New to MA, is MT for me for self defense?

[new_guy]

Bottom line is I'm looking for a self defense technique that is effective and training in it means a super intense conditioning workout.

I'm in good condition and athletic.

I want to practice, learn and get proficient at Muay Thai, but for self defense purposes. I don't want to fight in sanctioned Muay Thai fights.

So, is Muay Thai for me or should I keep looking, based on the fact that I'm not looking to compete?

I have a free demo at a school this afternoon and I'm really pumped about it. I've seen muay thai practiced in clips and have an incredible amount of respect and admiration for it's practitioners.

I would love some feedback.
Joe

[george stando]

Well, since your focus and goal is self defense. You have to find a school with the appropriate focus to suit your needs. Alot of schools teach Muay Thai for sport and for fighting in the ring which makes sense. Its good you are going to check out the school but most importantly you need to discuss with the head trainer what you are looking for and whether that school can meet your needs.

[WildWest.]

Go for it.

Life yourself I do MT for self defense, as well as Hapkido, so can tell you it will help you for self defense. Eventually you will learn to separate the sport side from the street side and train accordingly. But really there probably isn't huge differences between the two.

MT training should be cardiovasculary hard, intense and exhausting. You will learn to hit simply, quickly, powerfully and directly and you will get punished in sparring. The results from this type of training are all the worth the pain.

It's all good fun!!

[new_guy]

So, here is how my visit to the MT school went.

It was a private introduction by the instructor. We talked a bit, went over etiquitte, manners, my goals etc.

Then we we in and he taught me jab, right cross, kick jab, round kick and footwork. He made me get each of them right. I like the effective simplicity of MT. I don't find it complicated like I did TKD and BJJ. It felt like I was made to do MT.

The scoop on the competition fighting vs. self defense thing is: The competition fighters train in their own class. Everyone else works on techniques, conditioning and self defense techniques. Every three months, the instructors evaluate the student. If the instructors feel that the student has what it takes to train with the competition fighters and full contact spar with them, he gives the student that option, but he says it takes the average student a year or so.

I had a good report with the instructor and felt like he was a good communicator, I like the facility and think his policies make sense. I also love the style so far. He is also going to offer BJJ in the near future.

So, I'm going to go for it.

[3mptin3ss]

So, here is how my visit to the MT school went.

It was a private introduction by the instructor. We talked a bit, went over etiquitte, manners, my goals etc.

Then we we in and he taught me jab, right cross, kick jab, round kick and footwork. He made me get each of them right. I like the effective simplicity of MT. I don't find it complicated like I did TKD and BJJ. It felt like I was made to do MT.

The scoop on the competition fighting vs. self defense thing is: The competition fighters train in their own class. Everyone else works on techniques, conditioning and self defense techniques. Every three months, the instructors evaluate the student. If the instructors feel that the student has what it takes to train with the competition fighters and full contact spar with them, he gives the student that option, but he says it takes the average student a year or so.

I had a good report with the instructor and felt like he was a good communicator, I like the facility and think his policies make sense. I also love the style so far. He is also going to offer BJJ in the near future.

So, I'm going to go for it.

the fact that muay thai felt natural for you is a really good sign and its a good reason to take up an art. in addition, you felt that you were able to communicate well with your instructor which is also important in your training.
and its true, muay thai is simple and straight foreward and thats what makes it effective. i train in muay as well, and i have nothing but good things to say about muay thai. i havent used it to defend myself yet, but i spar as much as i can. competing may be a good thing once your ready though, because learning to keep your cool and learning to deal with a guy who really wants to kick your ass can only help you prepare for a real self defense situation. and plus, after you reach a certain point in muay thai you will pretty much be able to kick the ass of most untrainted people so you will need to compete and fight better fighters in order to keep better.

after you train in muay thai for a few years and learn to use it proficiently, start learning some grappling as well to increase your chances of defending yourself.

[new_guy]

OK, so I had my first class (first time at the school was just a demo). Damn!!! That is one intense anearobic torching.

During that class I banged more pads than I thought imaginable. The instructor said my cross and jab are excellent, need to pivot on my hook and my kick has mad power but I have to work on technique. "Power is not your problem!" he kept saying. He was almost annoying in how he kept correcting everything from foot placement, weight placement and keeping my hands up. He seems like a perfectionist, but I guess that's a good thing. I digress.

