beginner to muay thai

[jb85]

Hi i'm interested in starting out in muay thai. I have no other experience in any other martial art. My concern is that i've heard muay thai can be violent. I'm fine with pain/injuries to most parts of my body, but i worry about getting ko's repeatably. I don't want permanent brain damage. I know that many MT people have sanctioned fights, i was just wondering how long before i would do one of those, and is it mandatory, or could i just continue sparring in class. Does sparring in class involve as much risk, and is it full contact. What kind of protective gear is usually worn? Sorry for the questions, just trying to figure this stuff out. I live in the bay area, and i've heard that fairtex is good, anyone been there? Thanks

[muaythaiguy15]

Any sport has risk for injury. Do you have to compete, NO! Can you get hurt in sparring, yes, if youre not paying attention or goofing off or by a freak accident.

Some schools dont spar, depend on where you go. Headgear, shin pads, groin guard are usually used in sparring. Sparring is not about hurting eachother, its working techniques.

[GQchris]

there's always tennis or golf

[muaythaiguy15]

Id rather break my leg in Muay Thai then get tennis elbow hitting a ball over a net...

[chalambok]

Muay Thai dangerous?

Not really. Just look at the art with an open eye. We have more safety & training gear than any other martial art. We use focus mitts, bag gloves, hand wraps, anklets, shin guards, leg shields, stomach pads, head gear, thai pads, cast iron cups, mouth pieces...every time we train. Historically, until recently the most dangerous martial art to train in by far was judo, with a statistical average of 34 percent of all practitioners having a separated shoulder at one time or another. Now I suspect, but do not have at hand the relevant surveys, mixed martial arts has supplanted judo, numerous students having sprained wrists, elbows, shoulders and ankles. On a strict numerical basis, in professional muay Thai there are about 10 deaths per year, amongst a base of approximately 130000 fighters. In high school football in the United States there are about 16-20 deaths per year, from a slightly larger number of participants. So, the question should be, is muay Thai any more dangerous than high school football; and the answer is a resounding no.

[EmptyneSs]

Hi i'm interested in starting out in muay thai. I have no other experience in any other martial art. My concern is that i've heard muay thai can be violent. I'm fine with pain/injuries to most parts of my body, but i worry about getting ko's repeatably. I don't want permanent brain damage. I know that many MT people have sanctioned fights, i was just wondering how long before i would do one of those, and is it mandatory, or could i just continue sparring in class. Does sparring in class involve as much risk, and is it full contact. What kind of protective gear is usually worn? Sorry for the questions, just trying to figure this stuff out. I live in the bay area, and i've heard that fairtex is good, anyone been there? Thanks

the gear you wear when sparring provides alot of protection. you may get bruises and get the wind knocked out of you occasionaly or take a hard leg kick but its not as bad as you think. especially since you will work your way up to it. your not just gonna start sparring full on without training for a little while and preparing. plus, when sparring you shouldnt be doing mt techniques at 100 percent power, it is not necessery. even 70 percent can **** people up easily without gloves or shinpads. plus you dont want to get seriously hurt when you are just sparring and trying to learn. plus, once u learn some mt, you will know how to protect yourself better from getting hit. its really not that bad. mt is also a hardcore workout and with constant training, it can push your body to its peak of fitness and endurance. i totally recommend it.

fighting in actual mt matches is different though, they can be quite painful and dangerous. in true professional mt matches, the loser usually leaves on a stretcher. but you can spar all you want and get really good at mt without getting seriously injured. a

[Little Apple]

Basicly, stuff can happen, but life's like that. Fights aren't mandatory, safety gear is available, and you said you were ok with some pain with your gain, so I'd try it out. You can generally observe a class before signing up. I went to a place where it was mandatory once.

[white devil]

muay thai is only dangerous for the ones who don't train properly...just like boxing

[LoneHusky]

honestly, if you go to observe alot of times you'll be pressured into training right away.

[Little Apple]

Well, what's better? Observing a class and maybe getting some pressure to join, or joining without any knowledge of the kind of place you're paying to teach you? Obviously in either case it's good to see if you can find recomendations from people you trust, but I still think watching a class is a good way of getting a first impression. They'll be trying to show you thier best, and that will tell you what's important to them.

[DocFairtex]

Come to Thailand!! It is AMAZING.

Honestly BRO, you will NOT know what Muay Thai is until you COME to Thailand and train. Coming to Thailand is EASY, CHEAP and it will be an experience of a LIVE Time!! My Kru (teacher) told me that for over TEN years,
I finally went to Thailand THREE Times and then I MOVED Here!! Don't listen to anyone who has NOT lived in Thailand, trained with REAL Thai Champions and has NOT fell in love with the Thai people. I personally train with Thailand and World Champions everyday- they are the greatest MEN in the world and I say that mainly because they are the softest, meek and humble men you will every meet. Feel free to contact me. Koop kun krup, Thanks.
Sa-wut dee krup, Phra-JAO-phra-uay-porn, God bless you, “Doc”
Khun Daniel C. Docto

[white devil]

with all due respect,going to thailand is cheap depending on where you are on the globe..

[Khun Kao]

...and with all due respect, some of us have a family and/or career.

I'd love to go train in Thailand. One of my Ajarn's just went back and I have an open invitation to come stay with him and train whenever I'd like. But its a lot easier said than done to make arrangements for time off, get the family in order, and spend $1000+/person for airfare. Sure, once I get over there things will be cheap, cheap, cheap. But I gotta get there 1st.....

[theprophet]

When we spar we do "len" (spelling) it is Thai for play. Whenever my instructor sees one of us speed up the pace or hit too hard he will come by and say "len len len". When I began MT I had alot less control and found myself getting injured quite often. Once you can control yourself and get over the fact that you are gonna get hit it is a very safe sport. Oh yeah, wear your gear

[chalambok]

As far as training in Thailand goes, many people on this forum have already done so. And Doc Fairtex is just advertising for his school in Pattaya Beach as part of his job for Mr Wong. He could have been a bit more diplomatic, but so what, I loved my times training in Thailand and agree wholeheartedly that you cannot get the true flavor of the art without visiting its home. That is probably true for all martial arts, however. And many great European fighters were fully capable before they ever went to fight in Thailand, meaning we here in the States should be able to produce the same kind of fighters without having to mortgage our future to buy a not-so-cheap ticket to Bangkok.