If you’ve ever been to Thailand, you probably know how polite Thai people can be. Even so, traditional Thai “politeness” takes on a very different aspect when it comes to Thai kickboxing. Thai to English translation has helped brutal Thai kickboxing gain traction as a global sport.

Thai kickboxing — also known as Muay Thai — is a boxing, kicking, and grappling sport that has been around for quite some time. It was once confined mostly to Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, and a few other Southeast Asian countries. These days, thanks to the popularity of MMA (mixed martials arts) fighting, Muay Thai has attracted an international following.

Thai soldiers and others who knew how to fight in one of the various Muay Thai styles came into contact with foreigners, and then in turn helped them learn this type of hard combat. Once word got out, Thai kickboxing spread across the planet. Thai to English translation aided in nailing down the rules of Muay Thai for international aficionados and practitioners of the sport.

There are a lot of terms you need to know if you want to learn more about Thai kickboxing. Words like chaikrong (floating ribs), dtae (to kick), dtae kao (knee kick) and kao loy (jumping knee kick) are all vital things fans and Muay Thai fighters ought to be aware of, or know how to do.

Of course, you can rely on simple Thai to English translations of Thai kickboxing terms if you don’t know any Thai. That being said, in the heat of a battle (either fighting or watching), it’s always a good idea to be familiar with the Thai source of these aggressive and dangerous sounding words — which describe vulnerable body parts and hard hits. Your safety, or the safety of your favorite fighter, just might depend on it.