ing are standard protection. Under traditional rules, boxers bound their
hands with cotton cloth, dipped them in glue, and sprinkled them with
ground glass. Glue and glass were abandoned earlier, but cotton bindings,
rather than gloves, were used until 1929.
Blows with fists, elbows, and knees and kicks are all delivered with
tremendous force in the ring. The Muay Thai strikes, especially the trade-
mark low-line roundhouse, or hook, kicks, are extremely powerful. During
the opening round of a match, players may trade low roundhouse kicks to
each other’s legs to prove who is the better-conditioned fighter. Kicks to the
legs are debilitating, limiting a fighter’s mobility. Spectators then start their
betting after the first round. Contemporary Muay Thai has been accused
of having a seedy side because betting is said to dehumanize the martial
spirit of the fighters. Some promoters, in fact, consider their fighters to be
subhuman and call them animals.
Fight music (si muay) is an essential and inspiring part of every match.
Songs (sarama) are played by a four-piece orchestra consisting of a Javanese
clarinet (pi Java), drums (klong kaek, kong), and cymbals (shing). It is be-
lieved that the music of wind instruments is particularly inspiring to the fight-
ers. Dance music accompanies the practice of other Thai martial arts, also.
As it does not use the ranking systems of popular Japanese and Ko-
rean martial arts, with Muay Thai it is said that “the belt is in the ring”
Muay Thai 351Combatants in a Muay Thai match in Bangkok, Thailand. (Earl & Nazima Kowall/Corbis)