Muay Thai Thread

[ThrowDemTongs]

Figured lots of you guys have at least some interest in Muay Thai so I made this general thread for anything Muay Thai related you may think of.

I'll start it off with a sparring post. Couple of the new guys sparring today were really building a nice rhythm in their round until one of them decided to throw an admittedly beautiful switch kick to the liver, absolutely devastating the other guy and knocking him down for a good 30 seconds. When you spar, how hard do you go?

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[darko]

Depends on the other person. I let them set the pace and try and match it.

 

[Rocko604]

Hard enough that your not just playing tag, dialed-down enough that you can both go to work the following day.

 

[Kitten Mittons]

How long did you guys train for before sparring?

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

I'm likeminded when it comes to sparring. See where you both settle and work from there.

I started sparring basically as soon as I felt comfortable throwing 3 punch combos (a month in). You can imagine how eye-opening the first session was for me. Every little bit of detail I had drilled went right out the window and I got smoked. My mentality going in was "fight back no matter what", and that was harder said than done. Every punch thrown my way I countered with a leg kick, but that was all. I didn't have the proper guard to keep up with punching flurries so I got smashed a few good times. I tried a long guard but I have neither the reach to really make it effective, nor did I even know how to use it properly. Smoked lol.

I honestly say talk to the guys where you train and see how newb friendly they are during sparring. Some guys are a lot more helpful and will give feedback while they push your **** in while others might use you as an uglier (jk) BOB. Either way, you'll get a real idea as to where you are in your training. Do it up!

 

[Kitten Mittons]

I'm way in the beginning but I notice whether it's MT or boxing, as soon as you just do a freestyle sparring (not official sparring, just light workout at the end of the class), I am totally clueless. Even if doing pad work with a partner at faster pace, all form goes to ****. I need to slow down.

 

[The Jesus*]

Figured lots of you guys have at least some interest in Muay Thai so I made this general thread for anything Muay Thai related you may think of.

I'll start it off with a sparring post. Couple of the new guys sparring today were really building a nice rhythm in their round until one of them decided to throw an admittedly beautiful switch kick to the liver, absolutely devastating the other guy and knocking him down for a good 30 seconds. When you spar, how hard do you go?

I always ask the other guy if he's willing to go all out. Unless they suck/aren't tough, then I just kinda light spar. But I actually enjoy fighting, so when the opportunity presents itself in the gym, I take it.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

I'm way in the beginning but I notice whether it's MT or boxing, as soon as you just do a freestyle sparring (not official sparring, just light workout at the end of the class), I am totally clueless. Even if doing pad work with a partner at faster pace, all form goes to ****. I need to slow down.

You know the predictable solution to this: spar more. Experience is key.

However, one tip I was given when I started was to ramp up the shadowboxing. I shadowboxed all the time and still do. Hell, shadowbox while you shadowbox. It's key to start building fluidity in your techniques. I have terrible reach so I started focusing on really developing a good jab and building off of that. It'll become a lot smoother as you progress. Shadowbox as much as you can.

 

[darko]

How long did you guys train for before sparring?

I was sparring few weeks in but would only be matched up with noobs like me.

 

[darko]

I'm way in the beginning but I notice whether it's MT or boxing, as soon as you just do a freestyle sparring (not official sparring, just light workout at the end of the class), I am totally clueless. Even if doing pad work with a partner at faster pace, all form goes to ****. I need to slow down.

Exactly. You are trying to punch fast. The speed comes from your hips rotations and shoulder movements.

Then again this is normal. I didn't start to make leaps and bounds until 12 months in.

 

[The Jesus*]

I'm way in the beginning but I notice whether it's MT or boxing, as soon as you just do a freestyle sparring (not official sparring, just light workout at the end of the class), I am totally clueless. Even if doing pad work with a partner at faster pace, all form goes to ****. I need to slow down.

My recommendation is to not even bother trying to focus on combos yet. Focus primarily on breathing at this point. Cant speak for you, but when I was a total noob, Id still hold my breath and throw punches. I had to make a conscious effort to breathe properly.

If you aren't breathing properly, everything else you do is irrelevant. Because you can go into a fight with the best form and skill in the world, but without breathing, you'll gas within a minute and will probably get your ass kicked.

Then I'd also focus on simply maintaining distance. Using teeps, leg/body kicks, and jabs/crosses. Keep them at muay thai range (just outside of punching range, but where you can kick them), and hold that distance. Teeps are super important and should be a focal point here. You want them leaning in if they wanna land something. As they'll be off balance and open to big shots.

