muay thai- should i?
Discussion
ive decided that its about time i put a bit more effort into looking after myself- im 26 and since starting work after uni, ive been a paragon of laziness!
apart from about 3 judo lessons when i was about 11, ive never done any martial arts but after doing some thinking and reading, i quite fancy the thought of taking one up- id like to not only increase my fitness and get in better physical shape, but id also like to do something which gives me a bit more confidence, should i need it
ive looked at what sort of classes there are by me and there seems to be a good muay thai one in wrexham. reading into it, it would seem that muay thai will give me an intensive workout but also a good grounding in some useful techniques for self defence.
im not the fittest and im not the biggest, but im in reasonable shape and have decent coordination- is muay thai right for me? anybody recently started and care to share their thoughts?
im going to give the instructor a call at some point and find out about beginners classes etc but id like to hear off anyone who has recently "taken the plunge" and had a go!
apart from about 3 judo lessons when i was about 11, ive never done any martial arts but after doing some thinking and reading, i quite fancy the thought of taking one up- id like to not only increase my fitness and get in better physical shape, but id also like to do something which gives me a bit more confidence, should i need it
ive looked at what sort of classes there are by me and there seems to be a good muay thai one in wrexham. reading into it, it would seem that muay thai will give me an intensive workout but also a good grounding in some useful techniques for self defence.
im not the fittest and im not the biggest, but im in reasonable shape and have decent coordination- is muay thai right for me? anybody recently started and care to share their thoughts?
im going to give the instructor a call at some point and find out about beginners classes etc but id like to hear off anyone who has recently "taken the plunge" and had a go!
Not good for your heath, a few mates have been doing it for years and theres always one on them on crutches. They all hobble and limp around too!
If you want to 'learn' an art stick to the main ones like Karate. I personally don't like any martial arts, boxing is where it's at. Supreme fitness with the bonus of being fun and cheap.
If you want to 'learn' an art stick to the main ones like Karate. I personally don't like any martial arts, boxing is where it's at. Supreme fitness with the bonus of being fun and cheap.
it may sound daft, but while i think boxing would give one of the best "real world" skills, i have to admit to having a job which means i cant really go in looking like ive been scrapping!
i guess the same could be said for muay thai though, which is why i posted, to get a feel for what its like. i cant imagine that im going to get to the point where i will be competition fighting or anythng like that, but i dont want to not get "involved" either
ive also got this terrible stigma attached to boxing- of my own making- that it wouldnt be very "welcoming" to a beginner. why i think this i dont know!
i guess the same could be said for muay thai though, which is why i posted, to get a feel for what its like. i cant imagine that im going to get to the point where i will be competition fighting or anythng like that, but i dont want to not get "involved" either
ive also got this terrible stigma attached to boxing- of my own making- that it wouldnt be very "welcoming" to a beginner. why i think this i dont know!
snorkel sucker said:
ive also got this terrible stigma attached to boxing- of my own making- that it wouldnt be very "welcoming" to a beginner. why i think this i dont know!
The hardest bit is walking through the door, once in there a few hours you'll start to get the feel and enjoy it. The people in my local club were very friendly and you'll notice others are always trying to help. Boxers are typically down to earth (that is until they reach fame & fortune)disco1 said:
snorkel sucker said:
ive also got this terrible stigma attached to boxing- of my own making- that it wouldnt be very "welcoming" to a beginner. why i think this i dont know!
The hardest bit is walking through the door, once in there a few hours you'll start to get the feel and enjoy it. The people in my local club were very friendly and you'll notice others are always trying to help. Boxers are typically down to earth (that is until they reach fame & fortune)going to do some looking/ringing round at the weekend i think and see whats available near me
Snorkel sucker,
You need to get yourself along to some classes to see what suits you.
Martial arts fits your requirements and although a contact sport, you can partake and it wont leave you looking like a punch bag. (assuming you know your left from right and have some coordination!!)
The most important choice you'll make is the instructor, who'll be your guide as you learn the basics. (Do some research on them)
During this time, you'll decide whether you like it enough to continue or if its not for you.
Karate, Taekwondo and Kung fu (semi contact and full contact) are the biggest three and will give you a wider scope than Muay Thai or Kickboxing (full contact)
(Dont be fooled by the semi contact label, it isnt, in a semi contact fight especially in the blackbelt section you should expect to be hit with everything your opponent has, but as it semi contact you are not supposed to knock the person out, simply demonstrate that you can, in other words anything goes (power wise) just dont knock them out.
