Muay Thai in popular culture

The combat sport of Muay Thai has been featured in media, including film, television, manga, anime and video games.[1] It gained international attention when Yodtong Senanan led the Nak Muay Team against Osamu Noguchi's Kickboxer Team on October 16, 1972.[2] It has heavily influenced the sport of kickboxing, and is used in mixed martial arts (MMA), where athletes train in its techniques.

## Film

[edit]

Muay Thai has been featured in the following films:

Movie  | Year  | Description  | Ref.

|
|
|

Duel of Fists | 1971  | A Hong Kong engineer (David Chiang) goes to Thailand to find his long-lost half-brother (Ti Lung), who is a Muay Thai boxer.  | [3]
The Man with the Golden Gun | 1974  | Later in the film, James Bond (Roger Moore) goes to the Lumpinee Boxing Stadium, where he meets the main antagonist Scaramanga (Christopher Lee).  | [4][5]
Bloodsport | 1988  | Martial arts movie about an underground fighting tournament, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme in his break-through role. The film features a formidable Muay Thai Fighter named Paco, played by a career Thaiboxer Paulo Tocha, who serves Van Damme's opponent in the tournament's semi-finals.  | [6]
Kickboxer | 1989  | After his brother, an American heavyweight kickboxing champion, is crippled by a vicious Thaiboxer Tong Po (Michel Qissi) in the ring, Kurt Sloane (Jean-Claude Van Damme) seeks out an elusive Muay Thai Kru to teach him the art to avenge his brother.  | [7]
Death Cage (Zhan Long)  | 1989  | While primarily a kung fu movie, the movie takes place in Thailand, where various scenes featuring Thaiboxers are present.  | [8]
The Quest | 1996  | Taking place in 1920s, Christopher Dubois (Jean-Claude Van Damme) ends up stowing way on a boat and ends up being imprisoned by the boat's men. He is later acquired by a mercenary Englishman, Lord Edgar Dobbs (Roger Moore), who sells Dubois into slavery on an island off the coast of Siam, where Dubois is trained in Muay Thai fighting. After six months, Dobbs and his partner Harry Smythe find Dubois fighting in a Muay Thai match and see that Dubois has become a skilled fighter. Thus, he is subsequently chosen by Lord Dobbs to participate in a grand martial arts tournament, held in the Lost City of Tibet.  | [9][10]
A Fighter's Blues
(A Fu)  | 2000  | Mong Fu (Andy Lau), a former Muay Thai boxer, returns to Thailand from Hong Kong and challenges the champion to a match.  | [11][12]
Beautiful Boxer | 2003  | The life story of Parinya Charoenphol (Asanee Suwan), who masters Muay Thai in order to realize her dream of becoming a woman.  | [13][1]
Ong-Bak: Muay Thai Warrior | 2003  | The series popularized Muay Thai, and featured some Muay Boran techniques. The film had two sequels: Ong Bak 2 (2008) and Ong Bak 3 (2010)  | [14][1]
Born to Fight | 2004  | Dan Chupong stars in the film.  | [citation needed]
Chok-Dee: The Kickboxer | 2005  | The film is based on the life of Algerian-French Muay Thai boxer Dida Diafat, who stars as himself.  | [15]
Tom-Yum-Goong | 2005  | Tony Jaa, who starred in the movie and was also the fight choreographer, incorporates a Muay Thai style (มวยคชสาร, "muaykodchasarn", roughly translated as "Elephant Boxing"), which emphasizes grappling moves. The movie also showcased "Jaturongkabaht", which was used by the Royal Thai Bodyguards.  | [citation needed]
Mercury Man | 2006  |  |
Undisputed II: Last Man Standing | 2006  |  |
Muay Thai Chaiya | 2007  | Is a film about two talented muay Thai boxers, boyhood friends whose lives take divergent paths after they arrive in Bangkok.  |
Master KIMs | 2007  | The Nak Muay team appears in the final scene.  | [citation needed]
Chocolate | 2008  | Muay Thai fighters Yanin Vismitananda and Lim Su-Jeong star in this film.  | [16][17]
Down for the Count
(Aukmen)  | 2009  | Muay Thai boxer Ahmad Al-Sulaiti appears as himself.  |
Raging Phoenix | 2009  | Starring Yanin "Jeeja" Vismistananda, that movie is centered around the style of "Druken Muay Thai"  | [18]
The Kick | 2011  | A Korean family of Taekwondo experts immigrate to Thailand and are exposed to Muay Thai fighting.  | [19]
Bunohan: Return to Murder | 2011  |  | [20]
Only God Forgives | 2013  | A Bangkok policeman and a gangster settle their differences in a Muay Thai match.  |
Ip Man 3 | 2015  | Ip Man engages in a fight with a Muay Thai fighter in an elevator when he and his wife were on their way home.  |
Sha Po Lang II: A Time For Consequences | 2015  |  |
A Prayer Before Dawn | 2017  | The film is based on the true life experience of Billy Moore who survived his Thai prison ordeal by becoming a Muay Thai boxing champion.  | [21][22]
The Legend of Muay Thai: 9 Satra | 2018  | A Thai 3D computer-animated action-fantasy film.  |
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings | 2021  | Muay Thai was included in the fighting style of Shang Chi, the title character.  | [citation needed]
Raya and the Last Dragon | 2021  | Namaari (Gemma Chan) uses a style based on muay Thai and krabi krabong.  | [dubious - discuss]

