Beginners Guide to Muay Thai (Fully Explained)
Let’s assume you have firmly decided to enroll in Muay Thai. Congratulations, you made a good decision that will change your life for the better in every way. But this opens a series of questions – how to choose the right Muay Thai gym? What you may expect in classes? What gear do I need?
Fortunately, you have come to the right place to discover all the answers. In this article, we will bring you the most detailed beginner’s guide to Muay Thai, and what you may expect on your journey.
From finding the right school, buying gear, and attending your first class, to the way you progress, this article covers all the segments of the beginner’s journey to Muay Thai. Let’s dive right into it!
Brief Muay Thai history
Muay Thai has a long history with its origins coming from the military system called “Muay Boran”. Siamese people practiced and used Muay Boran skills in actual warfare against armed or unarmed enemies.
In the 16th century, they started to perform combat simulations in various festivals and celebrations across the country. People trained in Muay Boran would fight each other wearing hemp rope around their hands. These events quickly became very popular and the first standardization of the sport version arrived in the 19th century.
King Rama V had a big interest in Muay Boran matches. So much so that he decided to regulate these events, and create an official sports variation, called Muay Thai. Over the years, the sport would go through many changes and become one of the most popular worldwide.
Who should train in Muay Thai?
Muay Thai is for people who are looking to develop all-around striking skills, and improve fitness and overall health. The system is also known as “the art of eight limbs” as it teaches you how to strike with kicks, punches, elbows, and knees. It also covers the basics of grappling such as fighting in the clinch and taking the opponent down with trips, throws, and sweeps.
The emphasis is on a wide variety of hard kicks and doing damage inside the clinch with hard knees and sharp elbows. Though intense, Muay Thai trains you for all the mental and physical aspects of real combat, which makes it very practical in every self-defense situation. It embraces hard methods of training and an aggressive approach to fighting.
Though hard, there are many fitness and health benefits to this type of training. Thai boxing burns a lot of calories, improves upper and lower body strength, and will get you in top shape in a very short time span.
Overall, all gyms are open to all ages and genders, but you need to be realistic and accept that training is more intense than in most other arts.
How to Find the Right Muay Thai Gym?
Muay Thai is one of the most popular martial arts, well-spread all around the world so finding a school to train in should not be a hard task. However, it takes a bit of effort to find a proper school with high-quality coaching staff and conditions.
If you live in a highly populated area and a big town, make a short list of a couple of gyms in your area. Next, attend the trial class in at least two different schools (most gyms offer one), and experience the facility, coaches, and training in person. And during your visit, give your best to discover as much as you can about the school.
For instance, check the dressing room and toilet, and whether the school maintains a high level of hygiene (cleaning floors daily or after each class etc). Next, try to spot if there are bullies in class, or how coaches react when someone is going hard in sparring. There’s a difference between pushing you to your limits and being unproductive bullies.
Last but not least, talk with the coaches and find out more about their background, teaching experience, values, and internal rules every gym has. They will provide you with info about the schedule, fees, what gear you need, etc.
Listen to your gut, and once it gives you a green light, you are ready to go.
Preparing for your first Muay Thai class
As your first Muay Thai class approaches, it’s time to think about final preparations. Here is a list of things you need to pay attention to:
Sportswear
Thai boxing classes are as cardio-intense as it gets and you are going to sweat like never in your life. So be sure to stay away from cotton t-shirts and wear the ones made out of breathing materials such as polyester. The same stands for fashion shorts or leggings.
Bring a big bottle of water
You are going to sweat like crazy, lose plenty of water, and if you are not careful, dehydrate, which is not what you want to experience in your opening class. Drinking enough water cools you down and keeps the body temperature at an optimum level. Just be sure the water is not too cold or too hot.
Show up early
Don’t show up 2 minutes before the class. As a new student, you want to show up early to get to know the instructor so that he/she can give you some final information. Showing up early is also a sign that you are disciplined and responsible.
Don’t have a large meal before the class
You already know what is going to happen if you do. The last thing you need in your first Muay Thai class is to throw up, and you will if you eat large meals and heavy food right before it. Eat the last big meal at least 3 hours before the class, and if you feel hungry, you can take a banana or a small portion of oatmeal around an hour before training.
Do not go into the overthinking mode
There is no preparation, pack your bag, hit the gym, and it’s all going to be fine. Coaches do not expect a beginner to show up in great shape and with a God-given talent for Muay Thai. No, it’s rather the total opposite.
Getting in the required physical shape is a part of training and a journey. But having decent cardio and strength is always a plus and makes your life easier when the grueling sessions start.
They will put you in an amateur group with other students who share the same level of experience so there is nothing you should prepare for specifically. Just regularly show up to classes and have faith in the learning process.
Muay Thai Gear for Beginners
Do not get obsessed with buying the latest Muay Thai gear from premium brands before you even start training. Showing up in fashion shorts, and a T-shirt is everything you need to begin with.
