Muay Thai

You may think of Muay Thai, or Thai kickboxing, as underground boxing or street fighting, but it is, in fact, a traditional form of martial art in Thailand.

Once practised by kings and princes, its roots can be traced back to the first Thai kingdom created in the late 13th century. Just as ancient Chinese people learnt kung fu in Shaolin temples, temples were the major venue for ancient Thai people to learn Muay Thai.

'Muay Thai is as emblematic of Thailand as kung fu is of China,' says Tsoi Tung Hiu, the principal trainer at Thai kickboxing studio The Ring in Lan Kwai Fong. 'In the past many Hong Kong people had prejudices against Thai kickboxing, thanks to movies that exaggerated the violence of the sport.'

Tsoi, a veteran boxer and trainer whose students include International Amateur Championships World Cup winner Heung Pak-wing, says that practising Thai kickboxing is actually much safer than playing football.

When engaging in a fight, a Thai kickboxer is equipped with mouth, head, groin and shin guards, body and ankle protectors, and a hand-wrap as well as a pair of 16 oz sparring gloves. Given all this protection, Tsoi says the chances of boxers injuring themselves during training or competitions are minimal.

And this makes Muay Thai a very attractive sport for teenagers who want to toughen their muscles but find going to the gym or jogging a little bit boring. In addition to his normal sessions for adults, Tsoi is also offering classes for young people and children.