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Discipline hub

Muay Thai

The “art of eight limbs”: fists, elbows, knees and shins – plus the clinch.

Origin
Thailand
Region
Southeast Asia
Founded
pre-modern, as a sport from the 1920s
Category
Striking
Two Siamese boxers with rope-bound fists face each other in an open-air ring in Bangkok in the 1920s, watched by a crowd.
Siamese boxing in Bangkok, 1920s. Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

Muay Thai is Thailand's national sport and one of the most complete stand-up disciplines: alongside punches and kicks, elbows, knees and the clinch are all allowed. A fight has its own rhythm – five rounds, accompanied by traditional music, with a slow start and a decision that is often made in rounds three and four.

Character

  • Long range: Long shin kicks and hard front kicks (teep) to control distance.
  • Close range: Elbows and knees, plus the clinch, where balance and neck control decide.
  • Stance: Upright, weight slightly back, so the lead leg can check and kick quickly.

Who is it for?

Anyone who enjoys stand-up fighting with a lot of tools and isn't afraid of shin contact. Getting started is straightforward in most gyms: gloves, hand wraps, shin guards, mouthguard – nothing more is needed in the first year.

Further reading: Muay Thai on Wikipedia

Muay Thai

History

History

The History of Muay Thai

How Muay Thai grew from Siamese military training into a gloved ring sport with stadiums and Olympic recognition – with the legends kept apart from the record.

11 min read · 17 Sept 2026

Muay Thai

Training

Muay Thai

Workouts

Muay Thai

Nutrition

Muay Thai

Gear articles

Muay Thai

Compared with other arts

Muay Thai

Gear

Recommendations from our reviews. Links are affiliate links, clearly labelled.

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Product image
Our pickBoxing gloves

Hayabusa Hayabusa T3 Boxing Gloves

4.7about $160–170

The glove to buy once: the best wrist support in the category and two to three years of hard use in the reviews.

Pros

  • Dual-strap closure locks the wrist – the most one-sided praise in the category
  • Roomy fit that suits big hands
  • Multi-year durability reports at three sessions a week
  • Compact, lace-up-like feel

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Firm padding stings for the first sessions
  • Some find the wrist closure too tight
  • Occasional loose stitching on arrival
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Product image
Best all-rounderBoxing gloves

Venum Venum Elite Boxing Gloves

4.6about $100–110

The safest all-rounder: almost no bad reviews, three-year durability reports and the widest colour range – as long as your hands are not large.

Pros

  • Build quality praised in the great majority of reviews
  • Little break-in, good for average and smaller hands
  • Wrist support that holds up over years
  • Huge colour range

Cons

  • Runs slightly small and narrow – not for large hands
  • Rigid for the first sessions
  • Slippery outer surface on some bags
  • Pricey for a first pair
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Product image
Our pickHand wraps & inner gloves

RDX RDX Mexican Style Hand Wraps, 4.5 m / 180"

4.6about $14 (3-pack about $27)

The wrap to buy once: the best quality ratio of any wrap we looked at, survives the washing machine, and the only best seller with no Velcro-failure pattern.

Pros

  • Quality praised in 229 of 245 mentions – the best ratio in the category
  • Durability through repeated washing, no Velcro complaints
  • A true 4.5 metres, so the wrist gets wrapped properly
  • Strong material that does not bunch mid-session

Cons

  • Too much wrap for small hands – bulk under gloves
  • Less elastic than the label suggests, some say none at all
  • Stiff Velcro with a tapered closure
  • A few buyers want a wider strip
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Product image
Best under $50Boxing gloves

RDX RDX EGO Boxing Gloves

4.4about $40–45

The best durability profile under $50: breaks in and loosens rather than falling apart, and looks like a glove twice the price.

Pros

  • Durability clearly better than most gloves at this price
  • Stitching and build almost never criticised
  • Good fit for narrower hands and many women at 12–14 oz
  • Runs slightly heavy, so protection is generous

Cons

  • Snug, especially with wraps
  • A minority feel impact through the padding
  • One repeat buyer reports a 2025 pair below the earlier one
  • Easily confused with RDX's cheaper Pro Training line
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