Muay Thai Boxing Training
A versatile contact sport, muay thai training must also be versatile to meet the demands it places on its participants. Good training will involve three different aspects; heavy bags, pad work, and weight training. These aspects will allow someone to practice both individual techniques and simulate actual competition scenarios.
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Identification
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Mauy thai boxing is a form of kickboxing that uses both the knees and elbows as well as the feet and legs. Kicks below the waist to the thigh are legal. Mauy thai also uses a technique called the clinch in which a participant can grab their opponents head and deliver knee strikes while holding them in place. Mauy thai matches begin with a symbolic dance called the Wai Kru.
Geography
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Mauy thai boxing originated in Thailand and is the country's national sport. It is also hugely popular in Holland. Between the two countries, the styles of muay thai differ. Mauy thai in Thailand is more brawling and clinching while Holland's version of the sport involves more movement with participants striking and then moving away to avoid being hit.
Heavy Bag
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Training with a heavy bag is important for mauy thai because it allows a person to train on a moving target and put various combinations together. Training with a heavy bag can either be timed or to a set number repetitions. There are several ways mauy thai participants train on heavy bags.
First, to train for the thai clinch, a person will grasp their arms around the bag and practice both knees to the sides and to the front of the stomach. Secondly, a heavy bag is a good target to practice kicks on. Its size and toughness make it a reliable target and tough the shins, making them a more effective weapon. Lastly, heavy bags can be used to simulate an actual match by having someone throw various combinations for a time period equal to the rounds they will be competing in.
Pads
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Training with pads are important in mauy thai to build accuracy in striking. There are two forms of pads that are typically used. The first kind are called focus mitts. They are also used in traditional boxing and are best for combinations with the smaller surfaces (elbows and hands). The other forms of pads are called thai pads. They are larger and are best for practicing kicks and knee strikes that will require a bigger surface and more padding. Other types of pads can also be used such as kicking shield and chest guard but most pad work is done with either focus mitts or thai pads.
Weight Training
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As with all sports, weight training can help to improve performance. In mauy thai, it is important to lift lighter weights for a higher number of repetitions. Building large, bulky muscles will not help a muay thai participant, they will only slow them down and make them an easier target. Participants in heavier weight classes should lift free weights. Participants in lighter weight classes might want to forgo weights and just do body weight exercises such as push ups and pull ups .
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- Photo Credit boxing round image by Alina Isakovich from Fotolia.com
