Version 1.2.4 April 2021 Edition

United World Muay Thai Association 

Members Handbook

Contact Information 

United World Muay Thai Association

New York 212-935-4441 – Board members msg line

Houston, Texas 281-394-3379 – Admissions

 membership@uwmta.org – all membership information

Website - UWMTA.ORG

Welcome All Muay Thai Practitioners 

Whatever your reasons for deciding to study the Muay Thai Arts - Maybe to learn self-defense or to keep in good physical shape or to learn its philosophy or simply to reduce stress.  

Maybe to develop more discipline or become the next big Mixed Martial Arts fighter- You have made the right decision.

Here at the United World Muay Thai Association, we can help you custom tailor your Martial Arts Skills to fit your needs and your goals. And to incorporate this training into your daily lives.

From: President - Kru Vut Kamnark

Chief Of Staff - Bill Petropulos

The Board Of Directors

All Members

Best of luck and good training to you all!

Always Remember – Muay Thai Fighters Respect all but Fear None 

Student attitude

For more than 35 years, I have listened to many instructor's, and hundreds of students mention proper attitude, but I have never heard anyone find just what a proper attitude is or what it should be

Only that this person or that person had a bad attitude.

How can the student have a proper attitude towards the martial arts if his or her instructor does not teach him what is expected of him or her? The following is a brief explanation of what we at the United World Muay Thai Association consider to be a healthy attitude that will aid you in your studies.

First of all, what is an attitude? Attitude is how you perceive things from your point of view. Therefore there is really no wrong attitude, and your attitude is your attitude.

However, there are people who have very negative attitude traits and those that have a very positive attitude.

We at United World Muay Thai Association believe that attitude is ever-changing and that you are not stuck with your present attitude; if you are not happy with the one you have can change it. 

The first element of a good attitude in the martial arts is respect, not just the respect for your instructor and the more advanced students but respect for your parents, elders and family members, and most importantly yourself, the key to understanding and respecting others is that you first understand and respect yourself. 

With membership in the United world Muay Thai Association, you will learn a lot about yourself.

Ego is probably the most important aspect that will govern the control of your attitude, and some people will tell you that they do not have an ego, this, of course, is not true; we all have egos, what they mean is they do not have hyper-inflated egos, let's hope not.  

One should never direct his or her ego towards other martial artists in the context of comparing oneself with others; the only person you were competing with within the dojo or on the street is yourself.

You should strive to be a better martial artist today than you were yesterday or last week. That is all that matters. One should not be concerned with anyone else's level of achievement or progress. It should not concern you in the least. You will meet many people in your life that are major egotists; most of those people are really falsely building themselves up to hide a major inferiority complex. They are insecure and unsure of themselves, so they put on a big false facade. It is unfortunate that they do not understand themselves.

Do not be angry at these people; hopefully, martial arts will help them understand themselves and become better people.

Humility is very important not just in the martial arts but in everyday life; society is in turmoil today primarily because this is the one generation; a lot of people today have become self-centered and always put themselves and their interests above everyone else. Now you can see how respect and humility are really connected in forming attitudes. 

Patience is also an essential trait in your journey in martial arts. 

The old masters of Japan would not train any students until they worked in the garden for a length of time, around a year or so. Then they had to work in the Horse stance for another year or more before they would take the student in for formal training.

: We have a saying we live by: 

Our Fast-Paced Lifestyles

Today we are taught to have instant breakfasts and express lanes on the roads to work as well as fast food for lunch and all kinds of quick shortcuts to accomplish something; unfortunately, there are no shortcuts in the martial arts world. It requires dedicated practice and patients to achieve black belt levels; perhaps we should re-examine the values of the ancient monks of Siam that more than 2000 years ago created the fascinating fighting art of Muay Thai Boxing. 

We believe it is time for all of us as martial artists to slow down a bit.

