Mark L,
I can not tell you how many times I've heard people say "San Shou is just Muay thai with some wrestling". Some aspects of San Shou may be like Muay Thai. We may leg kick, we may have some ways of catching a kick similar. With gloves on, a lot of the hand techniques are going to look like Western boxing. But leg kicking and kick catching wasn't somehow "stolen" from Muay Thai.

When Al Loriaux was the first American to win a silver medal for the US in San Shou competition, some jackasses called him a Muay Thai fighter. Just pure ignorance as Al is a student of Jason Yee, that is where all his training came from. And Jason Yee was trained in China, has NOT trained in Muay Thai

It is just as stupid as the constant reference to the fact Cung Le wore shorts produced by "Muay Thai products" when that company sponsored him. As if the simple fact that a pair of shorts say "Muay Thai" somewhere on them makes someone a Muay Thai fighter? I seriously wonder why anyone would think that Cung Le fights like a Muay Thai fighter when his principle strength is his throws and his two favorite kicks are side kick and ax kick?

Are Muay Thai fighters from Thailand tough? OF COURSE THEY ARE. They are also full time professional fighters. Far too much of Muay Thai's "reputation" comes from matches where a very experienced Muay Thai fighter was matched against a far less experienced fighter. Funny how people forget when the Thais have lost. I once posted some pics of a Chinese fighter who was called the "saint of Penang" who beat a Thai fighter in a match with elbows, without elbow pads, knees AND throws in Singapore. He was then chellenged to fight in Thailand under Thai rules (ie no throws) and fought his opponent to a DRAW. In the South East Asian Cup, another fairly even rule event (elbows were legal the first 4 years) the results were pretty much 50/50. San Francisco resident Tat Mau Wong beat a number of Thai fighters in these events. A Chan Sau Chung student KO'd a Thai fighter in the Hong Kong Open with a throw. The list goes on but you guys always harp only when the Thai wins. I remember someone on here talking about when Bunkerd Fairtex beat a San Shou fighter in Hawaii. Fairtex says Bunkerd has over 200 fights. The Chinese fighter had around 20 at the time, about half in amateur matches with gear. But the win was held up as yet again proof of the ultimate Muay Thai art...

Yes, you're a zombie if you only want to believe the wins and not accept the losses...