Then work off the leg kick. While you're holding your distance, keeping them at bay, and holding your range, you will land some leg kicks. Follow up your leg kicks with a 1-2. Then turn your distance controlling jabs into a 1-2. Then follow up your 1-2 with a leg kick. Etc.

That's really the base of muay thai. Once you have that down, slowly add in strikes to your arsenal. Elbows, knees, higher kicks, uppercuts and hooks. Then once you have the tools, then that's when you learn to start throwing them at the right time, learn to duck/move and counter, set up your power shots with smaller strikes, etc.

It's a process, and you're doing yourself a disservice trying to do it all in at once. You climb a flight of stairs one step at a time, do the same with thai.

Shouldn't take you more than 5 or 6 months to be at the point where you have the breathing down, can control distance, and have all the tools and are learning to throw proper combos.

 

[darko]

You see people try to do 5-6 punch combos all the time. That doesn't work when there's a person standing in front of you wanting to smash your face in.

Work simple combos. Establish your jab (which goes hand in hand with distancing), add leg kicks and just work simple 1-2s. Bit by bit you'll figure stuff out and learn little tricks of the trade.


And yeah breathing like Jesus said.

 

[torero]

I'll share my practice. (i actually don't practice anymore but i did if for 25 yrs, including 1 yr in Thailand 2x3hrs/day and had a good school where i live.)

For a beginner, it is important to have a sparing partner with whom you can fight, but very slowly, i repeat ... very slowly, type of dance that you do with him.

Do your sparing in slow motion.

When he throws you a punch, keep your speed (slow) and accept to be hit ... of course try to dodge it but keep this slow motion fight (or dance) with your partner (both you have to be on slow motion). and accept the hit (do not accelerate to avoid it ... if you are caught, you are caught ... accept the hit and stay in slow motion. do not stop the slow motion (both of course)

Do not hesitate to do it for some 3 rounds or as much as you want ... but do it (and during 2 or 3 weeks)

Do all your fight, kicks, knees, elbows, fists ... dodge all you can (in slow motion as well) ... do your complete fight in slow motion.

After a couple of times, start fighting against normal opponents in a normal sparing. And you may have a surprise ... I let you come back to this forum and tell me. ;-)

I may sound abnormal to have used 1000x the word slow motion, yet it is the key and since you will be doing it without me ... if you do it, do it well, meaning keep all in slow motion. You will see, you will become smart and remove 1000 of bad habits that are taken by beginners who are scared of the first hit. You probably may leap frog some years of training in you mind clarity during fight.

++

This has nothing to do with the sparing, sparing can be tough or soft depending on what you are training for (competition soon) or your simple mood and the level you or your partner has. the hardness can go up or down even DURING a sparing, depending on the mood or the rivality. As long as it is healthy and both agree, all is ok.

 

[Kitten Mittons]

Thanks guys, great advice here. Everyone I met at the gym has been doing it for a while now but I think in a couple of months, I can catch-up a bit and find someone to practice with. I go back and forth between taking boxing and MT classes and I find boxing to be very helpful. Since you're taking legs out of the equation, it's easier to focus on form and learn the fundamentals, head movement, blocks, etc. MT is fun but has so much going on and for a complete newbie, it's easier to get lost.

Started taking yoga too I think it's helping with form on kicks.

 

[darko]

Another thing our trainers had us doing was what over here we call 'Dutch rounds'.

My turn your turn type thing. If your opponent is having his turn all you do is cover up / check and do the best to defend yourself. When he's fired off a combo then it's your turn. Obviously you only go at 50% since the other person isn't fighting back. You get to work on your combos on a person and in the same time you work on seeing punches and kicks coming your way much better as you are focused on defending. Best of both worlds.

Later on you can get more advanced where you counter his turns and vice versa.

 

[Kitten Mittons]

Yeah we do that too sometimes - 10 shots each.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

I recently murdered my right foot while sparring. Recovering well but I'm trying to take it easy with my right kicks. Naturally I've taken to developing my lead leg kicks. However, my switch kick is not the greatest. Any tips on throwing lead leg kicks in general (not just switch kicks; what kinda kicks do you guys like? Pendulum, switch, just fire away from your natural stance?)?

 

[Rocko604]

Hey muay thai guys, thoughts on shin pads? I know it comes down to personal preference, but anyone use anything else besides Fairtex, Twins or Top King?

