# COMPETITIVE BODYBUILDING - POWERLIFTING - ATHLETICS & SPORTS > BOXING / FIGHTING / WRESTLING >  any muay thai fighters?

## dec11

is it difficult to get good at? i know you get what you put in, but im passing up the whole getting huge thing now and discontinuing cycling. 

im really interested in muay thai to learn proper technique to get full power and good speed into kicks and punches. 

im guessing i'll need to work on flexibility big time as im quite stiff from all the years of plifting.

im not looking to get into competition, just want a fresh interesting training discipline, and a good fighting technique always helps for door work i guess

any info would be appreciated. cheers

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## wmaousley

Im A Muay Thai drinker  :Smilie:

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## dec11

> hi i train muay thai just got a few thing that may help, it doesnt matter what size you are the technique and flexibility will come over time try not to worry about hitting hard and putting power in at first try to get the technique then it will flow alot better then with proper technique power will come.
> dont drop the weight training just add more cardio the fitter you bodys is the faster you will recover and the sharper you will be in a fight {example recovering inbetween rounds and from getting hit}
> 
> i dont compete but have done it for years the way i look at it is i want to be fitter and sharper the an avarage joe on the street just to have a metal edge and i know how to fight and that my cardio wont let me down not only that if all fails me i know iv got good cardio and can run fast and hard 
> 
> work the clinch most street fights end up grabing and rooling around on the floor having good knowledge of the clinch {plum} will help with you door work.
> 
> in sparing dont alway be eager to hit try defending and counter fighting figure them out {they may move a certain way just before a throwing a certain shot i.e droping they shoulder the way they sway the hands before a jab sharpen up you eyes}
> 
> ...


cheers mate, i will still do weights, just lighter, just no more 260kg deadlifts etc. i did karate years ago so i have a bit of technique in snap, push and roundhouse kicks. just really want to sharpen and speed up, improve boxing skills and would rather get my cardio and flexibility from something interesting like this.

cheers for the info.

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## Twist

I do muay thai on tuesdays and thursdays for 2-4 hours and saturdays for 1 hour. It takes a while to get but its fun as hell. I don't have it down yet.

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## baseline_9

I trained in Muay Thai for 2 years 5 days a week 2hrs a day... Got fairly good

Go for it, expect to loose some weight if you wanna be at all competitive

Once you start, you will want to be competitive

As for fitness I think it is probably the best and most intresting thing out there that you can do


6 x 3min rounds of low kicks! Singles, doubles, tripples

I dont care what anyone says, that takes heart and drive!

You get out what you put in as far as your fitness level goes, its that simple. Some guys used to just get through the 3 min rounds of low kicks and pace themselves. **** that, 100% from the first kick to the last, you will wanna be sick after the first round.

But you will have the best euphoric feeling when you drive home after the session. Amazing

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## dec11

> I trained in Muay Thai for 2 years 5 days a week 2hrs a day... Got fairly good
> 
> Go for it, expect to loose some weight if you wanna be at all competitive
> 
> Once you start, you will want to be competitive
> 
> As for fitness I think it is probably the best and most intresting thing out there that you can do
> 
> 
> ...


sounds good to me!! i plan on 2 days per week for 2hrs each session, and weights x3 per week, hard to fit everything around erratic work schedule. you reckon x2 pw is enough?

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## Twist

> sounds good to me!! i plan on 2 days per week for 2hrs each session, and weights x3 per week, hard to fit everything around erratic work schedule. you reckon x2 pw is enough?


Enough for what?
Practice shadow boxing and there are plenty of beginner youtube videos. Watch a bunch of videos of someone you want to fight like and shadow box at night then go to sleep thinking about it. Trust me on this one. I watch Cung Le videos. Guys crazy

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## dec11

> Enough for what?
> Practice shadow boxing and there are plenty of beginner youtube videos. Watch a bunch of videos of someone you want to fight like and shadow box at night then go to sleep thinking about it. Trust me on this one. I watch Cung Le videos. Guys crazy


enough to get good at it

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## Twist

> enough to get good at it


Even with one day a week you would be better than someone who just street fights and doesn't know any mma. It's all about repetition and reflexes. Once you can spot the punch or kick and it is a reflex to respond the correct way then you are good. But you gotta spar for that. Practice shadow boxing and making your punches "snap." You will get good at it if you go two days a week. It might take a while though. Flexibility is killing me right now. I have no flexibility in my hips so its a struggle to even throw good leg kicks. In your line of work I would be working on countering and kicking to keep people at a distance.

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## Hunter

Shadow boxing will help a ton and is very important and even better if you have a large mirror. Dont neglect your road work if your going to compete. Work on your movements becoming smooth and not jerky, foot work is everything remember speed kills. You will get in what you put in like most things in life.

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## SlimmerMe

My instinct tells me you will be GREAT at this Dec! And good for you too~

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## dec11

> Even with one day a week you would be better than someone who just street fights and doesn't know any mma. It's all about repetition and reflexes. Once you can spot the punch or kick and it is a reflex to respond the correct way then you are good. But you gotta spar for that. Practice shadow boxing and making your punches "snap." You will get good at it if you go two days a week. It might take a while though. Flexibility is killing me right now. I have no flexibility in my hips so its a struggle to even throw good leg kicks. In your line of work I would be working on countering and kicking to keep people at a distance.


cheers, yeah flexibility is something i need to sharpen up, esp hips as plifting tends to seriously build this area. i intend dropping 14lbs which should help with flexibility range.




> Shadow boxing will help a ton and is very important and even better if you have a large mirror. Dont neglect your road work if your going to compete. Work on your movements becoming smooth and not jerky, foot work is everything remember speed kills. You will get in what you put in like most things in life.


cheers man, very helpful




> My instinct tells me you will be GREAT at this Dec! And good for you too~


thanks slim, if i find something interesting i usually excel.

