Muay Thai for Olympic Recognition

Muay Thai for Olympic Recognition



The World Muay Thai Council (WMC) is trying to make Muay Thai an Olympic Sport. I feel that it would work only if it keeps the tradition and rules. It can not be bastardised like TaeKwonDo or Judo. About the elbows, perhaps the fighters could wear elbow pads to avoid any injury. I reckon that if Muay Thai were to become an Olympic Sport it will be good for the bringing it to the masses. What does everyone else think?

Muay thai is referred to as the "Art of Eight Limbs" or the "Science of Eight Limbs" because it makes use of punches, kicks, elbows and knee strikes, thus using eight "points of contact", as opposed to "two points" (fists) in boxing and "four points" (hands and feet) used in other more regulated combat sports, such as kickboxing, boxing, and savate

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Thats right off Wiki for the basic definition. I'm not knocking this because I honestly know little about Muay Thai. The bit about eight points of contact and listing basically every point on the body physically capable of causing injury brings a question though.

What is the difference between this...based on that description...and what one would basically call skilled street fighting? I'd describe the latter in roughly the same terms...?