10 Ways to Improve Your Muay Thai
1) You can never take too many Level 1 classes. There is a reason why we repeat the same core moves at each Level 1 class. The fundamentals are key to becoming good at Muay Thai. Without proper fundamentals and detail, it is impossible to become good. It is like building a house with no foundation. Eventually, the house will collapse. Even if you have been doing Muay Thai for years, it is always useful to attend a Level 1 class at Evolve. Sityodtong Muay Thai is renowned for its technical detail and artistic mastery. Pay attention to every little detail and do your best to turn them into muscle memory. If you can do all the basic moves perfectly and without thinking, then you are on your way to becoming good at Muay Thai!
2) Focus on your stance and movement. It might sound obvious, but a good stance (and the ability to move correctly) is one of the biggest drivers to future success. The stance and movement are the foundation to your entire game. Much like a house with a weak foundation, it is hard to develop your game without a strong foundation. Please feel free to ask one of our instructors to go over the basics of your stance and movement again. It is vital to your game.
3) Master the pads from 2 angles. You should master pads from 2 perspectives - as a student and as a trainer. The Thai pads are designed to help your speed, timing, and power. The more you kick pads correctly, the more you will become ready for sparring in the future. There are literally thousands of combinations on pads. Interestingly, students don't realize that holding pads for others is also a huge aspect to becoming good a Muay Thai practitioner. Holding pads means that you will develop an eye for how strikes look when they are coming at you. It also means that you will develop an understanding of power. You will also develop a 6th sense defensively from holding pads. So learn to master the pads from both angles!
4) Learn to unleash your power from your hips and legs. The key to power in Muay Thai for all strikes (punches, kicks, elbows, and knees) lies in your ability to generate torque from your hips via your legs. A strong core (ie. stomach muscles and lower back muscles) is a vital ingredient. Pay close attention to your hips when you train. Learn to time your hip movement with your arms and legs. For example, to generate punching power, you must learn to move your legs and hips in advance of your arms. Each move will have specific timing elements for the hip. Pay close attention to it.
5) Turn every move into muscle memory. The more you repeat something, the more it becomes muscle memory. The less you have to think when you are doing a move, the more you are improving. If you can throw a kick at the right time without thinking, you are one small step towards mastering Muay Thai. For example, at the professional level, every move of every minute in a professional fight is done automatically without any thought. Combinations are thrown automatically. At a certain level in professional Muay Thai, the body, mind, and soul become one. All of our instructors experience this sensation when they fight. Even though you are most likely not considering a professional Muay Thai career, you will still benefit from making all of your movements automatic.
6) Train 2-3 times a week. Try to be consistent. The turtle wins the race when it come to Muay Thai. If you take advantage of our world class Evolve Instructor Team, you will see significant improvement in your game. Come often and ask lots of questions!
7) Be proficient in the 3 ranges. Pay attention to what range you are in at all times until it becomes second nature. The 3 ranges of stand up combat are kicking range, punching range, and clinch range. Please feel free to ask our instructors if you are confused by this concept. This concept is one of the reasons why Muay Thai is considered the most effective striking art in the world. You must be able to flow between the 3 ranges without thinking.
8) Learn from the best. By learning from the best, you will ensure that your foundation is strong. Learning means seeing, thinking, and doing. Always ask your instructors questions! Ask your instructors to demonstrate the perfect kick or knee. Ask them about real life applications. Ask them anything because you are here to learn and improve!
9) If you can afford it, take private lessons. If you really want to accelerate your Muay Thai game, try some private 1-on-1 lessons. You will see your game skyrocket. Typically, you will learn at a rate 4x faster by taking private lessons in addition to taking classes.
10) Watch fights of Muay Thai Champions on DVD or YouTube. If you study the details and carefully dissect the defense/offense, you will see a treasure chest of knowledge. Often times though, the moves happen too quickly and it can appear like a blur. In reality, each combination by a Muay Thai Champion has been honed for years and years so that it is automatic muscle memory.
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