Muay Thai

[Magoo]

Been training for a few months now. I've only just now upgraded to sparring, and having never done that before, I've essentially been punched and kicked around the mat by fighters with actual records. I don't want to do them dirty, though; everyone at the gym is super cool, and tries to help me out along the way. I grew up quite passively, so I find the hardest thing to be throwing a punch, actually. Trying to hurt someone I'm not aggressive towards is strange. I need to MAKE myself aggressive. They've signed up to be punched, after all...

But, since I've gotten into it, I've delved deep into the scene. Been watching a lot of fights, and fallowing some amazing fighters. It's been a blast.

Any of y'all into this or any other form of grabby punch-kickery?

[coyote]

Lifetime sports fighter here,

Started wrestling in 1985. I coach now.

Retired from competitive Tae Kwon Do in 1996 after qualifying for AAU nationals.

Trained in Danzan Ryu jujitsu as well.

I guess once you get the bug it never really goes away.

[lew]

I don't practice, but I know a little bit of a lot of things; primarily judo, boxing, and wrestling. My brother is into krav, muay thai, kickboxing, escrima and BJJ. We spar once in awhile, and I have every intention of us teaching my kids when they're old enough. We're already training my four year old to throw proper punches and block.

[FullContactUSA]

I've trained a martial art for most of my life Okanowan karate-dos, USJA Judo, Machado BJJ, spent a few years in the MMA game, and my adult life has been spent in military and paramilitary fields. I really enjoy training, learning, and the bushido lifestyle.

This is the way.

[Nish]

Studied a couple different striking based martial arts, dabbled in others through seminars or guest instructors visiting where I trained, even ran my own TKD school prior to moving south.

We did point fighting not full contact so it was less of a jump but.... One of the techniques I used for people more on the timid, "I don't want to hurt anyone" side of things is to think of it as a game of tag where you are it all the time. This is sparring you aren't trying to kill the guy in the ring with you. Work on creating openings, connecting with your targets, and getting comfortable in that clinch. The power will follow with that comfort.

[Jello78]

Muay Thai guy here. Been training since '98. When i spar, we usually go at 50% power. I use 16oz gloves for the weight and help speed when i bare knuckle. Just trying to see holes and opportunities in your opponent and try different strikes / combos. If you guys are wearing shin guards and head gear, then go a little harder. but know your limits but also try new strikes / combos. ask questions , watch more fights and fighters. if anything, always try to spar against someone who is more experienced or better than you. You'll learn more a lot quicker. I also watch a lot of youtube clips of Rodtang. The guy is an absolute UNIT. Good luck and Pm if you have any questions.

[The Jayster]

Same here, Muay Thai fan. I've got very robust legs and knees, so that discipline feels more natural/suited to me. Plus, using my elbows comes to me a tad more naturally than using fists. I'm the type who can appreciate the value in ALL styles of martial arts (according to what you want to accomplish), but to me where striking is concerned I put MT at the top of the list. No wonder it has become a central part of any MMA fighter's arsenal.

[Murdoc555]

Amateur boxer with some Muay Thai experience. I totally get what your saying as far as the sparring goes. It's tough to grasp the correct mentality of it at first, but don't overthink it and worry about hurting anyone. Like you said, getting punched/kicked is just part of the game, so as long as you're not a dick and trying to go all out, land whatever you can. My first black eye was because I was holding back

[Magoo]

Another sparring day today. My third. Hopefully I'll do better than I did last week, which was better than the week before.

So far, each sparring day has been structured as a few rounds of combo-for-combo, a few rounds of single strikes and counters, then open sparring. Let's see how it goes.

[Magoo]

Double post for update:

I'm getting more comfortable, but I still seem to "think" too much. A partner for a round told me he could see me thinking about a combo before I threw anything, and that was more than enough to prepare for anything I could toss. That said, I'm falling in love with my left hook. I'm 6'3" with monkey arms, so I can reach out and tag you behind a guard and still stay out of your range. I need to develop that, I reckon.

