The EXACT throwing rules in MT

[JohnnyCache]

OK

I've been reading up on the rules of MT and I've run across something odd. I've watched a ton of MT and there is definitely throwing in it. Yet not much mention of thowing is made in the rules, except to say "judo or wrestling holds and armlocks" are a foul.

I'm going to state my interpreted understanding here and people with more formal MT experience correct me

In a muay thai fight - throws are not considered scoring blows or true knockdowns, but certain throws are not considered fouls and are a part of "ring dominance" and/or "aggression"

These include

catching the kick and sweeping or kicking the other leg
catching under the knee and circle throwing
upper body throws performed with such timeing they require no backhold or trip
Lifting the opponent without clasping the hands or loading the hips
Torqueing the opponent to the ground in a deep clinch

Did I put anything on the list wrongfully, or leave any out?

Also, are these techniques named and/or taught, or are they just sort of pickup technique?

Finally, I've noticed this is used more in asian thai fighting - I don't see it as often in domestic fighting. Is that a rule variation, a cultural difference, what?

[Matt Phillips]

The only technique you listed that I believe to be against the rules is "catching the kick and sweeping or kicking the other leg"

If you are leveraging your opponent over any part of your body, you are technically in violation of the rules. In practice it all depends on whether Donny has his mullet on straight, and decides to call foul.

[Torakaka]

The only technique you listed that I believe to be against the rules is "catching the kick and sweeping or kicking the other leg"

This is definitely not against the rules in muaythai. As long as your leg is in motion as the other fighter falls, it's fair game. You simply can't put your leg behind theirs and trip them over it with your leg staying in place. Typically in US sanctioning bodies, you're also not allowed to use foot-foot sweeps since I guess there's a fear that you might damage your opponent's ankle.

[Matt Phillips]

This is definitely not against the rules in muaythai. As long as your leg is in motion as the other fighter falls, it's fair game. You simply can't put your leg behind theirs and trip them over it with your leg staying in place. Typically in US sanctioning bodies, you're also not allowed to use foot-foot sweeps since I guess there's a fear that you might damage your opponent's ankle.

that's absolutely right, I should have been more clear. You can't throw them over any posted part of your body (hip, leg, shoulder). If you pick your foot right up you are not in violation of the rules.

[Torakaka]

OK

I've been reading up on the rules of MT and I've run across something odd. I've watched a ton of MT and there is definitely throwing in it. Yet not much mention of thowing is made in the rules, except to say "judo or wrestling holds and armlocks" are a foul.

I'm going to state my interpreted understanding here and people with more formal MT experience correct me

In a muay thai fight - throws are not considered scoring blows or true knockdowns, but certain throws are not considered fouls and are a part of "ring dominance" and/or "aggression"

These include

catching the kick and sweeping or kicking the other leg
catching under the knee and circle throwing
upper body throws performed with such timeing they require no backhold or trip
Lifting the opponent without clasping the hands or loading the hips
Torqueing the opponent to the ground in a deep clinch

Did I put anything on the list wrongfully, or leave any out?

Also, are these techniques named and/or taught, or are they just sort of pickup technique?

Finally, I've noticed this is used more in asian thai fighting - I don't see it as often in domestic fighting. Is that a rule variation, a cultural difference, what?

Those are basically all the throws/take downs that I'm aware of in muaythai. You're not allowed to lift your opponent off the ground, period, as far as I've always been told. You can kick their leg out from under them, use their own momentum to toss them (whether it be from throwing a knee or just pushing forward), or you can tip them over with a little upper body shove/redirection.

All these tosses/throws/whatever are major parts of playing a strong clinch game... which is something gyms in the US typically tend to seriously neglect. Even those that do teach some level of thai clinch don't tend to make it anywhere near as much of a priority as gyms in Thailand, so you don't really see the same level of clinch technique involved. Really, any place outside of Thailand has more of a low kick kickboxing approach to muaythai, so Thai vs. non-thai matches will often involve the Thai resorting to clinch and throws to out do their opponents. I think a reason for this may be that clinch dominance is much more favored by the judges in Thailand than those in other countries.

[Matt Phillips]

I think a reason for this may be that clinch dominance is much more favored by the judges in Thailand than those in other countries.

Good point!

[Kintanon]

US Schools are also more likely to be competing under low kick or Full Contact Karate rules than MT rules, where the scoring just doesn't allow clinch work the same way. Again we see an example of how competition ruleset drives technique.

[Matt Phillips]

US Schools are also more likely to be competing under low kick or Full Contact Karate rules than MT rules, where the scoring just doesn't allow clinch work the same way.

Not around here anyway.

[Torakaka]

It's kind of silly, imo, to not make clinch fighting more of a focus in muaythai classes in the US since most people these days getting into it (as least competitively) are using muaythai as a stepping stone to get into MMA and a strong thai clinch is very useful under MMA rules.

[Matt Phillips]

Plus the clinch rules on the street.