Lastly, always remember to keep a positive, optimistic attitude; the only real failure in life is not trying. We have all had bad experiences in our own lives, but these should not stop us from achieving our maximum potential. 

The last thing that I will leave you with is essential to maintain a positive attitude to study strong and to never take life too seriously, and always maintain a good sense of humor.

The five principles by which all

United world Muay Thai Association students should conduct themselves.

We are putting forth and thinking forth an excursion of strength or power physically or mentally.

The conventional code of good manners governs behavior in society, professional and business decorum.

Sincerity 

The honesty of mind or intention, truthfulness, always tell the truth, stay and do exactly what you mean.

Control over one's own impulses, emotions, and weaknesses always do what you have to do, always finish what you begin.

Character 

The total sum of the qualities that make up an individual. Moral excellence.

Before anyone can truly learn Muay Thai, he/she should have a general understanding of the Thai culture and the history of the people of Thailand. 

Wherever one may wander in the Orient among the many schools of fighting arts, one will not find a deadlier group of combatants than the Kickboxers of Thailand. Many great Masters in martial arts accept that the Thai Boxer is lethal because he is a professional and lives just to fight. Many people look upon Muay Thai (the correct term for Thai boxing) as a sport. This may be partly true, but the legacy of this 800-year-old art lives on today in the hearts of the Thai people. One visit to Thailand will confirm this. Down any street, one can see young children going through the rudiments of this ancient Siamese fighting art.

  

Muay Thai's Early Rise The old Kingdom of Siam, as Thailand was once known, has from ancient times always seen trouble from its neighbors. Occupying the Southeast Asia peninsula, it has Burma on the west, Laos on the north and east, Cambodia to the southeast, and the Gulf of Siam and Malaysia on the south. Yet amazingly, this "Land of the Free" has resisted all attempts to conquer it. One can only put this down to the fierce fighting spirit of the people. Muay Thai techniques were part of the military training system, which was greatly influenced by Chinese fighting methods in the beginning. It later underwent a marked change and developed independently, losing many of the Chinese boxing methods along the way. It is somewhat of a mystery how and why this happened, and for that matter, why many of Muay Thai's special fighting techniques are not seen anywhere else outside Thailand.  

Because the Siamese people were combative by nature, the common folk picked up the military unarmed fighting methods and developed them into a sport, but they still retained all the lethal blows. Further skills were developed during the reign of king Pra Chao Sua, who was known as the Tiger King. Every village staged its prize fights, with young and old, rich and poor all taking part. The King himself was a highly skilled boxer and was reputed to have trained with his soldiers six hours a day. He would often leave his palace disguised as a wandering peasant and enter boxing events, always defeating the local champions. The King would spend hours alone in his palace perfecting certain techniques and then try them out in local contests. So skilled were some of his boxing strategies that, even today, are still used and known as the Tiger King Style.  

The Greatest Fighter of Them All Over the centuries, the greatest of the Muay Thai fighters have become legendary. Stories are told of their battles and adventures to eager listening children by the village storytellers. Perhaps the most famous of all Siamese fighters was Nai Khanom Tom. He was a brilliant athlete and a strong, courageous man, holding the title of the best fighter in all of Siam.

During the many wars that Siam had with her neighbor Burma, Nai Khanom Tom was captured by Burmese soldiers. They had heard of his great fighting ability, so they decided to pit him against 12 of Burma's top bando fighters (Bando is a martial art of Burma and similar to Thai Boxing), and if he could defeat all 12, Nai Khanom Tom would be allowed to go free. So the next day in a stadium packed with thousands of people, Nai Khanom Tom prepared to fight bare-handed against the cream of Burma's top fighters. One by one, they came at him, all out to hurt him.

And become heroes themselves for defeating the greatest martial artist in Siam. As each fighter pitted his skills against the great Nai Khanom Tom, he was instantly injured and unable to continue, being dispatched with lightning elbow strikes and murderous knee blows. As the day wore - on, the great Siamese champion had defeated all of his opponents. The spectators, who had been cheering forth their own men, suddenly began to cheer for this magnificent fighter from Siam. They were full of admiration for the prisoner who had fought and defeated several men without rest or being wounded himself. The King of Burma had no alternative but to let him go free.

