Self teaching/Self Learning Muay Thai any tips?

[TalkingHalls]

My friend and I are trying to learn Muay Thai by ourselves (lack of funding), and we were wondering if anyone has any tips for starching to increase flexibility, workouts to increase speed and power with kicks, and well shin endurance. Any tips would help us greatly.

-thanks

 

[Skpotamus]

Trying to teach yourself is a great way to end up with horrible technique and even injuries.

The best thing you can do if you're on a tight budget is save up some cash and get a private lesson from your local MT instructor. Then practice what he shows you in that private until you can save up enough cash for another private.

You might also be able to work out a deal with a local gym to trade lessons for chores (sweeping, mopping etc).

Good luck

 

[jks9199]

There are several excellent texts on stretching and fitness available. Avail yourself of them, as well as the various internet resources available.

You may note that I did not recommend a book on muay thai or any other martial art. To learn properly, there's no substitute for a coach or teacher who can look at what you're doing and correct it. The best book or video on the market will still miss subtle details that can be hugely important. A tiny minority of people have the natural talent to learn directly from a book; a larger (but still small) minority can, if they've got a solid background, learn from a book.

 

[lklawson]

There are several excellent texts on stretching and fitness available. Avail yourself of them, as well as the various internet resources available.

The problem with that is there is a lot of crap advice out there also and a new entrant has no way of knowing which is which.

Which sources would you recommend for him?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

 

[zDom]

My only advice is: don't.

Find funding and pay for classes.

 

[jks9199]

The problem with that is there is a lot of crap advice out there also and a new entrant has no way of knowing which is which.

Which sources would you recommend for him?

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

Crossfit is a good starting point for general fitness and flexibility.

For books -- look at them. Compare them. Avoid the flashy stuff; look for straightforward stuff that talks about it. I don't have it sitting handy, but there's a book titled something like Plyometrics which I'd consider a good example of a solid book for fitness. It's written by people with appropriate doctorates and/or certifications, and it has a good list of references and works cited. In short -- it's more like a school book than a "how to be strong in 90 days" type of book.

 

[Skpotamus]

For book recommendations, check out Ross Enamait's books. www.rossboxing.com Check out some of his videos of him working out, that should help motivate you...

For flexibility, I've been a big fan of Thomas Kurz material. He's got a string of letters after his name, and cites one metric shload of studies in his books. Everyone I've loaned the book to has gotten good results from it.

Check out amazon for his stuff.

 

[LoganDaBoxer]

There are a lot of great instructional Muay Thai books such as Muay Thai Unleashed by Erich Krauss or Muay Thai Basics by by Christoph Delp. Check amazon.com for some used ones.

If you're really tight on budget, then check you local library. Good luck.

 

[Em MacIntosh]

Get books on the basic techniques of boxing, kickboxing and stretching. Familiarize yourself with the theory behind the techniques. Exercise and improve your fitness level. Don't do the martial art unless you have proper guidance otherwise you develop bad habits and run the risk of injury. Boxers find your bad habits and exploit them, they also punch really hard.

 

[Jarrod G.]

DO NOT!!! I repeat DO NOT try to learn muay thai with your buddy. First of all the basics of muay thai are all blocking techniques which require shin pads or boxing gloves. For the cost of these VERY necessary protective items you can pay for a months training where you can use their equipment at no cost, not to mention you get proper training from a knowledgable teacher.

Did I mention that under NO circumstances should you try to teach yourself muay thai??

 

[Omar B]

Hate to sound harsh but if you wanna learn spend your money! Seriously man, a martial art is not something you learn from a book or TV. There's a lot more going on in a kick that throwing your leg out there and even if you come close to the book/movie your angles, form, movement, chambering, snap might be wrong and you end up doing serious damage to yourself. Your breathing (yes breathing) might be wrong and you'll never get full power.

If it's worth it to you, you'll work, get the money and PAY for it. After all, if it's worth learning it should be worth the financial as well as the time commitment. You say you and your friends are interested in learning. Find an instructor and pool your money for a private class. Or a high ranking student might be willing to take some money and teach you some basics.

 

[DeadlyShins]

I have to agree with the nay-sayers here...it is soooo much better to find a way to get some classes than trying to learn on your own. I have tried both...and I had to unlearn alot of the stuff I "taught" myself. It is not worth it.

 

[Fei Ze Min]

I think the library is a valuable reference. Or go to the book store and see what they have. I don't think learning on your own is a bad thing. I actually believe people that train on their own are forced to be more self aware of what they are doing. When you are training on your own there is no one there to correct anything so you are forced to focus and pay attention, there is no room for a lax attitude.
When hitting the heavy bag just remember to wrap the hands, bad things can happen when you don't do that. The bones of the hand are very fragile.
I wouldn't try sparring with your friend until you have all of the proper safety gear, and some serious hours devoted to your training. Work on technique first, then power and speed. Those two lump together because velocity is the creator of power.
Just don't watch movies and try to emulate what they are doing because chances are what they are doing will get you seriously hurt.
Also maybe get a few vvideos that way you have some visual references.
Best of luck to you!

 

[tallgeese]

Books and vids are great resources and references. But they are that, a point of reference for those already with an understanding of what they are doing. You get this from spending time with an instructor.

After some time getting to understand what it is you're doing, one can learn a thing or two he didn't from other sources. A new drill, tactic, ect. But that's predicated on already understanding what it is you're doing and why.

I can sympathize with the lack of funding. But it's better to save and train later than build bad habits now. There are also alot of gyms out there with quality instruction that won't break the bank. Check local colleges that might have clubs, they can be a great resource for situations like this.