Muay Thai Shorts
Once you decide to stay committed to classes, you might consider buying proper Muay Thai gear to make yourself more comfortable. The first to look out for is Muay Thai shorts, preferably made out of Satin or Nylon. The prices range anywhere between $20 and $40.
We recommend Satin as it is comfy to wear and lasts longer than other materials. There are various designs but you should aim for the one that has side slits which gives you greater flexibility.
This type of shorts differs from the regular one as it has wide leg openings and a striking design. The shorts should feel light, give you a full range of motion and be loose while you are throwing kicks or knee strikes. Again, you can wear regular fashion short, just be sure it does not feel tight.
Muay Thai gloves and wraps
The next part of the gear are hand wraps and Thai boxing gloves. Each gym has its own gloves students can use, but these ones are drenched in sweat and have a really bad smell, so be sure not to use them. These gloves also tend to be in terrible condition and offer no protection to your hands. Investing in a pair of new is a smart and not so expensive decision.
There are two main types of Muay Thai gloves — training and competition. The size of training gloves ranges from 8oz to 18oz, and you should aim at 14oz for your first pair.
When you put on the gloves, make sure it is a comfortable fit. The gloves should not feel too tight, which may even cut off the blood circulation, or too loose which enables the hand to move around upon impact. Be sure to try different brands and find the one that fits your hand the best. But you’ll learn as you go what fits you best over the years, don’t overthink it. Bear in mind that most brand-new gloves feel tight upon purchase but will break in after a couple of sessions.
The price is based on the brand, materials it was made from, production quality, and many other factors. The pair of good quality Muay Thai gloves will cost you between $40 and $60 on average.
Muay Thai Training for Beginners
Muay Thai is cardio-intense and falls into a group of the hardest sports activities. There is no kicking bamboo trees or breaking bricks as you could see in movies. But, training is a mix of aerobic and anaerobic workouts that will push your mind and body over the limits on a daily basis.
We are sorry to break this myth for you but do not sign up for the classes thinking it’s going to be easy or painless.
That being said, let’s take a closer look at what you can expect in your first Muay Thai classes, and what the structure of training looks like.
What to Expect From your First Muay Thai Class?
You will probably feel nervous and anxious in the days ahead of your first Muay Thai class. In fact, the anxiety might reach the same level as when you went on a date for the first time. And this is normal, we have all been there.
In fact, our minds love to work with what we are familiar with and it hates whenever we are stepping outside of this comfort zone. Your inner thoughts will give you a bunch of reasons why you shouldn’t do it, make you feel anxious, and do anything to stop your actions.
So yes, it is normal for us humans to be nervous when we are dealing with something for the first time in our lives. This is especially true if you are enrolling in something where you are going to put yourself through intense physical exhaustion and get hurt. Just keep it all simple. Your main objective is to follow everything the instructor is saying and asking you to do.
Total beginners might get tired quickly, and have a hard time carrying out specific tasks due to a lack of coordination, flexibility, and confidence. The instructors are usually more attentive toward beginners, so they will correct you more than a few times.
Expect to throw hundreds of kicks and punches, catch your breath just a couple of times during breaks, perform at a high rate the entire session, and leave the gym exhausted but happy.
What does Muay Thai Training Look Like?
The structure of the training is not standardized on the global level. The learning curriculum differs between countries and schools. Each school teaches very much the same techniques and skills, but they use slightly different methods.
The training session lasts up to 2–3 hours for pro fighters, while the beginners’ classes are usually 1.5h. Each school includes the following workouts which the instructors mix on a weekly basis:
- 10–15 minutes of warm-up
- Heavy bag workouts
- Shadow boxing
- Live drills and sparring
- Pad work with the instructor.
- Long runs (5–10k) and sprints
- Bodyweight exercises such as push-ups, pull-ups, sit-ups, squats, etc.
- Stretching exercises
Beginner classes are less intense and much safer. There is no hard sparring, and partner drills get introduced after a month or two. Running sessions are also much shorter and overall, the structure is adapted to the beginner levels. In the opening classes, you may expect training to look like this:
- 10–15 minutes of warm-up
- Jumping rope (5–10 minutes)
- Heavy bag workout with a focus on punching techniques (4–6 rounds duration)
- Mixing kicks and punches on the heavy bag (4–6 rounds duration)
- Intense cardio session (10–15 minutes)
- Cool down and stretching
Beginner Muay Thai Techniques
As a beginner, you will spend most of the time drilling the same techniques and combos all over again. This is because the key to succeeding in Muay Thai is repetition, consistency, and hard work. In the opening months, it’s crucial for you to focus on mastering all the fundamentals to develop a strong base on top of which you can later add advanced moves.
Here are some of the basic segments you are going to work on:
Stances
Stance is the single most important segment in Muay Thai. You will stand square with your feet shoulder-width apart facing forward and knees slightly bent. The hands are up, slightly in front of your face.
