How to Become a Great Muay Thai Fighter: 7 Tips for Beginners

There are certain things you should know if you want to become a great Muay Thai fighter. You can check out our awesome tips here.

Originating in Thailand, Muay Thai has become one of the most popular martial arts in the modern era. Its efficiency and reputation as a standing martial art have been bolstered by the MMA legends who use it. Paired with Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, a fighter is nearly unstoppable.

What makes a great Muay Thai fighter? There's no simple answer to this question: hard work, determination, and a lot of practice all help. There are no shortcuts in Muay Thai fighting: you need to put the work in.

We know how intimidating it can be when you're a newcomer to this world. You want to learn all those awesome Muay Thai moves but you underestimated the difficulty of growing as a fighter. We've all been there.

We've put out heads together and assembled a list of essential Muay Thai tips that you need if you're going to become a great fighter. Ready to improve your skills and start growing? Then read on and enjoy your sparring!

1. Don't Neglect Strength or Cardio

When you're training to become a Muay Thai fighter, you're going to hear conflicting advice from different fighters. Some will say that strength training is more important, others will say that cardio is more important. Both of these are wrong: they're about as important as each other.

Muay Thai relies on strength, stamina, and conditioning. You aren't going to get all of these from just one type of fitness training.

You should hit the gym twice or three times a week while you're training. You should also train cardio regularly, three or four times a week.

If you hate running, then don't run! You can cycle, row, swim, or do HIIT workouts instead. The only rule for cardio is that you should feel out of breath when you're training: this is key to strengthening your heart, and it doesn't matter how you do that.

2. Buy Good Gloves

When you're starting out at your local Muay Thai gym, it's easy to spend as little money as you can on gloves. There's good reasoning behind this: maybe you won't stick at it, then you'd have wasted your money, right?

Poor-quality gloves can increase your chance of injury and make you more likely to quit. Spending more on good gloves means that you're more likely to stay the path and become a Muay Thai fighter.

Don't fall for the trap of buying the most expensive gloves you can find, either. These aren't necessarily the best ones.

Look for gloves that have good support, enough padding, and fit well: neither too snug nor too loose. 

3. Practice Stretching

The best kind of body for a Muay Thai fighter to have is a limber one. You can be as strong as an ox or have the stamina of a racehorse, but if you're not flexible, you're limiting your attacking options. You want to get limber enough that you can kick at head height.

Being limber also strengthens your muscles' resistance to injury. If they can flex and stretch with greater ease, they're not likely to tear or be as susceptible to other injuries.

One great way to improve your flexibility is to practice yoga alongside your regular workouts.

4. Recovery and Hydration Are Key For Any Muay Thai Fighter

It's not all about the training. If you want your body to be at its best, you need to give it ample opportunities for recovery. The best way to do that is by taking care of yourself.

You should give yourself as much recovery time as you need: your body recovers most when you're asleep, so you should aim for 8 hours of sleep per night. You also need to stay hydrated, replacing the water you lose during training sessions. You should drink at least 2 liters of water a day, and bring water to training.

5. Technique Comes First

Technique is more important than how hard you can throw a punch. If you watch professional Muay Thai fighters, you'll notice how their punches and kicks look effortless. This is because they have honed their technique.

Proper technique allows for stronger hits and also stops you from injuring yourself. Before you try to throw the hardest punches you can, make sure that you are throwing the best punches you can. You can improve their power and speed later.

6. Spar With Different Partners

If you only spar with one other Muay Thai fighter, it's easy to get into a rut. You'll learn how to counter their specific style, but not everyone is going to fight like them

. 

If you want to become a well-rounded fighter, the key is to spar with a variety of different people. You need to know how to counter, block, and parry all different kinds of strikes, not just the ones that your current partner does.

We know it's tempting to stick with a friend for sparring, but ask around and spar with other people. It's the only way to learn something and you might make some new friends!

7. Take Advantage of One-On-One Training

While group classes are a fantastic way to learn Muay Thai, one-on-one training with a dedicated coach can really make a difference to your skills.  If you take a look at our schedule, you'll see that there are large bits of time blocked out for private training.

If you'd like to get some specialized training tailored just for you, then get in touch with us! Our coaches can take your Muay Thai skills to the next level.

Ready to Take Your Muay Thai Up a Notch?

We offer top-quality Muay Thai classes for all ages and abilities! Whether you're just getting started or are a seasoned veteran looking to stay sharp, our coaches can help you.

Becoming a Muay Thai fighter is hard work, but we'll have your back every step of the way. If you've got any questions about our classes, prices, or private training, please give us a call on 289-6-BATTLE!