Wai Kru Image
Dublin Core
Title
Wai Kru Image
Subject
Culture,Immovable Culture Heritage
Description
The Wai Kru a traditional Thai ritual deeply embedded in the practice of Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand. The term “Wai Kru” translates directly to “paying respect to the teacher,” and the ritual takes the form of a carefully choreographed sequence of movements performed by fighters prior to their bouts. These movements are symbolic expressions of respect, gratitude, discipline, and spiritual protection.
Accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of the Sarama — a traditional ensemble featuring Thai drums, cymbals, and the Pi Java (a distinctive woodwind instrument) — the Wai Kru is both a cultural performance and a spiritual act.
Whilst its original and traditional meaning is to honour one’s Muay Thai trainer, the ritual is additionally performed outside of this context, such as in schools, where students annually pay respect to their teachers in the “Wai Kru” festival (Chai Lai Orchid, n.d.).
In this way, whilst Muay Thai itself is of unmatched significance as an activity in Thai culture, its Wai Kru is additionally important itself - symbolising the country’s national emphasis on “Kreng Jai” (meaning respect), accompanied by deeply engrained hierarchy of respect
Source
is51102025
Date
07:17, 10 September 2013
Contributor
agillen7
Format
image/jpeg
Type
Still Image
Date Submitted
03/25/2025 08:31:59 pm
License
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
Medium
Own Work
Spatial Coverage
current,18.784211392255163,98.99567205458881;origin,18.28934191783106,99.47021484375001;
Europeana
Is Shown At
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wai_khru_ram_muay
Object
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Wai_khru_ram_muay
Europeana Provider
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3AWai_Kru_Muay_Thai.jpg?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Europeana Rights
krutonymoore@aol.com
Europeana Type
IMAGE
Still Image Item Type Metadata
DescriptionEN
The Wai Kru a traditional Thai ritual deeply embedded in the practice of Muay Thai, the national sport of Thailand. The term “Wai Kru” translates directly to “paying respect to the teacher,” and the ritual takes the form of a carefully choreographed sequence of movements performed by fighters prior to their bouts. These movements are symbolic expressions of respect, gratitude, discipline, and spiritual protection.
Accompanied by the rhythmic sounds of the Sarama — a traditional ensemble featuring Thai drums, cymbals, and the Pi Java (a distinctive woodwind instrument) — the Wai Kru is both a cultural performance and a spiritual act.
Whilst its original and traditional meaning is to honour one’s Muay Thai trainer, the ritual is additionally performed outside of this context, such as in schools, where students annually pay respect to their teachers in the “Wai Kru” festival (Chai Lai Orchid, n.d.).
In this way, whilst Muay Thai itself is of unmatched significance as an activity in Thai culture, its Wai Kru is additionally important itself - symbolising the country’s national emphasis on “Kreng Jai” (meaning respect), accompanied by deeply engrained hierarchy of respect
Citation
“Wai Kru Image,” STAGE, accessed December 13, 2025, https://stage.openvirtualworlds.org/omeka/items/show/3566.
Embed
Copy the code below into your web page