Is Muay Thai Good For Kids?
Most parents do not even consider Muay Thai as an option when they are trying to determine which martial art is ideal for their child. It looks too brutal on TV, which means their child will get hurt in training, and become more violent. But is this true? Is Muay Thai good for kids after all, and if not, why?
Let’s instantly bust all the myths: Muay Thai is great for kids and training has many physical and mental benefits. Each gym includes a junior group where kids train in a safe environment and do exercises and drills according to their age. There is no sparring, hard contact, or kids exchanging wild strikes and fighting each other. No, in most schools, kids do not start sparring until they are 12 or 13 years old.
Keep reading this article to learn more about Muay Thai for kids, and why you should allow your child to, at least, try it out.
At what age children can start Muay Thai?
Children can start training Muay Thai at any age, even as young as 4 years old. But bear in mind that kids 5 years old or below are still too young and their bodies too fragile for training in any type of martial art that involves striking or grappling. They still lack hand-eye coordination, balance, and strength to carry out proper Muay Thai workouts.
Yet, most modern schools structure the classes according to their abilities and age. Or in other words, kids as young as 4 or below 10 do not spar against each other or do any live drills that involve them exchanging strikes. The entire focus of the classes is on cardio workouts and bodyweight exercises, and the main point is to carry out the exercises in a playful way. The most important thing for the kids below 7 or 8 is to have fun in training, sweat a lot, and get tired.
Classes for kids who are 8, 9, or 10 years old differ quite a bit between the schools in the western world and Thailand. In Thailand, kids this age are not only sparring but also taking part in matches that are very, very brutal and dangerous.
But on the other side, these matches are illegal in most western countries and training is much safer. For example, there is no sparring at all. Kids learn techniques by hitting the bag, or pads, and they might do some live drills against the partner to prepare for sparring that would come when they are 10 or above.
Benefits of Muay Thai for children
Muay Thai is not just an activity where kids burn extra energy, sweat a lot, and get tired. No, training also has many physical and mental benefits that will improve their health and have a positive impact on their lives outside of the gym as well.
Improves social skills — each junior group includes 10, 15, or more kids working hard together as a team in a positive and playful atmosphere. They spend a lot of time doing exercises together, helping each other out, and after some time, they all become friends. Along with the coaches that will teach them how to respect each other and communicate, training will improve their social skills a lot.
Improves discipline — there is no playing around in Muay Thai training and every gym maintains a high level of discipline. Coaches act as role models and will use their authority to keep the kids’ focus on hard work. Your child will need to show up right on time, always have the gear prepared, listen, and obey the orders. They will learn one of the most valuable lessons that the only thing to achieve anything in life is through discipline and hard work.
Makes them strong and flexible — Muay Thai is cardio intense and there is very little rest in training. It is a mix of high intense anaerobic and aerobic exercises that will both improve the strength of the muscles and endurance. Kids also stretch a lot before and after the class, which makes them more flexible and keeps the body strong and healthy.
Improves confidence and mental toughness — this must be the best thing about Muay Thai training. As kids start to become stronger and more skillful on the mats, the rise in confidence usually follows. They will get “hooked” on that feeling of making progress, achieving goals, and competing against other students. Since the classes are intense, coaches will push their minds and bodies over the limits quite often, which in the long run improves mental toughness and will have a huge impact on their life outside the gym as well.
Self-defense — Muay Thai is among the most effective combat systems, and each technique that the kids learn works in practice as well. Training will improve their self-defense abilities, which they can use as a last resort to defend against bullying or any type of attack.
Is Muay Thai dangerous for children?
Muay Thai, the one you see on TV, is dangerous for both kids and adults. But what most people miss about Muay Thai is the fact that each gym has a junior group where classes are designed to be safe and playful. In most schools, kids below 10 do not spar, neither they fight each other in training by exchanging punches and kicks. On the other side, bear in mind that some sports like soccer and football are just as dangerous and include even more injuries.
The focus of this age group is on improving the following things:
- Physical strength
- Flexibility
- Endurance
- Discipline
The coaching staff will always do all in their power to minimize the risk of injuries. First, all students must wear protective gear whenever they are doing exercises that may cause injuries. They wear full padded gloves, helmets, shin pads, and mouthguards. Even when they are sparring, they do not use more than 50% of the power because the entire emphasis of these sessions is on learning how to perform with proper technique, not to beat or win the fight.
Does Muay Thai make kids more violent?
No, Muay Thai does not make kids more violent but rather does the total opposite of that. This is just another myth parents tend to believe in, not just when it comes to Muay Thai, but martial arts training in general. In some way, it is understandable why this myth exists because, in the end, you learn how to “fight” in Muay Thai, right?
But on the other side, Muay Thai training will teach your child all about respect and teach them that violence is a cause, not a solution. In training, they will feel how leg and hand strikes hurt on their own skin and get dominated by senior students, which will lower their ego and aggression. Through hard work and intense drills and exercises, they will convert that inner anger into productive work, which will lift up their mood.
Like in any other sport, there are and always will be kids with anger issues in Muay Thai training. But the intensity of their anger will start to drop as soon as they start to work hard, and the mind releases “happy” chemicals like serotonin and dopamine.
Final Thoughts
It is true, Muay Thai is a combat system where training is intense and even brutal on the professional level. However, each modern gym includes a junior group where training is safe and playful. There is no sparring or “fighting” of any kind as the focus is on learning basic techniques, improving strength and endurance, and overall, keeping it all playful and providing kids with a good workout.
The best thing you can do as a parent is to give Muay Thai a chance. If your child is interested in martial arts, be sure to let them attend a trial class, and you should go with them as well. Observing the classes in person will convince you that the training is safe, and be sure to also have a talk with the coaching staff about all the issues you have in your mind. They will be more than happy to answer all of your questions about the methods of training, and safety.