A store near me sells Drako brand, and their top ones look similar to Fairtex but are a bit cheaper. I'm not planning to be an amateur fighter or anything, just want something durable for training so I can walk the next day, lol.

 

[darko]

Shin pads are for the weak. Don't be that guy.

 

[darko]

I recently murdered my right foot while sparring. Recovering well but I'm trying to take it easy with my right kicks. Naturally I've taken to developing my lead leg kicks. However, my switch kick is not the greatest. Any tips on throwing lead leg kicks in general (not just switch kicks; what kinda kicks do you guys like? Pendulum, switch, just fire away from your natural stance?)?

I'm a righty. Small step to the side (12 o'clock to 9) with the left and wrap your shin around his quad.

Right kicks i targed the leg mostly and occasional body kick just so that i don't become too predictable. Left kicks are switch to the body and step out inside leg kick to a righty. Love using switch kicks to the body against the righties because that's their power side and you want to numb that arm.

 

[Rocko604]

Shin pads are for the weak. Don't be that guy.

Not wearing them would make me "that guy".

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Love using switch kicks to the body against the righties because that's their power side and you want to numb that arm.

Man is this ever true. I took your advice and it's very effective. When I spar with my buddy who's a very good boxer, I find I shut him down quite well by just throwing that switch kick as he steps in. That or a solid teep. Or another good one: Lead teep into switch kick, doing the switch kinda mid air as my left leg is coming down from the teep.

I've also been trying to throw that lead roundhouse by firing just from the hip, too. Seems to be quite effective against southpaws; that much less distance to travel to smack their liver.

 

[darko]

Man is this ever true. I took your advice and it's very effective. When I spar with my buddy who's a very good boxer, I find I shut him down quite well by just throwing that switch kick as he steps in. That or a solid teep. Or another good one: Lead teep into switch kick, doing the switch kinda mid air as my left leg is coming down from the teep.

I've also been trying to throw that lead roundhouse by firing just from the hip, too. Seems to be quite effective against southpaws; that much less distance to travel to smack their liver.

Teeps are massively underrated. I don't care how good a guy is with his hands if you have good teeps and kicking game in general he's in a bit of trouble. Chop his legs to slow him down, use teeps to keep him at bay (he obviously needs to move in which makes him a prime target for teeps). If he does move in and you have sound grappling game just clinch him and work the knees.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

I finally got the pleasure of sparring with a TKD guy today. Man, that side on stance is just too juicy. At first I thought he was doing it to lure me in, but going against someone who essentially can't check any kicks is perfect. I don't think I've thrown so many leg kicks in my life. I even got lazy and only set them up with my jab.

Contrast with the next round, where I paired up with a checking machine. They weren't even good checks, either. He'd throw these weak ass checks up, and once I got wise to that, I kicked riiiiiight through and swept. He'd even check when I came in with my hands. Same thing every time. Check, recoil in fear (we were sparring like 40% lol), then come at me with the most furious haymakers ever... walking right into my teep.

Clinch. Most people have no idea what to do in it, it seems. They also seem to exert an insane amount of energy while getting ragdolled. Guys are throwing these weak ass body punches while I'm plumming them (these are guys that outweigh me considerably, as I walk around at 152). So many opportunities for night ending elbows. I threw some light knees (position first, however: I never throw strikes in the clinch unless I have control, then it's usually, like darko said, work the knees) and on a few occasions had the KO head knees available too.

Good times.

 

[BogsDiamond]

My recommendation is to not even bother trying to focus on combos yet. Focus primarily on breathing at this point. Cant speak for you, but when I was a total noob, Id still hold my breath and throw punches. I had to make a conscious effort to breathe properly.

This was me to a tee and I never learned how to do it properly.

I boxed for about 4 months in university before night-courses and life got in the way (I know, lots of excuses).

Anytime I worked the mitts or sparred, I'd gas after 2 minutes because I could never get my breathing right.
I felt like the most out of shape person in the gym despite having less than 6% body fat.
There were guys that looked as soft as a bowl of jello who would 'flow' through sparring, mitt work and shadowboxing like they were taking a walk through a park.

Wish I had learned. Even now, if I take a boxercise class, I get double-vision after 2 or 3 rounds on the mitts and belly pad against an instructor.
I suck.

BTW, I wish there was a Muay Thai gym nearby. The art always fascinated me. Good on you guys who are learning the sport.