Muay Thai is an effective striking art of the world as its training emphasizes on the sparring and competition. It also focuses on the timing through sparring and fighting. Muay Thai is includes many important goals including self-confidence, fitness and skills to compete in the ring. You need to hire a trainer for you to make progress in this sports. This article will help you to know some basics about the Muay Thai. It will also help you to know how to train yourself to combat in ring against opponents. Let us start our discussion in this regard.
Why to Choose Muay Thai?
The first question you should ask to yourself is why should you choose this style of striking art? The answer is that it is the most complete and effective striking style art. Instead of just punches and kicks, in Muay Thai you do use your knees and elbows to attack on your opponent. Apart from it you also use clinching to draw your opponent to the ground. That is why it is the most complete striking art. It is always above all the other striking arts due to the most influential and enthusiastic training.
You Need a Good Gym
Hope you have found the answer of why you should prefer Muay Thai over all other martial arts games. Now you need to find a good gym for your training. You need to start your training as a Muay Thai trainee from the beginning of your journey, so selection of a proper gym is an important factor for the training of this sports. If you would not select proper gym then you would end up as a simple kick boxer with few Muay Thai techniques. You need to find the gym with a proper trainer who is expert and certified in Muay Thai. If you will not select a proper gym then you will learn some wrong or simple kick boxing techniques. You have to change your techniques when you will get to know that you did the wrong training and it will take hours to change the techniques and learn proper one. So you should select a proper gym offering Muay Thai course with specialist Muay Thai instructor.
Learning the basics
Now you need to learn some basic and fundamental techniques and you have to vanish all other styles of boxing and striking arts from your mind. Muay Thai is completely different from them and you should have a good instructor as you would make a lot of mistakes during thr beginning of your training. The learning process at the beginning is quite slow as you have to maintain a proper rhythm, posture and movement. You don’t need to spar at the beginning as it is just like giving cricket bat to someone and ask him to open the inning where he don’t know how to play. Second thing you must have in the beginning of your training is Patience. You need to be patient in regard to your progress in this field of martial arts. Apart from it you must focus on following things:
- Stance and Rhythm
- Your Muay Thai Guard
- Your Basic Techniques
Things You Must Have During Your Training
Now we discuss about the material you must have during attending your training classes. As a beginner you must have to buy following things for your training:-
- Muay Thai gloves
- Hand Wraps
- Atheletic Shorts
- Shin Guards
When you will start sparing and clinching then you will need a mouth guard. It is recommended that you should never try to spar without wearing your mouth guard.
Muay Thai Training Structure
Let us overview some drills which most of the gyms offer for the training of Muay Thai. You will surely encounter them during your training sessions in your gyms:
Running
You need to dedicate some of your time apart from official training in running as it is the best way to boost the energy and build up real cardio. It is optional for you to do running or not but it will surely make you feel comfortable during your official training. It is recommended to run before the fight or training session but many people suggest will suggest you not to do so. Don’t pay attention towards them and keep running before training sessions.
Shadow Boxing
Before starting your training you would be asked to do some shadow boxing which means to improve your stance, footwork and technique in front of a mirror. In the beginning you need to try to maintain your stance, rhythm and technique during the shadow boxing.
Pad Work
During pad work you would ask to hit the Muay Thai pads and it is an essential element of your training. In the beginning you need to focus on the basic techniques, not power. It will help to correct your moves and to maintain your posture.
Bag Work
Bag work is another area of the Muay Thai training in which you need to work on a heavy bag in order to improve your techniques. Your instructor will instruct you how to carry on your work with the heavy bag.
Partner Drills
Now it’s time to do the partner drills in which you have to practice fight with your opponent. It will help you to judge your ability to guard and attack and also tell you the areas of improvement in your training.
Clinching
In Muay Thai clinching you would be locked in with your opponent and you would need to battle for the control of your position. It involves the control of knees, elbows, sweeps and arms.
Muat Thai Sparring and Boxing Sparring
It is the process in which you have to utilize all of your techniques against a real opponent. During Muay Thai sparring you need to fight with the opponent in order to judge your progress in this field. Boxing sparring is also added to the Muay Thai training, which is the best way to improve your hand striking.