Muay Thai, also known as Thai boxing, is deeply rooted in Thai culture and is a significant draw for tourists. They offer a thrilling experience where you can witness intense battles that get your heart racing with adrenaline. In martial arts, Muay Thai stands out for its distinctive style, known as the art of the eight limbs. It combines the power of punches, kicks, knee strikes, elbow strikes, and clinching techniques.
Muay Thai fighters and enthusiasts dedicate themselves to mastering this art, training their entire bodies to become formidable weapons. They focus on building strength, speed, and agility in their techniques through rigorous practice sessions. Whether it’s striking heavy bags and pads under the guidance of their trainers or engaging in sparring sessions, Muay Thai is a fast-paced and dynamic sport that pushes fighters to their limits.
Over the years, Muay Thai has made its mark on popular culture through various forms of entertainment. In this article, we’ll delve into how Muay Thai has influenced popular culture globally, impacting celebrities, movies, TV shows, and video games.
Celebrities
Celebrities often turn to Muay Thai for its physical benefits and because it teaches discipline, mental strength, and self-defence skills. Many actors and actresses who have portrayed action roles on screen have trained in Muay Thai to give authenticity to their fight scenes. Let us look at some celebrities that have been associated with Muay Thai.
Bruce Lee
Bruce Lee is a household name in the martial arts world. He is a famous martial artist as well as an actor who is the founder of Jeet Kune Do. Did you know Bruce Lee trained in Thailand and even incorporated Muay Thai into his martial arts style?
Bruce Lee was born in the USA and was raised in Hong Kong. He also spent some time in Thailand, and during this time, he trained with a few Muay Thai champions and learned some Muay Thai moves. There are also rumours that Bruce Lee had an unofficial fight with a Muay Thai fighter on the sets of Big Boss, but there is no solid proof of this.
Tony Jaa
Panom Worawit, better known as Tony Jaa, is a famous Thai actor from Surin, Thailand. As a young kid, he watched many martial arts movies by actors such as Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan.
He studied and practised martial arts, namely Muay Thai, in his local temple, school and college. He started by doing stunt work for films and graduated to acting. One of his first and most famous movies is Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior. The movie centres around Ong Bak, who goes to Thailand to retrieve a precious Buddha statue stolen from his village. In this movie, Ong Bak uses Muay Thai to defeat the thieves. As expected, this movie did so well that it was dubbed into English and even Tamil.
Ryan Gosling
Ryan Gosling is a famous American actor who has won multiple awards ranging from Teen Choice to the Golden Globe award for Best Actor. His role in the movie Only God Forgives introduced him to Muay Thai. Since this movie had Muay Thai scenes, he was to undergo training routines in preparation for those scenes. His training in Bangkok made a lasting impression on this great actor, who still practices Muay Thai today.
Jean-Claude Van Damme
Jean-Claude Van Damme is a well-known actor for those who are into action movies, especially during the 1980s and 1990s. He is a famous actor who has a solid foundation in martial arts. This is evident in the fight sequences in his movies. Jean-Claude Van Damme is from Belgium and started his young days by learning and practising martial arts. His martial arts journey started with Shotokan karate, and then he moved on to kickboxing. He entered many competitions and even won most of them. After this, he moved to America and started learning Muay Thai. One of his famous movies, Kickboxer, showed his expertise in Muay Thai.
Movies
There are many delightful Muay Thai films that you should consider watching. Some movies have stood the test of time and are considered classics, while others are newer releases. However, they all share a common trait: they feature thrilling and flawlessly choreographed fight scenes.
A Prayer Before Dawn
A Prayer Before Dawn is a biopic of Billy Moor’s life in prison. Billy Moor was born in England and had a difficult childhood. He grew up poor, and before long, he started a life of crime and drug abuse. Soon after, he moved to Thailand to change his life around. This is where the movie starts. Moor finds himself in one of Thailand’s infamous prisons. He is thrown into the dark life and realities of a Thai prison where drugs and gang wars happen. In this prison, he was allowed to join and compete in Muay Thai fights and grabbed this opportunity to earn his freedom. This movie is a must-watch for Muay Thai fans and those who love a good storyline and fantastic action.
