THE MAIN DIFFERENCES BETWEEN TWO "SISTER SPORTS"

By Angela Chang

With both kickboxing (K1 rules) and Muay Thai growing simultaneously around the world, fans of one sport are often fans of the other.

With many Muay Thai fighters successfully making the transition over to kickboxing (such as Sitthichai, Petchpanomrung, Tiffany van Soest, and many more), it’s easy to think they are the same.

While there are many similarities between the two, there are a few things that set Muay Thai apart from kickboxing.

1. Kicks to Punches Ratio

When you watch a professional Muay Thai fight, punches are usually only used to set up kicks and knees. Less commonly, some Muay Thai fighters will have the Muay Maat style and attempt to knock out their opponents with punches instead fighting to win on points.

However, you will see much much more punches being thrown in a kickboxing fight, often in long combinations or with the “haymaker” style of...

HOW TO SPAR: A CHECKLIST FOR BEGINNERS

By Sean Fagan

These are the best beginner Muay Thai sparring tips that will help you avoid getting your nose broken and spirits demoralized the first time you decide to step into the ring.

Since I’m the guy who had his nose broken and spirits demoralized his first sparring session, I want to help you avoid that at all costs because it SUCKS!

Check out this 10 step beginner checklist on how to spar during your first session(s):

My Top 10 Beginners Muay Thai Sparring Tips

#1. Make Sure Your Kru/Instructor Approves

Don’t be that asshole who steps into a first sparring session without permission. Chances are you haven’t sparred yet because your instructor feels like you are not ready. And guess what? If your instructor thinks you are not ready, you are NOT ready.

Not only is this for your safety but it’s for your training partners safety too. There has been way too many times I’ve...

By Funk Roberts

Can you really improve your overall strength and conditioning by doing an intense bodyweight workout routine?

I can remember when I started to train for my Muay Thai fight in Thailand back in 2010.  Before I stared I was 195lbs and training with weights, kettlebells, sandbags, etc. But when my Kru told me I was going to fight at 175lbs and that I had to stop using weights, I was a bit reluctant and scared at first but I had a task and goal set so it was time to adjust my training.

I sculpted my body using mostly weight prior to this and I felt that strictly using bodyweight exercises over the next 8 months was going to kill everything I had worked hard for… or so I thought!

I started implementing the best bodyweight exercises to create intense bodyweight workouts and circuits to help with endurance, explosiveness, cardio, strength and fat burn while...

MY PERSONAL STRENGTH & CONDITIONING ROUTINE FOR MUAY THAI TRAINING

By Sean Fagan

Strength and conditioning for Muay Thai can be a tricky bitch sometimes.

I don’t know about you, but I get overwhelmed with the amount of choices I have when it comes to strength and conditioning.

Should I use kettlebells? 

Or should I focus more on Olympic lifts? What about body weight circuits? 

Should I be doing interval sprints or are long distance runs better? 

Is Crossfit a good form of strength and conditioning?

What if I did plyometrics?

See what I mean? My brain hurts just thinking about the different forms of exercises and the various ways of structuring a proper strength and conditioning routine for Muay Thai.

Fortunately, there are guys like Don Heatrick who geek-out about this kind of stuff. All of Don’s posts on strength and conditioning for Muay Thai are top quality and always provide me with useful, practical information and exercises to...

INTENSE, HARD, TRADITIONAL MUAY THAI WORKOUT PLAN

By Sean Fagan

Almost all Muay Thai gyms in Thailand run basically the same type of workout routines because it’s intense, hard and focuses on the all the important aspects of Muay Thai that you should be working on day in and day out!

This type of training routine together with quality Muay Thai gears and equipment is used by some of the best fighters in Thailand and all around the world!

When I was in Thailand, it was pretty set in stone what my Muay Thai training routine would consist of:

• Skipping Rope
• Running
• Shadowboxing
• Thai Pad Work
• Heavy Bag Training
• Clinch Work
• Sparring
• Ab Work
• Stretching
• Meditation

Scroll down for a breakdown and descriptions of the best traditional Muay Thai workout routine!

Traditional Muay Thai Workout Routine:

Everyday in Thailand, my training program is basically this type of workout:

• Group run – 2-4 miles
• Skip Rope – 3 rounds
• Shadow Box...