### Documentaries

[edit]

Movie  | Year  | Description  | Ref.

|
|
|

Fight or Flight | 2007  | A documentary on Thailand's ring fighting circuit.  | [23]
Blessed With Venom | 2011  | A feature-length documentary chronicling the life and career of Australian Muay Thai superstar and 10 time World Champion, John Wayne Parr | [24]
Lumpini | 2018  | A documentary that follows Kwankhao Mor.Ratanabandit and Saenchai, who fights at the final event at historic old Lumpinee stadium, also at the grand opening of the new Lumpinee stadium. Narrated by Stephen Haynes.  |
Torn Cloth | 2020  | A documentary that follows a group of orphans in northern Thailand that take refuge in a Muay Thai boxing camp managed by Jawee Sukantha, and the improvements it makes to their lives. Narrated by Stephen Haynes. With a special guest appearance by Tony Jaa |

## Television

[edit]

Muay Thai has been featured in television series from reality show contests to documentary episodes.

Television Show  | Episode  | Description  | Ref.

|
|
|

Departures (TV series) |  | Justin Lukach enters a Muay Thai fight in one episode.
The Contender Asia | series  | A reality-based television series that follows 16 aspiring Muay Thai middleweight fighters from 12 countries as they compete in a series of outdoor challenges and sanctioned matches.  | [25][1]
Human Weapon | "Muay Thai" | The episode featured the history and fighting techniques of Muay Thai.  |
True Life | "I'm a Muay Thai Fighter" | Kit Cope and Ben Garcia travel overseas to make their mark in the brutal world of Muay Thai ring fighting. They are scheduled to compete in bare-knuckle fights that will be broadcast on Thailand television.  |
Fight Girls | series  | A reality show similar to The Ultimate Fighter, where ten female fighters live together and train with a Muay Thai instructor in Las Vegas for six weeks in an effort to fight for a Muay Thai championship in Thailand.  |
Fight Quest | "Thailand" | Jimmy Smith and Doug Anderson learn Muay Thai.  |
Dhani Tackles the Globe | "Thailand" | Dhani Jones learns Muay Thai.  |
Babylon 5 | "TKO" | Michael Garibaldi and his friend Walker Smith participate in an alien-run tournament called the "Mutai".  |
Gaki no Tsukai | –  | The variety show features a "Thai Kick" punishment game where a boxer delivers a kick to the loser's backside.  |
Real World/Road Rules Challenge | "The Ruins" | featured a "Muay Thai challenge" where contestants kicked bamboo sticks in an elimination round.  |
Ring Girls | series  | A reality show similar to The Ultimate Fighter, where ten female fighters live together and train with a Muay Thai instructor in Las Vegas for six weeks in an effort to fight for a Muay Thai championship in Thailand.  |
Power Rangers/Juken Sentai Gekiranger | Power Rangers Jungle Fury season  | Robert "R.J." James, the Jungle Fury Wolf Ranger who wears violet, is a Muay Thai practitioner. He wears prajed (dual elbow bands) uses elbow and knee attacks, including a flying knee strike.  |
An Idiot Abroad | "Swim With Dolphins" | Karl Pilkington trains with a Muay Thai kickboxing group and later participates in a blindfolded match.[26] |
Amphibia | Ivy on the Run  | The show's protagonist, Thai-American Anne Boonchuy, is a Muay Thai practitioner. She states she was enrolled in lessons by her mother to fit her "spirited" personality (and get her out of her kitchen), and offers to teach her amphibian friends the martial art.  |
Hurts Like Hell | series  | A four-part series based on corruption in the Muay Thai industry, released on Netflix.  |