Jab
Jab is a simple but effective technique. Fighters use it to maintain distance, do damage, set up the kicks, etc. Though “simple” it takes a lot of time and repetition to develop the proper technique.
Teep
Teep is somewhat as important as a jab, and it has a similar purpose. It is a Muay Thai variation of a front/push kick to the body and is a great tool to keep the opponent at bay and upset their tempo, or even hurt them.
Clinch
Thai boxing puts a lot of emphasis on clinching and students spend a lot of time learning and drilling different positions. Getting a dominant clinch control is a mix of technique, strength, balance, and energy, and very hard to master.
Elbows and knees
As a beginner, you will drill basic elbow and knee strikes on the bag, or while hitting the pads, but nothing more than that. Mixing elbows and knees with punches and kicks is an advanced technique.
Kicks
Vicious roundhouse kicks are the main weapon in Muay Thai and expect to throw more than 200 hundred kicks per class. It’s not uncommon that your legs feel numb after a workout, and you may have a hard time getting out of bed the next day.
Tips on How to Progress Faster in Muay Thai
Muay Thai is all about hard work and there are no shortcuts. Still, there are certain things you can do to boost your progress when it comes to the way you approach training.
Embrace the struggles and trust the learning process
The focus in the opening months of your journey is on survival. Accept the fact that you are out of shape, and yet to learn how to perform the right way. You will be exhausted after each class, have a hard time getting out of bed in the morning, and have thoughts about giving up.
But we have all been there, and this is just a process of learning and becoming physically and mentally stronger. Embrace all the struggles and accept that this is a part of growing.
Improve flexibility and core strength
Working on your fitness outside the gym speeds up your progress. If you feel good on your day off, go for a jog around the neighborhood, do a bodyweight workout, or hit a gym to lift some weights and work on your core. This will improve your form, stamina, and recovery time in the long run.
Rest and stretch
Thai boxing is hard on your body and not resting enough can easily lead to overload and injuries. You need to focus on recharging your batteries after each session by having enough sleep, eating healthy food, hydrating, doing light stretches (yoga), etc.
However, don’t just sit at home the entire day, be sure to go for a walk or maybe a light jog to keep the muscles active.
Is Muay Thai Dangerous to Train In?
In general, training in Muay Thai is safe but it carries a risk of injuries and can be dangerous. In the end, it is an activity where people blast each other with hard strikes so expecting it to be injury-free is unrealistic. But the overall risk of injuries is based on the way you approach training and the stage of learning.
Beginners don’t have to worry too much about injuries in the first six months because there is no sparring. Most of the time, they work on the bags, hit the pads, and maybe do partner drills to prepare their minds and body for real sparring.
Sparring is a part of training where most injuries occur. However, if you stay away from wild brawls, treat sparring as a method of learning, not a real match, and always wear protective gear, you will be fine most of the time. On the other side, this does not apply to people who want to be gym warriors and spar like they are in a real fight without wearing any gear.
Also, students who rest enough, eat healthy food and hydrate are less likely to suffer an injury.
What are the Most Common Beginner Injuries in Muay Thai?
Muay Thai beginners are not that exposed to severe injuries. They usually deal with minor injuries and should be able to continue training. In some other cases, they might consider taking a few days off, or maybe even seek professional help if they are dealing with an acute injury.
Knuckle bruises
Beginners without any previous fighting experience will have bruised knuckles at the start, just accept it. To prevent any serious damage, try to wear heavy gloves with more padding, 14oz for instance, that offer better knuckle protection. Your knuckles will harden up over time and you won’t have the same problem later on your journey.
Wrist Soreness
Feeling a sharp pain in your wrist is common among beginners. First, your hands are not conditioned to absorb repeated hits. And second, you are yet to learn how to punch with proper technique to avoid injuries. To ease the pain, be sure to wrap your hands before each class, and use gloves that provide increased wrist support.
Shin bruises
Throwing hundreds of kicks per class hurts no matter who you are, and it takes time to condition the shins to absorb damage. Landing power kicks incorrectly at the wrong angle will cause an instant sharp pain you will not forget.
Treat shin bruises at home by applying ice or taking a salt bath to reduce inflammation and pain.
Final thoughts – Work Hard and Have a lot of Fun
Like in any other martial art or activity you are encountering for the first time, Muay Thai beginnings are going to be hard. Feeling anxious, or even a bit scared of what you may expect in classes is normal. We all get that bad feeling in our stomach whenever we are doing something for the first time, and do not let this stop you from achieving your dreams.
In classes, you will meet people of all ages, genders, and fitness levels. Coaches do not care how you look, whether you are overweight or skinny, whether you have a previous martial art background or a God-given talent for combat sports. No, the only thing they care about is you showing up to classes regularly, being disciplined, and working hard. And of course, have a lot of fun!
