Do keep in mind that we still encourage you to consult your physician and dietician first. You may have different nutritional needs or may have certain allergic reactions to certain food items. As such, please consult the experts first.

1. Don’t skip meals. It’s no secret that many of those who take up muay thai do so to lose weight more than anything else. This is why many think that skipping meals will help them lose weight even faster. But no, that’s not exactly how things work. Unless you eat two boxes of pizza for every meal, skipping meals isn’t recommended. Remember, you’re still new to this and your body needs all the nutrition it can get to keep up with all your training.
2. Slow, gradual changes. You can’t just change your eating habits overnight. It’s going to take time and much like your training, you’ll have to take it day by day. Instead of completely changing your meal plan from eating whatever is available to planning it out, do it slowly. Start with your breakfast, then gradually, move on to your lunch, then dinner up until your body’s used to a whole new meal plan.
3. Don’t be absent-minded. Many people do what we’d love to refer to as “mindless eating”. It’s sort of eating without really eating, if you know what I mean. When you eat, make sure that you savor every bite and chew as slowly as possible. Enjoy the food and try NOT to do anything else. This way, you’ll know exactly just how much nutrition your body needs and prevent overeating.
4. Less shit food, more fruits and vegetables. Rich in nutrition and very low in calorie count, fruits and vegetables should be a staple of your daily meals. Be sure to buy them fresh as much as possible as processed ones are rarely as good, both in terms of flavor and in nutrition. Also, another thing to keep in mind is to avoid shit food, or to put it simply, everything that’s already been processed.

Follow these tips above and you’ll find yourself living a much healthier life before and a much better fighter as well.

The post Nutrition Tips For Those New To Muay Thai first appeared on Fight engine .

1. A proper gym bag. When training, you’ll always want to have your things organized as much as possible and a proper gym bag will help you with that. It doesn’t have to be expensive, nor to be of a known brand. What you’ll want is quality and that it be big enough for all the things mentioned on this list to fit in.
2. Boxing gloves. One pair of gloves is enough, but two is usually better because you’ll need a different one for bag work and another one for sparring. Be sure to choose invest well in them as the more expensive gloves are more likely to last for many years compared to the cheaper ones.
3. Fighting shorts. Unlike in other combat sports, fighting shorts or 泰拳 短褲 used in Muay Thai isn’t as long. Often, they’re just as long as your typical boxer shorts, which may be awkward to use for those who’re new to it, but will also provide much needed mobility. Invest in a few high-quality ones and you’ll find yourself set for a year or so.
4. Protective equipment. Most of these are available in your local gym and you can rent them out. BUT, you’ll want to own them anyway for hygiene reasons. Shin guards, headgear, groin protection and a mouth guard are necessary for you to train well and prevent injuries. Try to ask your personal trainer for tips on how to choose such equipment as they’ll know which brands are the best or where in your local area is the best to shop. Also, in the case of shin guards, be sure to fit them first since they come in many shapes and size.
5. Hand wraps. As a common rule of thumb, you’ll want to own a dozen or so hand wraps and bring a couple when you’re going to the gym. Why? Because they’re useful and could also double as athletic tapes.
6. Knee pads and elbow pads. Anyone who’s ever clashed knees or elbows with their sparring partners know how painful it is. So, while not necessary, buying yourself some knee and elbow pads could prevent any unwanted injuries and cuts.
7. Ankle braces. If you’ve got some spare cash, ankle braces are a worthy investment. Novices aren’t likely to use them, but those who’re more advanced will find them useful as they help protect the feet from the backlash created by all the kicking involved in Muay Thai.

If you want your money to be spent only on high-quality gloves and fighting shorts, you’ll want to pay a visit to http://www.muaythaisport.com and their wide selection of accessories, clothing and equipment for Muay Thai fighters and enthusiasts alike.

The post 7 Must-Have Items for Muay Thai Fighters first appeared on Fight engine .

• NOTE: Before you start doing any of these workouts or routines, it’s best that you start stretching first. Be sure to ask other more experienced Muay Thai fighters for help, or better yet, ask your trainer.