## Manga and Animation

[edit]

Manga and anime shows occasionally feature characters who use Muay Thai techniques:

Manga or Animation  | Character(s)  | Description  | Ref.

|
|
|

Kick no Oni | Tadashi Sawamura, others  | Fictionalized retelling of real-life Tadashi Sawamura's kickboxing career. Features Sawamura's fights against various kickboxers, including the fight against Thaiboxer Samarn Sor Adisorn.  | [27][28][page needed]
Tatakae!! Ramenman | Muay Thai Chūchai  |  | [citation needed]
Dragon Ball | Draculaman, Pamput  |  | [citation needed]
Attack on Titan | Female titan, Annie Leonhart  |  | [citation needed]
Captain Tsubasa World Youth | Bunnaak Singprasert  |  | [citation needed]
Karate Shōkōshi Kohinata Minoru[29] | Samart Sarindu, Charndech Nham Sae Gym
Thanakorn Ammarath, Changnoi Jakkapong
Singsak, Thongchai[30]
Junny Skeandelaki
SHIN "TEMUR" SHIRATO  |
TOUGH: High School Iron Fist Legend | Kreangarg Suwanpakdee  |  | [citation needed]
Kenichi: The Mightiest Disciple | Apachai Hopachai, Tirawit Kōkin
Agaard Jum Sai  |  | [citation needed]
Beyblade | Yothin  |  | [citation needed]
Hajime No Ippo | Jimmy Sispher  |  | [citation needed]
Katekyo Hitman Reborn! | Lussuria  |  | [citation needed]
All Rounder Meguru | Maki Kamiya  | Manga about Women's MMA. One of the key characters is Maki Kamiya, a high school girl-age kickboxer who transitioned to Women's Shooto, after she was unable to find adequate challengers in her Kickboxing weight class.  | [31]
Treasure hunting in Thailand[32] | Thani Sor.Silachai  |  | [33][34]
Kamen Rider Ryuki | Kamen Rider Impaler  |  | [citation needed]
Kengan Ashura | Gaolang Wongsawat, Cosmo Imai  |  | [citation needed]

## Video games

[edit]

The following games feature characters that use Muay Thai as their fighting style,

Series  | Game characters  | Description  | Ref.

