Mae Mai – Look Mai

The ancestral principles of Siamese unarmed combat are built upon the traditional basic techniques of Muay called Mae Mai Muay Thai (or Mai Khru) and the complementary or advanced techniques called Look Mai Muay Thai (or Mai Kred). In the ancient past, every Khru Muay (Muay Thai Master) had his own teaching style; however, in every style, once the basic elements had been assimilated, all students started to learn the real fighting strategies, that is to say Mae Mai and Look Mai Muay Thai techniques.

Mae Mai or fundamental techniques, represent the founding principles of Thai fighting style and they can also be defined as Mai Khru or Master techniques. Look Mai or Mai Kred (detailed techniques) contain more advanced and sophisticated combat rationales and traditionally were revealed to students who were already so advanced in their learning process that could be trusted by their Khru Muay. Mai Khru techniques, (that must be learned before undertaking the study of Mai Kred) far from being merely offensive and defensive maneuvers, relatively simple in appearance, are actually the “quintessence” of a complete and sophisticated fighting system created in ancient Siam. Each single technique has been developed over the centuries by Siamese warriors and teachers and is based upon no-nonsense combat principles, tested on the battle field in times of war and in the course of countless sports contests in times of peace (in an authentic scientific process that ended with an accurate assessment of cause and effect). Analysing Mae Mai Muay Thai more thoroughly, we can say that each one of these techniques represents a complete vision of combat and a complete fighting strategy by itself. The real value, the beauty inherent in such maneuvers, is that every Mae Mai hides universal combat principles that, if properly interpreted, can be developed through the existing variants resulting in many extremely effective martial applications. The Siamese Masters of the past that have codified these sequences of techniques possessed such a mastery of close combat, through personal experience, that managed to condense into 15, easy to reply maneuvers, a huge quantity of combat principles. In the different fighting styles developed over the centuries in Thailand, practically all the Khru Muay recognize the 15 Mae Mai principles as fundamental. This not being the same thing for the Look Mai. Mae Mai and Look Mai Muay Thai, with all their many variants, make up the foundation of IMBA (International Muay Boran Academy) Technical Syllabus and are mainly based on the research carried out by Prof. Phosawath Saengsawan along the years. The 30 Mae Mai and Look Mai forms that IMBA members practice on a regular basis are at present accepted by most Thai Masters. The 15 Look Mai, as an ideal complement of the 15 basic techniques are generally approved by exponents of all styles. However, this does not exclude the inclusion in the context of Mai Kred of other techniques considered by some Masters of such importance to be worthy of being part of that group. Muay Korat students, for example, are taught 11 Look Mai, 21 Mae Mai Boran, 5 Basic Strategies (Mae Mai) that, together with the 5 Basic Standing Attacks and 5 Fundamental Maneuvers make up the so-called 47 Technical Portals.