Who is the inventor of muay thai?

Answer 1

I have read on what few books there are on Muay Thai, and wikipedia (useful article by the way), that Muay Thai in fact originated in India. Now, it is true that Bodhidarma, also known as Daruma, invented Shaolin Kung Fu, even though the man was Indian, he invented Shaolin Kung Fu in Chinese soil. Moreover, the martial arts Daruma knew, where those of a southern, Tamil Indian prince, which involved mostly wrestling, swordplay, and staff work. Originally, Daruma taught the monks of Shaolin weapons routines, and indeed the weapons routines you see in the Shaolin temple, and modern Indian Martial Arts look almost identical. However, the unarmed combat styles look totally different. The reason that is because Daruma invented the unarmed styles from scratch; no influence from the unarmed Indian styles there.

Muay Thai's story is completely different; the martial art was transfered directly to them, by Indian traders from NORTHERN India. See, where in China, an Indian monk invented a new martial art from scratch, in the south east Asian kingdoms, the art was transmited to them directly. Official history dates Muay Thai back to the early 1800's, but tradition holds it to be much older, it also holds that it in fact comes from northern India, leading to speculation, that the Shatriya caste of India practiced an unarmed combat style similar to Muay Thai. Word is they still practice it; which is why Sikhs are often sought out as bodyguards, as Sikhs are members of the Shatriya caste, or were before they changed their religion.

I hold the Sikhs in high respect; even though their founding members had power, wealth, etc, they looked at the corrupt version of Hinduism they practiced, its inhumanity and said to themselves "there is something horribly wrong with this" so they changed their ways. That is like a bunch of rich white guys here in the U.S., from Los Angeles, deciding to pay child support for all the physically attractive Mexican maids they impregnated, not just child support, all the way to college, and then abandoning their racist thinking. In California, plenty of men throughout the upper classes have affairs with Mexican women; a lot of the women who cross the border are stunning, far more attractive than even Hollywood actresses or the gold diggers that infest Hollywood. Okay bad analogy; the point I'm trying to make is that the Shatriya had it made okay? There was no reason for them to change their way of thinking, however one of them did, founding the Sikh religion. Call it guilt, a crisis of conscience whatever you wish to call it; the point I am trying to make is that their position in the caste system, in the largely north Indian social ladder, made it so they had absolutely everything. Again when a man has everything, there is very little reason for them to change but see, the founding members of the Sikh religion, the early Sikhs who broke off from mainstream Shatriya society, had a conscience.

As to how, exactly, Muay Thai made its way to Thailand, and who exactly taught them the martial art, is not known now what is known for sure, is that Muay Thai was taught to the ancient Kingdom of Siam (then called Siam) by "Indian warriors." The only "warriors" in Indian society, geographically speaking, that had ready contact with southeast Asia were the Shatriya, so it stands to reason that Muay Thai in fact descends, from unarmed Shatriya martial arts. If you wish to learn the original "Muay Thai," you will have to travel to India, but, the Sikhs do not teach that martial art outside their religion, and the Shatriya, do not teach it to non-Shatriya. Also, good luck marrying into that caste; the Shatriya of India are fiercely proud, they do not marry from the lower castes, men or women, nor will they marry with any other peoples, they don't care if you are Chinese, European, black, hispanic from Latin America whatever they don't care, if you are not Indian, and not Shatriya, they won't accept you marrying one of their daughters if you're a guy, their sons if you're a girl. Good luck trying to convince them to think otherwise too; members of the Shatriya caste are known throughout India for being bull headed and stuborn.

Highly likely, the Shatriya who taught their unarmed combat style to the people of the Kingdoms of South East Asia, were Buddhist; do not forget that Buddhism originated in India. In this day and age, China, because it is more widely practiced there, has become the defacto authority on Buddhism, but in ancient times, it was India. When they practiced Buddhism, likely they relaxed the rules a little regarding what knowledge could be exchanged, and that is how, highly probable, not making this as a statement of fact, "Muay Thai" found its way to India. The first "Muay Thai" fighter, therefore, is likely whatever member of the Shatriya caste of India came up with the martial art. If you ever get in a fight with a Sikh, what he will likely use on you, is something similar to Muay Thai.