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## heist

Yeah I used to live and train in Bangkok. I guess important for you to find a gym that teaches correct technique with good pad holders and decent sparring partners. Sometimers in the west we have to sacrifice one for the other.

These are a couple of example training sessions from my diary

Sessions 1 
8km jog
6 rounds clinch sparring
4 rounds heavy bag
100 kicks heavy bag
100 knees heavy bag
2 sets pull ups (max)
2 sets shoulder press (max)
2 set bicep curl (max)

Example 2
6km jog
1 round shadow boxing
3 rounds thai pads
1 round teep kick block
1 round upper cut block
4 rounds heavy bag set combos
2 rounds tyre/footwork
50 teep kicks heavy bag
50 knees heavy bag
2 sets shoulder press
2 sets bicep curl
2 sets situps

Used to train twice a day, for 4/6 hours total (depending how youre cycling your training but that was the general rule)

Important to note though, I think over the next 20/30 years we're going to see a shift away from the dominance of the thais in the sport. We are already starting to see it actually. The Thais are not big on sports science, dont pay a lot of attention to diet.. I think we'll see a lot more European and Australian fighters winning major titles over there. If I'd dropped a couple of boxing sessions a week, lifted weights properly, ate properly I think I would have done much better.

Anyway, it doesnt take long to get good at it, important thing is to stay relaxed throughout the techniques. Speed and power will come later.. dont force it. The thais have a saying.. slowly slowly.. and it's so true with MT. Chok dee (good luck!)

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## dec11

> Yeah I used to live and train in Bangkok. I guess important for you to find a gym that teaches correct technique with good pad holders and decent sparring partners. Sometimers in the west we have to sacrifice one for the other.
> 
> These are a couple of example training sessions from my diary
> 
> Sessions 1 
> 8km jog
> 6 rounds clinch sparring
> 4 rounds heavy bag
> 100 kicks heavy bag
> ...


cheers man, im up for all bar the jogging, have bad shin splints although laying off heavy squats should help a tad. the place im going to has produced national and international champs so in going to a good stable. i have masses of power (100kg class plifter) and im fairly fast on the reflexes but i do intend to get good technique in place to maximise all. i doubt if i'll ever compete, more for efficient self defence and fitness.

in your experience is it vital to drop a bit of muscle weight (currently 103kg 13% bf), or if i can get my flexibility up to speed should i be ok?

thanks very much for your time

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## heist

Well I asked this guy 




how to improve the conditioning in my thighs and he told me to run more. They believe runnings not only important for fitness but conditioning and building muscle density. I'm sure your trainers can help you train around your injury anyhow. 

It's hard to say what is a good weight for you to be at without seeing you train. If you're not going to compete I wouldn't worry about it so much. Obviously if you compete you're going to have to be wary of going up a weight division at 105/230.

Sorry I can't be much help.

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## dec11

> Well I asked this guy 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> how to improve the conditioning in my thighs and he told me to run more. They believe runnings not only important for fitness but conditioning and building muscle density. I'm sure your trainers can help you train around your injury anyhow. 
> 
> It's hard to say what is a good weight for you to be at without seeing you train. If you're not going to compete I wouldn't worry about it so much. Obviously if you compete you're going to have to be wary of going up a weight division at 105/230.
> 
> Sorry I can't be much help.


my flexibility does need work but if one thing, i am lightning quick and can turn an attack into defence very fast (plenty exp working doors) but i would need coordination practice with strikes rather than just using brute strength (and the odd headbutt  :Wink: ) to subdue.

that geezer in the vid looks a killing machine! love the knee swipes, thats always my pre-emptive strike if i know its gona kick off at the door

and you've been loads of help mate, cheers

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## DeniZen

..............................

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## workhardgethuge

> is it difficult to get good at? i know you get what you put in, but im passing up the whole getting huge thing now and discontinuing cycling. 
> 
> im really interested in muay thai to learn proper technique to get full power and good speed into kicks and punches. 
> 
> im guessing i'll need to work on flexibility big time as im quite stiff from all the years of plifting.
> 
> im not looking to get into competition, just want a fresh interesting training discipline, and a good fighting technique always helps for door work i guess
> 
> any info would be appreciated. cheers


I train Muay Thai, I have for many years and I suck compared to a lot of MT practitioners, There have been kids that are new to the gym that have picked it up and far surpass my abilities in just a few months. That said you may or may not have a natural ability, give it a try , you have nothing to lose, and honestly theres nothing like deliverying the cobra punch!

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## dec11

> I train Muay Thai, I have for many years and I suck compared to a lot of MT practitioners, There have been kids that are new to the gym that have picked it up and far surpass my abilities in just a few months. That said you may or may not have a natural ability, give it a try , you have nothing to lose, and honestly theres nothing like deliverying the *cobra punch*!


yeah lol. im v determined with things like this and still rem afew strikes from my karate days long long ago.

how often do you train it pw?

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## workhardgethuge

> yeah lol. im v determined with things like this and still rem afew strikes from my karate days long long ago.
> 
> how often do you train it pw?


Like anything you get out of it what you put into it. If you recall any of my other posts I went way up in weight and didn't train for a few years, now that I've slimmed down I am back to training MT & Jits 2 days a week, I'll probably stay at 2 days as weight training and cardio are more important to me right now. How long did you do Karate? albeit a different style of martial art it still shares the similarity of striking. Martial arts like Jits & Judo which is more about locks and throws, so you should pick it up fairly easily. One thing I could recommend before you even start and its something you can do at home is start stretching and working on flexibility, especially since you are a muscular guy.