|
|
|

Street Fighter | Sagat | Debuting in the original Street Fighter, Sagat is depicted as a renowned Muay Thai expert known for his incredible power and height. He is often called the "Emperor of Muay Thai" in his home country. He was possibly named after Sagat Petchyindee.  | [35][36][37]
Adon | Muay Thai warrior and a disciple of Sagat. He appears in the original Street Fighter game as the second-to-last opponent before the final match against Sagat. In later games, he is characterized as a former pupil of Sagat, seeking to surpass his disgraced master.  | [38]
Gou Hibiki and other minor characters  | Muay Thai fighters from Street Fighter III: New Generation sometimes appear in Elena's stage during the 2nd round.  | [39][full citation needed][40]
SNK Fighting Games  | Joe Higashi | Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters | [41][42][43]
Hwa Jai | Debuting in Fatal Fury: King of Fighters, initially appearing as a computer-controlled opponent, unavailable for the player. He would be introduced as a playable character in The King of Fighters XIII.  | [44]
King | Debuting in Art of Fighting, a French female Muay Thai fighter who dresses in masculine manner. Her design was inspired by Saskia van Rijswijk and Grace Jones.  | [45][46]
Payak Sitipitak  | Debuted in Buriki One |
Mortal Kombat | Jax Briggs | Uses Muay Thai in Mortal Kombat: Deadly Alliance and Mortal Kombat: Armageddon.  |
Jacqui Briggs  | Daughter of Jax Briggs, she utilizes a more Muay Thai-oriented fighting style in Mortal Kombat 11.  | [47][48]
Virtua Fighter | Vanessa Lewis | In Virtua Fighter 4, Vanessa Lewis used both Vale Tudo and Muay Thai move sets until Brad Burns was added in Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, making her solely a Vale Tudo fighter.  | [49]
Brad Burns | Italian Thaiboxer who debuted in Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution.  | [50]
Tekken | Bruce Irvin | Debuted in Tekken 2.  | [51][52]
Bryan Fury | Debuted in Tekken 3. Kickboxer who utilizes trademark Muay Thai moves in his arsenal.  |
Fahkumram | Debuted in Tekken 7 as DLC. Massive Muay Thai fighter. Upon his unveiling in 2019, he was compared to Street Fighter's Sagat.  | [53][54]
Josie Rizal | Debuted in Tekken 7. Spiritual successor to Bruce Irvin, who fights with a Filipino variant of Muay Thai known as Yaw-Yan, combined with elements of Arnis.  | [55][56]
Mimics, like Mokujin and Unknown | Unknown in the Tekken series can use any of the techniques of the other players, including the Muay Thai moves of Bruce Irvin and Mokujin.  |
Dead or Alive | Zack | Introduced in Dead Or Alive. Zack uses self-learnt Muay Thai style.  | [57][58]
World Heroes | Shura (Naikanom Tom)  | Debuted in World Heroes 2, he is based on the Nai Khanom Tom, a legendary figure in the historicity of Muay Thai.  |
Fighter's History,
Karnov's Revenge | Samchay Tomyamgun  |  |
Ehrgeiz | Prince Naseem/Doza  |  |
Eternal Champions | R.A.X. Coswell  | R.A.X. Coswell is an American cyber-kickboxer from 2345 AD. His trainer programmed a virus into his R.A.X. exoskeleton software to ensure he lost an important match. Coswell died during the match as a result.  | [59]
Battle K-Road | Shinsaku Maekawa and John Anderson  |  | [60]
League of Legends | Lee Sin  |  |
Granado Espada | Irawan  |  |
The Bouncer | PD-4  |  |
World of Fighting (freeware) | Ananda  |  |
Battle Arena Toshinden | Chaos[note 1] |  |
Shaolin vs Wutang (1 & 2) | Muay Thai is one of the 30 available fighting styles in the game.  |  |
Sleeping Dogs (video game) | Wei Shen  | In the Zodiac Tournament Pack DLC the game introduces 12 Fire Opal Statue collectibles. Collection of all 12 statues unlocks two outfits, one of which is a traditional Muay Thai outfit. When equipped, Wei's fighting style then switches to Muay Thai.  |
Judgment (video game) and its sequel Lost Judgment | Toru Higashi  | Higashi is one of the protagonist's companions who fight by his side in several instances, most notably during the Long Battle sequences towards the end of the games. His moveset features elements from both Muay Thai and Tae Kwon Do.  |  |

## Other

[edit]

* Lumpini Gundam is a Gundam plastic model dressed in a Muay Thai outfit.
* Professional wrestler CM Punk uses a fighting style that incorporates elements of Muay Thai.[61]
* Jamie, a Progressive Insurance associate who is considered dull by his coworkers, is revealed to be a devotee of Muay Thai (among other exciting pursuits) while showing slides of his vacation in a 2020 Progressive commercial.