This might sound pointless, until you are on the receiving end and realise, just how powerful some of these techniques can be.
Once you have trained for a while you can decide whether or not to compete.
(Truthfully though its the only gauge to know how you're progressing)
I fought at a high level nationally and internationally and loved every minute, that said it isnt for everyone and many in my club didn't fight at any tournaments and were equally happy just getting fit learning new techniques.
All depends what you're looking for.
HTH
Covert.
You need to get yourself along to some classes to see what suits you.
Martial arts fits your requirements and although a contact sport, you can partake and it wont leave you looking like a punch bag. (assuming you know your left from right and have some coordination!!)
The most important choice you'll make is the instructor, who'll be your guide as you learn the basics. (Do some research on them)
During this time, you'll decide whether you like it enough to continue or if its not for you.
Karate, Taekwondo and Kung fu (semi contact and full contact) are the biggest three and will give you a wider scope than Muay Thai or Kickboxing (full contact)
(Dont be fooled by the semi contact label, it isnt, in a semi contact fight especially in the blackbelt section you should expect to be hit with everything your opponent has, but as it semi contact you are not supposed to knock the person out, simply demonstrate that you can, in other words anything goes (power wise) just dont knock them out.
This might sound pointless, until you are on the receiving end and realise, just how powerful some of these techniques can be.
Once you have trained for a while you can decide whether or not to compete.
(Truthfully though its the only gauge to know how you're progressing)
I fought at a high level nationally and internationally and loved every minute, that said it isnt for everyone and many in my club didn't fight at any tournaments and were equally happy just getting fit learning new techniques.
All depends what you're looking for.
HTH
Covert.
thanks for the advice guys. covert- some really good tips there, thanks. there appear to be a few classes near to me in various things so im going to go along and see which one suits
will post up on here with my findings, maybe be useful for anyone else thinking of doing the same as me!
cheers
snork
will post up on here with my findings, maybe be useful for anyone else thinking of doing the same as me!
cheers
snork
just a bit of an update on my OP..
been busy with work recently so first chance i had was last night to go along to the local muay thai class.
there were only 3 of us there, all total beginners and i have to say it was the most physical workout ive had in a very very long time! I knew i wasnt fit, but im hoping that a few weeks of that will do me the world of good.
The instructor was good and managed to explain the basics very well. Spend half of the class using the bag to learn the basics which, i must say, as a lot trickier than they look!
All in all though i really enjoyed it and im def going to go again
been busy with work recently so first chance i had was last night to go along to the local muay thai class.
there were only 3 of us there, all total beginners and i have to say it was the most physical workout ive had in a very very long time! I knew i wasnt fit, but im hoping that a few weeks of that will do me the world of good.
The instructor was good and managed to explain the basics very well. Spend half of the class using the bag to learn the basics which, i must say, as a lot trickier than they look!
All in all though i really enjoyed it and im def going to go again
snorkel sucker said:
just a bit of an update on my OP..
been busy with work recently so first chance i had was last night to go along to the local muay thai class.
there were only 3 of us there, all total beginners and i have to say it was the most physical workout ive had in a very very long time! I knew i wasnt fit, but im hoping that a few weeks of that will do me the world of good.
The instructor was good and managed to explain the basics very well. Spend half of the class using the bag to learn the basics which, i must say, as a lot trickier than they look!
All in all though i really enjoyed it and im def going to go again
Glad you went and tried it, as mentioned its the hardest bit. I did Muay Thai when at uni, and rubbing bottles on shins to numb them and bleeding knuckles made it interesting. But I loved every minute. Saw on of the lads stap his cruciates though, which put me off a touch, and then I had to get a job been busy with work recently so first chance i had was last night to go along to the local muay thai class.
there were only 3 of us there, all total beginners and i have to say it was the most physical workout ive had in a very very long time! I knew i wasnt fit, but im hoping that a few weeks of that will do me the world of good.
The instructor was good and managed to explain the basics very well. Spend half of the class using the bag to learn the basics which, i must say, as a lot trickier than they look!
All in all though i really enjoyed it and im def going to go again
.I'd do it again if I had the time.
satch said:
I think thai boxing is excellent and depending on what you plan to do with it fitness/sparring/full contact etc I'd recomend it as great allround CV, and its great for destressing, and improving hand eye co-ordination etc.
having taught it - I would emphasise the follwoing.