1. Running. It may take a while to get used to, especially since your training takes a lot out of you already, but running is the best way to improve your conditioning. Start with 10 to 15 minutes of light running two to three days a day after you stretch and before training. Gradually, increase the time you spend running and you’ll find yourself lasting longer while shadow boxing, training and more importantly, sparring and/or fighting.
2. Shadow boxing. This is the sort of training that even the most experienced fighters do all the time. Requiring intense focus and concentration, shadow boxing has a wide slew of benefits that easily translate into a real fight, both in and out of the ring. If you’re new, try to go at it at 70% speed and only for two or three 3-minute rounds with a 1 minute break between each one.
3. Rope skipping. If you think that rope skipping is only for boxers, think again. Do remember that Muay Thai is slightly similar to Western Boxing with footwork and agility important to becoming a successful fighter. And, there’s nothing like a session or two every now and then of rope skipping to help improve your footwork.
4. Heavy bag work. Muay Thai being the art of the eight limbs, fighters need all the practice they can get for their strikes and the heavy bag proves to be just the perfect equipment for that. As a novice, it’s best to think of the heavy bag as your stationary sparring partner. Kick it, punch it, elbow it and do pretty much everything to it as what you would with your sparring partner

Master these basic Muay Thai workouts and you’ll find yourself making your sparring partner huff and puff while you dance circles around them.

The post Basic Muay Thai Workouts for Novices first appeared on Fight engine .

1. Boxing gloves. You’d like to bring two pairs with you, one ten-ounce pair for heavy bag training and another sixteen-ounce pair when you decide to spar. As an added tip, try to stay away from the gloves made by Everlast or those with “UFC” written on them. If possible, try to ask your personal trainer what brand they’d recommend.
2. Headgear. Protect your head at all times because concussions aren’t fun. Yes, head gear equipment may be expensive, but you what’s more expensive? Hospital bills.
3. Groin Protection. Both men and women need this for reasons that don’t exactly need much explanation.
4. Mouth Guard. Even with your head gear, you’re bound to get hit on the head especially in the mouth area. Buy yourself a few quality mouth guards and you’ll find yourself visiting the dentist far less often.
5. Shin Guards, knee pads and elbow pads. For an overall immersive experience, be sure to buy yourself additional protective equipment. Consider it as an investment for you and your training partner as these pieces of equipment help prevent injuries. Be sure to fit them first, though, before buying since they come in different shapes and sizes.
6.  Hand wraps. Many Muay Thai fighters own dozens of pairs of hand wraps and they carry with them a couple every time they go to the gym. Why? Because they’re useful and you can never have one too many.
7. Athletic Tapes and Ankle Braces. These two are put as one item because they’re optional, but that doesn’t they’re not useful. If you have the budget, be sure to buy a good type because you can use it to wrap your hands, or help prevent your shin guards from sliding among many other things. Also, the ankle braces help protect your feet from all the kicking included in your training.

As you can see, Muay Thai is a rather expensive combat sport because of all the many protective equipment needed. Not to mention that you still have to buy towels and other obvious stuff that you’re going to be needed in the gym. But hey, no combat sport is cheap to learn and the benefits of practicing Muay Thai far outweigh the costs of doing so.

The post 7 Must-Have Items For Your Muay Thai Gym Bag! first appeared on Fight engine .

If that is your problem, then be sure to take note of the brand names mentioned on this list.

• Boon. Many big name fighters use boon shorts for a reason and it’s because they’re durable. Buy a pair and you’re sure to have invested your money well in a pair of shorts that’s going to last.

• Lumpinee. Opting for fancy and stylish designs, many novices opt for Lumpinee shorts simply because they look good. But, they’re not just all eye-candy. Lumpinee shorts are also quite durable and are one of the most popular brands in Thailand.

• Top King. Providing wider leg room than usual, many Muay Thai fighters prefer to use Top King shorts for training. Though, there are also plenty of amateur fighters who use them for the very same reason.
• Raja. These shorts are made of 100% satin materials and as such, are very light and comfortable to use. They’re not exactly as known of a brand as the others mentioned on this list, but they’re more than worth your money.

• Twins. Famous in western countries, Twin shorts are made of 100% polyester Satin and are also quite popular in Thailand.
• Fairtex. The most expensive of the brands mentioned on this list, Fairtex shorts are designed to give you better mobility and ease of movement. They’re also considered a premium brand of shorts and are hand-made, much like other Thai brands.
• Windy. A maker of Muay Thai shorts since the 1950s, Windy is a reputable brand whose shorts are worth investing in.

If you’re ever in the market for Muay Thai shorts, you can never get wrong with these brands. They’re all built well and should last you for as long as you want them. Though, just make sure that you choose not based on brand, but based on their comfort and fit as those are the two most important things when it comes to Muay Thai shorts.

