Thai Martial Arts are comprised of many unique and ingenious traditions, techniques, concepts, ceremonies and practices however, like virtually all other Martial Arts prior to the twentieth century, a uniform system of ranking was not part of the curriculum.
Over centuries of battlefield and later, sporting combat in Siam and abroad, there was no real distinction between teachers and disciples other than the designation of "Kru" (ครู) and "Sit" (ศิษย์).
Kru, which roughly translates as
"teacher" or "master", is derived from the traditional
Sanskrit title of "Guru". The title of Guru has been used ubiquitously
in India for Millennia to describe experts in a broad range of fields; both
religious and secular. The title of Kru however, was seen as an inadequate in
today modern climate of traditional Martial Arts in clarifying seniority among
it's title holders. Traditionally, age and/or Martial proficiency used to
determine which Kru held seniority.
Beginning in the late 1950s Muay Thai came
into the consciousness of those outside of Southeast Asia in general and
Thailand in particular, on a large scale when Karate practitioners began
learning the Art in Japan.
It was in 1975 when Masters Woody (Chinawut
Sirisompan) Toddy (Thohsaphol Sitiwatjana) and Sken (Kaewpadung) began sharing
the methods and culture of Thai Boxing with Europeans. This would cause a
domino effect that disseminated the Art across the globe.
In 2003 a group of the world's top experts and
scholars of Muay Thai Boran banded together to form an association with the
most ambitious objectives ever undertaken for the Art. Senior Grand Masters.
Yodtong Senanan (Sriwaralak), Phosawat Saengsawan, Jarusdej Ulit, GM. Pranom
Ampin (Kru Dang) Dr. Sompon Saengchai, Pajon Muenson and Nachapon Banlenpadit;
along with Grandmaster Woody, who was still living in England at the time,
founded the "Kru Muay Thai Association" (สมาคมครูมวยไทย) and registered the organization with the Royal
Thai Government's National Cultural Commission Ministry of Culture on May 9th,
2003. recognized by the Thai government throughout the to the Ministry of
Culture and Education. .
Realizing the inadequacy of an absence of a standardized ranking system, the collective, spearheaded by Grandmaster Woody, went about creating a ranking system that would combine tradition with innovation and garner the Art the much needed and deserved legitimacy and structure in the modern world of Martial Arts Sciences.