- Muay Thai - KickBoxing 

Muay Thai or Thai Boxing, as it is commonly called, is the oldest practiced KickBoxing form known to man. The Muay Thai (Boxing of the Thai), as a fighting form, was derived from a traditional Siamese Martial Art called Karabi Krabong (the sword and the stick), which in turn is believed to have originated from the Ao Lai tribe in Northern China.

The Ao Lai tribe migrated from the Northern Chinese valleys to what was later to be known as Siam. The Siamese fighting system of Karabi Karabong was later separated into two parts, the first a training form, Muay Thai, the second a traditional Weapons Art, Karabi Karabong. This separation was implemented by the famous Martial Artist Prince Naresuan. Under Naresuan the training form (Muay Thai) went on to become an integral part of the overall Siamese Combat systems and later started to be contested as a form of entertainment (sport) at festivals and religious ceremonies.

The Thais have over the century continually developed and modified their Combat forms until the Martial Art of Muay Thai was developed into what we recognise today as one of the toughest ring sports in the world.

Muay Thai or Thai boxing is known around the world today as the science of fighting with eight limbs. The feet, knees, elbows and fists all come into play in this highly dynamic form of ring combat.

The Thais have shown that their boxing form is simply the best stand up ring fighting discipline anywhere in the world.

The most famous Thai fighter was Nai Khanom Thom, who it is believed around 1774, defeated 10 Burmese Warriors in consecutive bouts (all no holds-barred, bare-knuckle fights) in a single day. All these bouts were fought to the death (there were no decisions) and in doing this Nai Khanom Thom went onto become a national hero of Thailand, and was recognised as a Muay Thai patriarch following his great victories.

During the 1960s and 70s the Thais fought many Martial Arts disciplines in mixed matches, winning all but a handful of these encounters, a great number of them by K.O. and in the process showed the world their total superiority in ring combat.

With the spread of Thai Boxing around the world a number of prominent Martial Artists in the U.S.A. adapted the Thai style to various Chinese (Wu Shu / Kung Fu), Japanese (Karate) and Korean (Tae Kwon Do) disciplines and established KickBoxing as we know it today.

The most famous of these modern masters to adapt, was the late, great Bruce Lee, who had a strong Thai Boxing influence in his now famous Jeet Kune Do method of Chinese Boxing.

The first World Heavyweight KickBoxing Championship title was held by one of Lee's students, Joe Lewis, a Karate man come Kickboxer. The rules used here were modified from the traditional Thai form and were a mixture of Boxing and Karate. The U.S.A. quickly adapted to this new Fighting Form and the birth of KickBoxing as we know it was under way. The Karate influence was still very much evident in these early times and the Fighting Form was known as Full Contact Karate, not KickBoxing. The term KickBoxing was to arrive later, after the Thai influence became stronger. European countries were also becoming involved at this point, but their influence was more along the traditional lines of Thai and Japanese KickBoxing. It is also interesting to note that it was Bruce Lee who coined the term KickBoxing. The Thais called it Muay Thai and the Americans called it Full Contact Karate. Bruce often referred to his art of Jeet Kune Do as Chinese KickBoxing. The term KickBoxing was later (after Bruce Lees death in 1973) universally excepted to describe the sport.

Because of the diversity of styles many variations and different sets of rules (pertaining to different organisations) were established. In the U.S.A under the guidance of the P.K.A. (Professional Karate Association), a set of rules were established which allowed for no kicking below the belt. This form became very popular back in the 1970's, in some parts of the world, particularly the U.S.A.  

A rival organisation sprung up almost immediately in America, which had a large following in both Asia and Europe. This was called the W.K.A. (World Karate Association). They allowed the use of leg kicks but no knees or elbows. This organisation was the most widely regonised through out the world and built a large International following. The W.K.A. still exists today (the P.K.A. has since folded) but has had a name change; the W.K.A. now stands for World KickBoxing Association. This body has also (in 1994) split into two different organisations with the W.K.A. now U.K. based and the W.K.C. (World KickBoxing Council) being European based.

The Japanese had always been big supporters of the W.K.A. but they also had a modified version of Thai Boxing. This was simply Japanese KickBoxing, it allowed the use of all techniques (most notable the knees) except the elbow.

