Muay Thai: Prog. Resistance? No?

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 5/19/2007 11:48am

Was just talking to a friend of mine's little sister (15yrs old) and she takes Muay Thai. But she says that she's not to keen on sparring because she basically just gets her ass handed to her every time. So I told her, that she should bring this up to her instructor, and see if perhaps she could do some sort of private lesson to perhaps work on her drills.

After talking for a bit, and questioning her about what goes into her training, it seems that there is no pressure testing of techniques, but rather a system of; warmup - learn drills - do them on pads - bagwork - spar. I questioned her specifically on whether there was ever a time that she worked with a partner, who would come with a prescribed attack that she would counter and work her drills with (isolation sparring) and she said "no." It was just learn the drills, do padwork and then just jump in the water and spar.

Is this the norm of Muay Thai classes, or does anyone have a different experience more in line with what I'd expect?

**Abusivemelon** · Posted On: 5/19/2007 11:50am

Unless its full contact each time that sounds pretty good.

**Asriel** · Posted On: 5/19/2007 11:50am

I used to do set drills like you described but not very often. It was more of a padwork and sparring kinda class

**Ke?poFist** · Posted On: 5/19/2007 11:51am

Originally Posted by Abusivemelon

Unless its full contact each time that sounds pretty good.

I don't believe they spar every class, but when they do it's just like "Go do what you learned!"

If I trained BJJ like that, I'd never learn, unless I just had that kind of natural talent. But I'm not too keen on the norms of striking training.

**elbowtko** · Posted On: 5/20/2007 12:45am

We do some drills similar to what you describe that her class lacked but not very often.

More like everyone in the class puts on shin pads and gloves and we are given a drill such as... "partner does 1-2, respond with two parries" or "left kick, partner parries" Or "right kick, partner left block" etc... etc... Its good for working on technique but not form unless its done with a regulated randomness such as "partner throws a left or right kick, and you respond with either a left or right block"

To help introduce the new people into sparring (normally they spar to crazy with no technique with the idea to kill the opponent with all out fury...) One partner defends while the other is allowed any punch combination and ends with a kick... then kick cues the opponent to start and you to defend.

But yeah eventually you should start sparing regularly

***WhiteShark*** · Posted On: 5/20/2007 10:59am

It sounds like she is in an intermediate class and needs a beginner class. What she describes is perfect for people that already know what they are doing. but more isolation could help a beginner.

**Abusivemelon** · Posted On: 5/20/2007 11:07am

Originally Posted by WhiteShark

It sounds like she is in an intermediate class and needs a beginner class. What she describes is perfect for people that already know what they are doing. but more isolation could help a beginner.

Yup you have teh correct

**BSDaemon** · Posted On: 5/20/2007 1:07pm

Most of the partner drills Ive done in my MT classes have been not so much prescribed series of attacks (dead patterns) as much as objectives on what you should try to do.

1. One person will work on punches with the hands, the other will parry and counter with leg kicks (which get checked)
2. One person will punch while the other attempts to gain a clinch and knee

What's notable about this approach is there is no "attacker / defender" roles. Both opponents have something productive to accomplish which means you're never in the position where you are compliant to being attacked.

Finally, sparring is not the stage that is the last step in a progressive resistance, but something that can be quite progressive in itself. This is why it's important to be in a gym where the people adapt to the skill levels of their training partner.

**PirateJon** · Posted On: 5/20/2007 1:36pm

BSD nails it. That's how it is in my class. Sometimes - like with the clinch - you work a technique, then both of you spar using only that technique. I think it's an awesome way to learn.

If she's like 4'10 and 95lbs when everyone else is 6'2 and 225#, yeah she'll have a damn hard time 'winning' but she should get used to it and focus on working the techniques without trying to out muscle them. KidS could probably give pointers here.

But still she shouldn't be "getting her ass handed to her". Either her partners don't know to dial it down (she needs to be honest about her abilities and tell them) or won't (she need to tell her coach who shouldn't allow that **** in class).

**elbowtko** · Posted On: 5/20/2007 1:36pm

Originally Posted by BSDaemon

Most of the partner drills Ive done in my MT classes have been not so much prescribed series of attacks (dead patterns) as much as objectives on what you should try to do.

1. One person will work on punches with the hands, the other will parry and counter with leg kicks (which get checked)
2. One person will punch while the other attempts to gain a clinch and knee

What's notable about this approach is there is no "attacker / defender" roles. Both opponents have something productive to accomplish which means you're never in the position where you are compliant to being attacked.

Finally, sparring is not the stage that is the last step in a progressive resistance, but something that can be quite progressive in itself. This is why it's important to be in a gym where the people adapt to the skill levels of their training partner.

I agree with you 100%, I need to tell my instructor this. Most of my "liveness" is in the full contact sparing after the class but never in the class itself. There are so many people that dont spar after the class... I would hate to see people "think" they know what their doing without experiencing first hand that real... random punch to the face or kick to the leg response.

Thats not to say we dont do these things in pad work.