## See also

[edit]

* Capoeira in popular culture
* Lethwei in popular culture

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ Chaos, from Battle Arena Toshinden 2 and 3, wears Mongkhon when he fights.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c d Thomas A. Green (2010). Martial Arts of the World: An Encyclopedia (2 ed.). ABC-CLIO. p. 323\. ISBN 9781576071502.
2. ^ Hion, Jeffrey. "Muay Thai". Defcross.be. Archived from the original on 2007-07-10. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
3. ^ Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer, Richard Meyers (1995). The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 95\. ISBN 9780810830271. "711\. Duel of Fists (1971)[...]The martial arts consist mostly of Thai boxing..."`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
4. ^ Cork, John; Stutz, Collin (2007). James Bond Encyclopedia. London: Dorling Kindersley. p. 286\. ISBN 978-1-4053-3427-3.
5. ^ Williams, Victoria R. (2015). Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing. ABC-CLIO. p. 316\. ISBN 9781610696401. "...and James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), parts of which were filmed at the Lumpini Stadium, the Thai boxing arena in Bangkok."
6. ^ Adam K. Raymond (February 27, 2018). "10 Gut-Punching Facts About 'Bloodsport' on Its 30th Anniversary". MAXIM. Feb 23, 2023. "Among the pro fighters in Bloodsport are[...]and Paulo Tocha, a Muay Thai expert who played Paco. Tocha has credited the role with helping to legitimize Muay Thai in the West."
7. ^ Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer, Richard Meyers (1995). The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 183\. ISBN 9780810830271. "1502\. Kickboxer (1989)[...] Heavyweight kickboxing champion Eric Sloane (Dennis Alexio) goes to Bangkok to prove his fighting superiority over Thai boxing. He fights the Thai champion, Tung Po[Sic] (Michel Qissi), and is intentionally crippled. Eirc's brother, Kurt (Jean-Claude Van Damme), swearing revenge, goes to study from Thai boxing master Xian (Dennis Chan)."`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
8. ^ Bill Palmer, Karen Palmer, Richard Meyers (1995). The Encyclopedia of Martial Arts Movies. Rowman & Littlefield. p. 74\. ISBN 9780810830271.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
9. ^ Bignell, Darren (January 1, 2000). "The Quest Review". Empire Online. Retrieved March 6, 2023. "Chris embarks on an odyssey of self-discovery that spans the globe. Kidnapped and enslaved by gun smugglers, sold by pirates and thrust into the murky underworld of gambling and kickboxing, Chris' journey takes him to forbidding Muay Thai Island where deadly martial arts are taught."
10. ^ Williams, Victoria R. (2015). Weird Sports and Wacky Games around the World: From Buzkashi to Zorbing. ABC-CLIO. p. 316\. ISBN 9781610696401. "Thai boxing has featured in a number of films including The Quest (1996), the directorial debut of Belgian film star and martial artist Jean-Claude Van Damme..."
11. ^ Darrell Davis, Emilie Yueh-yu Yeh (2017). East Asian Screen Industries. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 53\. ISBN 9781349921775.
12. ^ Esther M. K. Cheung, Gina Marchetti, Esther C. M. Yau (2015). A Companion to Hong Kong Cinema. John Wiley & Sons. p. 284\. ISBN 9780470659281. "In A Fighter's Blues (Daniel Lee, 2000), Andy Lau plays a Hong Kong kickboxer in Thailand..."`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
13. ^ Mary J. Ainslie, Katarzyna Ancuta (2018). Thai Cinema: The Complete Guide. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 9781838609252. "Beautiful Boxer[...]This 2003 biopic based on the life of famed transgender Muay Thai champion, Parinya Charoenphol or "Nong Toom" (played by Asanee Suwan)..."
14. ^ Jack Slack (October 20, 2014). "Jack Slack: Ong Bak in the Real World". Vice. Archived from the original on April 22, 2017. Retrieved September 21, 2021.
