If you Google or YouTube “Muay Thai” or “Thai Boxing” one of the first things you’ll often see is a Thai Nak Muay with perfected technique kicking down what looks like a stalk or tropical tree.Though this imagery is fascinating much like how Karate Dojos chop through bricks, it is much more likely to cause injury than sharpen your technique (even for skilled fighters). [Related: Reddit’s Top Shin Questions Answered]

Muay Thai can be a demanding, yet rewarding combat sport.

Muay Thai is an ancient martial art dating back to 2nd or 3rd B.C. Thailand; the fighting style did not become an official sport beyond Thai warrior use until the 1400’s. Though Muay Thai has been around for a long time, regulations weren’t introduced to competitive fighting until the 1930’s.