As well as editing the Society section of The Gryphon, Mary Lumley acts the President of the Leeds University Union Muay Thai Society. Here she discusses exactly what makes the society and the sport “better than boxing”, and what can it do. 

For those less well-versed in the martial arts scene, Muay Thai (or Thai Boxing) is a combat sport from South-East Asia. It originated in Thailand in the 18th century as a practical fighting technique used in warfare before developing into a sport.

It differs from Western kickboxing as practitioners can use knee and elbow strikes as well as kicks and punches; this has led to the sport’s nickname ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’. There is a heavy focus on body conditioning as fighters must be extremely