what is Thai Boxing or Muay Thai

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Muay Thai (Thai: มวยไทย) ("Thai Boxing") is the Thai name for a form of hard martial art practiced in several Southeast Asian countries including Thailand, Cambodia (where it is known as Pradal Serey), Malaysia (where it is known as Tomoi) and as a similar style in Myanmar (called Lethwei) and in Laos (Muay Lao). The different styles of fighting in mainland Southeast Asia are analogous to the different types of Kung Fu in China or Silat in the South East Asian islands or the Malay World. It is the national sport of Thailand, and is also known as Thai Boxing or The Art of the Eight Limbs.

Muay Thai has a long history in Thailand. Today, the Thai military uses a modified form of Muay Thai called Lerdrit. Traditional Muay Thai, as it is practiced today, varies slightly from the original art and uses kicks and punches in a ring with gloves similar to those used in Western boxing. Muay Thai is referred to as "The Science of Eight Limbs", as the hands, shins, elbows, and knees are all used extensively in this art. A master practitioner of Muay Thai thus has the ability to execute strikes using eight "points of contact," as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Western boxing and "four points" (fists, feet) used in the primarily sport-oriented forms of martial arts. Muay Thai is an especially versatile, brutal, straightforward martial art.