Lethwei is an unarmed Burmese martial art. It is similar to related styles of Indochinese kickboxing, namely Muay Thai from Thailand, pradal serey from Cambodia, Muay Lao from Laos and tomoi from Malaysia. Lethwei was based on a combination of boxing arts from India and China, known respectively as musti-yuddha and shoupo. Matches were... more »
The mid-Air elbow strike (sork kra dode or jumping elbow) is a muay thai technique. The thai-boxer can use it to hit his opponent at the face or head or collar bone. The reason why this jumping elbow is extra powerful is because the elbow attack will best be performed at the point of... more »
Muay Boran (“ancient boxing”) is an umbrella term for the unarmed martial arts of Thailand prior to the introduction of modern equipment and rules in the 1930s. It is thus the direct ancestor of modern Muay Thai. The word muay which means “boxing” comes from the Sanskrit term mavya, while boran or boraan means... more »
Muay Thai is a combat sport from Thailand that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques. It is similar to other Indochinese styles, namely pradal serey from Cambodia, tomoi from Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and Muay Lao from Laos. Descended from muay boran, Muay Thai is Thailand’s national sport. The word muay derives... more »
Muay Boran (lit. “ancient boxing”) is an umbrella term for the unarmed martial arts of Thailand prior to the introduction of modern equipment and rules. It is the ancestor of modern Muay Thai. The word muay which means boxing comes from the Sanskrit term mavya, while boran or boraan means ancient in Thai. The... more »
As with many other Muay Thai techniques, the low (roundhouse) kick has gained wide popularity due to its extensive use in K-1 kickboxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) competitions due to its effectiveness in inflicting damage to the opponent, as a properly executed Muay Thai roundhouse kick has been compared by many martial artists... more »
Boxing contests are found throughout antiquity. Greek boxers would wear boxing gloves (not padded) and wrappings on their arms below the elbows, but were otherwise naked when competing. The word “boxing” first came into use in England in the 18th century to distinguish between fighting to settle disputes, and fighting under agreed rules for... more »
Savate is a French martial art which uses the hands and feet as weapons combining elements of western boxing with graceful kicking techniques.Only foot kicks are allowed unlike some systems such as Muay Thai, and Silat which allow the use of the knees or shins. “Savate” is a French word for “old shoe”. Savate... more »
The step-up knee kick (Kao Yiep in Thai) is a Muay Thai move where the boxer is required to step with one foot on the opponent’s thigh. Then raise his body up using the thigh as the base then thrust the other knee forward hitting the targets like solar plexus, chin or face. To... more »
The straight knee (also known as a front knee) is a typical knee strike, and involves thrusting the front of the knee into the head or body of an opponent. The straight knee can be applied from a stand-up position both when the combatants are separated, or when they are clinching. A particularly effective... more »
Thai Boxing is a modified form of Muay Thai which excludes techniques, such as elbows and/or knees to the head. This is similar to the rules seen in K-1 style competitions. Muay Thai is an ancient art of self defense that is intertwined with the Thai people. It has grown in recent years into... more »
The uppercut elbow (Sok ngat in Thai) is used in Muay Thai to hit the target by throwing it upward. This elbow move is used for targets like chin, jaw, or face area by thrusting the elbow diagonally upwards to hit the aiming target. Basically there are two ways to perform this Muay Thai... more »
Vale tudo (meaning “anything goes” or “No rules”) are full-contact unarmed combat events, with a limited number of rules, that became popular in Brazil during the 20th century. This form of wrestling has been considered a combat sport by some observers. Vale tudo has been made famous by fighters such as Marco Ruas and... more »