Technique first, power and speed aferwards. Hitting a solid object, pad / person etc is physiologically very demanding - there is a mental side to hitting soemone and being hit that some people simply cannot deal with so just be wary.
invest in your own gloves and get good ones, and it is useful to get your own pads / shield etc.
if you're sparring make sure you have a willing partner and if you're joining a club get your own insurance A. you might get hurt, B. you might hurt someone else.
of all the contact martial sports thoguh Thai boxing is considered the most brutal as it has very few defensive moves, its mostly about attacking your opponent as hard as possible.
HTH
good advice there satch, thanks.having taught it - I would emphasise the follwoing.
Technique first, power and speed aferwards. Hitting a solid object, pad / person etc is physiologically very demanding - there is a mental side to hitting soemone and being hit that some people simply cannot deal with so just be wary.
invest in your own gloves and get good ones, and it is useful to get your own pads / shield etc.
if you're sparring make sure you have a willing partner and if you're joining a club get your own insurance A. you might get hurt, B. you might hurt someone else.
of all the contact martial sports thoguh Thai boxing is considered the most brutal as it has very few defensive moves, its mostly about attacking your opponent as hard as possible.
HTH
have to say the fitness side of it was apparent straight away and thats good as its exactly what im after, as well as learning to look after myself a little better- for me, other things such as running or going to the gym are ok, but ive never felt like ive had something worthwhile enough to pursue if you know what i mean.
thinking afterwards about what i had been taught, i def need to try and do technique rather than power- its suprisingly easy to hit something as hard as you can, whereas i found i did a lot better when i concentrated on what i was doing!
apparently not many people stick at it according to the teacher, which is quite understandable!
im going to stick at it though but im sure i will be on here in a few weeks time moaning that im in agony!
snorkel sucker said:
satch said:
I think thai boxing is excellent and depending on what you plan to do with it fitness/sparring/full contact etc I'd recomend it as great allround CV, and its great for destressing, and improving hand eye co-ordination etc.
having taught it - I would emphasise the follwoing.
Technique first, power and speed aferwards. Hitting a solid object, pad / person etc is physiologically very demanding - there is a mental side to hitting soemone and being hit that some people simply cannot deal with so just be wary.
invest in your own gloves and get good ones, and it is useful to get your own pads / shield etc.
if you're sparring make sure you have a willing partner and if you're joining a club get your own insurance A. you might get hurt, B. you might hurt someone else.
of all the contact martial sports thoguh Thai boxing is considered the most brutal as it has very few defensive moves, its mostly about attacking your opponent as hard as possible.
HTH
good advice there satch, thanks.having taught it - I would emphasise the follwoing.
Technique first, power and speed aferwards. Hitting a solid object, pad / person etc is physiologically very demanding - there is a mental side to hitting soemone and being hit that some people simply cannot deal with so just be wary.
invest in your own gloves and get good ones, and it is useful to get your own pads / shield etc.
if you're sparring make sure you have a willing partner and if you're joining a club get your own insurance A. you might get hurt, B. you might hurt someone else.
of all the contact martial sports thoguh Thai boxing is considered the most brutal as it has very few defensive moves, its mostly about attacking your opponent as hard as possible.
HTH
have to say the fitness side of it was apparent straight away and thats good as its exactly what im after, as well as learning to look after myself a little better- for me, other things such as running or going to the gym are ok, but ive never felt like ive had something worthwhile enough to pursue if you know what i mean.
thinking afterwards about what i had been taught, i def need to try and do technique rather than power- its suprisingly easy to hit something as hard as you can, whereas i found i did a lot better when i concentrated on what i was doing!
apparently not many people stick at it according to the teacher, which is quite understandable!
im going to stick at it though but im sure i will be on here in a few weeks time moaning that im in agony!
just come across this topic. i myself am looking for a martial art to take up again. i did karate for about a year and to tell the truth i was SOLID after that year. my whole core went from being 2 quite substantial rolls, to a nice formed 4pack (i think puberty kicked in at the time so i shot up in height so could also have something to do with that and muscle increase etc etc)
either way karate was great - it got me thin, got me nicely tonned and increased my fitness, confidence and flexibility/suppleness. however, in my personal experience (3years of street/pub fights later) karate's benefits seemed slim. in an every day situation with a blench skin head standing face to face with me, im rarely going to opt for 'a high left kick to the head'... karate is a great martial art, disciplined and great for people who have never even thought about throwing a punch... but (this being based on my own personal experience) i think the training you recieved from local classes or clubs is limited. i still find myself rarely punching or kicking in a fight, its more pulling a head down and banging in some knees, or throwing to the floor and stamping out (if theres more of them then us). based on this im looking into taking up boxing, i like to think im fairly natural at fighting and with some right training could pack a half decent bang.