15. ^ "Diafat Bio". muaythaitv.com. Archived from the original on 2006-09-06. Retrieved 2006-03-01.
16. ^ Chew, David (April 22, 2020). "Film Review: Chocolate (2008) by Prachya Pinkaew". Asian Movie Pulse. Retrieved February 24, 2023.
17. ^ "Chocolate". DVD Talk. Retrieved 2011-02-03.
18. ^ Kuipers, Richard (2009-10-07). "Raging Phoenix". Variety. Retrieved 2011-02-08.
19. ^ "The Kick ตัวอย่าง". Thaicinema.org. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
20. ^ Macaulay, Scott. "Five Questions with Bunohan Director Dain Said". FilmMaker. Retrieved 3 November 2017.
21. ^ "AT&T Delivers 'A Prayer Before Dawn' the Muay Thai Boxing Story Shot in a Real Thai Prison". AT&T. 12 July 2018. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
22. ^ Dry, Jude (19 July 2018). "'A Prayer Before Dawn' Trailer: Joe Cole Leads Cannes Boxing Drama Shot in a Thai Prison". IndieWire. Penske Business Media. Retrieved 19 July 2018.
23. ^ "Knocking on the door of success". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2021-07-31.
24. ^ "John Wayne Parr: Blessed with Venom". The A.V. Club. 2011. Retrieved March 2, 2023. "Chronicling the life and career of Australian Muay Thai superstar and 7 times World Champion, John Wayne Parr."
25. ^ "The Contender Asia kicks off". OnScreenAsia.com. September 9, 2007. Archived from the original on January 17, 2008. Retrieved 2008-01-16.
26. ^ "An Idiot Abroad 2 Episode 3: Swim With Dolphins – Sky1 HD". Sky1.sky.com. Retrieved 2011-10-07.
27. ^ Manga: An Anthology of Global and Cultural Perspectives. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. 2010. ISBN 9781441155696.
28. ^ Jonathan Clements, Helen McCarthy (2015). The Anime Encyclopedia, 3rd Revised Edition: A Century of Japanese Animation. Stone Bridge Press. 9781611729092.
29. ^ "空手小公子 小日向海流 – Karate Shoukoushi Kohinata Minoru". Ten Ryû, culture japonaise et arts-martiaux (in French). 2009-02-25. Archived from the original on 2010-07-06. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
30. ^ "【漫画】 空手小公子 小日向海流 第01巻〜第47巻 ｜アニメ、漫画の無料紹介". Anicole.web.fc2.com. Archived from the original on 2012-03-22. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
31. ^ Karri, Siri (June 25, 2018). "Here's why All-Rounder Meguru is must-read MMA manga". The Body Lock. Retrieved March 2, 2023. "There's Maki Kamiya, a towering Muay Thai practitioner who switches to mixed martial arts to find herself better competition."
32. ^ ล่าขุมทรัพย์สุดขอบฟ้าในไทย. สำนักพิมพ์นานมีบุ๊คส์ (in Thai)
33. ^ 네이버 책 :: 네이버는 책을 사랑합니다. Book.naver.com (in Korean). 2008-01-17. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
34. ^ "태국에서 보물찾기-Daum 책" (in Korean). Book.daum.net. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
35. ^ Steve Henderstot, Tim Lapetino (2017). Undisputed Street Fighter: The Art And Innovation Behind The Game-Changing Series. Dynamite Entertainment. pp. 206–213\. ISBN 9781524104696.
36. ^ ธนศุทธิสกุล, รัชพล (11 April 2016). "ราชาน็อกเร็ว! "สกัด พรทวี" ยอดมวย 9 ชีวิต! หนึ่งโมเดลเกม "สตรีทไฟเตอร์"" [Fast Knockout King! "Sagat Porntawee" Legendary 9 Lives Boxer! One of the model in "Street Fighter"] (in Thai). Archived from the original on 17 September 2016. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
37. ^ Serrels, Mark (6 February 2015). "Street Fighter's Sagat Was Based On A Real Life Fighter". Archived from the original on February 9, 2015. Retrieved 12 April 2016.
38. ^ Steve Henderstot, Tim Lapetino (2017). Undisputed Street Fighter: The Art And Innovation Behind The Game-Changing Series. Dynamite Entertainment. p. 153\. ISBN 9781524104696.
39. ^ サガットvsゴウ (in Japanese)
40. ^ "Rip Offs Page 3 – More Street Fighter and SNK inspirations". Fightingstreet.com. Retrieved 2012-11-08.
41. ^ ZZZ (January 10, 2008). "Fatal Fury (Intro / Characters)". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved March 6, 2023. "Andy and Terry's Muay Thai-practicing friend wears nothing but shorts and sports a huge hairstyle. Joe Higashi was born in Japan, but has spent most of his life training in Thailand. As Fatal Fury's comical relief character, he is known to pull down his shorts and taunt his opponents with his bare behind."
