Muaythai is linking three institutional and educational focuses over these days. The upcoming masterclass by Buakaw Banchamek in Frankfurt, the balance of the session held in Japan with more than 1,000 participants, and the start of the 2026 FISU World University Championship Combat Sports in Brasilia place the discipline in different settings, but along the same line: training, culture, competition and sporting values.
The agenda also reflects muaythai’s double dimension as a combat sport and part of Thailand’s cultural heritage. International masterclasses bring the discipline closer to practitioners at different levels, while the university championship integrates muaythai into a space where sport coexists with education, leadership and exchange among young athletes from around the world.
Buakaw, a legend for an open masterclass in Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main will be the next stop on the international muaythai masterclass circuit on 21 June 2026. The session will take place at Fabriksporthalle Fechenheim, from 10:00 to 12:00, will be free of charge, open to people aged 18 and over, and will have limited places. The event follows previous experiences held in Riyadh, Shanghai, Tokyo, Marrakesh and Saigon.
The main attraction will be Buakaw, one of the most recognisable figures in recent muaythai history and one of its most influential international ambassadors. The activity will be open to very different profiles, from beginners to professional competitors, coaches and champions. More than a technical session, the event is presented as an opportunity to approach the Art of Eight Limbs through the experience of an athlete who has helped raise the global recognition of the discipline.
Japan brings together more than 1,000 participants
The Japan stop produced one of the strongest images from this series of activities. The Muaythai Masterclass, organised by the Royal Thai Government and the Sports Authority of Thailand as part of a sports tourism promotion line, brought together more than 1,000 participants and became one of the largest international muaythai workshops held to date. The event gathered masters, athletes and icons from Thailand and Japan in a day centred on sport, culture, education and friendship. Alongside Buakaw, Thai figures such as Rittewada and Phayahong took part, as well as Japanese combat sports names including Kota Miura and Nadaka Yoshinari, who shared their experience with practitioners at different levels.
The activity was opened by HSH Prince Nawaphansa Yugala, Chair of the IFMA Advisory Board, and Gongsak Yodmani, Governor of the Sports Authority of Thailand. It also welcomed representatives of the Japanese Government, the international sporting movement and the country’s combat sports community. Stephan Fox, Chair of the SportAccord Combat Sports Council, highlighted Japan’s role in the international development and promotion of muaythai.
Brasilia opens the university pathway for muaythai
The third focus is in Brasilia, where the 2026 FISU World University Championship Combat Sports begins on 8 June. The championship will bring together more than 1,500 participants and will feature five combat sports: Jujitsu, Karate, Wrestling, Wushu and muaythai. The event is organised by the Brazilian University Sports Confederation -CBDU- in collaboration with the International University Sports Federation -FISU-.
FISU President Leonz Eder underlined the role of young athletes by saying that, “despite the challenging times we are all facing, athletes remind us of the special power of young people and reassure us that a better world is possible”. IFMA President Sakchye Tapsuwan also linked the championship to a broader vision of university sport: “It represents far more than competition. It is where education, sport, leadership, and personal development come together”.
Tapsuwan also thanked the work of FISU, CBDU and the local organising committee, and wished safe travels to athletes, coaches, officials and delegations. Between Frankfurt, Japan and Brasilia, muaythai is showing three complementary forms of international presence: direct transmission from a legend, the mass response of a community of practitioners and the university space as a platform for a new generation of athletes.
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