The first known practice of MUAYTHAI as a ‘sport’, off and away from the heat and chaos of the battlefield, occurred in the 15th century when loosely organized competitions started sprouting up around the country. MUAYTHAI soon became the favored pastime sport for people from all walks of life, with training camps being established all over the country. It must be remembered that though it was being practiced as a kind of spectator sport over the following centuries, it was not the kind of sport we are used to seeing in modern times – Muaythai was an extremely dangerous that often ended in injury and for the competitors and participants. It wasn’t until 1930 that this began to change, when MUAYTHAI was officially codified, with boxing gloves, rules and regulations being created and introduced into the sporting world of the early 20th Century as one of a safe ring sport.

MUAYTHAI has had many ‘faces’, as a popular ring sport, a Self Defense and a fitness program and as MUAYTHAI has become more and more popular organizations such as IFMA have been rightly commissioned and established to regulate MUAYTHAI as a world sport.

Now, MUAYTHAI is established around the world as a fitness form (MUAY Aerobic), as a ring sport (MuayThai) and as a form of Self Defense, (MuayBoran). The circle of history has been closed and MUAYTHAI now belongs to World, making a new and proud world History.

Long live MUAYTHAI!

(article from IFMA http://www.ifmamuaythai.org)