Muay Thai is a ring fighting art and the national sport of Thailand. Its roots come from the combative and ancient art of Krabi Krabong. Some refer to it as Thailand’s weapon art; however, it was more than just an art: it was the way the Thai’s fought wars. The techniques utilized in Krabi Krabong easily transferred over to the techniques used early on in the sport of Muay Thai, which has evolved over time to its current stature in the world of martial arts and international sports.
Muay Thai is one of the fastest growing fight sports in the world. Due to its popularity and effectiveness in the ring, it has become one of the most prominent arts in the Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) arena. Muay Thai’s effectiveness in the ring and MMA has become common knowledge to fans and fighters throughout the world.
What is not common knowledge is the effectiveness and widespread use of Muay Thai in the military. I spent over 21 years with the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams and throughout that time, I witnessed numerous hand-to-hand combat programs that were designed to market and teach military and law enforcement. If it is a successful program, you can bet that Muay Thai plays a large role in it. At my school, the Trident Academy of Martial Arts, we teach numerous martial arts, including Muay Thai, in a program that combines the most practical techniques for self-defense from all the arts taught. Muay Thai is the most prominent art in that program for two reasons: 1) the effectiveness of Muay Thai technique and 2) the training method of Muay Thai.
Joe Harvey is a practitioner of numerous arts; however, at my academy, he was a student of Muay Thai. When I refer to Joe as a student of Muay Thai, I am not referring to him as someone who only trained in it, but as someone who studied the art intensely. He meticulously took notes, became well-versed in the art and thoroughly understood all the techniques and training methods. After viewing his notes, which are the foundation of this book, I cannot recommend a better representation of Muay Thai than that found within these pages. It is an outstanding aid to anybody training in Muay Thai or MMA. Joe’s instructions are easy to follow, they break down the techniques in detail for both beginners and advanced students and put together intricate combinations. I highly recommend this book to all interested in Muay Thai or MMA.
—Patrick Tray
Patrick Tray is a four-time combat veteran who served 21 years as a member of the U.S. Navy SEAL Teams and served as the SEAL’s hand-to-hand combat instructor for over 10 years. Mr. Tray, owner and founder of Trident Academy of Martial Arts, is a full instructor and representative for the Thai Boxing Association of the U.S.A. (TBA-USA) and has full instructorship in Jun Fan Gung Fu/Jeet Kune Do Concepts and Filipino martial arts under Dan Inosanto. He is also a full instructor and representative for other martial arts (e.g., Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, combat submission wrestling—CSW) under world-renowned instructors.