Muay Thai - Ranking System?

[Wiseyoda]

There is a corporation over here in Australia called, the Bob Jones corp.

They have a ranking system for there Muay Thai program. Its a singlet Color system, with White being beginer - Black fighter/experienced. About 3 others in between. (i think, im not part of the corp)

My question, is there anything like this in other countries or areas?

I am not really sure what to make of it. I can see some benefits from it, but also some no so good points to it.

Thoughts... Comments?

[memanuel]

From what I understand, the band color on fighter's arms means something.

[1manREKINcrew]

i didnt think muay thai had one

[kesa.gatame]

I've never seen a color ranking system for Muay Thai (well not in Philadelphia, PA, USA), if anything I'm told that higher level fighters will typically wear white fight gear to signify purity of style. Hope this helps!

[Forrest319]

Originally Posted by Wiseyoda

There is a corporation over here in Australia called, the Bob Jones corp.

They have a ranking system for there Muay Thai program. Its a singlet Color system, with White being beginer - Black fighter/experienced. About 3 others in between. (i think, im not part of the corp)

My question, is there anything like this in other countries or areas?

I am not really sure what to make of it. I can see some benefits from it, but also some no so good points to it.

Thoughts... Comments?

My MT gym has something similar. Something like nothing, yellow, green, and brown. Maybe another color or two mixed in. It was completely internal... and more of a tenure system than an actual skill system.

[NeverBackDown]

Muay Thai doesn't usually have one for the same reason boxing doesn't, it doesn't fall under the traditional martial art category.

[Chris Lauer]

In Thailand there is no such ranking system. This is just something westerners have made to make Muay Thai appeal to non fighters. Honestly I think its kind of dumb, but I am sure its good for business.

[Wiseyoda]

Yes, i think its good business also.

Chris, im am aware that they do not have one over there, as i have trained and traveled over there. I am more thinking along the lines of the western society as you mentioned, to get opinions and views on it.

The other i have herd about is a "prajiat" (armband) type of system over here. Anyone know of this one also? or is it looked down on?

[SarahSunwalker]

Originally Posted by NeverBackDown

Muay Thai doesn't usually have one for the same reason boxing doesn't, it doesn't fall under the traditional martial art category.

Muay Thai is a very traditional martial art; you won't last long in Thailand with your attitude.

There's no official ranking system; a Kru (Master), in Thailand, is determined by age and the amount of fights they've done. When you hit about late twenties, Thai men will stop fighting and start teaching; they'll only be able to get students interested in their skills if they've done maybe over 100 fights.

Of course, some 14 year olds I know have done over 100 fights; I don't call them Kru. Age and experience is the key; unlike Karate where you have 7 year old black belts *rolls eyes*...

As for wearing white, never heard of it. Lumpini Champs where whatever the fuck they want. I have seen people wearing white on TV a bit, but it is always the same promotor, so I think it's a company thing. Maybe some fighters think color is important, but, just saying it ain't common.

The arm band color is irrelevant; a gym will have it's own sacred arm bands (somtimes they contain bone fragments of respected elders who died or have been blessed by monks, things like this for power and luck; witchcraft) and all fighters will use the same set; regardless if it's a 5 year old fighting or his big bro fighting a Championship.

The only case I've seen color ranking in Thailand is the Muay Thai Institute in Rangsit, Bangkok; and they wern't what I'd call a proper gym. It was designed for foreigners who came to train so the trainer could quickly tell what they should be teaching them. People here were paying large amounts of money to get certificates, and I'd class this as McDojoism. Not real Muay Thai.

Muay Thai ranking is how all ranking should be; a fighter recognised as a Master by maturity in seniorority and his real world experience at kicking peoples ass in the ring; not a piece of paper and a colored belt you got from doing a flying kick to hack up a frail piece of wood.

[MAS4T0]

Muay Thai doesn't have belts because it's not influenced by Japanese martial arts. Everything that does use belts does so because of Japanese influence, and the tradition of belts dates back to the days of the Samurai.

In feudal Japan, when someone began training in hand to hand martial arts (read Jujitsu), they would stop washing their belt. After many years of training, the belt would become dirty, eventually becoming fully brown and finally turning practically black.

The colour of the belt (how dirty it was) was a sign of how long that person had been training.

The belt was worn due to the clothing (the kimono). The thai's never wore belts, as they did not wear kimonos, this tradition never existed.