So I just signed up for Muay Thai at a local gym that does it and BJJ. I had a couple intro lessons to make sure I knew the basic punches, a couple kicks, and how to hold a Thai Pad, and today was the first real lesson with the regular group.

My god, the warm-up alone kicked my ass into the ground, and by the time we finished the punching drills at the end of the class sweat was pretty much sheeting off me. I can tell that in about three months of doing this twice a week I'll be in the best shape of my life, and god knows where I can be if I stick to it for a few years.

I'd love to get where I could actually compete on some level, but just doing it is fun for now. I've got a long, long way to go before I could even think about stepping into a ring.

Anybody else practice this? Any tips? And anybody have a good source for custom shorts, 'cause mine are a little boring and the Red Bull logo ones are a bit overplayed

I studied Aikido in college (until I blew my hip) and was similar in the endurance bit.    2 hour class with maybe 25 minutes of instruction tossed in.  Whoever had enough energy left, would sometimes become the "target" of a 10-minute randori with the rest of the class....   Good training though, with the double-thick gi's and a hakama for the tested students, it was like a cotton-sponge of death (got a little warm).  Would love to pick up training again, but would eventually have to go back to Ohio for any black belt testing (Aikido is very big on maintaining lineage). As far as Muy Tai goes, never studied it, it looks like it'd be quite the workout.  Would you be allowed to wear quarter gi pants (they go to about the bottom of the knee)?

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Your shins are going to hurt, bad. Buy wrist wraps asap, they'll save you from serious injury. Try swimming, running, or cycling on your off days to buff up your cardio. Keep your chin tucked and your hands up.

Not at my gym, and probably not at most. You need to have fairly unrestricted leg movement for the kicks. Thai shorts are short (mid-thigh or higher) and very loose about the legs.



Already found out about the shins the hard way, already have wraps. Going to practice proper form at my regular gym after cardio and weights, I need to work on stance width/depth and pivoting with punches too.

Stick with the basics, shadow box a lot, work good technique. Drill jab, cross, right kick a couple thousand times and it will be there for you whenever you need it.

Cardio, cardio, cardio.  

You will be bruised up.  I had a coworker pull me aside and ask me if I was lying about what I was doing.  He thought I was a victim of domestic violence.  

Your shins will be messed up for a long time from making contact with the pads and your sparring partners.  I couldn't feel my left thigh for a couple months from eating kicks.  Make sure your form is good and that you are countering/absorbing the kicks correctly.  Eventually your body will acclimate and it won't hurt as bad.    

Also know the difference between extremely sore and injured.  I broke a toe, got stabbed with a training knife right below the eye, was kicked in the head, got my neck wrenched, etc and would shake it off, tape it up and keep on but when I snapped my wrist I called it.  You will get injured... it's not if, it's when.  If you are truely hurt don't let your ego get in the way of saying you need to rest and/or go to the doctor.

Who are you taking Muay Thai from?  Are you in the Virginia Beach area?  I used to take Jeet Kune Do from Wahsei at Eastern Academy of Martial Arts and then again for a very short time from Eric Haycraft here in Louisville.

I still miss it like crazy but I can't afford the injuries anymore.  

No, I'm in Richmond. Eric Burdo is the head instructor.

Miss Magnum for the win.   You will eventually get hurt.  I broke my foot due to a guy holding a stike shield improperly.  Instead of keeping his arm behind a shield style pad, he had his elbow out and I kicked it full force with the top of my foot.  

As far as short go, a lot of guys wear the usual Tap Out, Sprawl brand stuff, but I use the standard old "Champion" brand gym shorts.  $15.  They work fine.

Shadow box, shadow box, shadow box......



never go faster than PROPER form allows you....



always train with an "empty cup" mindset. Its ok to ask questions, but being the student and letting the teacher do his job will go a long way.



remember to turn those wrists over when striking. not only will you gain an inch or 2 of reach, but it will also roll your shoulder up to keep your chin covered (assuming you keep it tucked in tight like you should).



Never look at your opponent or training partners face. Look at their chest at all times so you can see both kicks and punches coming.



Most importantly, HAVE FUN and dont sweat it if your not getting something. It takes time and patience and repetition for things to start to flow together.

Eeeww... tap-out

No, I was actually looking to get a pair of MT shorts, bright red with a green waistband, that say "Sriracha" in Thai on the front. Why? Because I love hot sauce and I've never seen a pair of shorts like that.

Until you get good enough to compete I wouldn't worry about the flashy gear.  I wore a regular pair of cotton shorts that came mid thigh when I was training.

That guy who has been training for two weeks and comes in with $60 shorts is kind of a douche.  

I used to study Thai Stick many years ago.



Good job man, sounds like it might be a fun thing to learn

to be fair, I am kind of a douche, and it'd probably be more than a month after ordering before the shorts would arrive

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Just wanted to bump this with I've been at it a bit over a month now, and my god it's fun. Just added BJJ right after it, now that's a workout. Highly recommended. I both dread and look forward to class days in the way that only the best exercises inspire.

IMHO, Muay Thai is one of the most practical self-defense disciplines.

Enjoy!!!

Sound advice right there. I have been practicing Muay Thai for about 10 years and the basics are your foundation. Shadow boxing helps keep your technique in line and cardio training is a must. Don't get caught up in flashy techniques and wild theories.

Don't worry about the shorts. I still wear regular sport shorts when I train (I have long legs and look goofy in traditional Thai shorts)

Krav Maga is better :)

Just kidding... don't kill me!

if you could! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Wow, I have to cut back on caffeine

I trained in Bando for a few years back in college, which at it's core (at least the way I was trained) is very similar to Muay Thai.  I'd say everyone on the thread pretty much hit it on the head; bust your butt at the gym, take as much as you possibly can from your instructor, then take it home with you and drill over and over until you have it down....then drill more (and eat and sleep)

"I've got a long, long way to go before I could even think about stepping into a ring. "

While you may have a little while until you're stepping into a ring to compete, you can benefit yourself a lot by sparring early.  My Bando instructor was pretty hardcore and was making us fight each other bare-knuckle on the first day.  This scared the piss out of me at first, but eventually (a couple broken ribs later), you stop fighting like a chicken with its head cut off, and everything starts to come together.  The other students and I used to meet at the gym on off days and slug it out a little (like Fight Club without Meatloaf's tits).  Find someone who you can put in a couple extra rounds with in your spare time.

Good luck.