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## dec11

> Like anything you get out of it what you put into it. If you recall any of my other posts I went way up in weight and didn't train for a few years, now that I've slimmed down I am back to training MT & Jits 2 days a week, I'll probably stay at 2 days as weight training and cardio are more important to me right now. How long did you do Karate? albeit a different style of martial art it still shares the similarity of striking. Martial arts like Jits & Judo which is more about locks and throws, so you should pick it up fairly easily. One thing I could recommend before you even start and its something you can do at home is start stretching and working on flexibility, especially since you are a muscular guy.


ah, its years since i did karate, i still can pull off snap kicks, roundhouses and leg sweeps etc. yeah, ive started on the flexibility as it would be an issue i'd imagine. im going to drop off around 14lbs within the next 6-8wks and hoping the MT training will help with that. cheers

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## gixxerboy1

Dec any gyms you train at got vibration machines. They do wonders for my flexibility. I bought one when i fought.

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## Twist

wtf is that ^?

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## gixxerboy1

http://www.powerplate.com/ that is a link to one of the more popular brands

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## dec11

> Dec any gyms you train at got vibration machines. They do wonders for my flexibility. I bought one when i fought.


na, always thought of those as a sales con tbh. you get results from it?

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## Twist

That appears to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Ari...eature=related

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## gixxerboy1

> na, always thought of those as a sales con tbh. you get results from it?


its not going to make anyone a body builder. I can put someone through a workout on one and have them whipped in about 10 mins. But they are really good for flexibility.

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## gixxerboy1

> That appears to be the dumbest thing I have ever seen
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9Ari...eature=related


I know alot of pro's athlete's that use them. I sold about 90k worth to the Dallas Cowboys training facility

I had one. They do work

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## DeniZen

Lets keep this thread going I'm starting Muay Thai tuesday. Went to my first MT event and I'm hooked. Watched Craig Buchanan defend his title last week. Really impressed with the skill set!!! Gonna make MT my cardio.

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## Twist

Muay Thai is (was until I got injured) my cardio. I'm dying to get back into it. I think about it more than I think about sex... Almost.

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## dec11

im thinkin of starting tues, my broken toe is about 90% ok i'd reckon, it was 4wks ago now. itchin to get started

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## Twist

tape it up. Which toe again?

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## dec11

> tape it up. Which toe again?


big toe, and i stepped into my bike boots today and got a jolting pain from it  :Frown:  guess i should wait another week

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## workhardgethuge

> big toe, and i stepped into my bike boots today and got a jolting pain from it  guess i should wait another week


Just wait...you're gonna make it worse, if you think you should wait a week, wait two. You've waited this long to start whats another couple weeks.

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## Twist

> Just wait...you're gonna make it worse, if you think you should wait a week, wait two. You've waited this long to start whats another couple weeks.


Agreed. You aren't paying the monthly yet either so wait.

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## DeniZen

So I had my first MT training session last nite and it was a blast. Big weakness was my footwork. My legs are strong from squats, and I have great leg endurance from 40-80 miles a week cycling. But my feet felt stuck to the floor like a super heavyweight boxer. Whats the best exercise to increase foot speed? Jumping rope?

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## Twist

Jump rope for sure. Practice makes perfect

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## dec11

starting 2nite!!

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## Twist

I'm starting back up tomorrow. I basically wrap my foot in a cast. Let us know how it goes

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## dec11

went brilliant, was doing kicking practice with a pro, my left side coordination is sh1t lol. two of the pro fighter got in the ring for sparring, i would not like to tangle with them, despite being probably 40-50lbs heavier!! kicks were going in like rotating helicopter blades!!

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## Twist

Sounds like a blast Dec. I went back today and the cardio kicked my ass. I barely finished. My punches were so weak it was unbearable. What did your workout look like?

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## dec11

> Sounds like a blast Dec. I went back today and the cardio kicked my ass. I barely finished. My punches were so weak it was unbearable. What did your workout look like?


some to thai geezer was over and doing advanced clinch work with the class so the coach put me in the ring with one of the pro's to learn kick techniques.
the guy told me we are responsible for all our own condition training outside of class, which is good, my weights programme wont clash with it. did an hour on kicks and knees and then he put me on a kick bag for 30mins
it was awesome working with the pro, he could throw double kicks in a split second, the damage he could do to me just by me being off balance for a slightest moment was mind blowing!! elbows, knees and punches coming from everywhere. im glad i picked muay thai, it seems brutally effective

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## Twist

SOunds like you're in good hands. Yeah muay thai and the clinch is super important. Sometimes I wish that my place would leave the conditioning out of it because I will drop weight like crazy.

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## dec11

> SOunds like you're in good hands. Yeah muay thai and the clinch is super important. Sometimes I wish that my place would leave the conditioning out of it because I will drop weight like crazy.


yeah, he said was impressed with my power, he said if i get my technique down and zero in on the the strike points i'd seriously hurt alot of guys.

they look at it from the perspective of getting skill and technique into the 1.5hrs class time rather than taking up time on fitness work, which i agree with. makes for a more focussed serious class

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## Twist

I agree also. I am at a gym that is very well known (current heavyweight champion from ufc trains here) but they focus too much on cardio for a warmup. Different instructors do different things though. I'm just exhausted by the time sparring comes around and that's my favorite part.

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## dec11

Maybe find another club, are you in a city?

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## Twist

No way I love this place. This club is great and I learn a lot. I'm trained by world champions everytime I go so I'll stick with them. Just wish they weren't so big on cardio. If I didn't workout on the side it wouldn't be a big deal but including my workouts it can amount to 4 hours a day...

