second part of a name often tells you where they train. Many fighters also carry a nickname that is used by fans and promoters. A trainer is called kru, and the gym is a central part of the fighter's identity.

There is no single governing body, so there is no single ranking. Historic Bangkok stadiums such as Lumpinee and Rajadamnern have long awarded their own titles and keep their own ranks, and modern promotions run their own divisions and belts. Weight classes and their limits differ between organisations. A title from one promotion is not the same as a title from another, so check which organisation a headline refers to.

A record such as 17-3 means 17 wins and 3 losses. On N4, a fighter's record is their ONE Championship record, which means the fights they have had in that promotion, not their whole career. Many top nak muay have had far more fights, often dozens or hundreds, in Thai stadiums and other promotions, so a short ONE record can hide a long career. The finishes figure counts wins that ended by knockout or stoppage, and the finish rate is those finishes as a percentage of wins.

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