42. ^ Stenbuck, Kite (February 11, 2021). "Joe Higashi Is Ready To Bring Muay Thai Into KOF XV". Siliconera. Enthusiast Gaming. Retrieved March 2, 2023. "The Japanese fighter, Joe Higashi, spent most of his training time in Thailand to master Muay Thai. He followed the steps of his father, who was also a Muay Thai champion. As one of the starting characters in the inaugural Fatal Fury title in 1991, Joe has been available as a playable character in most KOF games released to date."
43. ^ "『ネオジオフリーク』1998年8月号 132頁。" ["Neo Geo Freak" August 1998 issue 132 pages.]. Neo Geo Freak (in Japanese). August 1, 1998.
44. ^ ZZZ (January 10, 2008). "Fatal Fury (Intro / Characters)". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved March 6, 2023. "Hwa Jai is a Muay Thai fighter on steroids. He is not actually playable in the [arcade release of first Fatal Fury] and only appears as a boss in the original Fatal Fury, with cameos in a couple games after that. He is finally reintroduced in The King of Fighters XIII, becoming a playable character for the first time."
45. ^ Lacroix, Maxim (April 2, 2021). "King voor The King of Fighters XV aangekondigd" [King for The King of Fighters XV announced]. PlaySense.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved March 6, 2023. "We hebben het einde van de week weer bereikt, dus jullie weten wat dat betekent. SNK kondigt dan een nieuw personage voor The King of Fighters XV aan. Ditmaal is het de beurt aan King, welk personage gebaseerd is op de voormalig Nederlands kampioene full contact karate, wereldkampioene Muay Thai en actrice, Saskia van Rijswijk.
Translation: We've reached the end of the week again, so you know what that means. SNK then announces a new character for The King of Fighters XV. This time it's King's turn, which character is based on the former Dutch champion full contact karate, world champion Muay Thai and actress, Saskia van Rijswijk."
46. ^ Scheld, Casey (April 1, 2021). "King Coming to The King of Fighters XV". Gamers Heroes. Retrieved March 2, 2023. "Also known as the Beautiful Kick's Illusion, King was inspired and modeled after Jamaican singer Grace Jones. This recurring member of the King of Fighters' Womens' [sic] Team uses a Muay Thai fighting style that features several acrobatic jumping and high kick maneuvers."
47. ^ Lanci, Rich (2019-03-24). "Noob, Shang Tsung Among Four Revealed for Mortal Kombat 11". KeenGamer. Retrieved March 2, 2023. "Jacqui Briggs was another character introduced in Mortal Kombat X as part of the new protagonist group. She's the daughter of Mortal Kombat veteran Jax, and was a more divisive new character in Mortal Kombat X. Thankfully, they did revamp her design and moveset to stand out more. While she still has a "tech" inspired moveset, she now uses many Muay Thai related strikes as well as utilizing force fields either on the ground over widespread areas or making thin square-shaped vertical barriers."
48. ^ Leri, Michael (March 20, 2019). "Mortal Kombat 11 Kotal Kahn and Jacqui Briggs gameplay shown". GameRevolution. Retrieved March 2, 2023. "Jacqui Briggs [...] her attacks borrow from Muay Thai, which means she is less about zoning (like she was in MKX) and more about a close-range game."
49. ^ "Virtua Fighter 4 Evolution". GameRevolution. 2003. Retrieved March 6, 2023. "[...] and the Muay Thai boxer Brad Burns. With the addition of Brad Burns, Vanessa Lewis's alternate Muay Thai style from Virtua Fighter 4 was removed and replaced with a Vale Tudo "Offensive" style; making her a solely Vale Tudo brawler."
50. ^ Bramwell, Tom (December 4, 2002). "PS2 VF4 evolves". Eurogamer. Retrieved February 24, 2023. "Virtua Fighter 4: Evolution, the arcade update to Sega's beat 'em up, included two new characters (Muay Thai kickboxer Brad Burns and judo guru Goh Hinogami)"
