The first gold
The first golden age of Thai boxing came with the reign of King Sva (1697-1708), also remembered in Thailand as the "Tiger King." He is said to have been one of the greatest combatants and participated in secret matches. Muay competitions began during his reign, and huge prizes were awarded. Also, they could show off their skills to him and ask for something in return.
For this reason, competition days lured the cream of the best fighters to the capital from Siam. Now, in a fight, it was important not just to win, but to do it in a way that looked good enough for the king to grant any request from the fighter. Sometimes, a fighter could lode, but if his technique was impressive, the king might still let him make a request.
This made fighters avoid using dirty techniques and not finish off a fallen opponent. The rules-or lack of them-did not say it was wrong, but the king did not like it when they fought this way. Consequently, muay-siang (state fight) and may-vat (temple fight) ideas have come about. Muay-siang had unwritten rules concerning fair and impressive fighting. On the other hand, may-vat was just a fight without rules, whereby the most important goal of winning by all means was the most apparent feature. Both techniques and effectiveness were almost identical; only their approach toward fighting was different.
A ritual "vai-kro"
It muay saang, "wai kro" is the ritual of prayer on the knees to the guardian spirits and gives respect to the teacher and parents. "Ram muay" is a flowing martial dance that invokes the spirits to help defeat the opponent. The two were done before the fight. This ritual has remained part of the Thai boxing matches to this day. So have the hand-woven armbands on the shoulders, pratyat, and headbands mongkon, onto which protective charms were inscribed. The latter custom is said to have been initiated by the same Tiger King.
At the same time, they began to wet the rope winding on the hands in water so that it would not leave cuts on the opponent's body. This was also the first occasion on which rounds were employed. These persisted until such time as a specially prepared coconut shell, with holes therein, was placed in a container of water and swam. The king determined at what time the break occurred. There was no limit upon the number of rounds. This round system smote the fancy of the people, and breaks were employed at the close of the last round for additional wagers. This practice of changing the bet during a break is still practiced in Thailand today.
The fight continued until one of them could not continue. To give up was disgraceful, and shame was something considered worse than death, so they continued fighting until they passed out, could not get up any longer, or died.