MUAY BORAN/MUAY KAACHEURK - Old-style boxing or fighting with rope bound fists. This was the original form of Muay Thai which includes locks and throws and many techniques which are considered too dangerous for the modern sport of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing).
THE ULTIMATE MARTIAL ART
Kru Tony Moore and Muay Boran in Combat magazine 1994.
In fact the interest in traditional Muay Thai in the UK goes back much further than this. In 1994, over two decades ago, Kru Tony Moore in traditional Buddhai Swan uniform appeared on the cover of "COMBAT" magazine performing the technique “Yok Kao Pra Sumer” which is where the boxer springs into the air stepping on to the opponent’s thigh and delivering a stunning round kick to the opponent’s head.
The discovery of Muay Boran and Muay Boran training methods in the West has taken us on a journey back through time. The modern sport of Muay Thai has been established here in the UK over 40 years, we are now moving backwards and have discovered the time before the sport of Muay Thai when contests were fought for honour or freedom.
AWUDT MUAY BORAN
SITSIAM CAMP
Finding the correct information on this subject is akin to searching for a needle in a haystack. The confusion arises from the fact that some techniques have the same name but differ somewhat from camp to camp and region to region. It is also believed that some camps used subterfuge during a bout by changing the names of the techniques around to confuse the opponent; in effect creating a code to make the opponent expect one technique only to be struck with something completely different.
Besides the Buddhai Swan techniques, we have uncovered at least another 60 different techniques from various sources including Arjarn Yodthong from the Sityodthong Camp, Arjarn Panya Kraitus author of the book “Muay Thai Most Distinguished Art of Fighting”, the late Mr Bunyuen Suvanatdha former head of the Amateur Muay Thai Association of Thailand.
Muay Boran
Many of the original records from Thailand regarding the fascinating subject of Muay Boran training were destroyed in the sacking of Ayuddhaya in 1767 and others lost in the mists of time. The late Arjarn Samai Messamarn from the Buddhai Swan Institute in Thailand was able to make a study of the Thai empty hand system using the scant resources available in Thailand. This research also took him to Burma where he was able to gain access to historical records on the subject of the Siamese systems of warfare.
Using this information and the painstaking research done within Thailand, Arjarn Samai was able to document and confirm 60 Awudt Muay Boran techniques and fighting methods. Only two records of the techniques, hand-painted on parchment now exist. Arjarn Samai’s son, Arjarn Werayut Messamarn visited the Sitsiam Camp in 2005 bringing with him one of these unique documents.
