Advanced Muay Thai training

If you have already mastered the basic Muay Thai techniques our instructors are ready to take you further. You will begin your first Muay Thai training session as usual with shadow boxing and then kicking the Thai pads with your instructor using the full range of techniques you have already learned. Your Muay Thai trainer will quickly and easily be able to assess your current abiliites.

Click here for a day-by-day schedule highlighting the emphasis of each Muay Thai training session at Horizon Thai Boxing Camp.

Your instructor will begin to fix possible faults. This may be frustrating for some who assume they have already reached a good level. Realise that you cannot advance to a high level if you cannot execute the basic Muay Thai techniques correctly. Different Muay Thai instructors may have different expectations of their students, and teaching and training methods will vary between Muay Thai gyms. At Horizon we focus on maximising the effectiveness of your weapons and teaching intelligent fighting skills. If you have some experience you will begin sparring and clinchwork immediately. New Muay Thai techniques will be introduced to you within the first few training sessions. As you progress, particularly if you plan to compete, our trainers will place increasing emphasis on fitness and conditioning.

Click here to book a Muay Thai training course or ask questions.

Muay Thai training for competition

We can arrange for you to fight in a local stadium bout if that is your aim.

We can also help you prepare for a fight back home or eleswhere in Thailand.

For those planning to compete a high level of fitness, conditioning and stamina are essential. Before a Muay Thai fight expect to do a lot of swimming and running and, of course, no drinking. We will help you to identify your strongest weapon enabling you to face you opponent with confidence. Rest assured, if you agree to fight for us you will have our complete support and encouragement. There will be no repercussions whatever the outcome.

Muay Thai training for the novice

It is not necessary for you to have any experience in Muay Thai to begin training with us at Horizon Thai Boxing Camp. You do not need to be very fit either, but the better shape you are in at the start the easier the Muay Thai training sessions will be for you, and the quicker you will progress. It can take time to develop coordination, conditioning and power. Although our Muay Thai training routine is suitable for highly conditioned boxers, we cater to people at all levels, including complete Muay Thai novices. Beginners follow the same basic routine but spend early training sessions developing the basic stance, movements and footwork. Training intensity will vary, under the guidance of qualified instruction, according to your fitness level and requirements. There is no pressure to push your self really hard, but the more effort you put in the quicker you will learn. The Muay Thai training schedule below is for your guidance only.

Each Muay Thai training session begins with some kind of warm up exercise, the purpose of which is to get you sweating. First you will learn the boxing guard and be encouraged to relax. It is emphasized that Muay Thai boxing is a graceful sport with rhythm and style. You should be in an almost constant state of motion. You must then perfect the Thai boxing walk which is the basis of footwork for all Muay Thai techniques. The first offensive techniques taught are usually the jab and straight punch. When you first begin to practice kicking your teacher will catch your leg to get your body and hips moving in correct way. Within a few days you will learn to use your knees, begining with the long knees. As you learn to throw the elbow you can start to think about footwork during a fight. At this stage you will be ready to learn real fighting techniques; to consider your offensive options depending on the moves of your opponent. After a few days of this practice you will begin sparring with your instructor. We spar a lot during training sessions sometimes with other students but mostly with your trainer as he holds the Thai pads. Once you have achieved a wide range of fighting skills you can move on to stand up grappling (or clinch work). With your instructor you will learn how to apply the knees from the clinch. Clinch work is a very important aspect of Muay thai training in Thailand. In time you will learn to practice with the long kicking bags with minimal supervision in between sparring sessions. This part of Muay Thai training can feel repetitive, but try not to feel frustrated. At the end of a month you will feel a real difference in the power of your kicks and other weapons.

Click here to book a Muay Thai training course or ask questions.

Typical Muay Thai training schedule

We hold two daily Muay Thai training sessions (every day except Saturdays). The first is a lighter session and runs from 8am to 10am. The more intensive afternoon session runs from 4pm to 6pm. The exact make-up of any particular training session will depend on our instructors’ wishes and your abilities and fitness. This is for guidance.

Warm up: Running for 30 minutes - if you are already very fit you may wish to run for longer, if you are not in great shape just be sure to build up a really good sweat. Stretching - you can do your own routine or follow your instructor’s lead.
Muay Thai workout: Members of the group will do various exercises depending on their level of experience. In each part of each training session students will repeat and practice the full repertoire of techniques learned so far. Your trainer will point out any recurring mistakes and help you to correct them. He will gradually introduce new moves as and when you are ready. Morning training sessions are generally lighter, concentrating on acquiring new techniques while your mind is fresh from a good nights sleep. An ordinary training session includes the following:
Shadow boxing: Whatever your level each Muay Thai training session begins with a shadow boxing warm up, preferably in front of a mirror or perhaps down on the beach. In your first session you will learn basic Muay Thai footwork: how to move around while maintaining a strong guard to protect your body’s vulnerable targets. The basic punching techniques will be introduced: the straight punch, jab, uppercut and hook.
Pad work: Your instructor holds special Thai pads on his arms and a wears a belly protector. Students work one-on-one with their instructor in the boxing ring to practice the full arsenal of techniques the student is familiar with, and develop offensive combinations. You probably won’t begin pad work on the first day if you are a beginner.
Weights or speedballs: While instructors are busy with other students, work on your conditioning with our free weights or sit up benches. Help develop your reflexes with the speed balls.
Sparring: At first you will begin very light, very slow sparring with your instructor. As you build confidence you can begin working with a sparring partner, though this will not replace work with your Muay Thai trainer. Sparring is an essential part of Muay Thai training during which you discover how to use the offensive techniques you have learned dynamically. You will quickly learn to defend your most vulnerable points, and begin to anticipate the moves of your opponent. If progressing very well a beginner may expect to begin sparring within a week.
Bag work: This is an excellent way to develop conditioning and muscle memory. Repeated kicking of the long hanging bags is really the only sensible way to condition the shins. Kicking the bags will hurt a bit to start with. We fill our long bags with scraps of cloth, not sand, but still expect to bruise some (especially the ladies). You won’t start this kind of training until you have learned to kick properly. Kicking with poor technique is even more painful!
Clinch work: This covers techniques of stand-up grappling. Clinch work always makes up the final part of an intensive training session. You grapple your partner for the better position in an attempt to set your opponent up for knee strikes or to topple him by pulling or knocking him off balance. This is an exhausting part of Muay Thai training and is essential if you are interested in competing within Thailand. You will not begin clinch work until your fitness is quite good and you have mastered other techniques to a good level.
Warm down: Shadow boxing warm down, followed by other low impact exercises.

Click here to book a Muay Thai training course or ask questions.

Special Muay Thai training and Seminars

• Ram Muay seminar. If you plan to compete in a Muay Thai boxing contest it is essential to learn the basic elements of this graceful pre-fight ritual. Our instructors will guide you.
• Kraabi Kapong seminar. Literally ‘sword staff’ this traditional Thai martial art focuses on hand held weapons techniques. In Kraabi Krabong Muay Thai techniques are employed in conjunction with weapons techniques. We hold occasional seminars.
• Western Boxing. You can also learn Western boxing at Horizon Thai Boxing Camp. Our instructors are highly competent.
• Other martial arts. Visiting instructors sometimes run seminars on other fighting styles. For example, in early September 2005 we held a five-day seminar on free-fight grappling techniques. Instructor was European Champion in Brasilian Ju-Jitsu, Joris Merks.