10 Tips for Muay Thai Newbies

NEW TO MUAY THAI? START THIS WAY

By Kurt Walker

Tayeb Salih, one of the great authors of the 20th century, once said that “everyone starts at the beginning of the road." Helen Hayes famous American actress and one of only 15 "EGOT" winners (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony), said, “The expert at anything was once a beginner.”

If you are a Muay Thai newbie, you have to start with the basics before you become an expert in the sport… and in this article, we are going to share with you beginner tips for Muay Thai newbies.

So, if you’ve taken the first step to join Muay Thai, congratulations! As usual, the initial stage is always thrilling and perplexing. You will make mistakes and sometimes feel like quitting, but when you start noticing improvements, you will gain courage.

Many people make the mistake of failing to prepare for Muay Thai training until they get injured, then start searching for help on Google or popular forums.

We don’t want you to get frustrated at the beginning and that’s why we have prepared this article to help you keep going no matter what you face in your early days in Muay Thai. These tips have been shared with use by Livingston Jerald, an experienced Muay Thai fighter who is also the author of Papersowl reviews.

But before we get there, let’s learn something about the beginning of the sport.

A Brief History of Muay Thai

Muay Thai, also known as the Art of Eight Limbs or Thai boxing, is a Thailand national sport that became a mandatory military training in 1560 during the war between Burmese and Siamese, which is now comprised of Thai families.

The sport is much like kickboxing, although it has different rules and the scoring system where the participants are allowed to engage in knee and elbow strikes as well as clinching. 

The sport became more popular during the leadership of King Rama V, around 1868 to 1910, and winners were rewarded with military titles.

The sport then became popular worldwide in the 70s and 80s after Thai fighters defeated other nations. That’s when Muay Thai started attracting even foreigners who train and fight in the sport.

Is Muay Thai for You?

A few years ago, Muay Thai was meant only for competitors. But as more martial arts came up, the sport saw a shift and many started to realize the benefits of training Muay Thai that’s why you will find Muay Thai gyms in many places around the world.

Muay Thai is a sport for everyone as long as you can jump and run, see, move your limbs, male or female, and regardless of your skin color.

Is Muay Thai a Risky Sport?

Muay Thai is famously known as a violent sport. The sport is characterized by bloodied faces, broken noses, etc. However, the sport is not dangerous since the participants are controlled referees who make sure rules are observed.

Well, certain health risks are prone to occur but this is usually seen in professional fights and to some extent in unskillful events although the risks are not deadly. 

In fact, these days, Muay Thai is done for fitness, health, and recreational purposes. Besides, the injuries that happen during training or sparring are mild and easily recovered from in a short time.

Why Should You Take Part in Muay Thai?

Muay Thai training offers plenty of benefits which includes but are not limited to:

• Helps to boost your fitness

Muay Thai is perhaps one of the hardest martial arts and taking part in it will get you fitter. You can gain stamina, more energy, and more musculature as a result of the strength training sessions during the training.

• Builds mental strength 

Muay Thai is a demanding martial art and many people have given up in the middle of training. If you beat all odds and push yourself harder till the end, you will start to notice a huge positive change in your mental strength. In fact, in the end, you will become more focused and productive in your everyday work. This explains why the sport has become more popular around the world these days.

• It helps you feel confident 

The fitter, stronger, and better you get while training Muay Thai, the more confident and better you will feel.

• It’s fun

The training makes you feel happy and stress-free. From the instructions to the people you come across in the Muay Thai gyms, you will just feel happier every day.

• Muay Thai teaches self-defense tactics

The training you get will equip you with tactics that will help you face any situation you come across that requires one to engage muscles and strength.

10 Muay Thai Newbie Training Tips

As with any other sport and given that Muay Thai is a martial art, follow these tips to train better, minimize injuries, recover in case you are injured, and improve as you go on with the training. These tips will improve your early experience in Muay Thai. 

• Run

To improve your performance, you must do straight-up running. Running will also boost your stamina and endurance. 

