It was about ten years ago when I first heard the words “Muay Thai Kickboxing”. My kids had recently begun to take Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes, and the UFC had gone mainstream just a few years prior. As I watched the kids take turns flipping each other onto the mat, I realized just how badly I needed to get into shape. The only problem was not knowing where to start! I soon found myself googling general terms like “personal trainer Vancouver” and “gym Vancouver” – you know, things that made sense at 3:00 a.m.! For logistical reasons, I settled on the MMA fitness class at the same BJJ gym as my kids, and wow, what a workout!
One night at the gym I overheard the instructor telling his students that in Mixed Martial Arts, BJJ almost always steals the win once the fight hits the mat. This left me wondering: which stand-up (striking) martial art is most effective? Could it be kickboxing? Western-style boxing? How about Karate, or Taekwondo? A short time after, while watching a UFC fight, I heard Joe Rogan explain that the best MMA fighters usually train Muay Thai – in fact, some even travel to Thailand to do just that. Well, I have always been a super competitive gal, and since I couldn’t stand the idea of being flipped over some dude’s shoulder like in Judo, I decided to search for Muay Thai Kickboxing in Vancouver and give it a try. The rest is history!
What is Muay Thai Kickboxing?
Developed for close quarter combat centuries ago, “The Art of Eight Limbs” uses the whole body as a weapon of war. Known for its simplicity, power, and efficiency, the art is continually tested in the ring, as well as in real-world situations. So, if you’ve ever thought about giving some Vancouver Kickboxing Classes a try, I highly recommend Muay Thai! This martial art/sport can seem intimidating at first, so I thought I’d share some of what I learned with you.
The first thing I learned after entering the gym was what I’d call the Thai art of “sabai sabai.” Loosely, I would equate the phrase to the words (and concepts of) “chill out”, “relax”, or “take it easy”. I would wager that any good Vancouver Muay Thai instructor would agree that we want to see you as relaxed as possible at all times! I was taught that the best way to achieve this is to consciously feel your entire body, recognize the tension, and let it go.
Now, let’s get into some Muay Thai basics:
The Thai Stance: A proper Muay Thai stance should allow you to be mobile, strong, prepared to avoid incoming attacks, and to launch attacks of your own.
Now that you know how to get into a fighting stance, I’m going to break down a few of the Muay Thai moves that I’ve found most effective.
Muay Thai Knees/Kicks
The Diagonal Knee
Your weapon: your knee
The target: opponent’s diaphragm
This is a short and powerful strike where you use the bone of the knee as your weapon. It tends to be a favorite of the Thais, as it earns big points in the ring. Fair warning: this is a very dangerous strike, as you’re using the swing of both your hips one arm to generate force. As with all Muay Thai moves, the hips are the driving force behind the strike, meaning you twist in and through your target.
Muay Thai Push/Teep Kick
Your weapon: the ball of your foot
The target: opponent’s chest, stomach, face
When kicking with the ball of the foot, we must learn to always bend our toes back to keep them out of the way — particularly if you wish to avoid painful impact! Many people who aren’t in the mindset of protecting their toes suffer injuries to them early on in their training. This won’t happen to you, luckily, because we are going to help etch it into your brain. Eventually, with a lot of training your toes are going to be conditioned to always bend back.
The Teep kick is ideal for self-defence on the street. Ladies, take note: a good teep to the groin of your attacker should render them speechless and immobile. In addition, if you kick above the belly button, it won’t just push the scumbag away — it’ll knock him back a few feet. Of course, all of this applies to men as well. Don’t be soft, learn to teep hard! If you want to simply throw your opponent’s timing off, use a teep to push him back. The teep isn’t a snap-kick like in other martial arts, because the knee remains fully extended on contact. There are many body components to think of when first practicing the teep, but don’t worry! It should quickly become natural.
Muay Thai Roundhouse Kick
Your weapon: your shin bone (tibia)
The target: opponent’s leg, mid section, head
Properly executed, this is one of the most powerful kicks in all of martial arts and is particularly effective in real world fighting situations. It is a great example of what Muay Thai is all about, conducted using your skill and control of your body.
There are a couple of ways you can envision this kick. Similar to a whip, the leg moves fast, snapping the strongest at the very end. You could also imagine swinging your leg like a baseball bat from the hip, keeping the leg long and mostly straight. Imagine that your hips are the hands that hold the baseball bat, and you swing it for a home run hit. Instead of aiming your swing to hit the ball past the outfield, think of aiming to kick through your opponent.
