Longevity as a Thai Boxer?

[Paulo1]

Hello everyone, great forum. I've been dabbling in and out of Thai Boxing for some years now. If I go back I'm going to take it serious and start fighting once in shape. However, I feel I need some prelimanry questions answered before I take this jump. The first thing I want to know is wether or not I can practice this art for my whole life, or atleast well into my old age? I'm 25 now, and hope to fight into my early thirties. From what you have seen, does alot of Thai Boxing equal health risks/complications once a man gets to be older? I mean will I be forty years old and completely broken physically because of Thai Boxing? Is there such a thing as an old Thai Boxer? I mean I have seen plenty of Karate/Kung-fu teachers in their old-age still in great shape, could the same be possible for an older man who practised Thai Boxing his whole life? Any input would be great. Thanks for the replys ahead of time.

Paulo

[Python]

Paulo,

Good question and I would answer 'yes' you can practice Thaiboxing into your older ages. Look at Ajarn Chai Sirisute, head of the TBA, he will be 68 this coming October, I think, and still is quick as lightning with impeccable timing. I have heard he won't be traveling that much longer as he is having back and/or knee problems, but shit, he has been teaching seminars the world over every weekend of the year, minus one month vacation, since 1968. Pretty good track record.

Some of the great k-1 fighters, Ernesto Hoost, Michael McDonald, these guys are pushing 40 if not already there and still competing.

Bottom line is it depends how you train and how you heal from injuries, and things like that. I have some students who started already in their 40's and they have no plans to fight, but they are learning about Muay Thai and getting in great shape in the process. So, in there case, I think thye can train as long as life lets them.

Hope this helps and good luck with your goals.

[Tom Yum]

I think it depends on how you train.

If you take the time to build yourself and your skills, you should be allright. If you spar full-contact every day for the next 5 years with no rest, you will probably accumulate some injuries.

Just curious, what's your routine look like?

[chalambok]

Lol

Master Chai will be 57 on October 16, 2004. I believe Kitsandruk (sorry about the mis-spelling) was well into his 30s when he fought Rick Roufas (breaking his leg) in 1991 (?). Apideh Sitharun was 68 when he came to the states to do the Legends Tour with Master Chai in '98 or '99. There are still fighters in Thailand who are taking fights in their 40s. Many cogent arguments have been made about boxers losing mental faculties (such as Muhammad Ali) as a direct result of the heavily padded gloves used, as compared to being knocked out quickly by an elbow or a more lightly-padded fist. If you are constantly losing your fights by a long slow beating to the head, I think maybe you should train more and fight less...

[billywest1924]

didn't george foreman, larry holmes, benard hopkins teach us anything? i know their not kickboxers but i'm sure you get the coralation

[Python]

My bad on Ajarn Chai's age..I coulda swore he was right there with Guro Dan. Guess I was off a few years...lol.

[jread]

Hello everyone, great forum. I've been dabbling in and out of Thai Boxing for some years now. If I go back I'm going to take it serious and start fighting once in shape. However, I feel I need some prelimanry questions answered before I take this jump. The first thing I want to know is wether or not I can practice this art for my whole life, or atleast well into my old age? I'm 25 now, and hope to fight into my early thirties. From what you have seen, does alot of Thai Boxing equal health risks/complications once a man gets to be older? I mean will I be forty years old and completely broken physically because of Thai Boxing? Is there such a thing as an old Thai Boxer? I mean I have seen plenty of Karate/Kung-fu teachers in their old-age still in great shape, could the same be possible for an older man who practised Thai Boxing his whole life? Any input would be great. Thanks for the replys ahead of time.

Paulo

Funny that you mention this! I will be 25 next month and am considering the same thing I felt that maybe I was too old to "get started" as well.

[sanshou2]

Thai boxers usually do thai massage before and after a fight to help prevent and recover from injuries. I'm guessing this is also how they are able to train the way they do for such a long time. I hear thai massage is very effective in helping to recover from injuries.

[sirmattu]

Hello everyone, great forum. I've been dabbling in and out of Thai Boxing for some years now. If I go back I'm going to take it serious and start fighting once in shape. However, I feel I need some prelimanry questions answered before I take this jump. The first thing I want to know is wether or not I can practice this art for my whole life, or atleast well into my old age? I'm 25 now, and hope to fight into my early thirties. From what you have seen, does alot of Thai Boxing equal health risks/complications once a man gets to be older? I mean will I be forty years old and completely broken physically because of Thai Boxing? Is there such a thing as an old Thai Boxer? I mean I have seen plenty of Karate/Kung-fu teachers in their old-age still in great shape, could the same be possible for an older man who practised Thai Boxing his whole life? Any input would be great. Thanks for the replys ahead of time.

Paulo

the average thai boxers professional career in thailand is 2 years because of the injuries that occur.

[Python]

Sirmattu,

So you are telling me the average Thaiboxer's pro career is 2 years...I have heard this before, but then explain to me how Thais come out of Thailand to the U.S. and have anywhere from 100 to 300 fights...only 52 weeks in a year man, so they are fighting more than once a week on the average? When does the healing from the injuries take place? The kind of pounding they take requires more than just a couple days to heal.

[Nick]

...

My Muay Thai teacher was about 50 and fought in Thailand. He looked to be in great shape.

Later...

[Python]

More for Sirmattu...

Just looked up info on Sakasem "the punisher" Kanthawong. He has a fight record of 225 fights never being knocked out and his career spanned 18 years. There are alot like him. Might wanna check your data.

[Morkul]

You have to look at how they train, compared to the American way. Sure we have taken some of it and brought it here, but they just train tougher. Day-in,Day-out, Train, Train Train. They wake up and train, eat, train, nap, train. They don't have too many distractions as we do. Their culture is rich in Muay-Thai so it is held I think on a higher level. I think if I went there to train(which I want to do), they would punish me to no ends, but in the long run, I'd be tougher, faster, more conditioned, and relaxed about my capabilities. Just my opinion.

[THT]

I am 27 since April and just started Muay Thai at a gym in Detroit. I've been there a month now and have seen plenty of people in the class who are older than me and seem to be having no trouble. I personally believe that you are only as old as you feel and the thai boxing has so far made me feel much younger and healthier than just the weight traing I had been doing for years.

[Ikken Hisatsu]

the average thai boxers professional career in thailand is 2 years because of the injuries that occur.

please stop talking out of your ass. thai fighters often fight from the age of 8 and dont stop until their 30's. a lot of fighters in K-1 such as Aerts, Filho, hoost and mcdonald are well over 30, some in their 40s.