Muay Thai

Combat sport and martial art that uses stand-up striking along with various clinching techniques

มวยไทย · 泰拳 · ムエタイ · 무에타이

Country of origin

Thailand

Type

martial arts, combat sport, type of sport

Muay Thai or Muaythai (Thai: มวยไทย, RTGS: muai thai, pronounced [mūaj tʰāj] ), sometimes referred to as Thai boxing, the Art of Eight Limbs or the Science of Eight Limbs, is a Thai martial art and full-contact combat sport that uses stand-up striking, sweeps, and various clinching techniques. The name "Art of Eight Limbs" refers to the combined use of fists, elbows, knees and shins. Muay Thai became widespread internationally in the late 20th to 21st century, when Westernised practitioners from Thailand began competing in kickboxing and mixed-rules matches as well as matches under Muay Thai rules around the world. The professional league is governed by the Professional Boxing Association of Thailand, sanctioned by the Sports Authority of Thailand.

Muay Thai is related to other martial art styles of the Indian cultural sphere such as Musti-yuddha, Muay Chaiya, Muay Boran, Muay Lao, Lethwei, Kun Khmer, Benjang and Tomoi. A practitioner of Muay Thai is known as a Nak Muay. Western practitioners in Thailand are sometimes called Nak Muay Farang, meaning "foreign boxer".

Notable Muay Thai athletes and practitioners

• Brandon Lee United States
• Tony Jaa Thailand
• Kellan Lutz United States
• Gina Carano United States
• Georges St-Pierre Canada
• Mark Dacascos United States
• Caity Lotz United States
• Badr Hari Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Buakaw Banchamek Thailand
• Michelle Waterson United States
• Clive Standen United Kingdom
• Jiří Procházka Czech Republic
• Jan Błachowicz Poland
• Giorgio Petrosyan Armenia
• Ernie Reyes United States
• Adrianna Luna United States
• GypsyCrusader United States
• Grazi Massafera Brazil
• Masato Japan
• Bren Foster Australia
• Joanne Wood United Kingdom
• Rob Kaman Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Francis Carmont France
• Gago Drago Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Reza Goodary Iran
• Dan Chupong Thailand
• Cyrille Diabaté France
• Marina Windsor United Kingdom
• Jemyma Betrian Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Dakota Ditcheva United Kingdom
• Conrad Pla Canada
• Evangelista Santos Brazil
• Alexey Ignashov Belarus
• Artem Levin Russia
• Lina Länsberg Sweden
• Daniel Ghiță Romania

435 people in this reference practise Muay Thai.

External links

• Wikipedia
• Wikidata

Facts from Wikidata Q120931 (CC0); quoted introduction from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Data retrieved 2026-10-22.

Data: Wikidata (CC0 1.0); Wikipedia (English) (CC BY-SA 4.0). Retrieved 2026-10-22.