# First Muay Thai class



## Wagonmancer (Jul 13, 2009)

I have my first class coming up on July 27th. Was wondering if anyone had any tips as far as conditioning, flexibility, etc. to help get me ready. Not sure how much the classes will focus on this or if your typically expected to keep yourself in shape.


----------



## JYangS14 (Jul 13, 2009)

You will be taught techniques in class so the best thing for you to do is get yourself in shape for class.  Do full body stretches and go running for cardio.


----------



## Kitty (Jul 14, 2009)

Hey hun, 

Lots of sit ups, press ups and burpees.

Hill runs and sprints are really great aswell

Get your self a skipping rope too! As you will be doing a lot of skipping and it can take some getting sued too! 

Yoga is a really great way to get your body to relax and stretch more of flexibility and also balance when you are kicking  trust me I had reservations that it was girly but I seriously would rather spar for three mins than hold some of those stretches!


----------



## Wagonmancer (Jul 15, 2009)

Thank you much.


----------



## humanafterall (Jul 15, 2009)

You shouldn't need to be hugely prepared really, like most martial arts, Muay Thai is a great and often fun way of getting in shape.

When I first started I was badly out of shape and couldn't keep up with the rest of the class, but I soon found I was able to keep up with the best of them.

A Thai master, Panya Kraitus, taught us in a seminar before and he insisted on cardio cardio cardio. His favorite exercise was skipping, so I guess that's as good a place to start as any if you want to hit the ground running.

But any good instructor won't expect Bruce lee in terms of fitness and class from a beginner, just ween yourself into the methods and the standards and before long you'll be able to flying knee, spinning elbow, right hook and low roundhouse with the best of them!


----------



## Wagonmancer (Jul 15, 2009)

I wanted to do my best to strengthen my cardio so i'm paying more attention to the teachings and less to the fact i'm ready to pass out. I used to play soccer and wasn't in as good of shape as i shoudl've been and i remember that coming back to haunt me quite often. That and i recently just stopped smoking trying to get as much of the burn out of my lungs as i can. Luckily i only smoked for 2 years my lungs are still savable.


----------



## Rob2109 (Jul 16, 2009)

I've started Muay-Thai a few months ago and what i tend to do is that whatever is introduced in class that i struggle with i do at the gym inbetween classes. I started shadow boxing at home in front of a full length mirror for technique, then moved onto shadow boxing with hand weights. I was bouncing on a tire a few weeks ago so i got a skipping rope and do that every morning now. If you can manage to work up to 5x 3mins with a 1min30 break inbetween then congrats - thats a pro fight. Just remember to take it slow and not pick up any injuries, its a ladder you have to climb rung by rung, so enjoy yourself.


----------



## Wagonmancer (Jul 16, 2009)

Definetly going to get a skip rope and keep running. Ran a few miles the other day and was totally surprised that i was still going after 3 miles seeing  how i haven't exercised in any way since soccer in high school but decided to stop so i wouldn't be to sore. Glad i did cause i could hardly walk for a few hours the next day. Ran 2 miles yesterday though and wasn't sore today at all so i consider that progress. Exercise has motivated me actually which i thought it would do the opposite so right now my obstacle is staying off the smokes. My goal with Muay Thai is to be a competitive fighter which over rides my desire to smoke unless i get a few beers down then its a struggle, thank god for nicorette.


----------



## J4M13 UK (Jul 17, 2009)

I have always been told, when running, try interval training, sprint for a couple of hundred yards and then jog, sprint, jog etc. 

this is because, in the ring you do not have one pace all the time, you burst and then slow etc. 

good look with the quitting smoking, i am just getting over my cravings and trust me it was hard. lol


----------



## Wagonmancer (Jul 17, 2009)

Ya the first 3-4 days were awful it drove me nuts.


----------



## Kitty (Jul 19, 2009)

I know what you mean i am currently on day two!  and tomorrow am starting  three day detox! i think it might be a tough week ahead! x


----------



## Wagonmancer (Jul 20, 2009)

I need to do the same i ran out of Nic gum 2 days ago and have smoked about 2 smokes the last 2 days. The progress i made in the first 4 days makes me think if i suck it up for 3-4 days i won't have any cravings at all. I hope! Either way it's a major improvement to 15+ a day.


