Practice Muay Thai on my own.

[TheThaiGuy23]

So I just started Muay Thai training at a gym and although they offer it 6 days a week I can only make it 2 times a week. I feel like this isn’t enough and I want to train more but the times I’m available are different to when the classes are.

If my schedule looks something like this
Monday: Muay Thai 1 hr
Tuesday: weight training and conditioning 1 hr
Wednesday: light conditioning and shadow box 30 min
Thursday: Muay Thai 1 hr
Friday: weight training and conditioning 1 hr
Saturday: light conditioning and shadow box 30 min
Sunday: off

Would this be enough to have a steady increase in skill, power and speed?

My goal is to be able to hold my own and win a couple interclub fights but that’s it. I’ll probably end up getting a heavy bag and speed bag so I can put more work in at home but funds are a little tight. Thanks in advance.

 

[Headhunter]

Of course you can train at home but you won't improve as quick as if you went to class but it's better than nothing

 

[Gerry Seymour]

Practicing on your own outside class - if you do it well - will help you progress faster than classes, alone. Be sure you're only practicing at home using drills you're competent to practice. That means, if you get a new kick, for instance, and only spend 10 minutes on it in class, maybe don't start practicing that kick at home yet - maybe wait until you've had a bit more class time on it, so you're practicing something that's a reasonable approximation of a correct kick. Otherwise, you're likely to develop bad habits that take longer to correct.

All that said, a lot of "hobbyist" students only get about 3 hours a week of MA time. They don't practice much, if at all, outside class. And they do progress in skill - just more slowly than someone with the same amount of class time, who puts in some time outside class. Early on, put most of your time outside class into conditioning and one or two very basic skills. As your skill progresses, you'll be more competent to expand what you do outside class.

 

[hoshin1600]

It is really common for new students to want to practice all the time. My advise is to have a balanced schedule. Resistance training, cardiovascular and martial arts. What happens often is new students over do it and burn out. That may not apply to everyone. I was in the dojo 5 days a week and still couldn't get enough but I'm compulsive like that. But over training is something to be aware of.

 

[JR 137]

As long as you’re regularly getting class time in, I think it’s a great idea. So long as you don’t overtrain and set yourself back with an injury and/or burn out.

What would probably be best is asking your instructor what he/she thinks you should work on outside of class. As tempting as it is, I wouldn’t practice brand new to you stuff until you’ve practiced it several times in class. I’ve learned that one the hard way. I’d learn a new standardized thing or a new kata in class, then go home and practice it a bunch of times. And I’d usually get a detail or two wrong. If I practiced it wrong 100 times, it seemed like it would 500 times to get it right. Once that muscle memory is there, it’s so much harder to fix it.

 

[Danny T]

I tell my beginner Muay Thai students who want to do more "great, run".
It's easy, don't need a training partner or any real expensive equipment. Just a good pair of running shoes or trainers.
It will increase your cardio and your recovery time when for training, strengthen your leg muscles especially your calf muscles if you run on the balls of your feet which will greatly help your plyometrics for explosive kicks & knees.
Are you able to go in and kick on the heavy bags even when they aren't doing Muay Thai classes or do they open gym times that you can go in? If so, Kick, kick, kick, kick...massage your shins and slowly build up your tempering.

 

[drop bear]

Start repping out kicks. Just lightly against a tree or something. Making your feet do what you want them to can take a little while.

 

[EMT]

"Would this be enough to have a steady increase in skill, power and speed?

My goal is to be able to hold my own and win a couple interclub fights but that’s it. I’ll probably end up getting a heavy bag and speed bag so I can put more work in at home but funds are a little tight. Thanks in advance."


It is hard to make a real progress in Muay Thai without regular sparrings. Muay Thai training is centered around sparring and Thai Pad drills.

What you can do on your own is to increase your strength and stamina so you can perform better and in the gym classes. You can polish your technical skills in the gym since you'll save some time on physical conditioning.

Effective Muay Thai fighting and sparring techniques