No Rules or Regulations In 1930, Muay Thai underwent a transformation. A number of rules and regulations were introduced, including the wearing of boxing gloves and groin guards.

Certain weight divisions were stipulated. Until that time, virtually anything was allowed in the ring. One favorite device used by the boxers was hemp rope bound around the fist to act as a form of a glove. Then it was dipped in glue and rolled in finely ground glass.  

Growth of the Art Today With the spread of contact sports among martial artists throughout the world, Muay Thai has burgeoned all over the world. In Japan, Europe, and North America, Muay Thai has reached epic proportions in recent years.  

Followers of many other martial arts disciplines will, on most occasions, refuse to fight a Thai Boxer because they regard him or her as a complete fighting machine.

Muay Thai Techniques, Styles, and Forms.

 

The martial art of Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and is being religiously practiced in Thailand ever since it was formulated. The origin of this style is accredited to the Ayutthaya period of 1584 when Thailand was ruled by King Naresuan. This ground-breaking form was a result of the various invasions that the country was subject to at that period of time. This was when the citizens felt the need for a method of self-defense. This form of hand-to-hand combating consists of changing movements that makes use of sturdy body parts such as elbows, legs, head, and fists. These are some of the eight weapons that hold prime importance in this style of fighting. The system also has provisions for the efficient use of weapons. 

Though Muay Thai was invented in order to serve as a self-defense mechanism more than 800 years ago, it is also very competitive when it comes to combat. Punches are an indispensable part of this form. There are various forms of twisting and flexing the wrists that like the straight punch, jab, uppercut, swing, and hook, which are very helpful in winning the fight or defending oneself successfully.

There are also eight elbow techniques like the Sok Ti (Striking Elbow), Sok Hud (Levering Elbow), Sok Tad (Perpendicular Elbow), Sok Klab (Reverse Elbow), Sok Tong (Smash Downward Elbow), Sok Ku (Double Elbows), Sok Sab (Chopping Elbow) and Sok Chieng (Diagonal Elbow).

The knee techniques are also classified as Kao Tone (Straight knee), Kao Nui (Small knee), Kao Dode (Jumping knee), Kao Loi (Flying knee), Kao La (Farewell knee), Kao Lod (Lower knee), and Kao Kratai (Rabbit knee). Kicks in the form of Tae Tad (Sidekick or Round Kick), Tae Kod (Hook kick or Down round kick), Tae Chiang (Diagonal Kick), Tae Pub Nai (Kick to the inside of the knee joint), and Tae Pub Nok (Kick to the outside of the knee joint) are also an important constituent of Muay Thai. 

These techniques are extremely dangerous and should only be practiced under the supervision of a certified Muay Boran Khru. 

The two most important techniques that are followed by Muay Thai practitioners are Mae Mai Muay Thai which is the master technique that is used in order to defeat the opponent, as well as ( Look Mai) Muay Thai which are tricks that complement the master techniques. There are 15 techniques each that belong to both these groups, which are used very extensively in the practice of this martial art form. Salab Fan Pla (Cross-switch), Ta Then Kham Fak (Old man holding the melon), Hak Kor Erawan (Break the elephant's neck), and Khuanyak Jab Ling (The giant catches the monkey) are some of the master techniques in this art.

  

On the other hand, Kwang Liew Lang (Deer looks back), Hong Peek Hak (Swan with broken wings), and Graisorn Kham Huai (Tiger descends into the stream) are a few of the complementing techniques.

The art of Muay Thai is considered to be very aggressive and very fatal.  

It aims at causing the maximum amount of damage with the use of minimum effort. A correct body posture while practicing these forms helps in saving a lot of energy while attacking and defending.

