Is there anything you just *shouldn't* do whilst in the ring?

[Nukie]

I'm fairly new to Muay Thai (year or so) and haven't quite decided whether or not I will fight in the ring or maybe just continue with the fitness... I was wondering though, if I enter the ring at a later date, are there many unwritten rules that you must adhere to that you wouldn't necessarily be taught about in the class?

What i mean by this is things such as the teep kick to the face.. although this is a fairly hard kick to pull off, we were told whilst practising it that its disrespectful to do this in Thailand as its either too slow thus disrespecting their art, or i read somewhere that they find it disrespectful as you're pushing the dirt of your foot into their most noble part of their body, i.e face. (i could be wrong - hopefully someone can correct me)

Also, like catching a roundhouse kick (if you can!) and then elbowing the shins.. again, another disrespectful move apparently.
Or kicking knee joints? (not sure about that one)

I can imagine there are a few things that the Thai's find disrespectful, so i was hoping someone here could maybe enlighten me before i end up with more enemies in Thailand than mr bin laden has in the U.S of A.

[Combatant]

Apparently kicking the face with the sole of the foot (teep) is one of the most offensive things you can do to a thai in the ring. -not sure where I heard that though.

[Redhotdragon]

well, i read that in tailand the foot is seen as the lowest dirtiest part of the body and the head the most sacred. It is considered rude to have your feet pointing someone, it is also considered rude to touch their head. So yer i guess sole of foot and head would be pretty offensive to a thai....

[totality]

it's also considered very impolite to tackle your opponent and begin nibbling gently their ear. although sometimes it is necessary, to save yourself from defeat.

:D

[toothpaste100]

nibbling gently on their ear? if you combine that with sweet nothings and fruity kisses you would be unstoppable totality :p

[SoKKlab]

Carching a Roundhouse and Dropping the Elbow onto the knee joint of the caught leg, is considered 'dirty pool'.

IE It's not absolutely Ring Illegal, but if you do it to the other fighter, then expect it done back to you. Their are quite a few of these that exist in the Grey Area.

Some Muay Thai techniques are outright banned under the Ring Rules, including twisting the foot of the opponent after catching their kick.

Throws such as Giant Fells the Girl, a Pushover backwards from the clinch etc.

Best to check up on the current rules as although they pretty much remain a constant, some minor changes do come into play.

Certain techniques are coming back into vogue, because of the matches between Muay Thai fighters and San Shou fighters.
I guess the Thai Fighters got sick of being Supplexed....

Whatever you decide Nukie, Good Luck.

[totality]

that's exactly why i am unstoppable, toothpaste.

[nicolo]

yeah "foot touches face" is pretty insulting but legal.

how about smacking your opponent with your wrist laces instead of the glove, kicking him while he goes down, sticking your stubbly chin in his face, talking into his ear (psychological thing) while you're clinching, suffocate him with your smelling glove while in the clinch, stick your elbow in his face in the clinch, step on his toes intentionally, hack the back of his calves with your heels, bump-n-grind him in the clinch (sexy!), eat garlic and breathe on him in the clinch, shove his upper body over the top rope in a clinch...etc etc.

and no Mike Tyson style ear biting...

[Ghost Frog]

Originally posted by toothpaste100
nibbling gently on their ear? if you combine that with sweet nothings and fruity kisses you would be unstoppable totality :p

Mmmmm... Those are my sort of techniques....

:love:

[Nakthai]

Hmm i think alot of the philosophical things (head to foot) are somewhat mellowed in the ring, but not entirely.

Someone who trained undeer Master Sken in Thailand told me that they *do* often teep to the face, and alot of the other things mentioned here (But not all of them) in a bout, but would definately apologise after the ring to show it was just in sportsman ship , and that he meant nothing by kicking him in the face.

And i think those sweet nothings and bump-n-grinds might be best left to clinching elsewhere :love:

[nicolo]

hey nak, anything to weird your opponent out...tell him you're a "lady-boy" fighter and you have full blown AIDS. watch him run all the way home.

[Nakthai]

haha, i've heard some interesting stories about the thais. mebbe it's lure him in? :D