The Thais are the only people to still use the elbow, and they dominate their version of the sport. The Thai Champions have fought and defeated all comers from various Martial Arts (including other KickBoxing Organisations from around the world) and the Fighters of Thailand are commonly referred to as the "Kings of the Square Ring".

On the International scene the largest single governing KickBoxing organisation is the I.S.K.A. formerly the International Sport Karate Association based in the U.S.A. it, too, has undergone a name change and is now the 'International Sport KickBoxing Association'.  This organisation has a variety of divisions including Full Contact, American, International, Oriental and Muay Thai. The divisions are contested at regional, national, international and world levels.

Many other International organisations have sprung up but the two bodies that the Thai Boxing Association of New Zealand are affiliated to, and whose rules we fight under are the, W.M.T.C. (World Muay Thai Council) which is the governing body for all Muay Thai throughout the world and the U.S.A-based I.S.K.A.

The Thai Boxing Association of New Zealand was founded in 1991 with the help of its patron Master (Chai) Surichai Sirisute. Master Chai is one of the foremost authorities of Thai Boxing in the world today, and is often regarded as one of the most outstanding teachers of Thai Boxing in the western world. Master Chai is the founder and President of the Thai Boxing Association of the U.S.A, to which the T.B.A.N.Z. is closely aligned. The T.B.A.N.Z. is made up of a number of independent KickBoxing schools and various other Martial Arts organisations, all with a common interest of establishing a united Muay Thai/KickBoxing Federation.

The San Bu Kai Gym here in Hamilton has been established since 1982. Originally part of the Okinawan Goju Ryu Karate Club, it became a separate entity in 1984 (then known as the Fighting Fit Gym). San Bu Kai has gone on to produce many regional, national, International and World Fighting Champions. The Fighters from this stable fight under any rules but predominately fight Muay Thai, I.S.K.A., W.K.A. and International Boxing style contests.

The Father of Full Contact Martial Arts in New Zealand is Sifu Phillip Lam (Lee Gar Kung Fu & Thai Boxing). He was New Zealand's first Trainer and Promoter of Muay Thai/Kickboxing and is regarded as the foremost fight promoter in this country today. Sifu Lam was the first to bring the Thais to New Zealand in 1987 to fight the local champions, and is renowned as having trained a large number of New Zealand's premier Fighters.

The inaugural President of the Thai Boxing Association of New Zealand, Terry Hill, is also the founder of the San Bu Kai Gym in Hamilton. Terry Hill was undefeated as an Amateur Kickboxer, winning the New Zealand W.K.A. Middleweight title in 1985 and turning professional the following year (1986). As a professional Terry captured two New Zealand KickBoxing titles at Middleweight and Super Middleweight, He than went on to fight and beat the Thais in 1989 and 1990 which brought international honour. Terry also held a large number of Regional and National Karate titles and won the last New Zealand Open Full Contact Martial Arts Championships title (in 1985). In 1991 Terry won his most prestigious title, the I.O.G.K.F. World Heavyweight Full Contact Karate Title in Okinawa, Japan. Terry is also an accomplished Wrestler and Boxer winning a Gold medal in the Taranaki Amateur Boxing Championships (1978) and a Silver medal in the 1989 National Wrestling Championships.

Some of Terry Hill's most notable students are:

Ethan Shepp.

Ethan came to train at the San Bu Kai Dojo after having initially fought for Alan Wong's Gym (Australia) and Belmoral Lee Gar in Auckland. Fighting under Terry Hill's guidance, Ethan went on to capture, National and International honours in the ring and on his return to Australia in 1999, won the 'World' I.S.K.A. Middleweight Muay Thai Title. Ethan is also an outstanding teacher and trainer of Muay Thai & KickBoxing in his own right.

Shane  Dargaville.

Shane had been training and Fighting for over nine years and in that time has fought and defeated a number of National and International Champions. Shane is a former Amateur Thai Boxing Association of New Zealand (Light Middleweight) title holder, and he also held the Amateur South Pacific W.K.A. (Light Middleweight) Title.

Aaron Dixon.

Aaron has held both North Island and National titles in Muay Thai and has fought and won internationally in both Thailand and Australia.

So to all you would-be fighters and Champions out there remember these words

"To engage in this art Sir, you must first take off your shirt"

Boxiania