The perfect timing and targeting the soft spots of the opponent's body with hard blows are the basis of this style.

Time Equivalence/Hours Trained

level 0 - ( white belt equivalent ) - 6 months  

Level 1 - ( Yellow Belt Equivalent ) - 6 months

Level 2 - ( Orange Belt Equivalent ) - 6 Months

Level 3 - ( Purple belt Equivalent ) - 6 months

Level 4 - ( Blue Belt Equivalent ) - 6 months

Level 5 - ( Green Belt Equivalent ) - 6 months

Level 6 - ( Brown Belt Equivalent ) - 6 months

Level 7 - ( Black Belt Equivalent ) - 6 months ( 4 years of training )

Level 8 - ( Jr instructor - 2nd Dan/Degree Black Equivalent ) 5 - 6 years of training

Level 9 - ( Instructor / Kru - 3rd Dan/Degree Black Equivalent ) - 8 years of training

Level 10 - ( Senior Instructor / Kru - 5th Dan/Degree Black ) - ( 5 years of teaching )  

Level 11 - ( Master Instructor / Kru - 8th/Dan/Degree Black ) - ( 10 + years as instructor )

Level 12 - ( Grand Master Instructor / Kru - 10th Dan/Degree Black ) - ( 20 years as instructor )

Certificate Levels 

1st Khan - White - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat  

2nd Khan - Yellow - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

3rd Khan - Yellow and White - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

4th Khan - Green - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

5th Khan - Green and White - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

6th Khan - Blue - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

7th Khan - Blue and White - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

8th Khan - Brown - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

9th Khan - Brown and White - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

10th Khan - Red - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat

11th Khan - Red and White - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat ( Jr instructor ) Instructor trainee

12th Khan - Red and Yellow - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat ( Kru / instructor )

13th Khan - Red and White - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat ( Senior Kru / instructor ) Kru Yai

14th Khan - Silver - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat ( Master Instructor ) Ajarn / Ajahn / Arjarn

15th Khan - Gold - Druang Rang / Prajioud / Prajeat ( Grand Master )

Please Note: 

All Black Belt Dan/Degree's shown above are only representing Equivalents for Western and United States Martial Arts Students and for the Art of Muay Thai Kick Boxing or Muay Boran Martial Arts - THERE ARE NO OFFICIAL RANKING SYSTEMS for Muay Boran or Muay Thai Kick Boxing in Thailand

Ranking systems are purely for USA students. These suggested ranking systems are for students to keep track of progression. Students need a tangible way to show achievement and progression; many of these systems work in regards to this. Students benefit from the acknowledgment of learning, and the gyms benefit from student test revenue.

Gym/Dojo Etiquette 

Remove shoes and Bow before entering the mat and Also When Leaving the Mat. The reason we remove our footwear is twofold; this is an ancient custom going back more than 2000 years and a sign of our humility as a visitor to remove our footwear. The second reason is the obvious one of hygiene and germs from our shoes getting on the mats. Remember, good health and avoiding germs are stepping stones to peak fitness.  

Always walk to the rear of a class when the class is in session.

Do not speak when the class is in progress or when your Kru is speaking to the class unless it is absolutely necessary. Speaking while the Teacher is talking is very disrespectful.

No eating, drinking, smoking, or chewing gum or tobacco in the class.

Refrain from the use of foul or vulgar language while in or near the Class, Gym, or Dojo; it shows great disrespect to curse in the school or class.

Cursing at the Kru or any instructor is cause for immediate dismissal from training and removal or termination of membership from the United World Muay Thai Association. Your instructor may choose to let the student stay or return to his class, but the UWMTA will not reinstate the student as a UWMTA fighter or member. Without a written apology to their Teacher and the United World Muay Thai Association.

Always Bow to your instructor at the beginning of the class and at the end of the class.  

Always Bow to your workout or sparring partner when sparring and working out. This is a showing of mutual respect and is in no way a form of religious significance.