Also, gas tank. Holy hell, I cannot breathe after a round or two. I've got 20 years of bad decisions to correct, and I gotta take it seriously because I want a few amateur fights before I get too old. Hopefully. I know I won't go pro, but maybe I can get a match with another optimistic old fat guy (relatively) who wants to break into the scene.

[Spider!]

Double post for update:

I'm getting more comfortable, but I still seem to "think" too much. A partner for a round told me he could see me thinking about a combo before I threw anything, and that was more than enough to prepare for anything I could toss. That said, I'm falling in love with my left hook. I'm 6'3" with monkey arms, so I can reach out and tag you behind a guard and still stay out of your range. I need to develop that, I reckon.

Also, gas tank. Holy hell, I cannot breathe after a round or two. I've got 20 years of bad decisions to correct, and I gotta take it seriously because I want a few amateur fights before I get too old. Hopefully. I know I won't go pro, but maybe I can get a match with another optimistic old fat guy (relatively) who wants to break into the scene.

The thinking is normal development, don't let that bother you. It's when you start breaking that habit that you become dangerous to you and your sparring partners for a while. It usually hits at around a year. You start getting reactionary, coordinated power, and it's not all at once. You're fumbling around thinking as usual, then a perfectly good reaction strike pops out, without much control. It messes with the higher students that have been watching you fumble for months, and you can catch them off guard in a bad way.

Your gas tank sounds like a smoker problem. I used to spar TKD with an 18 yo hockey player. He was used to bursts, but had no recovery (smoker). You could bait him around the floor for about a minute then just beat on him.

I got to watch the Colorado state Muay Thai championships one year. Very interesting. A lot of kicking the knee and working up, usually. I did get to see something that I've experienced and seen elsewhere. You get "clocked" or TKO by just the right pop across your jaw. There's a science to that, but what they don't tell you is that it gives you a good shot of adrenaline. The guy that got dropped at the championships got up and just went to wailing on the other guy. Just beat him down. Learn to recognize adrenaline and use it.

[Magoo]

Nah, not smoking, though I do enjoy a good pipe or cigar every now and again. I'm just fat and never bothered to develop cardio even a little. Now I need it, so I've got to build it up. A year is about the time frame I'm expecting before I start pushing for smokers (the fights, not the people).

In the end, I want an amateur fight or two, and I REALLY want a winning record. At 33 going on 34 years old, I gotta really work to make that happen. If not a winning record, at least I can say I got in the ring...

[Jello78]

if you want to build up your cardio, then i suggest running, jump roping, and callisthenics work to help build your cardio game. if you decide to run, try HIIT workouts. You may get a stitch (cramp under the lung) but once you break that stage of cardio, then you'll be able to go for longer rounds. Keep at it. Also, don't forget to train your shins. Take a skinny part of a wood baseball bat and roll is up and down your shins to kill the nerves, if you want, try tapping the skinny part on your shins. This will help ease the pain with shin to shin contact. Look up Kru Phil Nurse based out of NYC. He's my Kru and one of the best in the game. TheWat.com

[Spider!]

The easiest cardio I've done is an elliptical machine. Very boring, but you can set your time and effort and track your progress easily. I started at about 200 calories on a particular machine and got up to 750 before i started going back to floor and weights. It took months, but I was struggling with some bad meds at the time. It really helped when you and two other guys were chasing me around the pond at DFW Park for TXPPG.

I usually put on the golf channel without sound and play music on my headphones. That or watch YouTube on my phone.

[Magoo]

Running is definitely the go-to for Muay Thai, it seems. I've heard that if you don't run, you don't Muay. I'm coming up with a running plan to get a few miles when I can, but I do have a normal life and a job and a family, so I can't train like Rocky.

My coach suggested the elliptical as well. He said he values the knees, and considering I'm a solid (but not really solid...) 257# running does hurt the joints currently.

I come from a powerlifting background, and I admit I haven't been in the scene in while, so I'm playing some catch up. I'm still new to the fight, so I know I've got to prioritize things like cardio and conditioning, and I appreciate that can be a crawl. Like I said, though, I just want to win a fight by the time I'm 35.

As an aside, I got me an unfilled Fairtex 6' bag. Gonna pack it with shredded old clothes and get to work.