New to kickboxing - took my leg strike last week

ronitabur

I am a woman who fell in love with the sport of Muay Thai back in July. I've been learning as much as I can and practicing. Part of that practice has included slow motion sparring. I'm a lucky woman who has never been subject to physical abuse or a random attack, so I previously had no idea what it felt like to be hit or kicked by anything other than an accidental rake handle to the face and I just remembered another accident of a swinging baseball bat to the side of my head when I was a kid. (This might explain a few things.)

So, Monday of last week, I was kicked by a man on the side of my lower leg - not a direct shin on shin contact, but his shin pad hit the side of my shin where there is muscle for protection. Why the heck did it hurt so freakin much??!!! He didn't seem to kick me that hard. Up until a day or two, I have been limping around. Am I just a big baby? I will also mention that I sparred with a woman ealier that same evening and she punched me in my arm hard enough to leave a bruise (there was no bruising on my leg), and it did not affect me. Heck, the rake handle to the face didn't even hurt that bad - and there was blood everywhere and brusing on my gums. The night the leg strike took place, I was in throbbing pain from my knee to my ankle in which 800 mg of ibuprofin barely relieved. Maybe it's my old shin splint injury being dug up?? I really don't know. Anyway...

I seriously LOVE this sport. My body is changing more than ever and I have become obsessed. But, this bout of pain has be set aback a little. If you are into Mauy Thai or MMA, tell me what your experiences are with pain. What hurts the most? How do you deal with it? When do you know if you should go to the ER for x-rays?? LOL Why do you keep doing it? All encouraging comments are welcome and I want to hear your proud stories!

peuglow

Muay thai is what got me into fighting in MMA. I love love love it.

I'd say the strike to the leg was just that, a leg kick. Some hurt worse than others, and you'll get used to them as you go. I don't mind my partners kicking my quads without shin guards, but for ribs, head and knees I still ask that they wear them.

default

You'll toughen up, keep with it.

Rub some dirt on it.

ronitabur

Rub dirt on it? Ha! That's funny, I think that's what they told me when I got hit in the head with a baseball bat.

Well, it's good to know that I'll toughen up. I did not know that one couild build a resistance to pain. That is good news.

bushidowoman

Everyone has different tolerance to pain. I have a high pain tolerance, and I don't bother with pads and guards. I don't care a bit about being banged and bruised up-- "It don't hurt til the bone shows." :laugh:
My hubby on the other hand has a low pain tolerance, and he has never toughened up. He is currently going to classes again, but it's hard for him to stick with it and keep going when he gets hurt.

KristenE83

**disclaimer: I am a "no belt", no sparring, quasi-kickboxer. Take my words with a grain of salt because I have little to no experience, but I figured I could be kinda helpful.

I train to kickbox (not dancy cardio kickboxing, actual kickboxing), but I do it for working out purposes so I haven't sparred (yet). I workout with a lot of Kempo/and other various MA/MMA people, and they always talk about conditioning. They say basically the more you get hit the less it will hurt. I say stick with it! You will get stronger and stronger. Some hits will hurt more than others, obviously, but if you love the sport stick with it.

RobynLB

Sounds like the kick tweaked your knee from the side impact. You might have a minor injury to the joint if you are limping, and that might explain the pain. RICE it and do regular knee stabilization exercises. Ask to spar with the most experience partners who are less likely to injur you by kicking too hard or in the wrong place.

grover0ca

Contact sports are going to hurt...lol--love the rub some dirt on it comment!!

I spar on a regular basis and bumps & bruises are a regular part of my life now. My last fight a couple of weeks ago I clashed hard throwing a roundhouse..I had to ice that ankle for a couple of days and it was really painful. You'll get used to getting hit though and like I say..just suck up the ones the hurt and carry on. LIke my coach says..it builds character..lol.

RobynLB

Switch to traditional boxing You just get hit in the stomach and head by gloved hands. No bony shins and elbows.

peuglow

Switch to traditional boxing You just get hit in the stomach and head by gloved hands. No bony shins and elbows.

laaaaaaame lol

mmiski

Love Muay Thai, it is my exercise I do during the week. I also got to a real MMA gym we've had a few people from our place fight in the UFC and Strike Force. So you can imagine they don't fool around in the place. My nickname was the "big guy" for about the first year and a half - imagine a 300 pound 40 year old in the land of young 20 year old's who are all in shape, I probably looked liked a Twinkie in a vegetable garden.

Anyway I've been there now for over 3 years, and I know just about everyone now and they know me, it's a real family style feel when I come in and they notice when I'm not there, so it helps me to keep on track. Don't be hard on yourself if your gym is like mine I'm sure you see a lot of turn around where people drop out about a week or two in - It is a LOT harder than it looks on TV so I believe a lot of people come in with this fantasy of becoming an MMA fighter then discover it takes a lot of hard work.

I know what you mean about the leg kicks. I've been hobbled by them sometimes, I'd rather be punched in the face and see stars (which has happened). To me there is nothing better than sparing, it is EXHAUSTING! but fun at the same time, I have been injured to many times to count, have had bruises where I didn't know I even got hit. I just call them my "war wounds" and start to dig them after a while. It's funny the looks I get at work sometimes when I come in limping or injured and they usually say "why do you do it" and I just respond "because I love it, and I'm not a *****" (I usually like talking to the ones that do "get it" ;-) )

ChasingStarlight

You do get used to being hurt to some degree. Sometimes in class we will have to play games which hurt to harden us up. We don't get any sympathy for injuries unless they are obviously bad like a clear break. My sister in law thought I broke her cheekbone- she got no sympathy, I got a high five ! I currently have concussion from falling badly from a throw, not going to stop me getting back there.

Anyway, don't mean to be mean, but if you practice a martial art, you are going to get hurt. Often it hurts real bad but the next day is fine, sometimes it seems ok but actually isn't (like my head now!)

Mmski- my work is always amused by my various bruises etc . I made a pretty good exit today as this concussion got steadily worse through the morning!

ronitabur

Thank you to everyone that posted their advice. I feel better about it now.

Mmiski: I'm similar to you in that I am 45, new to the sport and am currently about 30 pounds overweight - but working on it and have lost 73 pounds so far. I too look like a twinky in a vegetable garden. I love the analogy! I don't mind the sport being hard. I love the bruises, the sore muscles and the thinking that is required... The pain I experienced in my leg did take away a bit of the fantasy for a while. But, I excel at denial so I'm back at the gym having fun again, sweating profusely and keeping a better eye on feet coming my way.

RobynLB : There is no chance that I'll switch to traditional boxing. The kicking is the best part. I just learned Teep-Fake Cross-Kick to the body a few days ago and had so much fun that I could hardly contain myself. But it was a good thought on your part. I'll have to endure the pain. Thanks!

Thank you again everyone for the supportive commentary. I'm so impressed with the MMA culture.

. Roni