Starting any martial art can feel intimidating if you didn’t come from a sports background – or even if you did. Rather than a team game focused on a ball or a solo endurance activity like running or swimming, Muay Thai is both a close contact sport and also a combat sport.

This means while you’re learning how to defend yourself, you may likely also get hit in the process. (How else will you know how to block a punch in real time?)

If learning Muay Thai and becoming a dangerous weapon on your feet is one of your goals but you’re hesitant about combat sports, a great place to start is with a Kickboxing class.

[The Father of Muay Thai: Nai Khanom Tom]

Kickboxing

In a Kickboxing class, you’ll learn the fundamentals of striking on a heavy bag, and you can practice your punches, elbows, knees and kicks without anyone striking back. 

Additionally, kickboxing classes are usually high-cardio fitness workouts that will get you sweating, so the conditioning will help prepare you for Muay Thai!

Even if you have no desire to learn how to not get punched in the face, Kickboxing makes a great change to your usual workout routine, tones your arms and legs and leans out your entire body as you compress and expand it into one explosive and agile human machine.

At Easton Training Center, we start everyone who wants to do Muay Thai in our Kickboxing program. Unless they’ve had experience at another academy and get evaluated by a coach, we want to make sure our students have a foundation or technique and control when working with a bag before they jump into a Muay Thai class where they will work with another student.

Some martial arts academies do allow beginners into their Muay Thai classes, but if you aren’t one to jump into the deep end, we recommend finding a kickboxing studio nearby to get your feet wet!

[What to Expect at Your First Kickboxing Class]

The Ultimate Guide to Muay Thai