Discover the Rich History and Culture of Muay Thai
Kickboxer
As mentioned above, Kickboxer is one of Jean-Claude Van Damme’s famous movies. Kickboxer is what propelled his movie career and made him famous as a martial artist. This movie was released in 1989. This movie is about a guy named Kurt Sloan. Kurt had to learn and master Muay Thai when his brother died. His brother Eric was a kickboxing champion who died. To avenge him, Kurt had to go to Thailand and train in the art of the eight limbs. This movie might not accurately depict Muay Thai, but it is a very entertaining and action-packed movie that helped expose many Westerners to the art of Muay Thai.
Ong-Bak
Muay Thai warrior. Ong-Bak is arguably one of the best Muay Thai movies out there. It comes from Muay Thai’s native land, Thailand. This movie is about a guy named Ong Bak who has to travel to Thailand to retrieve a Buddha statue stolen from his village. The storyline might seem simple enough, but this movie’s action scenes in this movie are comparable to Bruce Lee’s. As the actor that plays Ong Bak, Tony Jaa knows Muay Thai, the scenes in this movie are very realistic and show the techniques of Muay Thai. This is not one to miss as a martial arts fan or someone who loves action movies.
TV Shows
Muay Thai has also been featured in well-liked television programs:
Hurts Like Hell
Hurts Like Hell takes its inspiration from real-life events and revolves around the world of Muay Thai in Thailand. This thrilling series highlights the sport’s gritty and often hidden aspects, such as illegal gambling, match-fixing, and even violent crimes. The series unveils the deep secrets of this once-revered sport by portraying the real experiences of various individuals involved in Muay Thai, including boxers, gamblers, referees, and promoters.
The show consists of four episodes, each intricately woven to depict a web of hidden consequences. Through this captivating storytelling approach, viewers gain a unique perspective on how the actions and sufferings of the characters are interconnected. In essence, this limited docuseries delves into the gritty and thrilling aspects of Muay Thai, showcasing both its positive and negative elements. It offers an unfiltered glimpse into the sport’s world, revealing its beauty and darker side.
The Contender Asia
This a reality TV show that follows a group of professional Muay Thai fighters competing against each other in a tournament-style format. The show features fighters from different countries who train, live together, and battle it in the ring, showcasing their skills and determination to become the ultimate Contender Asia champion. Contestants face various challenges and fights until only one fighter remains standing. The show provides an inside look into the intense physical and mental preparation needed to excel in Muay Thai.
Video Games
With impressive moves like flying knees, roundhouse kicks, and powerful strikes with elbows and shins, it’s no wonder Muay Thai has been featured in fighting games for many years. Characters who use Muay Thai in these games are intimidating and tend to be popular among players due to their strength and abilities. Let’s take a look at some popular characters:
Sagat
Sagat, a prominent character in the Street Fighter franchise, has made multiple appearances throughout the series. Hailing from Thailand, Sagat is renowned as “The King” of the Muay Thai fighting style. He has been associated with various subjects, such as his involvement with the antagonistic group Shadaloo and his ongoing rivalry with series icon Ryu. This character is based on the famous Muay Thai fighter Sagat Petchyindee.
Fahkumram
Fahkumram, a new addition to Tekken 7’s Season Pass 3, is an imposing giant whose colossal size gives him remarkable reach and devastating power when utilising his Muay Thai skills. Fahkumram had a life-altering experience as a child when lightning struck him. Despite this setback, he managed to become a Muay Thai champion at the young age of 18.
Joe Higashi
Higashi, a Japanese fighter, specialises in the unique fighting style of Muay Thai. This combination may seem unusual, but it is highly effective for him. Higashi first appeared in the classic game Fatal Fury: The King of Fighters on SNES and Sega Genesis/Mega Drive in 1991. The most recent game featuring Joe Higashi was King of Fighters XIV, released in 2016.
If you want to learn Muay Thai, you can quickly discover a suitable tutor through Superprof. Conduct a quick search on the Superprof website, and you’ll be able to find the ideal Muay Thai instructor for your needs.
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