Speaking of Muay Thai shorts, be sure to check out http://www.muaythaisport.com and their wide range of Muay Thai equipments and accessories such as boxing gloves, MMA shorts, Muay Thai shorts and so on and so forth.

The post The Best Muay Thai Short Brands first appeared on Fight engine .

Everyone who’s practiced Muay Thai or any sort of combat sport or martial art for that matter has gone through days where no one is around in the gym. No trainer, no sparring partner and definitely, not a single soul in sight. Sure, there may be a few people, but they’re not exactly the ones you’d want to spar with.For most people, such a sight may lead to a loss of motivation. After all, it’s hard to train when you have nobody to train with or no one is around to train you. But, the truth is, such alone time with just you and the gym is important for your training.

Training On Your Own

As sad as it may look or sound like, training on your own is a good thing. Doing so always may not be as beneficial, but every now and then, such sessions will help you become a better fighter.

For example, the lack of a sparring partner will force you to focus on your shadow boxing and on the heavy bag, two things that are often neglected, but are actually quite useful.

The Heavy Bag and Shadow Boxing

These may be two simple things and has been said, many fighters neglect them, often thinking that they’re not as important as sparring in regards to their training.

The truth is, in order to improve as a fighter, you’ll want to improve the way you shadow box and the way you use the heavy bag.

Here are a few tips that may help you with that.

• Don’t be lazy. Never let up, even when “just” shadow boxing. Imagine yourself in a ring with an opponent right in front of you. Thus, you’ll want to make sure that you’re focused on defending, evading and countering as you would in a real match.
• Practice Your Combinations. The good thing about the heavy bag is that you can hit it as much as you want and as hard as you can. So, be sure to use that to your advantage and practice your combinations with it. Much like in shadow boxing, don’t let up and make sure that your focus is as intense as it would be in a real match.

Work at it. Every time you get the chance to train by yourself, cherish it. Work on everything you think you want to work on, your stances, your strikes, your shadow boxing and your combinations. As has been said many times over, never let up. Do this over and over again until everything becomes muscle memory and a habit. Thus, when it comes to the real thing, your body is much, much more capable of fighting.

The post Important Tips To Help You Train Muay Thai Alone first appeared on Fight engine .

So, if you’re into Muay Thai and plan on taking it seriously, the right pair of shorts is definitely something you’ll need. Choosing one, though, isn’t easy and to help you with that, here are a couple of tips worth considering.

1. Find The Right Fit. This is the reason why it’s rarely recommended to buy Muay Thai shorts online, especially if it’s your first time. The reason for this is that you can’t fit hem before buying. Remember, fit equals to comfort and comfort equals to mobility which is very important when it comes to Muay Thai. Different brands have different fit, so be sure to do a bit moving around while fitting to make sure that it’s something your comfortable wearing for hours at a time.
2. Choose a quality brand. Brand name and price doesn’t always equate to quality, but you can’t deny that bigger brands take care of the shorts they manufacture. So, when looking for Muay Thai shorts, be sure to take a look at the ones made by known brands first before anything else.
3. Don’t cheap out. A cheaply made short may seem like it’s enough to do the job, but when it comes to Muay Thai, it’s best to NOT cheap out. The materials used in cheap shorts are nowhere near as good as those used in quality brands and are a little bit rough to wear. Those who have sensitive skin may also get rashes because of the low-quality fabric used in such shorts.
4. Length and width. Shorter doesn’t always mean better, but it does help if the pair of shorts you’re wearing are as long as the typical boxer shots and that the leg holes are wide enough to give you enough freedom and mobility.

These tips above should help you make the perfect Muay Thai Shorts for your training and matches. So, be sure to remember them well the next time you shop around.

Speaking of Muay Thai Shorts, be sure to check out the wide selection of products that MuayThaiSport.com has available. Who knows, you may find the perfect pair of shorts in their store!

The post Everything You Need to Know About Muay Thai Shorts first appeared on Fight engine .

For those that don’t know, the round kick is pretty much one of the most powerful kicks in all of Muay Thai. It’s also a kick that’s used in other principles and many hail it as one of the most effective attacks any fighter can ever execute. Simple as they may look like, these kicks can break bones, knock fighters unconscious and can even kill. Put it simply, the roundhouse kick is one of the most lethal kicks out there.That said, if you plan on making the round kick part of your arsenal of weapons, be sure to read these tips below.

• Train your shin. Unlike in other combat sports, the main focus of the round kick in Muay Thai is the shin and other bones surrounding. That said, if you can make yours as hard as it possibly can, then you’re already on your way to having a devastating round kick.