Here is a question: When you first start, is it normal to have soreness in the front of your shoulder joints. I'm not talking about sore muscles (that's expected). I mean the joint is sore, I suspect from all the pad punching. Also, do you think it's best to take a break or just work through it?

[Garland]

OK, so I had my first class (first time at the school was just a demo). Damn!!! That is one intense anearobic torching.
During that class I banged more pads than I thought imaginable. The instructor said my cross and jab are excellent, need to pivot on my hook and my kick has mad power but I have to work on technique. "Power is not your problem!" he kept saying. He was almost annoying in how he kept correcting everything from foot placement, weight placement and keeping my hands up. He seems like a perfectionist, but I guess that's a good thing. I digress.
Here is a question: When you first start, is it normal to have soreness in the front of your shoulder joints. I'm not talking about sore muscles (that's expected). I mean the joint is sore, I suspect from all the pad punching. Also, do you think it's best to take a break or just work through it?

Sounds about right. Here's my 2 cents...listen to your instructor! It was your first class, you need to work on and polish your technique before you start going apeshit on the pads or the bags...this is how you teach your body to do it correctly.
If you've ever lifted weights, you know what I'm getting at...you learn how to do it, without weight, then move to the squat bar, then start stacking weight on, when you've got the technique down solid.

The basics are the foundation, and the shifting of the body, hips, and feet are all essential and basic to any sport. Think of football...the guys that are beating the other guys across the line and with power are those who can set up right, and have their blocking and 3 point stance down.

Now for the shoulders...you probably missed a focus mitt, or over extended when you were shadow boxing...that could be bad. RICE it (rest, ice, compression , and elevation) for a bit to see if it goes down...and talk to your instructor before class about it. Another possibility is that the punching is working different muscle groups around the thoracic girdle that you're not used to moving around yet or you slightly tweaked a tendon or ligament (sometimes it can be painful as ****, but I've had my shoulder dislocated for over 2 weeks and not known that's what the pain was...so a strain or a sprain might not even be felt the whole time)...stretch out better before and after you workout.

hope this helps.

[jeff5]

I think MT is great for self defense, even if trained mostly for sport. The value of knees and elbows properly thrown can't be overstated. Its good that your instructor is a perfectionist, that's the way to train imo. Try to be as perfect with your technique as you can.

[WildWest.]

OK, so I had my first class (first time at the school was just a demo). Damn!!! That is one intense anearobic torching.

During that class I banged more pads than I thought imaginable. The instructor said my cross and jab are excellent, need to pivot on my hook and my kick has mad power but I have to work on technique. "Power is not your problem!" he kept saying. He was almost annoying in how he kept correcting everything from foot placement, weight placement and keeping my hands up. He seems like a perfectionist, but I guess that's a good thing. I digress.

Here is a question: When you first start, is it normal to have soreness in the front of your shoulder joints. I'm not talking about sore muscles (that's expected). I mean the joint is sore, I suspect from all the pad punching. Also, do you think it's best to take a break or just work through it?

You may have tensed your shoulder muscles at the wrong time when hitting the pads....or you may have been over vigorous when hitting the pads with incorrect technique or techniques that you aren't used to.....Mention it to your instructor, but don't take a break if it can be avoided. MT is tough training and your body will adjust to it eventually. It's all about breaking through barriers.....at the same time don't make a bad injury worse either.

[new_guy]

Second lesson, wrist pain and confision but good

So I just finished my second class. We did a lot of combinations. This morning, the wrists (on the thumb side) are pretty sore and I felt stinging, shooting twinges while hitting the pads.

My guess is that wrist wrap would resolve this. Am I right?

Also, during 5 strike combinations (for example jab-cross-hook-cross-round kick) I find myself hesitating and getting confused and momentarily forgeting what comes next. Is this normal for a new student?

Aside from the wrist pain and forgetting combinations, it's awesome and I can't wait to get back.

[Abe]

Boxing would be more straight forward if I was you.

Kicks don't work like they do on the street for self defense. But trusty punches will.

[Abe]

So I just finished my second class. We did a lot of combinations. This morning, the wrists (on the thumb side) are pretty sore and I felt stinging, shooting twinges while hitting the pads.

My guess is that wrist wrap would resolve this. Am I right?

Also, during 5 strike combinations (for example jab-cross-hook-cross-round kick) I find myself hesitating and getting confused and momentarily forgeting what comes next. Is this normal for a new student?

