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 [...]
Technical tips to prevent injuring your foot throwing your low kick! The Muay Thai round kick is one most powerful kicks in martial arts. To avoid smashing your foot to smithereens when throwing your low kick, you must master range, kicking foot position, and tactical set up. Check out the full video for in-depth [...]
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 [...]
Muay Thai strength and conditioning is gaining popularity, but can go off the rails. Damien Trainor cautions that it's important to correctly balance strength and conditioning with Muay Thai training! Done well, strength and conditioning will enhance fight performance, however... Strength and conditioning should supplement Muay Thai training, not replace it. Too many fighters [...]
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 [...]
Most likely, if you ask your Muay Thai trainer what fitness training you should do outside of your Muay Thai sessions, you’re told to simply run a number of times a week, and maybe do a little weight training if you want to… It’s largely down to you. And aside from “do more” when [...]
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 [...]
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! [...]
When putting together a training plan... Although many fighters and coaches are doing the right things, they organise their training weeks haphazardly and squander the full training effect, or inadvertently cancel out performance gains entirely. At best, this wastes effort. At worst, it burns out fighters and injures them. But, you can apply simple steps [...]
These days, fighter training has become more sophisticated. Coaches, fighters, and hobbyists alike all realise that to remain healthy, injury free and perform their best it takes more than steady runs, bag work, pad work, and sparring. But, what types of sessions are needed? How often should you train? What order should sessions go? [...]
Solo fight skill technical practice can fast-track your fight ability if it's done well. In this episode, avoid these fight skill pitfalls or risk sabotaging your technical practice and undoing all your hard work! Fight Skills – Solo Session Considerations Further Resources Fight Skills [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Not so common... Muay Thai coach to Muay Thai veteran fighter What happens when a 45 year old Muay Thai coach returns to the ring to compete for a Muay Thai veteran title, after 11 years out, and with 20kg to lose in 15 just weeks? …Huge lessons, and a big win! Rich Cadden, [...]
Even many pro fighters don’t understand the real secret of how to punch using the hips to maximum effect – because it can seem counter intuitive. But grasp this and your punch power will sky rocket. Once you understand how the correct hip mechanics can transfer maximum force to your punch, you’ll win by [...]
One thing’s for sure, delayed onset muscle soreness is part of a fighter’s training – especially when you head out to Thailand to train! But… Is delayed onset muscle soreness the sign of a good training session? How can you avoid being too sore? Should you train if you’re really sore? How can you [...]
Why a lower body activation exercise for fighter's strength and conditioning? Activating the right muscles to efficiently create movement patterns in both strength and conditioning, and a fighter’s technical skill training makes a huge difference to your movement economy and ultimate strength and power levels. And many fighters struggle to “feel” the difference between [...]
There are a ton of different reaction time training methods and an ever-increasing crop of reaction training devices… And for fighters, they’re NOT all created equal. Some methods really only function as warm-up or movement activities, whereas others can develop Saenchai-like reflexes in the ring! [...]
What's the secret to winning in Muay Thai? Iman Barlow can shed some light! In this episode, Iman Barlow shares valuable insight into what it really takes to take your childhood dreams all the way. Part of the first generation of child nak Muay outside of Thailand, and with a competitive career spanning 25 [...]
