What intrigues me most about this traditional martial art? It is practical in a real street fight. No forms, flowery kata, or uncomfortable stances; just straight to the point knock a mf-er out.
I lived in pai for a month training muay thai (different gym to the one shown) and all I can say is that it was amazing. The thai culture and respect even to foreign fighters is great, and I improved greatly in my time and truly value the experience. Thankyou for making this documentary.
@@sangyedorje3564 it was called krimanee gym with a female trainer named apple. Funny name a I know but she has trained guys with hundreds of fights and pushed me to my limits more than once.
It's amazing seeing different kinds of cultures and their unique sports which cherish tradition and skill. I hope muay thai will retain it's uniqueness and uphold itself in the long run
I just got back from Thailand and it’s as popular as ever because all the MMA/ufc fighters go Thailand to train and the Thai fighters are getting popular now.
Rich maybe but they still show it on tv everyday and that is all the Thais watch were I stayed north of Bangkok and about a year ago I went too two of the main stadiums in Bangkok and they was buzzing. I hope they are not dying now
Daniel B if you watch thai fights in stadiums now it’s mostly clinching and who’s the strongest for the betting. not so much technique like the old days is what they mean by dying
Rich I get that . A lot of the older thai people I stayed with really liked max Muay Thai in Pattaya. They get broke up if they cllich to much I think .
Most of you missed his point. Of course Muay Thai isn't dying but the true traditional arts of Muay Thai are. Fighters now a days only learn Muay Thai to try to be better then the next guy but completely miss out on the spirtual aspect of it. It is used as entertainment just like all fighting championships, in the end; it's all for the money and fame. Martial Arts aren't what they used to be.
I think the spirit of martial arts will keep dying because life isn't as difficult as before. Life is much more comfortable now so practitioners, for the most part, will only do martial arts as a sport.
@@cwr8618 You guys should check out the Netflix series Fightworld. Each episode shows the history behind a particular martial art. There is an episode dedicated to Muay Thai.
@@mrnickb i will do just that. was in thailand a couple months ago and took my first lesson over there. got worked. then saw a legit tournament and loved everything about it
Sawadee Krap from Israel. "Team Haizler Muay Thai" represents Muay Thai with great respect and honours the tradition. Itay Guyer, Ruslan Fradkin are a good example of that.
If you want someone to do a film on in regards to holding onto the legacy of Muay Thai then follow and do one on Sylvie Von-Duuglas. She has literally over 2000 videos of trainings with all the golden age fighters such as Dieselnoi, Sagat, Samart, Namkabuan, Karuhat, etc. Also, she records her private sessions with them which are over 1 hour long each. She goes to their gyms and they train her for few days and we learn their techniques how they teach it. If you want a wealth of Knowledge for the most legendary fighters then check her out. She is preserving the techniques and styles of Muay Thai by documenting the old styles as they are disappearing due to, mostly gamblers controlling how Thai Fighters fight. Also, she has over 230+ fights in Thailand - the most of any foreigner and she records them and adds her commentary. She is an amazing fighter with a great passion for preserving Muay Thai. She deserves the spot light but not many people even know of her.
Well made short doc! Thank you National Geographic 🙏🙏🙏 ....as part of the new generation of Muay Thai I can say that I have learned and nurtured the art of Muay Thai thanks to my coach. The first day I decided to embark on this journey my coach asked me to bring a notebook. The first lesson was the history of Muay Thai before I even learn how to punch,kick,knee,elbow or even learn my stance. I believe this is the way it should be done ...educate and nurture the student with all aspects of the art so that they can carry on and teach it to the next generation.
This was so beautifully shot. I had chills when the camera angle was shot from behind the fighter that won in the ring. You do great service to Muay Thai.
Muaythai is not just an art, it is the culture of Thailand as well. That is why I fall in love with it. One day people will understand and appreciate it more.
This is the way that martial arts need to be presented to the public. Thank you. The next step is to talk about the other styles related to Muay Thai, as well: the sister style taught to the military, the forerunner style of Muay Boran, and the ancient martial art of Krabi-Krabong, which came before that. They all deserve to be preserved.
Beautiful place, wonderful people, amazing culture. Never forget what you have in your pursuit of money.. often times money isn't what you really need.
When I see comments saying Muay Thai warriors should go to UFC, I want to cry! I adore the Art of Muay Thai! What Muay Thai has is unique! Muay Thai is 20 yo guys with 200+ fights, eating, breathing and sleeping Muay Thai! It's a religion, a tradition, a history, a way of life all in one! And it really hurts me to see awesome Muay Thai fimeu dying to gambling. Next time before comparing it with MMA please consider there are those who understand, feel and appreciate the art as it is. And to us, that comment is as dumb as telling a virtuous pianist to go do some painting. Just don't do it!
@@qhahsjw Welp, depending on how the gym spars and whether you want to fight or not, you might risk getting brain damage. But if you can accept that or find a proper gym, then it's totally worth it. I'm 15 and have been training for a few months now. However I found out about the sport when I was around your age but I totally regret not having the balls to start back then.
I as a practitioner feel too much respect to this martial art my Khru shows us the art culture Spirituality Strench Respect to Ours adversaries this art is Beautiful Expretion of thai people
Please nurture Muay Thai and don't disrespect our traditions. Simply put and earnest. I am so grateful for this fighting art and the culture and state of mind that encompasses it. I will do my very best to never disrespect Muay Thai. Kob Kun Krap.
Been to Thailand many times. The bars do that for real. Which is BS. The Thai Culture is beautiful. Especially their style of fighting, cooking, eating, and family. My adopted Son is from Thailand. You dont have to think it's TRUE. I know that it's TRUE and he knows that it's TRUE. We have promised each other to never tell and say. That's my Son though.
