|
Muay
Thai is part of the cultural heritage of the Thai people. Their
histories are intertwined. But their historical development is
difficult to discern clearly. When the Burmese sacked the Thai
capital of Ayutthaya, the archives of Thai history were, for the
most part, lost. Along with them were lost the historical
accounts of the development of Muay Thai. What little we do
know comes primarily from the writings of Burmese, Cambodian,
and early European visitors to Thailand, as well as chronicles
from the Lanna Kingdom in Chiang Mai. All these sources agree
that Muay Thai originated to be used on the battlefield in
person-to-person combat. As to the specific origins, however,
these sources are unclear and often contradict each other.
There
are, however, two main theories. The first suggests that the
art of Muay Thai developed as the Thai people migrated from
China to what is now Thailand. It would have been an essential
tool in the migrants’ struggle for land. The second theory
contends that the Thai people were already settled in Thailand
and developed Muay Thai as a means of self defense against
invasion. Whichever account is correct, what is indisputable is
that Muay Thai was an essential part of Thai culture from its
very beginnings. |
