Tips & Tricks

The teep is arguably the most effective and diverse weapon in Muay Thai. It has the longest range and can be used in a wide range of angles and power levels. Like the jab in Boxing, mastering the teep is...

We explored what purposeful practice in an earlier blog article, discussing how it differs from “normal” practice and how it can help develop your Muay Thai skills quickly and consistently. The concept itself can be easy to understand, yet when you first try to think of ways you can purposefully practice, it can be challenging.

After a while of regular training, it's likely you'll hit some sort of plateau which will frustrate you, make you question your level of passion for the sport and have you searching for ways to make it exciting again. This is common with any sport or hobby and you'll need to evaluate whether it's a genuine disinterest and not just a “wall”.

Muay Thai is as effective for keeping fit as it is a striking discipline. In a 2 hour session, you can easily burn anywhere between 1000 – 2000 calories, if not more. That's equivalent to 2 hours running at 8-10mpg or 2 hours cycling at 20mph.

People are increasingly conscious of the integral role mental wellbeing takes in our individual lives, and rightly so – it is estimated that 1 in 6 people experienced some sort of mental health problem in any given week. No longer is mental wellbeing the taboo topic it once was but is now an increasing focus amongst healthcare institutes, government policy and employers too.

What then, makes practice purposeful? The difference is the approach as purposeful practice is focused and designed with attaining a specific goal that will improve overall performance, one step at a time. It’s kicking a heavy bag 50, 100, 1000 times until you rotate your hips the “right” amount.

Joining a new gym, whether you're new to Muay Thai or a veteran, can be an intimidating experience. The new sights and sounds are the background to new faces, new coaching staff and new session layouts. It can be a lot to take in and adjust to. Your approach to that adjustment and your attitude to your new peers will influence the speed and ease at which you'll get comfortable at the new gym and start learning there.

Whether you're just starting out in Muay Thai or are a well experienced veteran, there are always new things to learn, things to tweak, new approaches to adopt. Having a mentality of continuous life-long learning is integral to martial arts, your career and getting the most out of life.

Whether you're new to Muay Thai or looking for a gym to develop new & existing skills, training in the right gym is key to getting the most out of your time & effort. What's right for you will depend on a variety of factors but it's worth first thinking about your goals and how quickly you want to achieve them. For exa