boxing for me is the most focused. pure hand speed and evasive ducking, weaving, covering up and agile footwork etc. in a street fight or every day occurence (this world being full of c*nts always looking for a fight) i think boxing would be the most beneficial, a 3punch combo from a boxer (trained to knock people out with thick padded gloves on) with bare knuckles would cause some serious damage, even to those obscenely strong/mad/psycho/iron jawed people you find out and about.
muay thai is still my favourite though. as a martial art i love it, and would enjoy SO much being able to string together a bread and butter combo of kick-straight-spinning elbow - to a clinch then knees. conditioning also comes into this sport, rolling pin across the shins helps deaden the pain receptors, bleeding knuckles will go after 3months or so. wraps and gloves will cover this anyhow, and being a Mixed Martial Arts Fan (pride, UFC, eliteXC etc) muay thai practiotioners are never easy to beat, they always seem to be able to walk through kicks and punches whilst unloading some of their own.
try looking into Krav Maga. i know there are classes in london, dont know what region you are from though. Krav Maga is an Israeli Military Fighting style. its based on the premise that the person attacking you is trying to kill you (maximum danger = no quarter given). basically, identify the threat/your surroundings (for weapons or objects you could use) then neutralising that threat quickly and leaving that situation as quick as possible. it also involves fitness/conditioning training.
either way karate was great - it got me thin, got me nicely tonned and increased my fitness, confidence and flexibility/suppleness. however, in my personal experience (3years of street/pub fights later) karate's benefits seemed slim. in an every day situation with a blench skin head standing face to face with me, im rarely going to opt for 'a high left kick to the head'... karate is a great martial art, disciplined and great for people who have never even thought about throwing a punch... but (this being based on my own personal experience) i think the training you recieved from local classes or clubs is limited. i still find myself rarely punching or kicking in a fight, its more pulling a head down and banging in some knees, or throwing to the floor and stamping out (if theres more of them then us). based on this im looking into taking up boxing, i like to think im fairly natural at fighting and with some right training could pack a half decent bang.
boxing for me is the most focused. pure hand speed and evasive ducking, weaving, covering up and agile footwork etc. in a street fight or every day occurence (this world being full of c*nts always looking for a fight) i think boxing would be the most beneficial, a 3punch combo from a boxer (trained to knock people out with thick padded gloves on) with bare knuckles would cause some serious damage, even to those obscenely strong/mad/psycho/iron jawed people you find out and about.
muay thai is still my favourite though. as a martial art i love it, and would enjoy SO much being able to string together a bread and butter combo of kick-straight-spinning elbow - to a clinch then knees. conditioning also comes into this sport, rolling pin across the shins helps deaden the pain receptors, bleeding knuckles will go after 3months or so. wraps and gloves will cover this anyhow, and being a Mixed Martial Arts Fan (pride, UFC, eliteXC etc) muay thai practiotioners are never easy to beat, they always seem to be able to walk through kicks and punches whilst unloading some of their own.
try looking into Krav Maga. i know there are classes in london, dont know what region you are from though. Krav Maga is an Israeli Military Fighting style. its based on the premise that the person attacking you is trying to kill you (maximum danger = no quarter given). basically, identify the threat/your surroundings (for weapons or objects you could use) then neutralising that threat quickly and leaving that situation as quick as possible. it also involves fitness/conditioning training.
just seen this topic - interesting..dont mean to bore or sound like a t
t. for basic fitness co -ord work karate is fine. did thai many years ago good memories, painful at times ,sore shins ,bruises you name it . have done martial arts for over 20 years now ,boxed as well , still do with pro boxers when time allows. if you want work your mind as well as your body train mma lots of good clubs about . 75% of street fights end on the floor ,mma fighters train for 5 min rounds . trust me its the best all round training you will ever do. give it ago...
