Fairly New to Martial Arts.

[SonnyAngell]

I have been training in Muay Thai for about 8 months. I have no self defense experience besides High school wrestling, some kempo when I was 12 and the occasional schoolyard fights. I chose Muay Thai because I like to stay on my feet. And I like to kick =] Its also very brutal and effective.

I have wanted to train in martial arts for a very long time.. its something I have always wanted to do. I want to get the best I possibly can. Eventually I would like to compete, But I am not ready yet.

With all that said.. I am doing well I am training with Pro;s. Taking weekly private lessons with the Kru and head coaches. I guess they're starting me off slow. This school throws you right into the sparring ring. They say "light sparring" which isnt.. it turns into a full off muay thai fight.. minus elbows. My Kru always sets me up with the same 280 lb 6'3' bouncer lol Im currently 5'11" 215. Not a great match. Needless to say I get my *** handed to me. last friday I Simply got destroyed. I think my mind wasnt int he fight.. mainly because I knew i was going to lose and I was kinda scared.. not to be hurt.. but being humiliated.

I think they should spend more time on teach me how to properly defend myself or block lol. I personally think that my kru is giving me some tough love to toughen me up, since it seems like the only way to really learn is to be thrown into something?

I know this isnt much of a question, but it is in a way. Im trying my best and still getting my *** kicked lol. I will speak to my kru and coaches to train me in what they saw wrong but.. What do you people suggest for a guy in my position? Im trying to get better and be the best I can be.

 

[bluewaveschool]

Your instructor is an ***. Anyone that would take a new student and instead of teaching him the basics of the art throws him into the ring... they have no business teaching. You teach how to defend and fight, then you have the student spar so they can put it together. Honestly, it sounds like he's taking your money and getting a laugh out of you getting your butt kicked.

 

[Jenna]

SonnyAngell, had you some kind of arrogant attitude then sure you might expect what you are calling "tough love" even though what you describe is more akin to humiliation. And but no! from how you come across here you seem to have a sincere spirit of learning. In that case your instructor and "Kru" (I think that is your training partners yes??) well they would likely benefit from a little tough love also. I am not certain why they want to subject you to this simply for having the audacity to be a novice?

I would encourage you to ask your instructor how they envisage your training progressing. If they can give you an answer that satisfies you and you feel you can progress with that instructor then sure, stick with it and hope for no more ridiculous mismatches. If they have no good answer, and mismatches are part of their core syllabus, I would say sure, stick with that instructor if you like humiliation. Your other options are obviously to secure another instructor; one that has not come from the Sensei John Kreese school of coaching I believe there are actually some coaches who are better than that nowadays

For what it is worth, good luck from me
Jenna x

 

[SonnyAngell]

Yes, both of you are making great arguments. There is alot of elements in this situation that drew me to this forum for support.

It IS simply a "fighters school" my Kru <master instructor in muay thai> has told me "we train fighters here". I wanna train with the best.. me getting beat up or humiliated, in a way is good training no? cause it will teach me to toughen up. or NOT get hit.. I hear that alot in the school.

I DO plan on speaking to my Kru about how im progressing, I take private lessons with him or the head coaches once a week. I usually speak with them about my progressions, and they always say "your doing great" "just work on this or that" then i get paired up with 280 lbs of rocks and brain damage lol

I'm nursing my injuries on my left leg, He got me pretty good. at the same time.. I have to switch my mind off.. from nice guy to fighter.. in order to win these "light sparring" matches.

I know sometimes in life theres always gonna be a bigger person comming after you.. but since im new to martial arts and becoming a "martial artist" I need to get my head in the spirit. When you get ebat like that after being told your doing great and you feel like you are... it makes you think your not.. maybe im jsut being a whimp? lol

 

[frank raud]

As a relativley new student, your kru pairs you up with someone 4" taller and 65 lbs heavier than you? is there no one a little closer to your weight class? Something doesn't sound right.

 

[SonnyAngell]

yeah it makes just about as much sense as when im getting beat like a spent match lol

There are.. thats the thing. there ARE guys in that class with my same wight and height class.. but I never spar with them.

Strange thing is I started fighting with the kid I was working with that day and the kru stopped it in 10 seconds cause he didnt have shinguards..

then he brought in butterbean.

I dunno.. its a fighters school maybe thats how it goes?

 

[Jenna]

Yes, both of you are making great arguments. There is alot of elements in this situation that drew me to this forum for support.

It IS simply a "fighters school" my Kru <master instructor in muay thai> has told me "we train fighters here". I wanna train with the best.. me getting beat up or humiliated, in a way is good training no? cause it will teach me to toughen up. or NOT get hit.. I hear that alot in the school.

I DO plan on speaking to my Kru about how im progressing, I take private lessons with him or the head coaches once a week. I usually speak with them about my progressions, and they always say "your doing great" "just work on this or that" then i get paired up with 280 lbs of rocks and brain damage lol

I'm nursing my injuries on my left leg, He got me pretty good. at the same time.. I have to switch my mind off.. from nice guy to fighter.. in order to win these "light sparring" matches.