GREAT PARTNERS BUILD BETTER FIGHTERS

By Emily Moore

No fighter, nak muay or otherwise stands alone against his or her opponent. An army waits at the ready behind them.

It takes a team of coaches, trainers, and (especially) training partners to successfully prepare for a fight.

My coach often repeats this idea before training sessions: “The most important person in this gym today is not you, it’s your partner.”

“Always take care of your partner.”

Let’s take a look at 7 ways to be a great Muay Thai training partner:

Train, don’t coach

At my last gym, there was this guy with whom I avoided sparring at all costs. He would interrupt and stop me after every single strike, trying to educate me on what I could do to improve.

In a three-minute round, I would end up spending 0:30 sparring and 2:30 trying to get him to shut up and work.

You and your partners are in the gym to learn from professionals. You don’t need...

THE MUAY THAI GUYS: EPISODE #60

By Sean Fagan

“What training camp should I go to in Thailand?”

This is by far one of, if not THE most asked question Paul and I get from fans from all over the world. And guess what? We almost never have a good answer to give because it depends on such a wide variety of factors including your goals, budget, likes/dislikes, experience, etc.

Instead of giving a vague answer to this extremely common question, we figured that covering it in detail in a podcast would be the best way to go. So, if you are in the midst of deciding which gym you should be training at in Thailand, this podcast episode will hopefully answer all your questions!

Click here to listen to TMTG 060: What Gym Should I Train at in Thailand?

(My voice is a bit echo-ey in this podcast, so my apologies on that, I’m not sure why that happened. I do sound much more epic when I talk though.)

We talk about all the things you should consider when traveling to...

HOW TO MAKE THE LEAP TO TRAINING IN BANGKOK

By Sean Fagan

Thinking about training Muay Thai in Bangkok? I don’t blame you. You’re bound to improve your technique, conditioning and overall Muay Thai training if you travel to the capital of Thailand to train.

But, is living and training at a Muay Thai camp in Bangkok the best fit for you?

There are so hundreds of awesome Muay Thai training camps to choose from all over Thailand, it can be difficult to figure out what location and what gym would be best for you.

That’s where I’ll be trying my best to help you! The Bangkok tips below will give you an idea for whether or not living and training at a camp in Bangkok is an ideal situation for you. I’ll supply you with all the resources possible to make your decision easy and stress free!

Is The Bangkok City Life For You?

Training in Bangkok is definitely only for the people who can handle the city atmosphere. There are a lot of great benefits you can...

THE BEST PLYOMETRIC EXERCISES FOR MUAY THAI STRENGTH & CONDITIONING

By Sean Fagan 

Muay Thai fighters rely on fast, explosive movements like hopping, jumping, kicking, pushing, punching and throwing. Since fighting involves these types of explosive, powerful movements, it’s super important for all a nak muay to incorporate plyometrics into their training routines.

Performing plyometric exercises, like the ones listed below, help build explosive strength using natural dynamic movements from bodyweight training, kettle bell movements and other types of exercises. It’s crucial that a fighter develops these fast twitch muscle fibers to perform the intense energy bursts that are needed throughout a fight.

Needless to say, a Muay Thai fighter who trains with plyometrics will have more explosive, powerful strikes as well as better cardio than their opponent.

Plyometrics is the science examining the explosive movement generated by muscle power, with particular...

NO B.S. REVIEWS ON THE MUAY THAI SUPPLEMENTS I PERSONALLY USE FOR MY TRAINING!

By Sean Fagan

I’m not huge into workout supplements by any means… but there was was a time (prior to my Muay Thai career) where I did my fair share of experimentation just because I wanted to look ripped and jacked as hell.

Needless to say, I made my fair share of mistakes trying some not-so-safe bodybuilding supplements that may have given me short-term results, but did more harm than good in the long term.

Now that I’m not worried about looking like a testosterone junkie, I’ve focused more on living a healthy life and putting natural, healthy things in my body. I’ve learned from my mistakes and made sure to study up and do some research before putting anything into my body. Below are some of the best supplements I found that have noticeably helped with my Muay Thai training, recovery, strength, endurance and overall health.

Note: Supplements should only be...