Those that know me wouldn’t be surprised to hear that I’ve never been in a fight. They also wouldn’t expect me to enjoy watching them (and they’d be right). I’m an introverted homebody who occasionally watches true crime (a habit I’m trying to kick). I’m clumsy, and have terrible balance. But for some reason, I wanted to try Muay Thai.
In 2024, I emailed a local Muay Thai gym to ask about their free trials. I never followed up. My mind was filled with excuses: it’s too far of a drive. Work is too busy. I need to fix my hip and stability issues first. I probably won’t like it anyway so why waste my time and gas money.
Fast forward to summer of 2025, I lost my job. In the weeks that followed, I did what I could to recharge and reset. Amidst all the applications and interview prep, I thought hard about what else I could do during this time off.
Part of that was to take advantage of all the things I said I didn’t have time for. Things like getting certified in first aid and CPR, volunteering, getting more involved in the community, physical therapy to fix my hip issues, and ta-da… Muay Thai.
Signing up for Muay Thai
Last month I finally emailed that gym back to say ”Sorry I ignored your emails from a year ago. I’m ready now” and started my trial. We didn’t spar, but instead focused on the core moves. It both surprised and didn’t surprise me to find that I loved it! I signed up a couple weeks later. I’ve only been training for a few weeks now, but I’m still really into it.
Even on the days I don’t feel like going to class, as soon as class is over, I feel great. I started with classes 2x a week and have now been going 3-4 times a week. This might actually be a sport I stick with. In addition to classes, I practice my techniques at home too, which feels like a good sign that this is the right fit for me.
Exploring options other than Muay Thai
Even though I had Muay Thai on my mind ever since I reached out to that gym, I knew there was a possibility I wouldn’t like it, so I made sure to look into other martial arts as well. I wanted to increase my cardiovascular health, and also wanted to learn some self defense for if I ever needed to protect myself. Furthermore, I felt like if I could progress well with Muay Thai that I could build a different level of confidence that could hopefully help with my job search.
In addition to Muay Thai, I also considered boxing, jiu jitsu, and Krav Maga. I do really like boxing and I would maybe have stuck with that if there was a gym that offered good technical training (which this Muay Thai gym does offer). Many years ago I tried jiu jitsu, but I didn’t love it enough to purchase a gi (jiu jitsu martial arts uniform), and I didn’t enjoy the the constant close contact it requires. I liked Krav Maga, but I wanted more focus on technical instruction which the other martial arts seem to emphasize more.
I will say that of these few martial arts that I’ve looked into, Muay Thai seems to be the “simplest” to master, and for me I’d love to focus more on getting down the core skills and building from there.
Things I’ve learned so far with Muay Thai
One thing I’ve realized is everyone has started from zero at some point. And to improve, you need to just show up and work. It takes time, and that is normal.
- If you find the right gym, it will feel like a community. I’m so thankful for this gym. Everyone is so welcoming and nice. Not every gym is always so welcoming. I have heard stories that some gyms might start out welcoming but later the vibe changes
- Teenage boys might go hard. I learned this the hard way (another member at the gym validated my suspicions). Seems safer to try and avoid sparring with them as a beginner
- Focus on learning vs. fighting. As a beginner, I know that building the right foundation with technique is important. Speed and power can come later
- My main metric for success is “showing up”. I’ve always believed in discipline over motivation, but as a beginner in Muay Thai, it has felt frustrating that I’m not good yet. I’ve defined success as just showing up to class because to get better you need to just show up and do the work
- Drilling at home helps with progress, even if it’s just for 5 minutes. Visualization of training and sparring may also be helpful even if you’re not physically training
- STRETCH AND WARM UP. And also be mindful of jumping in too hard. Muay Thai has taught me how inflexible, immobile and out of shape I am. As a woman going into her 40s, it was a huge wakeup call to focus on my physical health. I never want to wake up one day and realize I can no longer get up from the floor by myself. Going from very limited physical activity to training 3-4 times a week resulted in a calf strain while at the gym. Don’t be like me and warmup, stretch, listen to your body, and ease into classes
- Community and kindness go a long way. Be kind and have compassion for all
Thoughts I had as a beginner which I think are pretty common
- “I look silly”. People aren’t looking at you. They’re focused on their own form and training. Everyone starts as a beginner and it takes time to develop the skills
- “I look silly wearing a mouth guard”. Don’t think that as a beginner people won’t accidentally punch you in the face. When it happens, it likely won’t be very hard, but you don’t want to risk getting your teeth knocked out. Luckily no one has hit me that hard yet, but I prefer to err on the side of caution
- “No one wants to spar with me because I’m so bad”. You’ll spar with many different people and most people I’ve met truly want to help. Most gyms will pair advanced fighters with beginners. It reinforces their own skills and is a way for them to practice teaching
- “I don’t want to get knocked out”. Sparring is not a real fight. It’s a controlled practice for improving techniques. No one is trying to “win” while sparring
Only a month in, it’s way too early to tell where this journey will take me. All I know is that it’s improving my health, and is something I can focus on to see progress over time while I find new work.
