Well basically, because wai kru means respect for your teacher, it would seem to me anyone who fights muay Thai should demonstrate respect for their teacher. Certainly if your teacher is a member of any of the Thai boxing associations extant in the USA, he has learned at least one ram muay and should be teaching it to his fighters. The TBA requires it during Basic Testing, and I personally know Master Chai wants all TBA fighters to do the wai kru and the ram muay before they fight, and so it is an insult to him if you as a member do not pay respects to him and to the long line of teachers he (and we) represents. Many foreign fighters in Thailand do not do wai kru or ram muay, and the Thai appear not to care overmuch. At the Buddhai Swan we did lengthy ram muay and wai kru before demonstrations, and even wore the mong kol around our neck. The mong kol I brought home from there are too small to go over our (overly big Westerner) heads, so we do not wear them during demonstrations here; but we still do a wai kru and ram muay as a necessary historical perspective. I like to watch a good ram muay, but it is your choice. You should decide based upon all the factors, however. Master Chai's father, when I was living at his house, would sometimes just watch the ram muay, tell us who was going to win the fight, then leave the room. I never saw him make a mistake about the victor. Make of this what you will
