EACH OF US WOULD HAVE HEARD THE FOLLOWING WORDS, MUAI-THAI, EVERY TIME IN LIFE. What is this sport? WHAT IS HIS STORY? WHO TRADITIONALLY WINS IN THE RINGS OF THE WORLD? WE ASK OUR NEIGHBOR OF STEPHAN FOX, SECRETARY-GENERAL OF THE WORLD FAMILY AMUI-THAI (IFMA).
Muay Thai as an international sport that they still want to recognize as Olympic, Stefan Fox, a German by nationality who trained in France, Thailand and Australia, began to actively promote it three years ago. But before leaving the big sport, Stefan himself won the Pacific, Intercontinental and Asian championships.
Stefan, good afternoon. Let us first remind our readers of what Muay Thai is and what its history is.
Thai boxing or Muay Thai is a traditional Thai martial art derived from the ancient Thai Muay Boran martial art. The term "Muay" comes from the Sanskrit "Mavya" and "Thai", which means "fight of the free" or "free fight". In modern Muaythai, during a duel, the enemy can be struck with fists, feet, elbows and knees, which is why Muay Thai is called the “fight of eight limbs”.
The history of this sport goes back centuries. The first rules of the competition were developed in 1937, later they were modified in accordance with general international requirements. The first official Muay Thai amateur competition was held in Thailand in 1971, the homeland of the sport. At the same time, in order to prevent serious injuries, the rules introduced the requirement for athletes to use protective ammunition: a vest, helmet, and hand guards and legs.
Stefan, please tell us about the recent winner of the Muay Thai Championship in Iran. How did a fighter from the Emirates - Mansur Lut, unexpectedly for everyone, become a champion?
This guy from the UAE has a very good background. Of course, no one expected him to win, because many strong fighters from different countries gathered in Iran for the Asian Muay Thai Championship. However, I hope that thanks to the gold medal, which the fighter from the Emirates deservedly received in heavy weight, all those disparate sports clubs for training fighters that today work in the UAE can finally be gathered under one "roof".
At the moment, Muay Thai has a good development in Russia, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Uzbekistan and Iran. In these countries there are official federations that regularly hold championships at various levels. I think that the gold medal that Mansur Luta received at the Asian Championships is a good “push” for the further development of this sport and the opening of a federation in the United Arab Emirates. We plan to open a Muay Thai Federation here in the next six to eight months. In the meantime, if we talk about martial arts, in the UAE there is only a karate federation, but since the popularity of these sports is constantly growing, this is clearly not enough.
Well, let's hope that the Muay Thai Federation will be registered in the Emirates at the time you specify.
I am sure that in the UAE you can find many talented athletes who will bring many worthy victories to their country.
Stefan, let's get back to the victory of Masur Luta from the UAE, which, even for himself, was a complete surprise. What do you think are his chances at the European Championship?
This year's European Muay Thai Championship will be held in Turkey. It will be attended by 22 countries, about 400 fighters. Therefore, of course, we hope for the success of the representative of the UAE martial arts school. I would like to note that the countries of Eastern Europe, such as Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, traditionally show a good fight, so the next European championships will be held in Russia and the CIS. In September 2011 - in Uzbekistan, then - in St. Petersburg in 2012, and most likely, the Muay Thai Championship in 2013 will also be held there. So, the next three years we will focus on Russia and its neighboring countries.
The local population of the UAE seems to be more fond of horse racing, camel racing and falconry. When talking about martial arts comes, many businessmen and entrepreneurs who would like to sponsor Muay Thai competitions refuse, citing the fact that they cannot support violence. How do you comment on this situation?
To be honest, we constantly face a similar problem in different countries of the world. But in fact, Muay Thai is more than just a sport, it is a whole culture. If you compare Muay Thai and horse racing, the latter is much more likely to get serious injury. People fall from horses, break arms and legs, they can be paralyzed. In Muay Thai, the fighters have the skills and tactics of conducting a duel, so the injuries at the competitions are insignificant, and the martial arts performances resemble more a dance than a fight, as many people think.
Will it be necessary for your future Muay Thai Federation to explain to sponsors, members of the UAE government?
Yes it will. Take, for example, Singapore. Contact sports were not particularly developed there. Four years ago, the government developed a special program to promote Singapore as a modern international tourist and sports destination, and is already planning to apply for the Asian Muaythai Championship. Now this sport is put on such a professional level that more than three million people are already engaged in 60 sports clubs. Muay Thai is a fighting sport, a lifestyle, and a way of self-defense. Many use Muay Thai training instead of fitness. Believe me, these are more effective loads on all muscle groups. In 45 minutes of intense training, you burn twice as many calories as you do with aerobics. We have one athlete, he is 75 years old, he is engaged daily and feels great.
Stefan, let me wish you success and the implementation of all plans to open the Muay Thai Federation in the UAE. Thanks for the interview.