t. for basic fitness co -ord work karate is fine. did thai many years ago good memories, painful at times ,sore shins ,bruises you name it . have done martial arts for over 20 years now ,boxed as well , still do with pro boxers when time allows. if you want work your mind as well as your body train mma lots of good clubs about . 75% of street fights end on the floor ,mma fighters train for 5 min rounds . trust me its the best all round training you will ever do. give it ago...zebbie said:
just come across this topic. i myself am looking for a martial art to take up again. i did karate for about a year and to tell the truth i was SOLID after that year. my whole core went from being 2 quite substantial rolls, to a nice formed 4pack (i think puberty kicked in at the time so i shot up in height so could also have something to do with that and muscle increase etc etc)
either way karate was great - it got me thin, got me nicely tonned and increased my fitness, confidence and flexibility/suppleness. however, in my personal experience (3years of street/pub fights later) karate's benefits seemed slim. in an every day situation with a blench skin head standing face to face with me, im rarely going to opt for 'a high left kick to the head'... karate is a great martial art, disciplined and great for people who have never even thought about throwing a punch... but (this being based on my own personal experience) i think the training you recieved from local classes or clubs is limited. i still find myself rarely punching or kicking in a fight, its more pulling a head down and banging in some knees, or throwing to the floor and stamping out (if theres more of them then us). based on this im looking into taking up boxing, i like to think im fairly natural at fighting and with some right training could pack a half decent bang.
boxing for me is the most focused. pure hand speed and evasive ducking, weaving, covering up and agile footwork etc. in a street fight or every day occurence (this world being full of c*nts always looking for a fight) i think boxing would be the most beneficial, a 3punch combo from a boxer (trained to knock people out with thick padded gloves on) with bare knuckles would cause some serious damage, even to those obscenely strong/mad/psycho/iron jawed people you find out and about.
muay thai is still my favourite though. as a martial art i love it, and would enjoy SO much being able to string together a bread and butter combo of kick-straight-spinning elbow - to a clinch then knees. conditioning also comes into this sport, rolling pin across the shins helps deaden the pain receptors, bleeding knuckles will go after 3months or so. wraps and gloves will cover this anyhow, and being a Mixed Martial Arts Fan (pride, UFC, eliteXC etc) muay thai practiotioners are never easy to beat, they always seem to be able to walk through kicks and punches whilst unloading some of their own.
try looking into Krav Maga. i know there are classes in london, dont know what region you are from though. Krav Maga is an Israeli Military Fighting style. its based on the premise that the person attacking you is trying to kill you (maximum danger = no quarter given). basically, identify the threat/your surroundings (for weapons or objects you could use) then neutralising that threat quickly and leaving that situation as quick as possible. it also involves fitness/conditioning training.
remind me not to go out in your area. Sounds like a seither way karate was great - it got me thin, got me nicely tonned and increased my fitness, confidence and flexibility/suppleness. however, in my personal experience (3years of street/pub fights later) karate's benefits seemed slim. in an every day situation with a blench skin head standing face to face with me, im rarely going to opt for 'a high left kick to the head'... karate is a great martial art, disciplined and great for people who have never even thought about throwing a punch... but (this being based on my own personal experience) i think the training you recieved from local classes or clubs is limited. i still find myself rarely punching or kicking in a fight, its more pulling a head down and banging in some knees, or throwing to the floor and stamping out (if theres more of them then us). based on this im looking into taking up boxing, i like to think im fairly natural at fighting and with some right training could pack a half decent bang.
boxing for me is the most focused. pure hand speed and evasive ducking, weaving, covering up and agile footwork etc. in a street fight or every day occurence (this world being full of c*nts always looking for a fight) i think boxing would be the most beneficial, a 3punch combo from a boxer (trained to knock people out with thick padded gloves on) with bare knuckles would cause some serious damage, even to those obscenely strong/mad/psycho/iron jawed people you find out and about.
muay thai is still my favourite though. as a martial art i love it, and would enjoy SO much being able to string together a bread and butter combo of kick-straight-spinning elbow - to a clinch then knees. conditioning also comes into this sport, rolling pin across the shins helps deaden the pain receptors, bleeding knuckles will go after 3months or so. wraps and gloves will cover this anyhow, and being a Mixed Martial Arts Fan (pride, UFC, eliteXC etc) muay thai practiotioners are never easy to beat, they always seem to be able to walk through kicks and punches whilst unloading some of their own.
try looking into Krav Maga. i know there are classes in london, dont know what region you are from though. Krav Maga is an Israeli Military Fighting style. its based on the premise that the person attacking you is trying to kill you (maximum danger = no quarter given). basically, identify the threat/your surroundings (for weapons or objects you could use) then neutralising that threat quickly and leaving that situation as quick as possible. it also involves fitness/conditioning training.
thole if there's a load of fighting going on all the time 
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