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## dec11

> No way I love this place. This club is great and I learn a lot. I'm trained by world champions everytime I go so I'll stick with them. Just wish they weren't so big on cardio. If I didn't workout on the side it wouldn't be a big deal but including my workouts it can amount to 4 hours a day...


just aim to get your cardio there and none in the gym? you def can work around it mate. your looking shredded man, good job!

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## Twist

> just aim to get your cardio there and none in the gym? you def can work around it mate. your looking shredded man, good job!


Thanks bro. Thing is I never do cardio anyway so the extra calories burned just means I'll lose weight or have to eat a whole lot more. Anyway I would rather do muay thai then gain a couple pounds anyway. You'll find out soon it's so worth it. Especially with your job. Keep this updated with how things go.

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## dec11

> Thanks bro. Thing is I never do cardio anyway so the extra calories burned just means I'll lose weight or have to eat a whole lot more. Anyway I would rather do muay thai then gain a couple pounds anyway. You'll find out soon it's so worth it. Especially with your job. Keep this updated with how things go.


 yeah, i'll update each class

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## stang

yes im one of more than 60 fights ranked in the world.. where do u live maybe i can find someone in your state

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## dec11

stang, you cant advertise like that here, best edit

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## stang

to many rules to keep track of

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## dec11

> to many rules to keep track of


how long have you been fighting mate?

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## dec11

fvcking hell, i got a slaughtering tonight, lots of punch and kick combos, 45mins flat out, by the time it came to swap over i couldnt hold the pads up for my partner, delts were simply pumped full of blood and burnt out. does this get easier or do i see heavy weights ruled out for some muscle groups in my future? i cant throw over top elbows, its just mechanically impossible for me!!

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## Twist

Gotta jump rope for shoulders, that's the only thing that helped me - other than a lot of practice. My shoulders used to fail after about 3 minutes. I wouldn't be able to even lift my arms to defend myself. Now I can go for 10 minutes or more but my left arm still goes at about the 10minute mark. My coach says jump rope. Also if you change your shoulder workouts from heavy to 12 reps with 30 second rest max along with static holds it will help a lot.

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## dec11

> Gotta jump rope for shoulders, that's the only thing that helped me - other than a lot of practice. My shoulders used to fail after about 3 minutes. I wouldn't be able to even lift my arms to defend myself. Now I can go for 10 minutes or more but my left arm still goes at about the 10minute mark. My coach says jump rope. Also if you change your shoulder workouts from heavy to 12 reps with 30 second rest max along with static holds it will help a lot.


left rotator flared after 20mins of punching also, particularly on hooks. my coordination is crap, hard to rem combos and keep guard up esp on my left side, or am i just expecting too much of myself too soon?

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## JAB1

Good thread here guys. I train Muay Thai as well!! Great sport. Brutaly effective is a godd quote, thats what I love about it no flash and bs, just effective and basic!! Keep at it, your shoulders will condition. Wait till you start working the clinch(plum), whole new level of neck conditioning!!

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## dec11

Was on lowcarbs for a while there but I think i'll up them again, feeling achey and tired with the extra training

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## Twist

> left rotator flared after 20mins of punching also, particularly on hooks. my coordination is crap, hard to rem combos and keep guard up esp on my left side, or am i just expecting too much of myself too soon?


That's what the padwork is for. What you gotta do is have someone work with you on pads and practice combos like slip 2-3-2 over and over and over again (like 500times) till it becomes muscle memory. That way when you finally slip the punch the rest just follows without thought. It's all muscle memory and stamina. Thinking is all I did in the beginning (still do) and when you have to think like that you get torn up by opponents even a little better than you. That split second it takes for you to react means they have already countered. 




> Was on lowcarbs for a while there but I think i'll up them again, feeling achey and tired with the extra training


Oh man I would DIE on low carbs! Try glycogen supercompensation before a big day. That will help. Basically the night before eat a lot of carbs and the day of just take in tons of carbs and sugar a couple hours before and taper down leading up to it. energy will be a lot better. 

My neck seems to be better so I am gonna go to sparring on friday. I should get an x-ray to make sure but I can't resist. I also wear head gear and I'm better than a lot of the guys so I think I'll be fine.

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## dec11

> That's what the padwork is for. What you gotta do is have someone work with you on pads and practice combos like slip 2-3-2 over and over and over again (like 500times) till it becomes muscle memory. That way when you finally slip the punch the rest just follows without thought. It's all muscle memory and stamina. Thinking is all I did in the beginning (still do) and when you have to think like that you get torn up by opponents even a little better than you. That split second it takes for you to react means they have already countered. 
> 
> 
> *Oh man I would DIE on low carbs*! Try glycogen supercompensation before a big day. That will help. Basically the night before eat a lot of carbs and the day of just take in tons of carbs and sugar a couple hours before and taper down leading up to it. energy will be a lot better. 
> 
> My neck seems to be better so I am gonna go to sparring on friday. I should get an x-ray to make sure but I can't resist. I also wear head gear and I'm better than a lot of the guys so I think I'll be fine.


yeah, its killer. gona just keep the low carbs to non training days

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## Twist

You cutting?

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## dec11

> You cutting?


yeah, trying to strip off some weight as im not lifting heavy anymore, hovering at around 13-14% bf and 215lbs bw.

got the big head punched, knee'd and elbowed off my shoulders 2nite. made the mistake of coming to a more advanced class, it was all clinch work with knees, the guys i was sparring with were demonstrating how important my guard is, the hard fvcking way!!

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## Twist

^That's how I learn though too. Sounds like you guys do all sparring? No padwork or heavy bags? Sparring is the best way to learn but I feel I need to work on padwork way more often. It's really hard to find a good padwork guy.

