Muay Thai is a hard martial art from Thailand that uses kicks. It is
similar to other Indochinese kick-using styles of kickboxing, namely pradal
serey from Cambodia, tomoi from
Malaysia, lethwei from Myanmar and Muay Lao from Laos. Descended
from muay boran, Muay Thai is Thailand's
national sport, mostly because it uses kicks.
The word muay derives from the Sanskrit mavya and Thai comes
from the word Tai. Muay Thai is referred to as the "Art of Eight
Limbs" or the "Science Of Eight Limbs" because it makes use of
punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight "points of
contact", as opposed to "two points" (fists) in Western boxing
and "four points" (hands and feet) used in sport-oriented martial arts.
A practitioner of Muay Thai is known as a nak muay. Western
practitioners are sometimes called nak muay farang meaning foreign boxer.
Eskrima or escrima refers to a class of Filipino martial arts
that emphasize weapon-based fighting with the stick, staff or knife.
Alternative terms which have entered into common usage include kali and arnis.
Eskrima and arnis are the most common among the many names often used in the Philippines
today to refer to these arts.
The teaching of the basic skills in eskrima are traditionally simplified.
With limited time to teach intricate moves, only techniques that were proven
effective in battle and could easily be taught en masse were used. This allowed
villagers, generally not professional soldiers, a measure of protection against
other villages, as well as foreign invaders. This philosophy of simplicity is
still used today and is the underlying base of eskrima. Because of this
approach, eskrima and the Filipino martial arts in general are often mistakenly
considered to be "simple". However, this refers only to its
systematization, not effectiveness. To the contrary, beyond the basic skills
lies a very complex structure and a refined skill set that takes years to
master.
Sparring Gear for Kickboxing, Escrima & modern warrior
Oversized Target Mitts
Stick Case
Extra Large Gear Bag
Burned Rattan Fighting Sticks
Clean Rattan Fighting Sticks
The standard student starter set is a basic gear
package that will meet the needs of a new student. Additional equipment
may be needed later in training or as equipment wears out.
