To Understand Muay Chaiya

            Muay Chaiya, or any form of Thai boxing, is not just a way to express the cultural beauty of Thailand or just to be fought on stage but it is a precious heritage passed down from generation to generation. Throughout the history of Thailand, the great warriors of the past had all at some point practiced Muay Thai before they picked up swords to ward off the invaders. Therefore, Muay Thai signifies safety and security for the lives of those who practice it and another proof of the efficiency of Thai martial arts is the independence that Thailand has always maintained until now. Since Muay Thai emphasizes safety one has to be very cautioned and precise with Muay Thai, this will come at a cost of the apprentice’s patience. Although the origin of Muay Thai is unclear but one thing that is certain is that it is a synthesis of the masters of the past and a primary basis for the warriors before they took up weapons.  
Preparation before training
          First of all the apprentice has to be sure if he or she has a stable mentality, modesty, a careful and mindful nature, honesty, gratefulness and has a real interest in training Thai boxing. Thai boxing came from the love of the Thai people for the kingdom, the religion and the monarchy and this has given birth to this world-renowned unique form of martial arts. Thus, anyone who wants to become an apprentice must check to see if he or she is missing any of these traits, if so, then it is advisable to obtain all of them in order to build a strong base upon which Muay Chaiya skills can be added.
Understanding the parts of the body and their usages in Thai boxing.

	The fists (self-explanatory): knuckling, knocking, smashing, hurling, ramming, jolting, yanking, flinging, beating etc.
	The feet (anything from the knees down to the feet): kicking, hurling, pushing, etc.
	The knees (formed by bending the knees to strengthen the knee bones): used as both an efficient offensive and a defensive weapon.
	The elbows: (formed by bending the arms to form an angle at the elbows): used as both an efficient offensive and defensive weapon for the body.

How to position each parts of the body correctly           If a house needs its fences to prevent uninvited guests from entering or seeing what is happening inside, the body too needs its fences. To be in the guard position is called ‘charod muay’. Though there are countless ways to ‘charod muay’ but the type of guards that will be discussed down below is the Muay Chaiya style that can both defend the face and the body of the fighter and also prepare the fighter to strike back when there is an opportunity without the opponent knowing when it will come.

How to put up a proper ‘charod muay’ guard. In a proper ‘charod muay’, the person has to be able to switch the position of the arms quickly as he or she switches the foot from one to the other, front and back. The lower fist has to make a 45-degree angle with the arm of the other fist. When a punch is coming, all that is necessary for the person is to move the side of the upper arm up against the punch or move the arm downward. This type of movements will injure or hurt the arm that the opponent uses to punch and it will defend the fighter and injures the opponent at the same time.  
            Muay Chaiya, for those who have mastered it, will be able to borrow the force of the opponent to strike back and at the same time, defend himself. This is done by using the strongest bones in the body to block against attacks. To visualize this, imagine hitting yourself into an edge of a table. To wrap it all up, Muay Chaiya is not just about using force, strength or agility but it is also about a complete defense of the body, a wise retaliation and constant attacks.