I know sometimes in life theres always gonna be a bigger person comming after you.. but since im new to martial arts and becoming a "martial artist" I need to get my head in the spirit. When you get ebat like that after being told your doing great and you feel like you are... it makes you think your not.. maybe im jsut being a whimp? lol

SonnyAngell I have known a good few boxing trainers that operated under a similar set of doctrines to your Kru. His methods are either a little ol' skool OR perhaps he is simply training you like you say, as a *fighter* by pairing you with someone obviously in a higher weight category to test your mettle. Still, a good fighter can have [and the best fighters DO have] finesse and intelligence. Nevertheless I can see logic in that kind of ol' skool orthodoxy [compared to most commercial schools].

I think the most salient points are not the methods per se and but whether or not those methods suit YOU and whether or not you are happy to be turned out successful as a "280 lbs of rocks and brain damage" yourself at the end of it . Trust your instinct.

Likewise, carrying an injury does not make you a wimp. Nor is there anything too clever about fighting whilst injured and risking a curtailment of any fight life you might have. Consider these things too. You sound like like an intelligent fighter, novice or not.

If your Kru is at all approachable, voice your concerns with him at an appropriate time. If he is not approachable, well there are plenty that are. The choice is always yours

Again, good luck, Jenna x

 

[Tez3]

Yes, both of you are making great arguments. There is alot of elements in this situation that drew me to this forum for support.

It IS simply a "fighters school" my Kru <master instructor in muay thai> has told me "we train fighters here". I wanna train with the best.. me getting beat up or humiliated, in a way is good training no? cause it will teach me to toughen up. or NOT get hit.. I hear that alot in the school.

I DO plan on speaking to my Kru about how im progressing, I take private lessons with him or the head coaches once a week. I usually speak with them about my progressions, and they always say "your doing great" "just work on this or that" then i get paired up with 280 lbs of rocks and brain damage lol

I'm nursing my injuries on my left leg, He got me pretty good. at the same time.. I have to switch my mind off.. from nice guy to fighter.. in order to win these "light sparring" matches.

I know sometimes in life theres always gonna be a bigger person comming after you.. but since im new to martial arts and becoming a "martial artist" I need to get my head in the spirit. When you get ebat like that after being told your doing great and you feel like you are... it makes you think your not.. maybe im jsut being a whimp? lol

We train fighters, amateurs and professionals, never in a million years would we treat a beginner the way you have been treated. We treat a beginner the same way any reputable martial arts club/school would, we teach you the basics, you practice, drill and learn at a speed you are comfortable with. You do not get thrown straight into sparring let alone fighting, in fact we don't fight in the club, we may spar hard but never full on, that's for the fights. There is a great deal more to learning to fight to compete than many imagine. learning self defence is a different matter, a different way to train. You can do both of course but not the way this place seems to think is appropriate. Of course they say you are doing well, you are paying for private lessons which are rarely cheap.


Leave...and find a respectable, reputable place to train. Sorry that's blunt but it's honestly what I think best.

 

[ralphmcpherson]

Personally, I dont believe any beginner in any art should be sparring (especially not full contact). A beginner first needs to learn the techniques required, distancing, improve reflexes, footwork, speed etc and then get eased into sparring. Sparring too early can lead to bad technique and bad habits and can affect the practitioners confidence.

 

[Balrog]

Dude, you're getting hosed.

I would get a whole lot of gone between me and them if I were you. If you don't, I foresee hospital stays in your near future.

 

[Josh Oakley]

I'd think this would be ultimately detrimental if you're looking for a career in muay thai. You should be hardening your body in a controlled fashion BEFORE having full contact like what you're getting. You're not conditioned for contact, so youn run an increased risk for internal injury, and it sounds like you're more focused on the pain than the technique. Which, if true, it not surprising. It would be a direct result of their training method.

I'd find somewhere new.

 

[Tez3]

If you want to be a fighter, it's not just about learning the techniques, it's about building confidence, strength, stamina and a state of mind conducive to getting in and fighting, none of the training stated wil do that. If learning a martial for self defence it's not a lot different, confidence certainly, fitness and stamina is desirable for health and a state of mind conducive to being alert to dangers and the ability to react not freeze if attacked is wanted. The two types of training are similiar and compatable if you wish. confidence is built up and it is destroyed by constantly being beaten by someone who is bigger and more experienced when then is little chance of you winning against a brute at this point in your training.

Our beginners don't spar straight way, it doesn't make sense they don't have any tools to spar with. We get them to face each other, non contact at beginner stage, to learn about distances, angles etc as Ralph has pointed out but there's little point in matching them together and telling them to spar, it would basically just be a brawl. Later on we do put them to sparring with the experienced guys going easy so the others can learn, there's no hard contact, again it's about distance, angles etc! The experienced fighters gain nothing by beating beginners up and frankly we don't have anyone with the mentality that would do that. They enjoy fighting and want to share their skills and enjoyment not put people off or fuel their egos. if they are the type of fighter that wants to beat geginners up we don't want them as they will never fit it and will never make a good fighter against a good opponent.

I know a couple of places over here that are as decribed by the OP, Muay Thai fighter schools, they produce top quality fighters. They teach beginners as we would, they bring fighters on not destroy them. The training is very hard but sensible.

