The Importance of The Wai Kru Ceremony in Muay Thai Culture
In Thailand, a Wai Kru ceremony is held every year where the students pay respect to their teachers. There are two known reasons for doing this ceremony: to express gratitude to the teachers for teaching the students well, and for the students to gain merit and good fortune in the future.
The Tradition Applied in Muay Thai
This tradition has been adapted and applied in Muay Thai training. While this national combat sport of Thailand appears dangerous, brutal and bloody, at the heart of this sport is a peaceful country that gives importance and value to the strict code of respect and hierarchy. It is inherent in Thai culture to give respect on the basis of age and status as manifested by the respect students have for their teachers. In Thailand, the common practice is to respect elders and those in commanding positions.
Wai Kru Ceremony in Muay Thai
The Wai Kru ceremony is an important ceremony in Muay Thai. It happens at the start of every Muay Thai match, the end of which will signal the start of the fight. It is common knowledge in Thailand that no Muay Thai match can ever commence without performing this traditional ceremony. Prior to the start of a fight, the Muay Thai fighter must pay his respects to his teacher (trainor), and other respected trainers who are associated with the fighter’s training camp. This ritual is called Ram Muay or Wai Kru. Not only is this ritual an expression of respect to the teachers or trainors, but also as a way of advanced apologizing to the King for the anticipated brutality of the fight which is about to happen. Muay Thai was usually arranged for the King’s entertainment in the past.
The Traditional Wai Kru Ceremony
For those who have lived in Thailand for a long time and has gotten to understand their culture, the Wai Kru ceremony is pretty much about the trainor and the province where the fighter is from. Those information are understood from the fighter’s movements and gestures. The Muay Thai fighter wears a head band called Mongkhon including armbands called “pra jiad” while performing the Wai Kru ceremony. Traditional Thai kick boxing music called Pleng-Boran accompanies the Ram Muay.
Adopting Wai Kru in Muay Thai
The ritual is generally observed and practiced in Thailand by Thai fighters. But what about Muay Thai fighters who are foreign nationals?
This code of conduct is adopted in every Muay Thai fight. Regardless of nationality or origin of the fighter, if he takes up Muay Thai, he is in essence adopting a part of Thai culture. And wherever the fight or match is held, the fighter, irrespective of nationality, is representing his club or Muay Thai training camp and therefore should observe proper behavior and respect towards the elders.
As a Muay Thai fighter, a foreigner is obliged to respect the codes, traditions, rituals and ceremonies they learned while training for Muay Thai.