Muay Thai Elbows
With elbow techniques your weapon is the sharp point of your elbow. Imagine your elbow slicing like a knife or striking like the point of a spear, rather than just smashing with it as hard as you can. It’s good to keep in mind that elbow strikes are close-range techniques — they should be used when your opponent is close enough, or when you’ve already moved in towards them. The three basic Muay Thai elbow strikes are:
Horizontal Elbow
Weapon: the sharp point of your elbow
Target: opponent’s face
Downward Cutting Elbow
Weapon: the sharp point of your elbow
Target: opponent’s forehead, temple
Upwards Elbow
Weapon: the sharp point of your elbow
Target: opponent’s chin, nose
Basic Punches Used In Muay Thai
Your weapon: the knuckles of your first two fingers
The target: opponent’s head, face, stomach, ribs, liver
In Muay Thai, there are many different punches that can be aimed at a variety of different targets on your opponent. With each punch, you should try and remember that the weapon is your first two knuckles (you’ll notice they stick out the most). It may be tricky to land these knuckles with gloves on, so imagine that your knuckles are driving the punch through your gloves.
Jab
A quick straight punch (kind of like a “pop”) with the lead hand that allows you get in and out quickly, set up further strikes, and disrupt your opponent’s offence. Your target is most often going to be the nose or chin of your opponent. The jab is the perfect set-up punch to knock your opponent out of rhythm, while also maintaining distance or a defensive position.
Cross
Usually preceded by the jab, a straight rear-hand punch you will hear described as the “power shot.” Good rotation in the hips will allow for a powerful punch, as your rear right hand travels a longer distance, across the body.
Uppercut
The uppercut can be thrown with either hand and is aimed at the bottom of the chin, a tightly arced shot striking directly upwards.
Hook
Can be performed with the lead hand or the rear hand, the hook is one of the most powerful strikes available to you. Equally devastating to both the body and the head, a properly placed hook (on either the liver, jaw, or temple) can knock your opponent out completely.
Basi Muay Thai Defence
Kick Check
The most common way to defend a kick in Muay Thai is called “checking”. This is done by lifting your leg to act as a barrier against an incoming roundhouse kick. The incoming kick should be blocked by your raised leg, meanwhile protecting your face with both of your hands.
Lean Back Defence
This is one of the most common defensive techniques, it’s often taught in beginner Muay Thai class. You simply lean back out of the way to avoid an opponent’s punch or high kick.
What to Expect at Your First Muay Thai Class
Everything you’ve read so far might be daunting to a beginner. Just be happy to know that any good instructor will quickly assess your abilities and meet you where you’re at. Your first Muay Thai class may be nerve-wracking, and you’ll likely end up working harder than ever before (even with just the warm-up). Don’t worry, this is all part of the process — just getting your into class is the first step!
In general, here’s what you can expect at your first class:
Most Muay Thai classes — be they in Thailand or at a gym in Vancouver — are going to begin with a good warm up to get your heart pumping, including jumping rope or a short jog, some basic upper and lower body stretches, and a round or two of shadow boxing. Next you will likely work on technique, which may include either punches, knees, elbows, kicks or a combination thereof. An instructor will demonstrate the basic movement or combination of the day, and you will partner up with another student to practice the techniques using pads.
The two of you will switch back and forth several times, and the instructor will likely work in some conditioning rounds — periods where you have to execute basic techniques repeatedly and strenuously. You are not going to be expected to participate in any sparring until much further down the road, so don’t stress about that. Almost every Muay Thai class will start with the very basics; how the gym operates, warm-ups, fighting stance, and getting the foundations down to build up to a strong technique. Honestly, any gym offering kickboxing classes in Vancouver will be very welcoming and understanding to beginners! Finally, you will cool down with some stretches, maybe discussion on what was learned, or what will come in the next class.
Taking a Muay Thai class is difficult, but the instructors will understand this better than anybody, and are prepared to meet you wherever you are, be it beginner or pro. There are many options for procuring a personal trainer in Vancouver — however, a good Muay Thai instructor will be patient and bring you gradually into the harder, tougher stuff while encouraging you to sharpen your skills. My first Muay Thai class in Vancouver was an incredible workout, and while leaving my body exhausted, the burn felt good — I just had to keep coming back!
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