Muay Thai
and
Wai Khru
The Wai Khru ritual is also traditionally practiced in Muay Thai, or Thai kickboxing. In Muay Thai, the performers of the Wai Khru ceremony are the boxers. The ceremony takes place in the ring prior to the boxing match, and the spectators of the match are the audience. The Muay Thai Wai Khru is performed as a show of respect for teachers of the art of Thai boxing.
The movements involved in a Wai Khru ceremony in Muay Thai are referred to as Ram Muay, or boxing dance. The boxer (performer) starts in his designated corner and begins the Wai Khru ceremony by praying. The boxer stands facing his corner with hands together in a wai position at chest level with head down and nose touching the index fingers. This position is held for several seconds while the boxer prays. The spectators (audience) are quieted by this opening gesture and are implicitly advised that the ritual has just begun. The trainer or teacher of the boxer places a headband, called Mong Kon, on the boxer and both pray together for several seconds. The Mong Kon is an emblem of the camp to which each boxer belongs and is blessed by Buddhist monks prior to the day of the boxing match. After the prayer is silently uttered between the trainer and boxer, the trainer then blows on the boxer’s head to symbolize a transfer of the trainer’s spirit into the boxer for the duration of the boxing bout (World Muay, 2002). The boxer then moves to the center of the ring, facing the direction of his home. While kneeling in a wai position in this location, the boxer thinks of his family, teacher, and ancestors. Then, the boxer prostrates himself three times as follows: starting from the kneeling wai position, he opens his hands and moves them in a circular motion to the floor. Then, raising his body back up to the kneeling position, he extends his hands straight out in front of his face, thumbs and index fingers together to form a diamond shape. With the diamond shape still intact, he moves his hands to his abdomen and up above his head. The boxer looks up through the diamond and then brings his hands back to the wai position. These movements are repeated three times to signify respect for the country, religion, and the king. After he completes these movements, the boxer rises and does a three step dance, involving his hands in the fighting position, and moves to each corner of the rink to wai, signifying the sealing off of the rink from outside influence. A boxer never sets foot on his opponent's corner. This is a gesture that symbolizes his intention to kill his opponent. The dance concludes at the boxer’s own corner and the Mong Kon is removed prior to the boxing bout, signifying the end of the ceremony.
The gracefulness of the Wai Khru performance and the brutality of kickboxing presents a dichotomy of Muay Thai that Thai people value so much that they acknowledge Muay Thai as their national sport. Another key element of the Muay Thai spectacle is the music that accompanies the event. Musicians accompany the performance of the Wai Khru ceremony and boxing bout that follows. Traditional Thai instruments are heard during the pre-bout ceremony and the boxing match itself. The rhythm and tone of the music often coincide with the movements of the boxers and the intensity of the fight. The Wai Khru performance, the music, and the boxing bout all integrate to provide for a spectacle that is uniquely Thai.
Natikan
Copyright © 2001 by University of North Texas. All rights reserved.
Revised: 05 May 2004 11:16:22 -0500
Muay Thai Wai Khru Ceremony
Return to Index