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Muay Thai is the ancient fighting art of Thailand. It dates back to the days when skills in hand to hand combat were a necessity for survival. Thailand has a culture linked to the battlefield and these combative skills can be seen in the rituals and fighting fury of the Muay Thai ring. Muay Thai has a history spanning more than 2000 years. Modern Muay Thai has its root in the Siam States of the mid 13th Century. To ensure the survival of the United Siam States, the greatest fighters of the time came together to codity and record their fighting techniques. In the early days, such techniques as choke holds, hip throws, and groin kicks were legal. There was little punching with fights comprising clawing, gouging, chopping blows and rigid finger strikes. No gloves were worn. Hands were bandaged in hemp rope and in grudge fights, the ropes were layered with glue and dipped in glass.
The fights had no rounds and no fixed rings. The last man standing was invariably declared the winner. Muay Thai has continued to evolve, change and adapt with society. In 1929 gloves were introduced to Muay Thai. After world war II, the rules of muay thai were finalized in today's form. This came about as Thailand’s sporting authorities decided to standardize the rules so as to make Muay Thai acceptable as a worldwide sport and to establish recognized, professional standards. Muay thai contest were divided into five, three minute rounds with two intervals between each rounds. Declaration of fouls meant that fighter’s could use all eight weapons of Mua Thai (knees, elbows, fists, feet) unheeded. Kickboxing is different to Mua Thai in that it doesn’t permit grappling, knees or elbow strikes. There are primarily three different versions of kickboxing competition, these being Full Contact rules (which permits above waist kicking only); USA rules (which permits leg kicks) and international Rules (which permits knees to the body and head but no elbows).
Kickboxing was originally conducted under full contact rules and dubbed “Full Contact Karate” in the late 1960s. These rules combined the techniques of Karate with conventional Western Boxing to develop ’Kickboxing’. In the early 1970s this new sport was made famous by the likes of Bill Wallace, Joe Lewis and Chuck Norris were champions of sport. Benny Urquidez is credited with bringing leg kicks into kickboxing in the mid 1970s from his many experiences fighting Japanese fighters. While Bruce lee had the theories and wrote the books, Urquidez was the man who actually put ‘kickboxing’ into action.
International Rules kickboxing was introduced to the Western world by the Dutch fighters who, during the early 1980s, were the first to travel to Thailand and fight the Thais. Hence when the Dutch returned to Europe , they introduced the use of knees and grappling to their kickboxing.
Muay Thai is also regarded as the ultimate form of street effective martial arts. Thai military and police, and armed forces in various countries, practice Muay Thai. Its use of all weapons of the body, its development of power, ability to effectively respond to various street scenarios and its overall body conditioning make it an ideal martial arts.
Head Instructor
Head Instructor (Kru) of Blitz Thai Kickboxing, Mark Castagnini is one of the most highly respected names in Australian Muay Thai/kickboxing. Kru Mark began his martial arts training in Kyokushinkai (full contact) Karate under the auspices of Kyokushinkai pioneer, Shihan Eddie Emin. It was in Kyokushin Karate that Kru Mark gained his first taste of competition, taking part in bare knuckle, full contact Kyokushin events.
Kru Mark then moved on to training in kickboxing and then Muay Thai within the Bob Jones corporation, leading to a successful ring career under the guidance of renowned trainer, Bryce Birtwistle. Kru Mark’s career climaxed in 1995 when he captured the WKA Australian Cruiserweight Muay Thai title in 1995 by knockout in the second round. In that same year, Kru Mark also won the National All Styles Victorian Open Black Belt Championships. A feat he repeated in 1998.
Blitz Thai Kickboxing has its origins, in fact, in Kru Mark’s garage in 1995. It was there that he began training some friends and relatives two nights a week, utilizing a six foot bag, a pair of hand mitts and a kick shield.
In 1996 the Blitz Martial Arts Centre was established. Upon the invitation of the centre’s founder, Shihan Silvio Morelli, Kru Mark was invited to take his instruction from his garage and pass on his knowledge to student at the Blitz centre. Kru Mark has since developed and entire syllabus for Blitz Thai Kickboxing which incorporates the best techniques of Karate, kickboxing, Muay Thai and various other arts. Kru Mark employs a “what works’ mindset to his teaching. He knows what works in the ring from his decorated background in Muay Thai, boxing and kickboxing competition, and he knows what works in self defense, having worked security for more than 12 years, looking after various Melbourne night clubs and many of Australia’s high profile rock bands. All of this knowledge has helped create Blitz Thai Kickboxing which has grown into a highly respected Muay Thai school.
Kru Mark recently returned to the ring for a fight under full Thai rules (with elbows) in Thailand. WMTC international coordinator, Stephan Fox, in his corner, Kru Mark fought a Thai opponent at Chaweng Stadium and won the fight by unanimous decision, even after breaking his left arm in the first round. Kru Mark works with Shihan Silvio Morelli at Blitz publications where he is the general manager, producing a number of sports magazines including Blitz Australasia's largest selling monthly martial arts magazine. He is also a Fox Sports kickboxing specialist commentator for all Thai and Kickboxing telecasts Australia wide.
