Took a series of Muay Thai classes. Need advice on other MA classes that will suit me.

Question

I took a few Muay Thai classes from 2 different schools. Both very different. The first school taught me very little and took it very slow. They had an Intro class as well as a level 1 class. They seemed to focus on only one small thing during a class then a totally different thing the next. It was more expensive there too.

The second place was very difficult. The classes were longer, and their workouts were much more extream (Hindu Squats, Long runs, Dropping medicine balls on your stomach etc etc) The classes involved a wide variety of excercises and drills. I learned alot from this school but on my 3rd class we did "light sparring" wearing just gloves and some Gorilla nearly broke my nose. He made another kids nose swell up and bleed. The teacher didn't seem to care. These guys don't have a beginner class...they just lump everyone into one class.

I'm a small guy and I've had surgery to my stomach and back. (Kidney removed as well as other things) I love the Muay Thai form but I can't see to find anywhere that will teach it just for it's techniques without the rigorous training regime that isn't too beginner friendly.

I'm thinking another form of Martial Arts may be a better choice for a fun way to get in shape/Hobby/pastime.

Thnaks.

Answer 1

first off-

if you are worried about what was going on in that class, you should be- AND you need to objectively differentiate between whether it was "training" or just some more experienced *** taking advantage of a new student.

truthfully realistic training is the only way that you will learn, so if you are looking to train in martial arts and expect to learn to fight and defend yourself from doing kata, you are in for a rude awakening that might leave you seriously injured in a real altercation.

I can imagine how in your situation it is going to be difficult to tell the difference between legitimate hard contact training, and some jerk who is taking advantage of hard contact training to hurt new students who aren't good enough to properly defend themselves.

if you like the class i would suggest you give it another chance to figure it out. ask him to take it easy till you get some experience and let you learn not be a punching bag. if it doesn't stop then talk to the instructor-

odds are if the instructor sides with him, then you are bieng overly sensative and you need to just tougen up (unless it is an obvious jerk just trying to hit you rather than train you).

stick with it even if he is bieng an *** I would suggest you toughen up because you are dealing with a personality issue and so long as there are other people to train with, you can use that as a goal to get better and defend yourself against him in sparring.

Answer 2

Sounds like the first class was kind of a Mcdojo, set up to teach little to nothing and bring lots of money in for the people running it. Unfortunately there is a lot of that going on all over the place. The second place sounds more like a few fighting gyms that I have trained at and no they are definitely not for beginners.

It sounds like you like stand up fighting so check out some of your local schools and see what they have to offer. If stand up fighting is what you like you have lots of choices, just have to find out what else is available in your area. You could try one of the many forms of Karate (Shotokan, Isshin Ryu, Kyo Koshin), some Chinese martial arts (Wing Chun,Lung s**+ Poh, Shaolin Do, Long Fist), Tae Kwon Do or Tang Soo Do both from Korea, or you could look into just a kickboxing class (most of which are less taxing on the body) or even boxing.

It really all depends on what you want and you are the only one who knows what that is. My best advice would be to check in the phonebook or online for some of the suggestions that you receive and then call around to some schools and go sit in on some classes. That way you can see how they train, how hard, how they spar, whether they use safety gear or not and get a much better idea all around as to what they are about. It may cost time, but better that then letting someone talk you into their style and signing a contract for an art that you don't like or a style/ teacher you just don't fit in with.

Good luck!!!

Answer 3

the originators of muay thai were small guys. muay thai was made as a war art but villagers formed it for their self defense because thailand was bullied alot by burma and others. the villagers made rings for boxers to fight in using the same techs that they used to kill. muay thai boran is the only style of muay thai untainted and you should learn that because there's no bull**** in the training. for grappling in muay thai boran you should check out ling lom. muay thai was watered down by the thai government in like the 20s and then when it gained popularity people claimed to know it and the spirit and essence of muay thai was lost. you can only gain real muay thai from a thai or in thailand. bokator is the great grandfather of muay thai and you can only learn that in cambodia. the best site to go to for real muay thai training is muaythai.com,teaches all the old forms of muay thai for free.

Answer 4

ignore bluto, he makes a good point about live trianing. but he obviously doesnt understand kata. kata can teach you a great deal. it is a teaching tool...not a fighting tool.

most live arts like boxing or mma have alot of practical fighting value..but thats about it. a good traditional school is alot more meaningful as far as everyday life is concerned. and contrary to popular opinion, they can teach you how to defend yourself.

find a good traditional karate school. they are usually pretty laid back people and let you train at your own pace. there is zero reason to have to get hurt in class, especially since your injuries might very well be more severe than everyone elses.

any training is better than no training. resistance and intensity is something you should work up to, not start with.

however, you cant just go to any mcdojo and learn how to fight either. and to get in shape...some intensity is a must. getting in shape isnt easy.