Please change training places before great damage, both physical and mental is done, find a good training place and it's amazing the different you will find. I'm sure that posters here will know of good places around in your area.

 

[Drac]

I I know this isnt much of a question, but it is in a way. Im trying my best and still getting my *** kicked lol. I will speak to my kru and coaches to train me in what they saw wrong but.. What do you people suggest for a guy in my position? Im trying to get better and be the best I can be.

Find a new school..Your Instructor is somekind of jackwagon. When I studied a more traditional and more aggressive discipline of karate, the Sensei spent about 2 days in one on one training/evaluation before being allowed to train with the other students. Sparring came later and was controlled.

 

[SonnyAngell]

You guys rock, thanks for the advice.

Seems like the general consensus is that it is bad all around. All of you are making great points. and I trust them. PROBLEM is I originally trained in the city <nyc> at andersons martial arts.. GREAT school. But I got a job on the island and our schedules conflicted.. so i had to find a school on Long Island.. and in my search this was really the only one. I wanted real deal muay thai training.. not kickboxing for housewives. Ill see how it goes for a little while. I WILL speak to my kru, hes very approachable, Im sure ill find out what to do soon, but leaving is not an option at this point.

You guys helped greatly, Thanks!

 

[maft]

It IS simply a "fighters school" my Kru <master instructor in muay thai> has told me "we train fighters here". I wanna train with the best.. me getting beat up or humiliated, in a way is good training no? cause it will teach me to toughen up. or NOT get hit.. I hear that alot in the school.


I'm nursing my injuries on my left leg, He got me pretty good. at the same time.. I have to switch my mind off.. from nice guy to fighter.. in order to win these "light sparring" matches.

I know sometimes in life theres always gonna be a bigger person comming after you.. but since im new to martial arts and becoming a "martial artist" I need to get my head in the spirit. When you get ebat like that after being told your doing great and you feel like you are... it makes you think your not.. maybe im jsut being a whimp? lol

Yeah it sounds like your Kru has some old ways to toughen up students, it maybe be that that is the only way he has learned it and he did not develop since then.
It is good sometimes to have bigger, better sparring partner but not all the time. Even if you are going into fight you are going to get someone your size.

I completely do not get the injuries and why does your Kru let this happen to you. They will only put you backwards not forwards as you already know.

Your are not a whimp man, nobody likes to be kicked around by bigger guy for no reason, especially when you had totally different and honest agenda.
Martial arts are not about just beating another guy, look like you Kru still need to learn that.

 

[Xue Sheng]

Fighthouse

NYC Sanda
http://www.nysanda.com/

 

[Blade96]

there is no way in heck our senseis would throw a white belt right into sparring either. Thats just asking for trouble like they said. little white belts are not even allowed to sparr in tournaments.

 

[Tez3]

You guys rock, thanks for the advice.

Seems like the general consensus is that it is bad all around. All of you are making great points. and I trust them. PROBLEM is I originally trained in the city <nyc> at andersons martial arts.. GREAT school. But I got a job on the island and our schedules conflicted.. so i had to find a school on Long Island.. and in my search this was really the only one. I wanted real deal muay thai training.. not kickboxing for housewives. Ill see how it goes for a little while. I WILL speak to my kru, hes very approachable, Im sure ill find out what to do soon, but leaving is not an option at this point.

You guys helped greatly, Thanks!

Then sadly you will end up being hurt and demoralised as well as unable to train maybe for ever. Leaving is always an option, the choice however is yours.

Whuile I understand you want Muay Thai, it would be better to train in another style at a reputable club than train bad MT which is what you are doing. Bad Muay Thai isn't better than good karate, TKD etc hell, it isn't even better than good Judo. Anyway up to you.

 

[Gemini]

You guys rock, thanks for the advice.

Seems like the general consensus is that it is bad all around. All of you are making great points. and I trust them. PROBLEM is I originally trained in the city <nyc> at andersons martial arts.. GREAT school. But I got a job on the island and our schedules conflicted.. so i had to find a school on Long Island.. and in my search this was really the only one. I wanted real deal muay thai training.. not kickboxing for housewives. Ill see how it goes for a little while. I WILL speak to my kru, hes very approachable, Im sure ill find out what to do soon, but leaving is not an option at this point.

You guys helped greatly, Thanks!

So, just to be clear, you opened this thread because you were concerned about your situation. You've pretty much been advised across the board that you're in a bad place and run, don't walk, to somewhere, anywhere else. You acknowledged the responses, and then reply "but leaving is not an option at this point."

You must be young*. :shrug:

New York to Long Island has nothing if not A LOT of everything including quality MA schools. I suggest you look harder. As an alternative, I would offer that you could identify the attributes that you find appealing in MT, and look for a different type of school that fills those requirements. Different arts often have many similarities. And let's not so easily dismiss those kickboxing for housewives classes. While I don't teach them now, at one time I trained what went on to become some of the toughest houswives on the block!

Regards,

*Disclaimer. Young people are great, I even used to be one. They (we) just sometimes insist on learning things the hard way.