51. ^ Brathwaite, Brenda (November 4, 2008). "What if the Player is Black? (p. 3)". The Escapist. Archived from the original on 15 May 2014. Retrieved October 29, 2016.
52. ^ Luis Correa (Dec 8, 2019). "Tekken 7 Reveals Brand New Fighter Fahkumram". Game Rant. Retrieved March 9, 2023. "The trailer was only released a few hours ago, but fans are already drawing comparisons between Fahkumram and Bruce Irvin, another Tekken character who also practices Muay Thai style fighting. Ever since the character's introduction in Tekken 2 and return in Tekken 5 and 6, fans have been asking for Bruce's return in this newest installment. While Fahkumram is clearly a much more brutal character, hopefully, his release should be enough to tide over Muay Thai fans."
53. ^ Saarenoja, Panu (March 19, 2020). "Thainyrkkeilyn voima laajentaa Tekken 7 -mättöjä ensi viikolla – trailerikin julkaistiin" [The power of Thaiboxing will expand Tekken 7's brawls next week - the trailer was also released]. Pelaaja (in Finnish). Retrieved February 24, 2023. "Fahkumram luottaa taistellessaan thainyrkkeilyn voimaan ja tämän voikin nähdä toiminnassa tuoreella trailerilla. (Translation:Fahkumram relies on the power of Thai boxing when fighting, and you can see this in action on the new trailer)"
54. ^ Good, Owen S. (Dec 8, 2019). "Tekken 7's next DLC fighter is muay thai champ Fahkumram". Polygon. Retrieved February 24, 2023. "The newest character in Tekken 7 is Fahkumram, and he briefly caused Sagat from Street Fighter to trend on Twitter because of their, hrm, close resemblance and muay thai origins. Fahkumram (his name means "roaring sky", or "thunder") is also a giant like Sagat (7-foot-5, canonically)."
55. ^ Hurwitch, Nick (2019). The Art of Tekken: A Complete Visual History. Dynamite Entertainment. p. 148\. ISBN 9781524113087. "Josie fills the Muay-Thai-sized hole left by Bruce Irvin in Tekken 7. But Josie's kickboxing is styled after Eskrima, or Arnis, a weaponsbased Filipino martial art mostly focused on defense and counterstrikes."
56. ^ ""Tekagen Irande!" - recenzja gry Tekken 7". Ppe.pl (in Polish). Retrieved May 27, 2022.
57. ^ Sam Derboo (January 24, 2014). "Dead or Alive (Introduction / Characters)". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved March 6, 2023. "Zak; The Dennis Rodman lookalike is a self-taught Muay Thai kickboxer looking for fame, money and women. [...] It appears he was first conceived as a ripoff of Street Fighter's Adon before getting a redesign that for once doesn't match the cliché associated with his fighting style."
58. ^ Russell (May 25, 2012). "Two new characters revealed for Dead or Alive 5". Gaming Nexus. Retrieved February 24, 2023. "Zack, also known as "The Crazy Climber", is a funky DJ with a positive attitude and a very original sense of style.[...] He has incredible fighting instincts, and taught himself Muay Thai just by imitation. His unorthodox style of Muay Thai has become so unconventional that no one can predict what comes next."
59. ^ Bobinator (May 2, 2014). "Eternal Champions". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved March 6, 2023. "R.A.X. Coswell; A cyborg Muay Thai kickboxer. Ended up killed by a virus implanted by his manager, who bet on another fighter. He plans to return kickboxing to its human roots if he wins the tournament."
60. ^ Michael Plasket (November 27, 2013). "Battle K-Road". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved March 6, 2023. "Shinsaku Maekawa & John Anderson[...]Yet another conventional fighting game archetype in the form of Muay Thai kick boxers..."
61. ^ "Biography". cmpunk.com. Archived from the original on 2012-10-22. Retrieved 2012-11-07. "His style is an assimilation of fighting styles he has learned from his travels around the world including Muay Thai Kickboxing and Brazilian Jujitsu."

## External links

[edit]

* Thai Martial Arts