Abstract
Muay Thai has become one of the most practiced martial arts in the country, after the success of Brazilian fighters in MMA events held since the 1990s. This article aims to analyze, through narratives, the process of insertion and dissemination of the sport in Brazil. The first black belts formed by Nélio Naja, the supposed introducer of this martial art in the country, participated in this study. It was concluded that when he abandoned Taekwondo and started Muay Thai in the city of Curitiba (PR), Nélio Najaprospered, fostering the construction of the hero's myth and the construction of a martial art identity. Nélio Naja, in order to establish himself as an introducer in Brazil, had to create some versions of how he got to know the sport, becoming a consensus among practitioners. In a short time, Muay Thai started to be practiced in Rio de Janeiro (RJ) and São Paulo (SP). In these places, others pioneers also have tried to establish themselves as precursors.
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