Bro I just got knocked out earlier today. jab jab cross right to my temple... I'm still feeling it. Sometimes you just get rocked. My sparring partner is 214lbs (I'm 170) with a 10 in reach advantage on me... I just get worked fighting these big guys. Lucky you ARE the big guy lol.

Is there a reason you are low carbing to cut? I would think you should eat a healthy normal diet and let your weight fall where it wants to. That's how you will be most comfortable. When I gain weight I get slower but more powerful, when I lose weight I get fast as hell but nothing behind it; when I just let my weight do what it wants I'm best off.

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## dec11

> ^That's how I learn though too. Sounds like you guys do all sparring? No padwork or heavy bags? Sparring is the best way to learn but I feel I need to work on padwork way more often. It's really hard to find a good padwork guy.
> 
> Bro I just got knocked out earlier today. jab jab cross right to my temple... I'm still feeling it. Sometimes you just get rocked. My sparring partner is 214lbs (I'm 170) with a 10 in reach advantage on me... I just get worked fighting these big guys. Lucky you ARE the big guy lol.
> 
> Is there a reason you are low carbing to cut? I would think you should eat a healthy normal diet and let your weight fall where it wants to. That's how you will be most comfortable. When I gain weight I get slower but more powerful, when I lose weight I get fast as hell but nothing behind it; when I just let my weight do what it wants I'm best off.


yeah i do pad work on tues nights, but theres some thai geezer over atm doing technical stuff on thurs nights for 12wks, alittle outa my depth. think i'll switch to mon and weds nights

the guys keep telling me that strength and power means very little in this combat and anyone who is half decent will easily use my weight against me, the only big advantage id have is if i got that one big powerful punch or kick in. i know i wont compete but id like to get reasonably competent at it.. im fed up eating for size now and pounding weights (after 18yrs it gets kinda boring). id happily drop to 190-200 and get by on less cals

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## Twist

> yeah i do pad work on tues nights, but theres some thai geezer over atm doing technical stuff on thurs nights for 12wks, alittle outa my depth. think i'll switch to mon and weds nights
> 
> the guys keep telling me that strength and power means very little in this combat and anyone who is half decent will easily use my weight against me, the only big advantage id have is if i got that one big powerful punch or kick in. i know i wont compete but id like to get reasonably competent at it.. im fed up eating for size now and pounding weights (after 18yrs it gets kinda boring). id happily drop to 190-200 and get by on less cals


 Just eat the diet you want to eat (reasonably of course) and your weight will fall in line. That's when you will be the happiest. Size/strength/power mean a lot. It means nothing if someone your size has no idea what they are doing but it means a lot if the big guy is competent.

I was discussing this with my training partner today. He was saying for me to stand and trade with him evenly I would have to be a lot better than him because of the size difference. Clinching against a big guy is a losing battle when you are small.

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## xavierlafleur

Hi,
In my younger days I lived and trained in a Muay Thai stable in Bangkok. I also lived and trained Chinese Boxing in China and traveled extensively to train under specific trainers. In Thailand there are a lot of different personal fighting styles depending on the fighter and his trainer. Some fighters fight with beautiful, flowing form while others are straight to the point hitters without a lot of beauty. Imitating someone else doesn't help unless the person being imitated is exactly like you.

If you want to start training you can...anyone can but if you want to be good at it you need to understand the type of fighting and technique "YOU" are good at. If you're not competing and you don't need to maintain a certain weight category them strength training with weights will greatly enhance your ability. Also, if you aren't competing then you can train punching more than a competitor because Muay Thai traditionally gives more points for knee and elbows but punching "a la Western Boxing" is the most effective.

Just my opinion based on decades of experience.

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## stang

Been fighting for over 14 years started when i was 13 training and first fight was when i was 16. check your pm Dec11

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## dec11

good stuff lads, keep it coming  :Smilie:

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## Twist

Was doing kbox (sparring) and was boxing this big irish guy (kinda overweight). He kicked me in the head. I had no idea that he was that flexible. lesson learned: don't judge a book by its cover.

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## dec11

> Was doing kbox (sparring) and was boxing this big irish guy (kinda overweight). He kicked me in the head. I had no idea that he was that flexible. lesson learned: don't judge a book by its cover.


lol, ive an uncle who was then around the 18st mark, good large strong build (think on the lines of a lighter big van vader) but carrying a hefty gut, hes a 5th dan (spelling?) in karate and he could hold his foot to my forehead (5'9) for like 30secs, the man could dance around like bruce lee!!

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## dec11

have any of you guys used 'inner gloves' in place of traditional hand wraps? spotted them on some fight site on flea bay. basically like a tight stretch mitt with a velcro wrap around strap for the wrist.

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## Twist

I don't think those will be as effective. As straps get worn they get stretched and you have to tie them tighter. You won't be able to do that with those gloves. Also washing them might ruin them. You have trouble wrapping your hands lol?

On a side note I invented a device that will rewrap your gloves once you are done boxing. I did some work to find out about patenting it but decided against it because someone can easily steal the idea by changing a minor piece. Also distribution would be hard and building the first batch would cost about 10k after I paid the engineer and the patent fees... But isn't wrapping your gloves into a little ball or whatever a huge pain in the ass? It takes like 10 minutes and all I wanna do after is go home lol.

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## dec11

> I don't think those will be as effective. As straps get worn they get stretched and you have to tie them tighter. You won't be able to do that with those gloves. Also washing them might ruin them. *You have trouble wrapping your hands lol?*
> 
> On a side note I invented a device that will rewrap your gloves once you are done boxing. I did some work to find out about patenting it but decided against it because someone can easily steal the idea by changing a minor piece. Also distribution would be hard and building the first batch would cost about 10k after I paid the engineer and the patent fees... But isn't wrapping your gloves into a little ball or whatever a huge pain in the ass? It takes like 10 minutes and all I wanna do after is go home lol.


its just annoying rolling them up again and if a simple glove device works, then why not? they seem to come from a reputable fight wear store

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## Twist

They're pretty cheap so I guess try it. My guess is that if they stretch even a little that you can easily hurt yourself. Does seem like there should be a better way of doing this though.

