The wai khru ram muay has been part of Muay Thai for hundreds of years. It is performed to music - a small band of traditional Thai instruments plays a slow, hypnotic tune while the athlete moves around the ring. The wai khru part is a respectful bow to teachers and ancestors. The ram muay is a slow, dance-like sequence of movements showing skill and grace.
Each athlete designs their own version of the ram muay, taught to them by their coach over many years. The movements have names: 'standing on one leg like a heron', 'shooting an arrow', 'walking like a giant'. The whole sequence can take several minutes.
While the athlete dances, they wear a special headband called a mongkhon, which is a gift from their teacher. The mongkhon is a circle of braided cord, lightly worn during the wai khru and then removed before the contest. Many athletes have worn the same mongkhon since they were beginners.
Muay Thai is taught in schools all over Thailand, but children begin with the slow, dance-like parts first - balance, breathing, footwork, and the wai khru ram muay - long before any sparring. It is one of the oldest sporting traditions in Southeast Asia, and it begins with a bow.