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 [...]
I was asked about that Pallof Press w/ Perturbation core exercise that Tawanchai was using in my recent reaction video... "Could that be used in a Strength Block in a training program?" When choosing the best core exercise for fighters, it's important to first consider... How far a fighter is away from an important [...]
When it comes to fight warm up exercises, back stage at shows, I often see fighters missing out on truly priming their bodies for explosiveness. Well, today I'll share a two exercise protocol that will amp you up, both physically and mentally in a total of just 8 to 15 reps! [...]
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 [...]
Tawanchai has been putting in the work for his first defence of the ONE Championship Featherweight Muay Thai World title. And he's shared a glimpse of his strength and conditioning prep on Instagram. In the clip, we see him working through a series of exercises... Battling Ropes Band Resisted High Knees Band Resisted Agility [...]
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 [...]
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? [...]
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... [...]
Thoracic spine, or mid back rotation mobility is lacking in 90% of the fighters I’ve tested, from novices to world class pros. In the last episode, I demonstrated how I test and score this. If you scored between 1 to 3, you’re limiting your striking power and have an increased risk of lower back [...]
How do you score on this thoracic spine rotation test? 9 out of 10 fighters can’t adequately twist their torso! They don’t have enough t-spine rotation, especially on the dominant side of their body. This means they’re limiting the amount of power they can produce in strikes (especially the close-range weapons like elbows and knees), and have an [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Do you know the difference between optimal and peak fight performance? Too many fighters don’t, and it’s costing them! I see many pro and hobbyist fighters alike, rightly working incredibly hard in their training, but mistakenly believing that every session must push them harder than the last. “Go hard or go home” has its [...]
Fighters instinctively feel that hill sprints boost their fight performance. And mixing these High Resistance Intervals amongst your “roadwork” develops your endurance in a way steady state running can’t. But, not everyone has access to a decent hill. What’s the minimum hill gradient required? And what alternatives to hill sprints are there if you [...]
To become a faster, more explosive fighter you must first become stronger – produce more force. If you can create more force, you can accelerate quicker, hit at higher velocity and do more damage. That’s the mechanics, but we’re biological machines not purely mechanical ones. If we want our strength to transfer into the [...]
