As a Nak Muay, sparring is one of the most beneficial training tools in your arsenal. However, it can be tough and it takes real skill to be a good sparring partner.
What do you think? Yay or nay for Muay Thai as Olympic Sport?
If you Google or YouTube “Muay Thai” or “Thai Boxing” one of the first things you’ll often see is a Thai Nak Muay with perfected technique kicking down what looks like a stalk or tropical tree.Though this imagery is fascinating much like how Karate Dojos chop through bricks, it is much more likely to cause injury than sharpen your technique (even for skilled fighters). [Related: Reddit’s Top Shin Questions Answered]
Written by Shaida Hong (Muay Thai Motivation)
I started training with T.A.G. Muay Thai for my weight loss journey.
Fighting someone shorter than you are can be a blessing- if you know how. I am a 5’10” female and I never fought another woman taller than myself.
It’s that time of year again, but for anyone who trains Muay Thai, you know that there is no off season! With the holidays approaching, now is the best time to stock up on some great Muay Thai gear to help you reach the next level in the new year. Whether you’re looking for a gift for a teammate, coach, family member or friend this holiday season, here are some of the best and affordable gifts for any Muay Thai fighter:
Muay Thai originated thousands of years ago in what is now known as Thailand. The art form was developed by warriors in need of a fighting style to combat opponents at any range and brutalize the enemy quickly. Like most martial art forms, Muay Thai has a few off-shoots in the kickboxing world – Dutch Muay Thai a.k.a Dutch Kickboxing is what we will cover today.
For many people, situational awareness and self-protection are not at the top of mind when running errands or enjoying an evening out. Though everyone here at T.A.G. Muay Thai hopes that no one encounters a dangerous scenario, there are things you can do to improve your odds of avoiding and surviving harassment.
Aside from delivering super high kicks, flexible joints also allow Nak Muays to use less energy for the same movements. With flexibility comes a lowered risk of injury, quick muscle recovery, and better blood flow.
Just like in any sport of martial arts discipline, it is so important to develop good habits early on in training. Good habits can prevent injury, illness, shorten your learning curve, and help you to see results faster. Below we’ve outlined some basic good habits to maintain throughout Muay Thai training. [Related: 12 Unspoken Guidelines for Muay Thai Newbies]
Muay Thai Boxing and the Biomechanical Analysis of the Kinetic Chain
You trained hard, gave your respective martial art your all – blood, sweat, and maybe a few tears. Everything you’ve done up to the point of your fight was to prepare you for your fight! Though you may have gotten a few good strikes in, the outcome was not what you expected. It is easy to feel down on yourself and never fight again, but we’ve got some tips to keep your spirits and head high.
At T.A.G. Muay Thai, we really love Muay Thai, but our instructor as well as students often choose to learn from other martial arts disciplines which is a beautiful thing. We’ve highlighted 4 different martial art forms below that have been trending upwards in the USA for the past couple of years. Find out what makes each discipline so unique. Knowing the pros and cons may even help you decide which martial art form(s) is/are best for you.
Can Muay Thai Be Useful for Self-Defense in a Street Fight?
Muay Thai fighters on reddit share tips for new Nak Muays entering the ring for the first time. Find out what these seasoned fighters only wished they knew before their first fight. The insights below have been summarized for a quick read!
Muay Thai is a unique martial art in that no other martial art uses the shin quite like Thai Boxers do. In Muay Thai, you kick with your shin, not your foot! This can cause some discomfort in the beginning or after your first fight.
Why do you train Muay Thai? Establishing your motives for training is key to establishing your mentality.
As the holiday festivities draw to a close and New Year’s resolutions are made, it’s time to start thinking about how to take your Muay Thai game to the next level.
When signing up for a martial arts training program or more specifically a Muay Thai training program, your instructor and his/her gym should go through the ringer (according to Reddit.com).
Why would you ever want to take a break from Muay Thai? But I get it, sometimes you have to. Whether it’s taking a few days off after a major tournament, a few weeks off to focus on another area of your life, or a few months off due to medical reasons or change in life situation, getting back into training is tough.
Authentic Muay Thai fights and even knee or elbow strikes in popularized UFC fights tend to result in brutal and bloody scenes. Thousands of years ago, those movements were designed to cause maximum devastation as quickly as possible. Muay Thai practiced in a “training” setting is a scene that focuses on technique and less on blood and destruction.
Muay Thai Words Translated from Thai to English
I’ve taught hundreds of students in Law Enforcement Training and at my own gym, T.A.G. Muay Thai and when a prospect turns into a new student, 99% of the time, the same question is ALWAYS asked:
Muay Thai is an ancient martial art dating back to 2nd or 3rd B.C. Thailand; the fighting style did not become an official sport beyond Thai warrior use until the 1400’s. Though Muay Thai has been around for a long time, regulations weren’t introduced to competitive fighting until the 1930’s.
Foam rollers are cylinder-shaped trigger-point therapy tool used for stretching out sore muscles and relieving muscle tension. Foam rolling speeds up the process of Myofascial Release a.k.a muscle recovery, which increases blood flow and relaxes deep muscle tissue. Similar to yoga, foam rolling helps increase your flexibility, which is an awesome plus for any Nak Muay. [Related: 11 Tips To Improve Flexibility in Muay Thai]
Muay Thai has been a gift to me. It has affected every aspect of my life in more ways than I ever could have imagined.
For many Muay Thai students and fighters, the winter holidays mean that there is no rest for the weary. However, training may become logistically and psychologically difficult. It may be challenging to maintain a consistent training regime and mentality due to holiday travel and festivities, so below are five easy tips to make sure that you enter the new year physically and mentally ready to improve yourself and your craft.
Bullying: The Prevalence of Bullying in Middle & High Schools
Violent yet mesmerizing and entertaining at its highest level, Muay Thai has attracted a huge following worldwide and inspired many men and women to take it up either for self-defense or sport. The casual sports observer need not look any further than the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s Joanna Jedrzejczyk to see that there are many female Nak Muays who’ve proven to be capable fighters not just in the ring but in the octagon, too.