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## dec11

> They're pretty cheap so I guess try it. My guess is that if they stretch even a little that you can easily hurt yourself. Does seem like there should be a better way of doing this though.


im expecting them 2mro in the post and training 2mro night, will let you know how they are

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## Twist

good deal

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## dec11

> They're pretty cheap so I guess try it. My guess is that if they stretch even a little that you can easily hurt yourself. *Does seem like there should be a better way of doing this though*.


for def mate

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## Twist

Got kicked in the head today by a 240lb guy who has terrible form and really isn't that good at muay thai at all. I slipped and he didn't though. I didn't get knocked out but I got a huge mark (looks like rug burn ) on my face from the forehead to my chin. Being small sucks lol. I was able to get inside a bunch of times but damn all it takes is one awkward swipe and I'm staggering. Anyone have input on how to get around big guys reach advantages? I've been faking a lot, like fake jab then move in with a straight.

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## dec11

> Got kicked in the head today by a 240lb guy who has terrible form and really isn't that good at muay thai at all. I slipped and he didn't though. I didn't get knocked out but I got a huge mark (looks like rug burn ) on my face from the forehead to my chin. Being small sucks lol. I was able to get inside a bunch of times but damn all it takes is one awkward swipe and I'm staggering. *Anyone have input on how to get around big guys reach advantages?* I've been faking a lot, like fake jab then move in with a straight.


in a training situation or for real?
if you're sparring that hard should you not have a head guard etc?

didnt get a chance to use those inner gloves yet btw, spent this week digging the fvckin garden, dig down 2" hit rubble then pick axe etc etc for fvckin 30x15ft  :Frown: 
ive now about 5 more injuries to add to the list!!

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## xavierlafleur

The grass is always greener on the other side...................................I'm in Bangkok now as I write this. In Thailand Kung Fu is the exotic art that everyone fears and talks about. Thais don't think Muay Thai is the best. Everyone is always trying to find something beyond themselves to explain why they can't do something they "know" exists but has never seen. Anywhere one goes the people there will think the great art is someplace else.

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## Twist

> in a training situation or for real? *Both I guess*
> if you're sparring that hard should you not have a head guard etc?
> * I wasn't wearing one at the time but usually do.*
> 
> didnt get a chance to use those inner gloves yet btw, spent this week digging the fvckin garden, dig down 2" hit rubble then pick axe etc etc for fvckin 30x15ft 
> ive now about 5 more injuries to add to the list!!


After sparring class today I've got a really screwed up left arm/shoulder from blocking head/body kicks... 





> The grass is always greener on the other side...................................I'm in Bangkok now as I write this. In Thailand Kung Fu is the exotic art that everyone fears and talks about. Thais don't think Muay Thai is the best. Everyone is always trying to find something beyond themselves to explain why they can't do something they "know" exists but has never seen. Anywhere one goes the people there will think the great art is someplace else.


Kung Fu lol? That's funny. On another note, I want to go to Thailand so bad. That's number one on my list. What's the muay thai scene like there? Is it everywhere? Are there fights every night or how often?

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## dec11

twist in all honesty i dont rate size, you at your weight, if you were on your game, would dance around a 240lb'er (on the street) unless he was something special. im 225lbs atm and looking to drop to 200lb for muay thai. size means fvck all, its just a visual presence 

xavierlafleur, not questioning your experience but i dunno, muay thai looks pretty brutal and effective to me

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## xavierlafleur

I've been doing business in Thailand for the past 2 decades and I own a home in Bangkok. I think I know something about it so in my experience Muay Thai in Thailand is just like Boxing is in America: Most people in Thailand know little about it and have no interest in Thai Boxing. It's on TV a couple of times a week but there isn't a great national following. I lived in a Stable and trained a long time ago................................... no one cares. Now days there are several Stables that cater to foreigners but the Golden Age of Thai Boxing died a long time ago.


P.S. If you come to train here you will probably find that traing in Europe and America is of much better quality.

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## dec11

> I've been doing business in Thailand for the past 2 decades and I own a home in Bangkok. I think I know something about it so in my experience Muay Thai in Thailand is just like Boxing is in America: Most people in Thailand know little about it and have no interest in Thai Boxing. It's on TV a couple of times a week but there isn't a great national following. I lived in a Stable and trained a long time ago................................... no one cares. Now days there are several Stables that cater to foreigners but the Golden Age of Thai Boxing died a long time ago.
> 
> 
> P.S. If you come to train here you will probably find that traing in Europe and America is of much better quality.


but we arent questioning its popularity mate, you posted with the premise that kung fu is a better art, surely its apples and oranges and not a good comparison? i think it would be easier to become proficient in muay thai and use it effectively than the same with kung fu.

we've a thai instructor over atm and im in awe at the guy, hes a killing machine!

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## xavierlafleur

I never said Kung Fu is better. Thais generally "think" Kung Fu is better. I trained in China and nothing is better than something else.............it's the man fighting that makes the difference.

