Listed below are some of the most common mistakes beginners make in Muay Thai training.
Those who are new to Muay Thai are encouraged to take note of these mistakes so as you can correct them yourselves and avoid embarrassment. The same goes for those who are planning to enroll soon.
- Cheap out on training gear. Your training gear will be your best buddy throughout your Muay Thai journey. Unless you only plan on training for a couple of sessions, you shouldn’t skimp on the costs. They need not be necessarily expensive, but they should be at least of high quality. Cheap and poor quality training gear and accessories don’t usually last long and may even end up harming you.
- Incomplete Equipment. If you didn’t do your research before enrolling, then it’s best to do it now. To get the most out of your training, you’ll need one of the following:
- 14oz or 16oz boxing gloves – the latter is usually preferred for beginners.
- Stand up shin guards.
- Headgear
- Groin protection
- Mouth guard/s – Go custom if you have money as they fit your teeth better and provide better protection.
- Elbow/Knee Pads – Once you start sparring and throwing in some elbow/knee strikes here and there, you’ll definitely want to be wearing these.
- Trying to win at sparring. Sparring is no competition. Your aim against your partner isn’t to win, but to work together to improve your skills and technique. If possible, talk to them first and discuss what you want to improve on to make sure that your sparring session goes smoothly.
- Forgetting to relax and breathe. Many beginners often forget to breathe properly during sparring sessions. While it’s only natural for that to happen, especially since not everyone’s used to fighting, it’s important to try and calm down. The calmer you are, the more comfortable you are moving around as you spar with your partner. This also makes it easier for you to exchange strike or anticipate your partner’s movement (if you can).
- Smashing instead of whipping. The roundhouse kick is a move that many beginners try to master and use as soon as possible. It’s also a move that many don’t execute quite well, often favoring more of a smash motion, rather than a whiplash sort of one. The latter is the correct way to do so. But, as a beginner, you’ll want to try avoiding moves off moves like this until you can master relaxing and breathing properly inside the ring.
As embarrassing as it is to commit one or all of these mistakes, you need not worry. Even your instructors may have made the same mistakes in the past and they’ll likely teach you how to correct them.
Given time, you’ll be able to forget about such mistakes and make a habit of executing the moves properly. Though, it’d be better if you started early, so you don’t build a habit of wrongfully executing moves.
As always, don’t forget to have. Muay Thai training, even if it’s a physical contact sport, should be fun and enjoyable.
