Tradition of Wai Khru

One of the most important traditions of Muay Thai is Wai Khru (Paying Respect to Teachers). In order to become a fully-fledged Muay Thai fighter, a person has to pass through a series of ceremonies. First comes the Initiation as a Trainee Fighter Ceremony (Kuen Khru), in which the khru muay accepts young fighters as his students and pledges to teach them to the best of his ability. After fighters have been accepted, they must demonstrate a good conduct, diligence and endurance, in addition to training as hard as they can, following implicitly all the teacher's rules

During their apprenticeship, young fighters will experience the second type of Wai Khru ritual, the Annual Homage-Paying Ceremony(Wai Khru Prajam Pee). This annual ceremony is usually held on Muay Thai Day (March 17) for young fighters to pay respect to their teachers and souls of teachers long passed away. The ceremony then progresses to the students honoring all the teachers present, who will mark sacred symbols on the fighters' forehead in order to bestow prosperity and success upon them - a custom known as jerm. The ceremony culminates with the third form of Wai Khru, the Ritual Dance of Homage (Wai Khru Ram Muay) performed by the fighters as a mark of respect.
It is only when fighters have passed all these three milestones (initiation, training and participation in contests) that they are entitled to call themselves as real Muay Thai fighters. When fighters have satisfied their teachers on all these counts, then they can participate in the fourth Wai Khru ritual, the Initiation as a Teacher Ceremony (Khrob Khru), which bestows on them the rank of khru muay and again involves a performance of the Ritual Dance of Homage.

Approaching the Ring Rites (Kuen Suu Weitee)
In ancient times, Siamese people believed in the power of incantations and protective amulets, the common belief was that everything was ruled and inhabited by unseen spirits, and that places were either blessed or cursed. Because of these beliefs, it was necessary to perform special rites before a fighter entered the ring, asking the spirits' permission to do so.

Even today, before entering the ring many fighters perform rituals. It is very much a matter of individual preference these days, with no prescribed rules. Some may kneel before the ring, others might pray with their khru muay or perform a series of repetitive movements, such as touching the ring ropes 3 times and avoiding the bottom stair before taking the first step up to the ring.

Fighters always leap over the ropes into the ring, because the head is considered to be more important than the feet and therefore it has to stay always above the feet while entering the ring, then they will go to the center and pay respect (panom muae wai) in all four directions to the spectators.

Ritual Dance of Homage (Wai Khru Ram Muay)

Wai Khru Muay Thai is a tradition which goes back to ancient times, it is not an optional ritual or reserved for special occasions: the official Muay Thai regulations specify that both fighters must perform the Wai Khru Ram Muay before each and every bout. It's a tradition in which fighters pay respect to their teachers, parents and things they hold sacred and pray for their safety and victory. The ritual has been developed in different ways, in different regions, even under different teachers and therefore it is theoretically impossible for two fighters to perform identical Wai Khru.

The Wai Khru is graceful and aesthetic ritual, both practical and spiritual. In a practical sense, it functions as a final pre-fight warm-up and gives the fighter some time alone before the fight to collect his thoughts. It can be divided into three main sections:

The Royal Homage Sequence
This was originally intended to show devotion to the King, going back to the days when fighters were selected to display their skills in front of him. It has three subsections: Prostration, Outstretched Arms and Act of Homage.

The Kneeling Sequence
This section is performed in a kneeling posture, one knee on the ground and the other leg out in front. the fighter pivots around on the spot to repeat the same sequence facing all four sides of the ring, a tradition which comes from Krabi Krabong.

The Standing Sequence
In this section, the fighters go out from the center of the ring in one direction, to perform the Dramatic Interlude. Some fighters imitate the motions of "Rama Shooting an Arrow" from the Ramakien, a hunter, a soldier, or an executioner. Some fighters use this ritual to attempt to scare their opponents, commonly by stomping around them. But in a deeper sense, the fighter is expressing religious devotion, humility, and gratitude. Transcending both physical and temporal limitations, he opens himself to the divine presence and allows it to infuse his heart.

Removal of the Head Circlet (Pitee Tod Mongkon)
After the Wai Khru is completed, the fighters return to their own corners for the Removal of the Head Circlet Ritual (Pitee Tod Mongkon). The fighter stands in his own corner, lowers his head and raises hands to his chest for panom mue wai pose, while khru muay standing outside of the ropes facing the fighter, raises his own hands to return the wai. A fighter maintains the posture while the teacher utters an incantation and blows three times on top of fighters' head before removing the Mongkon. On the completion of this ritual and after a review of the rules by the judge and a glove shake, the contest may begin.

