Questions about Thai Boxing...

Fat_Lenny
Fat_Lenny Posts: 38
in Fitness and Exercise
I'm considering signing up for Muay Thai classes at my local gym, but don't know what to expect really. My questions are:

- Is it suitable for a 27 year old female total novice?
- Is it the right sport for my body shape? (I'm 5' 2", not overweight, but a little doughy on the higher end of my BMI height/weight ratio) I want to be fitter and more athletic than I currently am, but not bulk up too much muscle.
- What should I wear?

I'm a little intimidated about starting because I know nothing, worried about being in a gym surrounded by total beefcakes, when I will probably look a bit silly for a while But everyone's got to start somewhere I guess. I'm also very attracted to learning about the sport's history, techniques, and the self-defence aspect. I'm not looking to become a pro Muay Thai fighter, this'll just be for personal development. Would be interested to hear about any other women's experiences of doing this?

Thanks in advance! :smile:

Replies

  • HappyElizabeth
    HappyElizabeth Posts: 231 Member
    I started Muay Thai last year and absolutely love it! I went to an MMA gym, which is probably way more intense (and intimidating) than a regular gym that offers Muay Thai classes. My trainer fights at Madison Square Garden. LOL!
    -Yes, totally suitable for a 27 year old female novice (I'm 42 female, and was a complete novice. I would say it was about 75% guys, and about 25% girls)
    -I started in the middle of my healthy BMI range. After a few months of Muay Thai, I was very toned and had lost a significant amount of body fat. You will not "bulk up" as it's very aerobic.
    -What to wear? Shorts are ideal, but I hate shorts, so I wear spandex leggings (the kind that are tight and stop mid calf). I started in tight yoga pants, but I sweat way too much for that. Also, the place I go to required you to be in bare feet, so then my yoga pants were too long. I always wear a tight t-shirt, but everyone else wears a tank top (must wear good sports bra!!!)
    -You will be fine. I am the oldest person by at least 15 years at my MMA gym, but they got me in awesome shape for any age (unfortunately, I hurt myself running and couldn't do any Muay Thai this winter and got fat - I'm starting again next week!)
    -I was TOTALLY intimidated the first time I went, but everyone was very nice (but, yes, many/most are beefcakes). They wrapped my hands for me, and helped me pick out gloves and were very patient. By about the 3rd class, I looked like I knew what I was doing.
    -I cannot stress how happy I am that I started Muay Thai. It is truly like no other workout.
  • Fat_Lenny
    Fat_Lenny Posts: 38
    Thanks for your reply!

    I tried ringing the gym who gave me the number of the instructor. But when I phoned them I was cut off somehow so tried emailing instead. Hopefully they'll get back to me! On their website they suggest tracksuit pants and a comfy t-shirt. Nothing mentioned about footwear, but from their pic gallery it looks like they train barefoot anyway! I have a good sports bra thankfully!

    I really want to learn and this is the only gym in my area that offers Muay Thai, I didn't fancy just going to a spinning class or treadmills and getting nowhere. I don't know if they take beginners yet, that was one of my enquiries, but everyone's a beginner at some point. Also one of the instructors is a woman so that's encouraging. It looks like a fairly small class though. I'm in the UK and not sure about prices, but I've saved up a bit for this so it should be worth it! The group also take part in competitive fighting, I don't think that interests me, but you never know in future! It'd probably take me a long time to be fight ready anyway so I might as well take it one step at a time and see if I enjoy it first.

    Thanks for your advice!

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