A common criticism of muay thai fighters is that they lack ‘hands’ or the raw power and skill of a pure boxer who specializes in punching.
This is completely untrue and the muay mat style is where you will see muay thai’s best boxers with heavy hands who look to damage their opponents quickly and combine heavy punches with quick and hard low kicks.
What are the Attributes of a Nak Muay Mat?
i) Heavy Hands and Powerful Low Kick
The muay mat fighter is known as a hard and heavy puncher with excellent boxing skills. Combining heavy punches with a sharp and powerful low kick in quick combination is the standard tactic or game plan used by the muay mat fighter.
ii) Aggression
The muay mat style is known as being very aggressive combining heavy punches and powerful boxing with low kicks. They possess the intent to inflict damage early on in the fight.
iii) High-Low attacks
Changing levels of attacks or ‘High-Low‘ is a standard tactic of the muay mat fighter. Body punches, head punches and low kicks to disorient and confuse your opponent and overwhelm them with combinations of different attacks at different levels and targets is a valid and useful tactic of the muay mat fighter.
iv) Fast paced attacks
A high paced fight is the intent of the muay mat and combined with aggression and intensity, they aim to overwhelm their opponent with fast paced attacks in combination.
Engaging in quick exchanges is a hallmark of this style.
This is a similar style to that of K-1 fighters and kickboxers. Due to the time rules of 3×3 minute rounds instead of the 5×3 minute rounds in muay that, the muay mat style of fast paced punches and low kicks suits K-1 fighters well.
v) Willingness to take shots and damage
The goal of this style of fighter is to inflict damage and go for KO’s. While this style is very exciting and fast paced and a crowd favorite, it also means that they take a lot of shots and damage as well.
Often accepting that they may ‘take one good shot to give two good shots’ is something they are not afraid of doing if it means they land their powerful shots to wear their opponent down to eventually finish them off.
This also means they are susceptible to being scored on often and losing via points decisions.
vi) Close range exchanges
Close exchanges in comparison to the muay femur fighter who relies on creating and exploiting distance and pressuring forward similar to the muay khao fighter – the muay mat fighter aims to exhaust and overwhelm their opponent using heavy punches and low kicks and changing levels of attacks.
Close exchanges using the close range weapon of punches in comparison to kicks and teeps are further features of this style.
How to Beat Muay Mat
Teep. The teep to keep distance from dangerous punches is key.
As the punch is a closer range weapon its important to keep this range away from the muay mat who wants to get in and exploit this range with their favored punches and short sharp low kicks.
Keeping distance utilizing the teep and moving off angle to strike from angles against the pressuring muay mat is crucial to beating this style.
Having a great defense and being able to block and counter punches is of utmost importance in combating this style.
As they seek to keep moving forward to pressure opponents, being able to keep balance moving backward and counter attack on the backfoot is also an important tactic and skill to have against a muay mat fighter.
The Greatest Nak Muay Mat
Among the greats of the this style are:
- Ramon Dekkers – regarded as the greatest foreign fighter in muay thai. Known for his bravery and determination, Dekkers was a crowd favorite
- Sagat Petchyindee – believed to be the inspiration for the Street Fighter character of the same name, Sagat was also WBC Asian boxing Champion and is remembered for his famour vistory over Dieselnoi
- Tongchai Tor Silachai – the first and only fighter to KO Saenchai, 5 time Lumpinee and also Rajadernern Champion
- Anuwat Kaewsamrit – “Iron Hands of Siam”, Lumpinee and 4 time Rajademnern Champion as well as WBC Featherweight Champion
- Coban Lookchaomaesaitong – known for his legendary battles against Ramon Dekkers, Coban epitomized the characteristics of the muay mat fighter
The fighting style and achievements of these all time greats are described in the awesome Evolve MMA article you can access below:
https://evolve-vacation.com/blog/the-greatest-muay-mat-fighters-in-history/
Below are some muay mat that you may not be so familiar with and one active fighter you should know by name. Each have displayed the heart of the muay mat fighter in the ring and embody this style in all its elements.
Kongsamut Sor. Thanikul
When the great muay femur champion Samart Payakaroon won his first belt at a young age (sometime in 1980) he defeated Kongsamu Sor. Thanikul and though he was very young Samart was able to neutralize the hard punching of his opponent by utilizing the teep which would become the hallmark of his legendary style for years to come after winning his first Lumpinee title.
You can see more of Kongsamut’s style by accessing Sylvie Von Douglas-Ittu’s Patreon page where she gives a full look at her one hour private with this muay mat great.
Lakhin Wassandasit
Lakhin Wassandasit is a former Rajadernern Champion and agreesive muay mat fighter of the Golden Era of muay thai in the 90s. He also comepeted in professional boxing.
Check out the highlight video below of some of his greatest moments in the ring.
Newlukrak Pagonponsurin
Now known as Knockout CP Freshmart, he fought in muay thai under the name Newlukrak Pagonponsurin. He is a current professional boxer, former Thai national amateur Champion and current WBA Mini flyweight Champion.
Porsanae Sitmonchai
Known for his low kicks and agressive fighting style, Porsanae is a former Rajademnern and Thai National Champion. A highly decorated muay thai fighter, Porsanae’s fighting style shows us exactly how a muay mat fights.
His famous fight below with Pakorn won Lumpinee Stadium fight of the year.
He is currently a trainer at Evolve MMA in Singapore.
