The art of eight limbs, Muay Thai
One of the most brutal yet honorable and tradional combat sports in the world, Muay Thai's roots were traced back to roughly 650 AD. Muay Thai fighters specialize in all strikes using their fists, elbows, knees, and shins. Muay Thai is now international but for majority of it's existence has been in Thailand. In Thailand, Muay Thai has become such a tradition and respected that it is extremely common to see kids start competing at ages of 6+ to bring money home for their families. Certainly, there are strikes that generate more force, but the techniques mastered by the Thai fighters led to the most devasting roundhouse kicks, knees and elbows, and leg kicks of any combat sport. Sometimes watching a Muay Thai fight can look a pendululm as the fighters trade combination for combination and go back and forth.
Muay Thai is a striking combat sport, like boxing, kick-boxing, taekwondo, and savate. However, Muay Thai also has extensive clinch work, sweeps, and trips acting as great counters to opponents attacks and good ways to establish control. In comparison to other combat sports, Muay Thai pays the least. There is a relatively new promotion to Muay Thai, One Championship, which has allowed Thai fighters to reach the highest level and compete at the world stage and make money accordingly. Majority of Thai fighters fight in Thailand and only plan on competeing in Muay Thai which limits how far they can go and how much money they can make in combat sports. Muay Thai truly transcended above a mere combat sport in Thailand, its a staple of the national and is engraved in their culture.
