Muay Thai in popular culture
The Hard martial art Muay Thai, Thailand's National Sport, was featured in several media such as film, television shows, manga, anime and video games, Muay Thai became well known around the world when Yodtong Senanan lead Nak Muay Team against Osamu Noguchi's Kickboxer Team on October 16, 1972.[1] In the years since, Muay Thai has influenced Kickboxing, K-1, and MMA as some practitioners train in Muay Thai for use in competition. Its brutal yet flashy style has made it popular for use in film.
Movies
- The documentary feature film Fight or Flight starring Peter J McCarthy and Andy Tompson of Lanna Muay Thai is based on an epic journey into Thailand's ring fighting circuit. Fight or Flight has won "Best Foreign Documentary" at the Long Island Film Festival and "Best Documentary" at festivals in Hamburg, Toronto and TVIFF in California.
- In 2004, Thai boxer Asanee Suwan was named best actor at the Thailand National Film Association Awards for his portrayal of Parinya Charoenphol in Beautiful Boxer. The movie tells the true-life story of a man who masters Muay Thai in order to realize his dream of becoming a woman.
- The 1971 Shaw Brothers Studio film Duel of Fists is set in Bangkok's Lumpinee Boxing Stadium and stars Ti Lung as a Muay Thai exponent who is the long-lost brother of a Hong Kong martial artist, portrayed by David Chiang.
- Recently the films Ong-Bak and The Protector starring Tony Jaa and Born to Fight starring Dan Chupong helped popularize Muay Thai in the west. Ong-Bak featured some techniques of Muay Boran and Tom-Yum-Goong showcased "Jaturongkabaht" (used by the Royal Thai Bodyguards circa 15th–18th century) and "Muay Koshasan" (Elephant Boxing style). Muay Koshasan is also known as Muay Chang Tumlai Roang (Smashing Elephant Boxing style) because it emphasizes a lot of throwing, crushing, and breaking of joints and limbs.
- Dida Diafat plays himself in Chok Dee, a semi-fictional film about his life. Shot in the Muay Thai camps of Bangkok, it covers a lot of the training that Thai boxers undergo.
- The film Kickboxer starring Jean Claude van Damme is about a young fighter who learns Muay Thai to avenge his brother, who was paralyzed by the current champion.
- The 1988 movie Bloodsport features Paulo Tocha as a Muay Thai practitioner named Paco.
- Mong Fu in A Fighter's Blues is a Muay Thai Boxer from Hong Kong.(Casting by Andy Lau)
- Lim Su-Jeong in Chocolate is a Muay Thai Boxer from South Korea.
- Ahmad Al-Sulaiti plays himself in AUKMEN as a Muay Thai Boxer from Qatar.
- Master KIMs have Nak Muay Team at the final scene.
- Upcoming South Korean-Thai film THE KICK have one main character Hwa-hwa who have Muay Thai skill.(Casting by Yanin Vismistananda)[2]
Television
- The Contender Asia is a 15 episode reality show featuring 16 Muay Thai practitioners from around the world.
- The History channel took a deep look into the history and fighting techniques of Muay Thai on their show Human Weapon.
- True Life: I'm a Muay Thai Fighter follows Kit Cope and Ben Garcia as they travel overseas to make their mark in the brutal world of Muay Thai ring fighting. They are each scheduled to compete in bare-knuckle fights that will be broadcast live on television all across Thailand.
- Fight Girls is a reality show similar to the Ultimate Fighter, where ten female fighters live together and train with a Muay Thai instructor in Las Vegas for six weeks in an effort to fight for a Muay Thai championship in Thailand. The group of women is narrowed down to five via a three round fight between house mates set up by the head trainer. The losing fighter is eliminated from the house and the winner will go to Thailand at the end of the season.
- Jimmy Smith learns Muay Thai in the Discovery Channel series Fight Quest.
- Dhani Jones learns Muay Thai in the pilot of the Travel Channel series Dhani Tackles The Globe.
- Baki the Grappler- 2nd season 2 fighters practice thai
- In the episode TKO of Babylon 5 a character in the year 2258 participates in an alien-run tournament called the "Mutai".
- The Japanese variety show Gaki no Tsukai often have punishment games, where the losing cast member is punished by several means, the most dreaded is the "Thai Kick", where a Kickboxers delivers a kick to the loser's backside.
- The Real World/Road Rules Challenge, The Ruins, featured a challenge named "Muay Thai" that involved karate-kicking bamboo sticks and was played as an elimination round.
K-1
- Many fighter (not Thai) are using Muay Thai skill in K-1 including :
Badr Hari, Peter Aerts, Remy Bonjasky, Chalid Arrab, etc. and they are appearance in the game K-1 2006.
MMA
Anderson Silva, Mauricio Rua, Wanderlei Silva Brandon Vera, Alan Belcher, Nate Marquardt Cyrille Diabaté
Female Fighters
- Many female who notable are:
Gina Carano, Kara Scott, Su Jeong Lim
Manga & animation
- Many Muay Thai characters for example Soman Sono Arikton from Kick no Oni (キックの鬼) who versus Tadashi Sawamura are first Muay Thai characters in TV animation.[3][4]
And the others:
| Anime-Comic characters |
Series |
Anime-Comic characters |
Series |
| Muay Thai Chūchai |
Tatakae!! Ramenman |
Draculaman, Pamput |
Dragon Ball |
Sawamura Noritaka
TCHAN-POUA |
NORITAKA |
Bunnaak Singprasert |
Captain Tsubasa (World Youth) |
Samart Sirinto, Charndech Nham Sae Gym
Thanakorn Ammarath, Changnoi Jakkapong
Sansak, Thongchai[5]
Junny Scan de Lucky
SHIN "TEMUR" SHIRATO |
Karate Shokoshi Kohinata Minoru[6] |
Krut Muangsurin |
陣内流柔術武闘伝 真島クンすっとばす!! |
| Kreangarg Suwanpakdee |
KOKO TEKKENDEN TOUGH |
Apachai Hopachai, Tirawit Kōkin
Agaard Jum Sai |
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple |
| Yothin |
Beyblade |
Lussuria |
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! |
| Thani Sor.Silachai[7][8] |
Treasure hunting in Thailand[9] |
Mamoru |
Kickboxer Mamoru |
Video games
In video games, Muay Thai is often represented in fighting games by characters bearing resemblance to traditional Nak Muay fighters, bearing arm bands and handwraps to differentiate themselves from other characters, as fighting games tend to contain practitioners of various martial arts. Some of the most popular examples are:
Behind the games
Other
- Kamen Rider Imperer is a one of the 13 Kamen Riders in series Kamen Rider Ryuki.
- Violet Wolf Ranger and Geki Violet from Power Rangers: Jungle Fury and the source of its footage, Juken Sentai Gekiranger, both depict the Violet Ranger as a Muay Thai practitioner. He sports the prajed (dual elbow bands worn by Thai fighters) and mainly uses elbow and knee attacks, often performing flying knee strikes.
- Lumpini Gundam is a Gundam plastic model in Muay Thai form which created by Japanese modifier.
- Ultraman Millennium is an Ultraman in Muay Thai version which play on stage show in Thailand.
- Professional wrestler CM Punk employs a variety Muay Thai attacks, mostly kicks.[11]
Reference
External links