I love Muay Thai so much. I've never seen anything come close to this style of fighting. It's brutal and honest. I still dig Judo and American boxing, but Muay Thai will always do it for me. 👍👍👍
I agree. In FMA its more and more show, business, Belts and Ranks and more and more less sense for what Arnis means. And where it come from (and for what it was created)
Tiger muay thai is an example of buying and selling the soul out of muay thai. All about the benjamins! With all respect. It is no longer an art.. its a trade! A profit trade buisnness
I would agree to his point about the traditional aspect of many combat sports being replaced with commercialism. The same has occurred with boxing now that there is youtuber and influencer boxing of which is purely based off of financial incentives.
@Tae gun yeah, ram muay is an old tradition and western people are more practical. Elbows are legit in UFC for example, and there is no other style with rich elbow technique then muay thai. Thank you for interesting comment.
We need more real fighters like him out there these days. 50 years old and he is still a good fighter, I think he would be able to defeat the ten warriors to win back the Thai capital, a true master of the martial art of muay thai
@Ster Burk see the classic muay thai vs kicboxer of the 60s when people were hyping bruce lee. Muay thai champion were destroying americn kickboxer in most of the matches.
Muaythai is not fading in Thailand. We are living the present age of the Golden Era. Wealthy Thais are now training muaythai, instead of Taekwando , Judo or Karate.
The corruption started before Muay Thai became internationally known. The gamblers and promoters changed the game from fighting to a clinching competition. The golden era fighters had a wide range of skill sets. Then it transitioned to kicking and wrestling for points. If anything, MMA and promos like ONE Championship brought back Muay Thai
. More combinations and less clinching. Even Sanchaei has decided to stop fighting in Thailand because the business of muay Thai has ruined the martial Art.
A lot of commentors here have missed the point of the video ENTIRELY. The authentic and TRADITIONAL art of Muay Thai IS being lost as business takes over and "tourist muay thai" becomes the big thing for gyms to push for the bigger $$$$$. I was head coach at this gym (Wisarut) for 6 months in 2017 to develop their skills training programme and though I am "farang" (westerner) I have trained with Pote (the head coach/owner's nick name) and developed a training process that differs greatly from "tourist based" training which I now teach at my own place here in Thailand. It is VERY different to what is being taught in the other gyms on the island, not better or worse, just different, more traditional in it's approach. I would highly recommend Potes gym in Pai, it may not be like Tiger etc in terms of facilities etc but the passion and authenticity you will find nowhere else. I aim to make a video of it myself this year once the covid situation has been sorted and travel is easier.
Buddy you wrong😂....but I am too because I was trippin at myself for saying dam near the same exact thing right before scrolling down and reading this.
The underlying cause lies in the conflict of interests that revolves around the different stakeholders in the art. Muay Thai is dominantly a cultural appreciation, but when foreign investors participate in the trade of the art, Muay Thai becomes diluted of its authenticity. Foreign investors are more keen to grow the sport in the age of globalisation rather than to preserve its roots and heritage, which leads to the inappropriateness of Thailand's Muay Thai scene, where women (not even certain if they are) are being told to fight in a provocative manner which goes against the code of conduct in its art. However, the art needs an economic upper-hand to sustain its roots. This can and has already been done in a more peaceful, and appreciative manner, where the original art of Muay Thai is being taught and practiced on foreign soils, without a change in its rules and authenticity. Therefore, while there is a conflict of interests between the different stakeholders, the culture can still be preserved if a compromise is made amongst each player in the game.
I think that what they mean by this is the “softening” of muay thai due to points system and showmanship which they call “entertainment l” but i still think that its pretty authentic and real in many gyms there. What do you guys think?
I agree with him and promotions like MAX are more KO oriented and the beauty of Muay Fimeu is being overlooked to please western MMA type crowds. Smart also spoke on the decline of Muay Thai. It's a shame.
Muay Thai is a martial arts pinnacle like any other, worthy of glory and honor, commanding respect. Tony Jaa tries to share it, but it is every iota as poingtent as Shaolin or Okinowoan Karate...
commercialize correctly like the western boxing would be good. many of the bookies and many promoters are the ones controlling the muay thai industry. And the rule of fighting not set clear and right. So is the scoring systems as sometimes it is vague... Clinching is the main part of fight nowsday which requires much more raw body(paterior[spelling] chain power especially and arms and neck power). Techniques are there also. Yes you can sweep or anti-clinch, but i think it also kills lots of technical and beautiful techniques of fighting since the golden age muay thai era.... lerdsila and seanchai are good examples of thinking of the box and will raise muay thai quality and status. And if muay thai can incorporate more western boxing techniques than what most fighers are doing and chinese martial arts(like wing chun, ba ji quan, pi gua zhang, tong bei quan, spearing principles) would be super powerful, besides karate and tkd and jujitsu.
Combat sports are on the rise, studies have shown martial arts is the fastest growing sport in north america, there are huge promotions now that you can fight for to make big money.. Its far from the amount you would get for boxing, but its growing.. Fast
amazing muay thai the art of the eight limbs use correctly and you can kill your opponent use it incorrectly and you could kill your opponent there is a big difference between can and could thanks
"Traditional" doesn't mean no technology. He's referring to the spiritual aspects of the martial ART and its philosophical tenets. Muay Thai has a lot of international exposure but nowadays many people just view it as a mere sport or simple tool for winning prize money. He just wants to remind people what Muay Thai was originally about so we don't just look at it as just another way of hitting people.