• Step out. This is the one step that many say makes the round kick obvious, but it’s also rather important. By stepping out at a 45 degree angle, you get a better position and a better angle. Plus, by stepping out and with your back heel slightly off the ground, you can push as hard as you can so that the kick is going to be as fast and as strong as it can be.

• Post and cover. Known as the windshield wiper sequence, be sure to look up a video of this online as its quite hard to explain it just from words alone.

• Hip and shoulder rotation. Pivot and rotation, two words that are the secret behind knockout round kicks. The rotation of your hip, followed by your arms, is the key to creating that whip-like motion that the round kick is most famous for.

• Follow through. Plain and simple. Just be sure to kick THROUGH your target, not at it so it’s easier for you to recover if it should miss and much harder for your target to counter.

• Never make the mistake of leaning back when throwing a round kick. Sure, it helps you to NOT get hit, but it also lessens the impact of your round kick. More importantly, as long as you pivot right and step out at the right angle, you’re pretty much protected from counterattacks. That is, as long as you time your round kick right.

Keep in mind that while the round kick can easily knock out your opponent, it’s not always going to land. As powerful as it is, many fighters have found themselves kissing the floor because of ill-timed round kicks that were easily countered by similarly devastating strikes.

So, be sure to time it right and use your round kick only when the opportunity presents itself.

The post How to Throw Much More Powerful Round Kicks in Muay Thai first appeared on Fight engine .

If you ever need a good reason or two, here are a few things that training alone can help you with.

1. Focus. If there’s one thing that a Muay Thai fighter needs, it’s focus. When training alone, lack of focus will lead to little or no gains at all and will end up just being a waste of time. And, the best way to improve this while training alone is through your shadow boxing and through the heavy bag.

If you set your mind right and are focused enough to think that you’re in a real match even when you’re just shadow boxing or through a heavy bag, training alone will help you as much as training with another fighter would.

1. Combinations. Combinations, whether they’re possible or not, are hard to practice when you’re sparring with someone or when you’re working with a trainer. Why? Because the human mind is the most creative when its alone. If you’re training alone, you can think of many scenarios and find ways to handle them. It may all just be in your mind, but with shadow boxing, your body will also be moving with you. In time, everything will become a habit and make you a much better fighter.
2. Conditioning and strength training. If you’re alone in the gym and don’t want to shadow box, practice your combinations or play with the heavy bag, you can still improve your skills without doing those. The secret to that is conditioning and strength training. You can lift weights and focus on muscle endurance or you can also choose to use the treadmill to focus on your stamina.

There are plenty more benefits of training on your own and these three are just some of them. Then again, training with someone, especially a trainer who’s much more experienced than you are is still definitely recommended.

The post Why It’s Important to Sometimes Train Muay Thai On Your Own first appeared on Fight engine .

In any case, the heavy bag really is a boring thing to look at. That is, if you’re not looking at it hard enough. The truth is, this piece of equipment could easily make the difference between you being an average fighter to one that’s fully capable of defending against more than just a couple of street thugs.

Heavy Bag and Your Training

Fixed to a wall, such bags weigh differently, though Muay Thai fighters usually only practice with those that weigh about 50 pounds to about 200 pounds. Even at 50, the heavy bag stays true to its name. It’s sturdy, it’s heavy and it certainly isn’t going anywhere.

Looking at the heavy bag, you don’t see much. All you see is just a piece of equipment, but have you ever considered how you train with it? Have you ever thought that you aren’t putting as much effort as you should be?

Many fighters often think that the best way to condition and improve themselves is through sparring, but that isn’t true. Before you can even a moving target, it’s best that you know how to hit a heavy bag too.

Think of the heavy bag as a sparring partner. Don’t just punch it for the sake of punching. Think of it as someone who may hit you back if you’re open enough. Or, better yet, think of it as someone who wants to knock you out as much as you do.

The Heavy Bag is your Best Friend

 Unlike sparring partners, the heavy bag can take lots of hits. It won’t get injured and it certainly won’t get bruised. The worst thing you can do is punch a hole, but that’s only when you’re powerful and skilled enough.

Remember, your heavy bag is your best friend when it comes to your training. If you love to shadow box, then why not do it with a heavy bag? Evade as you would in a normal match and put your guard up. This way, you improve your muscle memory and habits, making defending and striking a whole lot easier in a real match.

The post Why You Should Use The Heavy Bag More Often in Muay Thai first appeared on Fight engine .