Do not Disrupt the class with questions to your Kru or instructor, whether in Private class or group classes. 

Your Kru or Instructor will give the student time at the end of all classes for any questions or concerns the student may have. Early in the training process, students may have many questions, but too many questions too early in your training will only slow down or impede your learning process and, in the end, will result in you spending more time and hours training than would be necessary.

TRUST YOUR KHRU OR INSTRUCTOR THAT HE OR SHE KNOWS WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND BE PATIENT, DO NOT LOSE SIGHT OF YOUR CURRENT OBJECTIVES, DO NOT WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU WILL LEARN TOMORROW, IT IS IMPORTANT TO STAY MINDFUL AND IN THE NOW...  

A Favorite Proverb told in our Dojo and Gyms and one we hold to be very true. 

There is the old proverb/story written 1000 years ago about a new student who comes to class, and on the first day, he approached his KRU and asked, "Teacher, how long must I train to be the best fighter in all the lands "well the Master said to the student "10 Years at least I would think ". 10 years is a very long time, said the young student". What if I train and study twice as hard as all the students. Well then the Master said "I think 20 years would do it" "WHAT!" the student replied, then what if I train Day and Night with all my heart and all my Soul "How long then would it take to be the best fighter in the lands? Thirty years later, the Master said", How can that be the student ask? Each time I say I will work harder, you tell me that it will take longer to be the best; why? The student asked. 

The answer is obvious: the Master replied, "when one eye is fixed upon your destination, that only leaves you with one eye to find your way".

For Gym owners and instructors:

Suggested testing for student levels and ranking

UWMTA Requirements for Level one certification 

Proper Execution of 

1. Forward Front - Stance

2. On Guard Position - Stance

3. Right/Left - JAB

4. Right/Left – Cross

5. Right/Left – Uppercut

6. Right/Left – Hook

7. Right/Left – Vertical Elbow

8. Right/Left – Low Kick (DeaKick)

9. Right/Left – Front Kick (Teep)

Minimum of 4 hit combos incorporating all the above strikes on testing day. 

UWMTA Requirements for Level Two certification 

Proper Execution of 

10. Forward Front – Crouched Stance

11. On Guard Position – Crouched Stance

12. Right/Left – Crescent Kick- inside/outside

13. Right/Left – Back Kick

14. Right/Left – Mule Kick

15. Right/Left – Vertical Knee

16. Right/Left – Vertical Elbow

17. Right/Left – Double Leg Kick

18. Right/Left – Double Elbow Strike

19. Right/Left – Teep Kick to Head

20. Right/Left – Back Elbow Strike

21. Right/Left – Elbow Block to Head/Neck

 Minimum of 6 hit combo incorporating all the above strikes on testing day. 

UWMTA Requirements for Level Three certification

Proper execution of  

1. Switch step 

2. Switch step Dae Kick Left/Right

3. Switch Step high kick left/right

4. Side Step Left/Right

5. Side Step Jab ・ Left/Right

6. Jab- Side step Jab

7. Back Step Jab/Cross

8. Back Step Cross

9. Side Step evade/duck under 1-2 punch

10. Front leg Teep

Min of 8 hit combos incorporating all above strikes With Orthodox/Southpaw proficiency  

UWMTA Requirements for Level Four certification 

Proper execution of    

1. Left/right Checking 1-2 punch with Check 

2. SideKick left/right

3. Stepping Side Kick left/right

4. Front leg sweep

5. Left hand - Jab/Hook

6. Right Hand - Jab/Hook

7. Left/Right Hook/Jab - Hook/Cross

8. Right side Forward step 45* 1-2 punch solar plexus/head Left/Right sides

9. Heel Drop left/right side

10. Spinning Elbow reverse elbow right/left side

11. 1-2 punch flurry 4/6 strikes

Min of 10 hit combos incorporating all above strikes With Orthodox/Southpaw proficiency  

END CHAPTER

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