Aside from the wrist pain and forgetting combinations, it's awesome and I can't wait to get back.

Get your trainer to show you how to wrap it proper and do so everytime.

Hesitating is very normal for beginners, I've been doing it for a yr and so now, still get mixed up on the complicated ones.

[jaymackz]

Boxing would be more straight forward if I was you.

Kicks don't work like they do on the street for self defense. But trusty punches will.

indeed ...i take boxing, and if i were you i'd take it..your standup dramatically improves....and you learn how to take shots in the face when you do boxing (from all the sparring) somehow i think boxing should be the base for standup not MT..learn boxing first then MT then groundwork (greco wrestling/freestyle/BJJ/Judo) then from there on out you can do w/e the hell you want ..like MMA.. and kicks arent always your best weapon to use in a street fight...punches are very effective along with the bob/weave techniques you learn in boxing although when bobbing/weaving you can get a knee caught in your face.anyways....in boxing you also learn how to hit hard as you practically train your upper body same goes with MT....you usally kick hard since your trianing the lower part of your body...

[fijeeboi]

^^^
Thats basically what im doing. I figured boxing would be a more effective and simpler way of doing stand up. Later on I will add MT.

[WildWest.]

indeed ...i take boxing, and if i were you i'd take it..your standup dramatically improves....and you learn how to take shots in the face when you do boxing (from all the sparring) somehow i think boxing should be the base for standup not MT..learn boxing first then MT then groundwork (greco wrestling/freestyle/BJJ/Judo) then from there on out you can do w/e the hell you want ..like MMA.. and kicks arent always your best weapon to use in a street fight...punches are very effective along with the bob/weave techniques you learn in boxing although when bobbing/weaving you can get a knee caught in your face.anyways....in boxing you also learn how to hit hard as you practically train your upper body same goes with MT....you usally kick hard since your trianing the lower part of your body...

No offence or disresepect intended, but this is all theoretical nonsense. While boxing, MT and MMA are appropriate classes to take for self defence, there are also other arts which, if trained properly, will also aid you on the street.

First of all New_Guy don't get influenced by others opinions on what art you should take. Everyone will have an opinion on what art works for them, ultimately the choice is yours. YOU chose MT, YOU said it suited you, YOU enjoyed your first class and YOU said you found it simple and the instrutor was good. Sounds to me like you've found what you were looking for. Yes, Boxing can be a good base for stand up, but the stances between boxing and MT differ due to the different techniques either style offers. Besides, if you wanted to do boxing you would have done boxing.
Back to stances, while boxers have a more side on stance, in MT you stand more open so you can launch kicks, knees and elbows. These are all valid self defence techniques including, despite what others say, thai low kicks. Hell, the guy who teaches unarmed combat to the SAS in my country is a fan of them for self defence (he is also qualified to teach special forces in the USA). I would think he knows what he is talking about, not to mention the numerous people on this site who have found them effective on the street. With time and practice you will develop a lot of speed and power from them, just as you will with your elbow techniques and elbows can be an awesome weapon.
While I cannot speak for your MT club, most of the MT clubs in the west will teach you Western Boxing techniques in MT anyway. You will learn how to punch hard, explosively and quickly as well as mixing between punches, kicks, elbows and knees (the stand up grappling also contains some handy techniques). It's generally only in Thailand that they tend to ignore boxing techniques and stick to the traditional techniques that they have done for centuries. Although apparently that is changing anyway.

Cross training is good and once you become proficient in MT you may wish to try other styles to complement the striking skills you've already learnt. Again, experiment with different styles. BJJ/wrestling(greco-roman or freestyle)/Sambo/Judo/JJJ/Hapkido etc etc all have aspects or techniques that you can combine with your MT skills. But you don't have to mix styles if you don't want to. If you just like MT then stick with MT. Again, this is a personal choice.

Lastly, remember that the chance of you being in a street fight is quite slim. This will depend on where you live, what job you have, who you hang out with, the places you go etc. The type of person you are will also dictate how easily you will get into a fight as well. If you are confrontational, aggressive, argumentative, quick to anger, intolerant, opinionated etc the chances of you getting into a fight increases a lot. So don't get too hung up on becoming the "most lethal weapon the world has ever seen", just be the best that you can be and enjoy your training!!