How Long Does It Take to Learn Muay Thai? (Fully Explained)
In this day and age, Muay Thai got so popular that you can see gyms popping out in every single town, and more and more people joining the classes to enjoy many of its benefits. But how long does it take to learn Muay Thai?
It takes around 3 years for an average person, with average talent and fitness level to learn Muay Thai. You need around 6 months to 1 year to develop a solid base, and another year or two to develop advanced skills. As in any other sport, some people may do it in less time, while the others may need more.
Keep reading this article to learn more about Muay Thai training, and how hard it is to learn.
How long does it take to learn Muay Thai? (Explained)
On average, a person with an average talent for combat sport and average fitness level needs around 3 years of consistent training to develop solid Muay Thai skills. Solid skills mean that you will be capable of applying Muay Thai techniques in a real fight, and maybe start competing as an amateur or pro.
Beginning stage (1–3 months)
The First 3 months of your Muay Thai journey are probably going to be a mix of fear, pain, and exhaustion. But guess what, that’s exactly how you are supposed to feel. It means that your body is waking up and that you are working hard.
It takes a couple of months for your body to get stronger, and flexible, get familiar with absorbing and throwing strikes and build endurance. In some way, Thai boxing will put your body in a state of shock in the opening month, but remember, that’s how it is supposed to be. Be sure to keep your ego and expectations low and focus on showing up to the gym at least 3 times a week and picking up the basics.
Intermediate stage (6 months — 1.5 years)
6 months of training is usually a time when you start feeling that you are making progress. At this stage, you will be strong enough to go through the entire training session without exhaustion. That’s great news because this means that you can fully focus on learning techniques, doing live drills, and sparring. This is also a stage where you will suffer a lot, but on the side, learn a lot in a very short time span. After just 6 months of sparring (1 year of training in total), you will be more than capable of applying Thai boxing techniques in a real fight.
Advanced stage (1.5+ years)
It usually takes around 1.5 years of hard and consistent training to develop a strong base in Muay Thai. A base on top of which you will spend the next year adding advanced techniques. This is also a stage where you can start thinking about competing as an amateur.
Is Muay Thai hard to learn?
Muay Thai is hard to learn because it is very complex, intense, and hard on your body. Amateur classes are a bit less intense and usually much safer, but do not expect it to be easy at all. No matter how fit and motivated you are, training is intense enough to break any person.
Muay Thai includes a lot of different techniques. Most people, regardless of their talent, won’t have a hard time picking up the basics, notably when it comes to punches. In the end, throwing and blocking strikes is a natural motion and relatively easy to learn. But learning how to mix kicks, punches, knees, elbows, trips, and throws together and at all ranges is the hardest part. It takes a lot of time to develop automatic reactions, timing, feeling for distance, and learning how to stay calm in a fight.
On top of that, Thai boxing is brutal and really, really hard on your body. Most gyms put a lot of emphasis on endurance and hard methods of training that will push your mind and body over the limits on a daily basis. Expect to throw hundreds of kicks per class, do a lot of grueling cardio workouts, and do hard rounds of sparring.
Workouts are as intense as it gets and at some point, it will kill your will to train. It’s really hard to stay motivated when your entire body hurts and when you are getting beat up in sparring all the time. But in the end, this is what will make you mentally and physically stronger, and a very, very skilled fighter. It is all part of the learning.
How many days a week should you train in Muay Thai?
As a beginner, training three times a week is a good number to start with. Pro fighters, on the other side, train up to two times a day, six days a week and they usually take just one day off. So how often should you train really depends on what you want to achieve with your training?
Beginners should hit the gym no more than three times a week. You have to take into consideration that you are not fit enough to sustain a proper Muay Thai class.
As a result, you need to spend the opening month or two improving strength, losing a couple of pounds, and boosting endurance. In most cases, you will leave the gym on all fours, and it’s all going to feel sore the next morning. So to avoid injuries and stay motivated, be sure to get a lot of rest. One day of rest per one hard training session is the rule most beginners should follow.
If you are totally out of shape and feel like hell, be sure to follow your instincts and do it at your own pace. There’s no need to rush things in the beginning, and for some people, two times or one time per week is completely fine.
You should increase the number of sessions per week as you are getting stronger. Once you go through a session without gassing out and feel like you can go for a run the next morning, that’s a clear sign that you should start attending the classes 4 or 5 times a week.
Is Muay Thai training dangerous?
Muay Thai training is not dangerous. But, bear in mind that the classes are intense, and hard on your body and minor injuries are quite common. In the end, it is an activity where students trade punches, kicks, knees, and elbows on a daily basis. It would be foolish to think that you won’t occasionally get hurt in training.
On the other side, safety is the number one priority in most schools nowadays. Students are required to wear full protective gear whenever they are doing live drills, sparring, or doing anything that increases the risk of injuries. They must wear a head guard, mouthguard, shin pads, groin cup, and of course, fully padded boxing gloves. Also, all students must be careful not to use more than 50% of their power while sparring, or 70% while preparing for a match, and you will rarely see hard elbow and knee strikes.
However, minor injuries like bruises, shin splints, sore muscles, and strained ligaments are a part of the game. Sometimes, you can fight through it, but in some cases, you might need to take a week off to recover. Listen to your body, give it enough rest, healthy food, vitamins, minerals, and water, and you will be fine.
Is Muay Thai harder than boxing?
On average, it takes around a year or two for an average person to develop solid boxing skills, while Muay Thai requires around 3 to 4 years. Muay Thai takes more time to learn simply because it is a far more versatile striking system. While boxers use “only” their hands as weapons, Thai boxers strike with hands, legs, knees, and elbows, and also fight in the clinch and are allowed to execute sweeps, trips, and throws.
When it comes to the intensity of the classes, it’s fair to say both boxing and Muay Thai are equal in this aspect. Most gyms emphasize hard methods of training and sparring, and grueling cardio workouts. The injury rate is high in both, and you won’t earn anything without hard work, pain, blood, sweat, and tears.
Can you train Muay Thai at home?
Yes, you can train in Muay Thai at home, but, this doesn’t mean that you will learn it. Finding a workout online or getting it from a coach and doing it over and over again in your garage has certain benefits. You may learn the basics of throwing punches, and kicks, and mixing it all together. Also, you may improve strength and cardio by doing intense workouts, but that’s about it. Getting a basic understanding of the techniques and improving your fitness level is the maximum you can achieve by doing Muay Thai workouts at home.
You need coaches and training partners to learn how to learn intermediate and advanced techniques and moves, and to get rid of all the bad habits. Last but not least, you can’t expect to develop automatic reactions, timing, and feeling for distance by training alone.
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