Remember that when running or jogging, your heart pumps faster and more blood will start to flow throughout your body. This way, as you perform other exercises, you will not feel tired. You can decide to run both long-distance or engage in a sprint- training.

• Keep Your Hands Wrapped 

Wrapping your hands is a self-defense tactic to keep your hands and wrists safe from injuries. This is something even the expert Muay Thai fighters do. Therefore, always keep your hands wrapped because wrist injuries are inevitable when you are still a Muay Thai newbie since your bones are still soft.

If you fail to wrap your hands and you encounter a wrist sprain, it may take longer to be fully recovered. 

• Have the Best Muay Thai Gloves Always

Of course, you can borrow gloves from Muay Thai gyms, but they aren’t going to help you much, so you need to buy your own pair of Muay Thai gloves.

When purchasing your gyms, try as much as possible to avoid iffy gloves that are sold as low as $20 per pair.

Of course, the best gloves aren’t only those that cause a dent in your pocket but they should protect your hands against injuries by providing firm wrist support. Avoid loose or overly snug gloves.

If you can, buy gloves from Muay Thai brands such as Top King, Fairtex, or Twins.

• Stay Hydrated

Water makes up 50-65% of the human body. For every part of your body to function properly, you need to drink more water. Muay Thai is a demanding sport that drains all your fluids fast. Lack of enough water may cause headaches, reduced endurance, and slower brain function.

A good rule of thumb is to drink at least half a gallon of water each day. Carry a bottle of water during training so that you can drink water when you feel thirsty.

• Ask for Help

You can ask for help from your gymmates. You will experience challenges with your kicks. Seek advice from instructors to overcome any challenge you face.

• Rest

We mentioned earlier that Muay Thai is a demanding and harder sport. Make sure you rest as much as you can. The more you continue training without taking a rest, the more likely you will encounter injuries. Even minor injuries can become major injuries if you aren’t careful. In case you are injured, take time to recover. Also, make sure you get good quality sleep.

• Start Slowly and Advance as You Get Better

If you start hard, you will end up with injuries. It is, therefore, important to start slowly and advance as you build up power and strength. Don’t rush anything.

• Eat Well

If you don’t eat well, you will experience low energy which can affect your ability to kick like a boss. You need to fuel up before training. A good rule of thumb is to eat carbs at least 2 hours before training to boost your energy levels. If you can, take supplements such as Creatine at least 30 minutes before training.

• Take Private Lessons

Taking private lessons will help to improve your tactics. Remember that during training, you will likely be a good number of you and the instructor may not focus on every person in the group. Private lessons are a bit costly, but they can make a huge difference in your Muay Thai training.

• Use Namman Muay

Namman Muay or liniment oil is a certain kind of oil you can rub your muscles to keep them warm. Rub your muscles, legs, and bruises with this oil before and after training or running to calm aches.

• Keep Your Legs Strong

Being a hard sport, Muay Thai works on your whole body. That’s why it’s more than your normal workout session. Besides, the sport requires strong and quick legs and that’s why as a Muay Thai newbie, you need to work on getting stronger legs. Take any exercise that can boost the strength of your legs such as squats, burpees, lunges, etc.  Having stronger legs will aid you in doing Muay Thai drills without a problem.

Muay Thai for Newbies –Q&A

Is Muay Thai difficult to learn?

Muay Thai isn’t difficult to learn. In the beginning, you will experience difficulties and challenges, but there are instructors who will guide you throughout the training.

What should you wear to my first Muay Thai class?

Come with a towel and an additional shirt when starting Muay Thai classes. As a rule, always put on gym-style clothes that fit your body well.

How often should you train Muay Thai?

You should train Muay Thai at least four times per week where at least one or two sessions are for strength training. When starting, concentrate on learning the techniques first. Strength training can come later.

Will Muay Thai get you in shape?

Muay Thai is a demanding sport that will improve your heart strength. You will execute strong kicks and punches daily during the training which in the end will see you getting in shape. 

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Kurt Walker is a copywriter and editor who offers personal statement writing service. He also writes custom papers. During his college years, Kurt has been offering assignment help to other students within and outside the college. He is also known to be the best in offering resume help.