The world of Muay Thai is changing. And athletic performance matters more than ever. Gone are the days when Thai fighters had a monopoly on the sport. Today, Western fighters are using sports science and professional training methods to close the gap on their Thai counterparts. If you're a Muay Thai fighter or a [...]
Don't underestimate the importance of discipline in strength and conditioning. It's all too easy to become distracted by what's shiny and new, only to shortcut progress by playing your ace too early... Or, to charge headlong into overuse injury and the frustration of time out of training. You can look at that next block [...]
Winning by knockout is the best feeling in the world. Seeing the referee standing over your opponent waving off the fight, you feel almost immortal. But, in a well-matched fight anything can happen. Sometimes you're the hammer, and others you’re the nail. In an instant, one mistake can render YOU helpless – all your [...]
Taking action is only half the battle. Your REASON for taking action is just as critical, and can either kill your determination off completely, or ignite your motivation along with your results. If you want to stay in the game long enough to find out how far you can really go, you must get [...]
After an injury, motivation can be in VERY short supply... And when you've had an elite Muay Thai fight career as long as Liam Harrison, and a fight style like he has, injuries WILL come. Motivation comes from discipline – both in training and in the fight itself. Arguably, the discipline built during training [...]
Those in Muay Thai, especially at the highest level, know that the public perception of fighters is wrong. Kevin Ross is a fighter. He may have retired from competition, but he IS a fighter. For him, Muay Thai is not just a ring tool, it's really a life tool.... It makes you face your [...]
NOBODY can deny that the fights between Rodtang and Jonathan Haggerty were some of the most exciting bouts in combat sports. And, surely, fighting with Rodtang is going to shine a light on areas you can improve. Styles make fights. Knowing your own fighting style, and not allowing emotions to sway you into playing [...]
As fighters become more experienced, we must understand how to coach them so they don't become stale. Experts in any field are ruthlessly good at the basics. What marks the best apart from the rest, is their ability to revisit and resharpen their foundational practice. It's vital that those at the top of their [...]
Muay Thai training and Muay Thai as an art has a deep history. And when it comes to the ring sport we’ve all come to love, the period between 1980 and 1995 known as “The Golden Era”, spawned arguably the most talented fighters ever. Names like Dieselnoi, Samart, Jongsanan, and Sakmongkol demand almost superhero [...]
Your work life and fight life are in conflict. I know you feel the clock is ticking, that you’re running out of time when it comes to finding out how far you can go in Muay Thai. It was true for me, and it’s true for everyone – regardless if they compete or not. We [...]
Paul Banasiak shares that losing his Glory debut fight taught him to not over-effort... That it's important to balance risk and reward, and that doing more or going harder in a fight doesn't necessarily equate to bigger, better results. Be aware of the "glitches" you suffer by overthinking instructions and losing your flow! [...]
Put this battle-tested advice from Ognjen Topic into practice to become the best fighter you can be. Although distilled in fighting, these lessons apply to every domain of your life. There's a pattern to becoming the best you can be. Know the pattern, chase the challenge, and become your best... [...]
The evidence is in. Using a pre fight ritual boosts confidence and performance, fact! Pre fight superstition and ritual are an inherent part of all combat sports, and are baked into the culture of Muay Thai. From Pra Jiad arm bands, Mongkhon headgear, lucky amulets, and sak yant tattoos, to wai kru and ram muay [...]
When it comes to fight skills technical practice, repetition is key. And group sessions present challenges for individuals looking for technical practice opportunities to fast-track changes in their habitual fight skills. In this episode, I discuss my approach for fast-tracking technical practice in group sessions, both as a coach, and a fighter taking part [...]
There's a difference between feeling tired during fights and being tired... Competing as a fighter is stressful, and the cocktail of neurochemicals and hormones this dumps into your body drastically affects how you feel. Especially early in a fight career, nervousness, anxiety, or even all-out fear, will leave you feeling exhausted without even exerting [...]
Even elite pros require methods for coping with pre fight nerves. And it begins with accepting how you really feel, before adopting strategies to manage that pre fight anxiety when it crops up... And it will! Every fighter has nerves before a fight. If they didn't, they can't perform their best. However, it's important [...]
Are you strategically pacing yourself to win fights? Armed with an understanding of how to use a heart rate monitor to determine your own unique training pace, you can not only boost your fight fitness... But crucially, learn how to strategically pace your efforts during a fight to produce the best tactical effect. Just [...]
Using fighter's deload week effectively takes discipline! Recovery is often a dirty word for fighters... However, it’s the difference between year-on-year progress, or a monthly boom and bust. In this discussion with Rolf Eijsink during his coaching call, we explore both my approach to maximising deload weeks, and Rolf's valuable insight too. Use these [...]
Regularly practicing this splits, passive, relaxed stretching routine for fighters will rapidly enhance your kicking flexibility. Splits stretching as shown for just 7 mins, at least 3 times per week, will make a huge difference to your kicking ability at all target heights. Not only will you reach higher targets, like the head, that [...]
Fighter mental strength training isn't only about what happens on the pads or in sparring. Mental strength is built over the long-term from the habits you repeat each day. In reality, everything you do is an opportunity to either cement the identity of someone who either: 1. Avoids challenging situations or circumstances or gives [...]