Muay Thai History

The development of Muay Thai saw the transformation of the human body into a multifaceted weapon inspired by the weapons common to the time. The shin became the staff of the pike, used to block and strike. The arms became the raised twin swords of defense. The fist functioned as the jabbing tip of the spear. The elbow developed into the battle axe, used to smash and to crush. The knee, too, axed its way through enemy’s defenses. Finally, there was the transformation of the flashing foot into pike, arrow, and knife. As each part of the body became a weapon unto itself, a new close-combat fighting skill was born: MuayThai. Since its initial development, MuayThai has changed in many ways. It is now a modern sport, rather than a battlefield skill. But in its heart are carried old traditions and an ancient fighting spirit.

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 MuayThai. 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 MuayThai 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 MuayThai 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 MuayThai as a means of self defense against invasion.

Finally whichever account is correct, what is indisputable is that MuayThai was an essential part of Thai culture from its very beginnings.

The first great upsurge in interest in MuayThai as a sport and not just a military skill occurred in the Ayutthaya period during the rule of King Naresuan in 1584 CE. At that time, every soldier as well as the King himself, trained in MuayThai. MuayThai slowly evolved from its roots in the Chupasart – a warfare manual – and new techniques were developed. This development continued under the reign of King Prachao Sua, the Tiger King, who so loved MuayThai that he often fought incognito in village contests. Thailand was at peace during his reign, so soldiers were ordered to train MuayThai. Interest in the sport subsequently took off. MuayThai became the favorite pastime and sport of the Thai people, who flocked from all walks of life to MuayThai training camps. Every village staged prize fights and had its own champion.

While MuayThai has always been popular, there have been times when it has been especially popular. The reign of King Rama V was one such golden age for the sport. Many boxing camps were set up and talent scouts, under royal command, recruited fighters from around the country to fight for the King. Match makers arranged grand bouts, which were fought for large prizes and honour.

At that time, the matches were not staged in a ring as they are now. Any available space – a courtyard or village clearing, for instance – would be used. It was not until the reign of King Rama VI that the standard ring surrounded by ropes came into use, as did time keeping by the clock. Before that time, time keeping was done by floating a pierced coconut shell in a tank of water. When the shell sank, a drum signaled the end of the round.

Muay Thai has always been a sport for the people as well as a military fighting skill. Regardless of social position, the Thai people have always practiced Muay Thai. It was part of the school curriculum until the 1920s, when it was withdrawn because it was thought that the injury rate was too high. Thai people, however, have continued to practice MuayThai in gyms and clubs. The people have always followed the sport and have been instrumental in moving it from the battlefield to the stadium ring.

Thai Kings, of course, have been powerful forces in the development of the sport. One such prime mover was King Prachao Sua, or the Tiger King. He not only influenced fighting styles, but also the equipment that was used. At the beginning of his reign, the hands and forearms of fighters were bound with strips of horse hair. This both protected the fighter and inflicted more damage on the opponent. Horse hair strips were later replaced by hemp ropes or starched strips of cotton. For particular challenge matches, and with the fighters’ agreement, ground glass was mixed with glue and spread on the strips.

Changes in the sport since that time have primarily been changes in equipment rather than radical changes. For example, while Thai fighters have always worn groin guards to protect against kicks or knees to the groin (which were legal moves until the 1930s), these guards have evolved from tree bark or sea shells held in place with a piece of cloth to triangular shaped pillows tied in place, which have subsequently been replaced by the modern groin protector which was brought back from Malaysia by a Thai boxer who traveled there.

The most radical changes in the sport occurred in the 1930s. It was then that

the sport was codified and today’s rules and regulations were introduced. Rope bindings of the arms and hands were replaced by boxing gloves, a change that can be attributed to the growing success of Thai boxers in international boxing. The introduction of weight classes was also inspired by international boxing. These and other innovations – such as the organization of fights into five rounds – substantially altered the fighting techniques employed by fighters. Some techniques have disappeared.

The establishment of stadiums, instead of makeshift rings, began during the reign of King Rama VII before World War Two. During the war, they gradually disappeared only to return with a strong presence afterwards. Boxers from up-country once again headed toward fame and fortune in Bangkok. Glory could be found at stadiums such as Rajdamnern and Lumpini. With the introduction of television coverage, the popularity of the sport was enhanced. Channel 7 began broadcasting fights in colour over twenty years ago. Today four Thai television stations broadcast fights free to millions of MuayThai enthusiasts throughout Thailand.

Muay Thai truly has evolved from a battlefield art into a popular sport. It has recently been accepted as an official sport in Asian Games competition and the push is on to have it accepted as an official Olympic sport. It is becoming increasingly popular outside of Thailand and has enthusiasts and practitioners in the Americas, Australia, Africa, Japan, and Europe. The fighting tradition continues to be passed on and is spreading wide and far. The illustrious history of MuayThai is on a path to greater recognition and international popularity.