----------



## Wagonmancer (Jul 27, 2009)

First class went good. Don't think i quite understood the power of a muay thai kick until one of the instructors threw a roundhouse on the pad. Crowded though had some trouble finding space to learn the kicks, wasn't to terrible though. I overheard them talking about how the site they use didn't register multiple people for one reservation so they had more than they expected. Took me a bit to understand the side stepping and hip motion, i would go to throw a kick and feel so akward i'd have to stop, but once i did get them to start flowing in one motion and get some balance to it they started flying pretty smooth it felt good. Guy holding the pad was a small guy like me 5'7 or 5'8 125-130 so when he looked strained and said the kicks were pretty hard i wasn't sure how to take it untill i held the pad. It seemed to take more energy to hold the pad then throw the kicks, it's alot more impact than i thought. Can't be lazy about it either or the kick throws you arm into your side. 3 instructors along with kru helped as well with the overcrowded class i was really happy with it. As exhausting and exciting as i hoped, glad i did some running though the last 2 weeks or i would've dead halfway through.


----------



## Inky (Sep 12, 2009)

When holding pads, just before impact (like a split second) come out to meet the kick with a little tap of the pad... you shouldn't have to move more than an inch or 2 . it will take about half of the force you feel off of it, give a nice little "SNAP" sound and your partner won't notice anything if your doing it right. 

You don't have to push into it, just move out an inch or so to meet the kick a split second before impact. Ask your Kru to give ya some pad holding tips so you won't beat up your ribs and quads and hands and stuff.


----------



## MuayThaiTrainingThailand (Oct 29, 2009)

This might help: I copy From Dan' s Muay Thai & MMA Thanks to him

*Muay Thai Camp Tips: Fitness and Skill Level*

I have been getting a lot of emails recently from people who are also interested in training Muay Thai in Thailand, although they want to wait until their skill or fitness is at a higher level. I suppose the idea is that they dont feel that they are good enough to train at the level that would be expected if they were training in Thailand. There is less truth in that statement than one would believe. Training in Thailand is a great experience and I recommend it to anyone. Here are a couple things to keep in mind regarding your skill and fitness before deciding you are not ready to train in Thailand.

*- Get Ready To Relearn From The Start* -
Here is the thing, no matter how long you have trained in Muay Thai, you will always have something to learn, and the trainers will always have something to teach you, or improve about your technique. Before going to Thailand I had trained Muay Thai for 1 year, anywhere from 4-6 times a week. I was in pretty good shape and my technique was pretty good. When I arrived in Thailand, and started training, almost everything about my form and technique was altered by my trainers. 

This isnt because I was doing things wrong or incorrect; its just that there are different ways to do things. Throughout the world, each instructor will have slight variations on style and technique. In fact, you will find if you journey to different camps that different camps will teach things differently possibly even different instructors within the same camp. Something as simple as your stance will be tweaked and corrected by your trainers in Thailand.

With that being said, if you are new to Muay Thai, you may be at an advantage. Why is that??? Well, its pretty simple actually there is nothing to unlearn Since you havent had a particular stance, or kicked a certain way, you wont have to unlearn that way, and substitute it with your new method. In fact, at the camp I was at, almost every day there was a new person showing up who had never trained Muay Thai before. The main point here is that whether you are a newbie or a vet, when you head to Thailand everyone is basically on an even playing field, so dont be fearful about your skill level.

*- Extreme Fitness*  
There is no better way to get in shape than training Muay Thai directly in Thailand. I dont care what camp you train at, you are going to get in shape faster in Thailand on a training holiday than you would in your own town. There are many reasons for this including the warm weather, healthy food diet, intense training and lack of life distractions. You will often read stories on websites or forums of people who lost anywhere from 15  50 lbs. in a short time of training in Thailand. Thats not to say you shouldnt do a little preparation ahead of time. As I stated before, I was training intensely for about 1 year, although I only focused on increasing my cardio the month before my trip. 

I started doing a lot of running for the last 4 weeks before my trip. Even with the great shape I got myself in prior to arriving at camp, I still had more shape to get into. You will get into that extra needed shape quickly with many conditioning exercises such as skipping, running, shadow boxing, etc. on a daily basis. To sum it up, I am pretty much saying the same as above. No matter how good shape you are in, you can always get in better shape, so dont let that deter you from a once in a life time experience.

*- In The Ring*  
There is a big difference between thinking you are not at a high enough level to train with the Thais and that you are not at a high enough level to Fight with the Thais. The truth is, to get into a ring and compete it takes a lot of dedication and skill, especially in a country like Thailand. But to get into a gym and train, it simply takes a lot of desire. You just have to want to do it, and you need to have enough follow through to just get in there and give it some effort. You wont be expected to get in a ring and fight when you are in Thailand in fact, even sparring is voluntary at most gyms. If you are a little gun shy of being hit, and just want to focus on fitness, you can do that as well.

Once again, I encourage all of you to take the opportunity to go to Thailand and train in Muay Thai. It is a great experience to learn a martial art, and enhance your body and mind in the middle of the Thailand culture. Please dont let your fears prevent you from living your dreams. More Muay Thai stuffs go to http://www.muaythaitrainingthailand.com

Good Luck and EnJoy Training Muay Thai..


----------

