Sinor, Denis. 1990. The Cambridge History of Early Inner Asia.Cambridge:
Cambridge University Press.
Smith, John. 1984. “Mongol Campaign Rations: Milk, Marmots, and
Blood?”Journal of Turkish Studies8: 223–229.
Vernam, Glen. 1972.Man on Horseback.New York: Harper and Row.Muay Thai
Muay Thai(Thai Boxing) is a style of kickboxing that comes from Thai-
land (land of the free), formerly known as Siam. Thai Boxing is one of sev-
eral Siamese (Thai) martial arts, such as Krabi-krabong, Lerdrit, Chuparsp,
Thaiplum, Kemier, and Thaiyuth.Krabi-krabong is sword and staff fight-
ing using prearranged sets. Lerdrit (pronounced lerd-lit) is an empty-hand
battlefield art. Chuparsp (weaponry) includes the pike, knife, stick, sword,
shield, and flexible weapons. Thaiplum (grappling) emphasizes pressure
point and blood vessel strikes. Kemier is a ninjutsu-like stealth and survival
art taught only to head monks at temples. Thaiyuth (“Thai skills”) includes
Muay Thai, Krabi-krabong, and close-quarter combat techniques. Known
as “the science of eight weapons,” Muay Thai is a striking art for ring
fighting that uses the fists, elbows, knees, and feet.
Muay Thai has developed over several centuries in Southeast Asia.
Precise information on the origin of Muay Thai remains unavailable, partly
because the Burmese purportedly burned all Siamese records in A.D. 1767.
According to one story, in A.D. 1560 the Siamese “black” prince Naresuen
fought the Burmese crown prince and defeated him in single combat with
Muay Thai. This martial display persuaded Burmese king Bayinnaung not
to attack Thailand. Others trace the origins of Muay Thai to a contest held
in 1774. In the Burmese city of Rangoon (after the ancient Thai capital of
Ayuthya fell in 1767), Lord Mangra the Burmese king called for a seven-
day Buddhist festival. A Thai Boxer named Nai Khanom Tom defeated
more than nine Burmese fighters one after another before Lord Mangra,
thereby earning his admiration.
In modern Thailand, matches are held every day in Bangkok at the
Lumphini Stadium and the Ratchadamnoen Stadium. Fights last five
rounds of three minutes each with two-minute rest periods in between.
There is a center referee who issues a ten count for knockdowns. Three
knockdowns in a single round can end the match. Two judges score the
fight on points, unless there is a knockout or the referee stops the contest,
in which case the match ends.
Fighters enter the ring wearing robes. Trainers wear vests. In bouts,
the fighters wear trunks, hand wraps, gloves, mouthpieces, and groin pro-
tectors. Elastic and cotton anklets are optional equipment. In contempo-
rary bouts, the international boxing gloves that are used for European box-350 Muay Thai