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## dec11

> I never said Kung Fu is better. Thais generally "think" Kung Fu is better. I trained in China and nothing is better than something else.............*it's the man fighting that makes the difference*.


very true. fair play to anyone who gets good at kung fu, i reckon it takes along time from an early age to be good at those type arts

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## Twist

> twist in all honesty i dont rate size, you at your weight, if you were on your game, would dance around a 240lb'er (on the street) unless he was something special. im 225lbs atm and looking to drop to 200lb for muay thai. size means fvck all, its just a visual presence 
> 
> xavierlafleur, not questioning your experience but i dunno, muay thai looks pretty brutal and effective to me


I dance a bit but when someone has a 10+ reach advantage and 50+lbs there's only so much I can do lol. That's what my instructor is telling me to do, stay out of the pocket more often. I've gotten used to taking a couple hits to get on the inside and then lighting up a bigger guy but the thing is sometimes I get rocked on the way in and on the way out so I really feel I'm at a disadvantage... Need to learn to move my feet better and move my head. Also I think with all the injuries I am very hesitant and it's hurting me. Do you get that dec?

X any tips on surpassing reach/weight advantages? Anything that really helped you out?

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## xavierlafleur

I'm a big guy so the only problem I have encountered is finding someone to spar with or fight. 
Everyone is week in defense at the low line........................ the area from the instep to the groin. The taller the opponent is the easier it is to attack his legs and groin. That said it is never easy to hit a moving target. The best way to beat a larger opponent is to give him the disadvantage. When the attack is a surprise attack the attacker has the advantage. When the attack is not a surprise then the attacker is disadvantaged. Make a larger opponent attack then counter-attack when he misses and is off balance.

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## Twist

So with the weakness area are you saying to use my lead leg to kick him inside leg above the knee? How would I exploit that weakness area? I have been using the previous technique but I still get tagged as their arms are longer than my legs and when I am moving out I get kicked at also. I'm very frustrated. I work people my size though lol.

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## xavierlafleur

There are three distances in fighting: the long or safe distance where he can't hit you and you can't hit him. There is the middle distance where kicks and long punches can make contact and there is the close distance where upper cuts, knees and elbows are used.

The bigger your opponent is the farther the distance he will have to travel to get from long distance to middle and close distance. If you maintain a long distance and make him come to you then you are turning his superior reach into a disadvantage because he will be relatively slow when coming closer to you. This gives you plenty of time to move and make his attack miss. It is when he has all his weight on his lead leg (after missing his attack) that he is most vulnerable to a leg attack...................use a tibia kick to his outer calf, knee or thigh. After missing an attack is also a good time for you to get close and take him out with an upper cut under his chin (dangerous strike in a real fight without gloves).

If you are an aggressive fighter and prone to attack you should train a few months in counter-attacking against a bigger opponent.
If your opponent is the same size or smaller than you then make him come to you and nail him just when he reaches middle distance............................ unless it is a surprise attack the attacker is always disadvantaged.

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## dec11

> I dance a bit but when someone has a 10+ reach advantage and 50+lbs there's only so much I can do lol. That's what my instructor is telling me to do, stay out of the pocket more often. I've gotten used to taking a couple hits to get on the inside and then lighting up a bigger guy but the thing is sometimes I get rocked on the way in and on the way out so I really feel I'm at a disadvantage... Need to learn to move my feet better and move my head. Also I think with all the injuries I am very hesitant and it's hurting me. Do you get that dec?
> 
> X any tips on surpassing reach/weight advantages? Anything that really helped you out?


one of the more experienced guys said cos im a big guy, he'd most likely get in close and clinch work me, hanging on to me with all his weight until he had me worn out and then go to town.

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## Twist

Ok I'll see what I can do. I won't be going back until thursday so my new ideas will have to wait...

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## dec11

holy sh1t, 45mins of 30sec combos on pads and burpees thrown in every 3rd round for good measure, i was fvckin wrecked, my cardio conditioning is shit!! fantastic training!

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## Twist

At least your cardio is done with fighting relevance. My cardio at my place is like sprints then 20 pushups then sprint then 20 squats sprint then 20situps without rest until you have done 60 of each. That's the warmup lol. By the time I spar or hit the heavy bag I'm so weak. I can say it really improves me though. Just wish there was more fighting aspects in the cardio. 
How good are you Dec? Passing by other guys yet? I was like 2 months in when I started flying by everyone else. I can say there's only a couple guys in my classes that are better than me. Although the real kickboxers have their own class/competition training so if you box them then you are badass.

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## dec11

> At least your cardio is done with fighting relevance. My cardio at my place is like* sprints then 20 pushups then sprint then 20 squats sprint then 20situps without rest until you have done 60 of each.* That's the warmup lol. By the time I spar or hit the heavy bag I'm so weak. I can say it really improves me though. Just wish there was more fighting aspects in the cardio. 
> How good are you Dec? Passing by other guys yet? I was like 2 months in when I started flying by everyone else. I can say there's only a couple guys in my classes that are better than me. Although the real kickboxers have their own class/competition training so if you box them then you are badass.


thats alot of 'pure' fitness work. how long does your actually fight skills section last?

im def still at beginner stage, only 6 classes so fare mate.i think once my hips open up a bit and my co-ordination snaps into place i'll be going good. my boxing skills have improved significantly and my right side kicking is good. one big prob is throwing my hips into knee strike, my hams and ventro glutes feel like they are going to tear, so i end up throwing the knee more upwards than forwards.

i also find it hard to hold my guard in tight, lats, delts and pecs pump up solid after 15mins. i think it will just take a few months to ease certain muscle groups into it, alot of developmental stretching on the horizon, im so tight in places i will need assisted stretches, damn plifting!!.

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## Twist

I found that doing the work over and over and over helped. I literally would just sit in front of the bag for 30minutes and kick it with one leg until that one was in too much pain then switch. That helped my hips. Static stretching does nothing. 

