Muay thai gym

**PasleyPMT** · Posted On: 8/27/2007 4:22pm

I have a feeling my gym works about the same as what Khun Kao is talking about.

We DO have classes. Both "Novice" and "Advanced." Anyone can come to the Novice class, but you have to be asked by an instructor to come to the Advanced class (proving yourself, or at least showing initiative).

In the Novice class, we work on mostly basic techniques and nothing too complicated. If there are enough advanced students in the Novice class then we are taken aside and worked with according to where we are in the advanced class.

Everybody in the novice class will do drills...lots of drills. Everyone performs the tasks at the same time (but not like the group "Ki-ai!" you hear from krotty gyms)-even stretching. There is rarely sparring in the novice class, but it happens.

The advanced class is pretty much the same except for more independence and more diffcullt/newer techniques. The advanced class works 10 times harder than the beginner class. The people there DESERVE to be there. If you have the drive and desire to participate in Muay Thai competitions then you will be singled out.

If you are training for a fight the instructors are more than willing (almost demanding) to lend a hand (or a leg). There is always a specialized training routine for those training for a fight.

Is this pretty much what it should be? Works for me.

**fighterdoc** · Posted On: 9/17/2007 2:30pm

its been a few weeks since i last posted on this thread. Little has changed in my muay thai gym. Still doing drills independently and playing around with different routines. I pretty much have to ask for pad work--if he's available! And, when I do pad work its not with him (who is the main trainer) its with someone else. I even asked to do kicking drills on the thai pads with the other trainer and he pretty much brushed me off and just started working on punching combos. I've been waiting for him to give me the "ok" to start sparring but still nothing. I don't know what he's waiting for. Am I wasting my time...and money? I'm not asking for him to hold my hand and tell me what to do all the time. All i'm askinig for is some kind of critique on my technique-- what I should be working on and what seems to be looking good. A little bit of instruction would be helpful too. I don't think he's ever given me any--since my first day which was a few months ago.

***WhiteShark*** · Posted On: 9/17/2007 3:36pm

Why are you still there? Also why won't you tell us where you live and where this gym is? Is English your first language? If so, consider answering the questions in this thread so we can actually help you.

**GIJoe6186** · Posted On: 9/17/2007 11:00pm

I was at a boxing gym set up just like your Muay Thai gym. Most boxing gyms I know of are like that. I see nothing wrong with it if you can handle it. You just need to open up to the trainer and let him know how you feel. He may have a good reason for doing what he does.

One gym near me doesn't even teach people to box right away. Everyone has to go through a conditioning phase before they can start hitting bags and sparring. Once they get in shape, your off to the bags and doing drills and everything else.

The place I was at started you on jump rope, shadowboxing, bag work and conditioning. The first day they just taught you to jab and how to move while jabbing. Your shadowboxing was all jabs. Once you got that down you would add more and shadowbox and then hit bags. Eventually you would spar after a few months.

**Necroth** · Posted On: 9/18/2007 10:12am

Hrm, now blowing you off isn't like any gym I've been to. they might be busy with others, but the coaches would always at least give you a time when they could help you or even offer to give you a routine to work on for your next session or to schedule a 30 minute session sometime, but blowing you off isn't a good thing. I'd say if it's not a bad price for just a "workout gym", ie. someplace to go for bagwork and machines, then keep it up and find someplace else with qualified instructors who are willing to do pad sessions with you. If it is too steep to think of having two different spots for workouts, get a new gym.

**..n..** · Posted On: 9/18/2007 1:12pm

If your truly uncomfortable with your training, or getting blown off, you should find another gym. It’s hard to tell what’s really going on just by reading your posts. It has only been a few months though so you may want to stick it out for a bit. A lot of people come and go in gyms. Instructors, and even other members, may want you to earn your stripes for a bit before a lot of time is dedicated on you for something that could just be a 6 month whim. Don’t forget you can learn a lot from other students. Get to know a few people and start holding pads for each other.

**Bahuyuddha** · Posted On: 9/19/2007 2:21am

Originally Posted by AlienGunfighter

I'll admit that I've never trained in Thailand, but I doubt this sort of scam happens there, either.

I have trained in Thailand, and this happens at some of the gyms there that take foreign students. I wouldn't call it a scam, but this issue is discussed often by foreigners when comparing different camps in Thailand to train at.

I guess one way of looking at it is that the business model is designed to match the realistic perportion of students who want to go on to compete. If everyone wanted to become a kickass fighter and go on to compete, most gyms would be overwhelmed, and would probably have to raise their rates and hire more trainers. Many students say they want to compete, but the reality is that few actually want to make the commitment in time and effort that it would take to get to that level. The majority who don't compete are the bread and butter of a Muay Thai gym. They allow the gym to keep the cost low for everyone, while devoting the effort needed to make good fighters out of the few who choose to step up and push themselves. It's easy to tell who is pushing themself and who is not. Really, the numbers are pretty low, so if you want that kind of training, it's up to you whether or not you get it.

**Hoffa** · Posted On: 9/19/2007 1:57pm

Having trained and fought in Thailand, this does sound like more of a traditional camp than many places in the US that claim to teach Muay Thai. That is, the training was not classes per se but "sessions" where there was an order of running/ rope skipping, shadow boxing, bag work & pad work. The coachs would give you tips when you were shadow boxing or hitting the bag, but the real training was when they held pads for you in the ring.

In my opinion, if they are not holding pads & giving you feedback on your techniques then find another gym that is right for you. Now having said that, you should first express your concerns before making a decsion... perhaps things might change as a result?

**PockSuppet** · Posted On: 9/24/2007 6:34am

Trying not to thread hijack here -
I'm looking at starting MT to add to my judo, and I'm wondering how long it takes to get the basics down, so I would be able to do the solo conditioning and drills competently (given that I'd only have time to train MT once, maybe twice a week)

**Necroth** · Posted On: 9/24/2007 8:56am

Thread is dead until the reply anyways...

It'll take as long as it takes, sorry for the vaguery. What I mean is that everyone learns at a different rate. Keep in mind, there are only so many strikes in MT, but the dynamics of each do have a particular delivery system that every trainer wants to see done as close to perfection as possible. The techniques I learned, in the purest form would be:

Jab
Cross
Overhand
Hook
Uppercut
Inner Knee
Upper Knee
Skip or Side Knee
Horizontal Forearm
Vertical Forearm
Overhand Forearm
Chopping Roundhouse
Cutting Roundhouse
Teep or Front Push Kick
Side Kick (I was never taught this during my MT training, but I do use it myself)
Clinch
Breaking Clinch

So, about 17 individual techniques to learn, each with a "perfect" way to execute them. But, the real problem comes in when you're asked to string them together and perform them outside of the realm of perfection, which is where most people have problems which can cause them to take longer or shorter amounts of time to learn. Take, for example, stringing a jab, cross, left hook high, clinch, inner knee right, inner knee left, skip knee right, horizontal forearm right, upper forearm left, roundhouse right to midsection combination. And no, it's not something we worked on like "kata", more like a series of calls a trainer made to get us used to going for long series' of combos when we get into a good position. I actually enjoyed working combos this way as it got me into a rhythm for the ring. Sadly, I had to strip alot of my forearm/elbow work out because my amateur fights didn't allow elbow strikes. But that's beside the point.

I'd say if you learn fast, it could take you very little time to begin getting the punch and kick techniques down. I found that it's the knees and elbows that take more work, as a good clinch game takes alot of practice to get down against a resisting opponent.