By Sean Fagan

Muay Thai is the national sport of Thailand and is beloved by fans around the world. This striking art form involves eight points of contact – two fists, two elbows, two knees, and two shins – making it one of the most dynamic and exciting martial arts disciplines to watch.

The sport of Muay Thai has produced some of the most incredible fighters of all time. Here, we rank the top 3 best Muay Thai fighters of all time.

1. Samart Payakaroon

Samart Payakaroon is widely regarded as the best Muay Thai fighter of all time. Born in 1962 in Bangkok, Thailand, Samart began training in Muay Thai at a young age and made his professional debut at just 14 years old. Over the course of his storied career, Samart won an incredible four Lumpinee Stadium championships across four different weight classes. He was known for his incredible speed, agility, and devastating kicks. In addition to his success in the ring, Samart also had a successful career in boxing,...

THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT TO CHALLENGING YOURSELF

By Evan Lee

Think it’s too late to start training in your 30s? 40s? 50s? It’s not. No matter what age you are, whether you’re eight or 80, it’s never too late to begin training.

Hang on – how’s that old saying go? “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks“? No. The new saying goes, “The quickest way to become an old dog is to stop learning new tricks.”

Martial arts is not simply a new way for you to view the world, it can lead to a completely new you.

Check out this Evolve MMA video outlining seven ways martial arts will change you and your world:

Never Too Late To Start

Let me address the most common worry about starting martial arts post-20’s: “But I’m not in good enough shape to start training!”

Hear this: Few people actually begin martial arts in good shape. They begin martial arts, then they get in good...

The Muay Thai Knee Fighter

Muay Thai is not one style.

The art of Muay Thai extends to Muay Boran, and from Muay Boran, it extends out even further.

Muay Thai is as mixed as any martial art can be. However, like how boxing has the counter-puncher, brawler, boxer-puncher, etc., Muay Thai has many fighting styles of its own as well.

Today, the focus is on the masters of the clinch, the Muay Khao. Muay Khaos are the smothering fighters. They are terrors to fight and will not give you a single second to rest. You may think of them as the terminator mixed with an octopus. They never stop moving forward. They seek to smother, and when they do grab you, you’ll end up twisted and ragdolled.

In short, it’s not fun. However, the Muay Khaos do have weaknesses that may be exploited. To find these weaknesses, check out the Evolve MMA video below:

As you’ve learned in the video above, distance is a key to defeating the Muay Khao. You may use the jab to create...

Muay Thai Styles – Clinchers and Knee Specialists

An aspect of Muay Thai that is just as essential as being able to kick and punch is knowing how to clinch and knee.

Anyone who’s trained in a Muay Thai gym in Thailand will know that clinch practice is a daily part of training just like skipping rope or heavy bag work.

Two Muay Thai fighters of the past and present who dominate using the clinch are Dieselnoi and Yodwicha.

In this article I will try to give an explanation of what a clincher/knee specialist is in Muay Thai also known as Muay Kao or “knee fighter.”

What does it mean to be a “clinch” fighter?

Typically clinching and kneeing go hand and hand.

People with a boxing background tend to get confused when they’re introduced to Muay Thai clinching. In boxing, clinching tends to be a defensive position used to conserve energy rather than expend it. In Muay Thai it’s the total opposite....