I'm seriously thinking about switching gyms at this point. Just went to Kbox and literally it was 15minutes of fighting stuff and 45 minutes of cardio. Really stupid. It's fine when you got to 5 classes per week and each class is about a half hour of kbox cuz you still learn a lot but when I can only go to 2 classes per week (school) then 60minutes work per week really isn't enough to learn. I have not learned anything in the last two weeks from going there. Everything I learn is on my own.

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## dec11

im even taking periods of time in the house and shadow boxing, its really getn under my skin!!

yeah mate, i reckon your class focusses too much on fitness, sure you can do that outside of class easily, waste of class time imo

this prob has been posted before, but here ya go

http://vimeo.com/thempl/review/28245493/fa2c46f45f

check out what forrest griffen thinks of MT at 1:40 lol

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## Twist

So last friday I got my ass handed to me in sparring for over 4 hours that day. I did a really bad job. Later that day I was twitching in the movements; lifting my leg to block a kick and my arm would twitch almost as if it was trying to throw a jab. I sparred again today without doing anything since last week and I did pretty well. My coach wants me to compete next time but I don't think I'll do that. I value my brain a little too much lol.

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## dec11

> So last friday I got my ass handed to me in sparring for over 4 hours that day. I did a really bad job. Later that day I was twitching in the movements; lifting my leg to block a kick and my arm would twitch almost as if it was trying to throw a jab. I sparred again today without doing anything since last week and I did pretty well. My coach wants me to compete next time but I don't think I'll do that. I value my brain a little too much lol.


if i ever i did compete, which i seriously doubt, it wouldnt be for at least 2yrs

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## Twist

There's contests near me which are more like sparring matches with 100% intensity. Full gear is worn so not as much damage is done. It's a level below amateur fights.

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## DeniZen

Anybody in Southern California next weekend there is a WBC Muay Thai event at Pala Casino on Sept 24. Can't wait!

http://www.palacasino.com/wp-content...Fight-News.pdf

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## dec11

those 'inner gloves' i was using instead of conventional wraps are shit btw, hurt my wrist so bad on a hook, i can barely wipe my ass!! gona get some decent longer wraps on mon, any recommendations?

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## Twist

My wraps are title

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## dec11

you're not gona believe it Twist, went and broke that same big toe again tonight, went to step in to a jab and follow with a kick and my ankle support held fast on the foam mat and the toe went below my foot with full weight on it. it was sheer agony, much more painful than the 1st time. out for another 6-8wks  :Frown:

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## Twist

Damn that blows. What ankle support? What for? Damn bro that really sucks

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## dec11

> Damn that blows. What ankle support? What for? Damn bro that really sucks


just a normal elasticated ankle support. wont be wearing one again!!

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## juice box

When I was boxing I really didnt like the other guy to come to me because then he is in control of the fight . Am not saying rush in am say control the tempo of the fight if you are throwing stuff he has to be on guard . I could tell when someone would come out hard you can see it right before the fight starts ..

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## Twist

> just a normal elasticated ankle support. wont be wearing one again!!


I wear boxing shoes sometimes and my coach told me that I have to be careful because if it catches or is resistant (like it always is) during kicks I can break my ankle and ruin my knees. I need the shoe because of how messed up my feet are. I take it off when we spar or when it's primarily kicks but my feet pay for that. 




> When I was boxing I really didnt like the other guy to come to me because then he is in control of the fight . Am not saying rush in am say control the tempo of the fight if you are throwing stuff he has to be on guard . I could tell when someone would come out hard you can see it right before the fight starts ..


I'm getting good at footwork now. The way I see it, footwork is your best defence. When guys rush you they are like a train, they move in a straight line. IF your footwork is great you can easily use that against them. It's just about mastering it though. Footwork is tough, toughest part imo.

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## dec11

> I wear boxing shoes sometimes and my coach told me that I have to be careful because if it catches or is resistant (like it always is) during kicks I can break my ankle and ruin my knees. I need the shoe because of how messed up my feet are. I take it off when we spar or when it's primarily kicks but my feet pay for that. 
> 
> 
> 
> I'm getting good at footwork now. The way I see it, footwork is your best defence. When guys rush you they are like a train, they move in a straight line. IF your footwork is great you can easily use that against them. It's just about mastering it though. Footwork is tough, toughest part imo.


if i had of been barefoot, it wouldnt have happened, lesson learned. the coach kindly told me im free of charge to come in and use the bags for boxing practice until the toe heals, so mat least i'll be able to maintain some 'fight' fitness which we know isnt attainable on say a stationary bike

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## DeniZen

> Anybody in Southern California next weekend there is a WBC Muay Thai event at Pala Casino on Sept 24. Can't wait!
> 
> http://www.palacasino.com/wp-content...Fight-News.pdf


Saturday night Craig Buchanan defends his title with first round tko of James Martinez. It looked like the fight was stopped early, but Martinez was done.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYskMhQ4jZg

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## Mass760

Craig worked Martinez! Craigs been fighting for along time.. I seen him fight a few times back in the day.
He has a gym Local where I'm from..

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## dec11

we've a good night coming up in november in Dublin, Ireland v Poland

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## dec11

back in training next week, deadlifted today at full power so toe is healed, wonder what i'll break next lol

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## BBrian

> have bad shin splints although laying off heavy squats should help a tad


Serious shin splints is enough to stop any athlete. In Marine Corps boot camp we lost 65% of our initial platoon by the time it was all over, a great many of them being due to injuries, and shin splints being one of the leading causes. My kickboxing/muai thai coach had us take a rolling pin (for bread, from the kitchen) and roll it up and down our shins for countless hours. This is far more painful than you could ever imagine, but it did an incredible job of toughening up my shins. Between this little method and an incredible amount of leg stretching in every direction, my own shin splints eventually disappeared.

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